Nights Like This

CHAPTER 44

Janine, Norine, and Danara asked me to come and join them for lunch na hindi ko na tinanggihan despite Vance insisting na mag luch naman daw kami together kahit na nag lunch naman kami together kahapon.

The camp and the Cali trip really did it's wonders. Dati, we never had the chance to have a lunch or eat together aside from team dinners that we had before. I insisted na I'll treat them lunch kahit saan nila gusto because I really appreciate na they want to have lunch with me pero nag insist sila na sa canteen lang nila gusto so doon kami.

"Thank you Maam Camila!" excited na sabi ni Janine.

Out of them, si Janine ang masasabi kong mas close sa akin out of those three. Noreen and Danara's still has reservations dahil mas tahimik silang dalawa kay Janine na walang ibang ginawa kundi daldalin ako but they're trying so I also appreciate that.

"Kain lang ng kain ha. Tell me if may gusto pa kayong kainin ha. I'll buy you guys everything."

Nag open ng topic si Janine about sa meeting and na- banggit nya si Alanis. Her manager's carefully consulting with the actress and they're taking everything on consideration and we all think na Alanis might sign the offer with us. Sana lang because she'll really save Kimsun Co., if she is our brand ambassador.

"Pa sali naman kami dyan." Sabay sabay kaming napa angat ng ulo at tinapunan ng tingin si Sol na nag salit at kasama nya sina Roi, Kuya Lloyd, si Zyden at si Vance na nasa pinaka likod nila.

Tinago ko ang ngiti ko nang magkatinginan kami ni Vance.

"Anong pa- sali. Hindi kayo pwede dito," ani Noreen. She shooed the guys with her right hand.

"True. For girls lang ang pwede dito because we are talking about something na only girls could hear," pag sang ayon ni Danara.

Sol made face at the girls who wants him away. "Sus. Pina sosyal mo pa. Alam ko namang mag chi- chismisan lang kayo--- Ay, nandyan ka rin pala Maam Cami," gulat na sabi ni Zy nag ma- mataan ako.

I smiled at him and waved my hand. "Yup!"

"Ingat ka sa mga 'to Maam ah. Madaming baon na chika 'yang mga 'yan."

Janine glared at Zyden saka pabirong inamba ang tinidor na hawak nya sa kasamahan namin. "Mag ingat ka rin dito. Baka mamaya naka bulagta ka na lang sa sahig bigla."

"Ito na nga, aalis na kami!" Natatawang sabi ni Sol saka isang linya silang lumakad papunta sa mga bakanteng lamesa na may tatlo pang lamesa ang layo sa amin.

"Sir Vance ingat ka sa mga 'yan ah. Mga takas sa mental 'yang mga yan eh," sabi ni Janine kay Vancce na nakatingin lang sa akin bago nya kami malagpasan.

Vance nods at her at nginitian sya. "I can handle them. Enjoy your food girls," aniya saka sumunod na sa mga guys on their table.

Tahimik kaming lahat na naka sunod ang tingin kay Vance na naka talikod na sa amin and we didn't realize that until Danara laughed.

"Grabe si Sir Vance ang pogi talaga. Parang ang sarap luhuran," wala sa sariling bangit ni Janine. Na realize naman nya agad kung anong sinabi nya dahil siniko sya ni Noreen na katabi nya't napa takip sya ng bibig at nanlalaki ang mata.

"Naku yari ka!" panakot sa kanya ni Noreen. Tiningnan nila akong dalawa na para bang hinahanap nila kung mag re-react ba ako ng violent or what but I just laughed at them.

"Don't worry. I won't tell him," I assured her kasi mukhang kinakabahan na sya.

"Sure Maam ha? Close pa naman kayo ni Sir," paninigurado nya. Tumango ako.

I won't tell Vance because, same. Ang sarap luhuran ng boyfriend ko and pag nalaman nya, aasarin nya na naman akong patay na patay ako sa kanya kahit sya naman talaga ang patay na patay sa akin.

