Chapter 7

She was back in the kitchen preparing the wet ingredients for the egg pie na nirequest ng kuya nya. Madali namang gawin yun kaya pinagbigyan nya na.

"Hija, sa kwarto ka na muna namin ni Dad mo matulog."

"Ma?" Nagtatakang tanong nya sa Mom nya who was bringing out baking pans for her.

"Brenna and Jessica will occupy the guest room. Si Matt and Niam na lang sa kwarto ni Kuya mo. Mark and Lucas can share your room." Paliwanang ng Mom nya. Ngayon nya lang naisip na oo nga, kulang nga sila ng rooms.

Bigla nyang inisip ano ba ang mga dapat nyang iligpit sa kwarto nya. She had her underwear hanging in her bathroom from her shower kanina.

"Wait ma, pa-whisk po nito." She dropped the whisk at dali-daling tinungo ang kwarto nya. Napansin nyang wala ng tao sa sala when she passed. She heard voices upstairs already.

Dali-dali syang tumungo sa kwarto nya. When she opened the door, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was still empty. Went directly to her bathroom and napatili when she found Lucas there. He was holding her strawberry shampoo bottle and he was sniffing it.

"Hi!" naka-ngisi lang ito sa kanya. Hindi nya maintindihan what he finds so entertaining.

"Wait! Labas ka muna. Ayusin ko muna ang mga kalat"

"Maayos naman ah. What's there to fix?" And he roamed his eyes with that crazy grin he always sports.

Napalapit sya dito and brought her hands to cover his eyes.

"Don't look."

Napatawa naman ng malakas si Lucas. He held her hand na nakatakip sa mata nya. "That's why you smell like strawberries." Sabi nito at itinaas pa ang shampoo bottle niya na nasa kabilang kamay pa nito. Mabilis nya namang binawi yun ng isa pang kamay nya at inilapag sa pinaka malapit na shelf.

"Labas ka muna. Please." She placed a begging tone to her voice.

Bumuntong hininga muna si Lucas. She felt him squeeze her hands covering her eyes. So binaba nya na rin ang mga kamay. But he did not let go of her hands. She can feel his warm hands completely cover hers. Hers dainty,soft at maputi. Lucas' was tanned and big. But their hand fit perfectly together. She felt him squeeze her hands again before he let go and left the bathroom.

Dali-dali nyang tinanggal ang nakasampay nyang panty and dumped it in the hamper na nasa isang sulok ng bathroom nya.

"Just so you know, I saw that already." and Lucas snickered. Nilingon nya ito and she saw him seated on her bed with pale pink and white cover looking back at her.

Lalo syang nag-blush and she quickly picked up the hamper and mabilis na tinungo ang pinto to exit. Bigla namang bumukas iyon with her kuya Mark and Matt bringing an extra bed to the room.

"Thank you, sis." tukoy ng kuya niya to her for giving up her room. Napalabi naman sya and her brother brought his hand to her head, grabbed her messy bun and pabirong niyugyog iyon.

"Kaya pala may pa Kitchen Aid eh." acting like nagtatampo sya. Natawa naman ang kuya niya at muling kinusot ang buhok nya.

Dinala nya muna ang hamper nya sa banyo ng room ng mga magulang nya. Palabas na sya ulit ng ipinasok naman ni Mark and Lucas ang extra bed sa room na yun. Nakita nyang nilapag nila ang extra bed sa isang sulok.

"Madami ka pa bang gagawin sa baba?" tanong ng kuya niya. Nakatingin lang sa kanya si Lucas. He was not smiling, he was just staring.

Na conscious sya tuloy bigla.

"Isasalang ko na lang yung egg pie and mag lalagay ng filling sa Macarons" at dali dali na syang lumabas. Naramdaman nya namang nakasunod ang dalawa sa kanya hangang kusina.

Naupo sila sa high stools sa harap ng center island. Parehong nangalumbaba. Lucas was just focused on her. Sinusundan ng tingin saan man sya pumunta.

"Anong ginagawa nyo dito? Bakit hindi na kayo magpahinga." Naunahan na sya ng mom nyang magtanong.

"Ma, 9pm pa lang. That's like 6pm sa Manila. We can't sleep. Tsaka we have been tortured for hours already by that delicious smell" Tumayo pa ang kuya nya at sinilip kung anong nakasalang sa oven. "Can we have some macarons already?"

"Oh no!" She can't help but react to his request. She knows that once he starts, he won't stop.

Nakita nyang kinuha din ng mom nya ang isang batch ng macarons. That they are cooling down.

"You know that it's best eaten when you have let it cool down for at least 24 hours, right?" Nakasimangot na sabi nya sa kuya. But started to prepare fillings for the macarons.

He rolled his eyes. But already had a wide grin and eagerly waiting for macarons. His sister's macarons are delicious and looks perfect. They are so pretty sometimes that it's almost a sin to bite into them. They are soft and chewy inside with crunchy perfectly smooth outside.

"Ang dami mo naman atang ginawa." Obserba naman ni Mark sa dami ng trays na nakita nya sa rack.

"Orders yan. Ihahatid ko tomorrow." Nakangiti namang sagot ni Lexie. She loves it when people patronize her baked goods.

Kumuha sya ng mga boxes at inabot sa dalawang naka tanga lang sa counter. "I-assemble nyo na lang ito kesa wala kayong ginagawa dyan."

Hindi na naman kumibo ang dalawa at nagsimulang mag assemble ng boxes.

