the subscriber cannot be reached. please try again later

"shit! where are you? pick up the phone"

the subscriber cannot be reached. please try again later

"damn it! not now! wag naman ngayon please"

alex?

"rj"

hi

"what are you doing here. sa event na tayo magkita"

i need to know your plan

"i asked you, just this once. trust me"

i trust you but i have to know

"you'll know it later. not now. please"

alex both of our asses are on the line here, i deserve to know what are you planning to do

"trust me. it'll be better that you don't for now. umalis ka na. do as i say. i'll send you a go signal once the plan is ready. all you need to do is to wait"

and that's your plan?

"believe me. you'll know the plan once we're there."

do i need to pretend or what?

"i think you won't be needing to"

alex. i have a bad feeling about this

"tell me rj, was i replaced?"

wh—what?

"may kapalit na ba ko dyan sa puso mo?"

——

"should i take your silence as a yes?"

alex. you'll never be replaced. you're spot in my heart will always be yours. what we had. i'll keep that. always.

"so that means wala pa?"

alex.

"be honest. because that will be the only flaw. if... if.... if there's someone else"

alex.

"meron na ba?"

are you going to stand firm about the issue that's why you're asking me?

"no. i won't do that to you."

so why do you ask?

"so there really is someone"

why do you want to know?

"why can't you say?"

do i have to?

"do i know her?"

alex

"fine. if you don't want to tell me who she is. i just hope she's not someone who believes in gossip"

what exactly are you up to alex

"making sure you'll never get associated with me ever. so go now before my plan backfires. just remember the timeline."

i don't have a choice don't i?

"trust me. please"

i do alex. i do

"and rj...."

hmm?

"i'm hoping this will turn out well.... for you...."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"o boss yung kilay mo. salubong na naman"

kuya nagreply na ba si nicomaine?

"hindi pa eh. mukhang sobrang busy"

nasan kaya sya?

"hulog na ba boss?"

kuya eric wag ngayon. may kelangan pa kong ayusin. isa pa, hindi ko alam kung anong balak ni alex

"boss... baka naman panindigan ni alex yung tsismis"

hindi naman siguro gagawin yun ni alex

"naniniguro lang boss. baka mamaya maudlot pa ang nagbabadya mong lablayp"

kuya eric magmaneho ka na nga lang. ang dami mong alam

"ay oo naman boss. kilala kita. papunta ka na eh"

san naman ako papunta kuya? ano na naman yang imbento mo

"imbento? talaga? imbento ba yung papunta ka na sa bitag?"

ano bang bitag yan kuya

"bitag. mahuhulog ka na eh. pero sa pakiramdam ko nga kahit alam mo ng bitag dire-diretso ka pa rin. tsaka mukang mas sasaya ka pa kapag may tumulak sa yo"

ano ba yang sinasabi mo kuya

"mahuhulog ka na uy"

san ba?

"sa isang magandang dalaga"

kuya.... itatama ko muna.

"tinamaan ka na. bullseye nga eh"

oo na.... di ko lang alam pano ko makukuha

"makukuha mo yan. kapag para sayo makukuha at makukuha mo."

sana nga kuya. sana nga lang para sa kin talaga....

^^^^^^^^^^^^

i'm on my way

——

oo na. wag kang mag-alala darating ako

——

wag ka ng manumbat. 30 mins. i'm there

——

got it

——

teka wala bang backdoor entrance? bakit ba kasi kelangan pa ko dun dumaan?

——

nakakahiya naman kasi. hindi naman ako officially part ng progr—

——

oo na sige na. hindi naman ako mananalo eh

——

basta salubungin mo ko ha

——

ok na sige see you

——

i'll be there. i promised di ba?

^^^^^^^^^^^

"alex right here. isang pose naman" reporter

"here also alex. smile naman" another reporter

"so ms. cereno care to explain the headlines the past week?" a showbiz news anchor asked her.

"i think wala naman dapat i-explain kuya lhar" she answered and beamed through the camera

"and the pictures?" lhar's follow-up

"what pictures? i have lots don't i?" she re-butted still maintaining her smile

"you know what i mean alex"

"i actually don't kuya lhar, be more specific" she questioned, definitely years of experience taught her how to play the game

"yung mga kumalat na photos that you're out having dinner with someone" diretsong tanong ni lhar

"which one? i'm always having dinner with someone" she stated

"di ka pa rin nagbabago alex. ok straight forward na tanong. what's with you and mr. faulkerson?" lhar finally asked.

"oh him?"

sabay turo sa binatang papalabas ng kanyang sasakyan. nagkagulo ang media sa pagkuha ng larawan. hindi man sanay. walang nagawa ang binata. ilang tanong din ang binato ng mga ito sa kanya habang naglalakad sa red carpet. huminto ito sa tabi ng dilag.

hi there

"hi boss."

isang beso. bumulong ang dilag. let's do this. tumango ang binata. hindi man sigurado sa binabalak ng dilag. sumang-ayon na lang ito.

"mr. faulkerson is my boss." alex began

"and the dinner? you getting in his car?" lhar eyed her suspiciously

"hahaha i'm an asset, kuya lhar. my boss is just making sure that the company's endorser is well taken care of. we had a dinner meeting to talk about this launch."

"at alfonso's? one of the most private restaurants kung saan nababalitang nagkikita ang mga magkakarelasyong nagtatago sa publiko?" a statement that is surely implying something

"mr. faulkerson, our boss, is a very private person. if i were in his shoes. i would want to retain my anonimity. and this chaos right here, the exact reason why he decided to have that meeting PRIVATELY." she stated

"so there's nothing going on between you two?"

"definitely not... besides... oh wait up. boss!"

yes

"she's here"

huh?

nagtataka. hindi naintindihan ng binata ang tinuran ng dilag. subalit bumaling ang tingin sa tinuturo nito. isang magandang dalaga. bumilis ang tibok ng kanyang puso. nagtataka. napatingin ang binata sa dilag. nagtatanong. isang tango ang sinagot ng dilag sa kanya. ngayon nakuha na nya. ito ang plano.

"maine's here"

napatingin ang mga mamamahayag sa parating na dalaga. tila nagtataka ang mga ito. naguguluhan naman ang dalaga. bakit parang lahat ng mata nasa kanya. naiilang. hindi maitago ang pagkailang sa sitwasyon. tinanaw ang kaibigan na nakangiti lamang. biglang bumilis ang tibok ng kanyang puso. pilit pinapaalala sa sarili, para ito sa kaibigan. hindi dapat masaktan. pinipigilan ang mga luhang nais ng kumawala. pilit na ngumiti. para man lang yung sakit maikubli. hindi ikaw ang para sa kanya. ilang beses inulit sa sarili. hindi nya napansin na ang binata'y papalapit na pala. nakalahad ang kamay. nanginginig man inabot nya ito. nadama pa nya ang paghawak nito sa kanyang baywang. muli na namang binawal ang sarili. hindi dapat. walang dapat maramdaman. hindi nya napansin na sila'y nasa harapan na. isang beso mula sa kaibigan. isang ngiti ang natanggap.

"oh by the way, this is ms. maine mendoza. my bestfriend.... and mr. faulkerson's girlfriend"

                              *****************