Early in the morning, Bongbong waited for Leni to arrive in the office, he finished his quick works to have enough time to flirt around with her the whole day.
"Oh, Bongbong, what brought you here?" She stated immediately upon spotting him. "Paki pasok naman po sa loob, susunod nalang po ako." She handed her things to her assistant. "Nagpo-po ka talaga sa employees mo?" He chuckled. "Oo naman, mutual respect lang." She replied. "
"So what brought you here?" She asked. "Uh, well. I was actually... Do you have plans today? Or tasks to do?" He asked. "Wala naman but I'm not sure, actually. Baka magpatawag ng meeting si Digong anytime today. Why?" She replied.
"Oh... I was actually thinking of inviting you for a lunch... Or dinner." He shared hesitantly. She forced a sincere smile at him, "would you like to come inside?" She asked him, her statement sounded a bit double in meaning. "My office. Come inside my office." She clarified upon realizing how that went wrong in a bit. "Okay..." He replied and they went inside.
As soon as they earned privacy after she closed the door next to them, she immediately confronted him. "What are you trying to pull off here?" She asked. "What do you mean?" He smiled.
"Well, the roses, then lagi kang nandito everyday, then now this, lunch and dinner." She tried to give him a hint. "I'm not assuming things but I just want to clarify para naman aware din ako kung bakit mo ginagawa 'to." She followed.
He sighed and chuckled. "Sa tingin mo bakit ko ba ginawagawa 'to?" He asked. "I asked you first." She retorted.
"Fine. Maybe this is also the perfect time to ask you." He puzzled in. "Ask me what?" She pondered.
"I'm obviously interested into knowing. Gusto kitang ligawan." He confessed, she was speechless for quite a moment.
Suddenly she started to laugh making him feel a bit uncomfortable. "May nakakatawa ba?" He asked. "You're kidding, right?" She jested. "No, I'm not." He forced a smile finding her response quite unexpected.
"Inaway away mo ako noon tapos liligawan mo ako ngayon? Seriously, Bongbong?" She continued laughing. "I'm serious." He assured and waited for her laughter to fade.
"Okay, fine pero I really don't think I can go out with your for a lunch or dinner today so mas mabuti sigurong mag-invite ka nalang ng iba." She suggested. "No, I want you." He retorted. "Well, I really can't." She flashed a cocky smile at him as she felt the need to play with him assuming he's trying to play with her.
—
For another attempt few days after, Bongbong asked her out again for a lunch but this time she didn't have any reason to reject him. "Great! Saan mo ba gusto kumain?" He asked. "Kahit saan." She retorted sounding not thrilled. "Saan yang kahit saan?" He joked. "Ang corny mo." She chuckled, suddenly she thought of an idea to challenge him.
"Seriously, do you want Italiani's? Cibo? Highlands? Ano bang craving mo?" He asked thinking that she would be impressed by his luxurious suggestions. "My treat." He followed. "Wow, generous. Nakakain ka na ba sa Sally's?" She asked. "Sally's? Saan yon?" He haven't heard about it yet. She smiled brightly and brought him; thrilled of his reaction.
"Hello ma'am Leni!" The people greeted her as they entered the small canteen nearby — it was Digong and Alan who taught her about the delicious cheap food canteen.
"Hello!" She flashed a bright smiles at them. "Dito mo gusto kumain?" Bongbong asked a bit weirded out by her restaurant choice, she found his reaction funny. "Yes, dito kami laging kumakain nila Digong at Alan, sila nagturo saakin dito." She replied and took a her spoon and fork from the container and started checking out the foods available.
"Kumakain ka ba sa ganito?" She asked him. "Ito po, ate." She pointed at the adobo. "Uh, wala namang problema." He pretended. "Talaga?" She found his boldness thrilling. "Akala ko sa sosyal na restaurants ka lang kumakain." She followed with a snarky smile.
"Well, what is bad to try?" He took a tray and his pair of utensils and started ordering too following her lead.
He was surprised to see the price of his favorite leche flan. "P70 for the leche flan?" He wondered thinking it's overpriced for a slice of piece of leche flan on a small canteen like that. "Baket?" She wondered. "Hindi ba overpriced yan?" He asked, she cackled. "Bakit naman overpriced? Buong leche flan na yan." She clarified. He was amused for a moment. "P70 for a whole piece? Ang mura naman?" He found it hard to believe. "Yes po." Leni retorted.
