Paola hurriedly pulled Maia away from the office as soon as they got out of the building for lunch. Maia had 'finally' mentioned about her and Chuck's wedding plans. In the years of their friendship, Paola knew that Maia never wore any jewelry. Since she and Chuck started dating, Maia was starting to glow more healthily. She also seemed happier and a little less shy around her peers. And earlier today, Maia's necklace and 'pendant' was prominently displayed against her navy blue blouse. Paola noticed it more when Maia stood up from her desk and walked past the sunny window nearby. From then, about an hour before lunch break, Paola kept on stealing glances at Maia.
"Pao! Ano ba?!" Maia protested when they stepped down from the building's lobby steps and Maia almost tripped.
"You have some explaining to do"
"Ano?"
"Yan o!" Paola pointed to Maia's necklace with her lips.
"Ah. Bigay ni Chuck" Maia said, holding on to the ring pendant and slightly blushing.
"Eh bakit ka nag-b-blush?"
"Maaraw..." Maia said, quickly glancing up at the noontime sun.
"Ewan ko sa yo! Saan tayo kakain? Pwede ba yung medyo tahimik para makwento mo sa akin anong nangyari nung long weekend? Paola said as they walked past some restaurants. They normally ate at the nearby mall's fastfood. Maia pointed to a small eatery behind their office building. It was one of the places they would go to when they were low on budget.
"Dun nalang, o" Paola pointed to an Italian restaurant on the mezzanine of the building nearby.
Maia looked up at the glass window of the restaurant and noticed that it wasn't crowded so she nodded and agreed.
---
Chuck would regularly pick Maia up from the office so that they could go to the orphanage together. In the months that followed, schedules changed, and Chuck would pick Maia up from her house in the morning and they would go to work together. A month before Chuck proposed, he discreetly slipped a few bills into Maia's purse when she left it in the car to get something she'd forgotten for work.
"Let's meet up for lunch?" Chuck invited Maia on their way to her office.
"Text kita. Kailangan matapos kasi yung pinagawa ni Boss. For submission daw ng 1pm e." Maia said while she browsed thru her phone.
"Okay. I hope you finish it right away."
Maia nodded and smiled. "Thank you. Text kita, promise"
"Okay. Have a good day at work"
"Ikaw rin. Ingat" Maia said when they got to her office.
At around 11am, Maia and her team were done with their task. She remembered her promise to Chuck and messaged him. Chuck's office was just a few blocks away from Maia's office, so she was pleasantly surprised to see him without his car. It was rather warm, and she knew that Chuck didn't really enjoy hot and humid weather.
"Nasaan ang kotse mo?"
"I have a meeting later...over there..." Chuck said and pointed to a building nearby.
"Hmm...pwede bamg dumaan tayo sa ATM? Ako naman ang mag-treat sa yo" Maia held up an envelope which she held next to her wallet.
"Wow!"
"Binigyan kami ng tig-500 na GC kanina..." Maia said while opening her wallet to check how much she needed to withdraw. To her surprise, there was more money than she remembered having in it. She looked at Chuck, perplexed.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Bakit may extra akong pera sa wallet?"
"What do you mean?"
"Sa pagkakaalala ko, 200 pesos lang ang laman nyan kahapon. Nag-bayad ako ng 250 para dun sa lunch ko kahapon tapos, 200 lang ang naitra. Di ako nagdadala ng malaking halaga lalo na't nag-c-commute ako. Wala namang inaabot si Nanay sa akin na pambili" Maia wondered.
Chuck smiled. "I put it there"
"Ano?"
"Your allowance"
"Bakit?""
"Why not? We're both busy with work and our lives so I can't always accompany you to the store if you need something. And I know that you'd been eyeing a pair of shoes. We can go get them later."
"Baka naman may kapalit ito?"
Chuck shook his head. "None. What's mine is yours."
Maia paused, "Hindi pa naman tayo mag-asawa"
"Hindi....PA..." Chuck smiled.
