Chari found herself in the nearest restroom.

She went straight to a cubicle. Once inside, she tried to calm her racing heart. When she felt a bit better, she did what she usually does whenever she was in trouble. She dialed the number of her childhood protector and best friend John.

Once done, she went out of the cubicle. She went straight to the lavatory to splash some water to her face. Then she took her travel tissue from her bag to dab at it while she surveyed her reflection in the large mirror. Except for a faint tinge of pink to her cheeks, she looked the same with round eyes and thick eyelashes, shapely brows, not too-high cheekbones, and a button-down nose, her lips were bare when she started biting them earlier, so she went on to re-apply a nude lipstick.

Satisfied with her looks, she went out of the restroom and decided to wait for John in the mall's waiting lounge.

While she waited, Chari played on her mind how she met Nathan at her company-sponsored party.

Nathan attended to represent his dad of the powerful Martinez conglomerate.

At that time, she was nursing a broken heart and ego.

She caught her boyfriend David in bed with another woman when she went to visit him unannounced in his condo unit.

It was not the first time that a boyfriend cheated on her. But this one landed quite a blow to her self-esteem. That night, she swore off relationships and gave up her search for the right one. She was getting tired of the dating game. All she did was flit from one relationship to another. It became a downward trend.

She broke that vow when Nathan courted her. He gave her hope. They instantly hit it off the first time they met. He reminded her of her absentee best friend John not only in looks but in the way he treated her - like she was the important thing in the world to him. When Nathan courted her, she decided to give herself one last chance at love and said yes right away.

Their one-year relationship had been smooth. There were no major issues, and they seemed compatible with a lot of things. So, when Nathan popped the big question a few months back, she did not think twice about accepting his marriage proposal.

Nathan did not give her any reason to doubt him. His eyes would never go astray even when an attractive woman was in his line of vision - he had his sight set only on her. And because of that, he made her believe that what they had was for keeps. She began to weave in her mind her fairy tale with him. She was sold out to the idea that Nathan was her end game. It never crossed her mind that just like the others he, too, would fail her.

“That is what you get for believing so much in those “happy-ever-after” catch slogans.” She chastised herself.

“They were all good on stories and marketing copies, but not in real life.” She added and then swiped the screen of her phone to answer John’s call. He was in the parking area, he told her and wanted to know if he will come for her or she will. She chose the latter.

An hour later, they ended up in the Fortez Mansion game room. By that time, Chari was able to gather her emotions. They sat comfortably on their bean bags, each holding a Tequila shot glass.

Chari studied John’s profile while he was busy nursing his drink. Even in her emotional state, she could not help noting the envious stares thrown her way by the ladies they passed by earlier at the mall. John was eye candy. He could easily pass off as a model and gave all those ramp kings a run for their money if he chose to. He even possessed the right equipment - chiseled face, trim abs, muscular body. He stands 6'2 to her 5'7 frame.

But more than the good looks and his enigmatic charm, she missed her best friend and protector.

She missed the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughs; or the way he raised his bushy eyebrows whenever he thinks of doing something naughty, and the warmth that he always made available for her.

“I missed you, you know.” She blurted out before she let her hand touched his face.

“I missed you, too,” John admitted when he caught her hand and intertwined their fingers. The action sent a distinct pooling of butterflies in the pit of her stomach. John had always been sweet but not this sweet. He really must have missed her.

John flew in from California two weeks ago at her request. He had been staying there for five years now to run his late father’s real estate and manufacturing business.

Although they maintained the occasional calls and visits in the past five years, Chari still felt his absence. It left a gaping hole in her life. After she got engaged, she asked him to spend some time with her before her marriage. He made the necessary arrangements to oblige.

After they finished off a bottle of Tequila, Chari closed her eyes.

“You know who I also missed?” At John’s raised brow, Chari said. “Mamang.”

Mamang is Chari’s grandmother. She died when she and John were still in their teens. But she had a lot of happy childhood memories with Mamang.

“I bet she would have been proud of me.” She said in giggles.

“Yeah, she’ll be surprised that her mild-mannered Chari can throw a punch and knock a guy out.” John declared laughing before he made a toast of his shot glass.

John was Mamang’s ward. She took him in when his mother died when he was eight. That time he did not know about his father except that he is an American on a vacation that his mother fell in love with.

Her father being an only child, and Chari an only child herself, her Mamang doted on her.

When her Mamang visited them in the past, she always brought John with her so he and Chari could play. John was 14 when Mamang died of a lingering illness.

Without any other relative to care for him, Chari’s parents took him in and treated him like their own son.

“Remember how Mamang used to tell me that I should never look for love?” Chari continued, a wistful smile playing at the corners of her lips.

“How could I forget?” John answered. Even without looking, Chari could sense John’s smile.

“She said…,“

“Chari, when you are ready, love will find you.” John finished the words for her. He recited the words the same way Mamang used to say them, and they both laughed afterward.

“I thought Nathan is the one,” Chari admitted when their mirth died down. The alcohol made not only her tongue but also her eyes lose when she felt hot tears running down her cheeks. She immediately wiped them away before she braved a glance at John.

She was surprised when she caught him staring. Her heart hammered in her chest at his tender gaze. She melted inwardly.

She surrendered when John gathered her close and wrapped his arms around her. She loved the comfort he offered her and was reminded of those years when John could easily take away her troubles with an embrace.

“I thought he was the prince to my princess. It turned out he was a frog-like the rest of them!” she declared like a lost child.

John cleared his throat.

“Maybe because you are setting your sight on the wrong guys.”

Chari squinted her eyes at him before she pulled away.

“How would I know that they are wrong if I don’t try them?” She cracked.

“That could be the problem. You changed boyfriends one after the other. You do not allow yourself time to heal from the heartbreak.”

“What for? If the shoe did not fit, why not try another one? So long as I keep on trying, I will eventually find the right guy.”

John shook his head. “No wonder your relationships fail.”

“And what do you mean by that?” she demanded.

“Hey, I am not here to fight with you.” John laughed, putting his arms up in surrender.

He pinched her nose before he gathered her close once again. She sighed and burrowed more in his embrace. They became silent for a while both were lost in their thoughts.

Chari straightened to pick up her shot glass from the center table.

When she started to lick the salt from her pulse, she nonchalantly looked up to find John’s smoldering gaze.

Awareness instantly pooled on her stomach.

With throat suddenly gone dry, Chari gulped her drink, all the while looking at John. She saw John’s eyes dilated as he watched her swallow, his eyes held transfixed by the smooth column of her neck.

She whetted her lips and her eyes widened when she saw his jaw tensed, his eyes following her tongue’s movement. The air around them grew heavy. Chari did not know who made the first move, she just found herself wrapped in his arms while their lips meld in a hungry kiss.

John took control of the kiss, Chari let him. He explored her mouth nibbling softly her lower lip before soothing it with the tip of his tongue. The fire started to build as their tongues warred and then their fingers started touching each other -skin to skin.

Chari groaned when John pulled back. She looked at his hands with bated breath as he started unbuttoning her dress. Then his hands traced the creaminess he bared and started kissing each part. A tiny moan escaped her lips! A tingling sensation traveled from her neck down to her breast where she could feel his hot breath.

John feasted on her naked skin. He enjoyed tasting every square inch of her flesh. Slowly, they became drank from each other’s heady taste. With his weight, he gently pushed her body to lie on the floor before he followed.