Unexpected Date

Hindi maintindihan ni Ainara kung anong klaseng sumpa mayroon s’ya at sunod-sunod ang kamalasan na tinatamasa niya. It wasn’t enough that she has a terrible boss, and he’s attending the same engagement which later on leads to being her stepbrother– ngayon ay katabi pa niya ito sa mahabang flight pabalik ng Maynila. 

As they settled into their seats, Ainara tried to ignore the way his cologne smelled like cedar and regret. He pulled out a tablet. She pulled out a book. Their elbows touched. Neither moved.

Thirty minutes into the flight, he glanced at her page.

“You’re still reading that?” he asked, pointing at the romance novel she’s been holding.

“It’s called savoring.”

“It’s called procrastinating.”

She turned to him. “Why are you like this?” Tumawa lang si Andres. Isinara niya ang libro at nawalan na ng ganang magbasa. “What would you like me to do?”

Andres turned off his tablet and faced her. “Talk to me.”

Nalukot ang mukha ni Ainara. “At ano naman ang pag-uusapan natin?”

“Kahit ano. Except work. I don’t want to talk about work. Tell me about yourself—“

“Ano ‘to, Q & A sa Miss Universe?” 

Andres chuckled at pinagsawa ang mga mata sa ganda ng mukha ni Ainara. Kahit nang mga bata pa sila ay maganda na ang babae. But that pretty face comes with a strong personality. Alam din ni Andres na bumubuga ito ng apoy kapag gustong patunayan na tama s’ya. And he finds that sexy as hell. A fucking turn on. Kung sana lang ay payag ito sa isang no strings attached relationship— iisipin niyang may pag-asa sila. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” mahinang tanong ni Andres. He was still mesmerized with her beauty. Ilang beses ba niyang pinagplanuhan na ayain itong magdinner pero palaging nagbabago ang isip niya? 

Ainara is a hopeless romantic, while he doesn’t believe in marriage. Hindi sila pareho ng gusto. 

‘Like you want to eat me’, gusto sabihin ni Ainara pero pinigil ang sarili. 

“Para kasing sinapian ka ng masamang espiritu. Parang gusto mong akong sakalin e.” Now that’s not true, but that’s the best she can come up with.

“Like the BDSM way?” He is not into that but he wants to keep the conversation going. Mas madaldal kasi si Ainara kapag inaasar niya. He enjoys hearing her thoughts, ideas and just about everything. 

“You’re into that?” Pinandalitan s’ya ng mga mata ng dalaga.

Now he’s got her attention.

“Are you?” 

Nahigit ni Ainara ang hininga. “Of course not! I would rather die than engage to that. It’s sick.”

“Okay.”

Napasandal si Ainara at inilagay ang headset sa tainga. She doesn’t want to talk to Andres anymore. 

But the damn man kept staring at her at ramdam niya ang init ng mga titig nito. Tinanggal niya ang headset at hinarap si Andres.

“Quit staring.”

“It’s a free country.”

“Ugh! You’re impossible.” 

Napatakip si Ainara sa kanyang mukha gamit ang dalawang kamay pero tinanggal din pagkaraan ng ilang segundo. Magpalipat kaya s’ya ng upuan? She looked around and noticed it’s a full flight. The chances of changing seats are highly unlikely. 

“You have ten minutes of my time then you’ll leave me alone. Deal?” sabi niya kay Andres.

“That’s not long. You know mahaba ang flight.”

“Then watch a movie.”

“I don’t want to do that. I want to talk.”

Gusto na itong bigyan ng barya ni Ainara para bumili ng kausap. Pero bilyonaryo si Andres— higit itong mas mayaman sa kanya.

“Fifteen minutes.”

Umiling si Andres.

“Thirty and that’s final.”

“I get to ask you anything I want for thirty minutes and we have a deal.”

“Wait, is this off the record or am I going to pay for this once we’re back in the office?”

“It’s off the record. We’re on a plane.” He was trying hard not to smile pero napaumis pa rin. They’re technically on international waters.

Ainara swallowed when she saw him smile a little. Bihira kasi itong tumawa sa opisina at palaging seryoso. Pero ngayon, parang kung may kung anong switch ang naka-on at ibang version ni Andres ang kaharap niya. 

“Fine. Fire away.” If this is the only way for him to leave her alone, titiisin niya ang pangungulit nito. 

“Do you think I’m handsome?” 

Nalaglag ang panga ni Ainara. “Excuse me?” 

