He was seated on her left, she was near the window while he was along the aisle.
There was a space between them, but it didn't change the fact that he was seated close to her.
He tapped his fingers anxiously on his arm rest trying to think of a topic to open up so he could have conversation with her. Loren had told him to speak with her and he couldn't let this moment pass without taking advantage of it.
He stole a glance at her and noticed her smiling as she read something on a card.
He knew it was the one he sent her this morning before the flight. On her hand was a lone daisy, she probably picked that one up from the bouquet he sent her.
He took a deep breath in before speaking.
"Mahilig po yata kayo sa bulaklak ma'am," he commented, striking up a conversation with her.
She hid the card in her hands before looking at him.
"Medyo," she said. "Pero recently parang mas interested ako sa mga bulaklak."
"Bakit ma'am?"
"May nagpapadala kasi sa akin araw-araw."
"May nanliligaw pala sa inyo, ma'am," he said, with a coy smile on his lips.
"Nanliligaw ba? Hindi naman ako sigurado, wala namang sinabi kung nanliligaw ba o ano."
Dapat ba nilagay ko sa messages na liligawan ko siya?
He thought there was no need to tell her specifically that he was courting her since it seemed obvious.
"Hindi ba nagsabi ma'am? Pero diba ganun man yun pag nanliligaw? Nagbibigay nang mga ganyan?"
"Ganun ba, sir? Pag kayo ba nanligaw ganyan din gagawin niyo?"
There was a knowing look on her face that made him curious. It was as if she knew something that he didn't.
"Siguro ganyan din, ma'am," he answered after a slight pause.
There was a glint in her eyes letting him know that the conversation was far from over.
"Tapos may pinapadala din siya na mga messages," she said.
"Anong klaseng messages ma'am?"
"Ewan ko ba. Pero karamihan corny. Natatawa na nga lang ako pag nababasa ko."
He lost his voice after hearing her say that, a frown etched on his face. She clearly didn't appreciate what he did, he thought. He shouldn't have sent her flowers. He felt distraught that his efforts were unappreciated.
She noticed his sudden silence.
"Sorry, ma'am," he said as he turned away from her.
He never should've thought of courting her.
"Corny. Pero hindi ko alam kung bakit napapangiti pa rin ako."
He turned his head to look at her once more. She raised the flower on her hand to look at it closely, a smile on her lips as she turned it over.
Then she looked at him.
"I look forward to your messages everyday, sir."
For a moment it felt as if time stood still.
She took his breath away. His mouth slightly hung open as he stared mesmerized - not by the beauty that she naturally possessed - but by her.
Sitting there beside him, she looked so picturesque. There was no doubt in his mind that he was now falling hard for her. It was like a bottomless pit that he never wanted to escape from.
"Paano mo nalaman na galing sa akin?"
"Alam ko lang," she said. "Salamat, sir."
A sigh of relief escaped his lips.
"Akala ko ayaw mo mam"
"Kung ayaw ko, hindi ko tatanggapin yung mga bigay niyo. Pero tinanggap ko kaya..." she trailed off.
He was happy. They sat there in silence, for a while.
"Aling messages ba yung corny?" He asked wanting to quell his curiosity.
"Marami," she replied.
"Gaya nang?"
"Yung 'Alam mo ba kung paano ispell yung love?' Tapos sa dulo may 'L-E-N-I' Natawa ako dun," she laughed.
"Ah 'yun. Dapat talaga hindi ko na tinatanong si Bong."
He felt embarrassed, but the sight of her laughing and the sound of her laughter made it difficult for him to get angry.
"Si Sec. Bong? Sa kanya ba galing 'yun?"
"Hindi. Sa akin ma'am. Pero natanong ko sa kanya kung okay lang, kaya ayun. Palpak talaga tong si Bong."
"Bakit palpak? Ano pa bang pinagawa mo sa kanya?"
He told her about the first time he tried giving her flowers and how she out right rejected it.
He hears her laughter once more.
"Ay, oo. Naalala ko 'yun," she said. "Medyo bad mood din kasi ako nung araw na yun."
"Bakit ka naman bad mood nun?"
She suddenly fell silent. She casts her eyes down for a moment before her cheeks turned pink as she remembered the reason why she had been in such a bad mood.
"B-Basta! Nakalimutan ko na rin!" She lied.
When it was time for lunch, he kept offering her food. Asking whether she needed anything else. Now that she knew he was courting her, he wanted to show her how accommodating he can be.
"Sir. Okay lang talaga ako. 'Pag may kailangan ako sasabihin ko."
"Sige ma'am,"
The rest of the flight continued in silence, with him glancing at her direction every once in a while.
Her eyes felt heavy, and soon enough she started to doze off.
"Ma'am?" He called out. When she didn't respond he thought she had already fallen asleep, but after a few second she spoke.
"Bakit sir?"
She looked at him with eyes half closed.
"Sorry for inviting you ma'am baka kasi busy ka."
"Hindi naman ako busy. Saka minsan lang naman to." She said before closing her eyes once more. "I'm happy to be on this trip. Masaya ako, sir."
"Ako rin ma'am masaya..."
...na makasama ka.
He unabashedly looked at her sleeping form, unable to take his eyes off her. Now that she was asleep, he could stare at her to his heart's content without making her feel awkward.
He reached out and pulled the blanket up when it started slipping, thinking how he wished it was him providing her warmth instead of the blanket.
