Honne; Tatemae

Chapter 4

Kaylee

"Lis!"

Elise gave me a hard glare. "Too much, Lee. Too much."

My eyes darted at the woman she just pulled from that crowd.

Payne stares at me with that indecipherable expression written on her face. Umangat yung kilay ko ng hindi man lang ito nag-iwas ng tingin.

"I've been calling you, Lis!" I hissed. "I told that you can't just bail on me lik—"

"I can. And I just did." Elise shrugs, not even caring enough to apologize for what she did earlier this morning. "Oh, and before I forget," She glances over her shoulder, towards the direction of Jethro and his friends, "I've used your name too. You can make use of your name to do some good deeds some time, y'know."

What she just had said pushes me more to my edge. Elise is still seething, I see.

"Call it quits." I waved my hand in dismissal.

My bestfriend just groaned.

"Shut up, Lee. You're really getting into my nerves lately."

I followed her when she gently drags Payne towards the buffet table.

"If you'll excuse us, Miss.." I stopped when a realization hits me. What's Payne's last name again?

Who cares?

"Olsen." Payne supplied. "My last name is Olsen, Miss Montello."

"Seriously, Lee?" Elise shot me another incredulous look. "You don't even remember her last name? She's been working for you for weeks. Months." pagdidiin pa nito.

What? Kailangan ko ba tandaan lahat ng pangalan ng mga taong nagtatrabaho para sa akin? That's the most absurd argument Elise can pull.

"Stop fussing, Lis. That's not your forte." I snap my finger infront of Payne. "Get yourself busy elsewhere, Miss Olsen. I need to talk to my friend."

I saw how Elise protectively tugs Payne's arm. "I'm still talking with a friend too, Lee. So please have the decency to be civil at least. If you really want to talk to me, you're free to join in our table."

I sneered at Payne. Hindi ba sya marunong makiramdam? I am not asking her to leave me and Elise alone. I am mandating her.

"Uuwi na talaga ako, Miss Ca—"

"Elise." Elise interjected. "I told you to call me by my first name. You're just even a couple of years older than me."

My brow automatically raised upon hearing that. So Elise is really close to that woman? Pati edad, alam nya?

Tumikhim ako para ipaalala yung presensya ko sa kanilang dalawa.

"She's going home, Lis. Let her. Stop wearing your cape at least for once. It doesn't look good on you. Besides, it's only a matter of time until you choke with how tight you're wearing it." I try not to sound too condencending. But with the way Elise is glaring back at me, I know that I failed at that.

Why is she even mad at me? I'm just trying to protect her image too. Halos lahat na lang gusto nyang kalabanin at awayin.

"You two needs to steam a little, okay?" From contentedly watching us, Tris stepped forward. Inakbayan nito si Elise. "Why don't you have dinner with me, Eli, hmm? Let's talk about how rude, insensitive, and self-centered, Lee is."

Sinamaan ko ng tingin si Tris.

"I'm with Charm, Tris."

"Oh, don't worry." Tris chuckled. "Kaylee owes that woman a dinner. Di ba, Lee?"
She's giving me that kind of playful grin as she glances at Payne who seems totally clueless of what to do.