Mayen smiled knowing that the area was clear - free from Seth. She was in the parking lot. After that day when he invaded her workplace, she thought of the worst things. That she would not be able to come to work and go like usual or she would be obliged to attend dinner dates after work. That she would need to call her “boyfriend” from time to time. Just like what couples usually do.

Aside from not being ready for this kind of commitment, she was unsure if Seth was the kind of person she could trust. He was a total stranger and her, ironically, is a pistanthrophobia. There were so many questions that she really wanted to ask him. All this hide-and-seek, what was this really for him? Unleashing a deep sighed for being lost with her own thoughts again, she reached her car and unlocked it.

“I didn’t know that you’re a pro in playing hide-and-seek.”

“Goodness Gracious!” Shocked, almost slipping with her favorite Manolo Blahnik black stilettos. “What the hell is wrong with you?! Can you stop just popping up like that?!”

With his brows twitched, he looked at her from top to bottom, not giving a slight hint of approval. “You’re breaking my rules. Your make-up is too heavy and your heels are too deadly!”

What rules, she rolled her eyes. “I will wear whatever I wanna wear!”

“You’re mine now so you’ll do as I say! Give me your keys,” he smirked. This handsome freaking bastard just called her “mine” that made her grit her teeth. There he was again, darkening his brown eyes and commanding with an authoritative voice. Mayen was very familiar with this mantra. He was the moodiest guy she had ever met, not to mention his arrogance and childishness.

“No!” Escape, that was the only thing she wanted to do. When she was planning to open the driver’s seat door and get inside the car, Seth managed to minimize the distance between them. She felt her back leaning towards the door and Seth’s two hands were locking her up. He was too close to her. She swallowed hard trying to stop that wild commotion in her chest. His masculine smell was dominating her senses that was supposed to be ordering her to resist. It was so addictive. She could feel his hot fresh breath brushing against her forehead. One wrong move, if she decided to face him up, their lips will meet.

“Keys…” he whispered. Kiss...did she hear him correctly? “Give me your damn keys or else you want these people to think that we are making out?”

Suddenly, her consciousness returned that had been missing whenever Seth’s presence was around. “Fine! Take it!” She gave in pushing him away and letting him drive. Afraid to let her blushing face get noticed by him, she ran to the other side, where the passenger seat was.

“Good girl.” He teased. Her car suddenly looked so small when she watched him starting the engine. A tiny curve was formed in her mouth when Seth looked struggling, adjusting the seat and front mirror back and forth. From his reactions, she could not figure out whether he was trash talking her car or what. Brat, she smirked. She wondered what kind of car he drove? For such a jerk like him, it would be disappointing if he was not driving a mustang.

“I’ll drive since I don’t trust you. What will happen to my family if something unfortunate happened to me because of you? I still have a sick father to support! I still have a younger brother to send to school!” It might sound oversharing but she did it on purpose. Not to make him think that she became comfortable with him, but, to make him go easy with her. Or, maybe make him realize that he picked up a wrong girl. This happy-go-lucky creature should know that the difference between them was heaven and earth, in all aspects.

“See? It all came from you! You don’t wanna see me messing up with your life right? And, you know I can do that. Don’t play with your future…”

“You can’t! I have a good future! I’m hustling for that!

Seth mischievously, maliciously rather, smiled and looked into her breasts. “I can see.”

“Pervert!” And, tightened the first button of her blazer.

“I never thought you could be this exciting.” He said while smiling widely,timely looking intently on her face and on the road. Mayen was not dreamy at that very moment but there was a pride and satisfaction she could sense in his eyes.

“What do you mean by that?” A part of her wanted to hear more from him. Without any hesitation, feeling so brave of herself, she asked. She knew that Seth, like all the men she met and dated before, thought of her as a boring old maid virgin. But unlike those men, she could see the excitement in him rather than disappointment.

“Oh, you know what I mean,” he said sounding very uninterested that made her eyes roll. She was wrong. How could she expect something from him? Admitted, she expected that a good conservation will flow at least once. Not because she trusted him, but because he was a complete stranger. A stranger’s judgment would not hurt that much. Maybe, strangers existed to give people a break from this chaotic and fault-finding society.

“Where are you taking me?” She was supposed to be going home now but he was routing to an unfamiliar road.

“Mall.”

“And, why?!”

“We’re going to buy you some clothes. You know something comfortable,” he answered.

“It is out of my budget. Well in fact, I still have a lot of clothes!” She got furious. Even her parents would not give a damn care about her closet. Yet, here he was, feeling so free in tampering like he owned her.

“Not my type. I want you to wear comfy clothes. Not like those! You always look like you're going to miting de avance!”

