by Maida Malby
Krista was right. He was skin and bones in middle school. Bouncing his knees, he told her, “Well, you’re in perfect health now, so I’ve no complaints. I wasn’t the healthiest of teenagers, either. I was a late bloomer.” She raised her eyebrow, disbelief written on her face.
“It’s true. I was pimply and scrawny. I’ll show you some pictures someday.” He’d introduce Krista to his parents. For sure, his mother would be psyched to bring out the old albums.
She rubbed his cheek with hers, then rested her head against his neck. “I’d love to see them.” Wistful longing tinged her voice. “Someday.”
Blake kept quiet. He just sat there nuzzling her hair, waiting for her to continue her story.
“My mother had seriously conflicting feelings about my birth father. She was both angry at him and defensive of him. One day she’d tell me he was honorable, and had he known about me, he would have done the right thing.
At other times she’d rail at him—at all white men. She would tell me, ‘Anak, promise me you will not fall in love with a foreigner, particularly an American. They will only break your heart. Find a nice Filipino man like your tatay.’ I would just nod and say yes. What else was I supposed to say?”
Blake winced at the confirmation of the rough road he would need to take, to find favor with her mother. There it was—why she’d tried to keep her distance, despite their mutual attraction. The reason she couldn’t say “I love you” back. To fulfill her Turning-Thirty Vow by being with him, she had broken another.
“When I decided to apply at the universities in Manila and Quezon City, my mom and I had a huge row. She didn’t want me at the big city. She didn’t want me out of her sight.” Krista heaved a deep sigh.
“Thankfully, my dad was on my side. As an educator, he recognized that the provincial colleges couldn’t provide the same opportunities a UP or Ateneo degree would give me. My mom had no choice but to let me go.”
Blake knew the rest of the story. She met Maddie and the rest of her squad, M’amie, at the University of the Philippines. She worked as a student and research assistant to earn some extra money while completing a five-year course in four. With high honors to boot.
He figured the university was where she lost weight, gained confidence, and found her own identity. Away from the controlling influence of her parent. Away from the guilt and blind obedience required of her because of her mother’s history.
What does it mean for us moving forward? He knew it wasn’t fair to ask Krista now, when she was still so emotional, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed a plan of action. If there was a problem, he wanted it solved. “What do we do now?”
She leaned back to look at him, a frown marring her beautiful face. “I … I don’t think we can do anything now. While we’re here in Boracay, I mean. My mom didn’t want to talk to me. I have to wait until she calms down.” She rubbed her forehead. “I want them to meet you; get to know you. I want them to realize that you’re different. You’re not John.”
“No, I’m not.” He could hear a “but” coming.
“But,” Krista gave a helpless shrug, “not yet. My mom could take a long time to get over her sulk. She didn’t speak to me for months when I started college; didn’t even go with my dad and siblings when I moved to my dorm.” She stroked his arm in a plea for understanding. “Is it okay if we table the meeting until she’s more open to giving you a chance?”
Blake heard the exhaustion in her voice, so he didn’t argue. She was also right—they still had three days in the island. Less than that. It was Thursday already. But he couldn’t let her go to sleep feeling sad. “You know, there’s a silver lining in all this.”
“What’s that?” She hid a yawn behind her hand.
“Your mom would have had a heart attack if it was Aidan she saw you kissing.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth formed a big “O.” “Blake!” She flicked her hand on his shoulder but let out a reluctant giggle.
“Think about it. White guy, close-cropped hair, shoulders square. She might not have seen the stick up his well-disciplined ass, but everything about my brother screams military. There’s John 2.0, right there.” He grinned when Krista’s giggle turned into full-blown laughter, until tears ran down her cheeks again. These tears he liked. It made him happy that he caused them.
With a hiccup, she captured his face between her hands and gazed at him tenderly. “Oh Blake, you’re wonderful. Thank you. I—”
“Could you two turn it down? Trying to sleep here.” Maddie demanded as she came out of the bedroom. Her face was wreathed in smiles, relieved her friend’s sadness had passed.
