Moira said yes, like Rose predicted. Vince would have to raise her salary again. Napakarami na niyang utang dito. Rose had been such a huge help, both in his professional and personal life. He would be in such a mess if not for her.

Rose likes to think ahead. It's one of her strengths. And he was thankful for that, dahil naisipan nito kaagad na ayusin na rin ang mga papeles ni Moira to travel with him. If she says no, then he'll have an extra business class seat for himself. If she says yes, then it's all already taken care of.

They will be gone until Sunday. And hopefully by then, nakapag-desisyon na si Moira. At sana, pabor sa kanya ang magiging desisyon nito.

The couple of days before their departure had been all right. Their interactions with each other had been pleasant. Dahil nasabi na nito sa kanya ang pinagdadaanan nito, parang mas nagkaroon siya ng dahilan para magpakita ng concern dito. At least he doesn't have to hide behind his half-assed excuses anymore.

Wednesday ng gabi ang flight nila. It's for them to have a few hours of rest before going to work the next day. Dala-dala na ni Moira ang maleta nito sa trabaho. Nasa trunk iyon ng kotse niya, next with his baggage. The thought of that made him smile.

Hanggang Linggo sila sa Newark, New Jersey, pero sinabihan nya si Moira na Tuesday na lamang bumalik dahil halos 18 hours ang flight nila. Aabutin sila ng umaga ng Lunes sa byahe.

Nag-early out sila at dumiretso na sa airport. Alas sais kasi ang flight nila.

"First time ko sa business class," Moira told him when they're settled on their seats.

"Really? How was it so far?"

Ngumiti ito at sumandal sa upuan. "It's nice."

Of course, it's nice. Bukod sa business class iyon, he also made sure that she'll have everything she needs.

"Have you been to New Jersey?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Hindi pa. Hanggang sa Florida lang ako."

"You lived in Florida?"

--

Moira shook her head. "Madalas kaming magbakasyon sa Disneyland noong bata pa 'ko, pero 'yong parents ko, sa San Diego nakatira with my sister."

Monica, who's seven years older than her, had been the apple of the eye of her parents since they were kids. Ito ang paborito dahil ito ang mas magaling, mas matalino at mas maganda. That didn't change over the years.

When her parents learned that she's pregnant, mas lalong bumaba ang tingin ng mga ito sa kanya. They took her to the states para doon siya makapanganak. Kapag nakapanganak na siya, iiwanan niya si Kelvin sa kapatid para makapagpatuloy siya ng pag-aaral. Monica will then raise Kelvin as her own child. Kasal naman na ito at stable na ang trabaho.

It would have been an easy escape. Pero hindi niya natanggap iyong ideya na imbes na maging ina, magiging tita na lamang siya ng sarili niyang anak. She didn't even know if she'd want Kelvin or not until she gave birth to him.

One look at her baby made her realize that she has to raise him as her own.

Her parents did not approve of her decision. So taliwas sa kagustuhan ng mga ito, bumalik siya ng Pilipinas para doon magpatuloy ng pag-aaral. Neri helped her get a scholarship. Tumulong din ito na mag-alaga kay Kelvin.

Those first few years had been really hard. Puyat na siya sa pag-aaral, puyat pa siya sa pag-aalaga ng anak.

"Did you live in San Diego when you went to the states?"

Vince's question pulled her back to the plane, away from her wandering thoughts.

Tumango siya.  It's been hell for her. During that one year, pilit siyang pinaamin ng mga magulang at ng kapatid niya kung sino ang nakabuntis sa kanya. Pero ayaw niyang guluhin si Vince, kaya kahit anong pilit ng mga ito ay wala siyang sinasabi.

"Ikaw, have you been to San Diego?" she asked.

"I have. Pero twice pa lang yata. Mas madalas ako sa Newark or sa Texas, dahil sa business."

"And New York?"

"I've spent a few New Years there with my half-sisters. Gustong-gusto kasi nila sa Time Square. Ikaw?"

"Never been to New York."

He frowned. "Never?"

Umiling siya. Plano sana niya noon na pumunta ng New York noong nasa states siya, pero kapapanganak lamang niya kay Kelvin kaya hindi siya makaalis. It's been ten years since then. Hanggang Malaysia lang ang naabot niya mula noon.

"Well, we can go to New York, if you want. Malapit lang naman tayo do'n. Wala pang 30 minutes ang byahe," sabi nito sa kanya.

She liked the idea. Pero hindi niya sigurado kung may oras pa. Darating sila sa Newark ng Huwebes ng madaling-araw. Thursday to Saturday ang trabaho nila, then uuwi na sila ng Linggo ng tanghali. Knowing Vince, he surely won't have time for leisure.

Well, she can go to New York alone, if that's the case. Madali lang naman siguro, considering na wala pang isang oras ang byahe.

--

That was the best flight of her life. Maraming leg room. Maybe that's why Vince always flies that way, besides the fact that he can afford it.

