***
"Anong mga gusto ni Lana?" I asked. We were already inside Bonifacio High Street to look for a gift. Wala naman talaga akong concern sa regalo. Mas mahalaga sakin na si Eleanor yung kasama ko. I know it's evil but it's true. Ginamit ko pang excuse si Lana at ang birthday nito just to be with her.
The cray things you do for love. Shit.
"She loves books." Eleanor stated so we went to Fullybooked. I didn't know anything about the kind of books a five-year-old kid would want to read so I made Eleanor pick anything.
"Anong regalo mo sa kanya?" I asked. We were at the section for kid's stories. Eleanor already picked three books for Lana.
"Uhm, it's supposed to be a secret but I'll tell you. I bought her a ukulele." She gave me a smile.
I frowned, "Why ukulele?"
"Mom knew how to play one. So I thought it would be nice if Lana knows too." She explained.
"So marunong kang tumugtog?" I asked.
"Nah, I'm not musically inclined." She shrugged. Maya-maya ay pumunta na kami sa counter para magbayad. Pinabalot na din ni Eleanor yung regalo. When I glanced at my watch, it's already 11 in the morning.
"Wanna grab some lunch?" I offered as I carried the gift which was placed inside a paperbag.
"Sure."
***
"How are things with your girl?" Eleanor asked when our orders arrived. I almost choke with my own saliva. I didn't know she would be interested with herself.
"She's not my girl." I corrected.
At least not yet.
"But technically, you like her. You're even considering the possibility of being in love with her, right?" I nodded.
Eleanor took a sip on her drink, "So what is she like?"
I shook my head in disbelief. Why is she pushing this topic?
"She's beautiful."
"Of course, she is. You won't like a girl if she's not." She rolled her eyes.
"She has a great sense of humor." I added.
"Chance, you're talking about the common ideal girl. Kahit sinong lalaki ang tanungin ko, yan din ang sasagutin." She snorted. "What's unique about her? That's what I'm talking about."
"Why so curious?" I asked.
Eleanor took a brief pause as she ate before looking at me, "Well... for starters, who wouldn't be curious when you're friend is in love with someone? Tsaka, lagi tayong magkasama so I didn't know that you would be liking a girl."
"Fine." I heaved a sigh.
"She never thinks in a negative way. She's always cheerful. She taught me things about life. She's very spontaneous but you'll be surprised that she does so many good things in her life... she's amazing." I didn't realize I was smiling until I saw Eleanor smirking at me.
"She must be really amazing. You look whipped, big time." She laughed.
"She is."
"When can I meet her?" She asked. She looked like a kid excited for her candies.
"I don't know..."
"But I will meet her right?" She asked. Halos masapo ko na ang noo ko.
"Why do you wanna meet her?"
"I want to hug her for good luck. Masyado ka kasing masungit, baka hindi niya kayanin ang ugali mo." She laughed, "I was just kidding but I do want to hug her because she's the reason why you're all moved on. After all, yun naman ang unang dahilan kung bakit ako andito diba? I told you that I will help you move on. But you have this girl now. I guess my job's done."
I frowned. What does that mean?
"So hindi mo na ako papansinin... dahil tapos na yung job mo na tulungan ako?" tanong ko.
"Huh? Hindi naman sa ganon. We're friends, we can always talk about whatever. But I won't be setting you up on dates anymore. Supporter mo na lang ako sa bago mong love life." How can she support me when she's the woman I'm talking about all along? That's just crazy.
Well thinking about it, Eleanor can be crazy.
And I love this crazy woman.
YOU ARE READING
No Strings Attached
General Fiction[For my beloved Chance Lucas Sandoval] Chance Lucas Sandoval meets Eleanor Kai Gonzales in the most unlikely place, and you can guess that the most unlikely thing happens. He agrees to date other women, as Eleanor has stated, to help him move on wit...
