Chapter 1
I met him five years ago. I was a freshman in college, when me and my friends decided to get into blind date. Is a triple blind dates with the three handsome seniors. Cathy said that they're graduating students in different courses.
We're heading to the coffee shop and I just realized that we're just a freshmen and we're going on a date with those seniors and I can't believe with those friends of mine! they're way,way older than our age!
"Don't you want older guys, Lauren?" Madeline raise her brows to me.
"Don't ya' worry girl, they're hotties!" Cathy laughed. I dismayed.
"I thought this is a blind date? Did you already saw them, Cathy?" I asked with my eyes widened.
"Of course girl! I should be sure that they're not gonna waste our time here! Don't worry, your man is handsome! " She laughed, i just sighed.
"Ugh! I can't believe this! We should go on a date with boys in our age, we shouldn't involved with those oldies-, " i ranted while going inside the coffee shop.
" Sshh, Lauren!" Cathy rebuked then pointing where the three men seated. They're all raised their glance at us the moment we enter the shop. "Mine is in the middle, yours in the left side Madeline," she whispered to Madeline who now smiling widely then she turned to me. "And then yours is in the right side" she whispered.
My eyes shifted to that man, he's wearing a brown leather jacket with an army cut, a perfect jaw line, broad shoulders and a very matured features. He's sipping to his coffee like oldies does!
I looked at myself first, I'm wearing a oversized sweatshirt, checkered pencil cut that hugged my waist and a white sneakers. This is what I'm telling you! Later on when I'm all alone with that man I'll look like a kid with his old fashioned clothes! He's too matured and I'm too girly and what the people would think of us? That he's my sugar daddy? No!
But when I get closer and carefully examined him, unconsciously, I bit my lower lip because of the shame I'm feeling!
Why am i wearing this kind of outfit? I am already a college student and not highschool student anymore. I should wear more matured dress! Like Madeline and Cathy's choice of clothes. They're more classy and women like! Well, I should start change my preference.
"Hi! I'm Lauren Ruth Smith Williams," I don't even know why I stated my whole name, even my middle name! His eyebrows rose.
He shook my hands. Gosh! Our first ever shakehands!
"I'm Clive..." he response short that makes my jaw dropped.
His... deep... voice!
"So shall we start?" Cathy said in jolly.
"Uhm... I wanna watch movie," Madeline soft voice to her date.
"Let's go," he immediately get up! Probably, he already fell inlove with her like everything she voice out, he would definitely obliged without thingking!
"Bro!," but before that he did the fist bump to his friends. Then they left.
"You wanna watch movie too? Cathy?" Cathy's date asked.
" Hmm. Can we do that later?, " She leaned to the table showing her cleavage her date look on it too. "I wanna shop eh!" with seductive voice.
I made face on how cringy Cathy was then I looked down to my chest and wondering if I can show off as well? I've never tried to wear conservative clothes I'm always on my sweatshirt.
I caught Clive glance at me then immediately turned to the window with his amused face. What? Is he laughing at me?
"S-Sure! Let's go?" just like the other guy I think he already amused by Cathy "Clive! We're heading," I saw these two guys made some signals that made Clive shook his head then they left.
"What's that?" I asked with full of curiosity. He looked at me with intense glare.
"Nothing," his short responses again! "So what are we gonna do now?" He crossed his arms and look at my chest!
Pervert!
"Can you be honest to me?" I asked. "Are you disappointed on me?"
"Nope. I saw your picture beforehand," he answered lazily and then sipped to his coffee.
WHAT? I blinked my eyes. He saw my picture beforehand? What was I looked like?! I should ask Cathy!
He just take me outside for a walk while I don't have things in mind yet. He let me to decide of what we gonna do to our fucking date! Yes! Fuck I'm fucked up! co'z I'm very nervous I don't know, maybe it because I'm dating a guy who's older than my age!
"So, you're graduating..." What a stupid question! Pero tumingala parin ako para hintayin ang sagot niya, he has a perfect jaw line. I can't help but to stare.
"Yes," tipid niyang sagot. Na ngiti ako, kahit tipid siya sumagot, worth it naman. I think he's a man with a few words.
"Hmm..." I nodded while swaying may hand bag. "How funny right? I'm a freshman and you're already a graduating student." natawa ako then he turned to me. "So, what's your course? Kasi ako? Business administration co'z may family business kami and my sister didn't want to run our business so i decided to take her position-," i stopped nang nailang ako sa titig niya. "So what's your course?" Nahiya ako ng kunti masyado ata akong madaldal.
"Engineering..." Tanging sagot niya at iwas ng tingin.
" Oh... So, you want to be an engineer," tumango tango ako, well indemand iyon ngayon. I wonder if we need to have a personal engineer to contruct our next company branch.
"I want to be a soldier."
Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sagot niya at napatitig sakanya. He then looked down on me.
"I wanna serve the country, after i graduate I'm gonna take training in PMA..." He stopped. "That's my plan,"
He wanted to be a soldier.
A soldier.
Natigilan ako sa nalaman sakanya. Why? Why soldier?
Despite of what I have learned that day, that didn't stop my admiration to Clive.
Then i found myself standing outside the building of engineering. We're in same school, Cathy said to me, that's why I'm here.
