She's My Life

Chapter 9

For the past hour, I was just staring in space, my mind so occupied by the woman in the office next to mine. When noon came a knock was heard from my office door.

"Come in," I said.

The door opened and my Angel came in. My wondering mind all of a sudden came back to life.

"Hey, sweetheart." My Angel greeted me with a smile.

I smiled back at her. "hi, what's up?"

"I have a lunch meeting with Mr. Galves, are you free? Do you want to come?" she asked.

All of a sudden, I remembered the exchange she had with her secretary this morning.

"of course, I'm free." for you, I always have time. I stood up fetched my coat then we both step out of my office.

*******

While in the car, I notice that my Angel is restless. She looked too preoccupied with something. I asked her if everything is okay and she just said yes. She was making me more nervous with the way she was acting.

The car stopped, I stepped out, run to the other side of the car, and opened the door for my Angel. I reached out my hand and she gave her hand to me with a smile on her. I smile back at her as she steps out of the car. We walked inside the restaurant and the Host approached us to lead us to one of their VIP rooms.

We followed the host and stopped in from of a room. The door was opened and we stepped inside, that is when I saw Mr. Ceasar Galves and another woman. They both stood up to greet us.

"hi, are we late?" my Angel asked as I led her inside and led her to her seat.

"no you are not, you are just on time." Mr. Galves said smiling at my Angel which made me frown.

We all sat down. "this lady...?" My Angel said taking notice of the woman beside Mr. Galves.

"oh, this is my niece, Trisha," he answered my Angel then turned to the woman to introduce us. "Trisha, this is Chairwoman Samantha Montefalcon and her son-"

"Harris Montefalcon." The woman continued, cutting Mr. Galves off.

I looked at her face, trying to remember who she was.

"you don't remember me? We were schoolmates back in High school. You were pretty popular back then, the name Harris Coen Montefalcon was known by everyone. Smart, handsome, and rich." Trisha said.

"really?!" My Angel exclaimed. She reached for my hand and squeezed it. "that's my son for you. I just know that you are popular." she continued with a proud voice.

What she said did not make me happy at all but I just squeezed her hand back and looked at her with a smile. I looked back at Trisha, remembering who she was. She was the girl who was popular like me back then. The girl whom Mark asked me about if she was my type. She looked kind of awkward when I did not even say back to her as recognition.

"Mukhang hindi mo na ako natatandaan." She gingerly followed. "Well, that was how many years back then." She said with an awkward smile on her face.

My Angel squeezed my hand when she noticed the awkward look of Trisha. I looked at her hand that was squeezing my larger ones, feeling the warmth of it.

"Trisha, pag pasensyahan mo na itong Harris, he can be forgetful sometimes, but I can assure you he is good man." My Angel said.

Trisha smiled back. "I know po." then she looked at me shyly.

I stared at her with a blank look. I know what that face meant. I just signed in apprehension.

*********

The lunch proceeded with idle talks. I answered when asked but all in all, I remained silenced trying to sense for anything amiss. I still could not remove the anxiousness that I have been feeling since last night.

When the lunch meeting ended. Mr. Galves and Trisha walked us to our car then we separated ways.

"Sweetheart, what do you think of Trisha?" While in the car, my Angel suddenly asked.

Just that simple question caused my heart to tighten.

"She's okay." I answered, uninterested but she seems to take it the other way.

My Angel smiled. "really? She's pretty, smart, and single." she said while looking at my face as if to assess my reaction.

I looked at her expectant eyes, my heart tightened more, she's expecting the two of us to be an item. I took a deep breath. "Angel, whatever it is that you are planning, please stop. I'm not interested." I seriously said to her.

She stiffened, clearly she was caught even before she can act. I frowned. Is this what she was refusing to tell me? Does she plan to hook me up with Trisha? Just the thought makes my heart hurt. I could bear the thought that other people would want to hook me up with someone else, but it is a different story if it is already my Angel who does it.

"sweetheart, are you mad?" She worriedly asked me, which brought me back from my thinking.

"no." I immediately denied. I cannot imagine myself getting mad at you. I held her hands. "I can never get mad at you, just please, don't do this again. I don't like it. I will worry about my love life myself, so you don't have to worry about it. Alright?" I said, my eyes pleading, along with a thousand words I can never say.

She was taken aback, she stared at me for a long time before she answered me back. "alright." She squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I just... I'm just concerned about you," she said with resignation in her voice.

"thank you." I smiled at her. 

**************

I am currently at a bar with Mark and Dee, telling them about what happened earlier today. 

"you mean, Trish? the popular girl back in high school?" Dee exclaimed.

"yeah, her..." I answered.

"small world..." said Mark. 

"as far as I know she likes you." said Dee.

"I know, I can see it. The way she looks at me says it all. What I don't like, is my Angel, tried to set me up with her." I said with my brows furrowed.

The two of them looked at me with sympathy as I drown myself in alcohol. 

"you know, I can still take it kung ibang tao ang magsusubok na ireto ako sa iba. But her, it hurts like hell... why do I have to be in this position? Son? what good can  a son be?" I said as I feel the tears falling from my eyes. I held my glass and was about to down it when Dee stopped me.

"hey," Dee said, and took my glass away. "that's enough, you've had too many to drink." 

"bro, don't look down on yourself..." Mark said.

I looked at him. I pointed at myself as I tearfully said, "I can never be a man to her Mark, never... all I can do, is drown myself in these feelings, all on my own..." then out of nowhere I remember Mr. Galves, I suddenly sober up. 

"do you guys know Mr. Galves?" I asked.

"Mr. Galves? you mean Mr. Ceasar Galves?" Dee clarified.

"yeah, him."

"yeah, we do, why?" Mark asked.

"I don't know, I don't like the way he looks at my Angel." I coldly said. "is he single?" I continued asking.

Dee and Mark looked at each other. 

"yeah, he is, his wife died in an accident 10 years ago along, with their son." Mark said. 

"I see..." My face chilled and my eyes sharpened. "don't he dare..."