Chapter 15 - Old Friends, New Plans
Sunday.
Closed workspace.
No printers.
No customer messages.
No spreadsheets.
No Celeste photos from Jane.
Yet.
A successful morning.
The three of us met at SM Baliwag around eleven.
Jane was already there when I arrived.
Chloe came five minutes later carrying coffee she had not offered to either of us.
I looked at it.
"Wow."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You want?"
"Yes."
"No."
I stared.
"Why ask?"
"Courtesy."
Jane laughed.
Excellent.
Five minutes together and already terrible.
We walked.
That was basically the entire plan.
Walk.
Eat.
Look at things.
Refuse to buy things.
Coffee.
Maybe arcade if Chloe saw one before we could stop her.
Very sophisticated Sunday itinerary.
At some point, a woman passed in front of us wearing shorts.
I glanced down.
Briefly.
Normal.
Jane immediately—
"Very nice legs?"
I whipped my head toward her.
"Jane!"
She started laughing.
"I saw that."
"You saw nothing."
"I saw your eyes."
"My eyes are allowed to move."
Chloe looked at the woman.
Then at me.
Then at Jane.
"She's right."
I stared.
"Whose side are you on?"
"Evidence."
"That's not a person."
"Exactly."
Jane laughed harder.
I kept walking.
This joke needed to die.
Unfortunately, I had the distinct feeling it had achieved permanent residency.
Lunch was simple.
Chicken.
Rice.
Drinks.
Chloe stole fries from both of us equally, which apparently counted as fairness.
We talked about work.
Jane complained.
Chloe complained.
I listened.
Then they both complained about me not complaining enough.
"I have nothing to complain about."
Jane stared.
"Impossible."
"Business is good."
Chloe:
"Suspicious."
"Employees are good."
Jane:
"More suspicious."
"Workspace is good."
Chloe:
"Okay. Who are you?"
I sighed.
"I've learned."
Jane smiled.
"Growth."
"There it is."
After lunch, we wandered through a few stores.
Chloe wanted to look at bags.
Jane wanted skincare.
I made the mistake of giving opinions.
"Don't get that."
Jane looked at the bottle.
"Why?"
"Too harsh."
"You haven't even seen my skin today."
I looked at her face.
She stopped.
"No."
I leaned slightly closer.
"Wait."
"Lia."
"Your texture is better."
Chloe immediately looked at us.
"Here we go."
Jane ignored her.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"See? The niacinamide works."
"I told you."
Jane smiled.
"Proud?"
"Moderately."
"Wow."
"Don't ruin it."
We left the store.
Then—
because apparently the universe enjoyed organized harassment—
I saw Celeste.
I knew it was her before I properly saw her face.
Posture.
Walk.
Hair.
Then she turned slightly.
Sunglasses.
Of course.
Very pretty.
Very polished.
Very nice legs.
Fuck.
I stopped for maybe half a second.
Jane noticed.
Naturally.
Chloe noticed Jane noticing.
Naturally.
Celeste turned.
Paused.
Then—
"Lia?"
Well.
There went pretending I had suddenly developed facial blindness.
"Oh. Celeste."
Her face brightened.
She walked toward us and hugged me.
I hugged her back.
Familiar.
Easy.
Not weird.
Just someone from college I hadn't seen in a while.
"Kamusta ka?" she asked.
"Okay naman. Ikaw?"
Celeste sighed dramatically.
"Eto. Teacher pa rin."
I laughed.
"Ba't parang ayaw mo na?"
She lifted her sunglasses onto her head.
"Hindi na kaya expenses ko."
I stared.
Then smiled.
"I knew it."
She smacked my arm lightly.
"Bwisit ka."
"Consistent."
"Hindi. Mahal talaga mabuhay."
"Also true."
Celeste laughed.
Then—
"May mga tatanong nga pala ako sa'yo."
"Ano 'yon?"
"Business."
Of course.
I nodded.
"Go."
Then she finally seemed to remember Jane and Chloe were standing beside me.
"Ay, sorry. Naistorbo ko ata kayo."
Jane shook her head.
"Okay lang."
Chloe smiled.
"Yeah, okay lang."
Celeste turned toward them.
"Hi. I'm Celeste. Friend ni Lia nung college."
Jane answered first.
"Hi. I'm Jane."
"Chloe."
There.
Tiny.
Very tiny.
But I saw it.
The moment Jane said her name, Celeste's expression shifted.
Recognition.
Not dramatic.
Not enough for Jane to immediately catch.
Just—
Ah.
Right.
Fuck.
Because of course Celeste knew the name.
I looked at her.
One second.
Warning.
Do not.
Celeste's mouth twitched.
Barely.
She understood immediately.
Thank God.
Chloe—
different problem.
Chloe looked from Celeste—
to me—
then to Jane.
??
I refused to acknowledge her existence.
Celeste looked back at me.
"Chat nalang ako, ha."
"Sure."
"Kita tayo ulit soon."
"Sige. Chat ka lang."
She smiled.
"Anytime?"
"I'll check my schedule."
She stared at me.
"Of course."
"Consistent."
"Very."
She put her sunglasses back down.
"See you soon."
"See ya."
Then she looked at the others.
"Bye, Jane. Bye, Chloe."
"Bye," Jane said.
Chloe waved.
"Bye."
Celeste walked away.
I watched her leave.
Not for long.
