Eto na po yung pambawi ko. Medyo napahaba po ata :) Enjoy! Thank you po :D
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The sound of the ringing phone woke Alden up. He and Maine stayed up late last night having video chat with Maine's uncle discussing what went on with their meeting. Their boss couldn't be more pleased that they managed get Victoire as the featured model on their company's magazine next month. Alden, with his eyes partially closed, get his phone on the bedside table and look at the caller ID. It was Victoire calling and he answered it.
"Hello?" Alden says with his voice still a little husky from his sleep.
"Uhm hi. Alden, I just want to know if you're free for tonight. At seven pm exactly. Today happens to be my birthday and I will host a party this night. You can bring Maine with you if you like. That would be awesome."
"Really? Well, uhm, happy birthday of course. I don't know if we can go though. I'll ask Maine if we have any work that is scheduled tonight, okay? I will get back to you on this, Victoire."
"That's fine. I'll wait. I would really appreciate it if both of you could come." Alden hung up and went to the bathroom. After doing every routine that he's supposed to do in the morning, he goes out of his room to see if Maine is already awake. Alden saw her eating breakfast at the veranda while scrolling on her laptop.
"I see that you're having breakfast without me." Alden teases before sitting across Maine. She looks up at Alden with wide eyes.
"Sorry. It was my original plan to wait for you but then I got really hungry and you're still asleep."
"It's okay, as long as you saved some for me." Maine told him that there are pancakes and bacons at the counter.
"Uhm..."
"Yes?"
"I was wondering if...if..." Maine raised her eyebrows urging Alden to continue what he's saying. What the heck is happening with you? Just ask her already.
"Alden Richards, are you actually being shy right now?" Maine asks with a playful smirk on her face. Alden shakes his head no vigorously.
"Of course not. I just forgot what I was gonna ask for a moment." Alden defended himself.
"If you say so. So, ano nga yun?"
"Ayun naalala ko na." Alden says animatedly that Maine chuckles. "Can I join you here while eating?" Maine rolls her eyes at Alden's silly questions.
"Sus! Yun lang pala. Nakaupo ka na nga dyan diba?"
"Okay." Alden sprinted inside and grabbed the plate full of pancakes and bacons. He went back outside and sat across Maine once again. Alden starts to dig in his breakfast like a caveman and Maine stares at him with disgust.
"Di ka naman gutom no?"
"Is it that obvious?" Alden asks with his mouth still full. Maine did not answer instead; she shook her head disapprovingly but with a small smile evident on her lips. She went back to scrolling her laptop and left Alden to enjoy his food.
"By the way, what's our schedule for today?"
"Well, since we got the deal, we need to pick up the dresses and accessories this afternoon." Maine replies without looking at Alden. "And then after that, we have time to spare again."
"Come with me." Alden says. It's not even a question but it sounded like a demand. That's when Maine stopped what she was doing and looked at Alden questioningly. "Victoire called me earlier inviting us to her birthday party tonight. Since we have nothing to do, we should go."
"Uhm...okay. Sure."
***
"Are you sure this is the right place? I mean, this is...how would I put it? Uhm...this is like Paris' nightlife at its wildest." Maine mutters as she looks around the place in amazement. The booming music makes it impossible to even hear yourself. And the laser lights are almost blinding. People are gathered at the centre. Some of them dancing, and some of them are making out. Before Alden could answer Maine, Victoire came to view with her towering height, flowing blonde hair, and a body to die for. This woman seriously reminds others what their flaws are and slaps it right in their faces. Maine thinks to herself as she watches Victoire walk towards them.
"Bonjour! I'm glad you two made it." Victoire greets them enthusiastically. A man suddenly appeared behind her and gave her a back hug. "I'd like you to meet Hugo. He's my fiancé."
"Fiancé?" Both Alden and Maine exclaim. They did not expect that someone like Victoire would like to settle down early.
"Yes. We've been together for three years now. Your girlfriend here has nothing to worry about." Victoire says clearly pointing out Maine. Alden saw Maine went stiff after that.
"Oh, no. Maine is not...she's not my girlfriend."
"Is that so? My bad. Let's go, guys. Party's waiting."
Maine and Alden were escorted by Victoire and Hugo to a more private room. Upon entering, they took off their coats since it's warm inside. There are less people who are partying hard though there are still some dancing on the dance floor, all of them are Victoire's friends. Victoire introduced them to some of her friends before they settle on a booth reserved for them. She excused herself to talk to someone and Maine and Alden were left alone.
"So, now that we're here, what are we gonna do?" Maine asks. They've already eaten on their way so eating is not an option for them anymore.
"Do you drink?" Alden inquires. Maine gives him an of-course-i-do look. "Then let's go to the bar. Have some drinks. Then after a while we'll leave."
"We'll leave that fast?"
"Would you like to stay longer?"
"No. I mean, I just thought you are the party-hard-regret-later kind of guy."
"I'm not that kind of guy. Now let's go have some drinks." The two went to the bar and ordered drinks. They were supposed to leave after like a drink or two but they got caught on their conversation that they didn't notice the time.
