Camera shutters, bright light flashes, and the smell of coffee had surrounded Adeline as she arrived at a photoshoot studio with Chris. She didn't understand the reason she was brought there until a few people approached her friend.
Chris greeted his co-workers with a cheek kiss, before he tried to introduce them to Adeline.
"Adeline, these two were my guardian angels. My manager Sam and my assistant Jazzy," Chris said.
Adeline greeted them with a smile, but she got showered with judging facial reactions coming from the manager who seems to be gay. A respective one.
"Christian, honey," Sam called him by his full first name.
"Yes, Sam?" Chris replied.
"Is this the one you're telling us about?" Sam pointed at Adeline with his fancy nail polished fingers.
Chris suddenly grabbed Adeline by her shoulders closer to his body which surprised the latter.
"Yes. She's beautiful, isn't she?" Chris was so proud after introducing his childhood friend.
Adeline immediately turned her head to look at Chris because she couldn't understand why he's suddenly becoming a charmer. She also remembered how he calls her not beautiful just earlier.
Chris glanced at her and they were staring at each other with a smug look on his face and a disgusted look from Adeline's.
"Why is she making that kind of reaction?" Sam pointed out Adeline's face.
Chris laughed. "She just really likes to be silly."
Adeline also laughed, which made Chris cringe a little. She glanced at the other two.
"Thank you for taking care of this beloved guardian devil of mine…" she said.
"Guardian devil?" Jazzy asked.
"Yes. That's what I call him. Well, basically because he likes to make fun of me, bully me, and tease me just like what a spoiled and troublesome brat would do," Adeline said.
Sam and Jazzy glanced at Chris with a questioning look from their faces.
"Will you please excuse us for a moment?" Chris couldn't help but to drag Adeline away from the others, bringing her inside the wardrobe area.
Silence went in between them after Chris closed the door. He turned his head down as he sighed and placed both his hands on his waist.
"If you're just going to make me a chauffeur, let me just go home and take a rest. That would make me happy more than what you're trying to do right now-"
"-you didn't have to go that far."
Adeline went speechless as Chris turned around to look at her. She can see his seriousness. He wasn't playing around anymore.
He slowly approached her, still with both hands on his waist.
"I didn't bring you here to make fun of you, Quinn," he continued.
"Then, what? What is the reason?" She asked him. "Isn't that the always and only reason you're still my friend? Making fun of my feelings."
"That's not true!" He raised his voice a bit.
Adeline swallowed gently. It made her tremble for a bit, Chris's mad voice to be precise.
"I brought you here because I want to let the people surrounding me know that I already have the most important woman in my life," he continued.
"Chris…" The only thing Adeline could say at that moment. She doesn't know what to react based on what she's feeling at that exact time.
Chris gently held her on both her shoulders, trying to get closer to her with only two feet in between them.
"Quinn Adeline Maynez, will you please date me?"
Adeline felt like she was stuck inside an iceberg. She couldn't move an inch. She was even left out staring into her childhood friend's eyes.
Her hands and feet were having cold sweats, but Chris's hands kept her warm even for a bit. She's suddenly having thoughts of how it will be if she agrees to date him.
"What's your answer?" Chris caught her attention again.
"Huh?" she asked.
"What do you mean 'huh?'" Chris went sulking in a sudden. It must have really hurt him when the person he’s having a serious talk with doesn't seem to listen.
He let go of Adeline and walked away from her.
"I'm sorry for spacing out. I just…" She looked at the back figure of Chris. "I was surprised and confused after what you just asked me."
"Tell me what's confusing." Chris turned to look at her again.
They stared at each other. Still, Adeline couldn't think of an answer. It may be a simple question, but she's having a mental block.
A knock was heard outside, which seemed to be a random staff calling for Chris.
Chris sighed. "Inform me if you safely arrived at the apartment, so that I won't be worrying about you."
He opened the door and went out of the wardrobe area, leaving Adeline standing alone.
After an endless day, Chris couldn't avoid but to still get affected by how Adeline reacted with his date approach. It almost affected his work performance as well. He sat down on the sofa, tired.
He took his phone to see if Adeline texted him, but there's no message from her. Even one.
He sighed.
"What seems to bother the ladies' man?" Sam approached and sat down next to him.
"It's nothing important."
"Hm? So, she's not important to you, huh?" Sam asked.