The staffs found his ignorance funny. "Sorry, first time niya." Leni told them and smiled at him. "Just keep ordering. If you don't like it here, feel free to go to the restaurant na gusto mo." She told him and moved on the line and paid for her orders. "No, I like it here. Ako nang magbabayad." He informed the cashier. Soon then, they took a table to eat on.
Leni chuckled after watching him eat. "Bakit ka natatawa?" He asked. "Nothing, 'di ko lang inexpect na kakain ka sa ganito." She explained. "Dito mo gusto e." He replied. "Ayaw mo ba?" She retorted. "It's fine." He wasn't used to eating on such canteens and it made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
If only I didn't have to go after this woman.
He complained at the back of his head. He took a slice of the leche flan and unexpectedly, he liked it. It made him a bit nostalgic with its taste.
"Mmm? Bakit? Hindi mo ba gusto yung lasa?" She asked upon noticing how he paused after taking a spoon of the dessert.
"No, it just made me remember something." He shared. "Ano 'yun?" She wondered. "'Yung leche flan ni dad. Ganito yung lasa 'non e." He unconsciously smiled upon recalling. "Really? Patikim nga." She uttered and stole a slice to taste. "Masarap nga." She agreed.
Bongbong actually liked the foods and how they tasted, he didn't expect that, however, he really wasn't used to eating to such kinds of places.
"So dito ka laging kumakain?" He asked. "Mmm, yeah. Pero usually sa loob na ng Malacañang kami kumakain lalo na if wala akong kasabay." She shared. "Maybe we could eat here together everyday?" He suggested, she didn't expect him to say that as she thought he was just pretending to like eating there. "Well, if you have time, why not?" She retorted challenging him even more.
—
"You mean he is asking you out? Like lunch dates, ganon?" Risa sounded so thrilled upon hearing Leni's story. "Oo. Bakit naman siya biglang magiging interested saakin at the first place? Ang weird 'di ba?" She added. Risa wasn't very surprised about it after she witnessed the thing that happened between them at the hotel after her victory party.
"Baka naman sincere siya?" She considered, Leni scoffed. "Sincere? If I know he is trying to play with me so I'll play his game." She retorted. "Play his game? What do you mean?" Risa felt puzzled. "Manliligaw siya 'di ba? E di I'll make him do things he doesn't usually do until siya mismo ang magive up." She plotted down. "Can you believe na napakain ko siya sa Sally's kahapon?!" She shared cracking up. "Bongbong Marcos at Sally's. Headline 'di ba?" She continued laughing. Risa chuckled at her thinking the thick chance that she'll eventually fall for him too.
Days passed by and Bongbong felt like craving for the leche flan at the canteen, however, none of his friends would go with him at the canteen as they found it too low end for politicians like them. More days went by and he really felt like craving for it that he decided to go on the canteen just to buy some of it. As he was about to pay for his orders, Leni came in with Digong, Alan, Risa and Laarni, Alan's wife. She was surprised to see him buying at the canteen.
"Wow, ikaw yung least expected person na makikita ko dito." She walked to him. "Well, you taught me a place that offers great food so, ayan." He smiled and greeted the rest of them and shook their hands. Risa felt thrilled to witness how the two would interact together and it amused her how casual they seemed to be as if nothing happened between them.
—
Bongbong headed to Leni's office early in the morning to bring her some flowers and personally ask her out for a mall date as he thought buying women's luxury is the easiest way to get them. "Osige, pero I'm not sure kung anong oras ako pwedeng mag-out." She informed him.
"It's fine. Susunduin nalang kita dito." He suggested. "Hmmm, susunduin. I think I can go there. "Osige, hihintayin nalang kita doon." He replied. "Okay. See you later, then." She agreed and plotted a plan.
Bongbong went home to fix himself first and headed straight to Shangrila. After twenty minutes of waiting, he decided to call Leni to ask her where is she already but she informed him that she can't leave yet due to some workload and said she'll be there in a few minutes. He agreed and waited for another couple of minutes until he realized it has been over an hour, he called her again.
Sandali nalang talaga. I swear!