Aiah's Pov
"Ma'am here's the additional documents to the new case." Jaz said.
"Thank you jaz." I said.
Pumasok si kuya bryan sa office ko.
"Aiah don't forget may dinner tayo at mikha's restaurant." Bryan said.
"Yes kuya. I'll just read some of the additional documents." I said.
"Mikha's restaurant?" Jaz asked.
"Jaz kilala mo ata si mikha." Bryan said.
"Yes sir, i met her in culinary school. She was substitute teacher for a week." Jaz said.
"Teacher??" I asked.
"Yes ma'am. Lahat kami sa class are slow learners. Hindi lang siya great chef pero ang bait niya magturo." Jaz said.
I smiled hearing those words from jaz. Mikha's really is a good person, swerte ng taong mamahalin niya.
"Jaz naka-smile ma'am mo." Bryan said.
"Huh? Who's smiling?" I asked.
"You ma'am." Jaz said.
"Naalala ko lang gaano kasarap lunch natin kanina." I said.
"Okay atty. Maraiah." Bryan said while smiling.
Kuya bryan's smile is weird but i just ignore since i'm busy reading the documents. After a few hours, i finished reading and analyzing the documents. Sumabay na ako umuwi kay kuya pero separate cars kami. Naka-ready na si jho umalis. Nagpahinga muna ako saglit bago nagpalit ng damit at bumaba na.
"Tara na." Jho said.
"Excited ka jho?" I asked.
"Oo, makikita ko ang sining ko." Jho said.
"Sining mo? Delulu ka na naman jho." I said.
"Magiging kami din ni stacey." Jho said.
"Uso umamin at manligaw muna. Lagi mo kasi inaasar." I said.
"Okay tama na kayo magpinsan, let's go. Bryan's waiting for us outside." Tita Cathy said.
In our family, okay lang sa kanila na magkagusto kami sa girl. I've only been in a relationship two times, the first guy is named jeremy who i met during college. The second guy is gelo, classmate ko nung high school at naging kami after ko nag graduate ng college. I had some girl crushes but not to the extent that i like or love the girl to be my girlfriend. Only a few people know i also like girls, katulad nila sheena, maloi and stacey who knows since we we're kids. Alam din ni jho, hindi ko lang alam kung nasabi niya kila colet kasi mukhang hindi pa.
After a few minutes, nasa restaurant na kami ni mikha. There's still a lot of customers, stacey escorted us to our table then gave us menu boards.
"Take your time choosing your order, i'll be right back." Stacey said.
Stacey went to the kitchen habang naka-pout si jho.
"What are you pouting for?" I asked.
"Hindi ako pinansin ni stacey." Jho said.
"Malamang nasa working mode." I said.
Stacey came back, writing down our orders then pumunta na siya sa kusina.
"Ang ganda ng interior design." Tita Cathy said.
"Look how comfortable the other customers eating their foods." Bryan said.
Nag usap-usap kami habang hinihintay food namin na dumating din ilang minuto lang.
"Her cooking skills are really amazing. Sayang hindi ko siya napa-stay as head chef sa hotel." Bryan said.
"The hotel became a stepping stone for mikha. She's full of surprises." Tita Cathy said.
We waited for all of the other customers to leave. Tita Cathy wants to compliment mikha personally.
"Hi everyone." Mikha said, smiling at us.
"Hello mikha." I said, smiling back at her.
"I give my compliment to the head chef." Tita Cathy said.
"I'm happy to cook for you guys especially the arceta hotel helps my journey being a chef." Mikha said.
"Then how about come work again as head chef at the hotel? Joke lang mikha, you really did great job for your second branch." Bryan said.
"Thanks kuya bryan." Mikha said.
May sasabihin sana ako kay mikha ng bigla bumukas entrance door, pumasok si gelo. He's drunk, naamoy ko agad.
"Gelo? Ano ginagawa mo dito?" I asked.
"I came para sunduin girlfriend ko." Gelo said.
"I'm not your girlfriend anymore." I said.
"Baby let's talk please." Gelo said.
"Gelo umuwi kana." I said.
"I won't leave without you baby." Gelo said.
"You still have the guts to come for my sister." Bryan said.
"Kuya bryan please help me with aiah." Gelo said.
"Gelo leave my restaurant." Mikha said.
Napansin ko agad na galit agad mata ni gelo pagkakita kay mikha na nasa harapan ko na.
"Mikha lim this is your fault." Gelo said.
"Mikhs ako na bahala sa kanya." I said.
"He's in my restaurant, ayoko ng gulo dito especially he's drunk." Mikha said.
"If i were you mikha, just stay in baguio." Gelo said.
"No thanks gelo, i rather like it here." Mikha said.
Gelo grab the collar of mikha's chef coat. The two security guards were about to pull gelo but mikha stopped them.
"Ano sa tingin mo ginagawa mo gelo? If i were you, umalis kana." Mikha said.
"Gelo bitawan mo si mikha." I said.
"But baby it's her fault that we didn't get back together." Gelo said
"Let mikha go or else." I said.
"Why are you protecting her? Siya may kasalanan kaya nagkagulo-gulo buhay ko." Gelo said.
"You messed up your own life gelo, don't blame me." Mikha said.
He punched mikha and the guards are now pulling gelo out of the restaurant. Nilapitan ko agad si mikha, nakahawak isang kamay sa pisngi niya.
"Namamaga. Stacey ice pack please." I said.
Stacey quickly went in and out of the kitchen. I put the ice pack on mikha's cheek.
"Kuya bryan uwi na kayo nila tita cathy." I said.
