Alabang Boys Series #1
Jaesie Rosenthal knows what she brings to the table, and love is just another luxury she doesn't have any plan to buy. But a multi-million-peso agreement is something she will consider when it comes to business.
When Rico Dard...
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RICO SAID he was doing this to understand me, and here I was trying to understand him too. He was asking questions, and I was answering as clearly as I could, pero never ko pa siyang natanong about sa kanya. Para siyang open book pero missing ang ibang pages.
"Rico . . ." I was staring at the elevator panel, looking at him through the shiny metal's reflection.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever been in love before?"
He looked at me through the reflection, too, with a slight smile on his perfect Cupid's bow lips. "Yes."
"Ilan sila?"
"Haha! Parang ang dami naman. Isa lang."
"What happened? Where is she?"
"Hmm." The elevator door opened, we both stepped out, and I still waited for his answer.
"Sorry sa question. Alam ko nang hindi ka babaero pero gusto ko talagang malaman para may idea ako sa 'yo," sabi ko habang naglalakad sa hallway papunta sa unit ko.
"Well," he replied, and he took a long sigh before he continued. "She was my first love. Naging classmate ko siya sa Food Quality Analysis saka sa Food and Nutrition Research. Nakasama ko rin sa thesis, so we both worked together kahit sa work. One year kami sa NGO, we handled kids sa local community. She was nice and pretty. She was the perfect girl for me, sabi na rin ng parents ko."
He stopped.
"Go ahead," he said.
Confused, I asked, "Ha? Ahead . . . ?"
"We're here."
"Oh! Sorry." Saka ko lang napansin na nasa tapat na pala kami ng pinto ng unit ko. Mabilis kong kinuha ang keycard ko saka binuksan ang pinto.
Sa sobrang tutok ko sa story niya, hindi ko na namalayang nakauwi na pala ako.
"Nag-dinner ka na ba?" tanong ko agad.
"Kanina pa. Malamang ikaw, hindi pa."
Honestly, he was right. Quarter past seven pa lang naman kasi. Ang aga pa nga.
"Magpapalit lang ako," sabi ko saka pumunta sa bathroom kung nasaan din ang closet before the shower area.
Habang nagpapalit ng damit, bigla kong naalala ang kuwento ni Rico.
Classmate niya ang first love niya. By the sound of it, para ngang ang perfect nilang dalawa. And the fact na nag-iisa lang ang girl na sinabi niya, parang mas lalong heavy. May kung anong mabigat sa dibdib ko na parang ayaw nang malaman ang kasunod ng kuwento niya kasi parang masasaktan lang ako. Pero naisip ko . . . bakit ako masasaktan?
Nagpalit na lang ako ng XL size buttoned shirt na dark blue saka maikling shorts. Paglabas ko, amoy-laurel na paligid. Pagsilip ko sa kusina, saktong nagluluto si Rico doon ng . . . hindi ko alam. Basta amoy-laurel.