"Ang pogi talaga ni Sir Vance no? Kung ganyan ka pogi yung tatay ng anak ko baka kaht hindi kami sustentuhan ng okay lang basta na- mana ng anak ko yung hitsura," singit ni Noreen.

Danara scoffed. "Yun na nga yun mars. Hindi na nga pogi, hindi pa nag su- sustento yung tatay ng anak mo kaya mabuti pang doon na laang sya sa kabit nya!" pa galit na sabi nya.

"Agree! Kaya hayaan mo na lang sya dun. Hindi na nga pogi, wala pang balls!" ani Janine.

"Ito naman 'tong mga 'to oh! Bakit napunta na agad sa akin? Sinasabi ko lang naman kung si Sir Vance yun okay lang. I mean... just look at him," depensa ni Noreen sa mga kaibigan nya.

Napa lingon naman ulit kaming lahat kay Vance na naka harap sa amin pero naka yuko sya so he didn't notice na naka titig na kami sa kanya.

Sabagay. Hypothetically, kung tatay ng magiging anak ko si Vance, I'd like my son to take after his father at maging mini me sya ng daddy nya. Vance has the perfect face for me. I have seen a lot of guwapo and there's a lot of guys na may hitsure but none of them could top Vance in my eyes. And he's not just guwapo. He's a mixture of both soft and rough and that makes him more appealinga nd he's also charismatic but he's a big baby sometimes.

I am not being biased but I am sure the girls on the long line that wants to date him would agree.

If this is what simping is like what the teens calls it then I am definitely simping on my boyfriend.

Tumikhim si Janine para kuhanin ang atensyon namin and then she leaned on the center na para ang may ibu- bulong sya't ayaw nyang may makarinig nun maliban sa amin.

"May napansin ba kayong nag bago kay Sir?" tanong nya na ikina- kunot ng noo ko.

May nag bago ba kay Vance? Wala naman akong mapansin na nagbago sa kanya. He's pretty much the same for me kaya umiling ako at si Noreen rin while Danara enthusiastically nods her head kaya sa kanya napunta ang atensyon namin, urging her to spill the tea.

"Ako mayroon! Nung nakaraan kasi, nagpasa ako ng report sa kanya. Edi pumasok ako sa office nya. Pina lapag lang nya yung folder sa akin sa lamesa nya tapos hindi na ako pinansin kasi may ka- text!" excited na kwento nya sa amin at napapa lakas yung boses nya so Janine signalled her to hush down her voice.

"Mahina lang kasi! Pag tayo narinig ni Sir Vance ha," ani Janine.

"Tuloy na mare. Hindi naman siguro nya tayo maririnig sa lamesa nila pero mahina lang baka mamaya makarating na naman yung kwento mo hanggang marketing," Noreen warns.

I looked at our food on the tale na halos hindi na namin magalaw kasi mas gusto naming marinig yung kwento about Vance.

"Yun nga. He's texting someone at pakiramdam akong kakaiba kasi ang laki ng ngiti ni sir!"

I bit my lips para itago ang maliit na kaba na biglang sumulpot sa loob loob ko. It's probably guilt because I know that the person that he texts is me

Although minsan lang naman nya ako i text during work hours. It's either tatanungin nya kung sabay ba kaming mag lunch o mag merienda. It's probably ine of those times.

"Diba?" pag sangayon ni Janine. "Puro ngiti na si Sir ngayon eh dati halos parang ang hirap i- approch kasi parang mangangalmot! Parang everyday syang good mood."

"Uy oo! Napansin ko rin 'yan!" tuwang singit ni Danara. She and Janine high fived pa.

"Maam wala ka bang ambag sa chismis dyan? Di ba close kayo ni Sir?" pag u- usisa ni Janine.

Lalo akong kinabahan na parang nag bu- butil butil na yung pawis ko but I am trying my best to sound and look normal to them.

"A- ako? Uh... I'm sorry wala naman akong masyadong ambag sa chismis," sabi ko.

I sipped on the iced tea na nasa gilid ko to ease the nervousness at to shrug off at mag move on na sa next topic but it seems like they don't want to let the topic go.

"Si Maam Cami naman oh. Sige na Maam! Tayong apat lang naman makakarinig kung may kwento ka eh, " pilit ni Janine.

