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"KANINA ka pa nakatitig sa cellphone mo, baka mabasag na yan."

Marahan akong napatalon sa gulat nang biglang sumulpot sa likod ko si Seek, agad kong nilapag ang cellphone ko sa counter table kaya napatawa siya habang nguya-nguya ang chichirya niya.

"Hala siya, may tinatago si Ate!" Sigaw pa niya kaya inabot ko ang buhok niya at sinabunutan.

This loud baby brother! If marinig siya nino 'man ng mga tao dito sa bahay, knowing how much they are so ma-issue, agad na kakalat ang fake news na ito!

"You dumb bitch, shut up or aalisan kita ng buhok!" Pabulong na sigaw ko sakanya habang hindi pa din binibitawan ang buhok.

Hawak niya ang kamay ko at pilit na inaalis iyon sa hair niya, hindi niya alam I was an expert with this kind of battle. Mas lalo ko pang binaon ang daliri ko kaya nagsisigaw siya sa sakit.

"Aray! Aray! Tama na! Hindi na!"

Binitawan ko naman ang buhok niya at I rolled my eyes on him, "Pag ako ini-issue mo, mawawala 'yang buhok mo."

"Ang taray mo susumbong kita kay Mommy!" Sigaw niya at tatakbong umalis.

As if I'd get scared of Mom, she'll just probably smile at him and tell him to go to his room. I heaved a deep sigh at tinignan uli ang screen ng cellphone ko.

It's been three days mula nang huli kami magkita ni Theodore, not that I'm waiting for him naman, pero I thought he was asking for my favor. I thought he was going to contact me! Pero bakit wala pa din?!

I'm getting really impatient kasi I haven't been getting out of this house, ni pumasok at gumawa ng normal sa cafe ay hindi ko magawa! Just because of this dumb man. Ang tagal niyang mag-text!

Sa yaman niyang 'yon, hindi nagpapaload?! May kumpanyang malaki, load wala?! Baka gusto niya ako pa magpa-load sakaniya?

Nafufrustrate ako kasi even if gusto ko magpunta sa work, hindi naman ako makapag-focus at for sure titignan ko lang ng titignan ang cellphone ko to check kung may text na siya. Just like what happened earlier!

"Can I get a strawberry frappe?"

"Excuse me, Miss? Can I get a strawberry frappe?"

"Miss? Are you okay? Hey, Ate over there! Can you wake this Miss? I think she's sleeping with her eyes open."

I didn't even felt the existence of a customer dahil sa matinding pagtitig ko sa screen ng cellphone ko. I am really overthinking this. Buti na lang at nandoon si Bobbie at pinauwi muna ako.

Hindi ko alam kung sino ba talaga ang boss samin ni Bobbie. Mukhang intern ako kanina, I am so unprofessional. So ew for me. I've never been like this before naman.

I don't even know why I was prioritizing his favor like he was some kind of a prime minister or royalty. It's not like bibigyan niya ko ng milyon para sa isang cake.

Tatayo na sana ako para i-try na may gawing iba, to reduce my stress and anxiety dahil sa simple text message maybe I should just create another recipe, when my phone beeped. Napatingin agad ako sa notif and it was from an unknown messenger! I am getting nervous!

Unknown

Hi! About the cake, I was wondering
if you're available now for a
meet up? :D

Nawala ang kaba ko at biglang napa-kunot ang noo. Who the eff is this?! The Theo-fucking-dore that I knew would not make a smiley face on a text! Nor be like this very looking kind!

May pa 'are you toying with me' pa siya tapos ako naman pala ang pinaglalaruan! This rude man, what do I even expect from him!

I was trying to ignore the text as much as I could nang bigla ulit mag-text yon ng sunod-sunod that made me wanna block the number. Mamaya spam pala.

Unknown

Sorry. That was Levi.

Are u available.

Now?

This is Theo.

Text back.

A smile rose from my lips. So it was Levi pala ha? That bwisit kahit kailan panira ng mood man!

Why are grumpy Theodore's messages looked cold pero it has a sense of authority na kapag hindi ako nagreply agad, kikidnapin ulit niya ako? I sat from the chair na inuupuan ko kanina at nagtype ng irereply sakanya.

