Wicked Games (An Epistolary Novel)

069

I did not come to play.

Pagkapasok pa lang namin ay deretso inom na agad kami. The glasses being handed to me by my friends were continuous; the drinks overflowing.

It was almost two weeks since the last time I drink, and it felt like forever! Para akong uhaw na uhaw ngayon!

"Ahhh," I exhaled, sexily wiping the excess alcohol on my lips. The tequila quickly burned my throat, my face scrunching up in bitterness. I laughed at the familiar feeling.

"Let's dance!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, pulling my girls with me on the dance floor. We danced and swayed our hips to the music. Nagtatawanan kami na parang mga baliw.

Ugh. I missed this!

This is the life!

I have been so stressed for the past weeks that I so deserved this night out. Bukas ko na po-problemahin ang ibang trabaho. It's not even Friday yet pero heto kami at umiinom. Bahala na bukas.

I felt someone's hands on my hips, and I smiled at that. I could feel the man's stubbled jaw on my cheek and his hot breath on my ears. And his thing? Boy was it hard on my back.

I turned around to face the man, raising my hands up in the air and danced sexily in front of him. My black short dress fell flowy on my thighs at sinasabayan niyon ako sa pag-indayog. Nasa paligid namin ang mga kaibigan ko at kapwa sila sumasayaw at naghihiyawan. Sumasayaw na lumapit si Rj dala ang bote ng Cuervo at isa-isang tinungga iyon sa mga bibig namin habang nagsisigawan ang mga tao sa paligid ng, "Chug! Chug! Chug!"

Halos mahilo ako nang matapos ako.

"Holy shit," natatawang bulong ko nang maramdamang parang biglang umikot ang paningin ko.

Napansin iyon ni Rachel kaya natawa siya. "Luh. Lasing ka na agad? Nakakaisang bote pa lang tayo! Hina mo naman."

I wanted to roll my eyes at her, but I couldn't. Feeling ko kasi kapag inirapan ko siya ay tuluyan na akong mahihilo.

Gosh.

Dahil ba ito sa dalawang linggong puro trabaho? All work and no drink made me weak?

"I'm not. Keep 'em coming!" hiyaw kong natatawa.

Since we were all stressed and tired from Project Maroon, lahat kami ay iinom. Usually kasi ay may alay for the night aka the driver aka the taga-alaga ng lasing. We're responsible that way. But this time, our stress was stressing so bad we all agreed no one will be sacrificed tonight.

Nagsabi naman ako kina Adie at Enzo na iinom ako ngayong gabi at sunduin na lang nila ako, kung sino man ang available sa kanila. They were supportive because they knew I've been working my ass off.

Lisa's new song was blasting loud in the speakers, so we danced back to our corner in the bar counter. We were jamming and rapping when someone caught my attention.

I squinted my eyes from the haze of the smoke and people.

"Lasing na nga yata ako. I'm seeing Ronan!" ngawa ko sa kanila. "Shit. Am I hallucinating? Did I conjure him from my mind?" sabi ko sa kanila.

"Huh?" Nilinga ni Rachel ang paligid ng club. "Baka imagination mo lang 'yan, girl! Nasobrahan ka na sa trabaho."

Ilang segundo ang lumipas nang mapasinghap siya bigla. "Fuck. Oo nga, lasing na din ata ako. Hanggang dito ba naman hindi tayo tinatakasan ng trabaho?" nagpapanic na sabi niya. Namumula na ang mukha niya. "Hoy, Rj! Sina Ronan nga ba 'yon?" turo ni Rachel kay Rj.

"Ay, shuta. Sila nga, ang URM team. Ano'ng ginagawa ng mga 'yan dito? Nagse-celebrate din?"

"Babatiin ba natin?" tanong ni Rachel, halatang lasing na ang boses sa dami ng nainom. "Ayoko! Baka mailabas ko lahat ng hinanakit ko sa kanila!"