FIVE
1267 Words
“Ah, I badly wanna sleep,” I groaned the moment we stepped into my condo.
I threw myself onto the sofa without a care in the world, leaving the three of them standing awkwardly like confused tourists. “Mamang Ichi, can you get me a glass of water, please?” I ordered as I yawned loudly.
I caught her rolling her eyes when she thought I wasn’t looking. I pretended not to notice. I was too tired to get up and drink water like a normal person.
“Oh,” she said when she reached the kitchen, holding a glass.
I raised a brow. “Why is there no water?”
“You said a glass of water. You didn’t say a glass with water,” she replied in the most matter-of-fact tone ever.
I rolled my eyes and glared at her before turning to Isaac. “You. Get me a glass with water.”
He only shrugged and obediently walked to the kitchen. I smiled in triumph and sat up when I saw him returning with an actual glass of water.
“Here,” Isaac said, handing it to me. I quickly accepted it and took a sip—
And immediately frowned.
I licked my dry lips. “Why does this water taste weird?!”
“Nellie, water tastes the same,” Mamang Ichi chimed in.
“No, it does not! Where did you even get this, Isaac?” I demanded, turning toward him.
A mischievous smirk tugged at his lips. “Just from the faucet.”
My eyes widened. “What?! You know I don’t drink that kind of water!”
“You’re so dramatic. You didn’t say you wanted mineral water,” he argued, and I rolled my eyes at him again.
I placed the glass on the floor and turned to Dwayne, who had been quietly watching the three of us like he’d stumbled into a circus.
“Hey, sorry about that. My companions are mentally unstable sometimes,” I told him.
“Don’t worry, that one’s even more unstable,” Mamang Ichi countered, pointing at me with her lips. I shot her a glare before turning back to Dwayne.
“By the way, I’m Nellie. Nellie Ongpauco,” I introduced, offering him my hand.
He looked at me strangely but still took it. “I’m Dwayne Fontanilla. Pleased to meet you.” He said it so formally I almost laughed.
I nodded, then pointed at the others. “Those are my… acquaintances. This is Mamang Ichi—my bodyguard, driver, nanny, cook, assistant, parent… basically everything.”
“Hi, I’m Mamang Ichi,” she introduced herself with a smile. I rolled my eyes again.
“Good evening, Miss… Mamang Ichi?” Dwayne greeted, and I snorted softly. This guy was kind of innocent, huh?
“Ay, just call me Mamang Ichi. No more ‘Miss,’” she added.
Dwayne nodded before turning to Isaac. I rolled my eyes yet again because Isaac suddenly stood straighter, acting like some macho guy. Please. Watch him fantasize about Dwayne later.
“That’s Isaac. Uh… my friend,” I said reluctantly. His face lit up a little when I called him that, but I glared at him immediately. He was definitely going to brag about it the moment we got home.
“Good evening,” Dwayne greeted.
“Good evening, bro,” Isaac responded in his fake-tough voice. I shook my head. He called me dramatic, but he was the real actor here—professional scammer-level acting.
I cleared my throat, and all of them looked at me. “Can you all sit down for a moment?” I pointed at the sofa across from mine.
They sat. I yawned.
“So, Dwayne…”
“Yes?” he asked, brows already furrowed.
“You don’t have any disease, right? Like HIV—”
“No,” he cut me off quickly.
I nodded thoughtfully. “Any vices?”
“I drink occasionally, but I don’t smoke,” he replied, still frowning.
“Never tried drugs?”
His brows shot up. “Why? Are you selling some? Sorry, but I’m not interested.”
“So you’ve never tried?” I asked again.
He sighed sharply and nodded slowly.
I grinned mischievously. “Want to try?” I joked.
A pillow immediately hit me.
“We are not drug dealers, Nellie,” Mamang Ichi scolded, giving Dwayne an awkward smile. I pursed my lips.
“Ugh, you’re all so boring! No one here understands jokes,” I complained before turning back to Dwayne, who still looked completely clueless.
I cleared my throat again. “So, do you have a girlfriend?”
“…I don’t. Why?”
“A wife?”
“Obviously none,” he said, still frowning.
I nodded lightly. “That’s good.”
He groaned. “Can you just get straight to the point? What exactly do you want me to do? What business are you offering? Is it legal?”
Wow. So impatient. I twirled a lock of my hair, pouting. If there was one thing I disliked about this man, it was that he didn’t know how to wait.
“Mamang Ichi, give him some water. Maybe it’ll calm his nerves,” I said. She finally behaved and handed Dwayne a proper glass of water.
He took a small sip before fixing his eyes on me. “Tell me what you need from me.”
I shook my head slowly. This guy was really impatient. Really.
I was about to answer when my phone rang inside my shoulder bag. I yawned as I pulled it out. Only one person ever called me at this hour.
I cleared my throat—again—and answered. “Yes, Grandpa?”
Mamang Ichi snickered, and I glared at her, but she didn’t stop laughing.
“Nellie, sweetheart, the helpers told me you left with Isaac. When are you coming home?” Lolo asked.
“Ah, Lolo, something came up here in Manila. We’ll go home once we fix the problem,” I said, glancing at Dwayne who was watching me quietly. I smiled playfully at him, and his brows furrowed. He took another sip of water like he was trying to avoid looking at me directly.
Do I already have an effect on him?
“What happened? Are you hiding something from me?”
Oh, I was hiding something, all right. Something huge.
“It’s about my husband, ’Lo. Yes… him.”
“Really? What’s wrong?”
“Just work-related stuff here in Manila. You wanted to meet him, right? He’s fixing everything now,” I said nervously.
“When will you both come home? I’ll tell the helpers to prepare your room. And I’ll have your shared bed arranged properly.”
I almost choked. Shared bed?! Of course. That was normal. Ugh!
“Yes, Lolo. I’ll update you,” I lied smoothly.
“Take care, sweetheart. Don’t skip meals.”
A small smile tugged at my lips. “You too, ’Lo. And don’t smoke while I’m not there.”
He chuckled. “All right. I’ll end the call now. Be safe, Nellie.”
“You too, Lolo. I love you.”
When the call ended, I slipped my phone back into my bag and turned to Dwayne.
“You don’t have a wife, right?” I asked again.
His brows pulled together, but he nodded. “I don’t.”
He took another gulp of water.
I crossed my legs and looked him straight in the eyes.
“Do you want to be my husband?”
- Writer
