Allie & Xander #Wattys2015

First Night

Napaawang ang bibig at napatunganga na lang si Alexandra sa narinig galing sa bibig ng binatang nasa tabi nya. Parang wala lang sa binata ang sinabi at uminom ulit ng beer galing sa boteng hawak hawak nito. Napailing na lang si Alexandra at uminom din ng diet coke sa basong hawak hawak nya. Kung ang balak lang ng binata ay asarin sya, hinding hindi mangyayari yun. Mahaba ang pasensya nya. Napatunayan nya na yun matagal na. Ngayon lang sya naubusan ng pasensya, pero kaya nga nya sinasalba ang sarili sa pagsama sa Boracay. Sa una kasi ay nagdadalawang isip pa sya kung sasama sya. Oo, best friend nya si Denise, pero hindi naman na sya sanay sa ma inuman ang party party dahil ibang iba na ang buhay nya sa mga buhay ng mga kaibigan nya na young and carefree pa rin. Magkakasing edad lang sila, pero bakit parang ang dami nya ng napagdaanan sa buhay.

"Look, Xander, kung nangaasar ka lang, please, huwag mo ng ituloy. Nandito ako sa Boracay for my friend Denise. Wala akong balak makipagaway sa yo ng dahil lang sa kape."

Alexander turned to face her. "Wala din naman akong balak makipag away sa yo. I just want to befriend you. May masama ba dun?"

"Wala naman, pero kung hindi ka rin naman sincere, pwedeng sa ibang babae ka na lang magpa-cute?"

He looked at her and gave her a goofy grin. She tried to ignore it pero hindi nya natagalan at binalingan nya ulit ng tingin ang binata. "You think I'm cute."

"Eh magsisitinginan ba naman ang mga kababaehan dito sa yo kung hindi ka cute?" she answered him easily.

"I don't care about them. I like that you find me cute, Allie. Di ba sabi ko sa yo kanina sa labas nung coffee shop na ang cute mo? The feeling's mutual pala," he continued to grin at her.

"Xander, please, huwag na tayong maglokohan at magbolahan. Kung pinagtitripan mo lang ako, I'm not a wiling victim."

"Allie, will you relax? Masyado kang uptight," tumayo ang binata at nilahad ang kamay nito. "Tara."

She looked up at him skeptically then at the hand he held out to her. "At saan naman tayo pupunta?"

"Maglalakad lakad lang."

"At bakit ako sasama sa yo?"

"Dahil hindi lang ako ang kanina pang pinagpapantasyahan dito. Maraming lalaking nakatingin sa yo. Ang ganda kasi ng legs mo eh," he whispered near her ear the last sentence at na conscious tuloy sya at hinila pababa ang white dress na suot nya. He laughed at her action and pulled her by the wrist so she can stand up. "Come on, lakad na tayo."

"Teka," she tried to yank her arm back from his grip. "Sabihan ko muna si Denise."

"Huwag na. They look like they're having fun naman. Don't worry, di naman kita kikidnapin. I'll return you to your friends in one piece."

Napakagat sa labi si Alexandra pero hindi nya alam kung anong nagtulak sa kanya na sumama kay Alexander. She placed her hand in his para matulungan sya nitong makatayo. She quickly took her hand back at napailing na lang si Alexander sa dalaga. He just walked beside her with his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts, sometimes he would glance at the beauty who walked quietly beside him, her straight shoulder length hair swaying with the breeze. She really was beautiful in her simplicity. Lahat ng babaeng na-meet nya na sa Boracay ay parang in competition: nagpapasexyhan and all that jazz, but not Alexandra. And even so, para bang mas angat pa rin ang beauty nya over the others who seemed to be replicas of each other. In her simplicity, she stood out.

They walked slowly on the soft white sands of Boracay, hindi nga nila namalayan na malayong malayo na pala sila sa beach club kung saan nagpaparty ang mga kaibigan nila. Nasa may madilim na area na sila ng beach, pero nakikita pa rin nila ang mga building at naiilawan pa rin naman sila ng mga ilaw galing sa mga ito. Alexandra stared out into the now inky dark ocean and shivered a bit ng biglang lumakas ang hangin. She crossed her arms and rubbed her palms over her biceps para mainitan ito. Nagulat na lang sya ng may biglang yumakap sa kanya galing sa likod.

