Excerpt: I Am Single (And Everybody Knows)

Apparently, the name Ashley is now used for a guy.

I still can’t believe it.

I arrived at the Centennial Airport about an hour after Ashley's plane landed. I got caught in another meeting with a client from work after my team meeting, so I ended up leaving the office at six. As I stepped out of the elevator, my not-so-old bag decided to give on me and out poured all my stuff on the building's lobby. Good thing Ian, our newly promoted Logistics Director, was there to help me out. Then I drove all the way to the airport in the fastest way I could manage without breaking any rules, and as luck would have it, it was traffic too.

When I was near the airport, I called Ashley to ask her to wait for me and I was answered by a very male sounding voice. I thought perhaps that she was just groggy from the flight which explains the deep voice, but when I finally got to the arrival area of the airport, there stood a tall, thin guy with very tan skin, a mop of messy curly hair that totally contrasts his preppy getup. There was no one else there, but since I was expecting a girl, I thought Ashley went somewhere to sit while waiting. I parked in front of him and looked around to see if there was a girl waiting there, and when I finally called the number, I saw him pull out his phone and answer my call.

“Hello, Ruth?”

Good thing I was still sitting inside the car when I called him so he couldn’t see me gaping. “Hi…Ashley?”

“Hi! I’m still here, right in front of a maroon Honda.”

“Yeah…well I see you.” I lowered the window of the passenger seat of my car and waved. He saw me, smiled and ended the call. I opened the trunk and then got out of the car to help him put his things in.

“Sorry I kept you waiting,” I apologized, still a bit in shock that Ashley was a male. “I got stuck in traffic.”

“Oh, it’s all right,” Ashley replied. He closed the trunk of my car and ran a hand through his already messy hair. “I did not mind waiting. And besides, Kuya Angelo told me this was in the last minute.”

“Yeah, it was kind of.” I started walking to the driver’s seat and he followed the same to the passenger’s side and pretty soon we were back on the road. It was then I realized that I did not know where I could drop Ashley off. Am I supposed to drop him off at Pia’s or at Angelo’s? But I don’t know where Angelo lives. Or should I drop him off at the restaurant?

Before I could move to call Pia, my phone rang and it was Angelo. I clicked my headset to answer him.

“Hey Angelo, you’re cousin’s with me,” I said. “Where to now?”

“Hi Ruth, thanks,” Angelo said. “Uh, can I ask you one more favor?”

“Okay…but you guys are owing me big time now,” I warned. See, I’m not such a bad friend. I can get along with my best friend’s boyfriend. I just need to get used to the fact that he is no longer a suitor but a boyfriend.

“We’re sort of planning some kind of surprise for him here,” Angelo said. “But we’re not yet ready…so is it okay if you stall for a while? Just hang out with him for another hour or so? Then we’ll pick him up wherever you guys stay and wait.”

Well that would not be so bad, right? I thought, glancing at my passenger. He was busy fiddling with his phone, probably sending a message to his folks at home or something. “All right. But just an hour, okay?”

“Promise,” Angelo said. “Thanks so much! Don’t tell him why you are stalling though. And Pia says hi and thank you.”

“Hi to her too,” I said. “Bye Gelo.” I hung up and addressed my passenger.

“So…Ashley. Would you like to have some coffee or something? I don’t know where your cousin’s house is, unfortunately, but he said he’ll pick you up in an hour.” I said, careful not to mention the word surprise.

“Okay, sure.”

Since I was coming from the airport, I decided to go to Bonifacio High Street so we could have a lot of choices on where to hang out while waiting. Plus it was already near my place, so I could go home easily after.

There was a bit of an awkward silence inside the car as I looked for parking space because he wasn’t speaking and I was too much focused on my driving to speak. It was also wrong timing for us to be in Bonifacio High Street, as it’s a Friday night and everyone decided to go out on a gimmick even if it is not payday. That found us waiting for cars to go out at the entrance of the parking lot, as we can’t just go in an roam until someone goes out.

“Geez, what a timing,” I grumbled under my breath.

“Everything okay?”

I glanced at Ashley, who was looking at me with a concerned look. I shook my head. “No, it’s nothing. I’m just being impatient.” The moment I said that, a car got out of the parking lot and we finally got to go in. I uttered a silent prayer of thanks.

After we have parked and everything, Ashley and I started walking to the main street with no obvious destination. It was pretty crowded but everyone still seems to be on dinner mode. The two of us ended up at Seattle’s Best which had not too many people inside yet, so we got to sit at one of their comfortable booths after ordering our drinks.

And then, silence.

Argh, I hate it when this happens. I glanced at Ashley to see what he was doing and saw he was watching the people walking up and down the street. I could not think of anything to say to open a conversation.

Well, there was one thing I could think of. Like, how did he get the name Ashley in the first place? But asking that would be rude, right?

“So…is this your first time in Manila?” I managed to ask. Well that’s not very lame.

“No, actually I used to stay here,” Ashley said. “I went to college in Manila, and went back home when I graduated. I’m here again because I found a job.”

“Oh, really? That’s nice. What did you take up in college?”

“Electronics and Communications Engineering at Mapua,” he answered. Well, he’s got the looks of an ECE student, I guess. “I’m supposed to start working for Globe by next month.”

“Congratulations,” I said. “I know a couple of people who work there. I’ll tell them to look out for you.” He smiled in appreciation.

And then silence again.

Argh. How can I maintain this flow of conversation without asking that question?

“Okay, I have a question, but I hope you don’t think it’s rude of me to ask,” I heard myself say.

“Yes?”

