When Diane left that morning, John recalled the first time he noticed her back in his second year in college. He was telling jokes to the girls surrounding him before cla.s.s. The more he joked the more she laughed. She was not the only one laughing though, but her dazzling eyes when she laughed captivated him. Those deep cute dimples were inviting him to touch them. Yet, this girl didn"t try to get near him. He sulked when he thought of it.John wanted to talk with her but the other girls prevented him. And whenever she pa.s.sed her seat, she was always drawing something on her notebook. He remembered her hands, how fluid when it moved. So beautiful.
Then John saw her with a man, pa.s.sionately kissing her.
However, he didn"t lose hope. He undoubtedly believed the two would separate sooner or later. John quickly concluded that all he had to do was wait but, all of a sudden, he saw her show-off her engagement ring and announced her wedding to her friends. He totally lost his chances.
He lost the battle because of his hesitance, of his narcissistic att.i.tude, waiting for the girl to notice him first. He shamefully grasped that he was nothing but a stupid pretty boy, ogled by girls but couldn"t go near or speak up to the woman he liked.
Later, before he graduated from his Bachelor of Science in Biology, he found out she discontinued her studies and the wedding didn"t take place. Hope rose and he attempted to know her whereabouts but a week after, he heard she died in a car accident.
For the first time in his life, he went into a drunken stupor. She was gone for good, he cried. The pain of his loss was great that he decided to never fall in love again. He would just focus on his career, he promised.
Somehow, Beauty came and made him change his mind. He fell in love again but lost the girl again. Somehow, he accepted the loss sedately.
After losing Beauty, Diane Castillon came back to his life again. He felt G.o.d was playing a joke on him. But joke or not, he would aggressively pursue her this time and forget all sensibilities and get her to himself. He learned his lesson well after he lost twice to other men.
So, he drove straight to Diane"s flower shop with an aim, to win her, no more, no less.
John stepped inside Castillon Flower Pavillion with a big grin on his face. "Hi, Miss Castillon. Glad to see you again."
Diane did not expect this. She hurriedly stood and shook his readied hands. "Hi, Doc. Glad to see you too. Never expected this visit after meeting you hours ago. Please sit."
He pulled a chair, placed the backrest in front of him and rested his arms and chin on it. His legs were wide open as he sat across her with a confident smile on his face. "Just call me John. Can I call you Diane? About the orders, that could wait tomorrow but I can"t wait to see you again."
Diane clearly caught his last phrase. "What do you mean?"
"I think we"ve known each other years ago. I studied at San Carlos University and I"m sure we were cla.s.smates back then."
She reclined on the backrest, her muscles eased. "Yes, we were cla.s.smates in some minor subjects, but I"m not sure if you remembered. That"s why I didn"t mention it this morning."
"I definitely remember you. You were that girl who would never look at me." His mouth slightly pouted. "You were always busy drawing with your nimble fingers." Then his mood brightened. "By the way, I remember your house designs and the manga characters you"ve drawn. You copied Naruto"s face vividly." Then he blabbered about the drawings he recalled.
She didn"t expect this and unsure of what to think now.
"Ah, I think I was just engrossed with my drawings that I didn"t see you," she said calmly but confused. Did their situation reverse? How come he knew all of this? So, he did notice her and a great deal. Faint regret subtly crept in her but shrugged it away.
"Do you still have those drawings?"
"Yes, why?" What was he up to?
"I need an architect for my house. Base on what I remember you studied architecture. Did you finish it?" It was a lie but he would do it if deemed necessary to keep her near him.
"I stopped on my third year." She went with the flow of the conversation.
"What a shame. Can I ask why?"
She sighed. "My father died and I need to take over the shop."
"I"m sorry to hear that," he said it with sincerity. "Did anything happened to you, like an accident, after you left school?" This was the question he patiently wanted to ask from the start.
"No, why?" She was perplexed.
"Just asking." John didn"t want to dig more and threw that awful information to the trash bin in his mind. What mattered was she was alive and talking to him now. His stomach growled, reminding him he missed breakfast and it"s almost noon. "Are you free now? Let"s have lunch, my treat," he said.
The quick-witted Lydia, who was only observing and listening to the two, answered for Diane. "Yeah, Doc. Diane will be happy to go with you," Lydia said, making Diane"s jaw dropped in an unladylike manner.
"No, can"t go now. I need to attend to my mother"s needs," Diane countered swiftly, waving her hands in front of her as she stood to flee.
"No worries. I"ll take good care of her. It"s lunchtime anyway," Lydia hastily placed the "CLOSED" sign on the gla.s.s door and smiled naughtily at her boss.
Diane squinted her eyes at her shopkeeper. Her lips pursed. She folded her arms on her chest.
John laughed silently, amused by Lydia"s actions.
Lydia hurriedly ran at Diane"s back and pushed the shop owner to the door as she handed Diane"s handbag. Diane received it, dumbfounded with Lydia"s action. Diane looked warily at Lydia. John followed them.
Lydia"s grin spread from ear to ear. Obviously, she was pleased for her boss and best friend Diane and closed the door for them. Hoping true love would come on Diane"s way, this time.