ALMOST ON EDGE
CHAPTER 7
— ALMOST ON EDGE —
He pushes off from the desk, a quiet smile playing at his lips. "Take your time. I'll be in the lobby."
He moves toward the door, then pauses, glancing back at her, his voice warm. "I'll bring the car around. Just come down when you're ready; no pressure to rush."
Christine watches him leave, a flutter of anticipation in her chest. She focuses on clearing her desk, but her mind already lingers on the way he looked at her. "That sounds fun. I will just clear the office. Be with you in 10 minutes."
He nods once, a warm light in his eyes as he pulls the door open. "See you in ten."
The door clicks shut softly behind him. She wraps up her work, trying to contain her smile.
She arrives at the lobby after 14 minutes and sees him standing at the corner waiting. She approaches him. "Hey, sorry I'm a bit late."
His head lifts at the sound of her voice, and he straightens from the wall with an easy smile. He holds up a thermos with a small flourish. "No apology needed. I used the extra time well."
He offers it to her. "Picked us up some hot tsokolate from the cafe downstairs. Thought it'd be a good start for the drive."
Christine looks into his eyes and gives him a smile of appreciation, feeling her resolve to keep things professional melting away. He really thinks of everything. "Let's go?"
He returns the smile, stepping forward to open the passenger door of his sleek sedan.
His hand lingers for just a moment on the handle before he gestures. "After you."
She enters the car, acutely aware of the employees in the lobby gazing at them with distant, inaudible murmurs.
She feels a slight heat rise to her cheeks, but his presence makes it bearable.
He glances briefly at the murmuring group as he rounds the hood, but his focus quickly returns to her. He gets in, starts the engine, and pulls smoothly out onto the road. "Let them talk."
His tone is low, amused, and entirely unbothered. "They're just confirming what I've known for a while."
"What is it?" she asked
He glances at her briefly, a soft smile curving his lips as he turns his attention back to the road. "That I'm a lucky guy."
She chuckles, feeling emboldened, and slaps his shoulder in a taunting gesture.
A low laugh escapes him at the playful slap, his shoulders shaking. He keeps his eyes on the road but lets the smile linger. "Hey, I'm driving. Don't distract the pilot."
He pauses, then adds, lighter and almost teasing, "Save the violent affection for when we're parked."
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Her heart skips a beat at the implication. "Okay, Mr. Pilot."
He chuckles, shaking his head as he takes the ramp toward the expressway. "Mr. Pilot. I like that. Has a ring to it."
He glances over, his voice softening just a fraction. "But you can call me Jeff when we're not in flight mode."
She just smiles, enjoying the sudden lightness in her heart. Everything feels so natural, so right.
While he is driving on SLEX on the way to Tagaytay, she breaks the comfortable silence. "You know, I used to pass through this road every day from Alabang to Makati when I didn't have a condo. Nothing special, nothing memorable—until now."
The weight of her words settles in the car. He takes them in, one hand on the wheel, his voice coming out softer than he intended. "Then I'm glad I get to be part of making this road memorable for you." A quiet pause. "Here's to more firsts."
She glances at him, but he's focused on the road, and she finds herself hoping this road never ends. He's making her feel like she's finally living. "Yeah, to more firsts."
He catches her glance from the corner of his eye, but doesn't turn—just lets a quiet smile settle on his lips. "Good." A beat, his voice dropping to something almost reflective. "I've been thinking about what our next first should be."
He flicks the signal, merging smoothly. "But I figure we let tonight be its own thing first."
She wants to know what he's thinking, but she's happy to wait. "Let's just let the time decide for us!"
He gives a slow, thoughtful nod, his thumb tapping the steering wheel once. "Time it is."
A few heartbeats pass, the hum of the tires filling the comfortable silence. "It's never steered me wrong before. Especially not today."
She looks at him, realizing just how much has changed in such a short time. "Actually, Jeff... I never thought the day would come that I'd look forward to something other than my office, my tasks, my work. Until you came into my life."
