Chapter 5: Business Proposal

Nakatingin lang kami sa isa't isa pagkatapos. Kinalma ko rin muli ang sarili ko. "I mean, I actually have a business proposal to you..." I finally told him.

"A business proposal?"

Tumango ako sa kaniya. "Yes. I heard that you have a daughter..." I said.

Pagkatapos nang mag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya ay muli kaming nagkatinginang dalawa. He looked at me in the eyes. And I got a bit intimidated by his stare...

"It's not a secret." he said with a bit of sigh.

Bahagya naman nanlaki ang mga mata ko habang nakatingin din ako sa kaniya. Kaya siguro alam ni Claire kasi hindi naman pala talaga sikreto ang pagkakaroon na niya ng anak...

"And what about it?" he asked me.

And I spaced out a bit thinking about it so I composed myself first before I continued. "About your daughter... I can be her mother..." sabi kong parang nagdududa na rin sa sarili at sa ginagawa ko ngayon...

While he just remained looking at me.

At parang nagising naman ang utak ko sa pagliliwaliw pa. "About my business proposal, it includes this. And what I mean to say is that I can also be like a mother figure to your daughter... And in return you have to marry me..." Damn it... I have to really organize my words properly. Hindi na ako sigurado kung ayos pa ba itong mga pinagsasabi ko sa kaniya ngayon. I'm slowly feeling pathetic and stupid... in front of him now.

Pero nanatili pa rin akong nakatingin sa kaniya at tinatagan ko na lang din ang loob ko.

Bahagya naman nang kumunot ang noo niya sa'kin pagkatapos niyang pakinggan ang mga sinasabi ko. "When... Why... Did you just thought that you wanted to become a mom?" aniya sa'king mukhang bahagya nang naguluhan nang dahil din sa akin at sa mga sinasabi ko.

I sighed a bit obviously now. "You might not realize it now but your daughter would also need someone who's like a mother to her. The child would need a complete family to grow in to..." I still tried to reason. Because I thought of this, too.

He was looking at me. Until a slow smirk formed on his lips that it sent me some shivers...

"Or are you just actually trying to save your family from the inevitable?" he directly asked me.

And my eyes widened a fraction at what he said. He might think that I was even using his daughter as an excuse. He might get offended. But I didn't mean to offend him. Umiling ako. Pero tumango rin kasi naalala ko ang totoo kong pakay sa kaniya at ang talagang rason kung bakit ako nandito ngayon sa harapan niya, at sinusubukan siyang kausapin...

At nalungkot din ako nang maisip ko si Ate Rosie. She's still working very hard until now trying to save our family from complete bankruptcy... Dahil ngayon lang sa sinabi sa akin ni Harrison ay mas naisip ko pa na talagang nanganganib na nga ang pamilya namin...

And it's also probably the reason why my grandmother was so into getting me to marry that dirtbag. Because maybe Maverick's family could also help the De La Cerna's...

Wala pa talaga akong alam. Pero tingin ko ay ganoon na nga. I'm here now with the thought of only myself... Kasi sarili ko lang naman talaga ang inisip kong gusto kong masalba sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakasal ko kay Harrison Abella...

Pero parang nakakalimutan ko na at hindi ko rin pala naisip ang pamilya ko na nasa hindi rin magandang sitwasyon ngayon...

Tiningnan ko si Harrison at tinatagan ko pa ang loob ko. "Of course, sino ba naman ang ayaw na isalba ang pamilya niya..." I said while I was looking at him. But then I also looked away...

"I heard from my sister that she was actually about to marry you, only if you would agree to marry her, too... Pero tinanggihan mo raw..." At ang kapal naman niya para tanggihan ang kapatid ko, when Ate Rosie's the most gorgeous!

Habang nanatili lang naman ang tingin ni Harrison sa akin. Nang pag-angat ko muli ng tingin ko sa kaniya ay nakita ko na nakatingin pa rin siya sa akin.

"Hmm. Interesting..." was his only comment.

Nanatili kaming nakatingin sa isa't isa. Hanggang sa tinanong niya na rin ako ng tungkol sa sinasabi kong business proposal ko sa kaniya. "So, you just simply want me to marry you so you could save your family and your business? Since I disagree to marry your sister..." aniya.

Hindi ako makailing sa kaniya o kahit makatango. I can also feel my cheeks getting warm because I can now feel myself being embarrassed...

And then his fingers held my chin. After that he made me look at him more. Kaya wala na akong nagawa kundi ang tumingin din pabalik sa magagandang pares ng mga mata niya na may unique na color brown. It's not the usual brown eyes... because his was a bit lighter and looked brighter... despite his piercing gazes most of the time. Maybe his eyes would fit him more when he would smile...