"Cold?" Alexander asked.

"Medyo. Lumakas kse ang hangin bigla, pero okay na ako ngayon," she said and tried to move away from his hold, pero mas lalo lang humigpit ang yakap nito.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you warm," he said to her sincerely.

Tumango na lang si Alexandra. Hindi naman na sya nakipagtalo pa dahil the last few weeks ay wala na syang ginawa kundi makipagtalo. Sa totoo lang, she liked his warmth. Ang tagal na nyang nararamdaman ang loneliness. Kahit wala naman syang intention na makipagkaibigan kay Alexander, naaappreciate nya ang presence nito. Hindi nya namalayan na lumuluha na pala sya. She wiped her tears away at hindi yun pinalampas ni Alexander. He spun her around and looked down at her.

"Sorry," she said and looked down.

He raised up her chin and used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears. He bent down and kissed each eye before looking at her surprised face. He himself was also surprised sa ginawa nya, pero nasurprise din naman kasi sya sa biglang pag iyak ng dalaga. He leaned down again, but this time he kissed her on the lips. It was a soft kiss, but he just kept his lips pressed to hers ng matagal. He took a chance and tried to deepen the kiss, and was shocked when she responded.

Her arms that hung at her sides slowly went up to wrap around his waist. Matagal na syang hindi nahahalikan. Not softly, not passionately, and she experienced both in a matter of seconds. She felt wanted all of a sudden, and it pushed away her sadness and insecurities for the time being. Humiwalay na si Alexander kay Alexandra at tinitigan ulit ang dalaga.

"Let's go?" he asked breathlessly.

"Saan?" she said just as breathless as he was.

"Somewhere we can be alone."

He kissed her again at wala ng nagawa si Alexandra kundi sumunod sa kung saan man sya dadalhin ni Alexander.

***

Alexandra laid her head on his chest and listened to his rapidly beating heart. He was sweaty and her hair was sticking to it, but she didn't care. She just had the most incredible time with this man. A man who was virtually a stranger, but maybe that's what she needed; to be a bad girl with a stranger. She'd been the good girl all of her life; saying yes to everyone else. Para na nga syang mute na walang sariling pagiisip dahil sunod sunuran na lang sya sa mga gusto ng mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya. In a way, naging sunod sunuran din sya kay Alexander; he was assertive and knew what he wanted to do with her, pero in another way, ginusto nya rin naman ang nangyari. She felt like she made a mistake, but at least she made a mistake on her own.

"Congratulations," she said as she drummed her fingers on his abdomen. "Another notch on your bed post."

"Allie..."

"No need to deny it," she said to him. "Hindi ko gawain ito, usually; at least now pwede ko ng sabihin na naka experience na ko ng one night stand."

"Allie, you were incredible," he brushed her hair with his fingers.

"If that was your way of making me feel better, effective sya," she smiled despite of herself.

"And she smiles," he looked down at her and smiled back.

"Xander, kailangan ko nang bumalik. Baka nga wala na sila dun sa club eh, and for sure hinahanap na nila ako."

"I'd rather you spent the night, pero sige, hatid na kita."

"Hindi na. Kaya ko ng bumalik sa hotel namin."

"I may be a lot of things, but not being a gentleman to you is not one of them. It's 2 AM; there's no way you're walking back by yourself."

"Sige, salamat," she said before getting off him so she can put her discarded clothes on.

He watched her from the bed, his hands folded underneath his head. She quickly slipped her dress on over her head before looking for her undergarments and running to the bathroom to freshen up. He sighed in contentment. The last thing he wanted to do was comfort an emotional woman with sex, but there it was. It happened. He usually doesn't go for emotionally fragile women; ayaw nya na maging attached ang mga ito sa kanya; mahirap na...he doesn't do well with attachment. Ayaw na ayaw nya ang mga babaeng clingy. Pero ng nakita nyang umiiyak si Alexandra, something tugged at his heartstrings at wala syang ibang gustong gawin kundi ang mapatigil ito sa pag iyak. Like a moth to a flame, he was so attracted to her and knew he wanted a taste of her, but he didn't want to take advantage of the situation. Buti na lang ay game naman ang babae. Pero now that he's had a taste, bakit parang hindi pa sapat yun? Umiling na lang sya at nagsuot na rin ng damit para mahatid na ang dalaga sa hotel nito.