Pleasure BOOK #1 : A M B E R✔️

Chapter 16

Amber's POV

I walked out onto the balcony of our shared bedroom and found the most romantic setting I'd ever witnessed. Candles flickered with small flames on the table, and flower arrangements littered the ground around the balcony's edging. Mala ginto ang mga plato, at may mamahaling champagne na pinapalamig sa isang silver bucket na nasa gitna ng mesa. May musikang masarap sa tenga sa paligid, violins and cellos and the soft sound of a choir in the distance. Isa pa, full moon ngayon kaya masarap pagmasdan ang langit. Isama pa ang mga bituin na tila nagsasayawan habang pinapanood kami. Ang perfect lang ng lahat ngayong gabi, ngunit ang lahat ng ito...ay naka base lang sa fake engagement.

"Narinig ko na ikaw ang namili ng menu para ngayong gabi."

Lumingon ako sa pwesto ng pinangalingan ng boses ni Simoun at muntik pa akong masamid dahil sa itsura nya. Ang khaki colored suit nya na ipinares sa puting shirt at tie na may kaprehang kulay. Ang sapatos nya ay cream colored at brogued, and his dark blond hair was parted and laid out in meticulous fashion. Ang malatsokolateng kulay ng mata nya ay mas lumitaw. And the khaki-and-cream outfit only served to enhance them, as well as the red of his lips and the glistening of his skin in the moonlight, all of it heightened because of the muted decadence of his outfit.

"A-ako nga, sana magustuhan mo," sabi ko, na pilit na inilalayo ang tingin sa kanya.

"Potato dumpling with pork roast and apple strudel for dessert. Hindi na ako magugulat kung alam mo ang lahat ng ganitong dish."

"It's a hard treat for me to pass up. Especially when we're in the hands of a competent and professional chef."

"Here. Allow me."

Inalalayan nya ako papunta sa upuan ko, hinila nya iyon para sa akin. Saka nya ako pinaupo, pero mabilis din nyang inalis ang kamay nya sa upuan ko. Hindi ko na alam kung paano sya pakikisamahan at kung anong mararamdaman sa kanya.On the one hand, he was attractive. Mabait. Well-read. Matalino. On the other hand, his revulsion for me was obvious. Maraming ulit ko nang nabasa na gusto nya ako. Ilang ulit ko ding naramdaman na gusto nya akong angkinin.

Pagkatapos, may pagkakataon din na katulad ng ginawa nya ngayon, na hindi sya kaagad makalyo sa akin. Pinaparealize lang nya sa akin ang realidad. That I was nothing more than a common whore to him, fucked by every man and left as nothing more than damaged goods. At least, that was what I thought he felt, anyway.

Alam na alam ko.

Alam ko kung anong klaseng tao ako.

Ang hangganan ko.

I knew how many men I had truly slept with over the course of my career. And it wasn't the thousands he obviously thought there were. As he sat down in front of me and placed his napkin over his thigh, I figured I would allow him to make the next move. I'd teased him, tempted him enough. I'd been as open as I could be to the possibility that he could take advantage of all my services if he wanted. There was nothing more I could do.

The food sitting on the table in front of us pulled me from my trance, and silently I began to eat. I didn't wait for him to start. I didn't wait for him to toast. And I didn't wait for him to say anything else. But one thing we did need to do was keep getting to know one another. At the very least, I needed to continue getting to know him. If he was going to walk away from Onel and me like he had back at the stables and leave me to fend for myself, then I needed to know more about his childhood. About him as a person. About his likes and dislikes. Not knowing those simple things about each other would blow the roof off this entire week before the two of them could talk shop.

"What was your schooling like?" I asked.

Itinaas ni Simoun ang tingin nya mula sa kanyang plato papunta sa akin. "Sinabi ko na sa iyo noon ang tungkol sa school ko, ikaw naman ngayon," sabi ko.