It All Started With A Payback

Ten: When a Plan Backfires

Tori moved with vitality towards the conveyor. As soon as she spotted her luggage, she hauled it off. She was in a hurry to see the handsome face that went with the deep voice that she never failed to hear before she went to bed the entire time she was away from Manila. She had gotten so used to seeing Louie everyday that just hearing his voice wasn't enough anymore.

She had another reason though for wanting to see him again. She couldn't wait to see his reaction.

She had to stifle her laughter when Louie went past her without giving her a second look. He was scanning the passengers exiting from the sliding doors. He was probably looking for a woman with long dark brown wavy hair who was wearing jeans, a fitted t-shirt and a pair of converse.

Her heart swelled when she saw him looking like he was so in a hurry to see her as well. But she remained where she was.

She watched his form in silent admiration. He had broad shoulders that tapered to a trim waist. The muscles on his shoulders and back strained against the white polo shirt he was wearing as he combed his fingers through his hair. His other hand reached for his phone in his back pocket.

She found herself recalling how wonderful it was to have her hands gliding restlessly over the muscles on his naked shoulders and back; the pleasurable feeling of knowing that she could make those muscles taut with just the slightest touch. Her eyes continued to feast on his form. She thought of even more wicked things when her eyes stopped in his perfectly formed butt.

He must have felt her staring at him because he stopped pressing numbers on his phone and turned around, she immediately shifted her gaze. She felt her face flush with humiliation.

Whatever embarrassment she felt for letting her imagination run wild, was completely forgotten when she saw his reaction. She knew it took a lot of effort to keep his mouth closed. When it finally registered on him that it was her who had been standing there all along, his face was inscrutable. It was a mixture of shock, confusion and composedness all at the same time.

Then he smiled widely and opened his arms to her. Rather than stepping into his warm embrace, which she was dying to do, she handed him her small luggage and gave him a hurried peck on the cheek instead.

He had a goofy smile on his face when she kissed him. If a kiss on the cheek had that effect on him, what would a passionate one do to him? It was all she could do not to throw her arms around his neck and give him a proper kiss. One that she was sure would leave them both breathless. Just the mere thought of actually doing it made her pulse race and her heart beat faster.

He was still staring at her, his eyes reflected the very same emotion she felt upon seeing him once again. She was so happy that her change in appearance didn't bother him at all. Sure he looked surprised initially, who wouldn't be?

It was such an immature thing to do, messing with him like that.

The last time she did something like that was when she saw how her father made a big deal out of her wearing black clothes from head to foot. What can she say? She was in a really, really bad mood.

All her life, she had tried everything just to get her father's attention and approval. No matter what she did, her accomplishments will always be mediocre compared to her older sister's. She didn't wear those clothes to get any reaction, but she got one anyway. She decided that day to live by her new motto: if you can't please him, then piss him off.

The next day she got her dark wavy hair cropped and then dyed it with every color imaginable. She swore his father almost gave himself a heart attack over it. That was even before she had her nose pierced.