When We Collide

Chapter 5

Ralph’s P.O.V

I sat down on my sofa at my unused condo. It’s been a while since I came here because I never even come home here. I sighed and laid my whole body because I was so exhausted even though I didn’t do something extreme. I am mentally exhausted. That girl, Jacky… I can’t keep out of her mind. And we always collided with each other. Damn! Why do I think that this is something? Doesn’t me and Althea always meet the same way?

Tsk! Why are you thinking about your friend’s wife, Ralph? She is happily married now with their daughter! Can you stop thinking about her? I sat down, messed up my hair and stand up. I should drink some alcohol before sleeping. I am not in the mood to flirt with a woman right now. I went to the kitchen to look for something to drink and I found some wine on the wine rack. This will do for now. I went to the cup boards and look for a wine glass. I found one and went towards the living room to start my drinking session while watching some movies. I started the one movie but then I suddenly remembered what happened earlier.

Flashback…

She confessed that she’s that guy’s girlfriend but why did he ignore her? Is he what? Blind? Or he has a poor eyesight to ignore her beautiful girlfriend? Don’t get me wrong and think that I like Jacky! Every girl is beautiful in my eyes.

“Hindi ko po alam kung bakit hindi niya po ako pinansin kanina. Iniisip ko po kung may nagawa po ba akong masama sa kaniya na ikinagalit niya. Siguro dahil masyado po akong clingy,” she said. I sighed. Actually, it doesn’t seem she’s clingy. If she is clingy, she already went to the front row and screamed that she is his girlfriend and tell the whole place that they are not allowed to fantasize with her man.

“You’re not clingy,” I said and eat another scoop of my Mint Chocolate Ice Cream. She looked at me and I saw how sad her eyes were. I actually want to punch that bastards face. Look at what she is now?

“Naniniwala ka po sa sinasabi ko?” She asked. My right eyebrow twitched.

“Why, are you lying to me?” I squint my eyes. Is she telling me that she’s lying to me? She shook her head and sighed.

“Kung kasi sa iba po ‘yan baka sabihin po nilang nagsisinungaling ako,” she said. I pinched the bridge of my nose. Why does she keep on adding ‘po’? Now I feel so old!

“There is no reason for you to lie, right? Also, don’t add ‘po’ on your words. Now I am feeling old! I’m not that old yet!” She looked at me and laugh.

“Pero kayo pa rin po ang boss ko,” she said. I scratch my head and sighed. I put my right arm on the table and I rest my chin on my hand while calmy looking at her.

“I might be your boss but we’re outside the workplace so you can just rest easy and talk to me casually. So, where did you meet this boyfriend of yours? It’s not that I am interested or anything,” I said. Which is… not really convincing that I am not interested or anything. She looked at me rather weirdly but shrugged her shoulders and started to tell me. People really do easy to tell their life stories when they are not really close to each other.

“Kaklase ko po- I mean, kaklase ko siya nung highschool at close kaming dalawa. Naging magkaibigan hanggang sa nahulog ang loob ko sa kaniya at ganun din siya. Pangarap niyang mag-artista kaya sinuportahan ko siya. Pumunta siya ng maynila para tuparin ang pangarap niya kahit na ayaw ng magulang niya. Sumunod ako sa kaniya para suportahan ang pangarap niya. Natutuwa ako para sa kaniya na unti-unti niyang natutupad ang pangarap niya na parang natutupad na rin ang pangarap ko.” When I looked at her eyes, she was really happy. Her eyes sparkled like jewels but then it dimmed. The hate meter I have for him is continually rising up to the point that he’s the first on those people I hate the most. Secondly, my father. Don’t ask why I hate him. It should be obvious.

“You know, if you’re not happy with the relationship you have right now, might as well leave him already,” I said. She looked at me and shook her head. Of course, who can leave the one their love so easily? Doesn’t that apply to yourself too, right Ralph? How can you advice someone to leave someone they love when you can’t even stop yourself liking your friends’s wife?

