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Nothing much had changed in my work routine. I still write a dozen copies for a dozen clients but I have found a great way to deal with office politics.

I’ve always known that I’m one of the boys. One day, I found myself with a new group of friends who keep me sane and entertained five days a week: the IT boys—a mixed group of 20-something to 30-something techie guys and one half-and-half. They always invite me to join them for a smoke at exactly 2:45 in the afternoon and every two hours after that.

Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health, of course, so I limit myself to two sticks in times of (office-gossip) emergency. Again, this is one of the reasons why I have so many guy friends: sometimes, I find it easier to talk to them and you always get no-nonsense advice. Soon, the IT boys became my unconventional knights.

And speaking of smoking, Logan told me that he had become the sole topic of all Lung Center Talks on the other side of Ortigas where he works. During one of our YM conversations during work hours, I asked about them.


V: Lung Center Talk?
L: Yosi break.
V: Oh, so you smoke?
L: Well, yeah.
V: Okay, points for honesty. But you didn’t smoke last Friday ah.
L: E you told me you’re asthmatic, 'di ba?

And before he could throw the question back at me, I pressed him about the Lung Center Talk topic. Logan told me that his officemate, Miko, called an emergency session earlier that day. So Logan and his friends, collectively known as Qube, went down to the smoking area in front of their building where they grilled Logan about "this girl he’s dating."

L: Nakita raw ako ni Kristal sa SM North EDSA last Friday.
V: 'Di nga?
L: Nah, nangfi-fish lang 'yung mga 'yun. But they saw the event photos you uploaded in Facebook. That gave them a theory. Anyway, you want to grab dinner later?

That’s how Logan became my official dinner buddy. It’s not a dinner date, really. It sounds and feels like a friend inviting you to grab a bite at Megamall before you head home. Since Logan’s shift starts at 3 o’clock in the afternoon and ends at midnight, his lunch break coincides with my dinner time.

In the many days that followed, amidst his friends’ persistent inquiries about his dating life, Logan would go missing around 6:30 PM to meet me in front of Bench in Mega A where we would eat at some random fast food chain or at the food court. He would reappear at the office some time past 8 o’clock.

On most days, we would hang out at Dairy Queen to share a medium serving of strawberry ice cream with almonds and mallows. One cup, two spoons. We would always sit at the same table as we watch people walk by. During one cheesy ice cream moment, his phone beeped.

“Girlfriend?” I asked.

“Boy friend, actually,” he joked. “Nakita raw nila ako sa Megamall kanina with a girl.”

“Paoti?” I took a wild guess.

“Yeah, teka kilala mo siya?”

“I interviewed him once for in Cosmo,” I replied. “With Pong and Ivin, if I remember their names correctly.”

“Yeah, I know that. Kumalat sa office namin na nasa Cosmo silang tatlo. Champion!” Logan exclaimed.

“Wait,” I said as a wild thought hit me. “Ikaw ba 'yung sinasabi nilang 365-Day Bachelor? May kilala ka bang Chi?”

“Teka, well, yeah, oo ako 'yung bachelor pero sandali lang, paano mo nalaman 'yon?” he asked obviously confused and agitated at the same time. “Wala akong kilalang Chi.”

I was getting excited as well and quickly explained to him what could be another amazing coincidence. This is so bizarro-land, I thought.

“Okay, okay, I have this friend Chi who works in Cosmo,” I started eagerly. “She interviewed your friends, too, like I did. She told me about the 365-day bet you have at the office and asked if I could go on a blind date thing.”

“I don’t believe this,” Logan said, shaking his head. “And I said the bet is crazy! Well, boss ko rin kasi may pasimuno nun so wala akong magawa.”

“Ayaw mo ng free booze?” I teased. “What’s wrong with you, man!”

“Ayoko lang ng sine-set up,” he admitted as he ate a spoonful of strawberry ice cream. “Shit! Brain Freeze! Anyway, hassle e. Nakaka-pressure. Pero kapag sinagot ako ng girl na gusto ko, ako mismo ang magpapainom!”

I laughed wholeheartedly. I couldn’t believe how big a part fate played in how we met and couldn’t believe just how much we have in common. It’s like dating a male version of me. I didn’t say anything about his last comment, though, because I figured that’s something guys say to make girls think they’re something else.

Besides, who in God’s name would waste thousands of pesos just to celebrate one’s freedom from bachelorville? So I just laughed because I believe that’s just something guys say but never do.

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