One

Ashmille checked the calendar on her phone. It was February 3, Saturday. Her eyes drifted to the number below. It is February 10. The date felt oddly familiar, tugging at the back of her mind like a title of the song she couldn’t remember but could hum the tune. She frowned, thinking hard. Then it hit her.

Her eyes widened, and a smile slowly spread across her face. How could I forget? she thought. February 10 was a special day. Excitement came to her.

Without wasting another second, she opened her contacts and tapped his name.

“Alejandrino,” she called him.

“Yes? Ashmille?” he answered his phone after she waited for a minute for him to pick up.

“Hi! Are you free on Saturday?” she asked casually, trying to keep her tone light.

“Yes. I don’t work on Saturdays. Why?”

“Ah, well. I want to invite you to something because I need your assistance with online marketing. I mean, you are an influencer, so maybe you can give me some tips and teach me a thing or two about it. It will probably take just an hour, not to take up much of your precious time.”

“No, no problem. I'm up for it.”

“Sorry, this was a bit sudden.”

“It’s a week away from now, plenty of time.”

“Great.” She sounds elated. With Drino’s usual busy schedule, she’s glad that he will have time for it. “Can we meet in the afternoon? I’ll send you the details of the place and time.”

“Yeah, got it. What about marketing do you need help with?”

“Ah… I’ll share the details when we meet. Is that okay?”

“Sure, sure. Anything else?”

“That’s all. See you”

“See you there”

The moment she hung up, she grabbed her notebook and started jotting down ideas. For the rest of the evening, Ashmille couldn’t stop thinking about it, but she was on edge at the same time. After thorough planning, she wasn’t sure, but she hopes Drino will love it.

***

7 days later

Ashmille stepped into the small Chinese eatery where she had arranged to meet Drino. The place had a cozy, welcoming, painted with light blue walls, dark brown wooden chairs, and tables. The ceiling fans spun lazily above with a soft hum of the cold air conditioner. Outside, the menu board had already helped her decide what to order.

Pulling out her phone, she glanced at the time. It is 2:30 PM. She is half an hour ahead of schedule. She still has a few minutes to prepare.

Her eyes scanned the place before settling on a cozy corner by the window. It is a perfect spot for them. She walked over, placed her bag on one of the chairs. She made her way toward the cashier to place her order.

“Excuse me, Ms. I’d like to order.”

“Good afternoon, Ma’am. What’s your order?”

She stated her order list and requested it to be available by 3:00 PM, while it is still warm and freshly served.

“I’ll be back in 15 minutes.”

“This is noted, Ma’am. Here’s your change.” The cashier smiled at her.

Ashmille accepted the change from the cashier with a polite smile and stepped out of the eatery. She still had a few minutes to spare before Drino arrived, so she decided to look around the area. After a short three-minute walk, she found herself standing in front of a lively local bakery she’d visited before.

The warm, sweet aroma welcomed her the moment she entered. Glass display cases lined the counter, filled with rows of colorful cakes, decorated cupcakes, and moist brownies. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she noticed several new flavors she hadn’t seen during her last visit. She pulled out her phone and snapped a few photos of the display, so she could try the other flavors soon.

“This one,” she ordered. With one blue candle, please.”

Her cake was packed immediately. She grabbed the box of it, and she went back to the Chinese eatery. A minute before 3:00 PM, some of the food she ordered was served on their table. The mouthwatering scent grumbles her stomach. She was busy taking pictures of the food when she heard the sound of the door chime, which indicates a new customer has entered the eatery. It was Drino.

He looked for her and smiled when their eyes met. He’s wearing a dark red ¾ polo, khaki pants, and white sneakers.

“Hi!” He ran towards her. She stood up, and he hugged her. “How long have you been waiting?”

They sat, sitting across from each other. He put his bag on the floor.

“Doesn’t matter. Anyway, happy birthday!” she exclaimed.

It felt a little awkward for Ashmille to be doing something like this, but she pushed through—after all, it was for Drino. Still, she couldn’t help second-guessing herself. She wasn’t entirely sure if what she prepared could really be called her best, especially knowing that Drino was used to spending special occasions overseas.

Drino looked shocked. His mouth is partially open, and Ashmille couldn’t read his expression. He must be disappointed.

“Uhm, sorry if-” she paused when she saw him covering his mouth. Is he laughing? “Alejandrino?”

“I didn’t m-mean to…” he stuttered. He gazed at her. “Thank you. Thank you for doing this for me. I thought you didn’t remember. Is that why you invited me here? Do we have an online marketing tutorial today?”

“Actually, no. I made that up to invite you here.” She sounds shy admitting to it.

“You haven’t changed,” he mumbled with a light smile.

“W-What do you mean?”

“I mean, when we were still in college, there were times when it was hard for you to say something to someone directly, like this one.”

“You still remember that?”

“Yup. And you still remember my birthday, don’t ya?” he teases her with a smirk.

She nodded.

“What a beaut,” he uttered quietly, talking to himself while staring at her.

“Hm?”

“A-Ah, nothing,” he denied.

“Who’s the beaut?”

He made a bashful face when she heard what he uttered under his breath.

“You’re beautiful.”

She blushed. She looked at herself. She’s wearing a light pink knee-length, short, and puff-sleeved dress with beige doll shoes and a small white shoulder bag. She wears light makeup with blush rose lip gloss. How come this woman is the woman Drino fell for?

“I thought you didn’t like pink. Is that your favorite color now?”

“No. I haven’t worn this dress since I didn’t like the color, but I don’t hate it too. For some reason, I felt like wearing this for the first time.”

He nodded. “I like it.”

Her cheeks flushed. This guy doesn’t know how to pause his words sometimes, which makes her blush.

Who would have guessed she’d end up liking that dress too, just because Drino did?

“And you’re wearing a dark red top in a Chinese eatery, birthday boy.”

“What a coincidence,” he chuckled. “I love this place. My favorite Chinese eatery. And wow…”

He smelled the big spicy noodle soup, the braised tofu, the skewers glazed with special sauce and sesame seeds, and the stir-fried mixed vegetables, placed in front of him.

“This place has not changed after three years. This brings back memories,” he commented.

“And for the cake. Walnut cake. I didn’t know if you like sweets or which cake is your favorite, so I picked according to my preference instead. I haven’t tasted this one yet.”

“That looks good too. Haven’t tied a walnut cake before.”

“Excuse me, Ma’am, Sir. Here’s your dim sum set and drinks.” A male waiter put their last order on their table.

“Thank you,” they both said in unison.

“Great. Let’s eat.” Ashmille initiated.

They started digging into their food together before it turned cold.

“Whoa,” he slurps the hot and spicy rice noodles. “This is the best!”

“Glad I brought you here.” She munched a fried mantou, a plain deep-fried bun.

“This was our favorite eatery before. Thank you for bringing me here on my birthday. I really appreciate it.”

“I thought you wouldn’t like it because you looked disappointed, and it may not live up to your expectations.”

He swallowed the bok choy first before responding. “Nah, this is more than I expected. Who would have thought I would finally have a girlfriend before my 26th birthday?”

Ashmille coughed.

“Are you okay?” He handed her a tissue and refilled her glass of water. “Here”

She nodded. “Just didn’t expect to hear that from you.”

He gave a playful laugh, clearly teasing her. She wiped her mouth and continued eating.

Drino wiped his mouth after finishing his small bowl of noodles. He put his elbows on the table, put his hands together, and rested his chin on his left hand.

He stared at her. “Let’s go to Mexico.”

***

Dating my Darling Copyright © 2025 by Nemorique
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