Chris glanced at him, trying to figure out his genuine feelings.
“Of course, she is. She will always be. But…” Chris paused, trying to think of how he should really approach Adeline. He knew asking her out was a sudden attempt that failed.
“If she happens to be your girlfriend, what is the equivalent number of her when it comes to your heart? I’m sure you already had lots of girlfriends you have loved so much before," Sam asked him.
Chris glanced at him. “One.”
His honest answer left his manager amused, the reason for blurting out an unbelievable laugh.
Right after his work hours, Chris decided to go straight home instead of hanging out with his co-workers, just like his usual thing to do before. He's not just in the right mood to be happy and celebrate.
As soon as he got out the building, he was surprised to see Adeline still there. She was sitting on a bench, waiting. Seeing her presence made Chris happy as he excitedly approached her.
He cleared his throat and acted like he's irritated. “What happened? I thought you’re going home.”
Chris pretended to be mad even though he’s feeling the opposite deep inside.
Adeline glanced at him and stood up from her seat. She was gathering the courage to say what she wanted to tell him since earlier. If she didn’t tell him, she might regret it forever.
“Chris.” She slightly gulped. “Will you go out with me?”
Chris couldn't believe what he heard from Adeline. Earlier, when he asked her about such a thing, she did not answer. But now, she was the one who suddenly asked him the same thing. He thought, ‘Women are really and very confusing.’
He didn't flinch anymore and immediately agreed to Adeline's offer. So he took her to a diner which he knew she would enjoy the most.
Two hot and fresh corn dogs, and a big bowl of ice cream sundae with cherries on top was served on their table.
Chris couldn't help but watch Adeline's elated reaction because of the food served in front of her, which was her natural temperament that he loved the most.
Adeline glanced at him. “You still remember?”
Chris raised his both eyebrows as a response to her before realizing that she was talking about the food. Corn dog is Adeline’s childhood favorite food, and it’s no surprise Chris knows about it.
“Of course. I know everything about you," Chris boasted.
Adeline smiled at him with sincerity, which apparently made him blush as he started to panic, and tried to scoop a spoon of ice cream, eating it straight.
A sudden brain freeze occurred to Chris, but he maintained his cool side to avoid getting embarrassed in front of his friend. He eased the pain he’s feeling in his gums and pretend everything’s fine.
“I’ve never had this in such a long time.” Adeline was eating the corn dog happily. “Thank you for this.”
Chris nodded at her as a response while still amidst numbing pain. He didn’t know what to do with the pain he was feeling in the gums until it forced him to excuse himself to go to the restroom.
Before the night ended, they also went and toured around Brookfield Place, nothing similar to a romantic date but more of friendship bonding. It took them a few hours before finally feeling tired and taking a rest on a bench.
Adeline breathes out. “That was fun.”
Chris sat down beside her, all tired. He suddenly reached out a paper bag designed with red polka dots to Adeline that surprised her.
She looked at the paper bag before glancing at Chris. "What is this?"
"Take it and open so that you'll know," Chris said.
Adeline took the paper bag and immediately opened it. She also took out what was inside and was excited to see a small pastel colored diary with a lock.
She couldn't contain her happiness for that single day while Chris was observing her closely.
She glanced at him with a bright smile, before putting the things she was holding down to where she was sitting and stood up.
Chris watched her as she went to embrace him tightly, even though there are other people surrounding them. He didn't know what to do that's why he kept his hands all to himself.
"I never thought you would still remember everything I love to do," Adeline told him.
"Uh." Chris gulped nervously. "I told you, didn't I? I know everything about you."
"But, that doesn't mean you will have the interest to remember everything I like." Adeline broke off the hug and they looked at each other.
Chris smiled at her before she returned to her seat and enjoyed looking at the diary.
He knows Adeline used to write her feelings, whether it's sad or happy when she was young that’s why he thought of helping her get over with what she’s feeling by giving her a diary.
They were friends for how many years, that's why it's not impossible for Chris to know whether something was bothering Adeline or none.
"Starting today…" Chris said.
Adeline glanced at him.
"...will you please also tell me your problems?"
"Chris…" The only thing Adeline could say.
The Chris she knew wasn't like this. He never cares about what troubled Adeline, he never wants to meddle, and he never wants to know.
But, now he's changed.
"It's because I care about you more than you know," Chris said, "if that's what you would like to know as the reason."