“IS HE real? Or, just an imagination?” Sarah asked herself while choosing clothes to wear for her night-out with Ismael. “Or, maybe he’s a foreigner? A Korean, perhaps? Nah, he speaks our language fluently.”

Sarah narrowed her gaze at the powder blue hanging blouse on the hanger. She couldn’t ditch the man’s handsome face in her mind. And, because she was starstruck, she forgot to make him pay for her phone! Sarah sighed. What’s happening to her? First, her colleague got angry with her just because she couldn’t say yes to her favor. Second, Carlo canceled their date. And, third, her phone was run over by a car.

She slopped her shoulders. “When it will stop?” she asked and plopped down on the bed. “When will Carlo come home?”

It’s been a week since Carlo called her to say that he has to stay at work because of their projects. At first, she doesn’t want to allow him because it will consume even the short time that they’re together after work. But, Carlo insisted and even threatened to break up with her if she’ll keep on meddling with his schedule.

Sarah doesn’t know why Carlo suddenly became cold to her. “My phone was dead, and I don’t have to worry if he’s texting or calling me because he already stopped doing it two years ago…” She felt a loud thump in her chest. “Why am I still hurting? I should have learned to live with it, that couples lose the heat in their relationship after years of being together. Just like with my parents…”

______________

“WHY I can’t call your phone?” Ismael asked her as soon as she arrived at the cafeteria in front of the hospital. “I thought something bad happened to you.”

Sarah looked at him with narrowed eyes. “If you do, then why didn’t you go to my house to check if I’m okay?”

“I said I thought something bad happened to you. I didn’t say that I got worried about you,” Ismael answered and laughed.

“Bastard,” she muttered.

“Just kidding,” he said and patted her head. “What happened to your phone? Did you drop it on the bowl again?”

Sarah rolled her eyes ceilingwards. “Worse than that." She slopped her shoulders and showed him the shattered pieces of her phone. She placed them in a ziplock and put inside her bag to not forget to bring it to the technician. “Do you think techs can save my files?”

“With that case? I doubt it,” Ismael said with a shake of his head. “I told you to use digital storage ’cause you always destroy your phone.”

“Oh, by the way, can I borrow your phone? I’ll post it on my wall so my friends and relatives will be informed that they can’t contact me now.” She said and pursed her lips. “I’m so unfortunate.”

“Do you want to call Carlo to inform him what happened? He might get worried if he can’t contact you,” Ismael asked as he handed her his phone.

“If he can’t contact me, he will call you. He knew that I’m with you now because I’ve sent him a message before my phone drifted away from my hand.” She took photos of her broken phone. “And, besides, he’ll see it on my post.”

“How did your phone fly away from your hand?” Ismael asked with a laugh.

Sarah remembered the handsome guy. “A prince charming bumped with me,” she said and giggled. “Ah, his face won’t leave my mind again. You shouldn’t ask me about it.”

Ismael raised his brow. “Prince charming? Is he riding a white horse in full metal gears and holding a scabbard in his hand?”

Sarah glared at her friend. “Not the fictional ones,” she said, then smiled. “But his level of charm and good looks is extra-ordinary. He looked like Prince Erik.”

“Maybe he’s just an apparition—”

“No,” she drawled. “His chest pressed on my shoulders, and I felt how hard it was!”

Ismael frowned at her. “And, the result? Broken cell phone.”

Sarah groaned. “What am I going to do with these? I’m such an unlucky person!” she faked a cry and shook Ismael’s shoulders. “When will this jinx stop?”

“Maybe you need a specialist that could remove the bad luck in you,” Ismael said. “You know, just like in Feng Shui.”

“We’re nurses. We don’t believe in Feng Shui or whatever magic,” she said skeptically. “I better believed that I’m just a clumsy person.”

“How ironic, you just said it was a jinx.” Ismael raised from his seat. “So let’s go and have some fun.”

“Where are we going? I thought this is where the hangout that you’re saying,” she asked and looked around the quiet café. “Can we stay here instead? I like the ambiance here.”

“Nah.” Ismael grabbed her hand and pulled her to stand up. “Come on. Happy Hour will start at nine p.m.”

Sarah propped her hands on her waist. “Tell me you accepted a free pass voucher again from our patients?”

The corner of his mouth quirked up. “The patient’s father insisted on giving it to me. He slipped it in my pocket,” he explained. “He said he owns a bar at Bel-Air, Makati, and he’ll give us big discounts tonight.”

“Bel-Air? Carlo’s building was just around that place. Maybe I could drop at him and bring him food.” Sarah’s hope went high again. “I’m sure he’ll be surprised to see me.”

“I’m sure he will,” Ismael agreed and smirked.

Sarah sensed something odd in his tone, but she disregarded it quickly. Ismael was against Carlo’s often staying at work, and he has advised her a hundred times to not allow him next time. But, Sarah doesn’t have the power to control Carlo.

She sighed. For how long will she remain like this? She doesn’t know. What’s on her mind right now is how she will replenish the heat present in their relationship. But because Carlo was always busy with his work, Sarah couldn’t get chances to do her plans.

“Here we are,” Ismael pushed opened the swinging door of the Rotten Roses Grill Makati. “Wooh! I love the music! Alternative Rock!”

Sarah shook her head. Now she knew why Ismael wanted to go here badly. He loves rock music, and she loves it too. They squeezed themselves into the sea of people having a good time on weekends. Ismael caught her hand and dragged her towards the table beside the stage where the performers usually occupied.

“I’ll just go get our drinks. You stay here, okay?!” Ismael told her. Because of the noise, they have to lean closer at each other.

When Ismael left, Sarah let herself adjust to the loud music and colorful lights. It was far different from the noise that surrounded them in the hospital, especially in the ER. When she looked around, her eyes caught a familiar face. She blinked twice before she confirmed who that was.

“Carlo?” Sarah asked with furrowed brows as a woman in a sexy dress sat on his lap. “What the…”

***