A Night In Vegas

Kabanata 22

"Hon!"

"Sandali lang!"

Nagmamadali kong kinuha ang Doctor's coat ko at ang backpack ko na naglalaman ng extra kong mga damit na iiwanan ko sa opisina ko for emergencies.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit kanina pa ako tinatawag ng asawa ko sa living room namin. He's not usually like this in the morning. Palagi iyong nauunang umalis sa'kin para pumunta na sa opisina ng iba pa niyang kompanya kaya hindi ko inaasahan na nandito parin siya.

I wore my backpack while fixing my scrubs that I was wearing. I'll be tending patients today around the hospital as a medical doctor and not as a surgeon. Matagal pa naman ang sunod na operasyon na kasama ako kaya ito muna ngayon ang trabaho ko.

Nasa huling baitang na ako ng hagdan nang inilibot ko ang paningin ko para hanapin ang asawa ko. He was standing beside the sofa fireplace in our living room while having a cup of coffee. He was reading something on his hand na kaagad kong ikinakunot ng noo.

"What's going on? Why are you calling me? Bakit hindi ka pa umaalis?" Kaagad kong tanong sa kanya habang naglalakad ako papunta sa pwesto niya.

He was wearing a whole body office suit that made him stand out even more, lalo na ang dominante niyang aura na parang mapapasunod niya talaga ang lahat sa tingin niya lang.

His hair was a bit longer now dahil hindi niya parin ito pinapagupitan dahil gusto niya raw ang itsura niya, lalo na ngayon na may facial hair na siya na hindi niya rin inaahit.

Wala naman ito sa'kin dahil mas gusto ko nga na may facial hair siya dahil mas nakakakiliti kapag nilalambing niya ako.

He handed me what he was holding before he spoke. "I received this in my office earlier kaya umuwi ako para ipakita sa'yo."

Curiousity immediately ate me up. This must be important na umuwi pa talaga ang asawa ko kahit kakarating niya lang sa opisina niya kaninang maaga pa. Binaba ko ang tingin sa hawak hawak ko ngayong imbitasyon sa isang kasal.

Walang pangalan kung sino ang ikakasal sa harapan nito kaya binuksan ko ang pagkakatupi nito para basahin ang nilalaman.

Para naman akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig kasabay ng pagkalaglag ng panga ko dahil sa nabasa kong pangalan.

"We are inviting you to the union between..." I glanced at my husband before returning my gaze to the familiar names written on the invitation. "...Moiranelle Khaleesi Kingsley and Count Artaxerxes Thanatos Ruegan Baiamonte. I... I can't believe this!"

"The Count personally delivered this to me earlier. He has some business here in Seattle kaya pinuntahan na lang niya ako para imbitahan tayo sa kasal niya."

"You and this person are friends?" I asked. Pinoproseso ko parin ang nangyayari.

Kumunot ang noo niya. "He's an acquaintance that I can't say no to. Do you know him?"

"I know them both. The bride and the groom." I muttered shakingly.

"How?" Kumunot sa'kin ang noo ng asawa ko. "This man is dangerous like me, hon. I'm very curioused kung paano mo siya nakilala."

Napahinga naman ako ng malalim bago inisip ang mga nangyari noon. How I met him through Moira, who is now his bride-to-be.

"He... he was the owner of our school back then. Pero hindi naman Baiamonte ang apelyido niya noon kapag ipinapakilala siya sa'min. He was always introduced as Thanatos Ruegan."

"That sly man," My husband groaned irritatingly before he started explaining things to me. "Ruegan is his house's name in Spain. He's a Count kaya iyon ang mas kilala siya. But the people who worked around him know he's a Baiamonte. A family that came from old money back in Italy."