A/N: Nakapag-ud din after ages! Enjoy tho medyo bitin siya I guess. :P
Leni smiled as she saw her favorite staff, Mara, get busy leading in arranging the small gathering for her birthday celebration.
"Hi mam," Mara greeted her upon seeing her. "Busying busy ka ha?" She chuckled. "Medyo nalang mam, okay na po lahat. Food, invitations." She happily shared.
She finally had the chance to ask her about something she's been wanting to ask since she asked her to lead in arranging the small gathering weeks ago.
"Mam, iinvite po ba natin si Digong?" She asked making her slightly stunned to hear his name again. "Oo naman," it took her a while to respond. "Bakit hindi? Syempre pangulo natin siya." She followed, she didn't expect that they would have a second thought inviting him to her party when she was actually hoping for his presence thinking it might trigger their feelings and be a turning point towards their reconciliation.
"Ah, sige po mam." Mara nodded. "Oo, kase kung makakapunta siya eh di okay. Kung hindi, at least ininvite natin siya." She continued, the idea of him not coming sank to her.
—
April 24, Sunday. Her belated birthday party was held in Boracay Mansion where her closest friends and colleagues were invited. She had another celebration earlier, April 23, Saturday in Naga for her family and relatives.
She opened her closet and looked for a nice dress to wear for her party. A part of her felt so excited for this gathering, she knew Digong is coming and it is likely for him to attend — therefore, she has to look best.
It has been over five minutes since she started looking for a nice dress in her cabinet and she still couldn't decide which one to wear until she saw a special dress — the dress she wore during her very first courtesy call with the president. She paused for a moment and gazed at the dress as she iron it with her palms.
Perfect. She thought it was the best pick as it can remind so much.
In no time, she got into her dress and fixed herself before she went down to start entertaining the guests that came one by one.
The people inside the place started to increase, they greeted her and socialized with the others before they proceeded to the buffet table.
Leni glanced at her watch, 7:45PM. It has been over one hour since the event began but she couldn't think of anything than how much she was expecting for Digong to come. Suddenly, former DFA secretary Yasay approached her for a personal greeting.
"Happy birthday, Leni." He greeted. "Sorry hindi kita nabati kanina. I entered earlier but you were busy entertaining the guests." He followed, she chuckled. "Ay nako okay lang sec," she replied warmly.
"Si Digong ba pupunta?" He asked, they were both unaware if he is really coming. "Hindi po ba siya makakapunta?" She replied with a question. "Ininvite mo ba?" He asked. "Opo, invited si pangulo kaya lang hindi ko kase alam if pupunta siya," she responded discreetly hoping he would.
"Ah, ang alam ko kanina delayed yung flight niya from Singapore, doon stopover niya kaninang mga 5PM." He shared. "Five na siya naka-alis doon?" She asked in slight surprise as she thought he left Singapore since three. "Oo, nag-economy kase siya, I heard nadelay kanina." He retorted.
With what he just told her, Leni felt more hopeless that Digong would really bother to come to her small gathering thinking he might be too tired already to travel from the airport to Quezon City.
"Excuse lang, sec," she excused herself and went to the comfort room inside a cubicle for some privacy. Upon closing the door, she sighed and closed her eyes enduring the prickle in her chest. She took out her phone from her bag and reread Digong's message to her days ago after receiving the invitation.
Subukan ko ma'am. Thank you for inviting. He he
Instead of relieving, it worsened her feelings. He was the last person to receive an invitation; a week before the event. He already had a schedule for that week for a state visit in Bangladesh and he was scheduled to arrive back the same day of her gathering for her birthday. He told her that he'll do his best to attend but with what's happening that very moment, she knew the chances of him making it are slimmer than slim.
After a while of recovery, she went back and distracted herself by entertaining the guests but she couldn't help but glance at the entrance door whenever it opens hoping she would see that one man she's been wanting to see.
Time passed by, the guests started to go home one by one, bidding goodbye and saying their last greetings to her. When the crowd started to lessen and the room started to have space, she accepted the fact that he would no longer be coming for her and it broke her heart into pieces.
She stroked her dress with her thumb gently, akala ko mapapakita ko ito sakanya. She thought thinking it might bring back so much memories to them once he sees her in it.
"Leni, we'll go ahead ha." Some of her friends informed her disrupting her loneliness for a moment. "Ah, sige. Thank you sa pagpunta. Sana nabusog kayo." She jested and escorted them out.
Mara stood at the corner and saw Leni return from the lobby. She sat alone on one of the banquet chairs and looked blankly at a distance. She knew she was expecting someone and she couldn't think of who it could be than his distant relative, Digong.
She approached her and tried to discreetly cheer her up. "Salamat sa tulong ha. Okay na okay 'tong party." She expressed her gratefulness. "You're welcome mam, syempre birthday niyo tsaka malakas kayo saakin." She replied.
