Good Riddance (DS #2)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27:

The Black Hole and Tiny Light

TUMUNOG ang alarm clock.

Awtomatikong tinigil ni Jack ang pagta-trabaho. Initsa niya ang mga binabasang articles sa ibabaw ng working desk, at saka inikot ang swivel chair. He turned off the alarm. Then, he went for the landline phone. Agad niyang inangat ang telepono, nag-dial, at hinintay kung may sasagot sa kabilang linya.

And she answered.

"As in? Exactly twelve midnight?" bungad ni Blair mula sa kabilang linya.

Jack softly smiled. "I told you I'll call you by midnight. I guess, you didn't go out to party?" Wala siyang ibang naririnig kundi parang tunog ng palabas sa T.V. nito.

"I woke up by seven PM, tinamad na 'ko maligo at mag-ayos pa," anito, tamad na tamad nga ang tono. "I stayed the whole night na lang, watching TV..."

"And waiting for my call?" ngisi ni Jack.

She chuckled. "I never really considered you're serious when you said that earlier." Nawala na ang background noise. Mukhang pinatay nito ang TV. "But here you are."

Sumandal siya sa headboard ng kama. "I guess you're not going to sleep anytime soon?"

"Depends. Kapag nainip ako sa pakikipag-usap sa'yo, baka ibaba ko na din ang telepono. At mag-ayos na lang para lumabas. Nagsisimula pa lang naman ang party sa ibang club ng ganitong oras."

He sighed. "Don't go out anymore. It's pretty late. At kung lalabas ka pa para mag-party, paano ang..." He can't use the word "date". "... Paano ang 'bonding' natin bukas?"

Jack cringed a little. For an editor, that's all he got to replace the word "date"? Where did his rich vocabulary go?

"Seryoso din ba 'yon?" Tumawa si Blair. "Akala ko, nagbibiruan lang tayo kanina."

"I was serious when I asked you out. I need to buy some books."

"Malaki ka na, Jack, kaya mo na 'yon."

"Come on! If I know, you want to buy some books, too," he urged her.

"May personal shopper ako. Lahat ng needs and wants ko, pinapabili ko lang sa shopper ko," anito.

"Personal shopper, huh? Is it safe to assume that you're so wealthy now that you have someone to buy things for you?"

"You can say that." He heard her opening a sliding door. "I did mention Papa left me with a vast amount of fortune after he died, right?"

"Right. Why didn't you hire a bodyguard and driver? So that you have someone to drive you home when you get drunk."

"Kukuha pa lang ako. I may hire a lady bodyguard. Kapag lalaki kasi, na-i-in love sa'kin," parang iritadong sabi nito.

Jack chuckled. "Well, who wouldn't?"

May narinig siyang tunog na tila binuksang lighter. "Who wouldn't what?"

"Fall in love with you?"

"Sabagay. I'm too hard to resist," Blair giggled.

"Are you smoking right now?"

"It calms me."

Napakunot-noo siya. "May nagpapakaba ba sa'yo ngayon para kailangan mong magpakalma?"

Blair didn't answer right away.

Napatingin si Jack sa labas ng bintana. He saw the big bright moon. "I would love to assume, talking to me makes you nervous."