Elysian Secrets

Kabanata 28

"The earth is flat and UFOs are real."

"Yeah..." wala sa sariling komento ni Raphael sa sinabi ng katabing si Achim.

The silence alerted him that something must be wrong. Napipilitang inihinto niya ang pagmamasid sa booth sa kabilang parte ng silid mula sa bar counter na kinaroroonan niya at ng tatlong kaibigan.

Ibinaling niya ang tingin sa mga kaibigan. Harper is still on his laptop, still busy playing a game. Nakatitig naman sina Achim at Dax sa kanya.

"What?" naiirita niyang tanong sa mga ito.

Dax was smirking at him. "Will you take pity on yourself and just park yourself there?" natatawa nitong sabi. Lumagok ito mula sa beer na hawak at naiiling na muli siyang tinitigan. His irritation increased with that look.

The four of them knew what Dax meant by 'there'. He's been keeping 'there' firmly in his sight for the past hour since he entered Endymion.

"Yes,"ani ni Achim before downing the contents of his shot glass. "Especially since you're being such a useless sap here."

Harper did not even bother lifting his eyes from his laptop to mutter anything at him. That inattention is enough of a middle finger directed at him. He eyed the other man's unnaturally long white hair sparkling from the glow of the laptop. He fought the urge to grab it and pull.

"You know what? Fuck you all." Mura niya sa tatlo bago rin tumungga mula sa baso ng alak sa kanyang harapan.

Harper's lips lifted in a grin but eyes were still glued on the screen. Dax laughed out loud. Pati si Achim ay napangiti na rin. Napabuntong-hininga na lang siya sa nang-aasar na mga kaibigan at muling nagnakaw ng tingin sa booth across the room directly from them.

He could see the four women animatedly talking while slowly getting themselves drunk. Well, two of them are. That Lacey and Emmeline. The short-haired Chantal is sneakily tossing her drink to the sides every so often. Lia, on the other hand, is still nursing that one drink she ordered when she sat down.

Naghiwalay sila ng sekretarya niya pagkapasok na pagkapasok sa Endymion. Kinuha lang nito ang tote bag at sling back nitong bitbit niya. Then, she took off after her friends without giving him a second glance and appears to have forgotten all about him now.

He's been waiting to catch her eyes from across the room, but she never looked his way. Not even while she shakes her head no to every guy who approached their booths and asked her to dance.

She was very patient with all of those men. He was not. He asked one of the security personnel in plain clothes to intercept any other guy who attempts to approach Booth 21. It's for those idiots safety, really. Sa mood niya ngayon, hindi malayong makaladkad niya ang isa sa mga iyon sa likod at gawing punching bag.

"Tradition ba sa pamilya ninyo ang maging pussywhipped? I thought that cousin of yours is a special nut case. Pero heto ka rin ogling your woman with puppy eyes. Are you guys taking lessons?"

Ang pinsang tinutukoy ni Dax ay si Oliver San Martin. Hindi alam ni Raphael kung ano ang dapat maramdaman na inihahambing siya ng kaibigan sa lalaking iyon. Everybody knows that man is out of his mind obsessed with his wife. Obsessed and deliriously happy it makes Raphael want to vomit sa tuwing umuuwi siya sa Arena Blanca at pinapanood ang pinsan na nakapulupot sa asawa.

Oh, he forgot. Sabrina is still a Rodriguez. Still a fiancee despite bearing the three new generations of San Martins running wild at that paradise island. A wife is still but a dream for his lovesick fool of a cousin.

Hindi niya maiwasang mapangisi sa isiping iyon. He asked Lia to personally deliver the two separate invitations for Niccolo's birthday to the Obsidian Towers. They are adressed to Engr. Oliver San Martin and Arch. Sabrina Rodriguez.