Just—
a reasonable amount of time.
Maybe.
Beside me—
"So."
I looked at Jane.
"So what?"
She leaned closer.
"Very nice legs."
My eyes widened.
"Jane!"
"Shh!"
She started laughing.
"Baka marinig ka!"
"You're the one saying it!"
"I didn't say anything!"
"You looked."
"That is not evidence."
Jane laughed harder.
I looked at Chloe.
Mistake.
She was watching me.
Then Celeste.
Then Jane.
??
"No."
Chloe smiled.
"I didn't say anything."
"I know."
Jane frowned.
"What?"
"Nothing," I said.
Chloe:
"Understandable."
Jane turned.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Why understandable?"
Chloe smiled.
"General observation."
"What observation?"
"Coffee?" I said immediately.
Jane looked at me.
"Wait."
"Coffee."
"Lia."
"Coffee."
Chloe followed me, laughing quietly.
Coward.
We had barely reached the café when my phone buzzed.
I looked.
Celeste.
Of course.
hi
I stared.
Another message.
may itatanong nga pala ako sayo
I laughed under my breath.
Jane looked over.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Buzz.
business related
I typed:
you literally just saw me
Immediate reply.
exactly. naalala ko ulit
classic
bwisit
Then—
free ka this week?
I looked at my calendar mentally.
Stopped.
No.
Actual calendar.
Later.
depends. send topic first
tutorial center
Interesting.
Then—
planning palang
teacher ka pa?
yes. hindi pa ko nagreresign baliw
I laughed.
Jane leaned slightly.
"Sino?"
"Celeste."
Her eyebrows went up.
"Agad?"
"Apparently."
Chloe sat down with her drink.
"Classic?"
I looked at her.
"How do you already know enough to say classic?"
"Pattern recognition."
I hated that phrase now.
Celeste sent more.
iniisip ko side business muna
maybe tutoring
then if okay saka center
Better.
Much better than:
Rent first.
Students later.
I typed:
good. don't rent anything yet
Three dots.
yan din itatanong ko
then answer is no
ang bilis mo naman
you said planning palang
Then:
coffee this week? explain ko
I checked my actual calendar.
Wednesday after work.
Possible.
wednesday 6:30?
pwede
nearby lang
yes ma'am CEO
I stared.
don't call me that
same lia
unfortunately
I put my phone away.
Jane looked at me.
"Tutorial center?"
I nodded.
"Planning."
"Nice."
"Could work."
Chloe:
"Consultation fee?"
I laughed.
"None."
"Friend rate?"
"College almost-girlfriend rate."
Jane choked on her drink.
Chloe stared at me.
I stared back.
"What?"
"You said it very casually."
"Because it is history."
Jane recovered.
"Very pretty history."
I pointed at her.
"No."
She smiled.
"Polished."
"Stop."
"Excellent nose."
"Jane."
Chloe took a sip.
"Very nice legs."
I stared at both of them.
Fantastic.
The harassment had merged.
Wednesday came faster than expected.
At six, I closed the workspace.
Actually closed.
Assistant One and Assistant Two left.
I locked up.
Then went to meet Celeste.
Not because I had nothing else to do.
Because I had specifically decided that meeting someone at six-thirty did not qualify as abandoning business.
Personal growth.
Disgusting.
Celeste was already seated when I arrived.
No sunglasses this time.
Still—
very pretty.
I sat across from her.
She smiled.
"Late?"
I checked the time.
"6:28."
"Wow."
"I'm early."
"Technically."
"Don't start."
She laughed.
"Coffee?"
"Yes."
We ordered.
Then Celeste opened her notes.
Actual notes.
I stared.
"Prepared."
"I knew you'd ask numbers."
"Good."
"I hate that you're predictable."
"You came to me specifically because I'm predictable."
"Fair."
She turned the phone toward me.
"I want to do tutoring first."
"Good."
"Science and Math."
"Your strongest?"
"Yes."
"Age group?"
"High school mostly."
"Online?"
"Maybe. Pero gusto ko face-to-face."
"Then start without a center."
She frowned.
"Where?"
"Home. Borrowed space. Weekend arrangement. Even small rented room by schedule if needed."
"But not permanent rent?"
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Students first."
Celeste leaned back.
"I need a place to get students."
"No. You need students to justify a place."
She stared.
I continued.
"Don't fall in love with the signboard."
She laughed.
"I haven't even designed one."
"Good."
"I was going to."
"Of course."
She showed me rough pricing.
I looked.
Then looked at her.
"No."
Her face fell.
"Too high?"
"Too low."
"Oh."
"How long per session?"
"One hour."
"Materials?"
"I'll make them."
"Included?"
"Yes."
"No."
She frowned.
"Why?"
"Because materials cost money."
"Paper lang."
"Paper costs money."
"Ink—"
"Also money."
"My time—"
"Especially money."
Celeste stared.
I smiled.
"Teacher instinct."
"What?"
"You're already trying to donate labor."
She started laughing.
"Grabe."
"Charge properly."
"Eh baka mahal."
"Then know your market. Don't guess."
She nodded.
"Okay."
We talked group sessions.
One-on-one.
Online.
Weekend schedules.
How many students before she needed a separate location.
Basic expense tracking.
No complicated systems.
Just:
Students.
Sessions.
Revenue.
Materials.
Transportation.
Advertising.
Actual hours worked.