My Boyfriend is a Freak (Published under Pop Fiction)

3: Mira

Walang anu-ano ay biglang kumaripas ng takbo si Hannah palabas ng office ko. "Shit! Nakalimutan kong may meeting pala kaming mga taga-Marketing!" she explained in a rush without so much as a glance at us. "See you later, mga sis!"

"What was that all about?" Mavi asked with a confused chuckle.

Pero siyempre, may kanya-kanya na kaming interpretasyon sa nangyari.

Looks like the legendary pasaway, Hannah Marvilla, is keeping a secret from us.

****

Lunch break ngayon at nasa office ako ni Vren. Hindi pa rin ako maka-get-over sa ipinakitang article sa akin ni Alexia kanina, kaya heto at napagpasyahan kong kulitin tungkol doon ang boyfriend ko.

"Vren, narinig mo na ba ang balita tungkol kay Vince?" tanong ko kay Ginoong Montevilla, na noon ay abala sa pagbabasa ng sa tingin ko ay isang business proposal.

"What news?" balik-tanong naman niya na hindi man lang iniangat ang tingin mula sa binabasa niya.

Kahit kailan talaga ang isang 'to — walang pakialam sa kuya niya!

"Ikakasal na raw si Vince!" I replied in a dramatic tone, big-reveal style.

"Says who?" Vren, undeterred, continued eyeing the document in front of him.

"Nakita ni Alexia sa isang local gossip website."

"Oh, alright. Good for him, then."

I stared at him in disbelief. Ano ba 'tong boyfriend ko, robot? Nakapa-emotionless!

"'Yan lang ang reaksyon mo?" I blurted out, unable to help myself. "Oh, alright?"

Sa wakas ay ibinaba ni Vren ang papel na hawak niya, sabay tingin sa akin. He was wearing an amused look on his face.

"Why, babe? What reaction, exactly, did you expect me to have?"

Ramdam ko ang pamumula ng mukha ko, dala ng kilig dahil sa pagtawag sa akin ni Vren ng "babe". Hanggang ngayon kasi ay hindi pa rin ako sanay na may ginagamit na ang mokong na term of endearment para sa akin. It was miles apart from those times when we still hated each other.

Alam kong napansin kaagad ni Vren ang mala-kamatis kong mukha, dahil lalong lumapad ang kanyang trademark grin.

"Mira, if Vince is really getting married, then let's just be happy for him. He's old enough to take care of his own decisions."

Oo nga naman, sa isip-isip ko. Ano nga ba ang in-expect kong magiging reaksyon ni Vren sa engagement ng kapatid niya? Did I expect him to react negatively or something?

"How about you?" Napaangat ako ng tingin nang muling magsalita si Vren. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "When do you want to get married?"

Nanlaki naman ang mga mata ko dahil sa tanong niya.

Hala, kasal agad? Wala pa nga kaming isang taon na magjowa, ah!

"Hoy! Anong married-married ang sinasabi mo riyan, Vren Andrei Montevilla?" I spluttered. "Hindi pa ako handa! Marami pa akong pangarap na hindi natutupad, 'no?"

Siya namang hagalpak ng tawa ng siraulo. "You should've seen the look on your face. It's priceless!"

Dahil sa pagkabwisit ko, hinampas ko ang loko ng nahagip kong kopya ng Reader's Digest mula sa ibabaw ng desk niya.

"Hey, that hurt!" he protested, still sniggering. "Stop attacking me with a magazine, Ms. Custodio," dagdag niya nang hindi pa rin ako tumitigil sa kakahampas sa kanya.

"E bwisit ka ba naman! Akala mo ba, nakakatuwa ang trip mo?" I glared at him. "Seryosong usapan ang kasal, Vren! Hindi dapat ginagawang joke 'yon!"

The grin melted off Vren's face. He was obviously taken aback by my statement.

"Hey, are you mad?" he eventually asked in a gentle tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Yumuko lang ako. Medyo nahiya kasi ako sa kanya dahil na-offend ako sa biro niya, kahit alam ko namang he meant no harm. I never thought of myself as a snowflake, yet here I was, acting like one.

It's just that I want to hear the words "Will you marry me?" in the most romantic way possible. At the right place, and in the right time.

Not as a joke.

Still, when Vren rose from his seat to hug me, I hugged him back.

"Sorry," he apologized again. "I was just trying to lighten up the mood."

"Alam ko. Sorry rin... nag-overreact ako."

"No, it's my fault. That was insensitive."

Vren tilted my face up with a gentle prod of his finger on my chin, until we're eye-to-eye.

"We'll get married eventually. We'll know it when the time comes. Right?"

I nodded, a small smile on my lips.

"Right," I said before melting back into his arms.