Breaktime ngayon, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna find him here with those bunch of engineering students.
I'm wearing a checkered skirt again but this time, i decided to wear something that could show my curves. Kaya pinagtitinginan ako ngayon, not just because of my outfit, it because... am i the only girl here?
I have poor eye sight, hindi ko siya mahaligalap rito then a minute someone's grabbed my elbow.
"What are you doing here, Lauren!"
Oh crap! I forgot that Ice is an engineering student!!!
"You took too much attention here, go back to your building!" then I saw Clive looking at me while Ice dragging me out, hay, kung minamalas ka nga naman!
"M-May kakausapin lang ako!" Katwiran ko sa kanya.
"Who? Ugh! Lauren! Don't tell me you have boyfriend here, you're just a freshman at may boyfriend ka na agad?"
"What? I don't! Bakit? Puro lalaki lang ba ang nariyan?!" Napapikit siya sa inis.
"Go back and don't ever come back here!"
"Who are you to order me that? You're no longer my boyfriend anymore! Hmp! " Sabay takbo ko pabalik bago siya makapagsalita agad.
Ice was my boyfriend in our highschool days, and we broke up when we we're grade 11. Just a puppy love perhaps.We lost the love we have eh! I don't know to him, I'm the one who broke to our relationship.
And now I'm interested with Clive, i have never been dated a guy who's older than me and makes me more interested on this.
"How stupid I am! I should get his number before we separate our ways!" I talked to myself.
And that's how I started to be attract to him and also the start of making myself to be more attractive and that's why there's a flock of suitors of mine.
Nahihiya akong, ako ang lumapit. I have never been in Engineering building since then. Nag aantay nalang ako na lumapit siya, pero ibang lalaki ang lumalapit!
It was a lazy day here sitting in the bench with my friends. Kani kanina lang ay may lumapit saaking lalaki na tinaboy ko rin, I'm so sad I can't make use my charm to Clive! He's too busy to notice me huh?
If i don't do something, baka magkagusto siya sa iba! Ugh! What happened to you Lauren? Ang mga lalaki ang lumalapit sayo hindi ikaw ang dapat lumapit sa kanila!
"Uy! Game kayo ah. Next blind dates ulit, kasama na daw sila Jia-," I cut off Cathy.
" WHAT?" Iritado kong sabi. "Blind date na naman? Hindi pa ba kayo nakuntento nung nakaraan?" Irap ko. "Di ko pa nga ulit na date ung date ko na un e." I pouted.
They laughed at me, oh well, that's my friends people!
"Don't tell me you already fall inlove with him?" Natatawang tanong ni Madeline.
"Of course not! I'm just... just interested!" I answered honestly.
"Why don't you call him? Kaya pala taboy ka ng taboy may inaantay ka na pala. Girl, if you don't do something and if you just sitting here pretty, walang mangyayari! Call him!"
"How can i do that? If i dont have his number?" I said histerically, "I forgot to get his number!" I said with so much disappointment.
"Whoa! Ang isang Lauren Williams ay ngayon ay nagkainterest na kumuha ng number ng lalaki. What a change, Lauren huh?" Madeline said.
"You're too interested to that guy huh. Well, he's too hot." Nangingiting sabi ni Cathy na binigyan ko ng matalim na tingin. "Okay, I'm gonna help you girl! Hihingin ko kay JR ung number niya para sayo."
At ng ilang sandali nabuhayan ang lanta kong buhay.
Ako:
Hey. This is Lauren! Remember me?
That was a very first time that I did the first move in texting a guy. You're so special Clive! You better reply me!!!
Then after few days, there's no reply. Kating kati na ko tadtarin siya kung hindi ko lang inaalagaan ang pigiging pa hard to get ko- Hmp! Kainis!
Sobra na naaapakan ang ego ko. This is the first time. Why? Then i found myself again here inside the engineering building, hugging my books, I walked around and i hope to talk to him or even see him! And i wanna ask why? Why did ignored and not replying to my text? Gwapo mo ah!
Nawala lahat nang hinanda kong sumbat sakanya ng nagkasalubong kami. Muntik muntikan ko pang mahulog ang libro ko ng makita siya. Finally after a week...
"H-Hi..." Iyon nalamang ang nasabi at nablanko na ako.
He looked at me head to toe. Nakakunot ang noo niya na para bang sobrang bothered siya sa suot ko.
"Lauren?" My jaw dropped when he say my name. Kung wala lang siya rito sa harap ko baka umiyak na ko. Finally, natatandaan niya! "What brings you here?"
"Uhm... Can you check your phone? I texted you four days ago." Tumaas ang kilay niya sa narinig saakin. I bite my lower lip sa sobrang kahihiyan!
Why am I doing this?
"My phone got snatched five days ago. I just bought a new phone yesterday." He explained. My jaw dropped a little, so that explains that he can't reply to my text because his phone got snatched?
So what are you going to do now? Lauren?
Run!
"O-Okay!" And i run as fast as i can. This is so embarrassing! At ang daming tao dun oh! Para akong nagmukhang sobrang baliw sa lalaking iyon na hindi naman dapat!
"I forgot again to get his new number!" I whispered.
My god Lauren! You still minding not to get his new number despite of what have you done? You're not stepping to that engineering building anymore!