Smitten. Anyone who would look at me right now would have read that word written all over my face. I still can't believe that she was here beside me, laughing her heart out at the weirdness of the situation we're in.

 Just a few minutes ago, I was happily touring her around our newly renovated house here in Gen San and now we found ourselves trapped inside its small attic. Our predicament was courtesy of my 5-year old nephew who “accidentally” locked us in.

 “Once we get out of here I’ll wring the neck of that little monster.” I muttered.

“Asus, kunwari ka pa! Hanggang banta ka lang naman pagdating d’yan sa mga pamangkin mo. Super spoiled kasi sa’yo ‘yang mga ‘yan kaya walang takot.” Admittedly Kim knew me better. Although I’m still a bit irritated of being trapped inside this stuffy room, she knows that one kiss from my nephew and I’ll transform back to my “favorite Tito RJ” self.

 “Okay ka lang? Pasensya na ha medyo mainit dito.” Despite the fact that it’s already a few minutes past 8 in the evening, the air coming through the small window of the attic was still hot and I’m just worried that she might get a headache because of it.

 “Okay pa naman ako. I’m sure maya-maya lang may magbubukas na n’yang pinto.” She calmly reassured me.

 “You’re right, why not make the most of this alone time, huh?” I wriggled my eyebrows as I sat beside her.

 “Gago! Ano na namang iniisip mo ha!” She tried to push me away from her.

 “Tingnan mo ‘tong babaeng ‘to. Naisip ko lang naman bakit di tayo magkuwentuhan…” I some more.

 “Ewan ko sa’yo Geraldo.”

 “So, what made you come here? I thought, may photoshoot ka ngayon?” I implored.

 “Drama nga lang namin ‘yun ni Tita Vangie kasi gusto ka naming i-surprise. Pero parang di ka naman ata masaya na andito ako e.” Kim pouted her lips to make her message of “pagtatampo” clear.

 “Ako hindi masaya?! Baby, the moment I saw you coming out of the car, my heart started singing.” To emphasize my point, I gave her a swift kiss on her nose.

 “Yuck! Ang cheesy mo ha.” She said while gently slapping my cheek.

 “E sa ‘yon ang totoo. Uyy, kinikilig, kinikilig. Pa-kiss nga...”  I pouted my lips, angled my body so that she’s trapped between me and the freshly painted wall, and tried to reach her pink, kissable ones.

 “! !” She screamed silently.

 “OA! Kiss lang ang gagawin ko... gusto mo ?” I can’t help but make fun of her reaction. Sensing she’s a bit uncomfortable with my proximity, I settled back to my original position – seating on the wooden floor beside my princess.

 “Hindi a! Feeling ka!” She answered defensively.

 “Sige na nga wag na. Ayaw mo naman e.” I sat quietly beside her.

 Although I’m dying to kiss her lovely lips since the moment I laid my eyes on her a few hours ago, I contented myself with just the feel of her sitting beside me. I can’t explain why but her presence really relaxes me.

 I didn’t know what happened next but I woke up to fleeting butterfly kisses on my face.

 As I opened my eyes I saw her angelic face smiling down at me and I found myself lying on the floor, my head resting on her lap.

 “Nakatulog ako?”

 “Mga 15 minutes lang naman.” She explained.

 “I’m sorry Kimmy, I didn’t know I passed out on you like that.” I can’t believe I exchanged those precious 15 minutes of privacy with her for sleep.

 “It’s okay, masyado ka nang pagod nitong mga nakaraang araw. You deserve some rest.” Her tender of my hair, was lulling me back to dreamland but I fought the urge to sleep and sat up.

 A fierce shake of my head and my brain was now working more effectively.

 When I turned to face her, she was smiling at me with amusement.

 “Bakit ganyan tingin mo?”

 “Wala, I’m just enjoying the view.” She whispered, but I heard.

 “Enjoying the view?” I egged on.

 “Ang gwapo mo kasi pag bagong gising.” She blurted out then blushed profusely once she realized how candid her comment was.

 “Wow! Talaga?! You think I’m gwapo pag bagong gising? Then how about you sleep with me every night so that you can wake up with me every morning?” I almost hit my head on the wall when the last sentence slipped out of my mouth. Way to go lover boy, now you’re going to scare her away, I scolded myself.

 “Is that an indecent proposal?” Her tone was a bit surprised but I was caught off guard by her reaction to it – she was actually smiling.

 “D-di ka galit?” I asked tentatively.

 “Bakit naman ako magagalit? I should be flattered pa nga di ba dahil sa milyon-milyong kababaihan dito sa Pilipinas ako pa ang inalok mo n’yan.” She answered lightly. If another girl said it, she may appear too aggressive, seductive even, but Kimmy has such a wholesome persona that I know that she’s just really flattered with what I’ve said.

 Happy with how our conversation was progressing, I tried to push my luck and asked her another sensitive question.

 “So you wouldn’t mind sleeping with me?”

 “Ge, if I also fell asleep 15 minutes ago then I would have literally slept with you, right? So the answer is no. I wouldn’t mind.”

 Leave it to Kimmy to say the right words to make me fall madly in love with her all over again.

 “Halika nga dito.” I opened my arms so that I could envelope her in a big bear hug. She scooted into it, her back to my chest.

 “Baby, you’re innocence really amazes me” The feel of her in my arms both excited and calmed me.

 “Bakit, akala mo di ko naintindihan ‘yung indecent proposal mo kanina? Ge, I fully understand what you just asked me.”

