Chapter 3

"What the heck!?" sigaw ni Audrey sa babae ilang segundo matapos siya nitong sampalin.

"Sino ka para bastusin ang waiter na kaharap mo? Nagkamali siya pero that doesn't give you the right to insult him. I will pay for your dress kung iyan ang ikinakabahala mo. The hell! you even throw a hot tea on him? Who do you think you are para gawin yun sa ibang tao!?" she shouted at her. Anthony is just watching because he was also caught off guard by the strangers action towards the situation.

"How dare you slap me! This dress is a dior dress, a limited edition dress and this waiter right here just spill some wine into it?" Sigaw ulit nito at naririndi si Anthony sa boses palang ng dalaga. Tiningnan ng dalaga ang babae mula ulo hanggang paa. "You would understand, you're also wearing a designer clothes or baka fake yang mga suot mo kaya hindi mo ako maintindihan." She said and the girl just smirk.

"What I'm wearing is more expensive than what you're wearing, don't you know that? And I wouldn't understand how you reacted because clothes doesn't matter to me no matter how expensive it is because apparently I'm rich. You can't relate, are you?" Anthony smirked at what the woman said.

"How dare you!" sigaw ulit ng babae na dahilan para marindi ulit si Anthony.

"What!? You insulted this man even after he said sorry even though we all know it's an accident because of some clothes? Limited edition? Not even that expensive for me!" nag-aalboroto na sa galit ang babaeng kasama ni Anthony at tumingin sakanya para sana siguro humingi ng tulong pero why would Anthony help? The other girl has a point and besides, he doesn't like that date of him.

"Do you know my family? My family owns the largest shipping company in the country—" hindi na nito natapos ang sasabihin ng sumabat ulit ang babae.

"I don't care about what you're family's business. The point here is that you have no right to insult someone just because accidentally they spilled a drink in your dress specially when they're sorry for it already. You have no right to insult their salary just because you have so much. You don't have the right to throw him your hot tea just because of your stupid dress. Heck, I bet you don't even work for your own money, you're still dependent in your parents money, aren't you?" patuloy pa nito na dahilan para tumingin sakanya ang ka-date n'ya at hindi makapagsalita dahil sa kahihiyan. When Anthony didn't save her ass inaya nalang siya nitong lumabas na ng pagalit.

"You go home on your own. You have a driver, right? The one that your parents provide for you so go home." he said to the woman na parang hindi rin makapaniwala sa sinabi n'ya.

"Aren't you taking me home?" she asks, hoping that Anthony will save her from embarrassment.

"No, and kindly tell my mom that I don't like you so she needs to stop already." Anthony said dahil paniguradong magsusumbong ito sa mama n'ya.

Hindi makapaniwala ng husto ang babae sa sinabi ni Anthony at nagpapalit-palit ng tingin sakanya, sa babaeng nagtanggol sa waiter kanina at sa waiter na ngayo'y nakayuko dahil sa hiya. Matapos n'ya silang tiningnan isa-isa, napasigaw nalang ang dalaga at nagmaktol papalabas ng restaurant.

Si Anthony naman ay tiningnan ang waiter kanina at humingi ng despensa. "I'm sorry about her. I tried to stop her but I didn't know that she's a very scandalous kind of woman to the point na tinaponan kana n'ya ng tea. Don't worry, I know the owner of this restaurant and I'll talk to her about what happened. I'm really sorry about her." He assured the waiter and gave him a little tip.

Masaya at kampante namang umalis ang waiter sa harap n'ya matapos makapag-pasalamat.

Aalis na din dapat si Anthony pero biglang nagsalita ang dalaga na hindi n'ya namalayan na andoon pa pala at nakikinig lang.

"How come that you didn't know na she's scandalous? I mean she's your date." Biglang ani nito na nagpatingin kay Anthony sa gawi nito.

"Excuse me, miss. This is our first date and napilitan lang akong makipag date sakanya para sa mommy ko. I didn't know her more nor having a plan on knowing her, I don't like her actually and I hope that answers your question." napatango-tango ang babae and Anthony can't help but to stare at the woman in front of her.

She's pretty, she dresses well and by the way she presents herself in front of everyone, she looks so elegant and mahahalata mong professional siyang tao and let's not forget that she has the personality of standing up for people who can't defend themselves from people like his date earlier. And attractive girl but he sense a total innocence into her so off limits.

Napailing-iling nalang si Anthony sa naisip n'ya at saka tumalikod na para umalis pero napahinto siya at ngumiti sabay tingin ulit sa babae sa likod n'ya na ngayo'y nagtataka kung bakit siya huminto at tumingin pabalik.

"I like your personality. Thank you for standing up for him earlier." He said and left the restaurant and the girl amused by what he just said.

Nasa parking lot na siya nang saktong tumawag ang mommy n'ya. Nagsumbobg siguro yung babaeng ka-date n'ya.

