THE GENTLEMAN'S AFFECTION [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 1

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"DID YOU find her?" Czairex immediately asked his friend Marco as he entered his office.

It had been two months since the woman left the hotel room without saying goodbye, and Czairex couldn't stop thinking about her. There was something about her that made him want to ask his friend to help him find her.

Marco sat down on the visitor's chair before answering his friend. "Uh-huh."

Czairex quickly stopped signing the papers when he heard his friend's response. "Where is she?" he asked eagerly.

"Bago ko sagutin ang tanong mo," matamang tumitig ang kaibigan sa mga mata niya at matapang naman niyang sinalubong ang nanunuring tingin nito. "May tanong ako."

Czairex calmly leaned back on his swivel chair. "What is it?"

"Anong meron sa babaeng 'to at pinapahanap mo siya?"

Czairex exhaled a deep breath and avoided eye contact. "I don't know," he admitted.

He couldn't understand why he had such a strong desire to find the woman and couldn't seem to forget about her. Maybe it wasn't just because she was the first woman he had been with in his 30 years of existence.

"I don't even understand myself why I'm doing this. Honestly speaking," he met his friend's gaze. "I wanna see her face every day. It's like I could stare at her for hours and never get tired of it."

"Seriously?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Marco. "Hindi kaya, iyan ang tinatawag nilang love at first sight?"

Czairex shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. I don't have any experience in relationships, you know that, man."

Marco tsked at him. "Paano kang magkakaroon ng experience, e simula high school sa tuwing may magco-confess sayo palagi mong nire-reject. Hindi ka nga namin maintindihan kung bakit ipinanganak ka pang gwapo kung lahat ng babaeng magkakagusto sayo e nire-reject mo."

"Blame Mommy. Not me."

Napailing na lang ang kaibigan sa sinabi niya. "Tungkol nga pala sa babaeng pinapahanap mo. Ang pangalan niya ay Selene Camacho. 25 years old. Nakatira siya sa isa sa mga pag-aaring Village ni Theros, Kapono Village. Nasa puder siya ng tiyuhin at tiyahin niya, kapatid ng ama niya. Dalawa lang sila ng kapatid niyang si Sky Kristian ang anak ng namatay na mag-asawang Camacho. Nakapagtapos siya ng pag-aaral sa kursong Architecture pero kasalukuyang nagtatrabaho sa maliit na Café hindi kalayuan dito habang hinihintay niya ang resulta ng board exams." Mahabang litanya ni Marco. "You want to know more?"

"Kung nakatira siya sa puder ng kapatid ng ama niya at dalawa lang silang magkapatid, nasaan ang kapatid niya kung ganoon?" Curious na tanong ni Czairex sa kaibigan matapos makita na wala sa kahit na anong litrato ang sinasabing kapatid ng dalaga. "Wala ang kapatid niya sa kahit na anong litrato."

"Sabi nung matandang babae na napagtanungan ko, ang kapatid daw ni Selene ay nakatira sa ibang bahay. Walang nakakaalam kung saan o kung sino ang kasama."

Czairex looked up at Marco. "Does she even know about this?"

Nagkibit balikat ang kaibigan. "Siguro. Hindi ko alam."

Ibinalik niya ng tingin sa mga litrato at muling sinuri ang mga ito. Puro iyon litrato ng dalaga mula sa bahay hanggang sa trabaho. Napatitig si Czairex sa isang litrato kung saan tamang-tama ang pagkakakuha ng litrato ng dalaga habang nag-iipit ito. Nakatagilid ang dalaga kaya kitang-kita kung gaano kaperpekto ang pagkakahulma ng mukha nito.