Chapter 7:Just One Normal Day (Not)

Mikha's POV

A smile escaped from my lips as I watched Stacey and her secretary sleeping on one couch while cuddling each other. Grabe, they looked ridiculously cute together, and I swear, I couldn't stop myself from taking a picture. Like hello? This moment was way too precious to miss!

"I guess I'm not the only gay in our barkada from now on, Sevilleja," I whispered to myself, grinning like an idiot.

I carefully closed the door behind me, like super ingat , making sure not even the tiniest sound would come out. I didn't wanna ruin whatever soft moment Staku and her secretary were having inside. Even though Stacey was still deep in denial mode, obvious naman na there was already something going on between them. Honestly, seeing them like this wasn't even surprising anymore.

I was literally about to leave when suddenly...

"Oh, good morning, Ms. Lim!" one of the LSA Corp. employees greeted me in a panic the moment she saw me.

I simply nodded at her, but then I noticed she was about to enter Stacey's office.

Ay, no. Absolutely not.

I quickly stepped in front of the door like a bodyguard protecting a celebrity.

"Please, no," I said, giving her my warning look.

She blinked in confusion. "But, ma'am, I need to inform Ms. Sevilleja that Mr. Taneo wants to talk with her. I'm sorry po," she explained while trying to walk past me again.

"If you still love your life, don't enter that room," I told her with my deadliest glare.

"Ma'am—" I immediately placed one finger over her lips.

"I said no," I repeated dramatically. "Your boss is currently sleeping, okay? She's not feeling well, and if you value your job, you better let her rest. Alam mo namang bad temper si Stacey, right?"

The employee instantly stiffened, Good takot ka pala eh.She slowly nodded after finally understanding my point.

"Good!" I said cheerfully, even patting her head. "Now go tell that Mr. Taneo guy that Stacey is unavailable. Cancel her appointment. Now."

"But it's Miss Robles' job, not mine po," she complained softly.

One more reklamo and I swear ako na mismo magha-hire ng replacement mo.

"Miss..." I crossed my arms and raised a brow at her. "Do you even know how much shares I have in this company?"

She awkwardly scratched the back of her neck. "I-I don't have any idea po, Ms. Lim."

"Okay, then let me educate you." I leaned closer to her ear and whispered dramatically, "Aside from Stacey, ako ang second highest shareholder sa company na 'to."

I smirked.

"So I guess you already know what I mean?"

Her eyes widened so fast I almost laughed.

"I-I will cancel her appointment now!" she stuttered before practically sprinting away from me.

I chuckled proudly. "Good. That's my order, not Stacey's." Seriously, some people really need a little trauma before they understand simple instructions.

I glanced back at Stacey's office door and sighed dramatically.

"Hayst, Staku, what would you do without me? You seriously owe me a treat after this," I muttered to myself.

I was already about to walk away when suddenly— I needed to pee.

I immediately ran toward the restroom while internally panicking. I swear, if that employee wasted even one more minute of my time, baka sa hallway na ako umiyak.

The moment I got inside the restroom, I slammed the door shut and rushed to the toilet finally, relief.I even closed my eyes while peeing because that's how peaceful it felt.

But then— biglang bumukas yung pinto.

"OH MY GOD!" I screamed, nearly jumping off the toilet seat. "Don't you know how to knock?!" I hurriedly pulled up my underwear and jeans habang lutang pa sa panic, so I couldn't even see who entered.

Then I heard an annoyingly familiar voice.

"Seriously? Don't you know how to lock?" she mocked, My brows furrowed.

Wait...

That voice sounded—

I quickly fixed my jeans before turning around. "How dare you—" I started, ready to fight whoever ruined my peaceful bathroom moment.

But the second I saw her face, my jaw literally dropped. "Y-you?" she asked, equally shocked.

"M-maraiah?"

What the hell?!

I couldn't believe it, It was her. After all the times I went back to that bar trying to find her again... she was here?!

What was she doing at LSA Corp?!

