Of (Heart)Beats and Bylines [Completed]

Chapter 21- First

A/N: Thank you for the reads and votes! Hope you enjoy the double update!

All of us who signed up in the city tour are having dinner. Right now, we are a group of seven reporters and photographers who see each other frequently on the field and have become friends.

"Hi everyone!"

Okay, scratch that. We are eight now. RJ just walked into the restaurant and joined our table.

"Ano nangyari sa 'yo? We heard you missed your flight?" asked Sam.

"Family matters. Pero ayos na lahat," RJ answered vaguely and briefly. I noticed he prefers to keep his personal life private.

"Good to hear bro. Order na. Habol ka," offered Jerald.

We have started eating the main meal but offered RJ the appetizers we ordered specifically for sharing.

He looked at me, smiled, and raised his eyebrows.

"How's the laksa?"

"Super authentic." We grinned widely at each. He knows how much I love laksa. While it is not a native Singaporean food, their version comes pretty close to the original because of their proximity to Malaysia.

"Uy, kayo ha. Actually, matagal ko na napapansin na may something sa inyo," said a fellow reporter, Jaymie.

"Sobrang bagay kayo. Alam ba ng mga boss nyo yan?" teased one of the TV reporters, Melissa.

"Hindi pa! Itong si RJ kasi, ang bagal!" Jerald butted in.

They all laughed at that.

It was the start of the lively banter that night. It was good natured teasing and neither RJ or I seemed to mind. Everyone was in high spirits, for tonight is a free-and-easy night. It's a not-so-subtle reminder that tomorrow morning, it's all business as the summit begins.

~~~~~

After spending two hours at the restaurant, we were ready to call it a night. All of us were tired from the early morning flight schedules. Half of us were in the same hotel, while the other half is billeted in two other hotels.

"Wanna walk around a bit?" RJ asked as we stepped out of the restaurant.

"Sige. San tayo pupunta?"

"Just around Orchard Road... to enjoy the sights. It's my first time here."

"Yes, you told me. I remember."

"Guys, lakad lakad muna kami ni Maine, ha," RJ called out as we started breaking off from the rest of the group.

"Enjoy, but not too much!" teased Jerald.

"Kanina ka pa ha! Lagot ka sa kin mamaya." RJ said as we both chuckled.

"So what happened to you exactly? Why did you miss your flight?" I asked when it was just the two of us.

He took a deep breath. "My little sister, Angel... she ran away from home."

"Ha?! Bakit daw?"

"Remember I told you dad availed of an early retirement? Merong siyang offer to teach in a university in New Zealand."

That makes sense. RJ's dad, based on his stories, is a scholarly man with a doctorate degree in agriculture. Teaching would suit him.

"He was seriously considering it, since he has been there twice for a business trip and he loved the place. He decided to accept pero next semester pa dapat siya magsa-start. But one of the professors had to have an emergency surgery, so they asked dad to come in this semester."