Chapter 12

"What are you thinking?"

I startled when Connagh spoke out of nowhere. Ang tahimik ko kasi at nakatanaw lamang sa bintana habang pinapanood ang mga establisyementong nalalagpasan namin. Binalingan ko siya ng tingin sabay iling upang iparating sa kanya na wala naman talaga akong iniisip—kahit meron naman talaga.

I just don't want him to be part of it. Kahit matapos na ang araw na 'to, wala na siyang pakialam bukas. He scrunched his face as if he wasn't convinced with my reason. After knowing kasi what he gave to me, hindi na iyon nawala sa isipan ko.

It felt lang ako yong naging donation-drive na ginawa niya dahil binigay niya sa akin 'yong mga gamit ng ex-girlfriend niya. Ni hindi pa nga ako sure kung ex na nga ba or somewhere between in a relationship or not.

I'm trying to sway it out of my head dahil mukhang never na naman ma-o-open ang topic na 'yon with him. I will be here making assumptions and conclusions about it. Kahit marami man akong pagdududa, I still have to look up to him kasi siya ang boss at mentor ko. I should set aside the personal stuff because I'm here for the experience and not to be someone else's ex-girlfriend. Just like what Berk told me, I was reminded by his ex-girlfriend, was it same as his?

I can't assume anything right now, but if there are things that became questionable and suspicious, maybe that's the time I should step in and acquired some answers.

When we stopped on an intersection, I tried to sway my attention away from him. Humalukipkip naman ako kasi unti-unti ko nang nararamdaman ang lamig. Parang negative degrees ang lamig sa loob ng sasakyan niya. Saan ba ako dadalhin nito? Akala ko ba over the phone lang kami mag-uusap pero bakit merong pagsundo sa akin?

"Kiersten?" he called me. I startled and slowly shifted my attention at him.

"Yes... sir?"

"Sir?" he questioned as if I did say something wrong. "I thought we talked about calling me just as my name when we're out of the office, right?"

"Ah... okay po," simple kong sagot sabay tango ng bahagya. Hindi ko na naman sinundan pa ng kung anong mga kuwestiyon o kung ano man. Nanatili naman akong tahimik.

I started getting speculations about him, but I'm really trying not to be so adamant about it kasi baka gano'n lang talaga si Connagh. He's just nice and good to me. And it's bad to make assumptions din kasi to people I don't really have a clue about their personal lives.

"Aren't you going to ask where are we going?" he asked.

Napatitig na lamang ako sa mukha niya. But then I realize what he just said so I shook my head to get back to my senses. "No, yeah, where are we going? I—I thought we're just going to talk over the phone and all. I'm just not expecting seeing you tonight."

He smirked. "I didn't expect it, too. You might have a lot of questions in your head right now so if you're going to ask something to me, please ask it away and I'll be glad to take your curiosity away."

"Wala naman akong ibang tanong bukod sa kung saan tayo pupunta..." aniko. I wanted to asked that question pero ayoko rin namang pasukin ang pribado niyang buhay. Berk could also be wrong, too. He showed me the picture, it could be a proof, but is it really real? Like real na real?

"Sure, if you say so," ngisi pa nito at muli niyang pinaandar ang sasakyan nang mag-go na ang stoplight. "We'll be going to a mall."

"Ah... okay... so what we'll be doing there?"

"You'll see," ngisi pa nito. Hindi ko na sure kung gusto niya ba talagang tanungin 'yong tanong ko or he's just teasing me from it kahit gusto kong alaming kung para saan ba itong on-the-spot meeting namin. "But what's on your mind? Your guesses? Is there something going on in your mind right now?"

"Might be having some dinner?" I guessed.

He shrugged off. "Probably. Anything?"

Umiling na lang din naman ako dahil wala na naman akong ibang naisip na ibang bagay pa. I just don't know why, but maybe there's a lot of things bugging in my head kaya hindi ko rin siya masagot ng maayos. Muli naman akong natahimik sa kinauupuan ko at dahan-dahan ko na sanang ibabalik ang paningin sa bintana, but he caught my attention once again.

"Kiersten," he called me out.

Nakakunot ang noo kong nakaabang sa sasabihin niya. "Ano po 'yon?"

"Why were you with Berk?" he asked and then made a quick glanced at me then put his eyes back on the road.

"I was with my tita earlier and we met him just outside the Buckingham Palace."

"Oh, really? Then what did you guys do?"