 I stiffened at her statement. She might have felt the sudden change in my mood so she turned to face me and cupped my cheek in one of her soft hands.

 “Sorry, I didn’t mean it as an indecent proposal. Honestly Kimmy what I really pray for is that someday we wouldn’t have to go our separate ways after a grueling day from work. I am looking forward to that day when I would be waking up next to you and perhaps spend lazy Sunday mornings together eating breakfast in bed.” Stop it Gerald! This is not the right time to tell her all these things.

 “I love you so much.” I whispered to her while dropping light kisses on her fragrant hair. My heart would have exploded if I kept those words to myself a few seconds longer.

 I can feel that she was now a bit uneasy with my passionate declaration of love and I am a nervous wreck. What would her reaction be?

 She pulled away from my tight hug and looked directly at me.

 “Anong ibig mong sabihin Ge?” She asked after a few minutes of complete silence.

 I can feel tears welling up in my eyes and I tried to hold them back as much as I could. This moment came by so unexpected and yet I can’t simply pass it up.

 “Marry me.” Those two words slipped from my mouth full of conviction.

 I heard her gasp.

 “Pero Ge…”

 “Shhhh… no Kimmy, I’m not asking you to marry me now. I’m not even asking you to give me an answer now or the next few days or even months.”

 “Then what…”

 Good job Gerald! Now you’re stressing her out. I felt so frustrated with myself for getting us into this weird situation.

 “I’m just making my intentions clear. I intend to marry you someday…” Emotions got the better of me and the next thing I knew I was already crying like a distressed 2-year old.

 Now it’s her turn to comfort me.

 “Sssshhh… Ge naman e. Ngayon lang ako nakakita nang nagpo-propose na humahagulgol. Pag may nagbukas ng pinto ngayon at makita tayong ganito baka isipin pinipikot pa kita.” The lilt in her laugh, somehow gave me the courage to look her in the eyes.

 “Wag mo na akong pagtawanan please. ! Nakakahiya. I only get to propose once in my life and I at it.” Only years of strong friendship will get me through this embarrassing moment with Kimmy. I’m afraid that once the door of the attic opens, she would run as fast and far away from me as possible because I am behaving like a complete psycho.

 “Di naman kita pinagtatawanan a.” She said in between giggles.

 “Please let it go Kimmy. Forget that I said those words.”

 She stopped laughing.

 I was already too agitated with the situation so I stood up and walked to the opposite side of the room and tried to rationalize what just transpired.

 “Bakit mo binabawi?” She sounded disappointed.

 “Because I know you’re not ready for it.” I’m too tired so I closed my eyes so as not to see all those emotions playing on her beautiful face.

 “Sinong may sabi?”

 “Ikaw. You always say it. And I don’t know what came to me earlier kung bakit ko nasabi ‘yun. Basta ang alam ko I need to say it or else I’ll die of too much love.” I may sound cheesy but it was the truth.

 “Corny mo Geraldo.” She quipped then laughed heartily.

 “You make me.” Then I laughed along with her. Come to think of it, the silliness of the situation was really funny.

 So there we were seated at the opposite sides of the room, facing each other and laughing off what probably was the weirdest moment of our relationship.

 I can see that tears were now freely flowing from her eyes probably due to non-stop laughing.

 “Yes.”

 “What?” My stomach was then already aching from too much laughing.

 “YES.”

 “Huh?”

 “I was laughing so hard because you didn’t even wait for my answer and you’ve already assumed so many things. Ayan tuloy nagmukha kang tanga.”

 “Ano ulit? Sorry, di kita maintindihan.”

 “Susme! Kailangan talaga spell out no? Y-E-S.”

 “Huh?” I’m still confused with her puzzling answer.

 “That’s my answer to your question earlier.” She said nonchalantly.

 “Which question?”

 “Ay oo nga pala di mo nga pala tinanong. Inutos mo pala.”

 “Ang alin?”

 “Ewan ko sa’yo. Mag-usap na lang tayo once you’ve figured it out.” She snapped impatiently.

 What happened?! Just moments ago we were candidly laughing off my futile attempt to propose…

 Propose…

 Marry me…

 Everything suddenly rushed back to me and I was able to piece together her puzzling statement.

 “Oh my God!” I exclaimed then rushed to her and kissed her senseless.

 “Are you sure about it?” I still can’t believe what’s happening at the moment.

 But she just nodded.

 I rained kisses all over her face. I can’t get enough of her but I know the limits so I settled with the tender kisses that she willingly participated in.

 “Ge, di pa naman this year yun no?” She asked shyly after sharing a few more kisses.

 We’re now back to our original position, both sitted on the floor her back leaning to my chest.

 “Kimmy, take as much time as you need. I’m just here. I can’t believe that you agreed to become Mrs. Anderson.” The dreamy note was too obvious in my voice, but I don’t care because my sweet dream is right in front of me.

 “And Kimmy…”

 “Hmmm?”

 “I’m sorry about the proposal earlier. I promise I will do it right next time…”

 “What’s wrong with it? Ang sweet nga e lalo na nung humahagulgol ka.” She teased.

 “Yun ba ang sweet? E parang everytime naaalala mo pinagtatawanan mo lang ako. Tsaka wala ka pang ring so it’s not yet my official proposal. Practice lang yun.” I said while nuzzling her nape.

 “Kidding aside, it was perfect…” Then she turned to me. “I love you Mr. Gerald Anderson.”

 “I love you more Mrs. Gerald Anderson.” I whispered against her soft, waiting lips.