Boulevard to Polaris (Virago Series #1)

each are one

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO  
each are one 
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"You're one to talk. With that blooming face and unbelievably annoying gestures? I'm sure your bodyguard fucked you." Ani Solace kay Vienna pagkatapos siya nitong asarin sa pasyente niyang ang unang ginawa noong dumating siya sa bahay nito ay sakalin siya hanggang sa mawalan siya ng ulirat. 

Buti na lang at pinaakyat ko na sina Aya at Avi. Gayong ganito ang uunahing pag-usapan ng mga kaibigan ko, I'm sure that those young ones won't really get an easy time staying here. 

"Che! Mas gusto ko pa ng mukhang tambay kaysa sa bodyguard ko!" Ani Vienna habang nakahalukipkip.

"Your bodyguards are hot. Don't mind me pouncing them." Zahara playfully twirled her hair na siyang naging dahilan para samaan siya ng tingin ni Eva at Vienna. 

I introduced her a while ago to Quince. She's Zahara la Reyes, a friend of mine na palipat-lipat ng lugar at bansa bilang isa siyang wedding organizer at photographer. Kararating niya lang a few minutes ago pagkatapos siyang tawagan ni Avelle na pumunta in her stead kasi hindi niya maiwan ang anak.

"Speaking of blooming, blooming din si Aster. Ganyan na ganyan mukha ni Avelle noong umuwi siya sa condo namin tapos sira ang panty niya. Turns out, she went in a one night stand with a complete stranger in a bar. Tapos ayon, ang gaga nagkaanak. And I heard that her father is nearby pero ayaw siyang tanggapin ni Avelle." Kwento niya.   

"You guys are unbelievable." Iiling-iling namang sabi ni Quince sa gilid na uminom na lang ng wine dahil sa parehong gulat at pagkamangha.

"Virgin?" Tanong ni Solace na tinanguan naman ni Quince. 

"Aster's the last virgin among all of us pero mukhang dahil diniligan na ang pechay niya 'e." Humalakhak nang malakas si Zahara na inilingan na lang ng iba kong kaibigan.

Mahinahon ko siyang sinaway. Wala kasing preno bibig niyan ni Zara. And I don't want it to sound insensitive around Quince either.

"Sorry, Quin." I whispered secretly to her.

Mahina siyang umiling at malungkot lang na ngumiti, "You explained on our way here. There's no need to apologize."

Napaiwas ako ng tingin at mas piniling makinig na lang sa mga kaibigan kong nag-aasaran.

"So, ano na pala 'yung patungkol sa anonymous investor? Sobrang ingay kasi ng isa riyan kaya hindi ko naiwasang pilosophin." Parinig ni Solace sa katabi niyang si Vienna na agad siyang hinampas.

I hummed before looking at Quince na natigilan din at napatingin sa'kin. Dahan-dahan niya namang binaba ang wine glass bago tumikhim.

Pinaghilamos din namin siya kanina at pinahiram ng damit kasi mukha siyang basang sisiw sa ayos niya.

Turns out, when they heard what happened to Quince, they all agreed to treat her as a friend for the mean time without forgetting what she almost did to me. 

Some of them, after all, are my enemies before they became a friend. Parang si Quince lang kaya 'yung iba ay wala na talagang may sinabi kasi alam na nila paano ako nanghahakot ng kaibigan.     

"Believe me, I really don't know who that investor is. However, I do know that someone donated a huge amount to revive the company. I'm sure it wasn't Aster since I've never seen her before. She's so discreet, to be honest. Ever since she dropped that amount of money under Aster's name, she disappeared." She shrugged.

"Her? She?" Agad na puna ni Callista, "The investor's a woman?"

Quince nodded, "Gazer's father told me that it's a woman. Gazer himself also have that conclusion. Although I was told that it was Aster, it still got me confused why did that old man not know. I thought Gazer just hid it until here you are asking me who that anonymous investor is. Ibig sabihin lang nu'n ay hindi talaga si Aster 'yung investor at tama ang hinala kong may pinaplano kayo."