Blake groaned and threw his head back against the couch. The woman had the worst timing in the world.
Krista gave him an apologetic smile and turned to her best friend. “Blake just said I’m lucky my mom saw him instead of Aidan. She would have died on the spot.” She left her perch on his lap to stand beside her friend.
Maddie snorted. “Good one, Blake. Now, you go kissy-kissy and let us go to bed. I need my beauty sleep, even if you two don’t.” With that pronouncement, she marched back to the bedroom.
“Your friend is a menace,” he said without real resentment. He got to his feet and reached for Krista, bestowing a soft kiss on her lips. “Good night, baby. I love you.” He didn’t wait for her response; he left with a light heart.
THURSDAY
Chapter Twenty
Salamat [sa-la-mat] n. – thanks.
Krista watched Aidan wipe the oil and grime off his hands with a rag; he’d just finished checking the small plane for its flight readiness. Earlier, she saw him show his credentials to the resort pilots and heard him ask respectfully if he could help them do the pre-flight inspection.
Behind her, Maddie and Blake were consulting on a PR campaign. While the two were engrossed in the papers they had spread out on the coffee table in the small departure lounge at Perlas' mini-air strip, Krista decided to talk to Aidan.
They still had thirty minutes before Maddie and Aidan departed for Makati, and Krista wanted to take advantage of the lull to learn something more about Blake. She was almost sure of her feelings for him—she’d nearly declared it last night—but any little bit of information might help get her to one-hundred-percent certainty.
Krista sat by the door so Aidan would see her right away when he came in from the hangar.
“Is everything all right?” she asked as he approached. How could the pilots say no to this guy? He was not only a foot taller than them, his rank showed in the commanding way he carried himself. He again wore a crisp gray dress shirt, freshly pressed blue slacks, and shiny black shoes. Not the usual island uniform, that, except for the Ray-Bans. If her biological father looked like Aidan when her mother met him, it was no wonder her mom gave in to lust-at-first-sight.
Frankly, Aidan intimidated her. He resembled Blake, but he was harder and more guarded than her boyfriend. Although they shared the same birthday, Krista wasn’t sure if she could ever feel comfortable with Aidan. Maybe familiarity would cure that. At the moment though, she felt anxious. He had waved away her apology this morning—Blake must have shared with him some of her explanation—but she still felt as if he was judging her and finding her lacking.
Aidan sat beside her and nodded. “All good. They’re competent pilots. The plane is fairly new and well-maintained.” He took off his sunglasses and looked at her with his piercing blue-gray eyes. “But, that wasn’t why you want to talk to me right now. You’d like to get the dirt on Blake, right?”
Krista flushed. “Not the dirt, exactly. Anything that will help me understand him better would be welcome. Right now, I only know of his professional accomplishments and what he’s shown me these past few days. You could say that since we are in a courtship stage, he’s been putting his best foot forward, as the cliché goes.” She sighed and looked at Aidan. “After last night, I feel at a disadvantage; I’ve shown my flaws, and yet he remains almost perfect.”
>
Aidan chuckled. “Trust me, he’s far from perfect. He’s a big mama’s boy, he hates being laughed at, he is risk averse, and he can be materialistic. You may have noticed he likes to manage things and organize people. That comes from being a middle child.” He paused and considered her briefly. “Do you have siblings?”
“Yeah. I’m the eldest of three. My sister, Farrah, is next, then Alex.” How is this important?
“So, we have that in common as well as sharing the same birthday.” He smiled at her, his attitude towards her seeming to thaw considerably. “Blake was the baby of the family very briefly before he was followed by Craig, so he was never the one pampered. You might say he was ignored a lot, especially when Darcy came along. Being autocratic is his way of making sure he gets noticed and recognized.”