I suddenly regret na nag lunch ako kasama sila ngayon because I know something that they don't at pakiramdam ko na gui- guilty ako because of that.

"Wala nga. S- sir and I don't really talk much about each other's lives. Close lang kami but we're just like office friends," I argued.

Agad silang sumimangot nang wala silang nakiluhang sagot sa akin. They really won't get an answer from me because I might slip something. Delikado.

"Pero alam nyo, pakiramdam ko may girlfriend talaga 'yan si sir eh. Diba nga nakita dati na may ka date sa sinehan? Baka yun nga yun!" Janine insisted.

My mind flashed back na naman sa nag sine kaming dalawa na hindi naman kami close pa tapos may naka kita sa amin. That girl, which is me, was rumored to be his girlfriend.

Nakaka tawa lang. Dati, it was just a baseless rumor ngayon ay totoo na. We didn't really know that it will turn out true.

"Oo eh halatang in love si sir eh," pag sang ayon ni Noreen.

"Yes mars! May girlfriend 'yan si Sir pusta ako. Impossibleng wala! Ang swerte naman talaga ng jowa ni sir kung nagkataon." Danara took a bite of her food na malamig na kasi inuna pa namin ang chismis.

Well, now it is not a rumor but a fact na ang kasama nya sa sinehan at ka- text nya ay girlfriend nya because I am his girlfriend now.

"Yeah. I agree. Ang swerte nya," banggit ko and they all scrunched their forehead and suspiciously looked at me. "I mean, ang swerte nya if there really is. Hindi ko naman sure kasi wala namang nababanggit si sir. "

"Tingin mo maam? May girlfriend si sir o wala?" nag uusisang tanong ni Janine. Pinaningkitan pa nya ako ng mata.

Lalo akong kinabahan. I shouldn't be nervous now because they'll surely notice but I can't help it.

"I think let's just stop talking about Sir Vance and eat the food na malamig na kasi mag e- end na yung lunch break," suhestyon ko para maiwas sa akin ang spotlight at ang tanong.

If I say yes tulad ng opinion nila, they might ask me if I have clues who might be the girl and I am afraid na baka ma- turo ko lang yung sarili ko and if I say no, it's like I denied myself.

Akala ko mag re- reklamo pa silang tatlo pero nag tinginan lang sila tapos nag kibit balikat at tinuloy ang pag kain.

Naka hinga naman na ako ng maluwag nang hindi na ulit sila nag tanong o nag comment about our topic earlier.

"Naka tingin sa atin si Sir Vance," bigalang sabi ni Danara.

I fought the urge not to look at him pero hindi ko magawa. I am curious what he's up to kaya unti- unti kong inangat ang uko ko at hinanap ng mata ko ang pwesto nila and again, my eyes locked with his.

He's directly looking at me while chewing his food and adjusted the rim of his glasses.

Mabilis kong ibinaba ang tingin ko sa pagkain ko't hindi na sya inangatan ng tinhin nang maya maya'y biglang nag beep ang phone ko na katabi lang ng plato ko kaya't roon ko tinapon ang tingin ko.

Lewis:

Are you done with lunch?

I raised my head at dali dali kong tinaob ang phone ko because si Noreen na katabi ko'y napa sulyap rin sa phone ko.

Parang bumalik yung bato na nagpa- pabigat sa pusko ko't hindi na naman ako maka hinga ng maayos sa nerbyos.

I changed Vance's contact name on my phone with Lewis because I don't want to be caught gaya ng ganitong sitwasyon.

People hardly know that Vance has a second name which is Lewis because he barely uses his second name, almost never.

"Sino si Lewis maam?" tanong ni Noreen.

"That's just a friend. Wala lang yun. It's not important. Just forget about it," natatarantang sagot ko habang dinadasal na wala sanang maka- alala sa kanina na second name iyon ni Vance.

Right after I said that, Vance passed by us nang hindi man lang kami nililingon. Malalaki ang hakbang nya't I can feel the not really good aura on his back.

Oh gosh. He heard it!