“Why are you named Ashley?” I blurted. He raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I know your parents gave you that, but why Ashley? Why…” I trailed off, thinking of the best way to say the next question.

“Why give me such a girly name?” he finished with a smile. I relaxed.

“I guess you could say that. No offense.” I added quickly. “So why?”

“I was named after Ashley Wilkes, one of the characters in Gone With The Wind. I have never read the book or watched the movie, but my mom was a total fan of it and she really liked that guy Ashley. So there’s the name,” he explained.

I nodded thoughtfully. “Ah…I see. I haven’t read the book either, so I don’t know. But…didn’t you have a hard time with your name?”

Ashley looked up as if trying to recall some things. “Well…I was home schooled from elementary to high school, so I guess I was missed out on all that,” Then he paused to look at me and laughed. “You know what, I was actually waiting for you to ask that question. It’s amazing you held out so long before finally asking.”

I joined his laughter. “Wait, so how do other people ask you?”

“Usually it’s at the moment I meet them. When I tell them my name, it’s all, ‘Ashley? You serious?’” He laughed again. “I was used to that reaction anyway, so no biggie.”

“Well that’s nice,” I said. “So can I call you Ash instead? Every time I say Ashley, I feel like I am supposed to be calling a girl and all. “

“Sure thing.”

“Okay, thanks, Ash,” I said. “Good thing your cousin gave me your number earlier or else I would have waited for a girl to show up. I will personally clobber him when we see him later.”

“Kuya Gelo always forgets to mention I am a guy,” Ash said. “Just because he has a manly name and all.”

“Wait, Kuya Gelo?” I asked. Angelo was younger than me by a two years, so if Ash calls Angelo “Kuya”…then how old is he? I asked him that and his answer shocked me more than his gender did.

“You just turned twenty-three?” I exclaimed.

“Yeah.”

“Gosh, you’re young,” I said, leaning back on my chair. “I suddenly feel so old.”

“How old are you anyway?”

“I’m twenty-seven, turning twenty-eight this year,” I said. “And I’m older than your cousin’s girlfriend. I’m five years older than you!”

“That’s no big deal,” Ash said. “You’re accomplished, anyway. Plus I bet you will be settling down soon…right, Ate?” He said the last word with a teasing glint in his eye. I reached over to slap his arm.

“Shut up, youngster.”

At that moment, I glanced at the window and saw two familiar faces walking by. It was Mitchie with her boyfriend, Noah. Noah saw me, pointed and waved, and Mitchie looked where he was waving. Mitchie waved when she saw me, but when her eyes landed on Ash, she got a suspicious look in her eyes and looked back at me questioningly. I waved at her, motioning that I would explain later. She raised an eyebrow, nodded slightly and the two of them walked away.

“Okay, that was kind of weird,” I said, turning to Ash. “That was Mitchie, one of our friends. Which reminds me, I haven’t told your cousin where we are waiting.” I took my phone out and composed a message telling Angelo our location. As soon as I sent it, I heard someone call my name. I looked up and there stood Ian Balboa, the guy who helped me with my mess at the elevator. I waved at him and he smiled, then turned to the girl he was with — his date? — and walked towards our table.

“Hey Ruth,” Ian said. “I thought you were supposed to be at the airport?”

“I was. I picked this guy up,” I nodded to Ash. “Ash, this is Ian, a colleague. Ian, Ash, my best friend’s boyfriend’s cousin.” I paused, trying to see if I got that right. “Yes, I got that right, I think. That was a mouthful.”

“Hi, nice to meet you,” The two guys shook hands.

“So what brings you here?” I asked Ian, glancing at the girl waiting for her drink at the counter.

“Oh, just out with a friend,” he replied with a bit of a vague tone that I caught. “You know, Friday night and all.”

“A friend, huh,” I said, nodding slowly. He caught my tone and grinned.

“Yeah, a friend. That is easier to say than my cousin’s best friend’s boyfriend or whatever. Right Ash?”

“Right.”

“Touche,” I said, grinning. Before I could say anything else, though, Angelo and Pia entered the coffee shop, and that meant my time with Ash is over.

“Ruth! Ashley!” Angelo said, walking to our table. Pia followed suit, and I saw that she was actually wearing party clothes. Where’s the party? I wondered briefly before she got to me and gave me a hug.

“Thank you so much, Ruth!” Pia said. “We owe you.”

“Yes, you do,” I said with a laugh. “Good thing Ash here is good company, or else I would really consider that ‘you owe me’ bit.”

“You should!” Ash said to me. “That way Kuya Gelo can also owe me for not picking me up.” I laughed and we high-fived.

“Anyway, thanks again, Ruth,” Angelo said. He turned to his cousin. “We have to go now, everything is ready.”

“Okay, let me get to the car so Ash can get his stuff,” I said, standing up from our booth. Then I realized that Ian had left our table and was now sitting at one of the tables outside with the girl he was with. I suddenly felt bad for not introducing him to Pia and Angelo, but everyone was too busy talking that I couldn’t squeeze him in. On our way out, I decided it didn’t matter, so I just waved goodbye at him.

After getting Ash’s stuff from my car and another round of thank you’s and goodbye’s from the new couple, I got into my car and started on my way home. It was then that it hit me: Pia did not invite me to wherever she was going. Of all the times she got to talk to me, there wasn’t even a single mention of it.

Okay, it must be Ash’s surprise at home…but she did not mention anything about it when she saw me, and for a moment there I wondered if she avoided the topic so she won’t have to ask me. I mean, it wasn’t her who called me but Angelo earlier, right? Is it a private boyfriend-girlfriend thing? So am I now the last resort?

Those thoughts and more haunted me on my short drive home.