To Catch a Gust of Wind [COMPLETE]

Chapter 7 - Last Flight [#28]

"Rafael, meet Rose, my BFF. Rose, Raffy Cruz," Rica said, smiling. "Rose was the one who invited me here."

"Pleasure to meet you, Rose," Rafael said, and added, "Rica invited me in return."

"It's okay, a friend of Rica is a friend of mine," Rose said. "The party's inside. Let's go get inside. The music is too sweet to listen it here outside. Let's enjoy tonight."

Rose turned around and walked towards the side entrance, followed by Rica. Rafael smiled to himself. Some good things really don't last. He heard Rica's words before the interruption and he was sure of it. But he felt tense, he's nervous in those last moments, but it's worth it.

Get it moving. She's waiting for your next move. Sustain the heat of the moment.

Rose brought them to their table and offered them chairs. They were on the left side of the hall, on the side where the live band played. She introduced Rica and Rafael to her alumni batchmates. Glasses of juices and soft drinks and water were served and a bottle of red sparkling wine was placed at the center of the table, beside several wine glasses. Favorite party food like spaghetti and pancit bihon and native delicacies like sweet, small colored rice cakes (puto), piyaya, maha blanca, napoleones and other pastries filled the center of the table.

Rafael reached out for two paper plates and gave one to Rica. She wanted spaghetti with puto and Rafael, ever the gentleman in front of ladies, was just too happy to oblige. He settled for the pancit bihon and a glass of sparkling red wine. It's just too tempting not to touch it.

Rica spent the next moments chatting with Rose, laughing over conversations and sometimes giggling over something Rose told her. She kept on brushing her shoulder-length hair back with one hand and the other hand holding the paper plate. And from time to time, she sipped from a glass of orange juice. She could not help it. She made quick, sideways glance at Rafael while he's busy with his plate. He had none to talk with while he partook of the food set on the table.

Suddenly from the corner of his eyes, he saw something, or rather someone, drag a plastic chair, and sat beside Rica. The man acknowledged Rose and Rose stood up and left the table with a lady friend and they walked, bodies shaking and hands swaying, to the dance floor. Rica turned to the man, yes, a male who was able to get Rica's attention by just sitting beside her. And much more than attention. The man planted a soft kiss on Rica's cheeks. A kiss of someone who perhaps had known Rica before, and now they saw each other again after so many years.

Just like Rafael. And only this time, it's the man wearing a black polo shirt who was sitting beside Rica and not Rafael. Rica and the man started to converse above the din of rock and roll.

And now the food tasted old and stale and worse, Rafael suddenly lost his appetite. He placed the paper plate with half-finished food on the table and quickly took a sip from the bottle of mineral water. The water slid down his throat, but he still felt thirsty and wanted to give in to the temptation to drink it all in one gulp.

Relax, man. Stay calm. Focus on the prize. You can't win her by getting jealous. After all, she's not your girlfriend. Yet.

Loud rock music filled the jampacked hall, with the sound of electronic instruments keeping the night intense yet delightful, warmed with the sweat from gyrating bodies and flowing hair and swaying arms, wiggling to the lyrics of the music, feet and steps in synch with each beat of the drum. There were many young people here tonight, as Rafael scanned the hall, his eyes squinting as the flashes of the disco lights hanging from the center of the ceiling passed him, red and blue and yellow and green, they made him perspire when he had not even stepped in the middle of the hall to dance, not even once after he put down his half-finished plate.

He couldn't help it. From time to time, he took a glance at Rica and the man seated beside her, talking, conversing, and laughing. He made Rica laugh!

Oh, man you're losing company.

And even worse than what he expected. Rose, Rica's BFF was nowhere to be found. She's in the middle of the dance floor, somewhere, sweating it out, to the beat and rhythm of modern dance.

And the mood changed. The music now was slow and mellow and romantically sweet. Much more it seemed the band played it for some reason, Rafael felt it.

"You ask me if I love you, and I choke on my reply..."

He stood up, but he felt he was chained to the concrete floor.

Hurry man, somebody might have a go for it and you would lose your chance. She's waiting for you, damn it. Stand up, after what you started outside, follow it up.

Rafael looked at Rica. She's having a good time with the man with the black polo shirt and maong pants. They seemed oblivious to what's happening around them, so absorbed in the conversation it must be something more than interesting.

Rafael felt the room becoming warmer, not because of the people crowding the dance floor, and those that were left seated on chairs who preferred not to shake and twist their bodies to the tune of the music. He was uneasy, changing his position many times as he sat on the creaking chair. He wanted to go out, but that would be unbecoming of a gentleman of him, leaving Rica to the wiles of the man he even didn't know his name. Rica didn't even bother to introduce her friend to him for that matter. Perhaps, the man was not that too important for Rica.

But it could go both ways, man. Maybe you're not that too important for Rica, either.

Then in a split second Rica glanced at Rafael and their eyes met. In a split second, both their minds were thinking about, and both their hearts were feeling, the same thing at the same time. There's no doubt about it. However, emotions if not physically expressed would fall hopelessly inutile.

Go on, man. She's there sitting, in the flesh.

Rafael drank the remaining wine in the glass he held, and he stood up and walked over to Rica. But before he could ask her to dance, the man in black polo shirt had already taken Rica's hands and led her to the dance floor.

"And who am I to judge you, on what you say or do?"