Chapter 35

BE STILL, MY HEART

Diane’s P.O.V.

“You are special to me, Diane… and for you, I will do anything even if it means doing the impossible,” he told me while holding my hand again as he made sure to occupy the space in between my fingers hard enough. It was the kind of hold that he never wanted to let my hand away from his clutch. I kept on smiling while silently talking to my heart.

Be still, my heart. I knew how much you had fallen for Liam, but please calm down!

In just a few steps, we already reached the reserved table for the two of us. Actually, I found it redundant. The whole restaurant was already reserved, then how come the table ended up being reserved too?

Eventually, I just let it slipped away from my thoughts. It was good that he brought me to a Filipino restaurant because I didn’t feel like eating over some foreign and fine-dining restaurants.

Liam was such a gentleman. He would not let you open the car door or pull out your own chair. He would do those things for you. I did not make a mistake in joining him over dinner because aside from the fact that he started my day earlier, he also filled my night today. I felt like I was a princess, and he was none other than my prince charming. I just had to wear a shimmering tiara, an elegant ball gown, and a pair of crystal shoes, and I would be all set.

Seriously, I couldn’t help but gaze in awe while the waiter was serving the food at our table. Everything was well-prepared. There were kare-kare*, buttered shrimps, beef caldereta, eggplant omelet, fried chicken, pork sisig, grilled pork belly, and salmon stew. The waiter even asked if the desserts would be served too, but Liam gestured that it would be fine serving those later.

Everything was mouth-watering, but sisig was one hell of my favorite. It was a Filipino dish made from pig head parts and chicken liver, seasoned with calamansi, onions, and chili peppers. I just remembered that this restaurant served the best sisig in the borough, so I would make sure to enjoy eating here and get myself full.

“I know how you loved to eat, so I ordered all the best-sellers here. I didn’t want my date to get famished when she’s with me,” he asserted while winking at me.

That one eccentric gaze from Liam? It could beat all the lewd stares I am receiving while performing in the club.

“You know what? I am truly amazed about how you eat a lot, but your body remains slender. Don’t get me wrong for being honest to you. I loved that you are a strong-eater, and yet, you are still sexy,” he added.

Heat rose from my stomach, and I knew for sure that my face turned red again. My cheeks were so hot at the moment that I didn’t know how to react to him. I didn’t know if what I heard was right or if my ears were just deceiving me. I didn’t know from where would I feel ecstatic—on his tempting wink, on his gorgeous dimple, or in the last words he told me?

If he thinks now that I’m sexy enough, how much more when he saw me doing pole dancing? I could imagine his jaws dropping off the floor without the capability of catching them.

“If you think that I’m already sexy, how about seeing me snaking my body in the pole?” I mindlessly voiced out my thoughts. Liam stopped eating, and that was how I realized that what I said was indeed awkward. “Oops, sorry. I’m just kidding, Liam.”

“No, it’s okay, Diane. As I have said earlier, I wanted to see you doing pole dancing. I would love to. But I was thinking too that if earning money was the only reason why you are working in the club, then why don’t you just resign and work for me instead?” Liam proposed while looking through my eyes. He was transparent to read sometimes, that all I could see right now was real admiration from those dark-gray eyes.

But is this even real? Am I not being deceived by my ears, and everything I am hearing right now was real? Is Liam really offering me a job like how he mentioned it this morning?

“But I haven’t graduated yet—” I reasoned out, but he cut me off.

“Even if you are not yet a graduate or a CPA board passer, I’ll give you a part-time job. I’ll double your salary if that calls for it. It’s like on-the-job training, and when you proved yourself that you’re one of the best assets of my company, I’ll promote you and double your rate again.” Liam spoke before he cut a beef chunk and put it into his mouth.

“You are an Accountancy student, and you have to claim soon enough that you will be a licensed accountant. You know what I mean, Diane. So, I hope you’ll find my offer tempting enough,” he continued after chewing and swallowing everything. The way how he emphasized every word of it made me feel confident about myself.

Wow, is he really serious about this? What he said was truly shocking and could make me fall from my seat.

No. It was actually dragging me to fall for him even more!

Of course, I would like to work for him. I would love to. If he only knew that I really wanted to leave the club and anytime, I could do that as long as I would land a new job immediately. If only he knew how elated I was that he came into my life. If only he knew that there was this invisible yet strong connection that swiftly bound us together ever since last night.

“I will not turn down your offer, sir. I will accept it with all my heart, but I still have classes from Mondays to Fridays, that’s why—” oops, did I call him ‘sir’ again? Oh my God! This realization made me interrupt what I was about to tell him, and my eyes seemed to look everywhere but not directly at him.

“You have to give me your schedule then. That way, I can arrange your part-time job with the finance team,” he suggested before drinking his iced tea. “Perhaps, we won’t have any problems if you will report to work on weekends?” He slightly furrowed his forehead as I quickly glanced at him.

Phew, that was so close! I heaved a deep sigh out of relief.

It was a good thing that he didn’t hear the word ‘sir.’ It would be embarrassing if he would kiss me right here at the restaurant because there were still crews who could see us. “Thanks, L-Liam… and yeah, it’s fine with me. I can work on weekends, and I can even render overtime if you want.”

“Good, we’re settled then.” He gave me a smile that literally sent shivers down my spine.

We talked a lot while eating. It seemed like we were on our getting-to-know-each-other stage. I learned that both of his parents were already residing in the States.

Apart from the Evangelista Group of Companies or EGC, he also had L.A. Gadgets International, plus D’ Jewelry Business that he just established this year in America. He already achieved everything in life despite being too young.

“You know what, you looked like someone?” Liam told me when he was eating his caramel flan.

“Really, who? An actress?” I narrowed my eyes despite being caught in surprise. I couldn’t remember any of my family members or close friends mentioning me having a look-alike.

“My next girlfriend.” Liam looked at me with a hint of desire in his eyes.

_________________________

Kare-kare* is a Philippine stew complemented with a thick savory peanut sauce. It is made from a variation base of stewed oxtail, pork hocks, calves’ feet, pig feet, beef stew meat, and occasionally offal or tripe.

Kare-kare can also be made with seafood (prawns, squid, and mussels). Vegetables, which include eggplant, Chinese cabbage, or other greens, daikon, green beans, okra, and asparagus beans are added—usually equaling or exceeding the amount of meat.

The stew is flavored with ground roasted peanuts or peanut butter, onions, and garlic. It is colored with annatto and can be thickened with toasted or plain ground rice.