Chapter 47
AshFlo Returns
You have got to be kidding me.
"What are we doing here?" I asked my boyfriend who was still sitting beside me in his SUV, wearing an innocent look while sporting his "comfortable sportswear." The same thing he told me to wear for today's date.
"We're here for our date," simple nitong sagot. Nagpapatay-malisya kahit na kakaparada niya lang sa loob ng carpark ng Manila Sports Club na malapit sa tennis court area.
Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "At a tennis court?"
He had the audacity to smile and shrug at me. "Yeah, I thought, why not? I'm feeling sporty today."
This asshole.
"Anyway, I bought you something," he said, before stretching back to the backseat and pulling out a huge-ass shopping bag.
"What is that?" I asked, staring suspiciously at the bag he was holding.
Instead of answering, he dumped it on my lap. "Open it."
With pure suspicion in my eyes, I glared at him before peeking into the shopping bag. I immediately saw a red W logo, the same logo of tennis rackets and balls I grew up buying for myself.
"Why did you buy me this?" I blurted out, still not taking the tennis rackets out of the paper bag. "You know I already have several of these."
Storm shrugged. "Your dad said you haven't touched one of your rackets, they're just sitting in your room."
"I don't want to do this." I handed back the shopping bag to him. "Umuwi na tayo. Sinasayang mo lang ang oras mo."
"Why? I'm here to learn tennis." "I enrolled myself in this, plus a few friends, as well."
"What the fuck, Storm?" "Hindi ka nakakatawa. Gusto ko nang umuwi!"
"Then, go home! Want me to book you a ride home?" he had the audacity to ask me with a knowing smirk. "No one is stopping you if you don't want to watch us learn about the sport you once loved."
I glared at him even harder. "I fucking hate this, Yap."
He raised a brow at me. "So I'm Yap now, huh?" he asked as he leaned close to me. "Akala ko ba nami-miss mo na? Ano, tanggal angas mo sa raketa?"
Shaking my head, I maintained my glower at him. "I'm not going in there."
He sat up straight then shrugged. "Hindi kita pipilitin kung ayaw mo."
Napanganga ako sa kilos at attitude niya. "Iiwanan mo talaga ako dito?" tanong ko, hindi makapaniwala. Akala ko ba ay susuportahan niya ako hanggang dulo? Bakit ngayon ay parang gustung-gusto niya ako itulak papalapit sa makakasakit sa akin?
Storm looked away from me. "I told you, we signed up to learn about tennis today."
Pakiramdam ko ay nag-uumpisa na ang paglabas ng usok sa tenga at ilong ko. "Aren't boyfriends supposed to fucking listen to their girlfriends?"
Muli siyang lumingon sa akin at ngumisi, para bang hindi naaapektuhan sa mga sinasabi ko sa kanya. "See, I'm not your boyfriend today, Asher. Before we fell in love with each other, I was your best friend first, and I am here to push you to do something you should've done a year ago."
Ako naman ang umiwas ng tingin sa kanya this time, niyakap ang sarili at ibinaling ang atensyon sa car window sa aking tabi. "Find me after you're done with your fucking lesson."
***
I am fucking fuming.
Hindi ako nakatiis at lumabas ako sa kotse ni Storm at tumambay sa clubhouse kung saan malapit ang tennis court na inuukupa nila. At ngayon, tuluyan na talagang namumula ang mukha ko at umuusok sa init ng ulo.
Like I said, I am fucking fuming now. Not with Storm, not anymore. But with their instructor!
Their instructor is such a fucking loser. She was more focused on fondling my boyfriend's arms, squeezing them as she admire his fucking form. Not even checking if his form was correct or his his serves were done right!
God, I wouldn't even call them a serve. Sobrang walang kwenta magturo. Wala nga rin siyang pakialam sa mga ginagawa ng kaibigan ko. She was just focused on flirting with my boyfriend!
But then, when she moved around his back and touched his waist to show him how to move his body—I just started seeing red.
I stalked towards them and took the racket from Louisse's hand and grabbed a ball. Without opening my mouth, I threw the ball upward and like clockwork, muscle memory worked, and I hit my very first serve after three whole years.
It landed just a few inches near Storm's left foot. And just like what I predicted, their instructor screamed in surprise.
God, that felt good... but shit, that fucking hurts.
"Asher?" Storm called out as I dropped to the floor the racket he gifted me earlier.
Like clockwork, I felt a burning fire crawled up to my shoulders and down to my serving arm. "I think I just hurt my shoulder–ow!" I crowed, the pain making me dizzy.
I watched Storm ran towards me and wrapped me in his arms. "Baby, are you okay?" he asked as he brought me to the nearest bench.
"I think I strained something," I answered honestly, my face wincing in pain.
Storm kneeled down between my legs, a soft smile playing on his lips. "You made a serve," he said, his voice laced with pride and awe.
Holding my hurting arm, I gave him an annoyed look. "Your instructor is shit."
"Hey!" their instructor protested. Nandito pa pala siya? I just rolled my eyes at her. Wala naman talaga siyang kwenta magturo.
Bumalik ang atensyon ko kay Storm nang bigla nito akong yakapin. "God damn, AshFlo has returned," he whispered directly to my ear. "I'm so proud of you."