"Maraiah, can we talk?" I blurted out the moment we stepped out of the restroom. I didn't waste any time anymore and immediately asked her. I didn't wait for her for weeks just to let this opportunity slip away, so there was no way I was wasting it now.

She raised one brow at me, looking completely calm while I was internally panicking. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked casually.

I gulped nervously and awkwardly scratched the back of my neck. "I... I wanna ask so many things about you."

"Such as?" she asked while crossing her arms.

I looked away for a second before meeting her eyes again. "About you. About that night. About... us."

The corner of her lips lifted slightly. "Us?"

Okay wow. Bakit parang ang weird pakinggan kapag siya yung nagsabi?

"Don't make it sound weird," I muttered.

She chuckled softly. "You're the one who brought it up."

I opened my mouth to respond but immediately shut it again because honestly?

For a few seconds, she stayed quiet while staring at me like she was thinking whether I was worth entertaining or not. Meanwhile, ako? Internally nagdadasal na.

Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes.

"Fine," she finally answered calmly. "Let's go to my café." My face instantly lit up.

OMG.

She said yes.

SHE ACTUALLY SAID YES.

"Okay! Let's go!" I answered way too enthusiastically.

She looked at me for a second before laughing softly. "Why do you look so excited Mikhaela?"

"I-I'm not excited!"

"You literally sound like a child invited to Disneyland."

"Excuse me? I'm trying to act normal here."

"Yeah, whatever"

The whole ride to her café felt weirdly tense. She looked so relaxed while I sat beside her overthinking every possible thing about her. I kept stealing glances at her, and every time she caught me staring, she'd smirk like she enjoyed making me nervous.

The moment we arrived at her café, napatingin talaga ako sa paligid.The place was beautiful. The lights were warm, the tables looked aesthetic enough to appear on Instagram feeds, and the whole café smelled like coffee and vanilla. Even the freaking tissue holder looked expensive.

"You own this café?" I asked while sitting down.

"Yeah," she answered casually while fixing her sleeves.

I took a sip of my macchiato and nearly moaned. Ang sarap?!

"This is good," I admitted.

She smirked proudly. "Of course it is. Everything here is expensive."

"So..." I started casually. "What were you doing at LSA Corp earlier?"

"Hm?" she hummed while leaning comfortably against her chair.

"I mean..." I pointed awkwardly. "You were literally inside our building."

"Ah." She nodded lightly. "I was supposed to meet the CEO of LSA Corp."

I frowned a little. "Stacey Sevilleja?"

"Yes."

My brows furrowed even more."Why?"

She took a sip of her coffee before answering casually, "Business meeting."

"Business meeting?" I repeated. "With Stacey?"

"Yes. I'm temporarily representing someone."

I tilted my head in confusion.

"Representing who?"

"My husband."

That word hit me harder than my unfinished responsibilities in life. She handed me tissue while trying not to laugh.

"You okay there?" I quickly grabbed the tissue and forced an awkward smile kahit parang gusto ko nang magwala internally.

"Y-yeah..." I laughed nervously. "Wait... you're married?"

"Yes."

My smile slowly disappeared.

I stared at my coffee while trying to process everything. Suddenly, all the questions I prepared didn't feel important anymore. Like, what was even the point?

I looked at her again. "Why me, Maraiah?"

She frowned slightly. "Huh?"

"Why me?" I repeated. "Out of all people... why me?"

She tilted her head. "Can you be more direct?"

I clenched my fists under the table."Why did you sleep with me if you're already married?"

Her expression immediately changed.So she wasn't expecting that question.For a few seconds, she stayed quiet while staring at me. Then suddenly, she leaned back against her chair, crossed her arms, and smiled.

SMILED.

"Simple," she answered casually. "Because I wanted to."

My brows shot up in disbelief.

"What kind of answer is that?!"

"The honest kind."

"Maraiah!"

"What?" she asked innocently. "You asked. I answered."

I stared at her in frustration. "You're unbelievable."

She casually reached inside her pocket and pulled something out before placing it on the table.

"Here," she said. "Take it."I looked down at the card.

