NELINA
"Not again." I turned back to look at the man behind the voice to confirm it was correct. It's him, again. How could I say NO? I can't be late.
"Hey," I said as I drew nearer to the car.
Royce raised a hand in greeting, opening the door for me. I didn't hesitate because I only have 15 minutes before my breakfast meeting with Marica. "I'll put your bag in the back compartment."
I suppressed the guilt inside for not saying yes to his offer. Maybe tomorrow. "Thanks, I thought I was gonna be late for my meeting," I said as I made myself comfortable while fastening
NELINA I noticed he immediately lowered down the speed. He looked straight ahead, and I did the same. "I'm sorry about that, but you shouldn't worry. I'm a professional, I told you." "I know, it's just me. I had a traumatic experience almost two years ago," I said as I bowed my head and clasped my hands together, easing the tension. "Care to share that?" In my peripheral vision, Royce was glancing at me back and forth. I let out a long breath when I lifted my head. "My brother and my dad were in a car accident almost 2 years ago." I paused and pressed my lips together. Royce seemed to be attentive as he drove the car at the right speed.
ROYCE I genuinely think I made a great decision to have my breakfast in the potion cafe. I've been to many city cafes, but the potion cafe instantly became my most favorite. The place had a lovely ambiance and was not crowded like the fast-food restaurant where I first met Nelly. Not complaining. If not for that little curiosity, I wouldn't meet the beautiful woman I get to stare at while having my morning meal. It's not that I haven't been to a fast-food restaurant before. Only it was on our high school campus several years ago. To my surprise, my appetite was good. Probably because I came from a morning workout or probably not. I had french toast and egg salad for breakfast. When I was full enough and finished my coffee like the usual breakfast at my condo, I constantly sneaked a look at Nelly a few tables away from me. Perhaps the beautiful view has contributed t
ROYCE "Okay, I give up," I murmured as I took my phone from my pocket and then dialed Nelina's number. While the other line was ringing, I was still hesitant and making choices whether to turn it off or not. But before I could decide to cut it off, a fruity voice from the other line was heard. "Hello?" I could clearly hear her voice as I put it in speaker mode. "Hey, you there?" "Oh, hello, yes, I'm here." It took me a few seconds before I was able to respond. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. Are you out of work?" I inquired before I started talking about the reason why I called. "Well, in my line of work, time is not the ba
NELINA Nothing feels better than sweating out all the extra calories in my body. I was soaked wet after almost an hour of heavy workouts. "You're doing a great job, Nelly. Your determination and discipline are remarkable. I commend you for that." My instructor Jessie was nothing but very supportive. No wonder Marica recommended her. "Don't mention it, Jessie. I'll never drop you for another instructor. You're the best for sure," I said, patting the towel on my moist face. Jessie cracked, hearing my praise. "Thank you for that. You know, I noticed, if I may say. You are pretty much different from your best friend, Marica. She is so bubbly, and you are a little quieter than her. Marica and I, we're like we could talk all day." &nbs
NELINA We were sitting on the table set for 2, facing each other. I didn't bother to sneak a glance at Royce's evil face. I just glued my eyes on my food. However, my conscience bombarded me. Royce was so nice to me, but I was the opposite for no reason. I don't even know why. "Can I talk to you? Royce asked as he rested his elbow on the table. To be honest, it was a surprise that it took him minutes before he uttered some words. "About?" "About the invitation last week. You didn't forget, right?" I forcefully shut my eyes as if I was surprised by his question. "Oh...about that. I'm sorry, I was too busy to remember. And I haven't even made a de
NELINA It's Saturday weekend, but I have to grind for my family. Marica and I are set to prepare for the significant coming events in the company. I love working with her when it comes to bettering the business. It doesn't feel like working at all. Being my best friend's number one support system, I'm all for the company's progress. We started as a salon company, and now we offer make-up packages for events. This is a massive step for us, being a young company that started just over a year. I have never been happier for Marie. Between fixing my things for my lunch meeting with Marie, Royce's sad face flickers on my thoughts. I paused, realizing that I might have helped him if I asked what was wrong. He seemed too disturbed after he received a call. I shut my eyes close and shook the thoughts away. There's
NELINA Finally, Marica had enough time to visit mom and dad. "I'm sure mom and dad will be glad to have you home. It's been quite a while since you visited. They missed you, besty," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt when we got to the parking area. "I know Nelly, the feeling is mutual. Too bad mom and dad were not with us now. I'll make sure next time I will let mom know," she said. She sounds related to the mention of the possible reunion. "Yeah, please do. Then, we can have a small reunion. What do you think?" I suggested. "I mean, that's a good idea. How about we invite our parents to our victory party next month?" "Sounds good," I agreed.
ROYCE At precisely 3 pm, I was at Grand Villa residences to pick up Nelina. As soon as I parked the car, I dialed her number to notify her as she instructed. I didn't wait long before seeing her walking to my car, wearing a white polo shirt, faded ripped blue jeans, and paired with white rubber shoes. A small sling bag in her shoulder, swaying as she walked in haste. Before she reached the passenger's door, I already opened it for her. "Hi, gorgeous," I said, smirking like I usually do. She rolled her eyes at me like she always does. She's even prettier when she's annoyed, just what I like. I knew she wanted the compliment; it's just my evil smirk that she hates. I chuckled when she was finally inside the car. When we were on our way to the racing track, I remember to ask a question that's been on my mind