Me

Yeah.. where should we meet?

I saved Theodore's number on my phone, hindi sa gusto ko siyang itext always, it's not like I have good memorization skills kaya!

Asshole Valencia

I do not know.

You think.

Napa-irap ako sa kawalan. Even in messages, napaka-walang-hiya pa din niya talaga! I texted him the location kung san niya ako kikitain at sumagot naman siya kaagad.

I said that I was going to be late dahil ni-reason ko na may tinapos pa ako kahit there's none naman talaga. Syempre para hindi masabi na I was waiting for his text!

Agad naman akong naligo. I scrubbed my body real hard dahil three days na din akong hindi naliligo simula nung hindi ako pumapasok.

Duh, nasa house lang naman ako bakit pa ako maliligo?

I even put on light makeup dahil I need to look fresh! Not like a zombie na taong bahay!

I was still getting ready, looking for what to wear when Ate Queue entered my room. Pinasadahan niya ako ng tingin tsaka pinagtaasan ng kilay.

"May date ka?" Mapanghusgang tanong niya.

"What?! Of course no! May business meeting ako! Why are you so doubtful of me?"

She shrugged, "Chill. Ang defensive mo masyado." And with that, she left my room.

Grabe, kinabahan ako doon! She was like so mapanghusga with her eyes! I couldn't stop myself from defending me!

Finally, after a long inner debate, nakapamili na din ako ng susuotin. I was wearing a lime skirt that was inches above my knee, partnered with a white blouse na hanggang wrists at white block heels. I ribboned the lace sa may dibdib ko and I got my lime purse from my cabinet at sinukbit sa balikat ko.

I looked at my reflection at my full body mirror at bahagyang inayos ang hair ko to give more volume to it dahil masyadong tuwid.

I booked a Grab papunta sa location. I wasn't able to ask Kuya Will to drive me kasi he was with Mom, shopping. Wala pa naman akong sariling car dahil nag-iipon pa ako.

The location I picked was not that far from my place dahil syempre para mura lang ang fare sa Grab. Para naman sa side ni Rude Expensive Boy, I don't care since mayaman siya at may kotse naman siyang mamahalin din.

I just hope na I'm not late. Mukha pa naman siyang i-hate-late-people freak.

"YOU ARE twenty-six minutes late, Uno."

Napa-irap ako sa bungad niya. He was outside the restaurant, obviously waiting for me.

"Wala 'man lang isang matamis na 'hi' d'yan?! O di kaya kahit mag-sinungaling ka na bagong dating ka lang naman?" Reklamo ko.

He is every bit of a perfectionist I hated. And I am so right, i-hate-late-people freak siya.

Tamad na umirap din siya pabalik at sabay kaming naglakad papasok sa restaurant. Pumili ako ng ibang place imbes na sa cafe dahil pano ako mag-aayos ng bongga kung doon din naman pala ako pupunta? I have to look fresh nga diba and I need to show off!

Pagkapasok pa lang namin ay nakatitig na kay Expensive Theodore ang isang waitress. Konti na lang ay tumulo ang laway niya dito sa lalaking ito.

Hindi ko naman ipagkakaila, this man, kahit na sobrang rude ng behavior niya, he got the looks na can make everyone's head turn. He's got that aura na even me is victimized.

"S-Sir.. do you have--"

"Reservation under Theodore Valencia." He cut her off. Ha! Natikman mo ang pait ng lalaking ito, ano ka ngayon!

Gwapo man sa labas, ay sobrang pangit naman sa panloob!

"Oh, this way, Sir Valencia!" Sabi niya na mukhang natauhan na at inihatid kami papunta sa isang private room.

Naguluhan pa ako noong una, I thought we were just going to sit in an ordinary table pero heto siya tuloy ang flex sa pera niyang unlimited ata.

Kinuha na din niya ang orders namin tsaka siya umalis. At buti naman ay umalis na nga siya dahil mukhang hindi niya napapansin ang existence ko dito.

