Make Him Move On in 50 Days

Chapter 1

“Name?” Deia asked in a serious tone while holding a pen and a mini notepad.

“Brendt,” I simply answered.

We were inside my condo, in the kitchen. Deia was just sitting in front of me. She turned off the kitchen’s main light at tanging ang nakasabit na ilaw lang sa taas namin ang nakabukas. I felt like a criminal that she wanted to sing. Kulang na lang ay lagyan niya ng handcuffs ang kamay ko.

“Age?” sunod niyang tanong pagkasulat sa kanyang notepad ng pangalan ni Brendt.

“Uhm... 29?”

She lowered her gaze. “Are you sure or not?” 

“Fine! He is 29 years old,” I clearly said. “Hindi ko naman kasi alam kung ‘yon ang totoong age niya. Basta iyon ang sinabi niyang edad sa akin.”

She nodded as she scribbled on her notepad. “How about his number?”

Nilabas ko ang cellphone ko at pinadulas sa lamesa patungo sa kanya. “Just search for his name on my contacts.”

I could see that she was very excited while looking for Brendt’s contact, while I stood up to turn on the lights.

“Done!” she exclaimed and returned my phone.

Kinuha ko naman iyon mula sa kanya at saka ibinulsa.

“Nasan na ba si Selena?” tanong ko para maiba ang aming topic.

“Baka masyadong napagod kagabi.” Napahalakhak siya sa naiisip. “Alam mo na…”

Selena was nowhere to be found when we were about to go home last night. Hindi na kami nag-alala ni Deia dahil lagi naman namin siyang hindi kasabay umuwi kapag nagni-night out kami.

“Maghahanda muna ako ng tanghalian,” sabi ko at tumungo sa fridge upang tingnan kung ano ang puwedeng lutuin. “Text her, Deia. Ask her kung nasaan na siya.”

“Okay... pero I suggest na magluto ka na rin ng seaweed soup,” suwestyon niya habang kinakalikot ang iPad ko. “I’m pretty sure that she has a hangover again.”

Ngumuso naman ako nang makitang wala na akong seaweed na natitira. I looked for an alternative soup at the top cupboard. I saw an instant crab and corn soup so I decided on that instead.

“Wala na akong seaweed, crab and corn soup na lang. Basta naman mainitan ang tiyan niya,” sabi ko naman.

“That will do, I guess.” Nagkibit-balikat si Deia habang patuloy sa pagtitipa ng kung anu-ano sa iPad.

Sa tingin ko’y kailangan ko nang mag-grocery mamaya para hindi ko na maaabala ang sarili ko kapag nagsimula na akong magtrabaho. Thinking about work was already making me feel so stressed.

Humagikgik naman si Deia at binalingan ko siya ng tingin. Abala pa rin siya sa aking iPad. Gusto ko sanang alamin kung ano ang ginagawa niya ngunit mas pinagkaabalahan ko na lang ang pagluluto ng aming tanghalian. I needed to finish cooking before Selena arrived. At sakto namang patapos na akong magluto ng kaldereta ay narinig ko na ang pagtunog ng doorbell.

“Finally!” sabi naman ni Deia at binitiwan ang iPad upang pagbuksan ng pintuan si Selena.

Sinasalin ko na sa malaking mangkok ang kaldereta habang naririnig ko na ang dalawang maingay na bunganga nina Deia at Selena. Here we go again with their dirty talks.

“That was the most amazing night I’ve ever had!” Selena exclaimed.

“God, Selena, you always say that,” walang ganang komento ni Deia at saka muling umupo.

Pinagkaabalahan niya ulit ang aking iPad habang patuloy lang sa pagdadaldal si Selena.

“This one is real!” giit naman ni Selena. “I think that’s the most romantic f*****g night I’ve ever had.”

“Selena.” I warned her with her choice words.

“Sorry, Xy,” agad niyang paghingi ng paumanhin sa akin. “But seriously, it was so amazing!”

Deia sighed dejectedly. “So ako lang pala ang walang nakuhang lalaki kahapon.”

Nanlaki naman ang mata ni Selena at saka dumako ang mata sa akin. Tahimik akong umupo sa kabisera ng hapagkainan at nagsimula nang kumuha ng aking pagkain.

“Oh my gosh!” Selena squeaked. “You mean?”

“No, I didn’t,” I immediately cut her out from her thoughts.

“Are you joking, Selena?” natatawa namang sabi ni Deia. “You know Xy’s not like that. You have to marry her first.”

Among us three, I was the only one who’s still a virgin that time. Deia’s not virgin anymore, but she only did it once unlike Selena. God! She was fourth year of highschool back then when she first did that with her so-called boyfriend! Si Deia naman ay noong third year college kami. She did it with her fourth boyfriend noong anniversary nila but after a month, they broke up.