Maraiah Queen Arceta-Uyam09-XXX-XXXXHoney Bee Café

I blinked at it for a few seconds."What is this?" I asked slowly.

"My calling card," she answered casually. "If ever you wanna do it again, just call me."

I looked at her like she had officially lost her mind."Excuse me?"

She smirked while sipping her coffee. "I mean, honestly? I'm already bored with my husband."

I felt my jaw tighten.

"Terrible kisser," she continued dramatically. "And don't even get me started in bed, disappointing."

"Are you hearing yourself right now?" I asked in disbelief.

"What? I'm just being honest."

"You're literally talking about cheating like it's nothing!"

She shrugged carelessly. "Maybe because it is nothing and literally not cheating tho."

I stared at her, completely shocked.If I had known she was this kind of person, I would've never wasted weeks trying to find her! I literally kept going back to that bar like a tanga only for her to casually admit she cheats because she's bored?!

Her husband seriously didn't deserve this. "Are you serious, Maraiah?" I glared at her.

"Yeah? Do I look like I'm jok—" Before she could even finish speaking, I grabbed my macchiato and threw it straight at her face.

The entire café went silent.

One employee near the counter froze while holding a tray, and another customer slowly lowered his sandwich like he just witnessed a live teleserye scene.Coffee slowly dripped from Maraiah's hair down to her clothes.

Honestly? Deserve.

"Oh no," I said sweetly while fake gasping. "I guess I didn't like your coffee." Then I smiled

One customer at the back literally choked trying not to laugh. I immediately stood up and grabbed my bag, ready to leave before I committed actual violence.

But then—

She laughed.

I slowly turned around, completely offended. Why was she laughing?!

Maraiah casually wiped the coffee off her face like this wasn't humiliating at all before looking at me with the most annoying smirk ever.

"You know," she said while laughing softly, "you're way cuter when you're angry Mikhaela"

My eye twitched.

"Don't flirt with me right now."

"Why not?"

"I literally assaulted you with coffee!"

"And yet I'm still interested."

"This is exactly why I hate you."

"Hate is such a strong word, Mikhaela."

"Good. I hope it hurts."Instead of getting offended, she only smiled wider.

"In case you change your mind bub, my café is always open," she teased. "Just tell my employees you need me, and I promise—I'm one call away."

UGH. I HATE HER.

Who flirts after getting coffee thrown at them?!Psychopath behavior.

I stormed out of the café before I completely lost my patience. My blood pressure was probably reaching dangerous levels already.

I gripped my bag tightly while walking away, trying my hardest not to scream out of frustration.

I seriously didn't know what was more annoying—the fact that she was married, the fact that she was a cheater, or the fact that she still looked ridiculously attractive even with coffee dripping down her face.And honestly?

That last part pissed me off the most.

── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ────

Maloi's POV

Napabuntong-hininga ako habang hindi mapakali. Lord, bakit ba ako kinakabahan? Pero lalo lang lumala ‘yung kaba ko  nang biglang binuhusan netong katabi kong table  ng coffee sa mukha yung isang babae na parang kadate nya.

Wow. What a great start for my first ever date. Of all the scenes na puwede kong ma-witness today, bakit ito pa? Bad sign ba ‘to?

Napatingin ako sa girl na ngayon ay nagwi-wipe ng coffee sa mukha at damit niya. Halatang shocked din siya, pero tumawa lang siya. Gusto ko sana siyang tulungan, pero nagdalawang-isip ako kasi hindi naman kami close para gawin ‘yon.

Nagkatinginan kami sandali, and she gave me a small but genuine smile. After a few seconds, tumayo na siya at lumabas ng café.

Rinngggg! Rinngggg!

Mabilis kong kinuha ang phone ko.

Maki is calling…📞

Nakita ko ‘yung name sa screen kaya sinagot ko agad.

"Hi Loi, are you already there? Sorry if I’m late, may emergency lang na nangyari. Pero don’t worry, may papalit sakin to go on the date with you. Sorry talaga."

Bigla akong napatameme.Wait. What?

