The Charmer Weds the Nerd (MATURE CONTENT/COMPLETED)

It’s you

Hindi nakaimik.

“Hi I am here to meet you, Chasty,” sabi nito.

“I don’t know you,” sabi niya. This man standing in front of her is gorgeously looking. His deep seated eyes caught her nailed to her feet.

“By the way— my name is Theo,” sabi niya.

She couldn’t blink an eye. Could he be true?

“Siya ba?” tanong sa isip.

Ngumiti ito sa kaniya.

“By the way, I can only spend a little time with you,” he said.

His words changed the mood. Aalis ba agad?

“Let me take you to our table,” he said. Sumunod naman si Chas without saying a word. Naupo si Chas, his gesture is confusing her now. Naupod ito sa harap niya at may lumapit na staff.

“Take all you want,” sabi nito.

“No! I- I am not hungry, anyway.” Mabilis na sabi ni Chas

“So? Are we just gonna look at each other and eat nothing? Or drink?” Tanong ni Theo.

“You said your not gonna take long here, let’s get straight to the business,” mabilis niyang sinabi. Is that the attitude of the soon to be bride?

Inayos ni Theo ang sarili at pinaalis ang staff. They are not taking anything.

“So— you are the woman who will marry me?” bungad niya. Hindi alam ni Chas kung ano ang isasagot.

Mukhang hindi niya gusto ang ganitong tono ng pananalita.

“I will tell you this, I can learn to get along with you, but we have to agree on things especially on my personal,” bungad niya.

“Mr. if you may, I wish to ask you to help me convince our families to stop this engagement. I don’t even know you,” she said.

Napangiti si Theo. “Of course,” he said.

“We never met, right?” dagdag niya.

“In that case, I am not in place to tell the elders to cancel the wedding. Our company needs to be saved as soon as possible. We can be husband and wife in business, nothing else,” sabi ni Theo.

“So you know the reason?” tanong ni Chas.

“The elders must be followed. Besides, you will inherit everything soon, so I think, we will both benefit from it.” Practically tama si Theo.

“Well, mukhang magiging mahirap pala ang papasukin ko,” sabi nito.

“Who said? Part of the deal, I will not take things personal with regards to your privacy.” This deal was made with Chas’ dad.

“You sure about that? Couldn’t we just fake the wedding?” Sabi niya.

“If I have the choice, I will not pick you as my bride,” sabi nito.

“Same as for me,l” mataray na sagot naman ni Chas.

“Then we had a deal. After the wedding, we do not cross each others’ line. You do your thing, I can do mine,” napasandal ito na nakangisi.

“Seriously?” tanong ni Chas.

“One thing, we willl have series of dinners or meetings after the wedding with the business partners and friends, can you—“ itinuturo ni Theo ang glassess niya. “Just take it off, maraming paraan para ayusin ang sarili mo, please don’t refuse,” sabi pa niya.

“It is clear to me that you and I will not cross each other’s line. This is my privacy you want to envade. i feel better with these, if you are not comfortable, well, better not take me to your business meetings,” sabi nito na nairita.

“Well— okay.”

Tumayo si Chas. Tumingin kay Theo. “I’ll get going, Mr.” tumalikod bigla si Chas at diretso na tinungo ang bar counter ng restaurant.

May kung anong kinuha ito doon at bigla na lang uminom mula sa shot glass. Kita ni Theo kung ano ang ginawa nito, napatingin ang bartender kay Theo at sumenyas si Theo na huwag na bigyan. Chas did not argue more, she took a cash from her purse and went straight to the door heading exit.

Hindi hinabol ni Theo si Chas. She is standing in front of the hotel and told the guard to call for her driver. Magpapahatid na pauwi dahil tila wala naman silbi ang pagkikita nila ni Theo. “That arrogant and nasty,” sabi nito sarili. She is trying to compose herself. Calming her down so she cannot be bothered by him.

Maya-maya lang ay nasa tapat na niya ang McLaren na kanina ay sumundo sa kaniya. Pumasok siya agad dito at nagsasalita pa.

“How rude! Dad should know about this, he must not allow me to marry that rude guy,” she uttered in herself. Hindi niya namalayan, hindi man lang niya napagtanto na ang driver niya kanina ay siya palang si Theo na ngayon ay pinagmamaneho rin siya. Hanggang sa magsalubong ang kanilang tingin.

“You?” nanlaki ang kaniyang mga mata sa hiya na may sinabi siya.

“Thanks for the compliment, Ms. Everybody says I am a great man, but only you have said that, don’t worry, I won’t take that personally, and thanks,” sabi nito habang nagmamaneho.

“I—“ hindi na itinuloy ni Chas ang kaniya v sinabi.

“I will take you home, your dad must see us together tonight. They must be convinced that I took you out, at least,” sabi ni Theo.

“I am tired,” sabi ni Chas. “I just hate that I had to dress up like this, then I think I wasted my time,” sumbong niya.

“It’s okay, at least thanks for coming,” sabi ni Theo. He sounds so gentle now. Pwede rin naman pala na mahinahon lang ang usapan.

“Weeks from now, we will be living in one roof,” he said.

“By the way I have a condo, where most of the time I stay at, and I have a house, of course, you can have it,” sabi nito.

“What do you mean?” tanong ni Chas.

“I mean, we could stay together on dinners only, and I can go to my unit,” sabi ni Theo.

“And me?” tanong ni Chas.

“In my house, of course,” he said.

“No! You mean, sa condo ka uuwi? And ako sa bahay mo?” she clarified.

“Exactly, your very smart,” sabi nito.

“I see—“ napatango si Chas. But that was a relief to know she need not to live with him.

“We only need to arrange our schedules like if the elders would invite for some family time, we should be around,” paalala ni Theo.

“Of course, we should. Kaya ko naman, hindi ko lang naisip na pinaghandaan mo pala ito,” sabi ni Chas.

“It would be unfair for both of us that we live in one roof na hindi natin kilala ang isa’t-isa,” sabi ni Theo.

“Thanks,” sabi ni Chas.

Hinatid ni Theo si Chas sa bahay nila.

“Hey! You been here before?” She asked him.

“Of course! I went here many times,” sabi ni Theo.

“Really?”

“I should get to know you, thats why,” dagdag niya.

“You know what, you confuse me a lot,” sabi ni Chasty.

“Well all women are confused, as always,” he said.

“Maybe— anyway thanks for dropping me home,” sabi niya pa.

Bumaba si Theo and he opened the door for Chasty.

Nang makababa na si Chasty ay bigla na lang may bumusina sa likod nila. Napalingon sila at alam ni Chasty that her dad just arrived. Napaatras siya at inayos ang pagkakatayo.

“Is that your dad?” tanong ni Theo.

“Yeah!”

Bumaba ito at nilapitan sila.

Nagkamayan ang dalawa. “Sir!” sabi ni Theo.

“I am glad you both met,” sabi pa niya.

“Yes, I took her for a dinner, but it didn’t happen,” sabi ni Theo.

“Then maybe you can stay for a while, join us,” paanyaya ng daddy ni Chas.

“Thank you, sir. But I got to go, I have an urgent meeting with my foreign clients, I think we can do that some other time,” sabi niya.

“Of course!” sagot namn ng daddy ni Chas.

“I gotta go,” paalam nito.

Umalis na ang sasakyan ni Theo. Chasty’s eyes follows his car.

“So how was the date?” Tanong ng daddy niya.

“It’s business meeting, Dad” sabi niya.