Sandali akong napatitig na lang sa mga mata niya. Hanggang sa nagsalita rin siya muli. "And...what made you think that I'd help your family..." aniya na humina rin ang boses niya sa huli. At binitiwan na niya ang baba ko. Pagkatapos ay bahagya rin siyang umatras na medyo palayo sa akin.

Nakatingin lang naman ako sa kaniya.

"A contract is not a contract without the necessary papers..." he said this after awhile. At mukha pang parang sinabi niya na lang din 'to... Parang bahagya siyang nawala sa sarili niya. He looked like he also spaced out a bit. Pero saglit lang naman dahil naging seryoso rin naman siya agad habang nakatingin sa akin.

Bahagya naman nanlaki ang mga mata ko habang nakatingin ako sa kaniya. At parang nakakita ako ng mga anghel na nagkakatantahan na ngayon sa likuran niya. "So... are you saying that you're willing to accept my proposal?" namamangha ko pang tanong sa kaniya.

Hindi niya agad ako sinagot. Kaya naman dinagdagan ko na ang mga salita ko. "It's only right? Our company is probably not just a liability to you. Okay din naman ang kompanya nina Papa... and Ate Rosie, my sister has been still working very hard on her job for the company! Kailangan lang naman ni ate ng konting tulong..." Tulong mo. I looked at him again. "And in return I believe that our company can contribute to you, too..." Well, I'm not really sure. I'm not into business yet. At nag-aaral pa lang ako. But through my sister I know a little about business... And I can learn more about it. I'll study even more. At least I'd do it now for myself and also for my dear sister.

Ilang sandali pa niya akong tiningnan. "We'll see to it... And we have to talk more about it, and about the other things involved, too..." he said.

"Okay. Sa side ko naman ay gusto ko lang na magpakasal... sa'yo..." Bahagya akong tumikhim pagkatapos. Ano ba'ng sinasabi ko? "Ang ibig kong sabihin, iyon na nga na para masalba ko ang pamilya ko. And also, para rin sa'yo, para sa anak mo..."

Nagkatinginan kami muli.

I sighed a bit. "And also, about the contract—"

"We can draft our agreement with both of our presence..." he cut me off.

Unti-unti na lang naman akong tumango sa kaniya.

"You can come to my office and we can talk about it." aniya pa.

Muli lang din naman akong tumango sa kaniya.

Tapos ay ngayon ko lang naisip. I've been talking to him about a business proposal, pero nasaan na ang nakahanda ko na dapat na proposal? Gusto ko na lang mapakamot sa ulo ko. I should've drafted it myself, tapos pinabasa ko na rin sana sa kaniya ngayon. I wasn't really prepared, was I? I moved in such a rush... But I did not just act on this in a whim.

And I hope that I wouldn't regret any of this in the future...

And then I saw his piercing eyes which remained looking at me. Then a small smirk formed on his lips. "Are you sure that you aren't doing this because you just actually like me?" he asked me!

Nanlaki pa ang mga mata ko sa tanong niya. Pero pinangunutan ko rin siya ng noo ko. "What are you talking about? Oo nga pala, I have to be clear on this. One of the reasons is that I obviously won't marry you for love or because of romance." tuloy-tuloy ko lang ito na sinabi sa kaniya.

Nakita ko naman ang bahagyang pagtaas ng mga kilay niya habang nakikinig siya sa akin. Pagkatapos ay hinalukipkip na rin niya ang mga braso niya habang pinapakinggan ako.

"Mr. Harrison Abella, it's not a secret also about your ways with women... And as I'm already aware of how you are with women, I know that I will not fall for you even the slightest. At hindi kita gusto..." I sighed a bit before I continued talking. "This is just pure business. That's why I offered you a business proposal, this. This is just like a business deal..." I said.

May konting ngiti pa rin sa mga labi niya nang unti-unti siyang tumango pagkatapos ng sinabi ko.

Pagkatapos ay bahagya naman akong napaatras nang nilapit niya muli ang katawan niya sa akin. At unti-unti niyang binaba ang mukha niya sa akin. We were still inside this private room here. Hindi ko na rin alam kung gaano na ba kami katagal dito at kung baka hinahanap na rin siguro ako ni Claire sa labas...

Pumikit na lang ako nang marahang lumapat na ang labi niya sa akin pagkatapos lang magdikit sa isa't isa ang mga ilong namin. I already anticipated his kiss until his lips landed on mine...

Nakapikit lang ako at hinayaan ko siyang halikan ako...

Until I can feel his lips no more. And I opened my eyes. Then I was met by his beautiful pair of unique brown eyes. Alam ko na nagtatanong ang mga mata kong nakatingin sa kaniya pagkatapos niyang tumigil. Because... why did he stop?

But then he looked at me and as if he already just realized something...

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