Ang laki ng disappointment ko bigla. Akala ko finally makikilala ko na siya in person. Nag-adjust pa ako ng schedule ko para dito, tapos substitute lang pala?

"It's okay…" sagot ko, pilit kalmado ang boses ko. "Well… next time?"

"Okay, thank you for understanding, Loi. By the way, on the way na ‘yung substitute ko. Just wait okay?"

Tsssk. Talkshit.

"Okay, okay. Goodbye then," sagot ko bago ibaba ang call.

Napairap ako at binalik ang phone sa bag ko. Saktong pag-inom ko ng cappuccino ko, may napansin akong babae sa harap ko.Nakaupo siya ngayon, naka-cap, relaxed lang, tapos naka-extend ‘yung kamay niya for handshake.

Sino ‘to?

"Sorry for disappointing you," sabi niya agad with a soft smile. "I’m Colet, ‘yung substitute na sinasabi ni Maki. Best friend niya ako. Nice meeting you, Maloi, right?"

Wait,Babae siya?

"Ah… Maloi? Hello?" kumaway siya sa harap ko, parang tinitingnan kung nagla-lag ba utak ko.

"Ye-yeah—sorry," agad kong sagot, umayos ng upo. "May iniisip lang ako."

Tumango siya, pero kita ko agad na medyo conscious siya.

"Ahmm… kung hindi ka comfortable kasi babae ako, okay lang sabihin mo," sabi niya habang bahagyang yumuko. "Promise, I won’t mind. Alam ko na-disappoint ka kasi imbes na si Maki, ako ‘yung nandito. Kung gusto mong itigil ‘tong date, okay lang din."

Natigilan ako, Ha?

Napakurap ako. "Wait—what? No, no, no," mabilis kong sabi, umayos ako ng upo. "Sino nagsabi na ayaw ko?"

Nagulat siya. "Ha?"

Huminga ako nang malalim bago nagsalita ulit, mas mahinahon. "I mean… I was just surprised, okay? Hindi kasi ako na-inform na ikaw ‘yung makaka-date ko."

She gave a small awkward smile. "Ah… sorry. Biglaan din talaga. Pwede naman akong umalis if—"

"Ano? No!" putol ko agad, medyo taranta na.

"Don’t leave."I swallowed hard, trying to fix my tone. "I mean… nandito ka na rin. Sayang naman kung uuwi ka agad."

Sandali siyang tumingin sa akin, parang inaalam kung totoo ba ‘yung sinasabi ko.

Then slowly, she stood up.

"I’ll get going now," sabi niya softly, umiwas ng tingin.

"Ano pang hinihintay mo, Maloi? Sundan mo siya!" sigaw ng utak ko.

Bigla akong tumayo, halos matabig ko pa ‘yung upuan.

"Wait!" tawag ko habang sinusundan siya palabas.

Pagkalapit ko, hinawakan ko agad ‘yung kamay niya. Napahinto siya, napalingon sa akin, halatang nagulat.

Habol ko pa ‘yung hininga ko pero deretso ang tingin ko sa kanya.

"Don’t go," sabi ko.

Nanahimik siya, then I finally spoke again, mas mahinahon pero sincere:

"What do you think about museum for our first date, Colet?"

Napa kurap siya, parang na-off guard sa sinabi ko. "Museum?" ulit niya, bahagyang naguguluhan.

Tumango ako agad. "Yeah. If okay lang sa’yo. Quiet lang, no pressure, pwede tayong mag-usap… or just walk around. If boring sa’yo, okay lang—"

"Okay," she said gently. "Museum sounds nice, basta ikaw mag-eexplain ng mga artworks na makikita natin"

Napasinghap ako. "Hoy! Hindi ako tour guide!"

Tumawa siya nang mahina. "Joke lang"

Napailing ako, pero hindi ko maiwasang ngumiti rin.

"Deal," sabi ko. "Basta ikaw, sasama ka."

She nodded. "Sasama ako."

And for the first time today, hindi na mukhang bad sign ‘yung date ko.

⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── End of Chapter 7 ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