Swipe Right

SLEX

7:25 AM. Nasan na kaya siya? Atat lang, Faulkerson? Relax. She said she'll be here by 8. You still have time to calm the fuck down before she arrives. You cannot afford to screw this up.

Paulit ulit kong kinakausap ang sarili ko habang nag-iintay dito sa loob ng McDo. Lumamig na't lahat lahat itong binili ko, hindi ko pa rin naikakalma yung lagabog ng dibdib ko.

Susmaryosep. Anong oras na ba?

Tatayo na sana ko to go to the bathroom when the doors swung open and there she was. Looking around. Looking for me. Me. The luckiest son of a gun on the face of the planet. Ako yun. Si Richard Faulkerson Jr. ng Sta. Rosa Laguna.

"RJ? Hi? Huy! Hala siya o, nag hang na. May statue dance bang nagaganap? Humihinga ka pa ba?"

RICARDO MAGSALITA KA ANAKNAMPOTA!

"Maine! Hi! Sorry sorry, I was just thinking of the bathroom tapos nakita kita."

Smooth, Faulkerson. Really smooth.

"So ano? Magtititigan na lang ba tayo dito o pupunta ka na sa bathroom? Huy! RJ!"

I couldn't stop looking at her. She was just so... perfect doesn't even come close. Yung mga mata... parang ang sarap magpakalunod sa mga tingin niya. Yung ilong, ang cute. Parang ang sarap dutdutin paulit ulit. And her lips. I could kiss them all the rest of my days and I wouldn't need anything else.

Iuwi ko na lang kaya to?

"Ayan tayo eh. Natulala na po siya ulit. Ano bang nangyayari sayo? Sige na go to the bathroom, I'll just order coffee to go tapos we can leave. Unless you want to eat here?"

"Ha? Ano sige we can eat you before we go."

ANONG SABI KO!?!

"Hindi ako kasali sa Breakfast Menu ng McDo, RJ. Anuba?"

"I meant we can eat here! Sige teka banyo lang ako. Wag kang aalis ha? I mean pwede ka pumunta sa cashier pero wag mo ko iiwan. Iuuwi pa kita. Shit I mean, marami pa tayong pupuntahan tapos ihahatid kita pauwi."

She laughed. And it was like the heavens opened and an asthmatic goat descended from above. Ibang klase pala yung tawa niya pag narinig mo na in person. Endearing yes pero medyo nakakabaliw din but it was exactly what I needed to hear to snap me out of my trance.

"I'll be here when you get back. Sige na, go!"

Hindi na ko nag-attempt magsalita baka kung ano na naman masabi ko. Dali dali na kong pumasok sa banyo. First things first, I splashed cold water on my face before roughly wiping the water off with paper towels. I counted to fifty at nung medyo nahimasmasan na yung pagkatao ko, I took a deep breath and stepped out.

I went back to our table just as she was walking back with her order. I would've jumped up to help her pero wala akong tiwala sa sarili ko. Baka pag nag-try akong kunin yung tray sa kanya, matapon yung kape. Ok lang kung sakin, eh kung sa kanya?

"I'm ready na for our bahala na san mapadpad adventure! I dressed down just to be sure. Kaya pasensya na if you were planning on anything resembling fine dining."

"Ang sarap mo ngang tignan eh."

Kingina. Ano bang nangyayari sa utak ko?

"Mygahd ka RJ, hinay hinay lang. The day is young. Baka alas nuwebe pa lang ng umaga maubusan ka na ng banat. Kaloka ka. Anyway, tara na?"

I just smiled at her and led the way to where my car was parked. I opened the door for her at nang makasakay siya at maisara ko ang pinto ng hindi ko siya naipit, tumakbo na ko to my side and got in.