“I see. That explains a lot. Thank you. What do you mean by him being risk averse?” She got that bit about the materialistic trait already. She noticed that Blake liked to accumulate material wealth. The Louboutins he gave her still made her wince. She could buy a hundred pairs of locally-made shoes for the same price.
“He’s often skeptical about new opportunities,” Aidan replied. “He is exceedingly cautious. He seeks stability rather than conquering new challenges. You know he’s been living here in the Philippines for five years. He’s also been with the same company since he got his MBA.”
That made sense. She, herself, had worked for three companies already within nine years. Blake only worked for one in eleven years. “But what about …”
“… the resort?” Aidan finished for her. “You can bet the other partners took a long time to woo him, quite possibly years. And, he was the last one to agree. He’d have already researched, taken all the facts into account, and received guarantees that he would be in control before he made the decision.”
Krista bowed her head. This was the difficult part. “What about relationships?”
“You’re his first real one.” The statement was stark. She lifted her head in disbelief.
“That can’t be. Isn’t he thirty-three? He must have had girlfriends before.” How could that be? Blake must be considered quite the catch, even in the US, with his good looks and deep pockets.
Aidan shook his head. “No one he introduced to the family. He’s always been shy, especially around girls. He was gangly and nerdy in high school. It took a while for him to grow out of it.” His gaze hardened briefly, as if a memory had flashed through his mind. “Isn’t he your first relationship, too?”
“Yes. He’s my first boyfriend.” Hopefully the last.
“Like with this resort, Blake must have weighed the pros and cons before he resolved to pursue you and decided you’re worth any obstacles that would come your way. Be careful with his heart, Krista. My brother waited a long time before he got into a committed relationship. I would hate to see him hurt.” There was a clear warning in Aidan’s voice.
Scorpios were notorious for their vengeful nature. She wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of this man’s retribution.
“I will,” she promised. She lifted her chin and looked Aidan in the eye. “As long as he doesn’t break my heart, I will be careful with his.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgment. They understood one another.
Krista glanced at the table where Maddie and Blake seemed to be finishing their business meeting. She turned back to Aidan and blurted out, “One more thing, Aidan.”
A raised eyebrow was her prompt to continue. She really wanted to ask, Can you help me find my father? but opted for, “Please look after Maddie in Singapore. She may act tough, but she needs someone to take care of her. Will you do that … for Blake … and me?”
He hesitated for just a beat. “I will look after Madeleine as much as she will allow me to.” It was a vow from a man who recognized his equal.
Krista impulsively leaned over and gave Aidan a hug. “Thank you.”
To her shock, he said the ritual reply in Filipino. “Walang anuman.”
She reared back, gaping at him. He was smiling. “Tita Belen is not only Blake’s. She is an honorary aunt to all of the Ryan kids.”
“Oops. I forgot. Sorry!” She flushed in embarrassment, then broke into giggles when he spoke in the native language again. “Walang problema.”
Yep, there’s no problem, indeed.
***
Blake was happy to see his brother and his girlfriend getting along so well. He worried last night that Aidan would have a negative impression of Krista after the drama with her parents. An impression he caused with his unfounded accusation.
This morning, he’d briefly explained her mother’s opposition to Krista’s relationship with an American. It crossed his mind to ask for Aidan’s help to find her birth father, but he had to discuss it with his girlfriend first.
Seeing them laugh together pleased him. They were more than likely talking about him; he didn’t mind being their topic of conversation if it helped Krista feel surer about him.
“Krista loves you, you know,” Maddie said, breaking his thoughts. She was also observing her friend and his brother.
“I do know. I’m not jealous of that. I trust them both,” he assured Maddie. Blake knew where his brother’s interests lay—on the woman in front of him, not on Krista.
“No. I didn’t imply that. I meant she must not have told you yet.” Maddie looked at him as if seeking confirmation. “She wouldn’t have slept with you if she wasn’t already in love with you.”
