Encounter (Onze Series #1)

02

'Yung hawak kong kape na galing pa kay Khylie ay nabitawan ko and it landed right onto some poor guy's white button-down shirt.

Apparently, fate just loves messing with me.

A very familiar white button-down shirt.

Oh. My. God.

I blinked. The guy blinked back.

No way.

Of all people in this place, in this city—heck, in this universe—bakit siya pa?!

Tiningnan niya ang suot niyang may tumutulong kulay brown na liquid, from my coffee, of course, bago ibalik ang tingin saakin.

I clear my throat, attempting to salvage whatever dignity I have left.

"... Hi."

STUPID!

He exhales sharply through his nose, looking like he's fighting the urge to strangle me.

"Ikaw na naman," he mutters.

I force a smile, holding up my napkin. "Good to see you! I.. uh.. ito, panyo!" Inabot ko ito sa kanya pero hindi niya tinanggap. Instead, he closes his eyes for a brief second before sighing deeply, like the universe had personally offended him.

I watch as every drop of my coffee drips off his shirt onto the pavement.

"I'm sorry!" I bit my lower lip.

Hinanap ko sina Claire at Warren, nasa likod ko lang pala. At pareho silang gulat! Lalo na si Claire.

"No, it's fine. It's not entirely your fault.. I can just change my shirt, right?" He said in. a sarcastic tone. Hindi ko alam kung forgiven na ba ako. Pero kasi, bigla siyang naglakad nalang! May panyo siyang nilabas sa bulsa niya, kaya pala hindi niya tinanggap 'yung akin! Hmp!

I grab his wrist before he can storm off. "Wait, wait, wait! I should at least make it up to you!" Nagguilty na ako.

"You don't have to. It's just coffee, okay." He stares at my hand so I immediately let go of it.

"Come on, let me buy you a new shirt or something," I insist, putting my hands on my hips. "It's the least I can do."

He looks at me for a long moment, as if debating whether it's worth arguing with me. Then, finally, he exhales through his nose and mutters, "Fine."

He's so annoyingly gwapo!

I shrugged my thought off and gave out my hand. I wiggled my eyebrows at him.

"What?" Tinaasan niya 'ko ng kilay. He's deep voice made my heart flutter .. pero slight lang.

"Ah! Ano.. 'yung number mo! Kasi 'di ba need natin magkita ulit para mabilhan kita ng damit. Para ma-contact kita kung paano, kailan, at saan!" Sabi ko.

"Kailangan ba talagang magkita? You can just buy me a shirt." Mabilis na sagot niya.

"Pasimple ka pa kasi, Val!" Rinig kong pang-aasar ni Claire.

"Huh? E'di pa'no ko mabibigay sayo? So technically, need pa rin talaga nating magkita ulit." I emphasized the last word, just like earlier, para wala na siyang takas!

"Harot mo!" Pabulong na sigaw ni Claire. Syempre rinig pa rin 'yon nitong kausap ko.

Wala na siyang nagawa kundi ibigay ang number niya sa'kin. Success! Pero bakit 'di niya naisip 'yon kanina na kailangan kong iabot sakanya ang bibildin kong damit. Hay! Mukha pa naman siyang matalino. Charot!