The Birth of an Unlikely Love Story

Naomi and Ian recalls how they met and fell in love with each other.

"This is interesting," he murmured, nodding. He closed the folder of papers he had just read.

She grinned in delight. "Our love story is!"

He pushed the folder across the table. She reached for it and tucked it under her pile of books. She smiled at him, enjoying his amused stare.

"You'll write more of it, won't you?"

She thought about it for a few seconds. She made a face and pouted. "That's supposed to be just that--a mere chapter. No beginning, no end..."

He took a sip of his iced tea. "Just like our love. We didn't know how it started and there'd be no ending." He caught her gaze and winked at her.

She looked down at her almost untouched food to hide her crimson blushes. "Exactly..."

"But wouldn't it be nice to have our love story written?" he mused, lost in thoughts.

She looked up, curious but interested. "Where shall I start?" she asked, excitement evident in her voice.

"At the beginning!" he suggested playfully, showing off his boyish grin.

She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Where did everything begin anyway?"

"Let me see. Hmm... Way back in second year?" he said. Then images of the past events unfolded right before her very eyes until a specific time frame brought into memory how they came into each other's lives. "When you were impossibly rude toward me? When you were almost willing to cut my good head off just because I was ardently pursuing you out of great love, you unbelievable amazon?" His voice was teasing and so were his eyes. She couldn't help but laugh at how true his words were!

"Okay...Wait a sec," she said, still chuckling. She rummaged her bag for a pen and a paper. Then she started writing. "It all started when an impossibly obstinate guy began stalking a pretty good girl way back in their second year. How's that for an introduction?" She grinned ear to ear in triumph.

He laughed. "I wonder how you get the highest grade in English when you terribly fail in using appropriate modifiers!"

She stuck her tongue out.

"It didn't start that way. Not in how I remember it anyway."

She raised an eyebrow, demanding an explanation.

"You can't be trusted in memory!" he exclaimed as he leaned closer and playfully tapped her forehead. "We used to be good friends, have you forgotten, Dude?" He emphasized the endearment they used to call each other when they were still the best of friends--before romance got in the way.

She closed her eyes, pretending to be so lost in deep meditation. She dramatically put her hands on her head. "Hmm... Retrieving insignificant memories... Loading... Loading..."

"Insignificant?" he uttered in slight disbelief.

She opened her left eye. "Got problem with that?"

"Insignificant. The word is just inappropriate. Because for me, it's the opposite."

She dropped her hands on her lap and looked at him with both eyes open now. "Would you like to explain why, Mister?"

He grinned. "You're beginning to sound like a real teacher. Anyway, those times mean so much to me. Because it was during those times that I had known the real you. I had discovered right then that it's you I'd like to marry and spent the rest of my life with."

It was getting harder for her to breathe. She had to say something--soon. "Okay, then," her voice was like a choked whisper. She wished she could have said something more intelligible.

"You remember now?"

"Yes. I remember we used to be best friends."

"Then I fell in love with you..."

"And you ruined our friendship," she teased, blinking childishly.

His lips curled into a smile. "For love. I never regretted confessing my love for you, dear. At the expense of our friendship, I dared to make a move. Because I can't bear the thought of us being 'just friends' when I knew all the time I was--and still am--madly in love with you. I bet I'm just a jerk." The air filled with his boyish, yet sexy, laughter. She swore he could already hear her crazy heartbeat.

"Yeah. And I guess I'm as stupid as you because I had fallen in love with a jerk. Of all people! I should have been more picky!" They laughed, their two voices blending in perfect harmony.

"All those beautiful girls chasing after the team captain only to learn later that he ended up with a simpleton! What poor eyesight you must have!" she added, chuckling harder than ever.

He leaned closer in silence. Her laughter was slowly fading. He paused when he was only two inches away from her astonished face. "My eyesight is perfect and clear, love." Seriousness was emanating from his face and his voice while she sat there, motionless. He took a hold of the lenses of her eyeglasses and fixed it properly on the bridge of her nose. "I have always been in love with my nerd best friend and I love her more now as the perfect girlfriend that she is to me."

She didn't know what to say. He smiled and whispered, "You'll write more of our love story, won't you?"

His scent intoxicated her. "Yes," she breathed.

He grinned and kissed her forehead. "That's my girl..."