Chapter Text
REGINA (PRESENT)
"Liz, do I really have to go?" Regina asked her friend. She looked at Liza while she was adding final touches on her makeup.
"I know that this is not your thing. I just want to experience this blind date thingy pero ayoko naman na mag-isa lang ako," Liza said while she's trying on a different top to match her pants. "And wag kang mag-alala, Reg. Tiwala naman ako kay Nadine. Di naman niya tayo isesetup kung kani-kanino lang."
"May picture ka ba nung makaka-date natin mamaya?" Regina asked right before she stood up.
Liza looked at her friend. "Blind date nga? Yaw mo non, may thrill!"
"Thrill lang pala hanap mo edi sana nag bar na lang tayo?" Regina then opened a different cabinet. Inside are a couple of pairs of various footwear. Regina's eyes roamed, thinking what would match her outfit. "Anong pwede kong mahiram dito?"
"All of them," Liza walked right to where she's standing. She would look from the shoe rack to Regina's outfit back and forth until she finally picked one. "I think this one will fit best," Liza said.
Regina sat on Liza's bed and wore the white shoes that her friend picked for her. Right after she finished tying the last shoe, she asked Liza another question, "Did your friend, Nadz, mention anything about who we're going to meet? Kahit tig isa man lang? Or kung kaano-ano niya?"
"Yung sa akin, artist daw from Tokyo? Pero Filipino naman. Dun parin ako sa sariling atin. Support local nga daw diba?," Liza chuckled and continued, "Tapos yung sayo ay lawyer din daw kaya match talaga kayo."
“Luh, diba artist din yung totga mo? Gusto mo palit tayo?” Liza offered but she immediately withdrew it. “Ay, lawyer nga pala yung isa no? Wag na pala! Sayo pa nga lang pagod na ako eh.”
Regina and Liza just arrived at Nadine's coffee shop where they will meet their dates. Liza walked straight to the counter, looking for Nadz. Regina just sat on the queue chair while waiting for Nadz to show up. Both women turned around to look at the people who just entered the cafe.
"Nadz!" Liza greeted her friend. Unbeknownst to them, Regina stood frozen when she saw someone she knew from her past.
"Regina!"
Narda? , Regina thought.
"Kamusta? Long time no see!" Narda said, offering a handshake.
Regina just looked at Narda's hand. She doesn't know why she couldn't move. Liza noticed Regina's behavior so she nudged Regina's arm with her elbow.
"Oh," Regina jumped subtly as soon as she woke up, sort of.
"Grabe ka naman Reg! Di mo na ako kilala?!" Narda jokingly said. Narda then shook her own hand, humoring herself and the people around her. "Nice to see you again, Narda! Ang ganda mo parin! Anong secret mo?" Narda joked as she spoke to herself as if she's Regina. This made everyone laugh a little and this also helped ease the tension that was quickly building up earlier.
Ang kulit mo parin , Regina thought.
"Magkakilala na pala kayo?" Liza butted in.
"Ah, yes! We used to hang out back in college. Tropa tropa kami nina Mara noon," Narda answered then offered her hand to Liza.
"Narda nga pala," she then offered her brightest smile to Regina's friend.
Liza was about to hold Narda's hand when Regina suddenly asked Nadine who they were going to meet.
"Ah! Tamang tama! Itong dalawa," Nadine stood between Narda and Narda's friend. "Kilala niyo na naman tong si Narda so si Kath na lang i-introduce ko sa inyo. Liza, Regina, this is Kath."
Kath waved her hand to Liza and Regina and the two did the same.
"Siya yung namention ko na lawyer din kaya mukang magkakasundo agad tong si Kath at Regina. Kayo magka-date tonight ah!" Nadine teased.
Regina thinks Kath is a catch but she's still not ready for dating. She only did this for her friend. She’ll just mention this to Kath later.
"Li-," Nadine was about to formally introduce Liza to Narda but was interrupted.
"Liz! Just call me Liz," Liza offered her hand to Narda and the latter took it.
Regina noticed how excited Liz was when she met Narda. It’s as if Liza had this glowing aura around her.
Regina suddenly felt this familiar kind of pain right inside her chest, like a part of her heart was pinched by something. If this was the first time she experienced it, then she'd think that there might be something wrong with her heart. The thing is this is not the first time nor the second. This is what she would feel every time she's reminded of how they fell apart and what they could have been. Yes, she is in love with Narda too. The thing is, she only realized it when Narda said that she had already moved on.
Narda hasn't changed at all. Her humor, her hand gestures when she talks, her expressive face that cannot lie, her laugh, and more. Regina may not want to admit it but one thing has changed... Narda doesn't look at her the same.