Mag-aalas dos ng madaling araw ng Huwebes sila nakarating ng Newark. May naghihintay na company car doon. Inihatid sila ng driver sa isang magandang hotel na ilang minuto lang ang layo sa airport. Halatang mamahalin ang hotel. Kita kahit sa labas pa lang nito.

Mukhang madalas doon si Vince dahil kilala na ito ng mga receptionist. They were quite surprised to see her though.

"They're used to me checking in alone," paliwanag nito.

He already booked two rooms. Magkatabi iyon. Inihatid muna siya nito sa kwarto niya bago ito nagpaalam.

"Eight o'clock ang alis natin mamaya," he reminded.

Her room was spacious. Maroon and white ang kulay ng walls. May pagka-minimalist ang disenyo ng kwarto. Napakalinis noon, ni alikabok ay walang makikita. The bed was a welcoming sight. Pakiramdam niya'y inantok kaagad siya pagkakita roon.

May isang box ng chocholates na nakapatong sa unan, perhaps courtesy of the management. She took one and ate it, then placed the box on the bedside table.

Inilagay niya ang maleta sa ibabaw ng kama at saka kumuha ng damit na pantulog.

The bathroom was not hard to find, as it's the only other room with a door.

Napansin kaagad niya ang bath tub na nasa gilid. Yung kanang pader noon, yari sa brick walls na kulay maroon din. It was glistening. She touched the wall out of curiosity and found out that there's water running down the wall.

With her toiletries at hand, she marched to the bathroom mirror and cleaned her face. Saka siya naglinis ng katawan at nagbihis. Bukas na lamang siguro ng gabi siya magbababad sa bath tub. She already needs to sleep. Gigising pa siya ng maaga mamaya para hindi siya ma-late.

Vince might be already used to it, hindi kagaya niya na matagal bago mag-adjust ang katawan sa bagong time zone.

Plano sana niyang matulog ng apat na oras, pero mukhang hapon pa sa Pilipinas kaya hindi siya makatulog. She called Neri instead, using her roaming number. Neri makes her sleepy. Simula nang magbuntis ito, kapag tinatawagan niya ito sa telepono ay bigla na lamang siyang inaantok.

So she tried falling asleep upon hearing Neri's voice, pero pagkatapos ng tawag ay nawala na naman ang antok niya.

Kaya tumunganga na lamang siya sa kisame, hoping that she'll soon drift to sleep. But just as she was about to, bigla namang tumunog ang alarm niya. Hindi niya namalayan na alas sais na pala ng umaga.

With a grunt and a building headache, she got up and took a quick shower. Nagbihis siya at nag-ayos habang hinihintay ang breakfast na darating ng 7:15.

It did arrive on the dot. Binilisan niya ang pagkain. Quarter to eight nang katukin siya ni Vince. Ten minutes lang daw ang byahe mula sa hotel papunta sa building na pagtatrabahuhan nila for three days.

"Nakatulog ka ba?" tanong nito sa kanya nang makababa sila sa lobby ng hotel.

"Hindi e," she admitted.

"Ako rin," sabi nito. "Nagtrabaho na lang ako."

Gusto niyang mailing. Does he ever sleep. May iba pa bang umuukopa sa utak nito maliban sa trabaho? If he's not in his prime, then she'd definitely worry. The body can only take so much work.

"Let's have coffee first," he suggested.

Nagpababa sila sa tapat ng isang sikat na café, na walking distance na lang ang layo sa Newark office. Nag-take out sila ng kape at saka dumiretso sa trabaho.

That became the routine for three days. Her body didn't have the time to adjust to the new time zone. Gising pa rin sya sa madaling-araw at antok na antok naman sa bandang tanghali. So imbes na mag-lunch, natutulog na lamang sya sa tanghali. Kapag walang masyadong gagawin, hinahayaan na lamang siya ni Vince na matulog, pero nag-a-adjust sila ng time sa gabi. So they go home late.

On the third day, however, nag-early out sila. Mga alas singko pa lamang yata ng hapon, Vince already called it a day. It turned out na may party kinagabihan kaya kailangan nila ng oras para mag-prepare.

"You didn't tell me na may party pala," she told him, her voice laced with mild accusation.

"I also wasn't informed," he said.

"Kailangan ko bang sumama? Pwede naman sigurong sa hotel na lang ako?"

He gave her a bland look. "I'll need a date."

A certain sliver of memory popped into her mind. Will you be my date on Valentine's? she remembered asking him, many years ago. She asked him in front of his whole class. She remembered being laughed at and being called pathetic. But the worst part was when someone, a girl from his class, took the roses she was holding and threw them in her face, saying that Vince already asked her to be his date.

And Vince just sat there. He wasn't exactly enjoying the scene, but he did nothing.

"Moira?"

"Huh?"

Ni hindi niya napansin na nakalabas na pala sila ng Newark.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to be my date?" he asked with a smirk.

"W-Wala akong dress," sagot na lamang niya. She wants to be his date. But it seems like he's already forgotten about that painful rejection. Kung nagkataon sigurong Valentine's day ito nagtanong sa kanya, baka gumanti siya at tanggihan ito.

