Chapter 2 The Meetup

"Sir, Ms. Aileen is currently in the basement, checking the supply that just came in an hour ago." The receptionist said.

"Would the basement be accessible to someone who's not an employee?" Matt asked.

"Supposedly, no. But since you're a regular customer here and you're Ms. Aileen's fiancée, I don't think you would need to become an employee here first," she said.

"Ok. Thank you very much." he said, winking and smiling at her.

"You're welcome sir. Have a nice day." she said, smiling back.

"I will." Then he left for the basement.

They've been getting along for 5 years now. So far, not a major problem came out to destroy their relationship. In one month's time, they'll be Mr. and Mrs. Abrenica. He can't believe that he'll love her very much the first time he'd seen her, back in the basketball accident. He rushed after Ed towards her and when he saw her, it's like as if he had seen an angel making a wacky face. She's so beautiful. He can't take his eyes off her during the rush towards the school clinic.

"Ed?" he asked Ed.

"Do you know this girl?"

"Errr…Yep. She's Aileen, one of our classmates."

"Ahhhh…" he said, making a note in his mind to befriend her.

She woke up and their first conversation went smoothly. The three of them became close friends, and the more they're getting to know each other, the more he falls for her.

"What do you mean 'you love her'?" he asked Ed the day before he left for the U.S.

"I love her. She's the girl I'm telling you about, the girl I wanna marry and live with for the rest of my life!"

"Why didn't you say it earlier?" he asked. Then maybe I should not let myself fall for her. "I thought there was no secret between the two of us?"

"I wasn't sure until yesterday, while I was saying goodbye to her," he said, looking down at the floor. "So, now that you know, can you take care of her while I'm away and make sure no one would court her 'til I come back?" he asked Matt.

"Maybe…" he said, exhaling deeply and loudly, "…I could try."

But that was just that, a broken promise. He can't restrain himself from loving Aileen. Oh damn that promise! He courted her. She's quite adamant in rejecting his love for her at first, saying she's so young for that or that maybe what he feels for her is just an effect of hormonal imbalance during adolescence, those sorts of things. But he's so persistent that she finally accepted him. And tonight, they'll celebrate their fifth year and with the ring in his pocket fresh from his 5-day trip in London for his work, maybe tonight he'll have her sweet "Yes!".

**********************************

Ed is waiting impatiently at the basement of the hotel where he's staying, the hotel where Allein works as a manager. Will she come? he asked himself, his hope diminishing every passing second. Maybe not, not after everything that happened between us.

It was a week ago when he decided to have a vacation in the Philippines and Aileen and Matt made all the arrangements for his weeklong stay. It has been 4 years since he left for college, four years of solitude in a foreign land. And when he came back, he had nothing to return to. The girl he loved so much is now the fiancée of his bestfriend who swore to take care of her for him.

He can still recall the BB accident. He was about to pass the ball to one of their teammates when he suddenly caught sight of Aileen staring at him. At this, he suddenly lost his focus and accidentally threw it in her direction. He feels so stupid hitting the girl he had loved so much since they've become classmates. Way to go, idiot…what a good start! You cannot force yourself to talk to her and you have the guts to throw the ball in her face! he told himself in the clinic mirror. The BB accident began their regular communication. He regularly sees her, sometimes with Matthew tagging along, sometimes just the two of them. There's not much of a talk, actually, but just an appreciation of the environment and their closeness.

The day he left for the U.S. he asked Matt to look after her while he's gone. But it proved to be a wrong move. As he was about to have a vacation in the Philippines a year after that, Matt texted him.

Matt: Dude, I'm sorry.

Ed: For what?

Matt: I broke my promise to look after Allein

Ed: What?! Who's courting her?

Matt: I am…

Ed: What?! I taught you were my friend?

Matt: I am..I still am.

He didn't reply. It was 5 years after that he received a text from him, asking him to be his bestman. The pain might be gone if I see them both happy, he said to himself. He replied 'ok', and the delighted Aileen and Matt made all the arrangements for him to stay at the hotel where Aileen works as a manager.

But this proved to be futile. He still loved her after all these years.

"There you are!" Aileen said, closing in the small distance between them.

He embraced her. "You came," he said "I thought you wouldn't come after what happened.."

"Sshhhh…" she silenced him. And with her hands cupping his face, she's going to kiss him…in the lips.

"What's this?" said a familiar voice.

#EdLeen

#MattLeen

*************************

Please follow Me on Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @jelooo81

If you want, send your donation to

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jeromeangelo81