I, Ache Vol. III

A Christmas Story | Emile

Written by 3cheeese

I parked my car in front of a huge house. "42-B. Is this the right house?" I whispered as I pressed the doorbell. When the door opened, it was Emile. The stranger I kissed on my twenty-sixth birthday. Wait. Who? "Emile?"

"Andie?" he asked.

"Uh...is this the Flores Residence? Is Sir Siegfried here?"

"Yes... pero wala pa si kuya."

"W-- Kapatid mo si Sir Siegfried?"

"Yes," he smiled.

"I see... I'll just come back later," I said. What the fuck... is this a joke? God... why?!

"Wait...pasok ka."

"It's okay..."

"Come in," he insisted.

"Wag na... sa kotse nalang ako..."

"Please?" he charmingly pleaded.

How can I resist that? Dear Lord, please help me.

"How do you know my brother?" he asked as he led me to the game room.

"I'm his son's teacher."

"And he invited you to our Christmas dinner?"

"Yes."

"Wait here," he said.

Minutes later he came back with two plates of cake.

"Mag-snack ka muna."

"No, thanks."

"My mom baked these, you really have to try it," he said.

I sat silently in one corner and waited. "Join me, please," he requested.

I stood up and walked towards him. I sat nervously beside him and we started eating in tension-filled silence. I caught him stealing glances at me a few times, making me feel heat build up in my cheeks.

"You left me hanging, Andie," he said.

"I'm sorry..."

"Care to tell me why you..."

"Why I kissed you that day?" I interrupted.

"Yes..."

"It was a daft idea," I sighed. "It was my twenty-sixth birthday and nobody remembered. My parents, my brother —even my colleagues at work, walang nakaalala. I went on leave which left me with two choices: have a pity party or spend the day doing things I've always wanted to do and never got around to doing. So, mas pinili kong mag-pakasaya."

Oh, I enjoyed it, all right. His kisses left me with erect nipples; I was so turned on that I forgot where I was. When I finally came back to my senses, I was so embarrassed so I stood up and left.

It was as if he was thinking about the kiss too. He seemed to want to distract us both so he held out a spoonful of lemon cake and encouraged me to lean forward to taste it.

Oh, God.

"Patikim n'yan," he said as he looked at the chocolate slice on the other plate. I gazed at his mouth as I held out a spoonful of cake. Was he thinking the same thing when he fed me? Did he want to lean forward and brush his lips against mine, the way I wanted to kiss him?

"Ang sarap," he said.

I knew he wasn't talking about the pastry because I gave him a prime view of my cleavage when I leaned forward. I saw his eyes darken – the same desire that was flooding through me now.