Free Taming Romeo by Rachelle Ayala

hopefully in a few days, things will blow over.
    My heart twinges with pain over Romeo, but my rational mind tells me it’s for the better. We had one night of fantasy and romance, but he showed his true colors when he walked out on me this morning after I wouldn’t give him a quickie in the shower.
    Jerk.

Chapter 14
    Choco catches me mid-afternoon during the lull between lunch and dinner. “Let’s get something to eat and sit in the patio.”
    “Good idea.” I glance around. “How should I make up to Genie? She acts like she hates me.”
    “She’ll get over it. I don’t think she really likes Romeo. She just likes the idea of Romeo.” Choco scoops a bowl of rice for us and sets it on a tray with mango shrimp salad and tofu with green beans and minced pork.
    “Well, that’s a relief,” I say before remembering I’m supposed to be on a vegan diet. “I can’t eat the shrimp or pork. Don’t we have any vegetables?”
    “Pick them out.” She shrugs. “How about the stuffed eggplant with bagoong ? I’ll take the ground beef out.”
    “Yeah, sure, bagoong is okay, I think, and I’ll have some more tofu and kangkong .” I fill a plate with the vegetables.
    “What’s with the vegan diet?” Choco carts the tray while I take bottles of SoBe Green Tea from the drink fridge.
    “It’s healthier. Someone called me chubby. Do you think I’m chubby?”
    Choco rolls her eyes. “Not that again. At least you aren’t the one with the baby face, squinty eyes and pork bun cheeks.”
    “You’re cute. Everyone thinks so.” I set the drinks on a corner table near the lush, tropical garden of multi-colored croton plants, sago palms and kaffir lilies. A small fountain bubbles underneath a ficus tree filled with chattering birds.
    “I’m too old to be cute.” Choco huffs, flattening a napkin over her lap. “So, tell me, what happened last night? Did you and Romeo do it?”
    “Do it? You sound like such an old lady.” I serve myself some of the salad, leaving the shrimp.
    “You were there all night. After I got your text, I called you and you didn’t pick up.”
    “We had a lot to talk about.” I avoid her probing gaze.
    “All night? You did spend the night with him, didn’t you?”
    I hope my cheeks aren’t red, but I take a sip of ice tea and wave my hand. “Time kind of got away from us. We had a lot of catching up to do.”
    She spears a shrimp and stuffs it in her mouth. “Why do you look so guilty?”
    “Me? Guilty? You would be too, if you have the entire family ready to disown you.”
    She spreads her hands on the table. “Look, don’t tell Genie, but I’m on your side. She has no clue what kind of man Romeo is. She thinks he’s this fairytale prince.”
    “Then what’s this about him courting her and the merger between Tita Elena’s bakery and the new restaurant in San Marcos?” I pick the ground pork from the tofu and serve myself an extra helping of kangkong , or water spinach.
    “That’s Mama and Elena. As if it isn’t good enough to be best friends, or heart sisters, they want to be in-laws. Hello! Does anyone here see what a stupid idea that is? But of course, no one listens to Choco.” My sister does her best irritated wise woman imitation. She’s always been the sensible one. It’s uncanny how often she was right, even as a small child.
    “Of course it’s stupid.” I spit out. “Look at them now. Not talking.”
    “Yeah, you kind of ruined their plans.”
    “Obviously no one bothered to tell the grownups I had prior claim to Romeo. I mean, if I were to marry him, not that I would, they’d still get to be in-laws.”
    “Actually, you know how Elena is. She had her heart set on Genie the minute she was born.”
    “I know, the alabaster skin, brown hair and round green eyes. It’s not Genie’s fault she’s pretty.” My stomach clenches. And it’s not my fault I look the most Pinay of the bunch.
    “You’re pretty too,” Choco says. “You know the real reason