OPEN

2

B: Dinner tayo later, my treat!

T: Whoah! Ano meron?

B: Surprise! I have  good news

T: Babe, lunchbreak pa lang, buong araw ko iisipin ano ung good news mo.

Thirdy was complaining.

B: I got promoted na!

Bea announced excitedly.

Thirdy almost screamed in excitement.

T: Congratulations, babe!

"Pssst, ano yan, ang ingay mo!" It was Anton who came to him after he heard Thirdy almost screaming.

Thirdy did the wait sign.

T: Sige na, babe, I'll see you later, I can't wait. Text na lang, okay?

B: Yeah sure, I'll see you later.

T: I love you!

B: I love you more!

T: I love you most!

The following morning. as always, nauna na si Thirdy papasok sa office. Since they each have a car of their own, dina nila kailangan pa maghintayan. Both of them have demanding jobs and holds a position kaya most of the time sa bahay na sila nagkikita instead of magsunduan at maghatidan pa except when one is coding.

On Bea's way to work napansin nya si Bacon na may kausap na babae nung mapatingin sya sa paligid while stuck in traffic. She got more alarmed when the girl seems to be flirting at him to which Bacon responds to positively.

She pulled over when she saw the scene and immediately called Kat and asked to meet her at the coffee shop near their office for lunch.

Nauna si Bea sa coffee shop and ordered coffee and a sandwich while waiting for Kat. When Kat arrived, she immediately felt Bea's uneasiness.

"Hey, are you okay? What's up?" Kat asked her.

Bea took a deep breath and looked at Kat.

"Gaano na nga ba kayo katagal ni Bacon?"

"3 years, why?"

"I have to tell you something, you know I won't lie to you or would want to hurt you but I just have to let you know. I saw him this morning,  he's with another girl."

"Okay."

"Kat, I saw the girl flirting with Bacon and he seems to like it, he's even flirting back! He's cheating on you!"

"He's what? Hahaha!"

Bea was surprised by Kat's reaction, she was thinking if this was her defense mechanism.

"Okay, Bea, calm down. First, Bacon is not cheating on me."

"How can you say that, have you seen any girl doing that to him? I would say they may be doing something more, nagkataon lang that they were in public."

"Since you caught us off guard, I think I better tell you. Bacon and I, we agreed to have an open relationship."

Bea was more confused now.

"You're what?" Bea asked.

"We are open to meeting other people, be intimate with them as long as there are no emotions attached. At the end of the day, it's still us."

"What the fuck, Kat!"

"I know. Cool, right?"

"Wait, diko gets ang set up in its entirety. You're getting married na, are you going to continue this set up even after you marry?"

"Looks like we can, but we're talking about it."

"Shit! That's wild! But wait, you mean, pwede ka din with others?"

"Yes."

"And he knows?"

"Of course. This is the most liberating set up I've been to. There's so much love and respect having this kind of set up. I'll just order." Kat said as she stood up.

Bea nodded, still a little bit confused.

"Are you okay, Bei?" Kat asked her before leaving for the counter.

"Y-yes I'm okay."

At home, Thirdy was working on his presentation. Bea tried on the dress she bought earlier for an event they will be going to.

She felt naughty and started teasing Thirdy. She stood by the window and called for Thirdy's attention in a sultry way.

"Babe."

Thirdy took his eyes off the computer and looked at Bea standing by the door.

"Bagay ba?"

He like what he saw, he smiled at her.

"Come here." He asked her.

Bea obliged and walked to his direction. Umurong si Thirdy palayo sa tapat ng table to give space para makaupo sa Bea on his lap.

"Alam mo kung ano and mas bagay? Ung wala ka damit." Thirdy teased.

Bea looked at him.

Thirdy moved for a kiss as he slowly undress Bea. 

She held his dinky slowly caressing it but after so many tries, it just wouldn't come for her.

"Concentrate, babe." Bea almost pleading.

They haven't had sex for many months.

"Sorry babe, baka pagod lang sa trabaho."

Bea kept in trying until she can't anymore. In dismay, she went to the room.

"Bea." Thirdy called her.

She was thinking, considering Kat's set up but didn't know how to tell Thirdy.

Until.

"Thirds, what if we're bored? What if I am?"

Napatingin sa kanya si Thirdy.

"Ganun ba? Sorry ha?" Thirdy said as he turned his back on her.

"Wait, Thirdy!" Dali daling hinabol ni Bea si Thirdy. "I want to fix things, I do. Mahal kita and I know we can still do this, we can still make this work."

She went near Thirdy who is now seated at the couch.

"I spoke with Kat."

"And what does Kat have to do with this?" Thirdy is now confused.

"Listen first. I saw Bacon flirting with another girl and you know what I found out, they are in an open relationship." Bea told him.

Thirdy was just looking at her the whole time. Is this Bea talking, my Bea? Where did the times go?

"Sex lang daw but they are still committed to each other. It helped them fix whatever relationship issues they have. Ung trust issues, insecurities, naging mas masaya sila and they barely fight. Thirds, babe, what if we try that, too?"