Love For Sale Book 1 (Self-published)

CH 26: Lullabye

"Am I?" Barry directed the question at me. I knew that it was both a challenge and a trap and as much as I was surprised that I was being included in his and Cess' newly-written flirting narrative, I wasn't surprised enough to back down.

I serenely smiled at him. "Are you?"

He held my gaze for a second before he smiled back.

"Wait, what's going on?" Cess asked. "Do you two have a thing?"

Barry laughed softly ignoring her question.

"Claire, kumain ka na nga muna habang mainit pa 'tong pagkain," he told me before he addressed my friend. "Cess, it's a pleasure meeting you but we're famished kaya pasensya na, I would rather eat than socialize."

He softened the dismissal with a charming smile.

"Oh, okay..." Cess sounded a little confused. "I'll just...well, anyway, nice meeting you here, Claire...wait, ano palang number mo?"

I gave her my number.

"O, sige I'll call you baka mamaya. I have to go as well."

"Okay, ingat, Cess."

"Ikaw rin. Bye. Barry, see you again soon," Cess said before she waved goodbye.

"Kumain ka na. Akala ko ba gutom na gutom ka? Bakit kung sinu-sino pa kinakausap mo?" Barry mumbled sitting down again.

"Alangan naman hindi ko pansinin 'yung kaibigan ko?"

"I don't see you as the type who'll hold her hunger just to talk to a friend."

"Grabe ka naman."

"Walang halong bolahan, bakit ikaw ba 'yung tipong magpapagutom para makipag-usap?"

"She was one of my closest friends in school," I said as a way of explanation. "Mula yata nursery magkaklase na kami ni Cess. Dalawang kanto lang ang layo ng bahay namin sa kanila."

"Hm..."

"Bakit?"

"Wala. Eat. Hindi na masarap ang pagkain kapag malamig."

I didn't realize just how hungry I was until I ate the salad, clam chowder, and ice cream Barry offered after I'd eaten three pieces of chicken and 2 cups of rice.

Ay, grabe na ito, patay gutom living. Ang dami kong nakain. Hanggang bukas na yata 'tong meal namin.

"Gusto mo ba ng pizza?"

"Gutom ka pa?"

"Busog na pero gusto ko pang kumain."

"Eh, 'di, bumili ka."

"I won't be able to eat the whole slice. Would you mind sharing it with me? I'll have the slice halved..."

Ang siba pala nito. Pero wala na talaga akong paglalagyan ng pizza na 'yan...

"Busog na ako, Barry, eh..."

"Ah sige next time na lang..." he said looking forlorn.

Ay, ano ba 'yan, hindi s'ya kakain kung hindi ako kakain?

"Bumili ka na," I said.

"Hindi ko mauubos..."

"Sige na, makikihati ako, bili ka na."

He grinned happily. "Don't worry, we will soon walk off what we've eaten, medyo malawak-lawak itong lalakarin natin. Ako na ang bibili. May iba ka pa bang gusto?"

"Wala na."

Wala na talagang sukli 'yung five hundred ko sa dami ng kinain namin...I thought to myself as he ran to the counter to order.