Chapter 15
Glare
When the night is already deep, we decided to go. I am wearing a bodycon dress that Clary has picked. It has a sexy slit and I feel so uncomfortable but just choose to shrug it away.
Wala ngayon si Yashana. Marahil ay may kung ano-ano na namang pinagawa ang Mommy niya.
We called her a while ago. Mukhang aligagang-aligaga ang gaga kaya hindi na raw muna siya makakasama. Hindi na namin pinilit dahil kilala namin ang Mommy niya. Baka mas lalo pa siyang pahirapan at hindi na talaga makasama sa mga gala namin.
But anyway, we can carry out this night successfully. I can kiss a lot of guys and forget my embarrassment this morning.
We didn't go to the bar that we visited last night. Sa ibang bar naman kami tumungo. Nasa labas palang kami ay rinig na namin ang malakas na musika galing sa loob.
Clarita giggled. "Let's get it on bitch. Let's bet, paramihan ng lalaki. Kapag nanalo ka, I'll give you a half million."
I smirked. "Sure."
"That's my bitch."
I was smiling widely when we entered, but deep inside I was so nervous to the core. Hindi ko mawari kung bakit ko ito nararamdaman. I shouldn't be nervous! Kasi wala namang dahilan.
Iba-ibang kulay ng ilaw ang sumalubong sa amin nang makapasok. I immediately roamed around my eyes to find the first guy I will flirt with tonight. Sana lang talaga ay hindi ako iwan ng tapang ko ngayon.
Desidido ako sa gagawin ko ngayon. I want to prove myself that I can kiss other guys aside from him. Ano naman pala kung mag-asawa kami?
He's a tinhorn. Palagi akong ginagago kaya ano'ng masama kung gagaguhin ko rin siya? Well it's not like he'll care to what am I gonna do.
Hell. I don't care as well. Ang gusto ko lang ay mawala sa isip ko ang pagkapahiya kagabi at kanilang umaga.
"Let's split up. Bilangin mo 'yong sa'yo ha?" humalik sa aking pisngi si Clary bago tumalikod.
She even swayed her butt that made me laugh. Napailing iling ako at inikot muli ang paningin sa kabuoan ng bar.
Ang akala ko matatagalan ako sa paghahanap ng lalaki. I was wrong when I saw a man smirking from a far. Dahil sa malilikot na ilaw ay hindi ko masyadong maaninag ang pagmumukha niya.
Ngumisi ako at balak sana siyang lapitan nang biglang tamaan ng puting ilaw ang kaniyang mukha.
My brows knotted then I halted from walking.
Tumaas ang kilay niya at siya na ang naglakad patungo sa akin. He gestured his hand that we should get out of the bar because of the noise. Tumango naman ako at sumunod sa kaniya palabas ng bar.
"So, you again pretty woman." aniya na nagpainit sa aking pisngi.
"It's you again too, stranger." I laughed.
Ngumiti siya at inilahad ang kanang palad sa akin. "I'm Dio. Dionysus Vallejo. You are?"
Nahigit ko ang aking hininga nang marinig ang apelyido niya. He's Theseus brother, I guess. What a coincidence.
"Ade nalang." I smiled thriftily.
"I saw you at the party, then at the gym, then here. What a coincidence... or maybe we're really destined to meet?" he joked, natawa ako.
"Maybe?"
"So, I really want to ask you this question..."
Tumango ako. "What is it?"
"Are you the girlfriend?" Umangat ang sulok ng kaniyang labi. "Of my brother? Si Seus?"
My eyes widened in shock. Hindi ko alam ang isasagot. Should I tell him that me and his brother are already married? Tsaka ba't wala siyang kaalam-alam sa kaganapan sa buhay ng kapatid niya?
His brother wanna inherit the company of their Lolo, the reason why he got married to me. What about him? Ayaw niya ba sa kompanya? Is he busy with something else?
Argh. Nagmumukha na akong tsismosa rito.
"Uh no?" I answered.
His mouth formed an 'o' before he nodded his head.
"I really thought, you two are together..."
I bit my lower lip. "Ah actually –"
"You know he has a bad reputation. He's a playboy. Recently, I learned that he's been flirting with my girlfriend – I mean ex." dumilim ang kaniyang hitsura.
He seems so mad and I understand him. Sino ba naman ang hindi magagalit? I remembered that I saw Theseus and Melly many times. Una sa party, they're talking secretly. Hindi ko nalang maalala kung ano ang narinig ko ngunit alam kong tungkol iyon sa patago nilang relasyon.
Second is at the gym? I can't clearly remember. Ang sunod naman ay sa restaurant. Melly said that Theseus is her boyfriend.
Nagbuntong-hininga ako.
Then why did he marry me? Nandyan naman pala si Melly.
Oo nga pala. I was the payment for my Dad's debts. They're still maybe going out together. Kaya nga siguro nabuking na sila ni Dio.
"I loved her so much. I gave my all. I gave all the things that she wants. But because of my brother, she forgotten everything that I did for her..."
I really don't know what to say. Why is he suddenly confessing his pain to me? Hindi ako marunong sa mga ganito pero hindi naman pwedeng takbuhan ko siya.
"I'm s-sorry..." tanging nasambit ko.
Tumitig siya sa akin ng ilang minuto bago pinakawalan ang matamis niyang ngiti.
"Don't be. Wala ka namang kasalanan. And I'm happy to know that you and Seus are not together. You're so pure, so sweet and pretty to be hurt eventually."
Ngayon ay biglang nawala sa dila ko ang sasabihin. A while ago, I wanna tell him that I married his brother. Na hindi ako girlfriend ng kapatid kung hindi ay asawa!
What the hell. I really thought that I'll be stressed out tonight because of flirting with a lot of guys. Hindi pala iyon ang rason.
That son of a cockroach again.
Walang awa ba namang pinatos ang kasintahan ng kapatid niya?!
Kingina. Ang sarap niya talagang pagbuhatan ng kamay.
Now I feel so guilty.
Gusto ko ring itama ang sinabi ni Dio. I am not a sweet girl. That is so cringe-y.
"Ah okay..." tipid ko namang sagot sa kawalan ng sasabihin.
Natulala pa ako saglit at nag-isip ngunit hindi talaga gumana ang utak ko.
He glanced at his watch on his wrist then he looked at me with a small smile on his lips. "I gotta go. I have a lot of works to do."
I smiled back. "Sige. Ingat."
Natawa siya. "Ikaw dapat ang mag-ingat, pretty woman."
Kumaway pa siya bago tumalikod at naglakad patungo sa parking lot. Doon naman ako nakahinga ng maluwag.
"Tanginang ipis 'yon. Walang hiya." I mumbled.
Nawalan na tuloy ako ng ganang humanap ng kalandian. Maybe I can do that some other day. Tutal ay wala pa naman akong balak umuwi sa mansiyon ni Lolo Zeus.
Mag-isa siya doon. Deserve niyang mag-isa. Tutal, sobrang gago niya.
I decided to go inside the bar to just drink. I didn't bother to look for Clary coz I know she's still busy. Nagbibilang pa 'yon malamang. Ayaw naman niyang matalo sa akin kahit na hindi naman masakit sa bulsa niya ang kalahating milyon.
"One margarita please." ani ko sa bartender.
I was synching with the beat of the music while waiting for my order. Lumingon ako sa mga taong nagsasayawan ngunit agad natigilan nang makita ang gagong pinagtsismisan namin kanina.
He is dancing with a woman while glaring at me.