“If you know nothing about fashion, you better keep your mouth zipped! No one is going to the mall and no one is going to buy clothes!” Annoyed, she crossed her arms and leaned her back on the seat.

“Fine! Then you’ll be naked. Much better!”

Her lips form an “O” letter. “Argh! You’re so annoying! You’re the most arrogant person I’ve ever met in my life!” She lost her composure, for the first time in her life, she guessed. She knew herself from being in control of her emotions at all times. But, she found her match. Panting, she massaged her forehead trying to calm herself as no one will. “Oh, God...please have mercy on me.” she was uttering it repeatedly with eyes closed until she felt tired and chose to seize the privileges of being driven home by someone. Oh, it felt so nice. Only that she could not afford to get her own driver permanently. Today was a tough day at work and her body started to feel weak. She leaned her body comfortably in the seat and kept her mind away from negative thoughts. She was not sure how long she had been doing that.

“You look way better this way…” he uttered, almost whispering.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at her left side. Seth’s dimples welcomed her consciousness. It gave her a familiar yet unknown feeling. Familiar yet unknown? She knew she was not making any sense right now. She looked around and found out that they were parked already inside the mall’s parking lot. As expected, he would do whatever he wanted to.

When Seth was removing his seat belt, her heart started to beat abnormally assuming the outcome of his assertiveness in dragging her out of the car. That for sure will demand closeness and that was something that she was not good at. She was bad at flirting, if that was what Seth was trying to do. Flirting seemed favoured and easy-peasy and yet she was still a total stranger to it considering that she will be out of the calendar very soon. Her clock was ticking.

“Are you really doing this to all the ladies you’re meeting? You know, taking her places and buying her expensive stuff.” There was a sarcasm in her voice.

“No. I don’t. So if you may.” He opened the door for her not only waiting for her to get out of the car and get going, but also for her to react to the answer she was not expecting. Liar, she thought. By now, she knew him. So, she will not let him treat her like one of his “women”.

“My feet hurt. I’d rather stay in the car and wait for you.”

“Whose feet will not? Those heels will kill you!”

“If I know, you’re a sucker for ladies who wear heels higher and sharper than mine!” She wondered how many hot chicks he dated and flirted with, not to mention those he slept with. If she was not “Mayen”, she must have gone to his bed by now. Luckily, he was out of her league. She will never be attracted to a man like him who only looked for a past-time. And, vice versa.

“Here we go again, Ms. Know-It-All. What do you know about my dating life huh?” Seth came closer to her, not minding the car’s door between them. It gave her tons of electric shock. “Hmmmn? Don’t bite your lips.” Despite his warning, it was too late for her to stop herself from biting her lips again. Even harder, matching the intensity of Seth’s stare to her mouth. Was it lust she can read from his brown eyes?

“I-I can’t stop biting it…” she admitted with a husky voice while looking at his adam’s apple. It was too prominent and sexy as hell just like those Greek Gods that she had been adoring only through the statues. Her body temperature started to rise and it was getting hotter and hotter.

“You must stop. Before I kiss you.”

When she gathered all her senses, Seth already distanced himself from her. “Damn! What was that Mayen?!” Timidly, she covered her face with her palms. She was literally getting blank, almost eating her tough words and surrendering, when he was an inch away from her. Those hot encounters were dangerous! “Act normal...Act normal!” She murmured when Seth was coming back to the car after a long talk with someone over the phone. “See, Mayen? He’s someone you cannot trust. Maybe he has a girlfriend or maybe a wife with kids! Right?”

Like nothing happened, he returned to the driver’s seat, put his seatbelt on and drove. “What for dinner? Let’s just order.”

“Don’t you have a family t-to...to eat with you?” Stuttering, she tried not to sound like fishing for private information as if she cared. To be honest, she was starving, sick and tired of their Tom and Jerry like feeling with each other. It was just making her more hungry. The second things she wanted to do right now aside from contrasting him was to eat.

“What exactly do you want to know from me?”

“A lot.” The more he expected, the less she replied.

A playful smile came out from his lips. “So you we’re now in the getting-to-know-each-other stage? My charm never fails.”

She smirked. “Don’t be full out of yourself! I just want to be on the safe side since I know that you being around will always be a bad luck. Just tell me know if you’re seeing someone or maybe you’re already engaged so I know. Because, you’re dragging me, not seeing.”

“You easily judge people. That’s the problem with you.”

She was in the mood for another fight. “You’re already a pain in my ass since day one! And, that’s a fact!”

“If you just accepted my offer from day one then things will go smoothly. For a record, you’re the only one I’m seeing right now. At least consider that.”

Seth was seriously asking for a little trust.

Can she take a risk?