Ms. Writer and the Billionaire Playboy

Chapter 16

Chelsie

This is not a date, she reminded herself. Sinipat niya ang sarili sa salamin, but why is she getting conscious? Bakit parang naiirita siya sa pimple na tumubo sa gilid ng ilong niya? Bakit pakiramdam niya ang pangit niya at hindi siya worthy na isama in Matt sa isang café restaurant. Magmumukha lang siguro siyang alalay ng lalaki!

She grabbed the liptint in her sidetable, she dabbed a few drops in her lips, spreading it evenly until she can feel she’s not like a drunk dead ghost anymore. She also dabbed some small powder in her face, lined a little bit of eyeliner pencil and to top it off subtly, she pomped her hair in a ponytail.

She wore a white and yellow mid-knee flowy dress. She hoped it was not too much, but she thrifted this dress and found this a perfect opportunity to wear this.

“Ready?” she waited in the veranda for him. Pinukaw siya ng boses nito, and he wore a Lacoste white polo shirt and khaki beige pants with some loafers. A simple Rayban tucked in his polo. He looked expensive and fresh, and a part of her just internally squealed how handsome her boss is, but she can’t show it.

She followed him through the parking.

And when she slid beside him in his car, she felt a rather dreamy surreal feeling. It was the second time she’s been inside his sports car, but this time, she has known more about him, and it’s not just a name…but a character.

In her mind, she was still curious, somehow suspicious, why Matt would write about his life?

The weather was cool and fine, even though it was still lunch, the wind was cold to the skin. The sky was cloudy.

Bahagya lang silang nag-usap sa kotse, it was a quick ride anyway, when she alighted, she was greeted with a wooden brick style architecture and a double floor rise café overlooking the ocean afar. There were woods behind, it’s like a log cabin and cute to look at.

“This was my friends,” tukoy ni Matt sa nagmamay-ari ng café. They alighted some wood stairs at napa-upo malapit sa malawak na balkonahe ng restaurant.

They started to order, mostly ay si Matt ang nagsa-suggest kung anong masarap. It was nice to be with him this way, he was chill and looked that he was really in a good mood.

It would be a good start to open up more about her concerns habang hinihintay nila ang ihahain na pagkain.

“Thank you sa pagdala mo sa’kin dito,” she aired mildly.

“It’s my treat,” pahayag ng lalaki. “Even though you don’t show it much, I know you’ve been working hard. If you need anything-“

“To be honest, kung magiging totoo ako sayo Matt, hindi ko pa masiyadong makapa pa ang buhay mo.” Napalulon siya ng laway. Was it okay? To really tell him the truth. But he ought to know that she can’t write about thin air.

Matt’s brows furrowed a bit, digesting what she has said. “But I already answered your questionnaire, Chelsie.” Napatikhim rin ito.

“With a few paragraphs, reserved words, and initially, sa tingin ko parang okay na ‘yun, sapat nay un, pero sorry Matt, hindi eh. I need more words from you, more deepness. Alam kong may mga hindi ka pa sinasabi, that’s all right. But I want you to know that you can trust me.”

It was not until later that their meal was served. Silence loomed over them, medyo nagsisisi siya sa pagiging prangka niya. But she needed to say that to him. She was just waiting to be fired any moment from now.

“It’s okay,” as she cant deal with the silence anymore, she nimbled the food almost very mildly. “Uuwi na ako bukas. You can fire me you know?”

Matt, who was very taken, almost blew off the food from his mouth. “Chelsie, are you out of your mind?”

“H—hindi mo kasi ako sinasagot,” she drew out from her mouth. That moment on, she allowed herself to be real and vulnerable. And it was scary, but freeing and liberating at the same time. Just looking at his eyes make her feel so many emotions, and she didn’t know why.

There was a light merry chuckle from Matt’s lips. He viewed her now with a more piercing look. “You’re funny, you know that? In a cute way.”

She can’t even hide how she was surprised, but he continued to talk.

“I love that you’re becoming brave. That you’re asserting what you want from me, I like it very much.” Napatango-tango ito. “You’re right, I need to trust you. Open up to you more.” He dabbed his lips with a napkin, then sported a smile back at her again, and she felt her heart warmed and her nervousness withered.

“Salamat,” and she was able to at least comfortably follow through her food now. She ate heartily. She was happy. She was brimming with joy. She wanted to ask him a lot of questions, she wanted to know more about him.

They finished their sumptuous lunch and they have time now for an afternoon tea and biscuits.

“So, what do you want to ask me?” he aired.

“A lot of things,” she smiled, “If I’ll write a book about you, I wanted it to be good. A good story.”

“Kelangan mong sabihin yung gusto mong iparating, o mga lesson na gusto mong sabihin. But they can’t learn from your life kung puro happy, happy. They need to feel that you’re human too. That you had challenges, hindi lang sa negosyo o sa trabaho, even the most simplest one from your personal life.”

Matt stares at her like he likes listening to her, so she should not be swayed, or she will be lost in his eyes for a long time.

“You want to know about that picture frame?” he asked.

She wanted to hesitate, but seeing how his eyes shone now, with tenderness, she swayed her head in a manner that said yes. Yes, you can tell me, Matt. She whispered in her head.

“Her name is Sofia,” it was almost a whisper, “siguro ay nasulat ko na sa questionnaire mo yung pinakamahirap na parte ng buhay ko, when my dad died, and a series of challenges after that. But she was also a part of my loss. She was impregnated by someone else,” he aired.

“We were engaged that time, but I also lost her.” Pagpapatuloy ni Matt.

Chelsie gulped for some air. It was confirmed, the one he is referring to is indeed Sofia!

Sofia Writes. Should he tell him? That he knows her? “She looks familiar,” himig niya.

“I know she wrote one book, it was quite popular.” With no reservations, he informed her.

Napalulon siya ng laway, like the stitches has been traced and formed, forming a clearer picture in her head. “Isa ba ‘to sa mga rason kung bakit gusto mong magsulat ng libro? You wanna reach out to her?”

“Hindi ko alam, but maybe those are one of the reasons. Maybe, maybe…I wanted to forgive. And of course, like you’ve said, I can give something back to humanity, that’s my legacy.”

“Do you still love her?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” iling ni Matt. “I haven’t really asked myself that, for a long time.”

Mataman lang siyang nakinig. Maybe that’s how he coped, being with several women. Maybe just to ease the pain and memories.

“Have you read her story?” she asked, pushing the button more.

Napailing si Matt. “But I’ve heard from Logan, that she writes a story very similar about a first love. Maybe she was driven by guilt.”

Matt didn’t tell if Sofia ended up with the man she has a baby with. Even her fans from her standalone novel, didn’t have so much clue about her personal life because she went into a hiatus.

For all she know now, she has gained a better respect for Matt for being vulnerable and trusting her more now.