"So, when we first met, wait let me rephrase that. When we first argued," Alden says with a little laugh as he remembers what went on that night. "you said that you had a tough night. What really happened, Maine?"
"You remembered I said that?"
"How could I not? You were yelling at me."
"I was not yelling."
"Yes, you were."
"Wasn't." They laugh at themselves and after a few seconds, Maine replies. "I uhh..I found out that my boyfriend was cheating on me. He was cheating on me for like three months and I had no idea about it."
"Wow...that was...sorry. Who wouldn't have a tough night because of that?"
"You tell me." Maine mutters with a bitter laugh before sipping on her margarita. "You started asking about that night. My turn. What happened to you too that night? As I remember, you kind of looked like...miserable."
"I actually proposed to my girlfriend that night and..."
"Really!" Maine interrupts and Alden narrows his eyes at her. "Sorry. Go on."
"Obviously she said no. That's why I felt miserable. She said no saying that she's not ready yet."
"I must say you had a tougher night."
"Let's just agree that we both did. It sucks, doesn't it?"
"It does. It really does."
"So, after what happened to you and your ex, do you think you can ever fall in love again?" Alden asks. He was genuinely curious about what Maine would reply.
"Honestly, I still think I can. But I'm afraid that I will. You know Alden, when I fall, I fall hard. That's what I find scary. The uncertainty that someone would catch me if I ever do fall in love...again." After Maine said that, silence filled the air between them. Alden kept his eye contact with Maine and she was the first to look away. "It's already 11, Alden. I think we should go." Alden nodded. "I'll just go to the restroom. Wait for me outside and will you please get my coat?"
"Sure." Maine thanked Alden before walking away. Alden did what Maine said. Five minutes later, there is still no trace of her. Alden wonders if she usually takes this long when going in a restroom. He finally got tired of waiting and decided to go after her with a weird feeling that he couldn't shake off.
"Get away from me!" Alden hears Maine shouting and he founds her at the end of the corridor trying to push a guy off of her.
"Maine!" Alden ran as fast as he can towards her and pushed the guy himself. He was not contented and he landed a punch on the guys face making the guy fall on the floor. Alden ignores the whimpering guy and goes straight to Maine who is breathing hard leaning on the wall. "Maine, are you okay?" Alden asks while checking on Maine.
"Ouch!" Maine exclaims when Alden takes hold of her arms.
"Your arms started bruising, Maine. We should get you looked up." Alden puts Maine's coat on her and starts to escort her outside. "Come on. Let's go to the hospital."
"No need for that. This is just a bruise, Alden. I...I'm fine."
"Are you sure you're okay? You're not hurting anywhere else?" Alden asks clearly worried about her state right now. Maine just nodded in reply. "Then let's just grab a cab and come back to the hotel." Maine says no and suggests that they should just walk because their hotel is few blocks away. "Okay. If that's what you want." Maine and Alden started walking in silence. The night sky is showing off stars that are like mirroring the city lights of Paris. Cold breeze is blowing around them indicating the soon coming of winter. Maine blows hot air on her hands as the chilly air make her hands feel like on ice. Alden noticed this and furrowed his brows.
"Wala ka bang gloves?" Alden asks. Maine shakes her head no in reply. For like the third time, Maine was shocked at what Alden did next. He stopped walking and grabbed both Maine's hand in his. Alden rubbed it to create heat while blowing on it. He did this for ten seconds and throughout his sweet little gesture, Maine couldn't help but stare at him in awe. "Better?" Maine ends whatever it is that she was thinking and clears her throat.
"Uhmm..yes. It feels better. Thank you." They resume their walk and to Maine's surprise, Alden doesn't let go of her other hand. Maine gawks at him not minding the road. Bakit hawak nya parin yung kamay ko? She just stared at him wide eyed and was confused when Alden's lips formed a smile.
"Baka kasi lamigin ulit." Alden answers Maine's unspoken question. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You know, if you didn't save me earlier, I would think right now na chinachansingan mo lang ko."
"Grabe ka naman! Concerned lang yung tao."
"I know, I know." Maine sighed deeply. "Thank you nga pala for earlier. I owe you, Alden."
"Pwede ka naman bumawi ngayon e." Maine looks at him questioningly. "Don't let go of my hand." Alden stares at her intently and they didn't even realize that they've stopped walking. They just stand there for a while looking at each other's eyes. Black orbs to black orbs. Maine starts to feel her face heating up because of what's happening. Alden breaks into a dimpled smile once again probably coz of Maine's expression. "Nilalamig din kasi. So don't let go." He starts walking again dragging a speechless Maine beside him.
"May pagka-gentleman ka pala no?" Maine mutters once she regains her composure.
"I've always been a gentleman." Alden heard a snort coming from the girl next to him. "Okay, okay. Maybe not when we first met and maybe not in those first few days that we've worked together. I want you to know that one thing I can't tolerate is a girl being taken advantage of. That's why I reacted like that earlier."
"And thank you for reacting like that earlier." Alden and Maine beam at each other. Both their eyes twinkling like the stars in the night sky. The two kept walking and walking. Their hands still entwined and their company radiating warmth to each other on a chilly night. Maine and Alden look up the sky at the same time both thinking that,
This is it. This is really our new beginning...