Sin City

03: Jillian

I faked a smile at Rouqil while slowly pulling my hand away from his lips. Hindi ko gusto ang vibes niya.

"So," he crossed his arms. "I see you guys got a pineapple marg," he acknowledged our drink habang nakatingin ito sa amin ni Ruth.

"Yeah, it's Ruth's suggestion," I casually answered.

"That's really your favorite huh?" he smirked at Ruth sabay pisil sa baba ni Ruth dahilan para mapangisi si Ruth sa kanya.

"Oo naman, ito kaya ang pinaka the best drink dito," Ruth proudly said to Rouqil. Nakangiting umiling iling si Rouqil sa kanya. He entered the bar and stood in front of us again.

He suddenly shifted his gaze to me, with a smile in his face still. "Eh ikaw? Is that your favorite, too?"

"I haven't tried other drinks yet, but this one's good," I shrugged my shoulders and raised my glass bago ko ito inumin.

He chuckled as he grabbed a glass. "But is it good enough to make you wanna go back here again?" he smirked at me habang pinupunasan pa ang baso. There was something hypnotic about how he wiped the glass, the way he circled the cloth in and out of the glass.

I shrugged my shoulders again and didn't answer his question because to be honest, hindi. I wouldn't walk all over The Strip again just to get this drink.

"The food's really good though," sagot ko nalamang.

He scoffed. "Let me show you something," he winked at me before he turned his back on us to mix some drinks.

Napalingon ako kay Ruth at agad na napakunot ang noo ko when I saw her smiling so widely, mukha pa itong kinikilig.

"What?" I mouthed, confused of her reaction.

"He's into you," she mouthed back. I immediately made a sour face. I would definitely feel it if he was.

"From me to you, Nardan," he sweetly smiled at me as he handed me a dark red colored drink, almost black, with a slice of dried orange in a fancy glass.

"What is this?" tinaasan ko ito ng kilay, I then examined the whole drink, inikot ko pa ito.

Rouqil chuckled and put a little straw in my drink. "I like to call it... love potion," nakangisi nitong sagot sa akin as he brushed his hair with his hand.

I side-eyed Ruth nang mahina niya akong sinipa sa ilalim ng counter. Kitang kita ko pa sa peripheral vision ko na malapad pa rin ang ngiti nito, I could even hear her chuckling.

Napangiti ako, impressed at what Rouqil just did. "You didn't drug me naman, did you?" I crossed my arms and raised a brow at him.

He gasped and held his chest, umarte pa itong naoffend sa sinabi ko. I immediately bit my lip to stifle a laugh.

Unti unting naging seryoso na ang mukha nito, but there was still humor in his eyes when he shook his head.

"I don't need to drug you to make you mine."

Agad akong napalunok sa narinig ko. He's good. He's really good at his game, no wonder na bartender siya. I wonder if he does this to all the girls he serves.

Ruth immediately covered her mouth with her hand when I glared at her dahil rinig na rinig ko na ang kilig niyang tawa.

It was my turn to smirk. "So how much?" I asked as I opened my card holder to get my card.