Losing Control

Dalawampu't Isa

Stephanie Geraldine Asuncion.

That was the name Enzo texted his brother.  Ashton sat in his office staring into space after he received a picture message from his brother  who his future bride was supposed to be, at their dinner date.  Actually, nung araw na dumating si "Gigi", he asked his secretary na si Fatima to give him the name of the Asuncion daughter pagkatapos nya mameet ang kanyang bagong cook.   He thought it was too much of a coincidence for Gigi to arrive with no papers from the agency around the same time that Stephanie had suddenly gone to Europe.  The idea was so far-fetched and so ridiculous that it couldn't be true...until it was. He quickly and vaguely remembered seeing her photo nung he searched for her on the internet the day after "Gigi" arrived, pero ibang iba ang itsura ni Stephanie kay Gigi. There was Stephanie, in all her glory, in every society page write up. She was definitely a mover and a shaker.  Totoo nga na mayaman pala si Gigi.  Kaya pala ganun na lang sya umarte; ganun na lang sya umasta.  No wonder she spoke in perfect English; no wonder she owned expensive things like her designer perfume, lipstick, and handbag.  Sa manicure pa lang ng dalaga nung first time nilang magmeet, obvious na na hindi katulong si Stephanie.  How did it happen that the one woman he was trying to escape from ended up on his doorstep, into his home, and into his heart?  

He kept his knowledge to himself kasi gusto nya munang magimbestiga.  He had to keep his 'enemy' close, so to speak.  Kinailangan nyang makilala si Stephanie; kung anong klaseng tao sya, kung pera lang ba ang habol ng babae sa kanya dahil akala nya ay pumayag ito sa kagustuhang mangyari ng mga magulang nila.  But he was wrong, so dead wrong.  Hindi naman nya kayang magalit kay Stephanie; pareho lang naman ang pinagtataguan nila.  Matagal na nya palang kilala ang magiging asawa nya; matagal na nyang gusto; at ngayon, mahal na mahal na nya.  

Hindi nya muna sinabi kay Enzo na alam nya na.  A secret is only a secret if only one person knows about it, after all.  Kaya ayaw na ayaw nyang napapalapit si Enzo kay "Gigi" dahil alam na nyang si Stephanie ito.  Hindi nya naman inasahan na mahuhulog ang kanyang kapatid sa dalaga.  Ang buong akala nya ay matatrap nya ang dalaga, yun pala, sya ang natrap sa kanyang feelings for Stephanie.  Ang alam nya ay party girl si Stephanie so akala nya maiirita talaga sya sa dalaga, pero nung nakilala nya na si Stephanie, he learned that that was only a part of her persona.  There was more to Stephanie Asuncion than met the eye.  He wasn't sure at first kung she was just acting when she was Gigi, pero mahirap burahin ang nakasanayan mo na; she may have changed her name, but whether she was "Gigi" or "Stephanie", her personality remained the same.

Mahal ko si Stephanie.  I'm gonna make sure tuloy ang kasal...but I just hope na hindi magbago ang isip nya when she finds out na ako talaga si Daniel Benitez.

***

"Surprise!" Enzo said ng kumalas na si Stephanie sa pagkayakap sa kanya.

"I kind of thought it could be you when you first introduced yourself to me sa palengke kse Benitez ang apelyido mo."

"Are you mad kung ako?"

"No!" tumawa si Stephanie.  "It could be worse, honestly!  You don't even know how relieved I am."

"I can see the relief on your face," Enzo laughed along with her.  

"Grabe, hindi ako makahinga all day, tapos yun pala, si Hijo lang," she winked at him.

"So, Steph, may tanong ako sa yo," Enzo looked at her seriously.  "Paano ka naging si Gigi?"

Stephanie sighed deeply.  "For this very reason.  Ayokong magpakasal sa taong hindi ko kilala.  Sa totoo lang, ang feeling ko noon ay binugaw ako ng mga magulang ko, however magaspang the term.  That's how I felt.  Na binenta nila ako for the sake of our hotels.  I was a mess back then, Zo."