*****
How do you pronounce Jhake? Haha
Enjoy!
*****
Nakatunganga lang na nakaupo si Jhake sa passenger's seat ng sasakyan niya while Kristoffer settled himself on the driver's area. Nakasunod lang ang tingin niya sa papalayong sasakyan ni Kristoffer na sinakyan nina Alden at Dei. He couldn't believe what he just did. He let go of Dei's hand for A.
"Tama ang ginawa mo, Jhake. Fighting for her will complicate things. Ikakasal na siya sa kaibigan natin." Pinaandar nito ang sasakyan pero imbes na magmaneho, tinignan lang siya nito.
Kristoffer felt sad for this friend of his. They both know how stubborn Alden can be. At makikita talaga sa mukha nito na ayaw nitong ipaagaw si Dei. So Jhake decided to step back.
"You handled it like the cool guy you are, Jhake." Kris smiled and slightly punched him on the arm. "It's not like she's the first girl you fell for..."
"Let's not go there, Kris."
"Point is, you are still confused about yourself. Are you really... inlove with Ms. Dei?"
Hindi na naman siya makapagsalita.
"I watch every person around here, Jhake. I support Dei marrying Alden. She was like the opposite of him, an interesting tandem. Who knows? Maybe this marriage will change him. Make him human, at least."
Jhake cleared his throat and nudged at his friend. "Magmaneho ka nga. Dami mong alam."
"If you are not sure about your second, maybe your first was bugging you. Ayusin mo iyan bago pa may masaktan," sabi nito sabay pinatakbo ang sasakyan palabas sa entrada ng M.U.N.D.O.
"You are always the coward among us three," he remarked with a grin and it made Jhake punched him on the arm in annoyance. Kris was right though.
*****
Halos hindi humihinga sa loob ng sasakyan si Dei habang nagmamaneho si Alden papunta sa ibinigay niyang address ng apartment. Pakiramdam niya, maririnig nito ang paghinga niya sa sobra tahimik ng paligid. The ride was totally awkward. Hindi niya alam kung ano'ng topic ang pwede nilang pag-usapan just to break the ice.
Itanong ko kaya kung ano ang rules niya sa relasyon namin? Or I can ask him about the meeting with the directors? Ay teka, baka isipin nanghihimasok ako na hindi ayon sa posisyon ko. Eh, itanong ko kaya kung ano pa ba ang pagagandahin niya sa company building? Ang gara ng elevators na ipinalit niya eh.
"You are too quiet, Dei. Humihinga ka pa ba?" Dei snapped out of her reverie and turned to face Alden.
"Hindi na ata..."
He quickly threw her a glance before taking it back on the road. "Hinga. You are killing yourself."
She released the breath she was holding and took a deep one. "Ang awkward po natin, Mr. A?"
"Ayan ka na naman sa Mr. A mo."
"Sorry po."
"And stop putting 'po' whenever you talk to me. Ilang beses ko ba kailangan sambitin ang fiance until you start treating me like one? Baka nakakalimutan mo, ikaw ang nagpropose sakin ng kasal."
Umasim agad ang mukha ni Dei ng maalala iyon. "Sige p- Alden, pagpapraktisan ko iyan. But I will still call you Mr. A during work."
"You should start practicing that now." The car halted on the red traffic light and Alden turned his head to look at her. "Because if you still call me Mr. A with a 'po'... I will have to kiss you."
His voice sounded like a threat so Dei immediately shifted her gaze on the front and shut her mouth from gaping in surprise. Ang bilis ng pagtibok ng puso niya. Was this out of fear or thrill?
*****
Alden could make out the thoughts crossing in Dei's mind now. Iniisip talaga nito kung totohanin ba talaga niya ang banta na halikan ito kapag nagsabi siya ng Mr. A at 'po'. He succeeded again in getting through her mind.
But he frowned when Dei unzipped her shoulder bag and searched something inside. Nang wala itong mahanap, binalingan siya nito. "A-Alden... may scotchtape ba dito?"
"What for?"
"Itatakip ko sa bibig ko. For precaution in case I slip and say those words."
Her worried face on him while saying such needless words totally caught him off guard that he started to silently chuckle at himself. He looked again at the front of them and caught sight of himself grinning on the windshield.
I look... happy.
He slowly frowned at his stranger self before the traffic light turned green and he has to drive the car again.
"Ang cute mo tumawa..." Dei remarked while quietly staring at the door window on her side.
*****
Leo and his men frowned in surprise when a white Ferrari sports car stopped in front of M.U.N.D.O's entrance. Leo frowned even more when he recognized the driver was his boss.
Alden walked out of the car with his usual arrogant flare and handed to the attendant the car key.
"I thought you dislike using a car, Mr. A..." Leo uttered while they followed him towards the VIP elevator.
"She didn't like my bike."
"Ms. Dei?"
He didn't respond and took a step inside. Bago tuluyang magsara ang elevator, biglang pumasok si Jhake at tumayo sa tabi niya. Leo suddenly felt the air getting cold.
"Are you really going to marry Dei?"
"Yes."
"What changed your mind?"
"What right do you have to ask? Are you and Dei in a romantic relationship?"
"No..."
"Do you love her?"
"I..." Jhake, again, couldn't answer that.
Aden scoffed. "Fear is eating you again this time, Jhake."
The elevator door parted open when it reached Jhake's department floor. He hesitantly stepped outside but then quickly turned to face Alden again.
"Did Dei agree to this arrange marriage?"
"Yes."
"Don't hurt her."
"Not intentionally..."
Then the door closed between them.
