My Accidental Billionaire Boyfriend

Nakahilata ako sa sulok ng café, tinititigan ang orasan sa dingding. Blind date. Grabe, bakit ba ako pumayag dito? Hindi ko alam kung anong pumasok sa utak ko.

Huminga ako nang malalim. Just smile, Luna.

“Luna, right?” isang boses ang pumasok sa eksena. Paglingon ko ayun na siya, si Ethan. Matangkad, maayos ang suot… grabe, ang gwapo pala niya in person.

“Ah, oo.”

Pinilit kong ngumiti at iniabot ang kamay ko.

“Ikaw siguro si Ethan.”

Ngumiti siya. Para bang sinusuri ng mga mata niya ang buong pagkatao ko.

"You're not what I expected," sabi niya, may halong pagkabigla.

Kumunot ang noo ko.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I thought you'd be... I don't know, more..." nag-pause siya

"Na bore sa buhay."

What the heck?

"Excuse me?"

"Haha, I didn’t mean it like that." Tinaas niya ang kamay niya, parang nagde-defend.

"You just look… different from what I imagined."

Great. Real charmer ka pala ha.

"Yeah, right. You're a real charmer," sabi ko, rolling my eyes.

Medyo awkward ang simula. Parang pareho kaming clueless kung anong trip ng date na ’to.

“Don’t worry. I’ll try not to bore you,” sabi niya, trying hard magmukhang chill.

Pero habang tumatagal, may something sa pagitan namin. Parang may spark na hindi ko ma-explain.

Okay, Luna, kailangan mong magpakatotoo. Hindi ka pwedeng maging punching bag ng sariling insecurities.

“So, what is it that you do, Ethan?” tanong ko, trying to sound casual.

“Let’s just say I’m in the business of making people’s lives easier.” Tumitig siya sa akin. Parang may hidden meaning doon. May pagka-sarcastic pa.

"That’s a very broad way to put it. I bet there’s more to it than that."

Ngumisi siya, parang may sikreto.

"Maybe. I don’t share my secrets easily."

“Good for you,” sagot ko, sabay mild eye roll.

“I’m sure you’ve got plenty of those.”

“Are you like this with all your blind dates?”

Tumingin siya sa paligid.

“No. I’m not used to them, to be honest. This is all new to me.”

Interesting.

“New? I thought ikaw yung tipo ng taong may control sa lahat ng bagay.”

Tumango siya, konting ngiti.

“Well, not everything is in my control, I guess.”

May something sa sagot niyang ’yon. May lalim.

“I don’t usually do blind dates. You’re lucky I’m here.”

"Ah, lucky daw ako?" Napataas ang kilay niya.

“I thought you didn’t even want to be here.”

“Still,” sagot ko.

“You’re not that bad. Maybe you’re not as terrible as I thought.”

Tumingin siya ulit sa akin—seryoso, malalim.

"You have a way of saying things that makes me curious about you."

Bam. My heart skipped a beat. Bakit parang biglang naging rom-com moment?

“So, what’s your deal, Luna?”

Nag-pause ako.

“I’m just a normal girl, Ethan. Nothing special.”

Pero deep down, alam kong hindi totoo ’yon. Kasi may something na parang... magic? Interest? Hindi ko rin alam.

“Boring, huh?”

“And what do you do that’s so exciting?” balik niya.

Ethan leaned back, trying to look relaxed, pero halatang may iniisip.

“I don’t usually talk about my work to people I don’t know well.”

“Wow,” pabiro kong sagot.

“So I guess I’m not worthy of that kind of trust, huh?”

Ngumisi siya.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Bumaba ng konti ang tono ng boses niya mas seryoso.

“I just like to keep things private.”

“Fair enough.” Tumango ako, tinanggap ang sagot niya.

Napansin ko, kaunti na lang ang tao sa café.

"So... why a blind date?" tanong ko, iwas tingin.

Tumitig siya sa bintana, parang may binabalikan.

“To be honest, my friends set me up. They thought I needed a... distraction.”

“A distraction?”

“From what?”

May dumaan na lungkot sa mata niya, pero mabilis niya ring tinago.

"Never mind," sabi niya.

"Maybe I just wanted a break from work."

“Gusto mo ba ng break?” tanong ko, hoping to see something real.

Nagtagpo ulit ang mata namin.

"Maybe." Uminom siya mula sa cup niya, tapos ngumiti.

"Or maybe I'm just curious about you."

Hala. Did he really just say that?

“Curious?” pilit kong pinanatiling steady ang boses ko.

"Curious about what?"

Ngumisi siya ulit, parang may ini-enjoy.

"Maybe I want to know why someone like you would agree to a blind date with a guy like me."

Wait what does that even mean?

“A guy like you?” tanong ko.

"What does that even mean?"

“Someone with too many layers,” sabay lean forward,

“Someone who doesn’t open up easily.”

"Wow. So I'm like... an experiment now?" biro ko, pero may konting totoo sa tono.

Medyo nawala ang ngiti niya. Tumingin siya nang diretso.

"No. I just think you're different. And I'm curious why."

Nagkatinginan kami ng ilang segundo.

At kahit ilang beses ko sabihin sa sarili kong chill lang ’to

hindi ko ma-deny.

May kilig. At posibleng may something na nagsisimula.

Tumunog ang phone niya. Tiningnan niya saglit, saka

muling tumitig sa akin.

“Would you... want to do this again sometime?”