“Hands off!” I screamed through Elisia’s clenched teeth.

His hands immediately shot up to the sky in surrender. “Where are you going? The boutique’s this way.”

Details about what happened earlier came back in a snap. After the encounter with Leon’s lady, the tour guides made an announcement. They also gave a little briefing for today’s activity which includes what we are going to do and the best clothes to wear.

“Of course, I already knew all of that. I arranged this tour, but this annoying guy didn’t,” said the voice inside my head.

I looked at Leon and could not stop the forming frown on my face. ‘It’s on the brochure and even on the site! Did you ever bother yourself reading-”

“I didn’t, okay? Are you happy now? I didn’t read it so I don’t know. Plus, I don’t want to ruin my fab clothes,” he said in a serious tone while walking away from me.

“Fab, what? A vain guy with an attitude. I feel sorry for all the girls you’d deceived,” I said, loud enough for him not to hear me. “You can’t have it all.”

I got surprised when he looked back, thinking he might catch what I was saying, but all he got was, “Are you coming or what? You’re slow like a turtle, aren’t you? Catch up, Elisia.”

Elisia stomped our way past him. “I don’t even want to go with you, but you’re giving me a hard time. Don’t you call me like we’re close!”

“I thought you don’t want me to call you just ‘woman?’ What’s wrong with calling you with your name, by the way? It’s given to you to be called like that,” were his continuing words as I grabbed the boutique’s door handle.

“Aren’t you someone who’s asking me a favor? Shouldn’t you be,” my words fell mid-sentence when he held the heavy door for me.

“Shouldn’t I be, what?” He asked then pushed me in. “Weak.”

Before I could tell him that he should be nicer, sales ladies went over. The usual ‘what-can-we-do-for-you’ filled the air as I walked further away from him.

I muttered, “Good luck.”

“If I’m his girlfriend, I’ll probably vent about this for hours. I sometimes experience this with Theo but he doesn’t entertain them as this guy does,” said Elisia in her thoughts.

It got me thinking, “Is she getting irritated by how women swam over Leon, or is she missing Theo that all she could do was compare?”

Her fingers ran on the store’s displayed clothes while thinking if she should buy a set until she looked at the tag price.

“Babe,” someone called out, but since no one calls her babe until now, Elisia did not turn around. I know it was Leon, though, and he was asking to be saved. “Babe, wait.”

A hand squeezed her shoulder that made her realize that it was Leon. He started mumbling things that I could not make out of while pointing at random things. Eyes fell on us and it was uncomfortable.

“Come on, Elisia,” said Leon in his smile. “Don’t tell me you got jealous?”

I got caught off someone’s surprised eyes. They might think that these two are in a relationship but they just focused on him earlier.

“Pfft,” was the sound she made when she tried to suppress her laughter. “In your dreams.”

Leon continued to act. He hugged her closer then whispered, “Should I kiss you before you help me?”

“No!” she resisted, but could not make him budge even a bit. His eyes were pleading so she added, “Just buy something so we can go.”

Elisia looked at him before cursing, “That smirk, I hate it.”

“Do you have some things here in pairs? A match for couples, whatever,” he asked aloud as if announcing they are a thing while rummaging through the displays and one arm still wrapped on her shoulders.

One stepped forward and recommended sets after sets of clothes.

“We need something for an outdoor activity,” he added a detail, then faced me. “Isn’t that right, babe?”

Elisia pulled a fake smile. “Yeah, because you didn’t read anything before going here.”

He scoffed, but still went on with his acting. “I know. I should’ve called you before I packed my things.”

All that she could do was roll her eyes as she could not seem to win.

In a flash, I could see the tour guides’ jaws dropped after they saw us. We just got back to the group and were wearing the same set of khaki shorts over white racerback tank tops which he bought earlier.

I gestured to them to follow me after I said, “I need to explain things, so you won’t misunderstand.”

I told them the details and deals in the most clear and direct way possible and left nothing out. They laughed at the story and said they will help, too.

I was shocked to find Leon outside the bus, as if waiting for me, for Elisia. The guides shared meaningful stares and told him that they are on his side.

“You told them?” He asked as we set foot in.

I nodded. “I need to, or they might get the wrong idea. I work with them so I think that’s better.”

“Cool,” was his response as he returned the big smiles of the tour guides. He looked around for a moment then told me, “Let’s take the seat at the back.”

“Sure,” I replied. My eyes then met the lady who was following Leon and she rolled her eyes when I tried to smile at her. “Oh, great.”

“Window seat?” He asked to which I nodded.

Once seated, I tapped his arm and said in a low voice, “Your woman rolled her eyes on me when I smiled at her.”

He chuckled. “Then that means our plan is working-”

“Yours, not mine,” I hissed to interrupt.

He groaned as he put his sunglasses and earphones on. “Here we go again.”

“Here we go again,” I echoed his words as I turned my back. My eyes focused on the beautiful view outside as the wheels went on.