You Belong With Me

Fifteen

DISCLAIMER: - see previous chapters -

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MERONG L.Q. BA YUNG DALAWA?" Aicelle asked after she joined her friends at one of the newest restaurants na parang Denny's or IHOP ang dating, but instead of western food ang main menu eh gearing towards more local and traditional Filipino dish ang nasa menu nila. It was Friday night and after a grueling week at work, their not-quite-so-small group (consisting of Aicelle, Pao, Jules, Ike, Ryan, Sam) agreed to unwind after work and have dinner somewhere that not only can accommodate their number, but also allow them to be able to sit back, chitchat, and not feel rushed.

Maine and Alden were also invited, but Maine declined claiming she made prior engagement for the evening while Alden said he'll just follow them after he finished up with his latest project that was coming up due on Monday.

"Bakit mo naman natanong?" asked Pao without lifting his gaze from the menu book.

"Pansin ko lang parang busy si Alden na sinisuyo si Maine this whole week. And natigil ata ang kanilang lunch dates," she paused and eyed Ike, "pinagbawalan mo nang ma-late bumalik from her hour lunch break si Maine no?" she accused.

"What? Hindi ah," denied Ike, closing his menu book and placed it on the table. "I already expected her to come back late from her lunch dates with Alden, and I don't mind dahil hindi naman kami masyadong behind sa trabaho."

"So bakit hindi na halos nagpa-pansinan yung dalawa?" Aicelle asked.

Jules and Ike exchanged knowing glances. Out of the six of them, silang dalawa lang ang nakakaalam what really happened kay Alden and Maine this past weekend. And they both agreed to keep their mouths shut about what they overheard the two were arguing about while they chilled and watched some movies sa sala ni Maine.

Pao caught the look the two exchanged and called them on it.

"Hep! Meron kayong dalawa na alam. Share!" he demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at the twosome.

"Anong merong alam? Wala kaya no," denied Jules and returned her attention back to the menu book she was perusing. "Besides, diba pinsan mo si Maine? Diba dapat mas merong kang alam about what's going on kesa sa amin?"

"Maine's been less share-y lately," Pao grumbled.

"I'm not close to either one of them," Ike raised his hands defensively.

"Bro, you used to date Maine. And from what I heard, you guys patched things up already so now you're in good terms with your assistant," Sam clapped him on the shoulder.

"Maine and I work together, so syempre dapat harmonious ang relationship namin since we work in close proximity of each other," Ike pointed out, shrugging Sam's hand off his shoulder and returning his attention back on the menu book he was perusing.

"So? You two still talk, and I'm sure you're aware of the traffic in and out of your outer office where Maine's desk is at," Aicelle pointed out.

Ike was about to answer when a couple who just entered the restaurant caught his attention. He wouldn't have looked or paid attention to what it was that caught his eye, but when his gaze settled on the woman his jaw nearly dropped and his eyes bugged out when he recognized who just walked in and was being escorted by a boyish looking Chinito sporting a dimpled smile as he hung on to whatever it was his 'date' was saying. His momentary shock didn't go unnoticed by his companions. They followed his line of vision wanting to know what it was that surprised him and they in return were surprised at what they were seeing.

"Oh...Em...Gee..." Jules and Aicelle said in unison, their jaws dropping as they watched their friend smiling and chatting with a good-looking guy with dimpled smile who was not Alden.

"Sino sha?" frowned Pao.

"Could he be Maine's secret admirer?" wondered Ryan.

Sam frowned and looked at his friend. "Akala ko ba si Alden ang secret admirer ni Maine?"

"Hindi no," sagot ni Jules but her eyes were still on the couple standing by the hostess table waiting to be called.

"Jules is right," Ike agreed, his gaze still on Maine and her companion for this evening. "Alden told me himself na hindi siya yung nagpapadala ng mga gifts kay Maine."

"So is it safe to bet na this guy with Maine is her secret admirer who finally came out of the woodwork?" Ryan assumed, tearing his gaze from the couple who was now being escorted to their table, and looked at the people at their table. He cast a quick glance at Maine and Date to check which table they were seated; the hostess escorted them to the other end of the room in the corner, pero visible pa rin sila from their table.

"Who came out of the woodwork?" Alden asked appearing at their table without anyone of them noticing his arrival.

"Alden!" Aicelle exclaimed, casting a quick look over at Maine's desk, then yanking Alden down to sit beside her sa half-moon booth they got for their group. "Andito ka na pala."

"I just walked in and quickly spotted you guys, pero mejo busy kayong nakikichismis. Sino bang chinichismis nyo?" Alden asked and craned his neck around, searching for whatever could possibly have caught his friends' attention. He gave the room a quick scan and was about to return his attention back to his friends when someone caught his attention seated in a back corner booth for two on the opposite side of the restaurant. "What the hell?" he muttered, his eyebrows furrowing as he zeroed in on Maine and Date's table.

"Uh-oh..." Jules gasped, her eyes looking back and forth between a displeased Alden and an oblivious Maine.

"Alden, chill ka lang," Ryan warned.

"You don't want to make a scene, and earn Maine's wrath if you embarrass her," that warning came from Sam who was now watching his friend.

"They just sat down a few minutes before you showed up," Ike informed him. "And whatever you're thinking of doing, don't," he added as a warning.

Alden heard all their warnings, but he was too caught up with his emotions to actually pay them his hundred percent attention. He can't believe what he was seeing. Of all the guys na ide-date ni Maine, siya pa talaga ha?

"Kelan pa siya bumalik?" Alden asked out loud.

"Huh?" chorused everyone at the table, each of them wearing the same confused looks on their faces as they looked back and forth between Alden and Maine and back again.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tun-dun-dun-duuuuuuuunnnnnnnn!!!! Who is this mystery guy Maine's having dinner with? Is he or is he not her Secret Admirer? And how come Alden knows him and was surprised by his appearance? Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this latest chapter. It took me a while to figure out how to churn it out, but hopefully it met your approval. As usual I enjoy reading your comments and thoughts on this chapter and previous chapters (as well as your votes lol); keep 'em coming!