Vince lost his appetite. He wanted to confront Joem. How can he do such thing to Moira? Moira's so willing to give up her work for him. Mahal na mahal nito si Joem. He's a grown man, but she cried like a baby when she learned that he got hurt.

Now, he couldn't move, because he's with the two most scandalous persons he knows. And one of them is pregnant. He doesn't want to stress Red, as he was sure that she will make a scene if he told her about Moira, Joem and his other woman.

"Vince, did you lose your appetite? Why aren't you eating?"

Umiling siya. "It's nothing."

Napatingin ulit siya kina Joem nang halikan nito ang babaeng kasama. Sinundan ni Red ang tingin niya. She frowned at him.

"Do you know them?"

"No."

"He's probably just envious," pabirong sabi ni Vico.

Envious? He wasn't just envious. He's overwhelmed with jealousy. He's jealous of Joem because he has Moira's full attention and adoration. He's angry with himself because he couldn't do anything and he's worried for Moira. Inagahan pa naman nito ang uwi para makapag-ayos for their anniversary, and yet, nakuhang magloko nitong si Joem sa mismong araw na iyon.

Pinagmadali niyang kumain ang dalawang kasama tapos ay inaya niya ang mga ito na lumipat ng restaurant. He didn't take no for an answer.

Nagtatakang sumunod ang dalawa. They looked for a better place, with more expensive liquors and a better ambiance. Nadoble tuloy ang gastos niya. But it was okay. He could not bear the thought of being in the same room with the guy who cheated on his loving girlfriend.

It disgusts him. Saka ayaw niyang mapaaway. He doesn't believe that violence is the answer to anything, but he also doesn't want to talk. Hindi niya magagawa iyon. He'd probably end up punching Joem in the face.

After so many bottles of alcohol, he still feels sober. Kaya naman pagdating niya sa bahay ay uminom pa siya ulit. And then, he called Rose. Gising na gising pa rin ito kahit pasado alas dose na. He needs to talk to somebody before he explodes.

"Are you drunk?!"

"Not quite," sagot niya.

"What the hell is happening to you, Vince? Nawala lang ako ng ilang linggo, nagkakaganyan ka na."

"It's Moira," he said with a sigh.

"Well, what's new? Palagi namang si Moira ang problema mo. O, what is it this time? Engaged na ba sya?"

"No." Napamura siya ng mahina. "I think her boyfriend's cheating on her."

He continued to tell Rose about Joem and this other woman at the restaurant. The two looked so in love. Hindi maitatangging may relasyon ang mga ito.

"And what about Moira?" tanong nito.

"Hindi ko alam."

"Tawagan mo! She might need comfort."

"But I'm not supposed to intrude."

"But you have to," giit nito. "Anniversary pa naman nila tapos ginanon sya ng boyfriend nya. What do you think will happen? Vince, if my husband cheats on me, I'll open hell and dump him there, if I'm not stupid enough to hurt myself. Trust me, she needs you right now."

He exhaled. "All right. I'll call you back."

He ended the call and dialled Moira's number. Nakailang ring muna bago ito sumagot.

"Hello?"

He drank a few gulps of liquor before speaking.

"Moira? It's Vince."

"Yes. I saw your name on the screen," she said sleepily. "Napatawag ka? May urgent ba?"

"Wala. I just... I just want to check on you."

"Huh?"

Napakamot siya ng ulo. How will he say what he wants to say delicately, without seeming like prying?

"Never mind. I'm sorry I woke you up."

--

Hindi alam ni Moira kung bakit tinawagan siya ni Vince noong madaling-araw ng Sabado. Akala niya ay may emergency, since pinaalalahanan siya ni Rose na minsan daw ay tumatawag na lang bigla si Vince to ask for something.

But he didn't ask for anything. I just want to check on you, was all he said. What did he mean by that? What's there to check?

He sounded drunk. Was he drinking when he called her?

Halos katutulog pa lamang niya nang tumawag si Vince. Dahil anniversary nina Joem at Neri, naiwan silang dalawa ni Kelvin sa bahay. Kelvin asked if they could go out and watch a movie. It was a Friday and she knew that travelling will be hell, considering na uwian na nga, Biyernes pa. But she didn't want to disappoint her son, so pumayag siyang manuod sila ng movie.

Dumayo pa sila ng Megamall dahil ayaw niyang manuod sa mall na malapit sa work place niya. She could bump into a colleague, or worse, Vince. They commuted for nearly 30 minutes. Hinanap kaagad nila ang sinehan pagkapasok sa mall at pumila sa ticket counter.

Then with a few minutes to spare, they grabbed some burgers to eat inside the cinema

Kelvin did enjoy the movie. He even asked for another one. Mag-a-alas dyes na tuloy nang matapos sila.

And then, Vince called a few hours later. It rattled her. She almost thought that he already knew, pero mukhang hindi pa.

Now, she just hopes that he won't ask about how her "anniversary date" with Joem went. Marami na siyang utang kina Neri dahil sa pagsisinungaling niya. Ayaw na niya iyong dagdagan pa. They were okay with it, but she can't drag it anymore.

"Good morning, Moira."

Nagulat siya nang makita si Vince na naghihintay sa cubicle niya.

"Good morning, sir."

He smiled and handed her a tall cup of coffee. Then he went inside his office. Inilapag niya ang kape at ang mga gamit sa lamesa, then she opened her computer.

Saka niya muling kinuha ang cup at iniikot iyon. There's her name on the cup with a smiley face next to it.

That's not the only weird thing that Vince did that day. He's been asking her through email, almost hourly, how she's doing. Moira, are you sure you're alright? Do you need any help? It's driving her crazy. It's like he knows something but he doesn't want to share so he's compensating with being nice.