"Nag-propose ka na ba? Nagpaalam ka na ba sa magulang ko?"
Chuck took Maia's hands, "Soon..." He had actually talked to Tatay and Nanay already about his plans to marry Maia. It was just a matter of time when he would pop the question.
Maia could only nod. She was happy living a more comfortable life since she started dating Chuck. Chuck was always generous and caring for Maia's family as well as the kids at the orphanage. Maia often wondered where Chuck got all his wealth. He was very modest and kind to everyone. Yet, she was also skeptical because if things would not work out between them, she would never be able to repay him.
They had lunch at one of the fancy restaurants in the area. Chuck paid for their meal and Maia used her GC for their coffee and dessert afterwards. After work, they went to the mall so Maia could get the shoes she wanted. Chuck also bought some things for Nanay and Tatay.
---
"OHEMGEEEE!" Paola exclaimed when she confirmed that Maia was engaged.
"Shh!"
"Eh bakit ba? This is a happy moment in your life lang naman! Kelan?"
"Anong kelan?"
"Kelan sya nag-propose at kelan kayo ikakasal?"
Maia told Paola about the Sagada proposal.
"Eeeeek!" Paola squealed in giddiness. "Teka, two weeks ago pa yun, diba?"
Maia nodded.
"At naitago mo sa akin?"
"Sorry na. Ninyerbyos din ako e"
"Saan? Bakit?"
"Baka kasi panaginip lang lahat"
"So hindi mo sinuot yung singsing ng dalawang linggo?"
Maia shook her head. "Medyo maluwag kasi. Nag-order pa si Chuck nitong kwintas para masuot ko..."
"Hindi nyo nalang pinaayos?"
"Ewan ko dun. Sabi nya, mas malaki daw yung bato nung totoong engagement ring na pinagawa nya"
Paola reached for the ring that was on Maia's necklace. It was a simple diamond ring with a very small stone. It looked elegant. "Ang ganda na nga nito e"
"Yun din ang sabi ko sa kanya pero hindi daw bagay sa prinsesa"
"Ano?"
Maia retold the story of Chuck's grandfather. "Apo sya ng prinsipe"
"Ows?" Paola was dumbfounded. She had met Chuck, but he didn't strike her as being overly-wealthy or someone from royalty. Although he drove an SUV and wore branded clothes, he remained humble and never boasted about money. And, since Maia received a regular allowance from Chuck, she, too, decided not to flaunt her newly acquired wealth.
"Pero nahihiya pa rin ako...nakakatakot"
"Bakit?"
"Eh kung hindi kami mag-work out? Paano kung maghiwalay kami? Di ko kaya ibalik ang lahat ng bigay nya..."
"Maia! Ano ka ba naman? Wag ka ngang nega. Sinabi ba ni Chuck na kailangan mo isoli yang mga regalo nya sa yo? Bakit ba iniisip mong magkakahiwalay kayo e kaka-engage nyo pa lang. Unless..."
"Unless ano?"
"Unless na may mahal kang iba at hindi mo mahal si Chuck"
"Mahal ko si Chuck" Maia said with conviction.
"Yun naman pala e. Magpasalamat ka nalang sa lahat ng biyayang binibigay sa yo. Sa pagkakaalala ko, ikaw tong excited na makilala sya dati diba? Para ano?"
"Para magpasalamat at maging kaibigan"
Paola nodded. "Natupad naman diba? Naging magkaibigan kayo. Nakapagpasalamat ka naman na sa kanya dahil dun sa box na natanggap mo nung bata ka pa. Ngayon naman, nagka-ibigan na kayo. He's single and very eligible. Madaming babaeng maiinggit sa yo."
"Ikaw?"
"Anong ako?"
"Naiinggit ka?"
"Bakit? May Angelo na ako." Paola smiled. "Hmm...mag-double wedding kaya tayo?"
Maia thought about it. A double wedding would be nice since Paola was her bestfriend but she needed to do more research on it. Besides, with Chuck being of royalty, a grander wedding was already being planned.