"Hello, mom?" sagot n'ya pa sa tawag habang naglalakad patungo sa kotse n'ya.

"Ba't hindi mo hinatid si Audrey? And what's with she said na ininsulto siya ng isang babae sa restaurant tapos hindi mo man lang siya pinagtanggol? What the heck, Anthony? What happened? You're more gentleman than that so tell me what happened." Anthony sighed. His mom knows him well lalo na kapag nagiging disrespectful siya, alam nitong may dahilan behind that.

"She disrespected the waiter, mom. The waiter spilled a little red wine into her expensive dress and she insulted him and throw her hot tea on him even after the waiter said sorry so many times. So there's this girl who stood up for that guy. I was about to but she slapped Audrey for insulting the waiter and pinagtanggol n'ya yung waiter." Hindi namanayan ni Anthony na nakangiti na siya habang nagkukwento about sa ginawa ng estrangherang babae kanina.

"Oh is that so? She's totally your type?" Napakunot ng noo si Anthony.

"who?" he confusingly asked.

"the girl na nagtanggol sa waiter. She's your type? because I can sense some smiling while your making some kwento." Her mom respond na nagpailing-iling sa binata.

"That kind of personality is one of my type, mom, hindi ko pa alam sa buong pagkatao ng babae." sabi n'ya pa sa ina at narinig n'ya pa ang munting tawa nito.

"Mom, I already agreed with the date that you set me up again so this time, no more setting up for a date for me, okay? You promised." Pagpapaalala n'ya pa sa ina.

"Of course, a promise is a promise." nababakas ni Anthony ang mga nakakalokong ngiti sa labi ng Ina pagkasabi nito niyon pero hindi n'ya nalang inintindi.

"I gotta go, mom. May gagawin pa ako." pagpapaalam n'ya pa sa ina.

"Okay, son. Mag iingat ka." pagpapaalala pa nito na ikinatango lang ni Anthony.

Nakasakay na si Anthony sa kotse n'ya ng maalala n'ya ulit ang babae na nagpangiti na naman sakanya dahil sa katapangan nito. Napawi lang ang ngiting iyon ng biglang may tumawag sakanya.

"How was it?" tanong n'ya pa kaagad sa kausap ng sagutin n'ya ang tawag.

"Boss, as we investigated, we found out something. That person is really good at hiding, and bagohan palang siya dahil kanang kamay siya ng dati n'yang boss na pinatay natin na si Mr. Choi." napatiim bagang si Anthony sa impormasyon na iyon.

Si Mr. Choi ay dati nilang kalaban na napatay ni Anthony. Akala n'ya tapos na siya sa matanda, may galamay pala ito na sobrang tapang para kalabanin siya.

"Hintayin n'yo ako diyan, I'm coming."

"WHAT was that about?" tanong kaagad ng kasama n'ya sakanya dahil kakagaling lang nito sa cr.

"Wala, may nag scandalo lang tapos pinahaya yung waiter." sagot pa ni Emily sa kasama n'ya.

Ngumiti ito sakanya na para bang may nase-sense na ito na ginawa n'ya. "Let me guess, you stood up for that waiter?" napailing-iling nalang si Emily at napatawa ng bahagya.

"Why are you saying it like it was a bad thing?" She asked her.

"It's not but you know, it just that, I know you. I know you would do such thing because that's who you are." napangiti nalang si Emily sa sinabi ng kaibigan.

"I just can't stand still while some ignorant people are insulting some people who can't stand for themselves. I just can't watch it."

"I knew it! So, what savage thing did you do tonight to that woman?" She asked which made Emily laugh. She's her cousin, the close one.

Napailing-iling si Emily sa tanong nito. "I didn't do anything." Giit n'ya pa dito.

"Oh, who is the handsome man that was talking to you?" Kumunot ang noo ni Emily at napatingin sa nilabasan ng lalaki kanina.

"His date." maiksing sagot ng dalaga sa pinsan.

"He's handsome, huh. Anong sinabi n'ya sayo before he left the restaurant? I saw that he approached you and said something, ano yun?" At binigyan pa talaga siya nito ng nakakalokong ngiti.

Pabiro namang napairap si Emily ng mata. "That's nothing, we should go."

Nagsalita pa ulit ang pinsan n'ya para pilitin siya tungkol sa nangyari kanina pero hindi na n'ya ito pinansin at nagpatuloy lang sa paglalakad.

Pero habang naglalakad si Emily, hindi n'ya maiwasang mapahanga sa lakas ng appeal ng binata at may nakikita siyang aura nito na hindi n'ya maintindihan pero nakakahigop ng tingin. Isama mo pa na hinayaan lang siyang insultohin ang ka date nito, well, kasalanan naman ng babae iyon pero the fact na sobrang proud pa ang lalaki habang iniinsulto n'ya ang ka-date nito para ipagtanggol ang waiter is enough para mapahanga siya dito ng konti when it comes to personality.

Men still has a hope, indeed.