"Moira?"

Napapitlag siya nang marinig ang pangalan.

"Yes?" tanong niya kay Vince na nakasilip sa awang ng pintuan.

"Do you want to grab some lunch?"

"N-No, thanks. I'm not hungry."

"But I am," nakangiti nitong sabi.

Ang ganda ng ngiti nito. Hindi siya makatanggi. She still has no idea why he's being so nice. But she shrugged it off, thinking that it's just one of those days. Vince has unpredictable emotions. He could be nice today but grumpy tomorrow, so she just told herself to enjoy his niceness while it last.

Sa food stalls sa likod ng office sila kumain. He looks so comfortable there. Intimidating ito sa loob ng office pero nakikipagbiruan lamang ito sa mga tindero at tindera sa labas. He knows them all, as if he's been eating out there often.

"Gelpren nyo, ser?" tanong ng isang tindero kay Vince. Nakaturo ito sa kanya.

Sabay silang napailing.

"Nako, hindi po," tanggi niya. "Assistant nya po ako."

"Assistant na gelpren, mam?" the toothless woman, who's counting the money, asked.

"May boyfriend na sya, manang," Vince told the old woman.

Kita sa mukha ng dalawang nagtitinda ang panghihinayang. They kept on teasing them until they're done eating.

"Lahat naman ng isinasama kong babae dun, inaakala nilang girlfriend ko," paliwanag ni Vince.

"Talaga?" Ilan na kayang babae ang nadala nito roon bukod sa kanya?

"Pati kami ni Rose napagkamalan nila. They used to tease us for months, until Rose brought her husband and introduced him to those two. They gave up after that."

"Madalas kang kumain do'n?"

"Hindi na masyado, but I come by whenever I can. Rose and I used to eat there during lunch. Mura kasi ang pagkain."

Tumaas ang kilay niya. "I never thought that money would be an issue to you."

"It isn't."

--

Coffee in the morning, free lunch at noon and now, donuts for merienda. It's a good thing that Vince usually does these kinds of things to Rose. Otherwise, his employees might suspect that something's off.

Moira thinks that he's acting weird. Well, he is. But he simply couldn't let her know that he knows that Joem's cheating on her. She's acting fine, na para bang walang nangyari. Hindi naman niya alam kung paano magtatanong.

It's already her last week to work. But fortunately, she'll stay until next para i-brief si Rose sa mga na-accomplish nitong trabaho. He hopes that he could find a job for her within the company, to make her a permanent employee. That way, he could stay close to her.

And that way, he could still have a chance to steal her away.

Tumayo siya at sumilip sa labas. She's not touching the donuts he bought for her. Nakalagay lang iyon sa lamesa, sa tabi ng computer, ni hindi pa nabubuksan. Lumabas siya ng opisina at nilapitan ito.

"Not hungry?" he asked.

He opened the box and took out a donut. Ibinigay niya iyon kay Moira. She just looked at it.

"Gusto mo ba ng coffee, to go with it? Magpapabili ako."

Umiling ito. "Hindi na. Thanks."

Kinuha nito ang donut at saka kumagat, then she gave him a thumb up. Tapos ay itinulak nito papunta sa kanya ang box.

"You didn't have to give me the whole box," she told him.

He knows that she likes donuts, lalo na kapag galing J.Co. Moira used to give him donuts back in college. Paborito raw kasi nito iyon, and she's hoping that it'll be his favorite too. Tinatanggap naman niya ang regalo nito, pero hindi niya kinakain. Ipinamimigay na lamang niya iyon sa mga kaibigan. Ayaw naman kasing tumigil ni Moira dati kahit tumanggi siya rito.

She saw him give the donuts to his friends one time. Katatapos ng practice nila noon. Moira gave him a huge box of J. Co donuts to take home. Nang makalayo ito ay binuksan niya ang box at pinakain ang mga kaibigan. He didn't know that she will come back to give him a tall cup of slurpee.

Naabutan nito ang eksena sa field. She looked hurt. And that ended the donut-giving. Isang linggo ring hindi lumapit sa kanya si Moira. Akala nga niya ay tapos na ang pagbuntot-buntot nito sa kanya, pero makalipas lang ang ilang araw ay nagpakita na naman ito sa kanya, may dala na namang regalo.

"Paborito mo 'yan, di ba?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Umay na 'ko sa donuts."

"Is that so?" He leaned on the desk. "So what's favorite food now?"

Nagkibit-balikat ito. "Wala e."

"Wala? So where did Joem take you last Friday?"

Moira stiffened.

"You went out, right? Sabi mo kasi, anniversary nyo."

Umiling ito. "N-No. We didn't go out. Sa bahay lang kami."

"Sa bahay lang?" kunot-noo niyang tanong.

Now he knows that she's lying. He just doesn't know why. Hindi niya alam kung pinagtatakpan lang ba nito si Joem o nagpapakatatag lang ito at sinasarili ang problema. She had the weekend to herself. They probably fought and sorted things out already.

O baka naman hindi na nagkaayos ang dalawa at naghiwalay na lang. He's hoping for the latter. It's just hard because he has no means to know the reason behind Moira's lie.

"Nagluto lang ako ng dinner. Jo prefers to dine in kasi."

Tumango-tango siya, kahit hindi siya naniniwala. He can't call her out for lying. Baka may dahilan naman ito kung bakit ito nagsisinungaling. And he's not supposed get involved, kahit gusto niya.

"Well, I'm assuming that you had a good time."

"We did," she replied curtly.

"Okay." He stood up. "If you don't like the donuts, you can give them away. I won't mind."