The words hang in the air, and for a second, she fears she's said too much.
He doesn't answer right away—just lets them settle, his grip on the wheel easing. When he finally speaks, his voice is quieter, rougher around the edges. "I know what you mean."
A pause. He glances at her, brief but full. "Before you, my days were just... meetings, blueprints, numbers. I didn't realize how empty the calendar felt until you started filling it."
She feels like she's finally exhaling after holding her breath for months. "Thank you for letting me feel this way."
He pulls the car into a scenic overlook without warning, putting it in park. For a long moment, he just stares ahead at the sprawling view, then finally turns to her, his voice carrying a rare weight. "Thank you for letting me."
His eyes find hers in the dimming light, open and unguarded. "I've been wanting to tell you something." A breath. "It wasn't just coincidence that we kept running into each other. I started timing my coffee breaks when I noticed your schedule." A quiet admission. "I wanted to be someone worth your time."
————— Later they arrive at Tagaytay.
He pulls into a quiet inn's parking lot, the view of Taal Lake already visible in the distance. He kills the engine and sits for a moment, letting the silence stretch before turning to her with a soft, earnest look. "We're here."
A pause. "I hope this view lives up to the ones I've been imagining with you in it."
She looks at the horizon. The Taal Lake is glittering as the sun starts to fall. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She wishes she could freeze this moment forever. "This is magical."
He watches her instead of the view. The way the sunset catches the curve of her face, the slight exhale as she breathes it in. "Yeah," he says softly, almost to himself. "It really is."
He doesn't look away until she opens her eyes, and when she does, he's ready with a gentle smile. "Ready for dinner?"
She gazes at him, her smile gentle and soft. Her hunger has completely vanished, replaced by the desire to just stay in this moment.
"I'm not that hungry for now. Maybe we drink the Tsokolate you bought earlier here. Just you and I. Here in this view with the sunset."
He nods, a quiet understanding passing between them. He reaches into the backseat for the thermos and two small cups, pouring the steaming tsokolate carefully, then offers her one.
"Then we stay." He settles beside her on the hood of the car, close enough to feel the warmth radiating between them, and faces the fading sun. "Right here is exactly where I want to be."
They both lean on the hood of his car in silence. No talking, just there while the red sunset slowly hits their faces.
The quiet between them is full, not empty—woven with the distant sounds of the Tagaytay evening settling in.
After a long, comfortable stretch, he speaks without turning, his voice low and unhurried.
"You know what I love about this?" A pause. He takes a sip of his tsokolate. "We don't have to fill it with words."
He finally glances at her, a soft, knowing look. "Some silences just... mean more with the right person."
She turns her head to him, fully facing him. The orange sun rays hit his face. She looks him directly in the eyes, like seeing his soul, with her hand touching the edge of his jaw. She has never felt this safe with anyone. "I know."
The touch stills him completely. He meets her eyes, his breath held for just a moment. Then, slowly, a warmth settles deep in his gaze. He turns his head just enough to press a gentle kiss to the inside of her wrist, holding it there for a breath, before he pulls back just enough to speak, his voice a whisper. "Thank you. For this. For today."
He lets the silence stretch, searching her eyes. "I think I just found my favorite memory."
Her gaze remains locked in his eyes, giving him a warm, shy smile. She lowers her eyes, feeling a rush of heat. Her heart is racing, but she doesn't want to break the spell just yet. "Ready for dinner?"
The transition lands softly. He lets out a quiet breath, as if emerging from a shared dream, and nods. "Yeah."
His voice comes back to itself, warmer now. "There's a place just down the road. Simple, but the bulalo is some of the best I've had."
He slides off the hood and offers her a hand, steady and patient. "Come on. Let's make another memory."
She stands up first, then he follows. Their hands briefly brush each other. She grabs his hand, not wanting to let go. This is only the beginning. "Let's go."