Titas of Philippine Politics: In Snapshots [Multiple Pairs]

Loose Cannon [de Lima/Loren/Grace/Risa]

It's been a particularly toxic session in the Senate today. Mud has been flung and words thrown, and yet they ended to a dead stall on the Anti-Discrimination Bill debates only for the crusade to be continued next session.

Leila rubbed her temples. "Diyos ko, sakit sa ulo naman ito."

"Wala tayong magagawa at ayaw nila eh. Kailangan talaga nating paglabanan ito." Risa commented before taking the blue alampay off her shoulder.

The sound of Loren's clicking heels trailed behind them. "Risa, Leila, you want to go out for drinks tonight? You, me, Grace."

Risa sighed. "Sure. Kailangang kailangan namin yan. Paalam lang ako sa mga kids."

"Alright, see you tonight."

The smell of martinis, wine and various spirits emanated from their table as the seemingly endless flow of alcohol marched on. The four women aired their grievances at the men in the Senate and ranted about the various unsavory things their colleagues have said over the years.

They then moved on with their dating lives and mishaps. Apart from Grace and Leila, everyone else was unattached.

Their conversation became more slurred and erratic as Loren wrapped her arm around Risa. "How has a beautiful, intelligent, charming, very accomplished woman like yourself not found a man yet?"

"Busy ako, eh. Alam mo naman ang buhay solo mom, hands full palagi."

Loren waved her hand out. "Baligtarin natin ang tanong: Have you found a man that you fancy yet? I'm sure there's someone."

Grace look at Risa from the corner of her eye and observed her taking her phone off from her bag and fiddling with it. She couldn't help but notice the growing smile on her face. "Risa are you blushing?"

Risa looked up, face flushed red. "What? No!"

Leila smirked at her. "Sino yan?"

"No one. Just..." Risa clutched the phone to her chest away from the rest of the women.

Loren activated her puppy dog eyed look that only appears when she's already drunk. "Sige na, Ris. Please?"

Risa's voice became more strident, her nostrils already flaring. "Ayoko nga sabi, eh."

In the middle of their little spat, Leila used the opportunity of a distracted Risa to take a peek of her phone screen, which is clearly visible from her vantage point. "Oh my God, Risa, seryoso ka?"

"What?"

Leila pause before continuing. "Pahiram lang saglit."

Risa huffed and begrudgingly handed Leila her phone.

She then committed the deadly sin of scrolling Risa's camera roll. Her neutral expression turned into a very sly smile.

An antsy Loren tugged Leila's sleeve. "Leila, sino yan? Sino yan?"

Risa covered her head with her alampay in humiliation, but they could see the shaking of her head. Leila then passed Risa's phone to Loren and Grace. Loren's eyes widened upon seeing the screen filled with pictures of Risa and a certain other woman. "Wow, Risa, big time ka pala ah."

Grace and Leila snickered at each other before giving themselves a high five.

Taking the alampay of her head in defeat, Risa finally confessed in her usual storyteller-like lilt. "Okay kung gusto niyo talaga malaman, almost one year na kami. I mean, who would not be in love with her? She's so intelligent, charming. Her eyes so haunting and beautiful..."

She then gestured her hands in an S shape. "and those hips, oh my god ang sarap--"

Loren bluntly glared at her direction. "Risa, we get it."

"As senators Leila and Grace would probably know, I almost didn't tell her nga eh. Lagi niya kasi sinasabi, di na daw siya mag d-date ulit. Okay na daw ung love ng family niya for her. I'd rather not risk our friendship just because I'm stupid enough to tell her I love her and she'll not want to be with me anymore."

Leila intently nodded her head. "Then you decided that you didn't want to screw your chances anymore so you just went for it."

"Exactly."

Grace picked up from her last sentence. "She texted me the night before nagsabi siya na she wanted to confess to Leni nga sa Akbayan thankgiving party. Sabi ko 'take a few shots and hope for the best'"

Risa grinned and couldn't wipe it off.

Loren prodded her further. "May balak ka bang idisclose na kayo na sa Senate?"

"I almost did sa speech ko when I came out as bi. Pero I thought na okay lang na ako ang mahila, pero huwag na siya. Once she's ready, magppost kami ng photo sa social media."

Loren flailed her arms and squeed. "Oh my God, friend, kinikilig ako. Power couple na talaga kayo, my God!"

"Loren, matagal ko na pinapanood itong moves ni Risa eh. Sinabi ko sa kanya: tama na ang pagka-torpe. Di lalapit ang tsinelas sa iyo." Leila said.

As her fellow senators shared a barrel of laughs, a wave of uncertainty loomed around Risa, but with that in the open (albeit not in the way that she hoped), she could finally let herself loose once more knowing that she didn't have to hide around them anymore