I
During their dinner date that night, Atty. Wilgreg could not help to often times stare at Atty. Ninia. “Day by day she is getting more beautiful. Her beauty seemed to grow more as you looked at her for long.” He thought while watching her trying to slice gently the beef steak on her plate.
“Something wrong with my face Atty. Wilgreg?” Atty. Ninia surprisingly said upon catching the man intently watching her.
“Nothing, you are just getting more beautiful as days passed by.” He said while getting his spoon and fork now to eat. As if he just said some simple words.
Atty. Ninia’s face grew red. “Thanks for the flattery but I don’t need one. I promise you, I will take care of your Company while you are busy with the other one.” She said frowning.
Atty. Wilgreg grinned as he heard Atty. Ninia’s retort. “I was not flattering you and I know I can trust you with the Company. I was telling the truth and to add more, I am being captivated by that.”
Atty. Ninia’s face grew more like red cherry. She kept her silence as she did not know what to say. She toyed with her beef steak.
“You don’t like the beef steak?” Atty. Wilgreg asked while slicing his own beef steak and putting it inside his mouth through his fork. He chewed it gently as if trying to tell Atty. Ninia that it really tastes good.
“Oh, I like the beef steak, I don’t like how you flirt Atty. Wilgreg; it’s disgusting.” Atty. Ninia gave the man in her front a wide eye.
Atty. Wilgreg was not able to control himself to burst into laughter.
Atty. Ninia’s eyes grew wider as he continues to laugh.
“Stop laughing Wilgreg.” She hissed then thereafter ate her beef steak.
“Hmm, I love how you say my name without the word Attorney in it. Sweet.” Atty. Wilgreg started his teasing again.
“Wilgreg!” She said.
“Yes, Ninia?” He asked.
“Stop!” She said again with madness.
“I won’t.” He retorted with conviction.
“You should!” She insisted.
“Nope. I love you.”
Atty. Ninia froze as she heard what Atty. Wilgreg has said.
“I’m sorry Ninia, I am not used to courting a woman. I usually go directly to the point. I meant what I’ve said.” Atty. Wilgreg added.
With a tongue as if coiled inside her mouth, Atty. Ninia could not speak. She just looked at the confident, handsome man in front of her with eyes not flickering, and heart beating so fast. She could feel herself in a delirious state.
Thereafter, Atty. Ninia cleared her throat and looked at Atty. Wilgreg with confusion in her expression.
"You don't need to answer me now. I can wait when you are ready, Ninia," Atty. Wilgreg said understandably while looking at her tenderly.
Atty. Ninia just looked at him in silence. The truth is she cannot breathe properly. She never expected Atty. Wilgreg to declare his feelings toward her.
II
Atty. Ninia was still silent even when they were inside Wilgreg’s car already at the parking lot of the fine dining restaurant that they dined in a while ago.
“Ninia, are you mad or something?” Atty. Wilgreg asked with an uneasy tone in his voice.
Ninia shook her head. “Nope. Just drive. I just can’t completely comprehend what you have said.”
“Why? How difficult it is to understand that I love you?”
“Wilgreg, I … I’m not ready for what you have said.”
“Do you always need to be ready for everything?” With a creased forehead, Wilgreg moved to his side, facing now Ninia.
“I mean, I could not understand why, why would you choose me.”
“Why not?”
“Well, there’s a lot of women out there, like… like Atty. Lulu.” She snapped with eyes looking away from Wilgreg.
“My heart chose you and I could not fight it. This is corny, but love has magic right?” Wilgreg was smiling as he held with his both hands Ninia’s face and tenderly looked at her.
“Wilgreg.” All Ninia could say.
“Don’t you even like me?” Wilgreg asked while intensely looking at Ninia.
Ninia was rattled by the question. If she will say Yes, then it is as if he denied him which she does not want to do right now because it is not what she feels. If she will answer No, it is as if she is saying she likes him too and she will be giving herself away already.
“Hmm, how will I answer him?” She thought while looking at the most wonderful eyes she have ever seen, which was her biggest mistake. Looking at those eyes, her own eyes and heart betrayed her including her lips.
When Wilgreg lowered down his lips to touch hers, her lips betrayed her by gladly welcoming his kiss.