I thought this night will be one of the best but, I don't know what to feel seeing Avlaire here in front of me. She's eating casually and.. she felt like a stranger.
"Avlaire?", I asked and she looked at me while still eating. Magkaharap lang kami kaya naman kitang kita agad ang mga mata n'ya pero hindi na ganoon kasigla katulad ng dati.
Nilunok muna n'ya ang kinakain at nagpunas ng labi gamit ang napkin. "Mhm?", she asked normally. Like hindi n'ya napapansin na parang may nagbago.
I am not good with dealing with this kind of scenarios. I tried to start a conversation earlier but I don't know what to do with her not answering me completely.
"Are you okay? Are.. Are we okay?", I asked and mukang nagulat s'ya. Tinignan lang n'ya ako ng matagal at biglang nanlambot ang emosyon n'ya.
Matagal s'yang nanahimik at saka tumingin sa kung saan. Malalim s'yang bumuntong hininga at ngumiti.
"We are, lo—", hindi n'ya natuloy ang sasabihin at umubo ng peke. "We're okay naman.", she said and bumalik ang tono ng boses n'yang mataray na malambing.
I smiled at her. She's acting strange and I don't really like it. Wala naman akong magawa since everytime na I'm trying to ask if she's okay, wala naman s'yang ibang sinasabi kundi ang okay s'ya. Ayoko rin naman s'yang pilitin on something she might hate.
Nagpatuloy lang kami sa pagkain and nag-uusap ng kaunti. While watching her talk and eat, it felt like she's being too careful. Lahat ng sasabihin n'ya ay parang pinag-iisipan, hindi rin s'ya kumikilos ng sobra hindi katulad noon, at ang hindi ko maintindihan, hindi s'ya tumitingin sa mga mata ko.
"What do you plan?", she asked casually. I looked at her and hindi si Avlaire na mahal ko ang nakikita ko kundi ang isang business woman. I never heard or see how she asked as a corporate lady but now? It felt like we're here for business and not for a date.
I licked my lips before answering her. "Saan?"
"On your company.", sagot n'ya at tumingin sa mga mata ko. I tried to search for love and longing pero wala, it's all coldness. "It's still struggling.", dagdag pa n'ya at saka umiwas ng tingin at kumain muli.
Looks like she knows what happening in me for the past days. Unlike me, I tried to know more but she's too.. private. Umubo muna ako ng peke bago nagsalita.
"Everything.. is going smoothly.", pinagmasdan ko naman ang reaksyon n'ya nang sabihin ko 'yon. She nodded for a few times bago tumingin ulit sa'kin ng deretso.
"I guess so..", mahina n'yang sagot at ibinaba na ang utensils na kapit n'ya.
I gather some courage to ask her. "Avlaire, what's wrong?"
"What do you mean?", she asked innocently. She's avoiding my gaze and nakafocus lang s'ya sa mga daliri n'ya. I find it strange and ask her more.
