Chapter 14 - Season 1: Lovers In Disguise
2439 Words
Liz was taking forever. Seriously. It had been more than five minutes since she hung up her call with Ramiro. I exhaled heavily, trying to keep calm, but then, out of nowhere—I hiccuped.
“What’s that???” Liz's voice cut through the air, startling me. I froze as her fingers curled around the edge of the shower curtain. She was about to pull it open. My eyes widened in panic. Oh my God… no... This couldn’t be happening.
Then, like a divine intervention, there was a knock on the door.
“Liz, Ramiro said you ordered something,” Mike’s voice called out.
Relief washed over me like a tidal wave as Liz stopped. She didn’t open the curtain. Moments later, she left the bathroom, muttering something about errands.
I had been in the bathroom for almost two hours now, completely unaware that I had dozed off. My eyelids fluttered open as I felt something warm and soft press against my lips. I gasped awake to find Mike’s smiling face inches from mine, his lips lingering with affection.
“My baby, I’m so sorry you were stuck here for so long,” he said tenderly, taking my cold hands in his warm ones and helping me sit up.
“I’m fine, Mike,” I reassured him, but he frowned, noticing the chill in my fingers.
“Your hands are freezing.” He pressed soft kisses to them, his warmth slowly thawing the cold.
God, he was sweet. My lips betrayed me as a wide grin stretched across my face, my cheeks aching with the effort. I couldn’t help it—Mike just had that effect on me.
“Come on, baby,” he said with a grin. “I’ll make you breakfast.”
“Okay,” I said, feeling the butterflies in my stomach stir.
It turned out that Liz and Ramiro had arrived earlier, albeit in separate cars. Ramiro had come to drop off Mike’s vehicle, while Liz wanted to visit and had left the house keys with Mama Rose since Mike hadn’t answered his phone last night. However, they didn’t stay long. Liz got an unexpected call about an appointment at Belo Medical Group and decided to have Ramiro drive her because she wasn’t feeling too well.
Meanwhile, Mike had whipped up the most delicious fried chicken for breakfast. I didn’t know what made it so good—maybe it was just fried chicken—but something about eating it while he fed me made it taste divine.
“Mike, I’m full. I won’t be able to eat lunch after this,” I teased, leaning back in my chair with a satisfied sigh.
“Eat more, baby,” he coaxed with a laugh. “You’ll need the energy because we’re going out later.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“Okay,” I said, pretending to be annoyed, though the excitement bubbling up inside me was impossible to hide.
After breakfast, Mike told me to get ready because we were going on a date. A date! My heart raced at the thought. He opened his second wardrobe for me to pick an outfit. My jaw dropped. Rows upon rows of neatly folded clothes filled the cabinet—it was overwhelming.
I settled on a sleek black Armani Exchange long-sleeve tee and matching Armani Exchange jeans. To top it off, I chose a red Billabong cap and a pair of black Ray-Ban sunglasses. When I looked at myself in Mike’s large mirror, I had to pause. Wow. I actually looked good. Like, really good.
Feeling pleased, I waited for Mike in the living room while he finished getting ready. Moments later, I heard footsteps on the stairs, and when I turned to look—my breath caught in my throat.
Mike descended like a vision. He looked so effortlessly handsome in his outfit that I couldn’t believe my eyes. He wore the same style as me—a black Armani Exchange ensemble—but his cap was blue instead of red. With his sunglasses on, he looked like a movie star.
“Baby, we’re bringing Hero and Trixie with us,” Mike announced as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Huh? Who are Hero and Trixie? Are they coming here?” I asked, puzzled.
Mike smirked and walked toward the kitchen. A moment later, he returned, leading two brown Labradors on leashes.
My heart melted. “Oh my gosh!”
Hero and Trixie wagged their tails enthusiastically as they bounded toward me, their silky chocolate-brown fur gleaming under the light. They were adorable—licking my hands and nuzzling close. I couldn’t help but laugh as their playful energy filled the room.
“They like you,” Mike said with a grin.
