AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
"Noooooo!" Shizu disappointedly closed the book she had just finished reading. "How can she live happily ever after with him?! She could have a happier ever after with Roan! Urgh! I have the second lead syndrome again!"
She looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.
January 30, 2017
Oh no! She suddenly remembered something. My fiancé is coming next week!
Yes. Fiancé. She was engaged to his childhood friend, Blake. It was arranged by their grandparents. Their grandfathers are business partners from different countries. Her grandfather was a Japanese tycoon and Blake's grandfather was a Korean businessman. They both had Filipina wives and it made their partnership stronger. They even decided to settle down in the Philippines and bought some properties in Cavite. They promised to officially bind their ties closer from business partners to a family through a marriage between their children but it became impossible when they both had sons. Lucky for them, my grandparents had one granddaughter. ME!
Blake became her friend ever since they were little. They had the same age and so their parents made them entered to the same school since Preschool. They knew about the engagement when they entered high school. Blake admitted that he fell in love with her when they were in high school. She thought she had felt the same way towards him so she just accepted her arranged future. They had always been together after all.
After the official announcement of their engagement on her 18th birthday, Blake had to go to America to finish his college degree. She was supposed to go with him but her family needed to go back to Japan to settle something regarding their family business.
Four years after, she and her older brother, Drew, decided to go back to the Philippines. Her brother started to manage their family's company in Manila while she decided to pursue her dream to become a novelist.
And now after three years, everything seemed to be perfect until she remembered about her arranged marriage. Their wedding was scheduled after her 26th birthday and Blake promised to return for her one year before the wedding.
She had really nothing against their wedding until she met Zeek.
Zeek! The second lead of my life!
Zeek was her big brother's best friend since college. He had also become Drew's business partner when they came back to the Philippines. She fell in love with him the moment she first saw him in front of their house looking for her brother. It happened when they were still in Japan. Drew was about to graduate in college while she was just a freshman.
It was a very perfect moment for her when their eyes met. He didn't look like a Japanese. He was very tall and had blue eyes. His blue eyes captivated her heart. His face was very serious, but it made him very manly just like how she imagined Apollo would look like when she studied the Greek mythology. She then later discovered that Zeek was half Greek and half Filipino.
She did everything to get Zeek's attention, but for some reasons, Zeek seemed to be annoyed with her. Still, she didn't stop loving... err...bothering him. She felt overjoyed when Zeek came with them when she and her brother went back to the Philippines. He even bought the house in front of theirs and became Drew's business partner. It gave her hope and she thought that he might someday have a happy ending with him.
Until he introduced her girlfriend a year after they came back to the Philippines.
Urgh! Why oh why, my Zeek?!
She looked at the calendar again. What to do?
An idea suddenly hit her head. Ole!
She got up from her bed and walked out from her room.
She then found herself ringing the doorbell of the house in front of theirs. When nobody opened the gate, she rang the doorbell again and again until someone finally opened it. She was greeted with the most handsome face she had ever seen. She was mesmerized again with his blue eyes so she didn't mind the frown on his face when he saw her.
She greeted him with her most beautiful smile. "Hi, Zeek!" she even waved her hands to him.
Zeek was just wearing pajama and a rugged shirt. It seemed that he had just got up from his bed because his hair was a little messy.
So sexy! Lord, I thank you for this wonderful day---
"Do you know what time is it now, Shiz?" he asked her. He really looked annoyed as he brushed his hair with his right hand. She kept smiling. She liked the way he called her "Shiz". Her family and friends called her "Shizu" or "Shi", but he was the only one to call her "Shiz". She thought it was kinda sweet.
An endearment perhaps? Harhar!
She innocently looked at her wristwatch. It was a good thing she had it. "It's 2 o'clock in the morning," she told him sheepishly.
She heard him cursed silently. "And why are you playing with my doorbell at this hour when you're supposed to be sleeping and letting your neighbors rest?" He looked more annoyed. But still handsome!
"I need to ask you a favor." She clasped her hands and looked intently at him. She blinked her eyes three times and smiled widely.
He Face-palmed. "Oh no. I know that look, Shiz. The answer is no." He tried to avoid her eyes. He was about to close the gate but she immediately got inside before he had even closed it.
"Come on, Zeke. Aren't you my best friend?" She innocently walked inside the house and sat on the sofa. She felt him following her.
"Since when did you become my best friend?" He is now standing in front of her. She needed to stretch her neck to look at him since he was really tall.
"Since the beginning." She smiled while looking straight at his eyes. "Anyway, as I was saying, I need your help. I heard from my brother that you're going to have a business trip to Baguio tomorrow---"
"You mean later." He interrupted her. He crossed is arms.
"Later? Oh yes, later. So can I come with you?"
"No. And I need you to go home now and let me sleep before I drive later to Baguio." He walked towards the door as he ordered her to go out.
She remained sitting. She got a pillow and hugged it as she leaned her back. "Please, Zeek. I just need you to let me ride in your car, then I'll be on my own when we get to Baguio." She blinked her eyes again while smiling.
"Why don't you go there on your own?" He avoided her eyes again. He perfectly knew that it was her way to make him fall for her charms.
"You know I can't drive," she said.
"Rent a driver."
"I won't be comfortable with a stranger."
"What are you going to do in Baguio anyway?"
"I just need a new environment for my next novel."
"Where are you going to stay there?"
"Aunt Cecile lives there. Are you allowing me to ride in your car now?" Her eyes sparkles, hoping for him to agree.
"No. Kate will come with me."
Urgh! The girlfriend! I really thought they finally broke up.
She showed him a fake smile. "It's ok. I'll be in the backseat." Yeah, in the back seat, while praying for your break up.
Sorry, Lord! It was just a joke! Hehe!
"Still no. Did you eat your dinner last night?"
She paused for a moment. "I did?" Didn't I?
"Your brother told me you didn't come out of your room since yesterday morning."
"Oh. I was reading. Wait! Don't change the topic. I'm asking you a favor here."
"I'm not changing the topic. I already answered no. Now go home and eat... and sleep."
"I'm not hungry and sleepy."
"Really? You already look like a zombie."
"What? I'm not!" She threw the pillow to him. He just caught it.
He yawned. "Go home now. I also need to rest."
"Let me ride with you to Baguio first."
"No." He started walking towards the stairs.
"Hey. Where are you going?" she asked.
"Bed. I'm going to sleep. Lock the door when you go home." He continued walking to his room upstairs. "Eat first," he said before she heard him locked the door in his room.
"Urgh! Zeke no baka! I won't go home!". She laid down on the sofa. "I'm going to sleep here."
See you later, my Zeek!
*"Zeke no baka" means "Zeek is stupid" in Japanese.