“Mahal ko siya.” That made me flinched. Mahal? Love? Does love can make you happy? I don’t know. It can make you happy for a while but… it won’t last long.

“The question is, mahal ka pa ba niya?” I asked. I’m not really used to talk in tagalog and she might not understand me. I looked at her and I saw her expression. She looks… hurt? Did I hurt her with my words?

“Oo, mahal pa rin niya ako!” I sighed.

“Then, think want you want to think. If you knew he still love you, why are you feeling like this? Why are you sad? Just because he ignores you once, doesn’t mean he wants to do that on his own. Maybe he wants to protect you since he is an artist, he needs to protect his image also, he needs to protect you from the paparazzi’s eyes.” She bowed her head. I sighed. It’s clearly that guy wants to avoid her. I saw in his eyes that he was annoyed when he saw her.

But then why don’t you tell her the truth, Ralph? You don’t want to see her sad?

No, I want her to know it herself. The only person who can judge her feelings is the person itself.

“You’re right.” She looked at me and I saw her determined eyes. I smirked.

“You won’t give up right?” I asked. She smiled and nodded.

“Nope. Dahil alam kong mahal niya ako,” she said with a wide smile. I smiled but deep inside, I pity her. Her feelings will be crushed once she knew that the person who she still thinks that in-love with her doesn’t have any more feelings for her.

End of Flashback…

“Ralph, you didn’t need poke your nose to other people’s business.” I muttered to myself and sighed. But why do I want to put myself on her business then? Ah! I’m getting crazy!

The next day…

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I’m not pleased with what’s happening right now. My head is pounding because of the hangover, I almost got into accident because I am late and now, I am in front of this bastard who I said that I don’t want to work with!

“Thank you for choosing me to be the one who will endorse Apollos.” He said with a wide smile. I want to throw the stack of papers in front of me to his face.

“The honor is ours Mr. Dinio,” said by the person who is in charge of the endorsement. I sighed. Did I know that he will be the one who will endorse Apollos? I really think that he is not that good to be the face of Apollos.

“Well, we will expect good results from you, Mr. Dinio.” He looked at me with a smile.

“I will do my best to reach your expectation,” he said. I smiled and nodded. If you really ask me, I will be the one do the endorsement. I am much more handsome and capable than this artist wanna be! Damn! I pinched the bridge of my nose. Why do I feel like I want to compete with this guy? Then I saw that woman again. The woman I saw yesterday. She was looking in my direction for quite awhile now. I just smiled at her. I saw her blush and bowed her head. Well, it was easy to make a woman fall for me. But why is Jacky different from another woman?

I suddenly felt that someone Is watching me so I looked around the place and saw Martin looking at me seriously or more like glaring at me. What is his problem? Why is he glaring at me? I just smiled to that woman- wait a minute… I smirked. Don’t tell me he like her? This is interesting.

“Do you have any problems with me, Mr. Dinio?” I asked. The whole room fell in a silence. They are looking at me then at the guy. He just smiled and shook his head.

“Nothing. I just can’t believe that I am seeing the brains of Apollos in person. It’s really an honor.” he said. My secretary coughed to get his attention.

“All the Jewelries that you can see on our every store is all designed by our one and only, Mr. Andino. The owner of the Apollos. The one you’ll endorse is specially made by the owner himself. Designed and made by his own hands so this one is delicate. I hope that you will take extra care with the item,” my secretary said.

“I will bear that in mind,” he said and nodded. Well, this is the first time I use a man to endorse my jewelry. The one who will wear this necklace must get the feeling of how to get a woman thru an arrow. Like how Eros or Cupid as they called him. He has the bow and Arrow to struck the woman and a man to matchmake them. But this necklace design is an arrow that is ready to catch a woman’s heart. Is that what I imagine. But can he pull it off? Or will it fail miserably?

Well, I hope he will fail miserably and push the blame on him. That sounds fun.