I felt my body melting against him. Storm gives the best hugs. "You were goading me."
He moved away slightly, his smirk in place. "Gotcha," he confirmed, winking at me.
"I fucking hate you," I said to him without heat.
"No, you love me," he shot back before giving me a quick peck on the lips. "C'mon, let's get that shoulder iced." Storm took my uninjured arm and pulled us up, and we continued walking towards to the clubhouse.
"I can't believe you goaded me, and I took the bait,"
Storm burst out laughing. "It's not my fault you forgot you already taught me how to serve."
My jaw hit the floor. Memories flooded my brain, moving images of good old times flashed back when taught him how to serve, in high school... right after he made me do a few soccer drills.
"I was so angry, hindi na ako nakapag-isip." I groaned, realizing that I have been bamboozled by my boyfriend, who happens to know me like nobody else because he's also my best friend.
Pouting at my awful attitude earlier, I started apologizing. "I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize," he said with a wink. "Isa pa, I got what I wanted. It made you move."
"You used my jealousy," I grumbled as I rolled my eyes.
He just shrugged. "It got your ass moving. But seriously, how hurt are you?"
He entered the clubhouse restaurant and we sat where I left my things before storming out. "I think I just strained a muscle, nabigla lang yata talaga ako. I didn't even stretch, so no wonder nasaktan ako."
"To be fair, she didn't even let us stretch or do warm-ups," he remarked, wincing as he started rotating his shoulders. "I think I pulled a muscle, too."
A few minutes later, our friends showed up at our table. Louisse flashed me a huge smile as she sat across from me. "How does it feel to hold a racket and do that serve?"
"Aside from the muscle-pulling?" I started, making a show of icing my injured shoulder. "It felt amazing. I'm so happy, it feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders?"
"Do you want to play with us next time?" Kim asked, looking proud.
"Sure," I answered without skipping a beat. "And I bet I'm a better instructor than that girl."
"I just bet you are," Storm chuckled beside me.
I turned to him and gave him a tight hug. "I love you," I whispered to him. "I'll miss spending time with you when I get back to work."
***
We were lounging on our couch when Storm's phone started ringing. Storm answered it with a weird look on his face. "Yeah, I'm with her. I think she left her phone in her bag."
"Who's calling?" I asked him.
He handed me his phone. "It's Sir Simon, kailangan ka raw niya makausap but you weren't answering his calls."
"Oh, shit," I groaned as I grabbed his phone. "Hello, Sir?"
Ano na naman kayang meron? Kung hindi naman importante ang dahilan ng pagtawag niya, hihintayin niya akong sumagot or mag reach back sa kanya mamaya. Shit. May bago na naman ba akong scandal na kinasangkutan?
May bago bang update sa kaso ng stalker ko? O baka naman sa kaso doon sa tumulak sa akin at iba pang sangkot dito?
Fuck, I'm so scared. Ano kayang pakay ni Sir Simon? I'm fucking terrified that my career will receive another hit from another potential scandal. I've been to hell and back, I've been traumatized by the stalker attack and the revelation of my career-ending injury at my last SEA Games.
"Hi, hija! I saw Storm's post, I'm glad to see you hold a tennis racket again. I know how much you loved that sport and how much you missed it."
Wait. 'Yan lang ba ang dahilan ng pagtawag niya?
"Thank you po, Sir," sagot ko sa kanya. "Masaya rin ako na nakapaglaro ulit ako ng tennis kahit saglit lang."
"Small progress is still progress, anak," sabi pa nito. "Baby steps, ika nga nila, diba?"
"Yes po," sagot ko habang tumatango. Pero hindi na ako makatiis sa totoong dahilan ng pagtawag niya, ayoko nang magpaliguy-ligoy pa siya. "Pero 'yan lang po ba tinawag niyo? Or may iba pa po kayong ibabalita sa akin?"
Bigla itong natawa. "I love that you know I'm up to something," natatawa pa rin nitong sabi.
"Ano nga po 'yun?" tanong ko, hindi na mapakali sa pambibitin ni Sir Simon.
"Fine," he started. "I'll put you out of your misery."
ANO NA NGA?!
"Congratulations, Asher, for being the first Filipina model to be cast as one of the rookie models of Sports Collected!"
"What?" I gasped, my eyes bulging out as I stared wide-eyed at my boyfriend, who was patiently waiting for the tea.
Did he just say Sports Collected? As in Sports Collected—the American sports magazine that heavily features professional athletes? Beloved by millions of sports fans across the globe?
"They wanted to feature you as one of the decorated athletes who jumped to different careers and succeeded," Sir Simon further added. "Now, do you understand why I am so happy you were able to play again today?"
Tears, happy tears, started running down my face as I laughed–and sobbed. "Oh, my God, Sir Simon! Thank you so much for believing in me."
"You worked hard for everything you've got now, Asher," he responded with warmth only my fairy godfathers could deliver. "We are so proud of you here at TMA, anak. You should be proud of yourself, as well."
My tears of joy continued pouring out from my eyes even after our call ended. Storm's worried eyes waited for me patiently. God, I'm really blessed, aren't I?
I just made a serve after years of not holding a tennis racket, and now I'm going to be featured in one of the most celebrated international sports magazines as one of their rookie models.
I'm so proud of myself.
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