AGS 4: The Best Man's Wedding

Chapter 13: Missing Point

My anxiety would definitely kill me at this point because I had no idea what Clark's plan was at the moment.

He could recall all of my stupidity when I was a kid at hindi ko alam kung ano ang sinabi niya sa mga nakakakilala sa akin!

I couldn't imagine him barging on someone's door and shouting "Hey! I have chika!" And the topic was about me as a horny kid.

Tinatawagan ko siya pero nagulat ako kasi iba ang sumasagot—and it was a guy handling his phone, telling me that "Sir Clark" was busy at the moment, tumawag na lang ako by four in the afternoon.

Busy ako, but I couldn't think properly. So I took an emergency break for the rest of the day at hinayaan ko muna kay Aki ang shop. Kasi kung magtatagal ako roon just to overthink, wala ring sense mag-work pa na kailangan ng focus.

I immediately went to Purple Plate sa Roxas Boulevard para makausap ang sister-in-law ko.

Jae's café would always be her bragging achievement since this two-story coffee shop was built out of pride. Half past two in the afternoon, the café wasn't that crowded with customers and it was a perfect time to talk to the owner na hands-on sa work niya.

The place was cozy, and it smelled delectable from the doorway. It looked like a vintage ice cream parlor—cute but classy. There was a combination of purple and white, then it shifted to mahogany and lighter shades of brown.

"Good afternoon, welcome to Purple Plate!" the cashier greeted, and really, I seldom go here for the reason that I didn't want to get fat. Especially now na malapit na ang wedding ni Melanie and I was taking my diet strictly para hindi bumakat ang belly fats ko sa dress. But the staff and crew already knew me kasi madalas kong daanan si Kuya rito para mangulit kaya alam na nila ang ibubungad ko sa kanila kahit pa gusto ko sanang umorder ng croissant.

"Where's Jaesie?" I asked the lady over the counter.

"Sa office po, Miss Sab."

"Thanks."

There was a narrow hallway beside the counter and at the end of it was a wooden door. I knocked twice and the voice inside it said, "Come in."

"Hi, Jae!" I greeted her with a fake smile.

Jaesie's office looked so gloomy and very clerical. Ang liit pa. Parang limang armspan ko lang ang lawak. Ang ganda ng interior sa labas, pero sa loob ng office niya, para akong pumasok sa office ng accountant na naghihintay ng first client niya after years of its foundation.

Hindi amoy kape at tempting cakes sa loob, and I was thankful that the whole room smelled Calvin Klein. Jae didn't like her perfume cute and sexy, rather she was into some hot, intimidating, and seductive colognes for men—in short, cologne ni Kuya Ronie.

"Sabi ni Rico, dadalhin ka na raw niya sa psychiatrist." Then she crossed her arms.

"Si Kuya ang dapat pumunta ng psychiatrist, duh." Lumapit agad ako sa visitor's chair na nasa tapat ng table niya at sumilip sa ginagawa niya roon.

Hindi masasabing babae ang owner ng table. There was a wooden calendar on the far right end na manually iniikot para baguhin ang date. May pen holder na puno halos ng pen. And there were a lot of papers and folders and some photos of mouth-watering cakes and coffee mixes from different flyers for her review, I guess. For their marketing maybe.

"Nasa factory n'yo ngayon si Rico, hindi niya sinabi?" tanong ni Jaesie.

"He did."

"Hinatid ka rito?"