The Road Trip

Chapter 8: The First Real Kiss

I went out of the room and dialed Ninang Angie's phone. I didn't care what time it was on her side of the world but she got some explaining to do. Kaloka! Sa honeymoon room talaga? I waited for her to pick up but then my call was left unattended and was directed to voicemail. 

"Ninang!" I was fuming and decided to go to the receptionist. I needed to make changes to avoid unnecessary things from happening. 

The receptionist was smiling when I got there but I figured that her smile was sort of sour when she looked my way. I bet she remembered that I got in with the hottest guy in the resort. Wait. Did I just say hottest? Never mind. I needed to focus on the task that I told myself to do. 

"Miss, I was just wondering if you've got any other available rooms in the resort?" She immediately tapped on her keyboard to check if there were any other room available.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm afraid there is no other available room. The next one to be vacated is still in three days." 

Three days! Anak ng... Hay nako Ninang Angie! 

"I see... Well, anyway. Thanks."

I walked back to our small villa and saw Travis standing outside of the door. He looked at me with a puzzled expression. 

"Is everything okay?" Does it look okay? 

"Just peachy... I was just checking if there were other rooms available." He shook his head in disbelief or was it disappointment?

"Am I really that bad that you can't stand to be near me for just three days?"

I felt guilty. He wasn't doing anything to me yet but here I was trying to find ways to avoid him. It wasn't the guy's fault that he was good looking and nice. 

"It's not that... I don't want you to think that I hate you. I just feel that everything is going too fast and then this happened."

He went nearer to me and tipped my chin up so that our gazes could meet. "I won't do anything that you wouldn't want me to do. I swear. Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you."

"I just want to be alone for a couple of hours. Maybe we'll talk at dinner time." He gave me a pained expression. I didn't mean to spoil the first day of being here by being indifferent. 

"Okay... but by dinner time, we need to talk. Promise me."

"I promise."

--------------------------

He was true to his word. Travis didn't talk to me nor did he bother me when I was inside the room, taking my spot on the sofa. I even fell asleep in the afternoon and woke up alone in the room. I went through the door that led to the indoor pool and sat by the edge of it, dipping my feet into the shallow waters. 

I thought about what I was to do tonight with Travis. I knew that there was an activity booked for us by the shore and I wasn't sure what to wear to it. I mean we were at the beach and thinking about something appropriate to wear was so difficult. I got up and went through my bag which Mom packed for me. 

I ended up picking up a haltered sundress and some flipflops. I took a shower to freshen up and went on to changing my clothes. I didn't bother putting on make up since there was really no need. I headed out to the reception and asked where to go for the booked activity that I had with Travis. I was told to go to the shore as there was a candle lit dinner set for two. Getting there, I saw him sitting at the reserved table wearing some relaxed chinos with a grey shirt. His hair was tied up in a top pony and he completed his look with some beaded bracelet and flip flops. 

He smiled as he saw me approaching. Standing up, he went immediately behind my chair and pushed it gently as I sat down before taking his seat.

"So, are you ready to talk?" he asked nervously. Was I? 

"Yeah...maybe."

The waiter brought in our appetizers and soon after our main course and desert. We just ate quietly and we'd once a while smile at each other. I guess he took it a hint that I wanted to talk after we had dinner. I was thankful that he was sensitive enough to not push me to talk. 

"So... tell me about yourself. Something that you think I need to know." He said as the last waiter left with our dishes. 

"What's there to share? I'm half-American and half-Pinoy?" I answered.

"Pinoy? What does Pinoy mean?" he asked with a confused look on his face.

"Pinoy is the colloquial term for Filipino. I like pups and cats and I play the bodhran, an instrument that looks like a drum that you place on your lap when you play it. I love Irish history so I begged Dad to find me someone who can play and teach me at the same time. I draw and I like calligraphy to bits. I think I am addicted to it and yeah, I paint portraits and some abstract images from time to time. What about you?" I can't help but smile at him as I feel abashed with pouring things about myself out.

He straightened on his chair before slouching a bit to a more relaxed sitting position. "Hmm... I have a younger sister and I started my company when I was really down in debt. I learned the things in construction from my friends who worked part-time in construction firms and decided to take the plunge in the industry. Luckily, my business is doing well. I'm half-Candian, half-French by the way." I looked at the beach when we both fell silent. "You wanna go for a walk down the sand bar?" 

I nodded and went to walk side by side with him under the moonlight. We fell into a comfortable silence. The cool wind blew and made me feel cold. I shivered a bit and Travis didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around me like what he did in Argao. It felt nice to be near him. 

We chose a spot on the sand bar and sat there watching the stars twinkling. I wonder what will he ask next after the long silence that we had. 

"I just want to say something."

"What is it?" I looked at him, curious about what he'll say.

"Whoever that jerk was, I'm sure he's regretting leaving you big time." I shook my head and smiled.

"I'm guessing the opposite. He's too happy to be with his new beau."

"If I met you first, I wouldn't have let you go. I'd never let a tear fall from your eyes. I'd tell you countless times how your smile makes me feel warmth all over, how your eyes twinkle when you see what you like, how your voice sounds when you sing the sweetest of love songs and how beautiful you look when you just focus on what you need to do. And of course, I wouldn't mind telling you time and again how breathtakingly beautiful you are."

There was no way to describe it. This guy was slowly breaking the walls that I built around my heart. He knew how to step around the thorns that have grown over the years because of the heartache my good-for-nothing ex put me through. But I can tell that he was sincere. I looked at him with a frightened look on my face. I was frightened that he might see through me that I was slowly giving up to what was expected of me to do. 

"I just want to do something...something that I've been wanting to do since the first time I saw," he said leaning closer to me. 

"W-What is it?" I asked breathlessly. 

"This." Then his lips touched mine. 

I couldn't help but close my eyes and reciprocate in the process. My heart thudded against my chest and I was giddy all over. His lips moved against mine gently and all I can say that this was something that I'll never forget. He was the first one to give me this experience, something which only lovers do but then I can feel that he was showing me the sincerity of his actions through this. 

I opened my eyes when he ended the kiss and his hand rested in my cheek. I can't believe that this guy just unarmed me completely and gave me my first real kiss.