And in that moment, surrounded by the warmth of Mike’s affection and the joy of Hero and Trixie’s antics, I felt like the luckiest person in the world. Our date hadn’t even started yet, but my heart was already full.
“My babies like you, Baby,” Mike said, his voice filled with amusement as he watched Hero and Trixie nuzzle against me.
“I know, right? They’re so sweet,” I replied, giggling as the Labradors playfully licked my hands.
“Sweet? Hah, if you only knew,” Mike teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“What? Don’t tell me they bite?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“They’re well-behaved, but they’re choosy. They don’t warm up to just anyone.” He chuckled knowingly.
“Oh, I see. Well, I guess I’m lucky they like me,” I said, feeling a little smug.
“Liz wasn’t so lucky. Trixie almost bit her a couple of times,” Mike revealed with a laugh.
“Really??” I burst out laughing at the thought. Did Trixie see Liz as a mortal enemy? Oh, the irony.
“Yup,” Mike continued. “On her first visit, Liz swung her bag at Trixie every time the poor dog got close. Since then, they’ve had... issues.”
“Ah, makes sense. Liz probably isn’t an animal lover.” I laughed harder, remembering Liz’s penchant for high-maintenance pets. If only Mike knew about Ramiro’s prized bird that Liz doted on. What a contrast.
“Here, hold Trixie’s leash,” Mike said, handing it to me. “I’ll take Hero. We’re bringing them to my veterinarian friend since Mama Rose is in Baguio and no one else can look after them.”
“Okay. Let’s go, Baby,” I said cheerfully.
As we stepped outside Mike’s house, I stopped in my tracks, my jaw nearly hitting the pavement. Parked in front was Mike’s car—a sleek black BMW, shimmering like a dream.
“Wow,” I whispered, unable to hide my amazement.
Mike opened the back to load Hero and Trixie into the car. As he did, something about the license plate caught my attention. It looked oddly familiar.
“Mike,” I called out, my gaze fixed on the plate. “This number looks familiar.”
“Huh? Why?” he asked, walking toward me with a teasing smile. “Did I hit you with my car before?”
“No!” I shot back, rolling my eyes.
“JJT 018—that’s my car’s plate number. What about it?” he asked, clearly intrigued.
“Were you near the LRT Legarda station on January 26, 2012? A Thursday?” I asked, my tone serious.
Mike furrowed his brows, thinking. “I don’t remember. Why?”
I crossed my arms. “Do you remember sitting beside me on the LRT that day while I was reading Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol?”
Mike’s eyes lit up as realization dawned. “Oh... yeah. I do! Why?”
Before he could react, I punched his arm—not hard, but enough to make him flinch.
“Ow! Baby, what was that for?”
“You’re bad!” I said, glaring at him with mock indignation.
“Why? What did I do?” he asked, rubbing his arm, though he was laughing now.
“You splattered mud all over my outfit that day! Your car sped past me, and I was soaked!”
“Oh no! Really?” Mike looked genuinely shocked, but his lips twitched, trying to suppress a grin.
“I was so frustrated! I remember sighing and wishing your car would get a flat tire,” I admitted with a giggle.
Mike gasped dramatically. “Well, it did get a flat tire. That’s why I ended up on the LRT that day!”
“What?” I burst out laughing at the absurd coincidence. “I was so upset that day, I canceled my plans and went to work instead.”
“Well, Baby, you should be thankful,” Mike said, his voice turning soft and sincere. “If that hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have met on the LRT.”
I paused, the weight of his words sinking in. “You’re right. What a twist of fate.” I smiled, feeling a wave of gratitude for a muddy outfit and a flat tire.
“Come on,” Mike said, tugging on Hero’s leash. “Trixie and Hero have been calling us for a while now.”
We laughed as we climbed into the car, the dogs wagging their tails excitedly. Life had a funny way of working out, didn’t it? Here I was, with Mike, his adorable dogs, and a love story that felt straight out of a movie.
