MaiChard AU: Never The Strangers [Completed]

Friends

Maine's mom was discharged from the hospital the next day. Immediately after that, Maine was back to her normal routine trying to prevent herself from thinking about RJ. Why would she? It was a brief encounter, granted it was quite different, remembering how positively she reacted toward RJ and the whole situation yesterday. Had it been with any other person, she would have run the other way. Never would she allow a stranger drive her anywhere, but she let RJ. She needed to tell someone about what happened, maybe help her make sense of it. That someone would be Valeen, her best friend since college and her food photographer for her upcoming cookbook. They were meeting up at lunch to discuss mock ups for the cover anyway.

"Tawagan mo kaya?" she encouraged her, taking Maine's phone from the table and handing it over to her. Maine have just given her a rundown of what happened the previous day.

"Agad agad? Wala pang 24 hours o. Tsaka ano namang reason ko to call him?" taking her phone back from Valeen and putting it back on the table.

"Sus, atey, pag gusto may paraan." She teased. Valeen knew Maine. She knew her best friend was interested to know more about RJ basing from the way her smile would get a little bit wider at the mention of his name or how her eyes seemed to light up recalling how RJ bussed her cheek before he left.

"Eeeeeh." she playfully whined tucking a stray hair behind her ear, smiling shyly at her best friend.

"Hoy, iha. Makasarabe to wagas. Ang arte mo. Kung ayaw mong tawagan, itext mo."

"Ayoko. Tsaka sabi ko naman sa kanya na tawagan nya ko kung may damage kung kotse nya." she reasoned out.

"Ah so maghihintay ka lang? E pano kung walang damage yung kotse nya?"

"Bahala na si Batman. Basta."

"Dinamay mo pa si Batman. Bahala ka ha. Ayan may Facebook, IG at Twitter sya oh."

"Jusmio, Valeen, na-cyber stalk mo na agad agad? Naunahan mo pa ko ha."

"Well, kasi ako gusto kong malaman kung bakit sumasarabe ka habang kinukwento mo sya saken which by the way I have never seen you do before. Plus I wanted to make sure that he really is harmless. Mukha naman o. And aminin mo, ang guwapo nya. And hot too!"

"Ang harot mo, Val ha."

"Asusususus. Kunwari pa to." She teased poking Maine on her side.

"Foine! Gwapo nga. Di ko naman tinatanggi. Ang cute ng dimple o." she reluctantly admitted.

"Hala sya, pumuso na po ang mata ni Nicomaine Mendoza."

"Ssssh. Wag kang ano.", playfully hitting Valeen's arm.

*****

"So Papi, anong nagyari kahapon at bakit late na late ka na dumating?" Sam asked his best friend as he handed him a beer. RJ was on his counter, his elbow on it while his cheek rested on his hand.

"Ha? Ano?" Sam dragged him back to reality. He's been thinking about her. He didn't think he stopped even after he left her by the door of the hospital, how her nearness made him feel secure instead of suffocated, how her touch pleasantly surprised him instead of making him flinch.

"Aysows. Sabi ko, anong nangyari kahapon?" Sam repeated.

"Ah wala" finally getting what Sam's question was.

"Kahapon ka pa wala ng wala jan e. E pagdating mo kagabi sa party ko, parang iba yung aura mo."

Aura talaga? Panong iba?" he asked, his brows furrowed, piqued at what Sam was getting at.

"Basta, iba. Parang maliwanag na magaan na di ko maplace." he struggled to describe what he wanted to say but he did notice a faint change in his friend's demeanor when he got back to his birthday last night. He was smiling a little bit bigger than usual.

"Ano naman naman yang pinagsasabi mo?"

"Basta. May nangyari sa inyo kahapon with the girl you were with, no?" he asked as he took a swig from his beer and winked at him.

"Hoy, yang utak mo. Ang dumi dumi. Papaliguan ko ng Zonrox yan."

"Eh ano nga? Para kasing may ASG pero mas may staying power e."

"Anong ASG?"

"After sex glow." Sam said proudly.

"Oist. Oist. Ano yang naririnig kong after sex glow na yan? Gusto ko nyan." Said Jerald as he entered Sam's condo and walked towards Sam and RJ..

'"Isa ka pa, Je! Porke ba't may kasama akong babae, yun agad. Alalahanin nyo, gentleman ako. Di ako kasinglalandi nyo."

"Fine. Ikaw na. Kaya ka walang girlfriend e. Masyado kang maginoo. So ano, may nangyari nga ba?" Je teased as he high-fived Sam.

"Gago kayo, ako tigil tigilan nyo ha. Wala ngang ganong nangyari. Di ako kagaya nyo. Nagkwentuhan lang kami. Tska Maine is a decent woman, no."

"Oh, so she has a name. Maine. Ganda ng pangalan a. Wait lang. Papi Sam, Facebook, IG, Twitter, dali!"

"Nicomaine Mendoza. Uy pre, maganda sya ha." As Sam read her name on her Facebook page.

"Sobra. Teka lang----. Anak ka ng pateng, Gogna! Di ko nga ginawa yan e. Ikaw naman gumawa. Oy oy oy. Wag na wag kang magiiwan ng kahit na ano sa social media nya."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Je interjected as he took Sam's phone from him and went back to Maine's IG.

"Ano yun pre? Tingnan mo si Faulkerson o. Nakakunot na noo. Baka masapak na tayo."

"Kilala ko to! Sam, di mo to natatandaan?"

"Sino? Si Maine? Naging girlfriend mo ba? Tangina pre, baka masapak kita."

"Chill, Tisoy. Hindi. Eto yung tinutukoy ko, yung katabi nya. Sam, sya yung food photographer na ni-hire mo para sa posters and menu ng resto mo." Je exclaimed as he showed everyone the IG post. It was a picture of Maine and Valeen smiling and standing right next to each other in a kitchen with an deliciously styled spread of baked pastries in front of them.

"Oo nga! Sya nga. What was her name again, Je? Valerie? Vanessa?"

"Valeen. Ang ganda netong babaeng to pre, di mo naalala?"

"Wait, nabanggit saken ni Maine kahapon na she's working on a cookbook. Baka sya din ang food photographer nya."

"Pareng Sam, ayan na. May link na tayo. Si Valeen. Pareng RJ, humanda ka na. Magkakagirlfriend ka na." Je confidently assured RJ. Who knows? Why not?

A/N:

As promised, here's another update. Un-beta'd and as always kinatamaran ang proofreading. Sana magustuhan nyo. *fingers crossed* Let me know what you think by commenting below or tweeting me at @bankingonkismet. Thank you! 😊