Leni wasn't quite sure what had happened since it had only been a week since she decided to listen to Risa and reduce the frequency of visiting her to her office, but she followed her friend anyway. They ran into a few staff and colleagues on the way out who greeted Leni and stared at Risa.
Some even whispered too loud after the two walked past them.
"Wow. Ang close naman ni Sen and VP."
"Talaga. Hindi mo ba alam na sabay sila umuwi or kumain kapag bumibisita si VP? Minsan, si Sen daw ang nasa OVP."
"Hindi ba sila busy masyado para makapagsabay pa? May kapit pala si Sen kay VP kaya ang bilis ng support sa projects ng office nya."
"Correct! Sinabi mo pa."
Leni turned her head and frowned at the gossiping people who quickly bowed to her and scattered before they could say a word.
"Let them be, VP. Blur out the noise, sabi mo nga 'diba?" Risa nudged Leni to walk again.
"Alam mo tama ka, dapat talaga weekends nalang tayo nag-ccatch up at hindi kapag may trabaho," Leni said once as they were inside the van. "Tapos dapat ako nalang ang nagddrive sa sarili ko kapag nagkikita tayo. Ayoko 'yung naiistorbo pa 'yung iba at ikaw na rin."
Leni instructed her driver in front that they will go to her favorite tapsilog place, Rodic's.
"Protocol na may VPSD ka lagi and you know what, Lens.. I'd rather have you not visit me at all, actually not because of what they say. Because I don't want to burden you, nakakapagod rin kaya isingit sa schedule mo 'yung catch up natin then lagi ka pa pumupunta dito."
"Sus. Hindi naman ako napapagod sa ganun. Sanay ako sa mga byahe at hindi naman masyado magkalayo ang opisina natin. Hindi ito tungkol sa akin. Ang ayaw ko lang.. 'yung ikaw nalalagay sa alanganin sa mga chismis nila. 'Diba? Ano ba namang malakas kapit sa akin kaya may support sa projects ng office mo? E lahat naman binibigyan ko ng suporta kahit maliit ang budget namin."
"VP, you're ranting like a little puppy. You're cute when you do that glare and pout pero you should calm down na. Hindi ko naman pinapansin sinasabi nila because it's not true." Risa said, calming Leni down. "Also, I can manage them. Those gossips can't hurt me. And hindi naman malakas kapit ko sa'yo eh, ayaw mo nga isuot 'yung cute headband na bigay ko. Just prove to them that you don't treat me differently."
"Sinusuot ko naman kapag nasa bahay at saka paanong treat differently naman?"
"Just be you. Show them na sinusungitan mo rin naman ako."
Leni raised her eyebrows and stole a glance at Risa before turning her attention back on the road. "Talaga ah."
"Yes. Talaga." said Risa and mimicked Leni's tone.
Leni didn't quite understand what Risa was saying or the speedy shift in Risa's opinion about their friendship and its impact on the other people. But she didn't want to make Risa change her mind again so she kept her questions to herself.
"So ready ka na sa bill introduction mo tomorrow?" she asked instead.
Risa let out a groan as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "Don't remind me."
"Bakit? Ninenerbyos ka?"
"I'm tired of reading bunch of papers. Sana I could get some sleep before tomorrow."
"Mukha ka namang okay."
"Gosh. I'm so disappointed in you, VP Leni Robredo. You should know me better by now. I haven't eaten anything, thanks to my anxiety for tomorrow."
"Hindi maganda 'yan. Kumain ka nang maayos, Sen."
"I can't help it."
"Pero sabi mo, nagc-crave ka ng tapsilog."
"That's after you arrived and brought me that ice cream. Siguro, your presence triggered my appetite."
That made Leni laugh. "Mukha ba akong pagkain sa'yo?"
"Yes."
"Anong pagkain naman ang kasing ganda ko?"
Risa snorted, opened her eyes and laughed.
"Lens.. ang hangin mo."
"Seryoso. Why do I look like food? Which food do I resemble?"
"Hm.." Risa paused to think. "You're a little small and you have a brownish hair color now.."
"Brownish?" Leni chuckled to herself, finding this randomness quite fun. She added it to the list of reasons why she enjoyed visiting Risa.
"And.. you're warm, although a little bit masungit to me sometimes but friendly since then and loves to stay home to clean.. Oh! I know na!" Risa snapped her fingers excitedly. "Gingerbread man! Or well, woman to be super exact."
"Excuse me?"
"You know those gingerbread man cookies! 'Yung parang nasa cartoons."
"Alam ko.. pero mukha ba 'kong kalbo na cookies? Ex mo ang kalbo. Ibahin mo ako dun."
"Stop with those ex references na nga. Basta you're a cookie, VP Leni." said Risa with a smile.
Leni stole another side-glance, saw the smile and shook her head. "Cookie," she grumbled. "I'm a cookie pala."
"Yes VP, you are. My very own gingerbread cookie. Yep. You're mine."
Leni rolled her eyes and didn't comment, afraid that her cool expression would falter and gave away her messy inner state— the flutter in her heart, the butterflies in her stomach, the giddy shiver that made her wish that she could stop the van so she could run out and laugh like a mad woman.
I'm hers. She said I'm hers. Regardless of context.. I'm hers. She might not even realize what this means to me but hey, at least I can look back at this moment and remember that Risa has once said that I am hers.
"Can I call you cookie?" Risa suddenly asked.
"No."
"Oh come on. I'll only do it when no one's around naman. I promise." Risa lifted a finger. "Swear. Pinky swear."
"Ayoko. 'Wag ka na mangako. Hindi ko pa rin tanggap na mukha akong baked dough sa paningin mo."
"It's shaped like a person naman."
"Kalbo 'yun."
"It can have hair."
"Flat rin."
"Exactly. Just like you."
"Hoy!"
Risa laughed out loud while clapping her hands. She nearly hit her head on the window.
"Oh my god," she said a few minutes later with pink cheeks, tears in her eyes and shallow breath. "God, Leni. Ang sakit ng tyan ko katatawa."
"Happy?"
"Happy." Risa exhaled and turned her head, looking at Leni. She felt lucky to have this person in her life. Not only for everything Leni had done but also because she knew that Leni was letting her tease her so she could briefly forget about tomorrow's bill introduction.
"O ano nanaman?" Leni asked, stealing yet another glance. "'Wag mo akong titigan nang ganyan. Na-ddistract ako."
"Thanks, Cookie," said Risa sincerely.
"Sabing 'wag mo 'kong tawaging ganyan eh," protested Leni, hoping that Risa couldn't see her pink cheeks.
"Fine. Love nalang. Where are we going, my love?" Risa teased further.
"Risa, ang kulit mo. Isa pa 'yan. Itutulad mo pa 'ko sa mga tinawag mo sa ex mo."
Risa reasoned out, "I never called them love. Baka 'yung susunod na magiging partner ko siguro. Or.. you want tayo nalang? Bagay naman tayo sabi ni Sen Kiko."
"Risa, isa. Umayos ka na nga kasi. Malapit na tayo sa Rodic's."
Risa laughed again. "Angry Cookie VP Leni. Cute," she said as she looked away, out the window.
Leni let out a defeated sigh and smiled.
Palyado na.
