Bakit 'Di Na Lang Totohanin? (ALDUB-inspired)

Thirty

DISCLAIMER: - see previous chapter-

AUTHOR'S NOTE: ALDUB celebrated their one-year anniversary and it was a fun-filled kilig moments during Saturday's episode of Eat Bulaga. After watching that episode it rejuvenated my muse so this story might not be coming to an end just yet, but we'll see. As always read, share, like & enjoy!

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XXX.

Maine's POV
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M STUCK HAVING DINNER with my boss-slash-ex-boyfriend after he unceremoniously announced that he wanted to have dinner with me tonight. Of course I declined his invitation, making up any and every valid excuses I could think of para lang hindi matuloy ang dinner date namin.

"How's your food?" tanong ni Ike and gestured at my barely touched plate. He took me to some five-star fine dining restaurant and sa totoo lang mas gusto ko pa ang ambience doon sa hole-in-the-wall place ni Mommy Rubes that Alden took me for our Valentines date dinner.

"Huh?" I wasn't really paying attention to him. My mind was busy wandering off thinking up plausible excuses to skip this unwanted dinner date he coerced me to.

Actually when he told me he was taking me out for dinner I declined after I got over the shock. I gave him some vague excuse that I already made plans for the evening and hindi siya kasama doon sa plano kong iyun. Akala ko lusot na ako, but imagine my surprise when I received a call from my building's security desk asking me if I am expecting a Mr. Ike Diaz who was at the lobby.

Grabe sha!

Edi ano pang magagawa ko? I suppose I could've said no and had him thrown out, but that would only cause a scene and probably a confrontation argument bukas sa trabaho. So to avoid any sort of bad karma or vibes, I reluctantly went with him, but I swear I will insist on going home right away as soon as we are done eating.

"Parang wala ka atang ganang kumain," he pointed out. "You barely touched your food," dagdag pa niya.

I looked down at my plate to check how much I've consumed. I can't even remember what I ordered kasi masyadong fancy yung mga names sa menu. I gave him an apologetic smile when I looked back up and met his gaze.

"It's alright," I lied. Honestly I have no idea what what I ordered tasted like. "Masyado lang marami akong iniisip," palusot ko.

"Ano ba ang iniisip no?"

"Huh?" Sa totoo lang nawawalan na ako ng maisasagot sa mga tanong niya. Granted back when we were together I was never out of words or things to say to him, but now that we aren't dating and the fact that he was my boss kinda made it hard for me to think of what to talk to him about.

Dyosko!

Ike and I haven't been in touch since we broke up when he chose his career over working out a long-distance relationship with me while he fulfilled his dream of working abroad, and since we started working the only time we ever really talked was at work (except for that first time I ran in to him before I found out I was transferred and promoted to be his assistant) and nothing else. And now that I know what he was after, and I have had enough time to think and consider about what I feel about getting back together with him, I knew deep in my gut that Ike and I would never be more than what we are now.

Ike placed his fork and knife he was using for his juicy medium rare steak he ordered and rested his forearms against the table.

"Are you a hundred percent here with me or you're just physically here but mentally you're...with someone else?" He was fishing, even I don't need a genius to know what he was doing.

"Sorry talaga Ike," was all I could muster to say then attacked my food with enough gusto just to keep me busy and not answer whatever he was going to ask anymore.