"UNTIL NEXT TIME"

"What do you think you are doing?" I exclaimed irritably as I approached Marius.

I deliberately showed him the annoyance I felt because of what he did. I felt like a cornered mouse facing a cat, and Marius was that cat. But instead of being affected by my irritation, he sweetly smiled at me, then bowed and lightly kissed my cheek as a greeting.

"Send your driver home; I'll take you wherever you want to go tonight," he replied, opening the passenger side door of his car.

At that moment, my irritation towards him intensified. But despite being annoyed, why did I feel as if I had lost control of myself and found myself stepping into his car? After that, I even called Mang Poldo to let him know he could go home ahead because I decided to join a friend for dinner.

"So, where do you want to eat?" Marius asked, startling me slightly as I realized he was already seated behind the wheel.

"Why do you keep startling me?" I retorted instead.

I heard him release a soft chuckle. "Sorry, I thought you noticed when I got into the car earlier. Anyway, where would you like to eat?" Marius asked me again.

"You decide," I replied, turning my gaze toward the window.

"Do you want to have dinner at my condo instead? I'm a great cook," he said.

"Of course not!" I replied, taken aback.

"Sam, I never knew you had this feisty side. You weren't like this when we first met and during Andrew and Lana's wedding," Marius asked, raising an eyebrow.

I glanced at Marius with a puzzled expression after hearing his remark. It was true, but because of the irritation I felt toward him, I couldn't help but show my true feelings. I didn't like what he did. I couldn't tell if it was annoyance or irritation with myself for being easily swayed by his words, despite being an intelligent and educated woman.

"I hate surprises, that's what you should know. I don't like being caught off guard and put in awkward situations," I lied.

Of course, that was a lie.

There are probably people who dislike surprises, but I wasn't one of them. However, with my mind not functioning properly at that moment, I decided to lie. After all, my niece wasn't around, and she wouldn't witness my actions, which she might imitate.

"So, what do we do about that? I happen to enjoy surprising people, so maybe you should get used to not being annoyed by them?" Marius replied, starting the car.

I didn't respond and just sighed. Even though I didn't know him well yet, I had to admit that he was a good person. He wouldn't be my sister-in-law's best friend if he wasn't. But I couldn't understand why I felt so uneasy when I was with him. The discomfort seemed to be permanent, and no matter what I did, I knew I couldn't deny it.

Marius brought me to an overlooking seafood restaurant. We didn't talk much during the ride because I could feel the tiredness from a long day of work creeping up on me.

"How long have you been friends with Lana?" I asked Marius while waiting for our ordered food.

"We've been childhood best friends, I can hardly remember the exact year we became close," Marius replied, chuckling softly.

I nodded before speaking again. "I want to thank you for not leaving her during the times when my brother wasn't by her side. I'm grateful that Lana had you, and at least Kuya got to see the true meaning of life," I said, noticing the beautiful smile on Marius' lips, but at the same time, I started feeling guilty for my rude behavior earlier.

"I love Lana like a sister, her and Mama Cecille. That's why it wasn't difficult for me to love Andrea as well.”

******

Marius noticed the shy smile that graced Sam's lips after saying those words. He knew the real reason why he was doing this, but why couldn't he control his genuine admiration for her?

"Well, I don't have many friends here in the Philippines whom I can hang out with. Since I returned from the UK, my entire focus has been on business," she said, her smile still radiant.

He nodded. "That's not a problem. If you want, I can be your companion. I can be your travel buddy, concert buddy, whatever you need," Marius replied.

"Thanks, but I'm really not into that. I know you might think so because I grew up in the UK, but my mother raised me in Filipino culture. You see, even in our house in London, she always talked to me in Tagalog, except when my father was around," she explained, followed by a soft laugh.

In Marius' mind, he believed every word Sam said, not just because she said them, but because he could see and feel it in her actions and way of speaking. He couldn't help but openly admire her.

After a while, their food arrived, and Marius found himself delightfully surprised at how enjoyable it was to talk with Sam. She was intelligent, and her perspective on life was truly beautiful. They lost track of time because of their engrossing conversation. Sam ordered coffee, and Marius did the same.

"Where should I drop you off?" he asked when they were inside his car.

Sam looked at him curiously after that question, so he quickly explained himself.

"Lana mentioned before that you have a condo near your Head Office," the young man replied.

Sam nodded in agreement. "Just take me home, my niece might be waiting for me. Or if she's already asleep, I'm sure she'll look for me first thing in the morning," she said.

******

"OKAY," was the only response Marius gave before he started the car.

During the drive, our conversation remained enjoyable, and it helped alleviate the fatigue I was feeling. I knew this wouldn't be the last time I'd be with Marius because, as he mentioned earlier, he was willing to accompany me wherever I wanted to go.

"Thanks, maybe you'd like to drop by sometime, in case your godchild is still awake," I offered when his car was parked in front of our house's gate.

Marius shook his head. "Maybe next time?" he suggested.

"Okay, take care on your way back," I reminded him before I pushed the door open to leave the car. However, I was stopped when I felt his hand gently holding my arm, preventing me from getting out.

"Y-Yes?" I stammered, staring into his undeniably handsome face.

"Until next time?" he asked.

His voice had a hint of tenderness that made my heart skip a beat, and the three words he uttered filled me with a unique kind of excitement and joy.

"Sure," I replied with a sweet smile, unable to contain the warmth his words brought to my heart.