You Belong With Me

Sixteen

DISCLAIMER: -see previous chapters-

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the love and comments on the previous chapter. I'm getting the ball rolling here and Alden's world is about to turn upside-down, inside-out & we're all joining him on this ride. So sit tight, hold on and let's see what our hero's next move's gonna be.
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IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, Ru," Maine grinned across the table at the man seated on the other end. She was surprised when she received a call from him at the end of the day yesterday. She almost didn't answer dahil UNKNOWN yung number niya sa contact list niya, but something urged her to answer anyway.

Good thing she did, otherwise she wouldn't have reconnected with him.

"Me too," Ruben 'Ruru' Morales grinned back, reaching across the table to give Maine's hand a squeeze. "I wasn't sure if you still have the same number 'coz it's been so long since we were last in touch."

"And whose fault is that, hmmmm?"

Ruru gave her a sheepish smile. "Mine. Sorry."

Maine cocked an eyebrow at her companion's impish apology and rolled her eyes at him. She can never really stay mad at him for a long period of time. If it wasn't for him she wouldn't have been able to keep her sanity throughout her crazy high school and college years.

"You're lucky gustung-gusto kita and miss na miss din kita," she said before slicing the meat on her plate.

"Right back atcha," Ruru murmured, his smile genuine and the so was the love in his eyes.

"So, what made your fingers itch to contact me? Akala ko ba busy kang nagpapalago ng family business nyo back in Cebu kaya ka umalis ng Manila."

"I did. I was. I am."

Maine frowned. "Which is it then?"

Ruru chuckled and gave his head a shake. "I'm still busy working on expanding the family business. That's the reason why I'm back in Manila actually."

"Oh? Why?"

"Advertising."

"Huh?"

"Advertising. Our business is expanding and we need good PR to help launch our products," he explained.

"And you can't find an advertising agent sa Cebu?"

"Meron doon," he shrugged.

"But?" Maine prodded.

"We're planning on exporting and expanding our business to outside the Philippines," he explained. "And the advertising firm we're working with back home is not setup for that."

"The advertising company I work for deals with national as well as international advertising," Maine boasted.

"I know," Ruru grinned.

"You know?" Maine looked confused, and Ruru's grin turned to a full blown smile. "You already hired our firm to handle your company's advertising, didn't you?"

"I heard it was the best," he commented.

"And it is," Maine agreed proudly. "Sinong rep mo?"

"Alden."

"Really? He's one of the best. I'm surprised hindi si Pao ang pinili mo." Ruru met her cousin briefly during the odd times their paths crosses with Pao, but they never formed a connection.

"He was already inundated with other work. Besides, mas maganda nga na hindi ko kakilala ang makakatrabaho ko para clean slate," he grinned, showing off a dimple that reminded Maine of Alden's.

"Tama," she agreed. "And I used to be an assistant kay Alden before I got promoted. He's actually pretty good."

"Talaga? Merong 100% stamp of approval mo itong rep ko?" He teased.

"Sira! Kumain ka na nga lang jan."

Maine and Ruru kept a decent flow of conversation going throughout dinner. They have a lot to catch up on and it was good to reconnect with her old friend again. Since he moved to Cebu eh naging limited ang communication nila, and then pareho na silang naging busy. So she was glad that Ruru decided to look her up when he came back to Manila.

ALDEN: how was your evening?

MAINE: okay naman. Masaya. Ikaw, kamusta naman Friday night mo?

"I bet masaya gabi mo, eh masyado kang busy nakikipaghagikhikan dun sa lalaking iyon," Alden grumbled after reading Maine's text reply.

ALDEN: you were missed. Hindi kumpleto ang bonding during dinner kanina.

MAINE: i'm sure i'm not overly missed. Saan ba kayo nagkita-kits for dinner?

ALDEN: sa House of Cuisine.

MAINE: talaga? Doon din ako nag-dinner. Hindi ko kayo nakita.

"Pero kami kitang-kita ka," he grumbled while typing his response.

ALDEN: sinong kasama mo?

He purposely omitted telling her na nakita niya siya at yung ka-date niya. Mas interesado siyang malaman what she was doing with one of his newest clients and how they met.

MAINE: a friend.

"Friend? Friend?! Yun lang ang explanation mo? Meng naman, details please. Do I have to claw it out of you?" He grumbled irately while thinking of a way to find out more about her relationship with Ruru Morales.

SO, DID YOU FIND out who that guy was Maine having dinner with?" Ike asked after they finished their Saturday morning run. Although they never agreed to running together, since naging okay na sila Ike expected Alden to make an appearance sa route niya.

"Friend daw," sagot ni Alden.

Ike raised an eyebrow. "Did she elaborate?" He twisted open the cap of his water bottle and chugged down the clear drink.

"I wish."

"Kinulit mo bang tanungin?"

Alden shot his friend an annoyed look. "Kilala mo si Maine. Kapag nangulit ako sa kakatanong magtataka yun and baka mag-end up magaway lang kami."

"That's nothing new," chuckled Ike. Since Alden told Maine na seryoso siya sa pangliligaw eh halos parang aso't pusa na yung dalawa; they always agree to disagree on every damn thing! "Okay, maiba naman tayo. How do you know the guy she was with?"

"Isa sa mga bagong clients ko."

"Based on what I observed they look like they've known each other for a while. Hindi first date yung kagabi, bro," observed Ike.

"Sigurado ba tayong date yung kagabi?"

"Bro, they were freaking holding hands sa table. When Maine and I were together reaching across the table for the other's hand was a norm," he pointed out. "And kung first date nila yun, explain mo sa akin why napaka-relaxed nila sa isa't isa, huh?"

That gave Alden pause. Instead of chugging down his water, he took small sips instead while his frown deepened. Could Maine be seeing someone else at hindi niya sinabi sa kanya? He'll understand if she kept it from him dahil nangliligaw siya sa kanya, but if she have another suitor, wouldn't she have mentioned it to Jules or Aicelle? Heck, maski si Pao malalaman yun dahil laging nakadikit ilong noon sa mga balibalita concerning his cousin.
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A/N2: Apologies for the extra long delay. Life (real life) became hectic for me for the rest of May. Suffice to say earlier this week I had a major surgery done so now I'm home and recuperating, so that means I will have a lot of down time so hopefully I can update as often as possible (unless post-surgery pains takes over then that's another story). Now, back to our leading man's current dilemma: is Ruru a potential 'karibal' for Alden? Is he Maine's secret admirer? Lemme know your thoughts in the comments.