twenty three

It is late Saturday night when Aliyah gets off from her work, she goes straight to their house, dragging her exhausted body she opens her bedroom but before she goes inside she turned around, "Good to see you again, Elyse"

Aliyah's phone kept on vibrating waking her up, she lazily opens her eyes and looks at her phone screen, sliding her finger she puts it on her ear "Aliyah Rose!" her mom yelled.

Rubbing her eyes, she sits up "Mom what is it?"

"You dare not to come home yesterday?!" her mom was already freaking out, raising her voice at her, "Grabe ka talagang bata ka! Ayaw ko pa ng apo ha! Ke bata bata mo pa nasan ka ba at kami ng dad mo susundo sayo wag mo itatago ang lalaki mo" she exclaimed

Aliyah sighed as she massages her temples "Mom, calm down I'm at my house alright?"

"Wag mo akong pinagloloko Aliyah you are not in your condo! Nandito kami ng tatay mo" she warned.

"My gosh mommy!" she exclaimed scratching her neck she goes down to her bed "Nandito ako sa bahay namin ni Elyse," she said as she went outside of her bedroom.

When she stepped out of her bedroom, she smells something familiar, but she can't pinpoint it out, she was trying to figure it out when her mom requested for a video call, answering it, "See? I'm here I don't have any man to hide from you" she said as shows to her mom the entire house

"Alright. Get back to our house, this noon ha? We should eat lunch together" her mom pleased.

Aliyah was walking back to her bedroom when she smells the familiar scent again, "Mom, dumating ba dito yung housekeeper?"

"What day is it?" her mother asked his father in the video call "Oh ang schedule nga nya is every Sunday but ang aga naman yata nya? Did you two met already?" her mother asked as she eyed her through the video call.

"No. I guess she left already" she said looking at her mom, "I'll get ready na and go to our house before noon" she said as she hangs up and goes to her room to get ready.

Aliyah was busy munching her food in their dinner table, she does miss her mother's dishes.

"Is Vincent doing well?" her mom asks as she places her favorite dish on her plate.

Muntik na mabilaukan si Aliyah, she coughs as she eyed her mom "Why are you asking me? Hindi ko alam" she shrugs

"I heard that you are always with each other last week?"

Her eyes widened "It was just lunch and it was for our collaboration!" she said in defense

"I heard that Adam signed your contract already?" her father asked

She eyed her father and lower down her gaze immediately, "Yes"

"Oh, invite him on our 45th-year corporate party!" her mother exclaimed giving her a wide smile.

"But- "

"He was the big investor in the new project of our hospital, after all, you better bring him" her father ordered

She sighed, looking down to her plate she mumbled "Okay"

It was a sunny and clear day to enjoy the view outside, but Adam was just staring at the anxious woman in front of him, "Do you have indigestion?"

She looked at her as she sighs again, "Uhm" she gulped down water as she looked at Adam for a second "My dad" she muttered

Adam stares at her "What about him?"

She avoids his gaze as her eyes landed his wrist, "Oh, wait before that" she gets her bag and gets the black stainless watch "Your watch. I kept on forgetting, na ibigay sayo last week" she said and placed it on the table

Adam just stare at his watch briefly as he looked back into her eyes again, "Give me that when you are comfortable with me" he said

"I am comfortable with you" she declared

Handing her his wrist "Then put it on me"

She stares at his wrist as she contemplates whether to put it on him, she sighs and reaches for the watch as her hands tremble.

Adam immediately withdraws his arms, "Put it on me next time" he said and gets back on eating.

A moment later, Aliyah gulped down her juice as she looked at him bravely, "I would like to invite you for the 45th anniversary of our company"

Putting down his glasses, he eyed her "Yan ba ang kanina mo pang sasabihin?"

She nods her head "I don't know how to invite you" she admitted "Gusto ni dad na imbitahin kita but if you say no. I can understand, ako na din magpapaliwanag kay dad. I know you are such a busy person" she smiled brightly hoping for him to say no.

Adam leaned back "I already made sure that day is free on my schedule" he sips on his glass of water "I already informed Mr. Argania that I'll be going and he even suggests that you'll be my partner for that night, which I agreed on"

"What the hell?" she exclaimed "No way"

"There's always ways," he said as he asked for the bill

"How can you just agree to that thing?!"

"I just agree on it out of gratitude" he shrugs as he stood up "See you again on tomorrow lunch," he said and walks away leaving Aliyah dumbfounded.