Kailangan niya bang malaman kung ano ang lahat ng nangyari? Or he's just being so nosey tonight and I just have to deal with it. Wala rin naman masama kung magtanong siya, but because there's this still underlying issue that he could be lying to me was so prominent na hindi ko kayang alisin sa utak ko. I just don't need to think about it because it's his private life, but why am I so affected?

"We just had ano... wala namang big deal do'n."

"I know, I just wanted to know," he turned to looked at me and smile then put it back on the door. "So...?"

I swallowed, settling myself on the seat to get more comfortable. "Kumain lang kami with my tita, then nag-picture kami around Buckingham Palace kasi it's my first time to see it closely na maliwanag pa. Last time kasi, ginabi na kami. But it was still wonderful at night. After that, my tita left then we went to the Westminster Bridge and take pictures as well."

"So you're just touring around the city?" he wondered

I nodded. "Yes, that could be what we were doing. I know I'm here for my internship, iyon naman talaga ang first priority ko, but I also wanted to go around and see what other beautiful destinations this country has. Alam mo na naman 'yon, 'di ba? I mentioned it the other night."

"Yes," he nodded.

Oh, so he actually remembered it? Hindi niya nga kinalimutan 'yong nangyari no'ng gabing 'yon? But why do I feel like it was? If he did remember what happened the other night, does he remember the first time we actually met? The kiss and defending me from that Karen?

"And Berk promised me rin kasi that he'll take me around the city. We've been looking forward to it since the first time we talked about it. That happened earlier was actually the first time. Lagi kasing nauudlot, e. From the past weekends, lagi kaming magkasama nina tita."

"Is he courting you?"

My face scrunched looking at him, wondering why would he ask that question to me. Umiling ako para sagutin ang tanong niya pero mukhang hindi niya napansin kasi tutok ang mata at atensyon niya sa dinaraanan namin.

"No... he's not. Bakit mo naman natanong 'yon?"

He shrugged off his shoulder. "You guys are close to each other. He could be possibly courting you the way he acted around you."

Mas lalong kumunot ang mukha ko sa sinabi niya. How would he know Berkeley's actions when he's with me? Nakabantay ba siya all the time? May CCTV pa na hindi ko nakikita? Meron din ba ako dapat na malaman? Am I being watched? Kailangan ko na bang kabahan dahil sa mga sinasabi niya sa akin?

"Parang hindi naman..." aniko. "I think Berk and I are just good friends. I don't think we'll be reaching that point. And I promised to myself that getting into a relationship isn't my priority so if he's making a move on me, he can, but I won't entertain it like I'm giving him a chance. In short, hindi ko talaga priority ang magkajowa."

"Good to know," he said. Iyon lang ang isasagot niya sa akin after all those things na pinaliwanag ko?

It took us thirty minutes when we finally reached the mall he was talking about. We're on the Westfield Stratford City, he parked his car and then we hopped out as soon as the car parked in the parking area.

Nauna na akong magbukas ng pinto. He was about to do it for me pero dahil naunahan ko siya at tiningnan na lamang niya ako. Sumunod na lamang ako sa kanya kung saan man kami magpunta ngayon.

"Sir—ay Connagh pala," pagtawag ko sa kanya. Bahagya naman niya akong nilingon. "Ano po bang gagawin natin dito?"

"I'll buy you some clothes," direkta nitong sinabi sa akin.

Napasinghap naman ako sa sinabi niya. "Hindi na naman po ata necessary na bilhan pa ako? If ever, saan ko naman poi to gagamitin? I think I have some clothes naman po na hindi ko pa nagagamit sa luggage ko. And the dresses you gave to me the other night, okay na po 'yon sa akin. You don't have to buy me some clothes."

"It's fine and we're already here so no one can stop me now."

"Oh... okay po..." iyon na lamang ang naisagot ko kasi hindi ko na alam kung anong isasagot ko.

I have no clue why would he bring me here aside from buying me some clothes. Kung ano man iyong pupuntahin namin sa Amerika, would it be a grand event na kailangan ding maging elegante? And what could it be? If it's part of my internship though, sasabihin niya kaya sa akin kung anong gagawin namin?

To my surprise, walang pagdadalawang isip si Connagh na pumapasok sa mga high end brand stores. We went to Zara and he bought me some sweatshirts, shorts, boots, dress, and all. Akala ko matatapos na iyong pamimili namin ng damit when he decided to the couture club. Nahihiya na ako dahil puro para sa akin ang pinamimili niya. We also went to TM Lewin store where bough some suits, pants, and other stuff. Nahihirapan na kami sa pagbubuhat ng mga paper bag but it doesn't look he's about to stop.

