Of (Heart)Beats and Bylines [Completed]

Chapter 5

"Are you sure?!  Wow, after all these years, you meet again," said Chrissy, Maine's high school best friend.  At the day's end, Maine just had to share the news to someone who was just as familiar with Faulker guy.

"Oo nga e.  I didn't realize it right away; he went with the name RJ then.  Plus di ba, we mostly identified them by school and not exactly as individuals," said Maine, shaking her head lightly at the thought of running into an old rival. 

"Cute pa rin ba sya?" Chrissy asked with a giggle.

Maine had to smile at this question.  He is much better looking now which says a lot since he was already cute back then.  Gone was the skinny boy with spiky hairdo and dark rimmed glasses. 

"No," Maine flat out declared.

"Ay," Chrissy said, a little defeated and dismayed.

"No, kasi gwapo na sya."  It was now Maine's turn to giggle.

"Hoy, a.  Baka mamaya...."

Maine immediately cut her off.  "Meron na kong prospect no.  You know that I saw John at our premier tonight.  Then he asked me if I wanted to have coffee after.  Of course I said yes.  And then we exchanged numbers."  Maine did a happy dance while sitting down and holding the phone's handset.

"Wow.  Finally, magkakaboyfriend ka na after that jerk."

"Maybe," Maine said a little unconfortably as she recalled her first and only relationship. 

Gavin was her classmate in the university.  He was part of the cool kids in campus.  He was confident bordering on cocky.  With his personality, approaching a girl like Maine was not a problem.

Maine was -- and still is -- a bit intimidating to the guys.  She is smart, pretty, confident, an achiever, and comes from a moneyed background.  Any guy would be lucky to have her, if they had the guts to woo her that is.

Gavin was practically her guy version, so he found it easy to win her over.  But cockiness got in the way, which turned off Maine in a big way.  That and his indecisiveness.  And insensitivity. 

He seemed to still be carrying a torch for his former flame, April.  When she confronted him, he admitted it with nary a trace of guilt or remorse. 

"Jerk," Maine muttered under her breath but it did not escape her friend.

"Hay naku.  Tapos na yan."  She tried to rein in her friend's unpleasant nostalgia.

Maine agreed.  "Yeah.  Anyway, I'll see you soon.  Bye.  Goodnight."

~~~~~

I scoured the coffeeshop for a vacant table and there seemed to be none. 

Oh, there he is... in my favorite cornermost table.  Lately, I seem to be running into him a lot.  And in every single instance, he annoys me more and more.

The past month has been more of the same.  Both of us wanting to outdo each other through our articles.  Objectively speaking, I'd say we are even. 

He got up, gave me a smile, and walked to the self-service counter.

"Mukhang mamaya pa magkakaron ng bakanteng table.  Why don't you join me?"

I hesitated.  But then I had to work on my laptop for a few minutes.  With a sigh I asked, "Sure ka okay lang?".

He flashed his dimple. 

Oh my goodness. 

"For an old aquaintance?  Oo naman."

He remembers me!  For some reason, the thought pleases me so much.