You Belong With Me

Thirteen

DISCLAIMER: - see previous chapters -

==============================

MUKHANG SERYOSO NA ATA SA PANLILIGAW sayo si Alden," Aicelle commented over dinner. It was Saturday night and the girls decided to stay in instead of going out para gimimick ngayong weekend. They decided to have a potluck dinner over at Jules' place since lagi na lang silang nagha-hang out sa place ni Maine.

"Anong pinagsasasabi mo jan, Ace?"

"'Wag ka nang mag-deny, bes, alam na ng buong office na nililigawan ka na ni Alden," sagot naman ni Julia.

Maine looked back and forth at her two close friends from work.

"Anong nililigawan?" She was confused. Oo, nabanggit sa kanya ni Alden na if ever manligaw siya he asked if meron shang chance, which resulted in them having an argument on whether he was pulling her leg or not, and the very next day he pulled up right outside her building with a breakfast sandwich ready and a steaming cup of coffee waiting for her sa desk niya complete with a single rose pa, which she pressed in between the pages of one of her favourite books back in her apartment.

Jules and Aicelle exchanged confused looks then turned their gaze as one towards Maine.

"Sa ilalim ka ba ng bundok nakatira?" Aicelle questioned the same time Jules said, "Bulag at manhid ka ba?"

Maine was taken aback by her friends' tones and the way they were looking at her.

"Guys, this is Alden we're talking about here, right? The same Alden na ginawa akong personal assistant niya while I was working as one of the advertising aides. I fielded all his calls from his countless one-night-stands and flavours-of-the-day," she pointed out, listing out Alden's shortcomings as far as she was concerned and trying to make her friends see na hindi pwedeng maging seryoso si Alden sa so-called na panliligaw niya sa kanya.

"This is also the same Alden whom you were caught swapping spit with inside the elevator a few months back," Aicelle pointed out, holding a mozza stick and using it as a pointer.

Maine glared at her friend for that cheeky remark and snatched the mozza stick she was brandishing in front of her.

"Hey!" Aicelle complained and made a grab for the stolen mozza stick, but Maine was quick enough to dip it in to the marinara sauce and took a bite off it before her friend could get it back.

Jules rolled her eyes at her friends' antics and grabbed herself a mozza stick to munch on. "Seriously, Maine, tongues are wagging sa buong office na about Alden's serious intent sa panliligaw sayo. I mean, my gosh, bes! Halos araw-araw this week ka niyang ka-lunch date! And he is known to never take any girl sa office out for lunch na silang dalawa lang."

"Hay naku, nagkataon lang yun," deny ni Maine.

"I've worked with him longer than you have, Maine, and believe me, seryoso siya sa panliligaw sayo," Jules insisted.

Maine eyed her two friends carefully. She didn't want to admit it, pero napansin din nga niya na araw-araw this week eh lagi silang merong lunch date ni Alden na silang dalawa lang, and okay lang kay Ike na late siyang bumabalik from said lunch 'dates' with Alden. And araw-araw din na hatid at sundo siya nang mokong with matching breakfast pang kasama. Also everyday this week she arrived with a cup of still hot coffee waiting for her sa desk niya with matching love notes pa!

# # # # #

HINDI MAPAKALI SI MAINE after her girls night in with Aicelle and Jules the night before. She spent the whole day Sunday revisiting her conversation with her two close girl-friends and the events of this past week. Alden was acting strange and extra attentive sa kanya, but everything else he did wasn't out of the norm except nga lang talaga doon sa morning coffee niya na merong kasamang note lagi.