"Hmm! Nambola pa." She blushed and hugged her. "Hindi yun bola, mam. Kaya nga botong boto ako sainyo noon ni Digong." She retorted not realizing how weird it is to bring him up to the conversation, Leni just smiled at her.
Mara felt bad for accidentally mentioning his name, she knew she has to make up for it. "Mam," she uttered breaking the silence. "Since birthday niyo naman po, may gusto po sana ako sabihin sainyo." She began. "Ano yon?" Leni asked.
Mara breathed deeply, "Yung rose po in the glass," she teased, Leni looked at her in anticipation. "Oh?" She responded, "Ako po yung nagpalit nung rose to synthetic." She confessed shaking Leni out.
Rendered speechless, Mara continued explaining the reason why. "Inutos po saakin ni Digong na palitan yon without you knowing po kase,"
"Bakit?" Leni didn't know whether to get mad, confused, happy; she was lost thinking it's pointless to do that.
"Kase po ayaw ni Digong na maabutan niyo yung pagkamatay nung ecuadorian rose. May pinangako daw po kase siya sainyo?" She pointed out despite that she wasn't aware of the promise he told Leni.
You're Belle, I'm the Beast. She recalled him joking about it the moment he gave her the rose before. That's when it sank to her that he meant what he said but he didn't make it too obvious so she won't feel uneasy around him.
She's his Belle and he's her beast, she was his complete opposite, she was a beauty to him, she was his precious princess and the rose' life symbolized his long lasting love and that's the time it made sense to her why he asked someone to secretly replace the Ecuadorian rose with some synthetic one — he wanted it to last forever.
She knew it was what the act meant as he has been the type of guy who pays so much attention to details and it was actually one of the reasons why she fell in love with him. A smile grew on her lips as she fathomed into the idea. "Mam, I know medyo weird manggaling saakin 'to pero tingin ko soulmates talaga kayo ni Digong." Mara remarked. They stared at each other, she wanted it to go that way too, Leni wanted to be his soulmate too.
Luis, Mara's boyfriend, came to fetch her interrupting their conversation. "Mam, mauna na po ako."
"Sige, sige. Thank you ulit sa pag-arrange ha? Ingat kayo pauwi." She replied and kissed them both cheek to cheek.
She went back inside and leaned on the column sidewards as she swiped her phone and stared at her old photos with Digong.
Bakit ba ang hirap magmove on sa'yo? She uttered at the back of her mind. Ang tagal na nating wala pero hanggang ngayon umaasa parin ako. Wala na ba talaga? She continued swiping.
"Mam, okay na po yung tables." One of the banquet crew informed her after disassembling and cleaning up the table set ups back to their truck. "Ah, sige. Thank you." She replied and watched them leave until she was all alone.
She walked up to her office and sat in front of her desk. She decided to call her daughter, Jillian, to distract herself from the loneliness she was feeling.
"Ma," Jillian picked up. "Jill, kumain na kayo?" She asked. "Yes ma. Tapos na yung party?"
Leni wanted to have some time alone first to reflect and have some epiphany. "Oo pero baka gabihin na ako. Wag niyo na ako hintayin, may susi naman ako. Isusupervise ko pa yung clean up dito." She made up. "Sige ma, text mo nalang ako if pauwi ka na! Love you!" Jill hung up.
Leni stared blankly at the wall thinking of random things, letting the silence sink in when suddenly, someone knocked at her door.
"Bukas yan." She responded and wondered who it was.
Little did she know that the person on the other side would shook her. "Hi," he uttered.
Standing up felt like a reflex action in response to his presence. "Digong!" She barely realized how her voice's pitch went higher than usual, it stunned him for a moment.
"Sorry," she felt humiliated with how obvious she was about yearning for him. He entered and closed the door next to him.
"Akala ko hindi ka na makakapunta," she remarked. "Kala ko rin mam, nadelay man yung eroplano eh sabi ko kay Bong mauna na siya sa Davao kase nangako ako sayo na hahabol ako." He explained, she had to conceal how moved she was with his effort to see her instead of traveling home to rest after his tiring trip. Butterflies suddenly swarmed her stomach urging her to rush towards him for a sincere hug.
It astonished him to feel that his presence was still special to her, he reciprocated the hug and stroked her hair gently. "Thank you," she uttered softly still embracing him. "Am I late?" He asked, she withdrew from the hug and looked at him. She glanced at his lips for a second and it made it a bit awkward as he saw her looking at him like she wanted him to kiss her.
"Wala na yung buffet table, kala ko may maabutan pa ako," he pointed out making her laugh. Gago nitong matandang 'to, nag-eemote ako tapos pagkain ang hinahanap. Eto ako oh? Hello? Dessert is served.