Tinungo nya naman ang ref to check the strawberry shortcake that she prepared the other day. She took out 2 small plates and forks and placed a half- slice of the cake on each plate.

"Taste this. I made it last night." She looked at her mom and added. "Nakalimutan natin i-serve kanina, Ma." They had fruits for dessert after dinner kanina.

"Bakit ang liit?" reklamo naman ng kuya nya.

She chuckled, "Taste it first. Baka it's too sweet or not up to your taste. Masasayang lang. Meron pa sa ref."

Nakita nya namang pababa si Niam and Matthew. "What are you having without us?" untag ni Niam.

"Pare, taste test. Dali kayo." The two eagerly occupied the 2 other high stools. So she brought out 2 more plates and forks. Inilabas na lang din nya ang cake para sila na mag cut for themselves.

"Wow!" Niam exclaimed when he saw the cake. He looked at her and said "That's like the prettiest strawberry shortcake na nakita ko." Binatukan ni Lucas si Niam. "Hey!" angal naman ni Niam kay Lucas.

"Look at the cake, loser!" Natatawa naman sabi ni Matt to Niam when he saw na seryoso ang itsura ni Lucas.

"Wala pa nga eh. Nakabakod ka na." Narinig nyang buska ni Niam kay Lucas na ikinapula naman ng mukha nya.

She saw Niam starting to cut the cake. And passed a plate to Matt.

She looked at her panel of judges for reactions.

"This is good, sis!" si Mark that already halved his piece nakaka dalawang subo pa lang ata sya.

"I think you should put up a shop with this. I'll invest in it." Sabi naman ni Matt. Natuwa naman sya sa sinabi nito.

"Good?" Tanong nya dito. Fishing for more compliments.

"It is! Hindi ako nagbibiro. I taste test for the menu sa restaurants ng hotel. And this is top quality."

Niam and Lucas were silently enjoying their cake. Lucas finished his cake already and was reaching to cut another slice. She saw her kuya Mark push his plate to Lucas, hand signalling that he wants another piece. They both had another slice on their plates.

"Boys, you have to leave a slice at least for Ed or else he will be mad." Her mom referring to her dad. "Kagabi nya pa pinag iinitan yang cake na yan."

Lucas cut the whole cake and kept the biggest slice for her dad. The rest he gave to Matt and Niam. Ito na din ang nagcover sa cake and brought it back to the ref.

She can't believe na inubos nila ang cake na yun. She was not even able to taste it. She longingly looked at a piece of cake na nasa plato pa ni Lucas as he is the only one who had some left at nagbalik pa sya ng cake sa ref. He cut the cake, He even picked the prettiest strawberry na natira. Nabigla sya ng inabot nito sa kanya ang tinidor. Telling her silently to taste it.

She did not know how to react. "You did not get to taste your cake. Right?"

Napa-iling naman sya.

"Here!" abot nito ulit sa tinidor.

She was panicking inside. He was using that fork! Aabutin nya ba? She looked at his kuya and to her mom and the other 2 guys in the room and they did not seem to be paying attention. They were talking about cake box designs already.

Inabot nya ang tinidor. Hindi naman sya magpapasubo no! Nagtama pa ang mga kamay nila and she felt electricity from that touch. Mabilis nya sinubo ang cake. Hindi nya naman halos nalasahan sa kaba. Wala na sana syang balak ibalik ang tinidor but she saw Lucas' hand waiting for it. It would look really awkward pag hindi nya binalik. So she did!

He scooped the rest of his cake with the same fork and ate it up. Bigla naman itong nabatukan ni Mark na ikinatawa lang ng binata.

Wala naman nakapag pigil kay Niam. "ooooooo, indirect kiss stage na tayo ah"

All along she thought they were not observing. Nakakahiya!

"Stop it, boys. Tama na." Her mom sternly reprimanded. Tumahimik naman ang mga binata but they were still smiling.

Lord! Ibuka mo na ang lupa at lamunin ako.

She moved to prepare some tea. She brought out a dainty tea set.

"I cannot believe I'll be having tea." sabi ni Matt.

She snickered. "It's too late for coffee. Di kayo makakatulog. And French Macarons are best paired with tea. Try it."

She started brewing tea and also prepared Macarons for them. She served it and saw Mark and Niam take pictures of the set.

The boys went from strawberry shortcake, macarons and even different types of cookies na sobra from orders kahapon.

Natapos nya naman ang ilang orders ng Macarons while the boys had their tea.

She finished at 11:30PM already. Kanina pa nya pina-akyat ang mom nya. Ayaw nya ding magsyadong magpuyat ito. When she was done cleaning up. Tumayo na rin ang mga ito. Like they were waiting for her.

Sabay sabay na silang umakyat sa kani-kanilang kwarto.

Sa kabilang wing ng bahay ang kina Mark and Niam. Naghiwalay na sila sa puno hagdan.

Nasa pinaka sulok ang kwarto ng parents nya. They will pass by her room so nauna na ding pumasok ang Kuya nya. Nagtaka syang hindi sumunod si Lucas. When she got to her parent's room. Nilingon nya ito.

"Good night, Baby Girl" Lucas said. He was looking at her so intently.

Nakakakaba. "Good night, L-Lucas." mahinang sagot niya dito. It was her first time to call him by his name.

Napangiti ito. Mabilis na syang pumasok. Napasandal pa sya sa ipininid na pinto. Tsaka nya lang narinig ang door sa kabilang room open and close.