Apparently, they thought they would last forever just like how other couples picture their relationship, but they didn’t.

That’s why lessons learned! Don’t do s*x when you’re not yet married because you will lose a very important thing that you have as a woman. If you’re a woman, take care and have some respect for yourself because some men these days don’t know how to value our femininity and it sucks!

“Kumain na nga lang tayo,” sabi ko na lang at pinagsalin ko si Selena ng crab and corn soup sa isang mangkok saka inilapit sa kanya.

“Thanks!” she bidded thanks before she began eating.

Nilingon ko naman si Deia at napakunoot na ang aking noo dahil kanina pa siya masyadong nakatuon sa iPad.

“Dei—”

“Found it!” she blurted out right before I could ask her.

Tinagilid ko ang aking ulo habang nakatingin sa kanya. “Found what?”

Napatigil din si Selena sa pagkain at nag-angat na rin ng tingin kay Deia na todong ngiti.

“Ano ba ‘yan, Dei?” kuryosong tanong ni Selena habang sinusubukang sumilip.

Makahulugang ngumiti naman si Deia at saka iniharap sa amin ang iPad. “Brendt Stewart,” sabi niya.

My jaw dropped when I saw the same Brendt that I met for the dare. There was no need to question Deia’s stalking skills. Magaling siya sa ganyan. She can easily find boys she wants to find kaya hindi na ako nagulat na nahanap niya si Brendt.

I stared at his picture wearing a three piece all-black suit. His hair was slightly longer than his current hair. Ang akala kong hazel brown na kanyang mga mata ay mas naging matingkad pa dahil sa tumatamang liwanag.

He’s even more handsome in daylight. I had to give him that.

“Oh my gosh! Who is he, Deia?!” Agad namang kinuha ni Selena ang iPad at nilapit pa ang mukha sa screen para mas makita ang itsura nito. “He is so f*****g hot!”

“Shut up, Sels.” Inirapan naman siya ni Deia. “Kay Xy na siya. He’s off-limits.”

Deia turned to me with her sweetest smile. Tumataas-taas pa ang kanyang kilay na tila nang-iinis. Kaya naman gulat na napalingon sa akin si Selena na nakuha ang atensyon ko.

“He’s your boyfriend?!” hindi makapaniwala niyang tanong.

“Of course, not!”

“E, bakit sabi ni Deia?” Sabay turo niya kay Deia.

“Dahil siya ang masuwerteng lalaking paiibigin ni Xy,” sabi naman ni Deia.

“Paiibigin?” naguguluhang tanong ni Selena. “Is that word even in Xylia’s dictionary?”

Deia rolled her eyes as she began to state our deal. “I dared Xylia to make a boy fall in love with her in fifty days.”

“And how did you choose the lucky boy?” she asked.

“Well, kunwari naiwan ni Xy ‘yong sapatos niya sa dance floor tapos kung sino ‘yong kumuha ng sapatos niya, siya ang magiging lucky boy,” pagpapaliwanag ni Deia.

“At sa dinami-daming lalaki ay mala-prince charming pa ni Cinderella ang nakapulot ng sapatos mo,” sabi ni Selena na mukhang kinikilig habang nakatingin pa rin sa picture ni Brendt.

I pursed my lips when Brendt’s voice, calling me Cinderella, suddenly echoed in my mind.

“Maybe that was Xylia’s luckiest night of her life,” Deia commented and turned to me, looking so dreamy.

“But you said, she needs to make that hunk fall in love with her for only fifty days...” Selena trailed as she scrolled through my iPad. “It means Xylia only has forty-nine days left?”

Umiling naman si Deia. “Not yet,” sagot niya. “Hindi pa naman nagsisimula si Xylia. Nagpakilala pa lang siya kagabi.”

“But before making him fall, Xy… I think you need to make him move on first,” Selena suddenly said, and it made me stop eating.

Make him move on?

“Let me see, Sels!”

Inagaw naman ni Deia kay Selena ang iPad at binasa kung ano man ang nakita ni Selena roon.

Pilit kong binaliwala ang kanilang sinasabi at kunwari’y wala akong pakialam ngunit hindi ko maiwasan ang makiusyuso lalo na nang basahin ito ng malakas ni Deia.

“Brendt Stewart, CEO of Stewart Highfields.” She gasped before she continued reading. “He was about to get married two years ago with Talavera Corporation’s President, Cassandra Talavera–Sarmiento, who’s already married to Sean Sarmineto of Sarto Corporations.”