We went to Hollister for casual dresses. Calvin Klein for underwear and bra, at hindi na pinalagpas ang Victoria's Secret that I thought he'll buy me some lingerie, but I was relieved dahil 'yong mga dresses ang ipinunta namin do'n. He let me chose what I would like to wear kahit pa gaano kamahal ay wala siyang pakialam doon.

I'm trying to pick one piece out of everything pero in the end, pipilitin niya akong kumuha pa ng iba dahil sayang naman daw. That's what he did on our first store, isa lang ang pinili ko so he went buying some stuff for me na hindi ko alam kung magagamit ko naman.

Almost eight, he looked at his watch and I know it's already getting late.

"I think we should go now," anunsyo niya. Sa pagkakataong iyon ay nakahinga ako ng maluwag dahil lalagpas trenta na itong hawak naming paper bag at pakiramdam ko ay bibigay na ang balikat ko. He's carrying the heavy ones while I'm taking the lightweight ones. "Do you want to eat?"

Umiling naman ako. "No, sir, these are all enough. We don't have to eat out on a restaurant and spend thousands again. This is fine... I mean this is too much already and I don't know how I would pay for this."

Napangisi naman siya. "No, you're not paying for it, Kiersten. I bought it for you so it's yours now."

Napangiwi naman ako kasi napakarami ng pinamili niya para sa akin. Parang katumbas na nito ang allowance na makukuha ko sa sponsorship ko. Sobra-sobra pa nga ata itong mga binigay niya. Parang wala lang din naman sa kanya ang perang ginastos niya.

"Thank you... I know I don't deserve this, but I promised to take care all of this."

"Yeah, you should," ngisi pa nito. "I think we should just go to drive-thru and eat it back home. What do you think?"

Tango na lang din ang sagot ko bilang pagpayag sa kanya.

Tumungo na rin naman kami palabas ng mall and he took some of the paper bags in my hands kasi napansin niyang nahihirapan ako. Nang marating din namin ang sasakyan niya ay isa-isa naming nilapag ang mga paper bag sa trunk ng kanyang sasakyan. He opened the car door for me and I hopped inside and settled in. Pumasok din naman siya saka ko inayos ang seat belt ko at gayundin siya.

"Connagh..." pagtawag ko sa kanya. Nilingon naman niya akong may ngiti sa labi. "I don't know how to repay you, but thank you for all the things you've done and gave to me. I appreciated it all so thank you."

"You're welcome, Kiersten," he said. "It's the only thing I can do."

He then started his car and then we stopped into a drive-thru for our dinner. I thought we'll be eating it inside his car, but to my surprise, we didn't and we're heading back to his apartment. I remembered it because I've been watching the establishments we passed through before.

"Uh... Connagh? This isn't the way to my apartment."

"I know," he said. "You'll be staying in my flat tonight. That's why I bought you some clothes and stuff. I'm quite sure you have your passport and some identifications with you, right?"

Tumango naman ako sa kanya. "Yes..."

"And you'll be fine then. Just for the night, Kiersten. We have an early flight tomorrow so we have to make most of our time, alright?"

Tumango na lamang ako muli bilang pagsang-ayon sa kanya. It doesn't take us long when we finally reached his flat and we hardly brought everything up to his room ll the things he bought. Mabuti na lang ay kinayanan namin.

He told me he has a spare luggage where I can use to put all of these stuff. Mamaya ko na rin daw iyon gawin kung hindi ay kumain muna kaming dalawa. Habang hinahanda ni Connagh ang pagkain namin. Naka-receive din namana ko ng message kaya mabilis kong sinilip kung kanino galing iyon.

Berkeley: What time you'll be home?

"Who's texting you?" he asked at mabilis ko namang ibinalik sa bulsa ko. "Your auntie?"

"Yes, yes. It's just tita. I'll inform her again about the trip to the USA. Wait can I ask... ano bang gagawin natin at saan tayo pupunta sa US?"

Napangisi naman ito. "It's a party or a celebration. We'll be going to Las Vegas."

"Oh..." Namilog na lamang ang bibig ko. "That's interesting..."

"Yes," ngisi pa nito. "You'll love it there. We should start eating now so we can prepare for our stuff and sleep early."

"Right..." aniko at nagsimula na naman kaming kumain.

Whatever would we be doing in Vegas, hopefully things fall into the right place, as always.

***

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know your thoughts! I would appreciate it so much!

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