Mike and I took Hero and Trixie to the park for a stroll. With our matching "disguise" outfits, we looked like undercover celebrities walking two adorable Labradors. Mike said it was better this way—so no one would recognize him. And honestly, it made sense. After all, he was famous. Although he tried to play humble, saying it was just precautionary, I could see through it. I couldn’t help but feel like we were Hollywood actors dodging paparazzi. A silly thought, but it made me giggle inside.
“Baby Michael,” Mike called, his eyes glinting with affection. “Go stand by that tree with my babies. I’ll take a picture of the three of you.”
“I don’t feel like standing. I’ll just sit in the middle and hug them,” I replied with a grin as I wrapped my arms around Hero and Trixie.
“Perfect. Hold that pose,” Mike said, positioning his DSLR camera.
Click.
“Wow, Baby, you look so cute with them,” he said, chuckling as Hero and Trixie barked in agreement, their tails wagging excitedly.
“Let me see,” I said, reaching for the camera.
Mike handed it to me, and I couldn’t help but smile at the photo. It was so natural, so full of love. If only we could kiss right here, right now. But the park was crowded. I sighed.
Leaning close, Mike whispered softly, “Baby, I love you.”
My heart fluttered. “I love you too, Baby.”
“Come on, let’s take Hero and Trixie to the vet,” he said with a smile, pulling me out of my reverie.
After dropping Hero and Trixie off at the veterinary clinic, Mike and I decided to grab lunch. A sudden memory came to me.
“Mike, do you know Lilia’s Place?” I asked.
“Of course,” he replied. “Isn’t that the place with the karaoke inside?”
“Yup! They have the best lomi there. I went once with Uncle Jerry when we visited Santa Rosa.”
Mike’s face lit up. “That used to be my hangout in high school. I always had lunch there.”
“Really?” I asked, smiling at the thought of a younger Mike slurping lomi in a corner booth.
“Yeah, and their lomi is my favorite. Should we go there?”
“Yes, please! I’ve been craving their lomi,” I said, my excitement bubbling over.
“Me too. I haven’t had it in forever.”
When we arrived at Lilia’s Place, we wasted no time ordering the biggest bowl of their famous special lomi. Instead of separate bowls, we shared from the large one, which made the experience even more intimate.
“Do you want me to feed you, Baby?” Mike teased, grinning.
“No way, Mike. People might see us!” I replied, sipping the savory broth and trying to hide my embarrassment.
“Don’t worry about them,” he said. “We’re in disguise, remember? No one will recognize us.”
“Yeah, right. Baby, have you noticed how everyone’s been looking at us? Especially that group of women at the other table and those guys drinking over by the karaoke. They’ve been whispering and stealing glances at us.”
Mike smirked. “Maybe they’ve never seen two handsome men sharing a bowl of lomi before.”
“You’re impossible!” I said, shaking my head. “I just don’t want people recognizing you. This is your hometown, after all. They’ll talk.”
Mike reached across the table and took my hand. “Don’t mind them, Baby. It’s okay.”
“I’m just looking out for you, Mike. A lot of people know you.”
“Michael. So what? Do you want me to take off my cap and sunglasses right now?”
“No!” I protested, my eyes widening.
“Michael, listen to me.” His voice softened, yet his words carried a weight that made my heart thud in my chest. “When I chose to follow you last night, I also chose to be true to myself. I chose to follow what my heart wants. I don’t care about what people think, and I’m not afraid anymore. If our love is something others see as shameful, then so be it. I will fight for you, Michael. I’ll never let you go.”
His words hit me like a tidal wave, and tears welled up in my eyes. I tried to blink them away, but they fell anyway. I couldn’t speak; I was too overwhelmed. Instead, I whispered the only words that mattered.
“I love you, Mike.”
“I love you too, Michael,” he said, his voice steady and full of promise.
As we sat there, the world around us seemed to fade away. It was just the two of us, sharing a bowl of lomi, sharing our hearts, and building a love that no one could tear apart.
To be continued…
- Writer