"So about the cake, one layer only and it needs to be very special." He said, opening the topic.

"We have different types of cakes. May iba-iba rin flavor, Mister Valencia. I don't know if what specific flavor you wanted for this 'very special woman' of yours.." I was trying really hard to sound formal dahil afterall client pa din siya!

I was preventing myself nga from calling him nicknames and disrespecting him. Mamaya hindi ako nito irecommend sa mga for sure expensive friends din niya. I need money pa naman.

He looked at me intently. Parang binabasa ako hanggang sa kaluluwa ko, I felt goosebumps on my arms.

"Wag mo kong tawaging 'Mister Valencia' call me by my name."

I gulped, "Okay, Theodore."

He leaned forward, "That's nice, but can you call me Theo instead?"

What the hell?! Ano bang gusto niya? Mamatay ako dito sa kaba?

Umiwas ako ng tingin, "Shut up. P-Pwede ba wag ka lumapit sakin?"

He chuckled wickedly at sumandal sa upuan niya. He was just staring at me at hindi ko naman na maiba yung usapan! Now, I can't start the conversation.

I cleared my throat na ikinataas ng kilay niya, "I.. I am asking for your cooperation, Sir."

Diniinan ko ang 'sir' para maramdaman niya kung gaano ko siya gustong sakalin ngayon at patahimikin. Ang gulo-gulo niya kasing kausap!

"Mahirap na ba akong tawaging Theo? Theo naman ang pangalan ko hindi Sir sa pagkakaalam ko." He playfully said.

Nagpipigil na talaga ako na sumabog at bulyawan siya. Kudos to you, self, kasi you're doing a really great job!

"Okay. Theo. Paano ako gagawa ng very special cake mo para sa isang very special woman mo?" Tanong ko, taking notes dahil baka may sabihin siya.

"Ewan ko," He answered, "Ikaw ang nagbebake, diba? So you must know the answer."

Pocha.

Minasahe ko ang sentido ko. Kalma lang, kliyente pa din siya.

"Hindi ko po kasi alam kung anong gustong flavor ng babae mo. Mamaya ilagay ko cheesecake, tapos allergic pala siya, diba?" I said with a smile.

Umiling siya, "Basta kahit ano. Basta espesyal."

"How about the design? Any suggestions?"

"Basta espesyal."

"Pano naman favorite color niya? Baka makatulong?"

"Any color will do."

"Pano mo naman masasabing special ang ibibigay mo sa girlfriend mo kung walang effort? You are so making me angry and frustrated right now!" I hissed.

Itinaas niya ang kilay niya, "Girlfriend? Sino may sabing para sa girlfriend ko?"

Bumukas ang bibig ko. Anong ibig niyang sabihin? Wala ba siyang girlfriend? All along, mali ba ang iniisip ko?

"Eh? Sino yung very special woman mo?"

"My mother. Your head is full of malice."

Awts gege, nanay pala.

I got through all three days on emo mode dahil akala ko taken na siya. Now, all of it was nothing?! Bakit hindi niya sinabi?!

Napahiya tuloy ako! Huhu! Right now, I want na sana ibaon na lang ako sa lupa or matunaw ako dito para di na ako mapahiya.

"For the cake, all you have to do is to make it special. Ikaw na bahala. I'll pay you any amount." He stated.

God, hindi na ako makatingin sakaniya ngayon ng tuwid. Nawala na yung confidence kong sagutin siya ng pabalang!

"I just needed it on Sunday and you have to clear all your schedule that day." He added na nagpakunot ng noo ko at nagpabalik sa wisyo ko.

"What? At bakit naman?" Tanong ko. Ready na mang-bara at sagut-sagutin siya kahit na hindi ko pa gaano nababawi ang confidence ko.

He leaned forward again, "Don't you wanna meet my mom?"

-

Hello! Wala akong alam sa mga business world, kaya even sa mga pagmimeeting ng clients or etc ay di ko din alam. I am doing my best naman po, so I hope okay lang sainyo.

If you know something na nakakabother in this story, pleaaaase inform me para ma-improve ko. Thanks, Keep safe and Godbless you!