CHAPTER 2: WHO ARE YOU?

"Mira, join us," Rodney offered.

Rodney slept in Shelley's room last night and right now, they are starting to break their fast while I serve their coffee.

"Uh.." I hesitated and glanced at Shelley. She does not seem to agree with Rodney’s offer.

"Babe, let her be. She can eat afterwards," she argued.

"Stop treating her as if she's your maid. Babe, she's your friend." And then he looked at me. "Join us, Mira. I won't take no for an answer."

"How can you accuse me of treating her like a maid? Did you hear me bossing her around?" Shelley protested.

"She prepared the food for us, didn’t she?"

"She just ordered it from Romici!" Shelley mentioned the Italian restaurant I usually order food from.

I scratched my nape and bit my lower lip, and then throw Rodney with a look that says: Guilty as charged.

He laughed suddenly.

"And here I thought you cooked these!"

I shook my head and looked down. "I do not know how to cook," I answered softly.

"No matter, you're still the one who set the table, so let's just eat together. Join us. I will feel upset if you do not accept my offer." He gently tugged at my hand.

His touch burned my skin. At the same time, Shelley’s blazing eyes torched me. I subtly moved away from Rodney’s hand and took a seat a little further away from him.

I joined them for breakfast since I am also hungry.

Once seated, Rodney started to talk to me again.

"I can't believe you don't know how to cook, Mira."

I secretly bit my lips. Shelley will kill me later. She liked to be the center of envy, but she doesn’t like it when someone takes people’s attention from her. Especially if it is Rodney’s attention we are talking about.

I just shrugged my shoulders and kept mum to dismiss Rodney’s attempt at conversation, although I really like talking to him.

"I always had the impression that you know everything that spells home. It's a revelation to know that you don’t know how to cook." He pursued the subject.

"I haven't tried cooking," I admitted.

"Babe.." Shelley tried to get his attention back.

"Hmm..?"

"I thought you're checking the papers," she pointed at the newspaper lying beside Rodney.

"Ah, yes! Thanks for reminding me, Babe. You're the best!" and he gave her his sweetest smile.

I felt the sting of jealousy and envy so I looked away at my preposterous thoughts.

Rodney turned the pages until he got to the business section of the bulletin. He started reading silently while taking a sip at his coffee every now and then. Then he turned to me all of a sudden.

"I hope you’re the one who brewed and prepared the coffee?"

I smiled and pointed at a coffee maker at the other side of the dining area. You really don't need to do anything else than to turn it on and put all the pre-measured and sealed plastic cups of coffee and milk in their allotted slot. You can even choose whether you like cappuccino, latte or any other make of coffee.

He dropped his shoulders in exaggerated gesture and sighed loudly before saying: "I'm giving up on your kitchen talent!"

I cannot help but burst into laughter. He looked so cute that I can feel my heart constricting in fondness. If we do not have chaperone, I would have kissed him senseless!

Oopps! I forgot, I AM the chaperone. Mybad.

"But if you’ll marry someone like me, you'll have no problem. I know how to cook."

"Stop right there! I might want to marry you!" I blurted before I can even stop myself.

My cheeks burned when I realized what I just said. I wanted to beat myself. ‘Waaah! That was a joke! Shelley, do not kill me!’

What’s happening to me? When did I begin to be so liberated?

Then I suddenly stop on track.

Well, it's actually the point of all these. To be free and spontaneous.

"Babe!" irritation laced Shelley's voice.

It's official! I hate the word BABE now.

Rodney turned his attention back to the papers. Maybe he realized that Shelley is close to throwing a tantrum. If you'll ask me, that is one of Shelley’s mastered art.

"You don't give me enough attention anymore," Shelley pouted.

Here it comes.

"Babe, I'll just check the paper, and then I'm yours the whole day," Rodney told her and winked.

"What’s that even? Why do you always have to check the prices?"

"Because I have investments in stocks."

"So what?? Why do you have to monitor it EVERYDAY? I mean, isn't that too much? I don't get it."

"You don't have to, Babe. You are good at what you do, but financial market is an entirely different universe, so don't bother yourself."

I snorted involuntarily. Rodney just made it sound cute, but actually what his words mean is: "Don't mind it Shelley. Your mind doesn't have the capacity to process it."

"But I want to know your world," Shelley whined.

I could no longer hold myself and butted-in.

"He needed to monitor the market value of the stocks because it might go up or down anytime. If he is holding a stock and the value suddenly plunges, he needs to cut loss. Or if he’s watching for an entry point for a particular stock, the opportunity to buy will pass by if he doesn’t monitor the stock prices."

"I still don’t get it! Why would stock prices go down? Can it go down drastically?"

"There are so many factors at play here, Shelley. Stock market is volatile, but of course one big factor is the economic status of the country and also the industry and management of the Company itself. Some stocks become worthless overnight." I explained further.

Shelley looked at Rodney.

"If that is the case, Babe, why don’t you just buy from really big and stable companies?"

"But as of now, stocks of top corporations has very high market value already. It wouldn’t be advisable to just buy right now." I disagreed.

"It's still going up, though." Rodney debated.

"Rodney, it's been in a bull run for so many years now and you know it can't go on like that forever. Anytime now, it will correct. If I'm going to buy their stock, I'll buy it when they take a dip."

Shelley rolled her eyes at me. "You’re making my head ache. Let’s stop this topic!"

Rodney looked at me intently. When he cannot keep his questions, he asked. "How did you know all that?"

I frowned. His words felt cold and that is not his typical self.

"You're not the only one who's fond of the newspaper. One only has to read to know those facts." I answered.

He raised one brow but did not comment. But something in the way he looked at me tells me that I lost that playful, gentle Rodney who's been nice to me all this time.

Does a woman who has the capacity to think intelligently really turns a man off? Is it really intimidating?

==================

I was still deep in my thoughts while I slowly seep my coffee. I was in the balcony of Shelley’s condo where I am also staying. The truth is that I am really just her assistant/ maid/ help but she introduces me to everyone as her friend because it looks good for her to have at least one friend.

After breakfast, she and Rodney went inside her room doing God-knows-what. I busied myself by reading magazines and newspapers.

"Who are you, Mira Ledesma?"

Startled, I turned my head to see Rodney leaning on the frame of the door that leads to the balcony.

I looked at the newspaper again. "I am who I am."

"You are more than what meets the eye, lady. And I think I have the right to know who you really are." He slowly walked towards me and sat at the wicker chair in front of me.

I cannot look him in the eye. Not because I have secrets but because I feel that his eyes will melt me. I feel like a teenager with butterflies in her stomach.

But he is looking at me intently, and it inspires my defiance.

I raised my face and stared back at him.

"I beg to disagree. There's a reason why there's a thing called ‘privacy'."

His lips twitched in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. The kind that says ‘Looks like I've found a worthy opponent.'

"Don't get me wrong, Rodney. I'm just disagreeing with your statement. But honestly, I really like reading. I was always busy reading that’s why I never learned how to cook," I joked.

He smiled. He seems to accept my explanation.

"Well, you're right. There's something called privacy so I won't probe anymore. But I'll be watching you." He declared.

Watch me all you want. I'd like that.