"Mam?" He called her out upon noticing how she was daydreaming. "Ah, ha? Ay. Ano, wala na eh. Nagclean up na an hour ago na yata. Nagugutom ka ba?" She stuttered. "Gusto mo ipagluto nalang kita?" She offered but he refused not wanting to bother her. "Hindi. Nakakahiya sa'yo nageffort ka pumunta dito tapos hindi kita papakainin." She insisted. "Okay lang talaga, Leni." He chuckled. "Anong okay? Halika, ipagluluto kita sa baba, anong gusto mo?" She asked.
"Ikaw." He replied, she looked at him stoned. A smile began to sprout on her lips. Eto nanaman yung mga banat ng matandang 'to eh. Kainis. "Ikaw talaga sir." She grabbed his arm and walked with him down to the kitchen.
He stood at the side of the island and watched her get into her apron and prepare something for him to eat. "Di mo naman kailangan na magluto, Leni." He remarked again. "No. Birthday ko 'di ba? Dapat masusunod ako and gusto ko kumain ka." She retorted.
"Tsaka pupunta punta ka wala ka namang gift saakin kaya pagbigyan mo na ako. Ipagluluto kita, sabihin mo nalang masarap." She jested.
He snorted facetiously, "demanding na ang gagi," he walked towards her and watched how she prepares a food for him closely. "Syempre, birthday dapat may gift." She joked again. "Dati kiss lang okay na." He reminisced making her speechless.
"Deh, biro lang." he followed immediately not wanting to make it awkward. She placed the sliced garlic on the oiled pan and turned on the stove.
She failed to notice that he was standing behind her when she turned back to the kitchen island causing their bodies to bump each other, their faces intimately distanced with each other while her hands uncomfortably floated against his chest as she didn't want the residue of garlic to touch his shirt. Their eyes met and locked involuntarily for seconds like they had their own minds. They gasped in surprise, he immediately held her tightly to keep her from losing her balance.
Their breaths started to feel heavy upon realizing how their lips felt like opposite poles of magnets. It was inevitable for them not to be tempted to glance at each other's lips that they once loved kissing. Up until they began to lose control, her hands settled on his chest as their faces moved closer in a gentle pace.
Just when the distance between their lips were just an inch, her phone rang loudly interrupting their intimate moment. She jolted in surprise and withdrew from his arms, she answered her phone swiftly to avoid awkwardness. He was left alone standing to where they stood.
"Hello, Mara?" She answered but it hung up immediately. She awkwardly looked back at him, "sorry, may tumawag." She apologized ungainly, her chest pounded loudly. He just smiled at how her voice shows her humiliation. Praning parin ang gaging, di parin nagbabago. He recalled how awkward and shy she was during such instances even when they were still together.
Silence crept in, his smile appeared so vague to her. Sarcastic ba ito or totoo? She felt anxious. He knew she was starting to feel uneasy.
He strode towards the stove, she looked at him in anticipation. "Kanina pa dapat 'to." He turned the stove's heat to high. "Ay, sorry. Na-simmer ko lang pala." She felt more humiliated and shy with how she was failing in front of him.
He looked at her softly. "Tsaka eto kanina ko pa dapat ginawa," he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close as he crushed his lips against hers. Leni got blown away as their lips met making her deeply breathless until he broke away. He could see how it made her breaths heavy with the movement of her chest but he didn't know what to do next. The touch of her lips blacked out his mind.
They stared at each other for a while, she swiftly turned off the stove in just a second, "Halika dito," She uttered before she grabbed him and resumed their kiss with a more passionate one.
"Mam— ay!" Mara was shook to witness what was happening when she returned to give Leni the keys to her office as she forgot to give it back to her earlier. Digong and Leni jolted swiftly and stopped kissing. She held him behind her as she looked at Mara.
"Ano yon?" she replied in shock with her chest strongly animated by her breaths in response to the heavy kissing she was having with Digong. "Sorry mam, balik ko lang yung susi. Sige po mauna na ako." She placed the keys on the desk and immediately left acting like she didn't see anything at all.
As soon as she went out of their sight and they heard the door close, Leni turned back to Digong with a sorry face. "Sorry, ang daming interrupt—" he grabbed her for another round of exchange. He didn't mind about the interruptions earlier, he didn't blame her for that. What matters to him is her lips is in his.
They dragged each other towards the couch, sinking deeper and deeper into the pits of their feelings, intensifying the kisses they were giving and receiving.
"Suot mo pala yung damit nung first courtesy call—"
"Yah, oo. Sige tanggalin mo na." She uttered breathlessly in thrill to have him take her that moment. Her hands rushed to unbutton his top while he remove her jacket.
Leni rested her head on his shoulder while he unzip the back of her dress. He slid the dress down her and stroked her bare back gently before he unclasped the hooks of her bra.
Oh my God, happy birthday to me.