Messing with the Lieutenant

⚔ The Setup

"Hansel, come on, let's go home" I excitedly said to my first ever baby.

He's so adorable. Faye let go of the leash and he came running towards me, looking like a big, bouncing furred ball.

I squealed when he jumped so high for me to catch him, gosh, he's so hyper! I catch him while giggling and gave him nice nose boop.

"Such a hyper doggo, hmm" Faye commented at saka niya ito kinamot sa batak kaya naman nilingon siya ni Hansel at saka pinuntirya nito ang kanyang kamay upang dilaan.

"Hansel, your daddy is looking at you" Nicole chirpily said, my baby boy acknowledged her with a joyous bark while his tail si excitedly waggling.

"Daddy?" tanong ko naman.

"Yes," Nicole replied at saka ko sinundan ang tingin niya.

I bite my lower lip when I met the hot Lieutenant's piercing gaze.

Instead of letting him know that I'm dying inside to melt because of him, I decided to bring Hansel down and I pointed at him.

The dog went running towards him and did the same thing, he jumped for Craig to catch him. Before I can even react, another adorable boy came to me in the person of no other than Cody.

"Aunt Rome" he called out with puppy eyes, gosh, I'm so blessed today.

"Yes, Cody?" binuhat ko siya kahit na ba napakabigat niya.

Nicole and Faye started pinching his cheeks again making him giggle in my arms.

"I want to play with you" the adorable boy said pleadingly.

My heart flutters with his statement. Iba talaga ang epekto pag inosenteng bata na mismo ang lumalapit sayo.

"You want to play with me?" I said, unsure of what to say.

"Yes, but Uncle Richie said that you need to go home" hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa din ako makapaniwala na may pet name si Craig mula mismo sa pamangkin niya.

"How about us, Cody?" Faye butted in as she pouted at the boy "Ayaw mo ba kaming kalaro ni Aunt Nicole?"

"Gusto din po" there's that adorable slang tagalog again "Pero baka po kasi may date kayo ni Uncle Ben. Tapos si Aunt Nicole at Uncle Nicco" now Niccolo has also a pet name from Cody.

"Oh... Wala silang date---" I was cut off when Bennett snaked his arms around Faye's waist.

Gosh, this man, may bata dito.

"Actually Cody, may date talaga kami ng Aunt Faye mo" the naughty man stated with a secretive grin, napansin kong napatingin si Faye sa kanya at mukhang may sasabihin sana ngunit piniling manahimik nalang.

"Oh!" Nicole exclaimed "May aasikasuhin din pala kami ni Uncle Nicco mo" my eyebrows met because of their sudden errands, "Isasama din namin si Uncle Christopher"

"Ako, hindi niyo isasama?" tanong ko.

"No, single ka eh" Christopher replied callously, halatadong nagpipigil siya ng tawa.

"Single ka din naman ah" bato ko sa kanya.

"Akala mo lang" Niccolo vouched for him with a laugh, I glared at him.

"What's going on?" napatalima ako sa kinatatayuan ko nang biglang sumulpot si Craig sa tabi ko habang karga-karga si Hansel.

Napako sa amin ang tingin ng mga kaibigan namin kaya naman hindi ko mapigilan ang pag-init ng pisngi ko.

We obviously looked like a couple carrying our son and our pet dog.

Damn it, kinikilig ako!

"May date daw sila, Sir" sagot ko.

"Uncle Richie," Cody finally decided to speak up "They all have dates except for you and Aunt Rome" hindi napalagpas ng paningin ko ang paglunok ni Craig, his adam's apple bubbling up and down evidently.

Damn, it's hot, hot, hot!

"Maybe both of you can take me to the mall"

"Uh..." Craig said as he give me a glance.

In my peripheral vision, I can see our friends biting their lower lip in an attempt to prevent giggles.

"Why not" I managed to say, Bennett's left eyebrow raised as if challenging me to say more, "If I could just leave Hansel somewhere..."

"We can leave him at our house" the Lieutenant said "The maids will look after them, nandoon naman yung dalawa pang aso at pusa"

"See!" we looked at Niccolo "All of us have some errands to do"

Hah!

As if I'm not aware of what they are trying to do.

Trying to set me up with Craig Montemayor even if it means using Cody in the process.

Faye and Nicole started bugging me out this morning when the rumors started circulating after I hugged Craig. Pati na din ang pagsipa nila Christopher at Niccolo sa boots ko kaninang lunch nang makasama namin si Theo Lim sa iisang mesa.

Hell, para akong hindi makakilos ng maayos kaninang naguusap sila Craig at Theo. I don't know if it's just me but I can feel a heated and raging tension radiating off Theo and Craig.

As far as I'm concern, Theo is aware that Craig gave me a dog.

"Let's go then" Craig announced "You can just ride with us now, Rome"

"Okay sir" I responded.

I gave our friends a wave at saka ako sumunod kay Craig habang buhat si Cody, at siya naman kay Hansel.

He open the back door for Hansel and Cody. After buckling Cody's seatbelt, he open the passenger's seat in the front for me causing those butterflies in my stomach to be back again.

"So," the man said as he started the engine "Say, I'll drop you to your flat first for you to freshen up a bit"

"Sounds good to me, Sir"

"Then we'll pick you up at 7:00"

Cody is caressing Hansel's golden fur while it patiently rest on his lap.  A wide smile etched on my face. I fished out for my phone and open the camera, tinawag ko pareho sina Cody at Hansel, nang tumingin sila ay agad kong pinindot ang shutter button.

It's a nice picture, so innocent.

"Lieutenant, look" wika ko sa kasama ko at napangiti din siya nang makita niya ito.

Ipinagpatuloy niya ang pagmamaneho habang ibinaling ko naman ang atensyon ko sa dalawang nilalang sa likod.

This moment feels so wonderful and esquisite. It's like I'm living another person's life. A person who is carefree and authentically happy.

And a person who finally found the missing peice of her life.

Strange.

⚔ ⚔ ⚔