"It's been a week, Melchizedek. You still haven't phoned me yet! Ano na? Should I make a move myself?" Uno angrily told his best friend over the phone while walking to and fro in front of his office desk.

"Ay, wow! Siya na nga nahingi ng pabor, siya pa ang galit! Pasensya ka na, ha? Wiz pa aketch nakakapag-inquire kung may available pang condo unit sa building nina Seri at Dos, kasi 'di ba? May sarili rin naman akong buhay, shuta ka! Maghintay ka p'wede?!" Yari replied in a deafening manner.

He distanced his phone from his ear. "Don't shout!"

"Sino ba'ng nauna?! Saka, haller! Nasa trabaho ako! Kabi-kabila 'yong gawain ko. Pwedeng mamaya ka na lang tumawag?!"

"Basta!" He stomped his foot on the floor, his brows furrowed in annoyance. "Make sure when you call me later, you'll have good news to tell me, understood?!"

"Aba--"

He disconnected the call. Not more than a minute later, a set of three knocks came by the door.

"Come in," he said.

"Good afternoon po, Sir Uno," his secretary greeted, wearing a huge smile on her face.

"What do you need?" He was leafing through the papers he had on hand. "Make it quick. I have a lot to do."

He heard his secretary giggle, which made him pin his questioning eyes on her. "And you're giggling like a teenager because?"

"Kasi po may naghahanap po sa inyo sa lobby...." she replied, swaying her body while ruffling the hemline of her blouse.

"And?" He sounded impatient. "Magfi-fill in the blanks tayo rito?"

The woman shook her head, giggling, paying no fear on the irked Uno. "May naghahanap po sa inyo sa lobby, girlfriend niyo raw po, Sir. Papaakyatin ko na ho ba?"

"W-what?! What did you say?!" He hastily stood on his feet, palming his hands on his desk to have a closer earshot of his secretary's reiteration.

"May naghahanap po kako sa inyo sa lobby, girlfriend niyo raw po. Papaakyat--"

"Who the hell is that?!"

He was alarmed, both from not having a girlfriend yet an anonymous woman was claiming that she is his girl and for that woman to have the face to stain his relationship status just so she could pin an end to her giggles.

"Sir?" His secretary brought him back to his senses. "Paaakyatin--"

"Wala pa 'kong girlfriend. I haven't even started courting the woman I like. So, make her leave. I'm not interested in any other woman." And never would he be interested if it wouldn't be Dos.

Much to his surprise, his secretary spoke words he expected not to receive. "Ano ka ba naman, Sir," she pulled a downward curve on her lips, "sayang naman po 'yong ipinunta ni Miss Dos. Pero sige po sasabihin--"

"Nino?" He dragged himself closer to his secretary, causing the other to cover her mouth as she giggled with burning cheeks.

"Si Miss Dos po sabi--Hala, Sir! Teka lang! Hintayin mo naman ako!"

He was so excited to see Dos, who claimed to be his girlfriend, that he stormed out of his office. He even took the stairs going down because he saw several employees waiting for the lifts. He carelessly bumped into several of their employees, who unfortunately carried dozens of folders on hand that toppled over him and utilities pushing their cleaning carts that dirtied his white dress shirt.

All those he'd been through, only for him to see Yari seated on one of the cushions by the office lobby while laughing his ass out.

"Fuck you, bitch!" A rough slap from Uno's hand landed on Yari's head. "Ghad!" He kicked the cushion. "I stormed my way from my office on the seventh floor to here on this fucking lobby just to freaking see you?! How dare you tell me you're at work?! How dare you make use of Dos?!"

A laugh was all he received from Yari. Disappointed and tired, he took his seat beside him, withdrawing a long sigh.

"Ok. I'm sor--"

"Don't fucking say a word," Uno pointed his finger at Yari's face, "I'm still pissed."

Yari shrugged, folded his arms on his chest while comfortably leaning his back on the couch. "Sayang, pina-reserve ko pa naman na 'yong isang unit kina Seri. Pero--"

"There's an available unit?!" He cupped Yari's face. "There is?!"

The latter shoved his hands off. "Magkaka-pimple ang beauty ko sa ginagawa mo, eh! Kasasabi ko lang 'di ba?! Pina-reserve ko na nga 'di ba?! Imbyerns!"

Uno punched his fist in the air with lips grinning from ear to ear. "You're the best, Melch!" He gave him a brief hug.

"I know right. Ako pa--"

"Wilma!" Uno yelled when he saw his secretary step out of the lift, carrying his leather briefcase in her right hand and her notepad on the other.

"Sir?!" his secretary yelled back, running her way to where he was seated.

"Tell my father I'm waving my day off. I have an important matter to deal with." He hastily took his briefcase off her hand and dragged Yari out of the office.

"Teka lang, bakla! Saan mo ba 'ko dadalhin? Lunch lang namin kaya ako nakalabas--"

"I'll pay for your day, okay? Tutulungan mo 'kong maglipat."

"Ngayon?! Agad?! Saka ano'ng tingin mo sa 'kin kargador?! Lipat bahay?! Sa ganda kong 'to?! Manigas ka!" He pulled his hands off his grasp and hurriedly ran away from him.

Uno, being as towering as him, was able to keep up. Yari was left being dragged by his collar and ended up giving a hand for the sake of his best friend's love life.

"Seems like the odds are in my favor," Uno said, rubbing his palms together, eyes staring at the terrace just beside his new condo unit. "Magkatabi pa talaga kami ng unit."

"Sigurado ka ba talaga sa gagawin mo, bakla?" Yari asked him before taking a sip from his Cranberry juice. "This is as good as ruining her relationship with Seri. Ang daming ibang pechay r'yan. Kung talaga bet mo nang tumiwalag sa federasyon natin, 'wag kang manira ng relasyon ng may relasyon."

They were both seated at a two-seater table by the terrace, grabbing their preferred quenchers after the tiring move-in they did for almost half the day.

"Duh! It's not as if I'd ruin it. I'd just try to prove my worth. If she sees it and wants herself out of her relationship with Seri, then I'd grab the chance to own her. But if she sees it not and wants to stay committed with Seri, then I'd concede and settle being her looker."

"Tanga," Yari remarked. "Why settle with someone you're not sure of having when you can have any girl drool over your excessive dashingness?"

Uno shook his head and laughed. "Look, Melch," he held his best friend's gaze as he carried his chair closer to him, "I know you wouldn't understand the situation I'm in. Still, I'd tell you this without leaving a single thing on the wraps so listen. I'm into Dos, yes. I'm homosexual, yes. She's a woman, yes. But I couldn't seem to get attracted to others of the same sex as her. Parang, my attraction to women, only exists if she exists. If she doesn't, then I'd rather be having men for myself. That's how this shit goes with me, Melch. So, you, asking me to fancy a random woman is all but possible. Get it?"

"Okay. Let's say I get the point you're trying to prove. But, Nik, all the shit you said are all easy to say but difficult to deal with once they come into being. Kaya mo talagang mag-let go if she'll choose Seri over you? Come on, Nik. Knock some sense in you."

"Yes, I said all those. But do you think I'd let myself be a loser?" Uno smirked. His eyes landed at the terrace beside his own. "Watch me."

Yari uttered silence.

Exactly when Uno stood near the railings and had his hands gripped on it, Dos came out of their terrace with a book on hand, which instantly fell on the ground when she saw him.

"What a-are you d-doing in there?" Shock registered on her widened eyes and stammers.

He waved his right hand, then winked at her as he said, "Hi, neighbor," with his sexiest voice.