Dahil walang magawa ngayon dito sa opisina, naisipan kong ipag-FLAMES ang pangalan namin ni Vren. (I know, I know — I was acting like an elementary student. But this is what boredom does.)
FLAMES
Mirathea Avila Custodio
Vren Andrei Ayala Montevilla
Ang resulta? Engaged ako kay Vren (nawa'y magdilang-anghel ka, FLAMES!) habang Angry naman siya sa akin (or at least, he used to be). And as for the total, Lovers kami (well, we really are now).
Kaya ang aking conclusion: hindi nagsisinungaling ang FLAMES. Charot!
"Ano 'yan, Ate?"
Nagitla ako nang biglang sumulpot ang magaling kong kapatid sa aking harapan. I must have been so engrossed in my little game that I didn't even notice Myron sneaking into my office. At mas nagulat pa ako nang bigla niyang hinablot ang notebook na ginamit ko para ipag-FLAMES ang pangalan namin ng jowa ko.
"Hoy, Myron Theo! Akin na 'yan!" I shrieked. "Baka gusto mong samain sa akin?"
Chuckling, my brother ran until he was standing by the door, well away from me. Wala na akong nagawa kundi magtakip ng mukha nang sinimulan niyang basahin ang laman ng notebook na inagaw niya mula sa akin.
After a few beats, I heard Myron roaring with laughter. "Pinag-FLAMES mo ang pangalan niyo ni Kuya Vren? Para ka namang bata, Ate!"
"Bwisit ka!" I glared at him. "Give that back to me!"
"Okay!" Ngumisi ang mokong. "Pero ipapakita ko muna ito kay Kuya."
"Subukan mo lang —"
To my holy horror, I didn't even get to finish my threat, dahil tuluyan nang lumabas ng opisina ko si Myron. Narinig ko pa ang muli niyang pagtawa bago tuluyang sumara muli ang pinto.
Anak ng... Kawawa na naman ako nito sa kantyaw ng boyfriend ko!
****
When the door to my office opened again, it revealed a grinning Vren who was being closely followed by my menace of a brother as he entered.
"I didn't know people still play this game. And I certainly didn't expect my girlfriend to do so." He brandished my notebook and snickered. "Who's next — Hannah and Vince, or Mavi and Alexia?"
Kahit hiyang-hiya ay nagawa ko pa ring tumawa dahil sa biro ni Vren. "Hmm..." I pretended to think carefully, as if I was making a major life decision. "Try kong isunod sina Mavi at Alexia."
"Good idea. Let's see if the results will be Angry for Mavi, Angry for Alexia, and Angry for the total, too." Vren chuckled again, then placed the notebook on my desk and leaned closer to give me a forehead kiss. "You really are a childish person. Imagine the accounting department head of Medialink, playing FLAMES during office hours."
"I was bored!" defensive ko namang sabi. "And you weren't supposed to know about it, anyway. Bwisit kasi 'yang si Myron Theo."
"Love you, Ate!" Myron flashed me the peace sign, grinning.
"By the way, I just talked to Vira over the phone," my boyfriend remarked. "She sends her love."
Ibinalik ko ang ngiti niya. "I'm really glad na okay na kami ng ate mo."
"Me too." Vren looked genuinely pleased. He then spared his wristwatch a glance, and his expression turned apologetic as he refocused on me. "Hey, I hate to say this but I have to go. I'm attending a meeting in five minutes."
"Para saan?" tanong ko.
"Remember that major client our Canada annex recently partnered with? We're having some disagreements with them over a project." He sighed. "I hope we resolve this before things take a turn for the worse."
"I'm sure na magiging maayos din ang lahat." Inabot ko ang kamay niya at marahan itong pinisil. "Don't stress too much about it, okay? Tandaan mo, ni hindi ka pa nakakatuntong ng trenta anyos. Baka ikaiksi pa ng buhay mo ang project na 'yan, Mr. Montevilla."
Tumawa si Vren. "Fine, I'll take it easy. Thanks for the reminder. I'll see you later, alright?"
"Alright." Smiling, I gave his hand another gentle squeeze before letting go.
"Bye, Kuya Vren! Good luck sa meeting!" pagsingit naman ni Myron sa usapan.
"Thanks, My." My boyfriend patted my brother on the shoulder. "Watch over your sister, will you? Baka lahat na ng taga-AD, ipag-FLAMES niyan dahil sa boredom."
I rolled my eyes as the two of them shared a laugh. Pero pagkaraan ay nakitawa na rin ako sa kanila.
****
"OMG, OMG, OMG!"
Nagulantang ang buong accounting department dahil sa lakas ng pag-irit ni Alexia. Kaagad siyang tiningnan ng mga katrabaho namin, habang ako naman na pabalik ng opisina galing sa ladies' room ay napatigil din sa paglalakad.
