Note: this story was submitted and read on-air over at 89.9 Magic, on one of Joe The Mango's episode of Love Notes. consequently it also got published on a local newspaper and tabloid. here's the original text...

my name is trixie, 29 years old. i used to work for one of the top five, most expensive resorts here in the country. i gave it up after three years and i'm now managing our family businesses.

my story goes way back to 1995. i met danny thru a friend who used to court my sister. danny would chaperon him during his afternoon visits, and while my younger sister was entertaining her guest, danny would stay at the veranda by himself seemingly enjoying the view over a glass of grape juice. it was his favorite.

after a time, i started to take notice of danny. for a radio jock and a guitarist of a rock band, he was so down-to-earth and refined. so as a host, i felt a little bit guilty to just leave him there with no one to talk to. but there was more to him than just being a DJ. he was handsome and carried himself pretty well. he projected control, grace and inner-strength. by my standards, he was very attractive.

so one day, i brought up a glass of grape juice to the veranda. funny, coz i felt i was going to melt when danny smiled and thanked me. it got even better when he asked me to join him, which i did. we talked for house till late in the evening, just the two of us. until now, those wonderful hours at the veranda would come to me make me smile. after that evening, i would tune in to danny while cleaning my audio system until he finishes his on-board duties. that would go on, and on, and on...

soon, danny and i we're 'veranda regulars'. even on a rainy day, we wud setup a beach umbrella just so we could play boogle and tell more stories. i learned so much just by talking to him. he was intelligent and had a wacky sense of humor.

at that time, danny had a girlfriend, saira. a stewardess and beauty titlist rolled into one. we knew each other coz she used to tutor my neighbors niece. it was for this reason that i restrained myself from developing any feelings above fondness for danny. until one evening, while partying among my female cousins, i got very drunk and started spilling out how much i felt towards danny. they were all dumbfounded and what followed was unabated teasing from my cousins. then on, danny developed a status at our home, from chaperon to 'ate temmy's special guy'.

after that, i became increasingly expressive towards danny. in response, he also became 'malambing'. on his day-off he would accompany me on my out-of-town trips, take me to a movie and we would eat at odd restos we've never been to before. there was this one evening, we challenged each other to eat 'balut'. we were having a grand time teasing each other, the balut-vendor said we made a lovely couple. without batting an eyelash, i blurted, "oh tatang, the truth is i'm deeply in-love with this guy, but he's taken." i said those in between sips of my balut soup. joe, i will never forget the look on danny's face. he was blushing beyond words.

i know i've listened to the craziest stories on love notes for as long as i can remember. but never did i imagine myself in a situation i once used to ridicule. i was very aware that danny was taken, but i just threw myself into the wind. i knew danny wanted to love me back but we also knew that it was impossible. somehow, for me, that was enough. somehow, in the midst of my longing for him, i was still happy. somehow, after years that we haven't seen each other i can still look back at those times with him and smile with great elation in my heart.

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