Meet My Boyfriend: Ana's Ace (ON HOLD)

Chapter 20

C H A P T E R  T W E N T Y

“Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.”

                                                                                            - Plato

Naglakad si Ana patungo sa table na nasa gitna. She marveled when she saw that the table was actually set for a date.

Marahas na napatingin si Ana kay Ace na kasalukuyang naglalakad patungo sa table.

“What’s the meaning of…this?” tanong ni Ana sabay turo sa table.

Hinila ni Ace ang isa sa mga upuan dun and lead Ana to sit down. Nagpatianod naman si Ana at umupong litong-lito. Ace then sat on the chair opposite of Ana.

Ana looked around inside of Paradise after setting her foot in the place again. Unlike before, walang mga taong sumasayaw sa dance floor. Walang loud music na pumapainlanglang. Walang mga taong nag-iinuman. Walang mga usok mula sa sigarilyo. The place is bare with people, except for the two of them.

Speaking of people, bigla na lang may lumapit na dalawang taong nakasuot ng pangwaiter na uniform sa amin. May tulak na tig-isang trolley. Pagkatapos ay isa-isa nilang nilagay ang mga masasarap na putahe sa hapag.

“Whoa! Paborito ko lahat ng ito ah,” puna ni Ana ng ang lahat ng pagkain ay naiserved na. Manghang napatingin ito kay Ace.

Ace has been acting strange today – the whole day to be specific. First, after almost a week of not seeing each other, he went to her place at four am in the morning. Ordered her to get in the car without any explanations. Saying weird things the whole trip. Dragged her to a mountain peak to watch the sunrise while drinking a cup of coffee. Saying weird things again. And just a while ago, he punched her twin. And now, this?

This is like a date?!

Ana looked around again. She can’t let go of the feeling that Ace is actually taking her into a date. Yung date na date. Hindi date na date sa calendar. Hindi date na malaking raisin. Kundi date na ginagawa ng dalawang tao.

So tinotoo nito yung sinabi nito dun sa bundok kaninang umaga? Akala niya nagbibiro ito kaya tinawanan niya ito.

“Let’s eat,” panimula ni Ace.

“Wait!” pigil naman ni Aya.

“Before that, gusto kong malaman kung para saan ito?” Ana asked. Baka kasi dahil sa kaiisip ng dahilan ay hindi rin lang siya makakain ng maayos. Gusto niyang maliwanagan muna bago kumain.

“Sinagot ko na iyan kanina,” paalala ni Ace.

“I didn’t hear it. I want to hear it again.”

Tumaas kilay ni Ace. Ana is really something. She has no idea how difficult this is for him. She on the other hand doesn’t help and makes the situation for him worse.

“You should have listened when I told you.”

“Hindi ko nga narinig. Kaya nga pinapaulit ko,” insist pa rin ni Ana.

Ace let go of a deep sigh. “Tisay, this is a date, okay? I’m taking you out in a date.”

Natameme naman si Ana sa narinig.

Date nga ‘te! Date! Ace took her out in a date!

Hindi makapaniwala si Ana sa mga nangyayari.

Parang sasabog ang ulo ni Ana dahil sa nalaman. May ideya na siya ngunit ng marinig sa mismong bibig ni Ace ay iba pa rin pala ang epekto. Times one hundred ang rebelasyong iyon sa kanya.