Sheepishly scratching the back of my neck, I walked towards her but I only caught her attention when I pulled the seat across her. She glanced at my direction and I flashed a smile as I asked, “May I?”

She nodded but then asked back with a teasing smile, “I thought you were going out to break girls’ hearts?”

“Let’s just say that my Casanova-self decided to take a break tonight,” I replied.

She knitted her brows with the smile still lingering on her lips as she said, “Should I be thankful in behalf of those women whose heart are saved for the time-being?”

“Nah,” I shook my head. “It’s their loss.”

“Cocky,” she snickered.

I chuckled in return before saying, “I was kidding. You actually look lonely here and as your new found friend, I’ve decided to accompany you.”

“Who said we’re friends?” she asked with another mocking grin.

“After making me take all of your pictures, don’t tell me that we aren’t,” I faked a complaint.

“Hmmmm,” she hummed before beaming once more, “I’ll think about it.”

I playfully rolled my eyes at her as I scoffed while she laughed again in return. I found myself grinning with her as I stared at her eyes that became crescent slits. When her laughter subsided, she sighed and mumbled, “But seriously. I beg to differ from what you said.”

“Are you seriously not considering me as a friend, or at least a potential one?” I widened my eyes at her but she shook her head again with another charming smile. This girl’s hobby might just be smiling.

“No, not that,” she waved her hand too. “I mean, I’m not lonely right now. I prefer to call it… being in solitude so no pressure for staying.”

I laid my head on my hand as I whispered, “But I want to stay with you.”

She imitated my gesture as she whispered back, “I should remind myself to be careful around Casanovas who smooth talks naturally.”

I smirked in return but then my gaze fell down to the little black notebook resting on the table. I could see little scribbles on it and I found myself tilting my head as I tried to read her handwriting. She seemed to have noticed my actions because she quickly closed it before I could read further.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she smiled but pulled the notebook towards her protectively. She gave out a nervous chuckle as she added, “Just a journal. That’s all.”

Quickly redirecting the conversation, she asked me, “Do you want some coffee? The inn offers them for free.”

“Sure,” I responded figuring out that I needed some booster to keep me awake. In a split second, she got on her feet and not long after, she had another cup of coffee in her hand which she had gladly offered me. I smiled as I took a sip. The taste of bitterness lingered in my mouth but my curiosity was still with that notebook. However, I noticed how she became fidgety that my centre of attention was still with the black notebook that she was now clasping. Sensing that if this continued, she’d go anytime soon, I tried to strike another conversation in order to lift the tense atmosphere.

“So when did you arrive in the Philippines?”

She seemed to have relaxed as she answered, “Two days ago. I stayed in Manila for a day then travelled to Puerto Princesa. I rested for half a day then travelled here. I arrived just last night.”

“Hmmm,” I hummed and nodded as I take another sip. “So how did you find the place?”

And the conversations seemed to flow just naturally. She enthusiastically talked about her experiences and how she found rides in jeepneys odd for the intimacy of the passengers and the uniqueness of the vehicle itself but also amazing for the various designs that each jeepney offered. Then, when she talked about how polluted Manila is, our conversation started to drift onto climate change and global warming. The next thing I knew, we were talking about politics. Everything was rather spontaneous and I found her more attractive with the eloquence she possessed. We were both opinionated, agreeing on some things and debating on the others but intellectual conversations were rare to find and I enjoyed how I needed to think deep with every topic that we discussed. Perhaps, both our brains preferred early mornings to function well. As the time passed, we also became more at ease and comfortable with each other to the point that the questions shifted onto personal ones once more.

“You’re really knowledgeable about this country. It’s so cool,” she stated.

“Thanks,” I laughed.

“So how long have you been staying in the Philippines?” she asked.

I stared at my cup for a few seconds and it was only then that I realized that my coffee was already done. Before standing up to get another cup, I replied, “Five years.”

She was watching me prepare my coffee so I asked