You butted in before she could tell me. “She hasn’t yet, but I don’t mind. I feel her love every time she smiles at me and with the way she responds to my touch. I can wait until Krista is ready to tell me.” He was a patient man, but he had a feeling he didn’t have long to wait anyway.
“Krista doesn’t say it often. Her family isn’t overly affectionate; she didn’t grow up hearing it said to her. Most Filipinos don’t, except in movies or books,” Maddie explained. “She has only told me she loves me a couple of times, and we’ve been friends for fourteen years.” She sighed. “What I’m trying to say in a long-winded way is that when she tells you she loves you—I say when, not if—it means she’s all in. You are it for her. So, do not break her heart, or I’ll make you regret you ever came to the Philippines.” Maddie shook her fists at him.
Blake burst out laughing. These two were so delightful. No wonder he and his brother were attracted to these women. The Ryan brothers had to be secret masochists, because Krista and Maddie were both hell on wheels. But so worth it.
He stood and held his right hand over his heart, swearing sincerely, “I promise.” After a beat, he said, “Now come on. I think Aidan is finished spilling all my secrets to your best friend.”
Striding to where the two were seated, he said loudly, “Bro, find your own woman. This one is mine.”
He leaned down and pulled Krista to her feet to kiss her lightly on the lips. Only the four of them were in the room, so he had no qualms about showing affection. Krista seemed to be getting comfortable with their intimacy; she wrapped her arms around his waist and lay her head on his shoulder.
She tapped his chest and said, “Blake, don’t be rude. Aidan and I were just talking. He didn’t tell me anything incriminating about you, but we exchanged e-mail addresses. If you’re mean to me, I’ll download the baby pictures he’s going to send me and show them to everyone in the office.” He knew she was joking. He saw her wink at Aidan.
Amused, he said, “I don’t care. I was cute in diapers. Craig was the ugly one—he looked like a miniature Michelin Man.” His brother guffawed, and he laughed too. They really needed to get together soon. He missed his family.
Krista disentangled herself from him and muttered, “Hambog,” before thumping him on the chest again. After calling him a braggart, his girlfriend moved away to talk to Maddie.
Blake stepped closer to his brother. “When do you go back to Singapore?”
“I’m not sure yet. I have a meeting at the US Emb
assy all day tomorrow, then I’ll be free after that. My plans are flexible,” Aidan replied while looking at Maddie. “I can return any time before Monday morning.”
If Blake had to guess, Aidan would show up for a visit at his apartment in Bonifacio Global City sometime Saturday or Sunday afternoon, or whenever Maddie and Aidan came up for air.
He smiled at his brother knowingly. “If you have a few minutes to spare before you go, just give me a ring or knock on my door. It’s just a floor above hers.” Blake chuckled when his brother glowered at him.
“What’s so funny?” Krista asked him as she and Maddie joined them to say their farewells. The plane was ready for boarding.
“I’ll tell you later.” He winked at Krista and gave Maddie a brotherly hug. “Take it easy on Aidan. He’s not used to being on the receiving end of a whip,” he whispered. He chuckled again when she reddened and bared her teeth at him.
She turned to Krista and complained, “I hate your boyfriend. He thinks he’s so clever.”
Krista just laughed and hugged Maddie. “That’s because he is. Have a safe flight. See you in Makati.”
Krista stepped back and gripped Blake’s outstretched hand as they watched Aidan and Maddie pretend to keep a distance between them that fooled no one at all.
Chapter Twenty-One
Tulog [too-lawg] n. – sleep.
“Alone at last,” Blake said into Krista’s hair. They were riding the golf cart back to the cottages. “What would you like to do today?” It was only eleven in the morning, but he could see that his woman’s energy was flagging.
She might just want to be lazy today and not engage in anything more strenuous than talk, eat, and sleep. Although the mood was light during their late breakfast, he saw Krista hide a yawn behind her hand every so often. The best friends might have talked after he left, even though Maddie shooed him out on the pretext of going to bed.