“Do you think I’m handsome? Because you never look at me like the other girls in the office. You’re always in a rush to get away from me, while the others are begging for a chance to stay. I’m beginning to think you need glasses. Malabo na yata ang mga mata mo.”

“Are you flirting with me right now?” Her heart is hammering from her chest.

“If I am, would you flirt back?” hamon ni Andres sa kanya. 

This is so wrong in all levels. As soon as the plane lands and they go to that engagement party— tapos na bago pa man magsimula itong landian nila. 

“You’re just bored, Andres. Itulog mo na lang ‘yan.”

“I’m not bored. I just think this is the best time to talk about this attraction between us. Mind you, I enjoy our daily banters in the office. And when office hours are over, I look forward to the next day. Don’t you?”

Muling napalunok si Ainara. She felt the same way but she was too embarrassed to admit it. Boss niya pa rin si Andres. 

Hinaplos ni Andres ang pisngi ni Ainara. He traced her lips with his forefinger. 

Marahan.

Mainit.

Para itong nagsisindi ng apoy sa isang tuyong piraso ng kahoy. 

“Why do you ignore me?” mahinang bulong ni Andres.

Maybe it’s the wine… or maybe it the pressure in the cabin— but she’s seeing Andres differently. This soft side of him. Sweet and charming. Para s’yang gamo-gamo na lunmalapit sa apoy.

“Would you go on a date with me, Pilar?” 

The way he called her with her second name felt electric. Ito lang ang tumawag sa kanya gamit ang pangalan na ‘yon. Even Mateo back then always called her Ai just like the rest of her family. 

“We’re up in the air. At nakalimutan mo na ba?” Napakunot si Andres. “Our parents are getting married.”

“Exactly. So once we land, we forget everything that happened in this flight. That includes all our conversation and… whatever we will be doing.”

Wala na talaga s’yang kawala sa lalaki. Lahat na lang may lusot. 

“We’re having our date here?” Ainara doesn’t know where to point. The plane doesn’t have a lot of space. 

“Yes, with airplane food but we can have a lot of wine.” 

“You hardly drink.” That’s one thing that he noticed from him. Halos hindi ito umiinom ng alak. 

“I will on this date. So what do you say?” Nagtaas baba pa ang mga kilay nito para kumbinsihin s’ya. 

Nakita niya ang sariling pumapayag sa request ni Andres.

“That’s my girl.” 

Nang marinig niya ang sinabi nito ay may kung anong bumalot sa dibdib niya. It was warm like a fluffy blanket— something she never felt when she was dating Mateo. Ainara felt safe with Andres while with Mateo, she has to watch everything she’s going to say. 

He looked at her then, really looked. “You’re not what I expected.”

She frowned. “What did you expect?”

“Someone easier to ignore.”

She swallowed. “You’re not what I expected either.”

He leaned in slightly. “What did you expect?”

“Someone easier to hate.”

Their eyes locked. The cabin hummed. The air between them shifted — from banter to something heavier, unspoken.

It’s not everyday that they talk like this. In fact, mas sanay s’ya na nagbabangayan sila kaysa ineentertain ang mga ganitong pag-uusap. 

Andres ordered food and wine. They started talking again and this time, it was about the swimming competition from years ago. Kaya disiplinado sa katawan si Andres ay nasa swimming team ito ng university. First year pa lang s’ya sa New York University habang ito ay nasa huling taon na.

“Girls were all eyes on you.”

“Really? I didn’t notice. I only had eyes on that freshman.” Sumimsim ng wine si Andres pero hindi inalis ang mga mata sa mukha ni Ainara. 

Napalunok ang dalaga. S’ya ba ang tinutukoy nito? Imposible.

“May goggles ka kaya,” biro niya rito. Halata ang nerb’yos sa kanyang boses kaya napatungo s’ya.

Gamit ang hintuturo ay itinaas ni Andres ang mukha ni Ainara. 

“That freshman was you.”

Ainara didn’t know what to feel upon hearing that. Ni isang beses ay hindi naman nagparamdam sa kanya si Andres na may pagtingin ito sa kanya. Nagkakasalubong sila sa hallway pero hindi naman ito bumabati sa kanya. He would look at her at sa tuwina ay kinukunotan niya ito ng noo. Intense kasing tumingin ang mga mata nito at para s’yang sinisilaban sa ganoong pagkakataon. 

She was on her second year when she saw him next, at may kaakbay na itong babae. Isang modelo— si Isabella Cruz. Fil-Am ito at nagtapos ng kursong Nursing pero hindi naman ginamit. She doesn’t even know if Isabella took the board exam.