"It's okay. Wala rin naman akong suit. That's why we're going to New York."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of New York. Alam niyang wala silang oras para gumala, pero na-excite siya dahil for the first time, makakatapak na rin siya sa New York.

First stop nila ang Armani store sa 5th Avenue, sa Manhattan. Mabilis lang bumili ng suit si Vince. Mukhang bago pa man sila makaalis ng opisina ay alam na nito kung saan sila pupunta at kung ano ang gusto nito.

Inikot nito ng isang beses ang buong store, then he asked the staff to pull this dress shirt and that tuxedo and gave his size, and then it's a done deal. If all women can shop like that, then maybe the malls will be better places to shop in.

"Let's head to Barneys now."

She's heard a lot of good designer shops in New York, but never been to one. Kahit sa ibang branch sa states or sa Pinas. Wala kasi sa budget nya ang branded clothes.

A staff of the store helped her pick a dress. But they weren't quite what Vince was looking for. They didn't exit the store empty-handed though. He bought her a stuctured dress with a sweetheart neckline and short sleeves. It has the color of an old rose, very feminine. Vince just took it out of the rack and asked her to try it on.

It did fit. It fitted her perfectly. And she has just the right pair of heels to go with it.

Next, they headed off to Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Jeffrey. Out of a handful of dresses that she tried on, Vince liked the black lacy dress the most. Medyo may pagka-mermaid ang yari ng gown. From the torso area up, lacy iyon. From there down to the hem naman ay makinis ang texture noon.

The straps were like vines made from lace, intricately webbed down her sides. But her back's wide open.

"Can I have one request?" he asked. "Don't let your hair down tonight."

--

Mag-a-alas syete na nang makabalik sila sa hotel. Agad siyang naligo at nag-ayos. Eight o'clock, dapat ay nasa sasakyan na sila. She felt so conscious about her back. Though alam niyang kaya naman niya iyong dalhin, hindi naman siya sanay sa ganoon. She's never worn anything so daring.

But she felt the familiar thrill wearing it, knowing that Vince likes it.

A few minutes before eight, she heard his familiar knock. Huminga siya ng malalim at saka muling tiningnan ng mabuti ang sarili sa salamin. Then, grabbing her purse, she headed to the door and opened it.

Breathe, Moira, she reminded herself. The years had obviously been so good to him. And she was again reminded why she fell for him in the first place. It was not just because of his good looks or his clean, manly smell or his quiet demeanor. It also has something to do with how everything looks better when he's around. And the way she feels when he's around.

Narinig niya itong tumikhim. That broke the trance. She was able to breathe and blink again.

"Shall we go?"

Unable to muster her response, she simply nodded.

She felt his hand on her back as he guided her to the elevator. It was such a light touch, but it woke all her nerves.

"You look good, by the way," bulong nito sa kanya. Define shivers?

--

Sa isang hotel din ginanap ang cocktail party. Halos puro foreigner ang nandoon. Everybody was quite mesmerized with Vince. She knows that Troy's more of the charmer between the two, but Vince is more admired. He could be quiet, on one corner and just observing and they will willingly come to him and would try to get him engaged in a conversation.

Magnetic is one way to put it.

But he never left her side. Kung saan ito pupunta, kasama siya. And he would always introduce her. They don't pay her as much attention though, but she doesn't mind.

She doesn't mind because it feels like she has all his attention to herself.

"Do you want to go to New York?" tanong nito sa kanya maya-maya. Pagkatapos niyang ma-re-introduce kay Jenny at makilala ang kapatid nitong si Phil, hinila siya ni Vince sa isang tabi. May itatanong daw kasi ito.

"Now?" pabalik niyang tanong.

Tumango ito. "Maganda ang Time Square kapag gabi."

"Pero 'yong party—"

"Bakit? Nag-i-enjoy ka ba?"

She shook her head.

"O, 'yon naman pala. Let's go."

He gave her his coat and took her hand. They sneaked out of the ball room and searched for their car.

"Time Square," he told the driver. Tumango ito at saka nagmaneho.

After a few minutes, nakarating na sila sa Time Square. True to its reputation, New York is very much alive and bustling in the evening. And Vince was right. It was lovely. Ang daming screens na nagpa-flash ng advertisements. Nagkalat ang mga tao sa kalsada. They didn't feel stupid or overdressed, dahil hindi lamang sila ang hindi lang naka-simpleng jeans at shirts.

She took out her phone and began snapping pictures.

Vince just stood there while she was taking in everything. Nang magsawa siya ay inaya na niya ito pauwi.

"Thanks," she said to him when they're back in the car.

"Mas maganda kapag New Year."

"Saka na lang siguro ako babalik, kapag may pera na."

"I can take you back here... if you like." Napakamot ito ng ulo nang hindi siya sumagot. Nang makabawi ay saka ito ngumiti sa kanya. "Too soon?"

Too late, she wanted to answer. Because in reality, she has been waiting for that moment since ten years ago.