"Hoy, Alessandro Pinpin!" I hissed at him. "Anong nangyari sa'yo at nagsusumigaw ka riyan? Nakakaabala ka sa mga kasamahan natin!"
Imbes na seryosohin ang panenermon ko sa kanya ay impit pang tumawa si Alexia. "Sorry! Na-shock lang kasi ako sa nakita ko. You girls need to see this, too!"
Tumayo siya mula sa kanyang swivel chair at hinablot ang braso ng noon ay nakamasid sa aming si Mavi. With his free hand, he grabbed me by the arm next, ignoring my surprised yelp.
"So!" Alexia exclaimed once the three of us were at a considerable distance from our colleagues. "Look what I just found online!"
He showed his phone screen to me and Mavi, on which a photo of two people was visible. They were clearly models posing for a camera — the first was a guy who wore nothing but a pair of jeans, and just as well, because this meant his six-pack abs was on full display. The second was a woman who donned in a white swimsuit, her curves amazingly emphasized.
"Ito ang dahilan ng pag-irit mo?" nakasimangot kong tanong kay Baklita. "What's the big deal with this — oh!"
I let out a gasp as the reason for Alexia's reaction to the photo finally hit me. But it was Mavi who actually voiced it out, because I was too shocked to do so.
"Si Sir Vren ba 'yan? OMG!" Inayos-ayos pa ni Mavi ang pagkakaposisyon ng eyeglasses niya na tila ba gusto niyang makasiguro na tama ang nakikita niya. "Baka nagkakamali lang ako ng tingin, ha?"
"No, my nerdy best friend. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Ngayon, alam niyo na kung bakit grabe ang pag-irit ko kanina!" sagot sa kanya ni Alexia na animo'y kinikiliti ng isandaang kalalakihan dahil kilig na kilig. "Nahalungkat ko 'yan sa website ng isang clothing company. Mukhang may experience sa pagmo-model ang jowa mo, Mirathea!" dagdag niya pa sabay hampas sa braso ko.
"Mukha nga. Pero never niya 'yang nabanggit sa akin," sabi ko naman. "Vren looks really young in this photo. I'm guessing he's still in college when it was taken."
"Sino naman kaya ang babaeng kasama niya?" Mavi wondered.
"Who knows? Baka random model lang na ipinareha kay Papa Vren," linya ni Alexia. "In fairness... ang pretty niya, ha? Pero mas pretty pa rin ako."
"Hey. What are you guys doing here? This isn't your work area."
Alexia, Mavi, and I each gave a tiny start after hearing the voice from behind us, which turned out to be Vren's. Masyado kaming abala sa pagchichikahan kaya hindi namin namalayan ang pagdating ng mismong topic namin.
Speak of the devil, este, model.
Alexia was the first one to recover from his surprise. "Well, hello there, Mr. Montevilla! Ano kamo ang ginagawa namin dito? Pinagpipiyestahan lang naman namin ang abs mo!"
"What?" Vren asked, bewildered.
Bilang sagot ay ipinakita ni Baklita kay Vren ang kanyang cellphone. Giggling, the three of us watched as my boyfriend's expression turned to that of utmost shock.
"Where the hell did you find that photo?" he asked, turning red. Lalo akong natawa dahil minsan ko lang makitang mag-blush si Vren Andrei.
"Sa website ng clothing company na pinag-model-an mo!" proud na proud na sagot sa kanya ni Alexia. "Ang galing kong maghalungkat, 'no?"
"Bakit naman hindi mo sinabi sa akin na bukod sa pagiging band vocalist ay naging model ka rin pala?" nagpipigil naman ng ngiti na tanong ko kay Vren.
He sighed exasperatedly. "I don't even remember having done that photoshoot, not until now. That was my first and last modeling gig. Pinilit lang naman kasi ako ni —" Bigla siyang natigilan.
"Ni?" I prompted.
"Look, it doesn't matter. Can we just forget about this whole thing?" Halatang gustong-gusto nang iwan ni Vren ang kasalukuyan naming topic. Ni hindi siya makatingin sa akin nang dahil sa sobrang hiya.
"Okay, if you say so." I shrugged, pursing my lips to prevent another giggle from escaping.
Vren looked relieved. "Now, for God's sake, go back to work. And you," itinuro niya si Alexia, "mark my word. If anybody else sees that photo, you're dead."
"Oh, I'm scared!" sarkastikong linya ni Alexia na hindi man lang tinablan ng pananakot ng aking jowa. "I am so not going to tell everyone in Medialink about this."
"I said you're dead — literally!" muling pagbabanta ni Vren. "The knowledge of that photo's existence should stay only between the four of us. Do you hear me?"
Sinagot lang namin siya ng mapang-asar na tawa bago kami tuluyang bumalik sa aming kanya-kanyang work area.