[Engineer: I'm still in Laguna. I can't pick you up]
[Engineer: I'm going home tomorrow, wait for me :)]
We spend a few hours together yesterday after he showed up at my work. Before the sunset, he goes back to Laguna, and also he got a call.
The next message he sent was a bunch of pictures he was on the site. Building, construction workers, and even the hollow blocks. He kept sending me pictures, a lot of pictures. I think he's documenting every step he takes and sends it to me.
"What's that?" Lyv asked, sipping her smoothie.
I hide the screen of my phone from them when they tried to snatch it from me.
"No one,"
Lyv fixed her position and looked at Angelo, "You know what? She's having a relationship with the regular customer and didn't even bother to tell me,"
"Hey! That's not true! I haven't said yes to him,"
"But he's courting you!" she point her finger, "I saw him kissing you on your head the other day,"
It made leave a gap in Angelo's mouth, "Really? Engineer Archer?"
My forehead wrinkled, "You know him?"
"Yeah, he told me his full name," he expressed pompously, "It's Engineer Archer Peterson Selviro," he completed his name.
"And you gave him my number?"
"Yeah,"
His eyes widened after his reply, and immediately covered his mouth with his two hands, "Sue..."
That's how he texted me!
Without wasting another minute, I spank the back of his head while he tried to cover himself from me.
"I'm sorry,"
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk,"
Lyv just watch with her smoothie. I calmed down after running out of breath, beating him, "You could have asked me if that's fine,"
"I'm sorry! He just wanted to be a friend, so I gave it,"
He flinched after I raised my hand in the air. I didn't bother to hit him again, but I can't with how he boiled my blood after learning the truth from him.
"But he's acting as if he knows her. Did he become your friend?" she asked, eating the fries, "By any chance? For once,"
"No," I say before she adds the phrase.
But her smile turned upside down, holding the straw and the cup, "You sure?"
"Why? Don't you believe me anymore? I'm sure! I have never seen him in my life. Ever,"
"Okay. Stop being defensive. I'm just teasing," she slightly pushed me by her arm. I eat with Lyv while I glare at Angelo.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TIME I'd been asleep, and only the sound of aircon is filling the room. I look first outside and the sun has set. When I looked around, I saw Peter sleeping in the chair in front of me with his head resting on his arm that was on the table.
The lights on the counter are switched off, the only remaining lights are above us.
As I stood up, something fell from my shoulders. It's a jacket, and the name 'Peter' was embroiled on the back like it's some varsity jacket.
I walked to his side, and start gently shaking his shoulders, "Hey, Peter. Peter, wake up,"
He groaned as he started lifting his head., "What time is it?" he's feeling groggy and scratched his eye.
I didn't answer after seeing how messed up the notebooks I used a while ago. Maybe I'll continue checking the inventory later before I sleep. I wouldn't fall asleep immediately after I had my afternoon nap.
"My bag. I left my bag in the kitchen, I'll--"
"Let me get it," he pulled me back to the table and was the one who entered the kitchen, switching the lights back on.
But as I fixed the notebook, I notice that there were inks of a list in it. It's finished. Did he do it while I was asleep? I was not in my halfway through writing a while ago.
At the same time his phone rang, he left it on the table.
'Ylena'. That's the name of the caller.
I was deciding if I should pick it up and answer it, it feels illegal but I'm curious. But after I decided to answer the call, she hung up. After the call, their message popped up on the screen. It was full of her message than him, his answers are way too short than hers.
I can't contain myself from there. After I clicked the back arrow, next to his conversation with Ylena, I found my contact below it. He named me, Latte.
Seriously?
And then, I found myself checking his gallery. I got curious after I saw a familiar face. It was me sleeping here a while ago, my hair covered my face while I was asleep. And the other was only papers and buildings.
I heard his voice coming back, so I tumbled back his phone on the table as if I was burnt by it.
"Your bag isn't in the kitchen--"
Our eyes locked and he remained standing outside the counter.
He starts walking back to the table, carrying my bag with him, "Who called? Is it Ylena? That's my cousin, she's the one who hired me to her site in Laguna," he set a smile.
"Thanks," I said after he gave my back to me, and I placed the notebooks inside.
Right now, it's complicated to understand what I'm feeling. It's a whirl in my stomach at the same relief after he explains who it was. I don't know, but it relieves my heart and mind from tons of thoughts. And I may not express it on my face but my heart is exploding.
I was finding the keys in my bag when I heard them in his hands, he was locking the door by himself.
He returned it to me after he made sure I was seated beside the driver's seat.
I buckled up and watched the view we were passing by. The street was full of light during the nighttime, that's why I always enjoy going home at night.
But my mind is full of thoughts about his presence, instead. He said he's going back tomorrow and I'm expecting him but I didn't expect he would be back today.
My mind is pushing me to ask him, "Since when you're back from Laguna?"
He stopped the car after the light turned red before answering, "Since... 5 pm?," he replied, "I lost count but I couldn't wait until tomorrow," he smiled at me before the lights turn green.
"You should have stayed in Laguna, what if you're needed tomorrow?"
"I could drive all the way there, don't worry. I'm more worried about you, maybe you might not get home safe tonight,"
"I can handle myself,"
"I know, but I just can't control my thoughts about you,"
My head tilted a bit to his reply, and sat a little sidewards towards him, "What kind of thoughts?"
"You don't want to hear it," he chuckled.
I fixed the position of my bag on my lap, "I'm ready, come on, spill it,"
"You're beautiful. Your safety. Your feelings. Your thoughts," he said, singly as if he's still thinking about, "And men wants you," he added.
I chuckled, "Men don't want me. No one,"
"What about me?" he sounds like a child.
"Except for you?"
We both chortled at each other. We were stuck in traffic so we kept each other entertained. I laugh at him, and he laughs at me. We almost finish a sentence together with the same words, and we end up laughing after we mistook a word in the end.
We arrived outside my house, and only the light on the porch was left. Mom is asleep way too early nowadays.
"Goodnight," he caught up.
I take steps forward. Something's pulling me to become sluggish until I stop in between the door and the car. I turned my back and walk beside him, raising my toes, I gave him a peck kiss on his cheek.
"Goodnight," I whispered at him.
I saw how he was stunned, and become red as a tomato. I giggled walking to the door.