You Belong With Me

Twenty-Two

DISCLAIMER: -see previous chapters-

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OH, BAKIT MUKHA ATANG pinagtalupan ka jan ng tadhana," Ryan commented as soon as he joined Alden and Ike at one of the booths at their favourite after-office hours hangout place.

"Guess," it was Ike who answered, taking a swig of his not-quite-cold-anymore beer.

Ryan cocked an eyebrow questioningly at the other man before sliding in to the booth opposite his troubled friend. They were waiting for a couple more people to join them.

"Nagaway na naman kayo ni Maine?" He frowned, turning his attention back on Alden.

"Nagkabati na ba sila?" was Ike's counter question.

"Hindi kami nagaway," argued Alden, sending an irritated glare across the table at Ike.

Ike and Ryan exchanged knowing looks. Alden and Maine have been singing the same tune for the last few months now, and it was starting to get old, especially since it was obvious na merong alitan yung dalawa.

"Whatever," Ryan waved off his denial. "Anong nangyari?" He aimed his question at Ike. He figured he'll get more answer from him than from Alden.

"The inevitable," answered Ike.

Ryan wasn't quick on the uptake and had to really look at Ike and read what the other man wasn't saying out loud. Usually he was quick on the uptake, but lately he finds himself a tad bit rusty. He glanced back and forth between Alden - who was glaring a hole through Ike's skull - and Ike - who was grinning like an idiot - then understanding dawned and he met Ike's laughing eyes.

"No. Way."

"Way," Ike nodded.

"Are you shitting me?" Ryan exclaimed, whipping his wide-eyed gaze back and forth between Ike and Alden then back to Ike. "Maine dumped his sorry ass for good?"

Ike frowned and cocked his head to the side. "Dumping his sorry ass implicates that Maine and Alden were actually together," he mused.

Ryan frowned back and hit him soundly on the arm. "Smart ass," he grumbled, then to Alden he said, "Dude, what happened? Akala ko ba after this weekend you're restarting Operation Ligaw?"

"That's what I thought too when I walked in sa office kanina and saw a bouquet and chocolates sitting on Maine's desk waiting for her," Ike added.

"Bouquet and chocolates?" Alden echoed.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I was about to text you and tell you that was a smart move, kaso naging busy ako, so when I finally got around to asking Maine who sent her those gifts, sabi niya she'll find out after work kasi her secret admirer finally decided to reveal himself and pick her up after work," he explained.

"And you thought ako yung secret admirer niya?"

"Maybe? I was curious so I went downstairs with her to wait 'coz I wanted to see for myself who this mystery guy was."

"And?" it was Ryan who prodded him.

"And turns out he wasn't Alden."

"And that's when you sent me a text demanding I get my ass down to the lobby pronto," Alden murmured, deflating back in his seat, his eyes looking close to tears and his expression very defeated.

"Yeah. I figured if you want to not blow your chance at getting Maine back, you better stop her from leaving the office with her not-so-secret-admirer anymore."

"And did he?" Ryan directed his question to Ike.

"Nope," he shook his head and looked at Ryan. "Ang bagal-bagal niya kasi kaya ayun, by the time he reached the lobby Maine was already getting into Ian's vehicle."

"You met her secret admirer?" Ryan and Alden echoed.

Ike looked from one man to the next. "No. I was the one who introduced Ian to Maine, unfortunately," he confessed.

"Ano?" again the duo said at the same time.

"Ian and I met when I was still in the States. The modeling bug bit him when he came to the Philippines for a vacation with his family a few years back. He was one of the male models his agency sent over for one of our ad campaign projects," he explained.

"Okay, but that doesn't explain how he came to be Maine's secret admirer," Ryan argued.

"When Ian and I reconnected, isinama ko si Maine on a couple of my lunch meetings with him. We've used him a couple of times as as model for some of our loyal clients' campaigns dahil hit na hit siya sa mga yun, lalo na sa mga babae. Anyway, when I went golfing with him last year he asked a lot about Maine."

"And you didn't find it odd that your old buddy from the States was asking you questions about your assistant who also happened to be your ex-girlfriend?" Alden growled, his sullen and defeated demeanor changed to fierce and feral.

Ike held up his hand as if he was surrendering. He didn't expect this quick one-eighty shift in Alden's mood. Maybe he should've mentioned that he knew who the guy was that Maine went out with before accompanying an obviously distraught and brokenhearted Alden here.

"He was pretty sly about it. I didn't realize until just now that he almost always segued to asking questions about Maine while we were golfing."

"Wow," was all Ryan can say. He slumped back in his seat and snagged the bottle of beer their server delivered minutes ago. He took a hearty chug then settled the bottle down. "So paano na ngayon?" He aimed his question at Alden.

"What do you mean?" Alden frowned.

"Nadagdagan na ulit ang competition mo kay Maine. Fight pa rin ba? Tuloy pa rin ba Operation Ligaw or give-up na?"

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: And of course I'm leaving this chapter with that question hanging above everyone's heads. Will he or won't he? Hmm...what do you think? I was inspired by the turn of events in the last two chapters that I can't wait to start (and eventually finish) this chapter so it can be uploaded before the weekend's over. I hope you enjoyed it. I had fun writing this little bonding moment between Alden, Ike and Ryan. I wanted to included Sam and Pao and even Danny too, but I felt in the end having just this three talk about what happened in the previous chapter was just right.