400 Days After Fina

Day 482

400 Days After Fina by JellOfAllTrades
Chapter 26

For some reason, I found myself parked in front of Angel's school right after work. The urge to see her has been great and after she made me promise to not avoid her, I have just given up fighting my inhibitions. There's no use running away from her because every time I try to, I just eventually find myself drawn to her.

From the black gates of the school, Angel came out with a coworker. I watched her cheerfully say goodbye to the guard and continue animatedly chatting with the coworker. They stopped by the side of the road to wait for a jeepney. As I didn't tell Angel I'm stopping by, she has no idea I'm parked nearby. So I took a deep breath and got out of the car.

"Angel!" I called out before the two teachers got on a jeepney.

Angel's eyes widened when she saw me but she immediately got over her surprise and gave me a broad smile. "Jell!"

I approached her and she quickly said goodbye to her co-teacher who was clearly in a rush to get home because as soon as a jeepney stopped in front of her, she got in. Angel waved at her co-teacher goodbye before returning her attention to me.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"I wanted to see you," I confessed.

She frowned but her smile gave her away. She's happy to see me. "Okay?"

"Gusto ko sanang bumawi sayo dun sa nangyari sa Jollibea. Dinner tayo?"

She studied me for a bit before replying. "Inaaya mo ba akong makipagdate?"

I freeze, not expecting that.

"Joke lang!" She retracted, visibly upset by my reaction. "Ako na naman ba papipiliin mo kung saan tayo kakain?"

I chuckled and shook my head to clear my overly-panicked mind. "Ako na pipili."

Angel smiled widely, recovering from my negative reaction earlier. She stepped to my side and hugged my left arm. "Okay, sige. Tara!"

Normally, I would get uncomfortable when a girl would get unreasonably clingy with me. But with Angel, it seemed right. It's as if she's been resisting with me the whole time, but now she's finally ready to show me her true self.

We walked to my car and for the first time in my life, I opened the passenger door for her, made sure she's properly seated before closing the door, and then rushing to the driver's side to get in. It's quite possibly the most chivalrous thing I've done for a girl here in Manila. It could have been Jaime's style but not mine.

"San tayo pupunta?" Angel asked after I strapped myself in.

"La Olivia," I replied. "Italian restaurant sa may MOA. I think you'll like it there."

"Mura ba dun?"

"Wag mo na isipin yun. Libre na kita. " I pulled the car out of the parking spot. "Kumusta pala araw mo?"

"Nakakapagod, pero worth it naman." I could see her smile from the corner of my eye. "Marunong na magbilang yung mga bata ng hanggang one hundred."

For the rest of the car ride, Angel told me about the kids she's teaching. How it took a while for them to count until twenty but got the hang of it after they mastered counting to thirty. When we parked outside of MOA, I opened the car door for her and like a couple, she held my arm while I escorted her to La Olivia.

The Italian restaurant is situated near the bay where we have a clear view of the sea and the titular Manila bay sunset. I asked the host for a seat near the window and he happily obliged, guiding us to a candlelit table set for two. Like a gentleman, I pulled the seat for Angel before settling in the seat in front of her.