Aliyah was browsing on the documents as she massages her temples "I said I am sorry okay?" she said

"No. Magtutuos tayo ng harapan" sabi sa kanya ni Charles

"Hay nako Charles. I told you already, I was sorry okay? I'm busy I can't accommodate you"

"As if you are accommodating me even in the past" she heard him scoffed

Aliyah rolled her eyes "So anong pinaparating mo mister?"

"What I'm telling you is that it is such a waste to go here in the Philippines for you not to be bored but to discover that you could do well without my presence" He sighed "You even clowned me about being your partner"

"I was grateful for you alright? Pero sino ba naman may sabi sayo na sumunod ka dito sa Pinas leaving your company for a branch" she chuckled, "Also, I did not clown you alright? I just got informed alright? They did not ask for my permission"

"So, I guess my flight will not be postponed" he mutters

Her actions paused for a minute, "Flight?"

"My company needs me; I was so in demand all of the people were asking for my presence and then you exist destroying that momentum"

Hearing his statement, she chuckled for a minute, she breathes out heavily as her eyes looked at her hands scribbling nonsense on the paper, "Oh so aalis ka na?"

A smile formed in his lips, "Oh so you're sad now?" he asked, "Just say you don't want me to go and I'll think about it" he chuckled

She smiled "Please," she said sweetly and paused for a minute, "Lumayas ka ng gago ka" she continues

"Alam mo mas gago ka talaga" he said in an irritated tone as he hangs up

"Nagalit ang lolo" she said and let out a laugh

Being out of his office on this sunny day, Adam looks at the empty seat across him, he sighed as he took out his phone.

'Why did you cancel our lunch?' he asked

Aliyah who is currently fixing her things look at her phone as she typed immediately 'Am I not allowed?' sending it to Adam she looks at Charles who's lazily browsing magazines in her office "Baka gusto mong tumayo na dyan?" she hissed at Charles

Looking at Aliyah's reply he clenched his jaw as he types a reply for her 'Binabawian mo ba ako for cancelling our lunch last time?'

'Bakit bawal ba? We should be fair. You know I'm a fan of social justice, we should be fair. Now it's fair' she responds

Seeing her reply to his text, a frown plastered in his face 'Sinong kasama mo?'

Reading his questions Aliyah knit her brows, 'None of your business' she replied and put her phone into silent mode before putting it back into her bag.

Charles glance at her as he was driving "Make sure to brace yourself today because I'll be eating your month's salary" he grins

Aliyah chuckled "As if you could do it, eh diet ka"

"I'll sacrifice my diet for you" he winked at her

"Kadiri ka ha" she commented as she rolled her eyes and looks outside, "Don't tell me" widening her eyes she looks at Charles

"Right! I'd like to taste the food where you are eating with Adam" he simpers at her

Aliyah immediately look where she and Adam always sit, and she was right Adam was sitting there alone, she immediately turned her head to Charles "You are joking right? Let's go to another place. Kahit gaano pa kamahal yan" she said in a hurry

Charles takes off his seatbelt "Why you are so anxious? You make me more curious" he grins at her, opening the door of his car "Let's go ako ang itetreat mo right? I should decide for the place and this is the place I choose" he said and gets off the car

Aliyah looked at him as he gets off the car "Shit" she murmurs "Akala mo bababa ako I won't budge" she said but unexpectedly Charles opened the door, unclasping her seatbelt "Let's go I'm hungry" he said and drag her out of the car.

Adam was looking outside while eating his lunch when he saw a familiar girl being drag by a man out of a car. Narrowing his eyes to the direction of the two, his eyes focused on the hands of the man hanging around the petite woman's shoulder, "What the?" he muttered as he sips on his black coffee.

"Puta naman Charles sabi nang wag dito" galit na sabi ni Aliyah nang mahila siya ni Charles sa loob ng restaurant

Not paying attention to Aliyah he looks around, "Are there any available seat for two?" he asked the waiter who is running towards them

"I'm sorry the restaurant is packed up," the waiter said in a low tone

"I told you, tara na" aya agad ni Aliyah as she grabs his arms.

Adam watches them from afar for some minutes and stood up, walking on where Aliyah is, "I'm already done eating alone because someone dumped me" he glances at Aliyah who is now looking at the ground "They can use that table" he gestures the table he used a while ago he looks back at Aliyah "Enjoy eating" he muttered as he walks away.

"Oohhh" Charles teased Aliyah "Did you just let him eat alone for me?" he said gasping.

"Shut up," Aliyah said as she marches towards the table.