“So he was two timed by this Cassandra Sarmiento?” naguguluhang tanong ni Selena. “She’s already married tapos naging fiancé pa niya si Brendt?”

Napakunot ang aking noo. Pati ako ay naguluhan sa pangyayaring naganap sa buhay niya.

Hindi ko rin maiwasan ang makaramdam ng awa. I couldn’t believe that a guy like him was capable of being left by a woman.

“I don’t think so...” sabi naman ni Deia habang umiiling-iling at nags-scroll pa. “Cassandra’s known to be Brendt’s girlfriend among the eyes of other people pero asawa na pala siya no’ng Sean Sarmiento. It was a big scandal in the tycoon industry before. This article was dated two years ago,” she explained and I had to idea how she knew all those things. “There's been no statement from Brendt ever since and here’s a new article about him...” sabi pa ni Deia. “He’s already back to run Stewart Highfields again.”

Pinaglaruan ko naman ang aking ulam. I wondered how he felt before. How hurt he was? Or is he still in pain? I couldn’t help but feel concerned for him.

“Wait a minute!” biglang ani Selena na parang may nasagap na namang impormasyon pang ibang impormasyon.

I slowly lifted my head to look at her. Selena looked like she’s got the biggest news of all.

“CEO of Stewart Highfields... Stewart Highfields,” paulit-ulit niyang sabi. “CEO... Stewart Highfields... Si Brendt ang CEO ng Stewart Highfields!”

My eyes widened when it finally hit me. Hinablot ko ang iPad mula kay Deia at muling binasa ang pambungad na parte ng article upang makasigurado. “Brendt Stewart, CEO of Stewart Highfields...” pagbabasa ko.

Binagsak ko naman ang iPad sa lamesa at saka hinilot ang aking sentido. I couldn’t believe it. I really couldn’t.

“How will I make the president of the company’s I’m going to work in move on?” halos naghi-hysterical kong tanong sa kanilang dalawa.

I wanted to back out due to professionalism but I just couldn’t back down. Maybe because I think that the challenge’s too easy for me ay dinagdagan ang magiging hamon ko. On top of that, I’m the kind of girl who never backs-out as soon as I gave my word.

“Come on, Xylia. You can do it,” Deia tried to cheer me up.

“She’s so pretty...” wala sa sariling sabi ni Selena at sabay kaming napatingin ni Deia sa kanya.

“She must be looking at my new profile picture,” Deia confidently said. 

“Dream on, Dei!” Sabay irap naman ni Selena sa kanya at muling hinarap sa amin ni Deia ang iPad.

A picture of a woman, who was screaming elegance and ethereal beauty, was flashed on the screen. She was wearing a white dress and there was a man behind him who’s way taller than her. Hindi ko rin maiwasang purihin ang kaguwapuhan ng lalaking kasama niya. Para silang model na dalawa. I also wondered if they’re a couple because of their great chemistry.

“Cassandra Talavera–Sarmiento,” Selena stated as she stared at the picture. “And her husband, Sean Sarmiento’s with her in this picture.”

Tumingin sa akin si Deia at balik ulit sa iPad. Pabalik-balik lang ang tingin niya sa akin at sa iPad bago siya umiling.

“Girl, walang-wala ka sa kanya,” sabi niya bigla. “Magback-out ka na kaya sa pustahan natin. Mukhang wala ka pa sa kalingkingan ng standards ni Brendt, e.”

“You’re such a great friend, Deia. Very supportive,” I sarcastically said.

“Syempre, joke lang ‘yon! Maganda ka rin naman. Lamang lang siya ng ilang ligo,” biglang bawi niya at kinindatan pa ako bago tumawa at nagsimulang kumain. “Masarap pang magluto,” she added when she started eating.

Selena chuckled, and I glared at her kaya naman agad niyang tinikom ang kanyang bibig bago muling nagsalita. “Kailan nga ba ang start mo sa trabaho?” she suddenly asked.

“Sa Monday na,” sagot ko.

“You mean tomorrow?” paglilinaw naman ni Deia “Hindi ka man lang ba kinakabahan?” dagdag pa niyang tanong.

Umiling ako. “Hindi,” sagot ko. “Alam ko naman ang gagawin ko roon, eh. Why would I feel nervous?”

“Because the fifty days countdown will already start tomorrow,” sabi naman niya. “You already have to make your first move tomorrow.”

Napabuntong hininga naman ako. Nawala nanaman sa loob ko ang tungkol sa dare. I bit my lower lip and gathered my strength before raising my gaze at them with a curve formed on my lips. 

“Just wait and see,” sabi ko. “I will make him move on and fall in love with me in just fifty days.”