"Tomorrow i'll file a restraining order against gelo. No rejection mikha and aiah, i'm worried he might try to get close to the both of you especially aiah." Bryan said.
"From the look in his face, obsessed na siya kay aiah." Stacey said.
"Hindi ako uuwi ngayon gabi sa bahay. Sigurado mag-aalala sila mom." Mikha said.
"Sabihin mo pa din sa kanila ang nangyare." I said.
"It's not my parents i'm worried, it's maloi. Baka sugudin niya si gelo." Freen said.
"Sa condo mo nalang tayo." I said.
"Huh?" They all said at me.
"Aalagaan ko si mikha ngayong gabi, it's my fault she got hurt again." I said.
"Aiah it's not your fault." Mikha said.
"No buts mikha lim" I said.
"Yes attorney." Mikha said.
"Okay uwi na din kami, tomorrow i'll personally give the restraining order at gelo's house." Bryan said.
"Thanks kuya." I said.
Kuya bryan went home with tita cathy and jho while mikha and i went home to her condo. Pinilit ko siya na ako ang magdrive.
"Una sampal ngayon suntok. Dapat sinampal ko nalang siya kanina." I said.
"Aiah hayaan mo na, si kuya bryan na bahala sa kanya." Mikha said.
"Namamaga pa din pisngi mo. Mas better ang ice bag kaysa sa ice pack. May ice bag ka ba mikhs?" I asked.
"In my room, inside the cabinet of the night stand." Mikha said.
I went inside her room, opened the cabinet of the night stand. The ice bag it's the one i told her to keep it, i smiled seeing it. I went to the kitchen to put ice and water in the ice bag then lumapit kay mikha na nakaupo sa couch. Umupo na din ako sa tabi niya.
"Rest your head in my lap, ako na maghawak niyan." I said.
Mikha nodded and did what i told her to do.
"I'm sorry aiah." Mikha said.
"For what?" I asked.
"Galit na galit sakin si gelo simula nung na-istorbo ko pag uusap niyo. Sorry about earlier i couldn't resist protecting you again from him." Mikha said.
"Hindi ka istorbo mikhs, hindi din naman ako makikipagbalikan sa kanya kahit mag-usap kami nung time na yun. Wag mag-sorry and don't blame yourself." I said.
"I think both of my cheeks are now even, one side got slapped while the other side got punched." Mikha said.
Napatawa tuloy ako sa sinabi niya, she's so cute while saying those words.
"You're laughing." Mikha said.
"I just find it cute, you have the confidence to protect me twice already but you're afraid to tell your family that you got hurt especially kay maloi." I said.
"C-Cute?" She asked.
She's stuttering. I'm curious about something, i'll just say what's on my mind.
"Mikhs why did you protect me? Except the reason you hate boys hurting girls." I said.
"Well, it's just." Mikha said.
"It's just what?" I asked.
"I-I wanna protect the person i like." Mikha said.
She said those words in a low tone but i can still hear it. May gusto siya sakin?
"Gosh this is not the way i'm hoping to confess my feelings." Mikha said while closing her eyes.
"You like me?" I asked.
"Yes, i like you since high school. At first it was just a crush and years passed by i didn't expect the crush turned into like." Mikha said.
She opened her eyes then looks at me, her eyes are sincere. Dire-diretso pa talaga english niya sa pag confess.
"During the time you and gelo were talking alone, i didn't take that as an advantage to meddle not just because i like you. It's because you're the type of girl i know that doesn't deserve the way he treated you that night. Everyone knows during high school that i'm a super shy person and that i have a crush in you." Mikha said in a fast pace.
"Mikhs relax slow down, i'm an attorney and not a detective." I said.
"My feelings is caught red handed, how stupid of me right now." Mikha said, closing her eyes again.
"Wala pa ako reply sa confession mo." I said.
"Huh?" Mikha said.
She opened her eyes again. Mag-english nga din ako.
"Don't close your eyes." I said.
"I'm confused." Mikha said.
"Here i am wondering that your super shy personality is just normal since high school but it looks like you're only flustered when it comes to me." I said.
"I don't know what to say." Mikha said.
"Then say what you want to say since high school, i'm ready to listen." I said.
"I'm really confused right now." Mikha said.
"Just talk while i hold the ice bag." I said.
"Okay here goes. Honestly, i started having a crush in you just by seeing your name in the list of top students during first year. Then when i saw you in person, it looks like time stopped around me. Everytime i see you in and out of school like us passing by each other, i just want to hide myself." Mikha said.
Naalala ko tuloy na halos nakikita ko si mikha sa hallway kasama si jho, colet at gwen. Lagi siya nasa tabi ni jho o ni colet.
"Jho, colet and gwen always teased me when you passed by. I even tried joining the clubs you are in but i backed out because it's impossible for me to be noticed by you. Me? A bit of a nerd, wearing glasses and a girl. So i just tried my best to look at you from afar. They told me to confess during valentine's day when i gave you the tulip and keychain." Mikha said.
"Bakit hindi ka nag-confess?" I asked.
"Because fate was never in my side, you like boys and not girls. During college i thought that i would forget about my feelings for you but my heart never forgets. Then when i saw you again during the homecoming, it's like the feeling inside me became louder." Mikha said.
Honestly, i like how she confessed her feelings right now. I mean, it's simple but it's so cute and kinda romantic vibe for me.
"I hope i didn't make you uncomfortable now because of my confession." Mikha said.
"You're not making me uncomfortable." I said.
"I know you and gelo just broke up and i don't want to rush you asking for your answer. I'm just taking this chance to finally say that i really like you aiah." Mikha said.