Bare And Beautiful (A Somehow Erotic Novel)

FIRST ROLE: The Ugly Duckling And The Nerdy Boyfriend (SPG)

PROLOGUE

"HELLO..." sabi ni Katrina, nang sagutin ni Joven ang tawag niya. She had been calling him for about five minutes now. Mabuti na lang at sumagot na ito.

"Hello? Katrina?" he said on the other line.

"What's your favorite scary movie?" sabi niya, sinabayan ng mababang tawa, hoping na mukha siyang nakakatakot. Pero hindi, kaboses lang niya 'yong mga baklang sumasali sa beauty contest.

Bumuntong-hininga si Joven mula sa kabilang linya. "Are you drunk?" he asked. "Again?" dugtong pa niya.

"I'm not drunk!" sabi ni Katrina. Although yes, she might be drunk. Kanina kasi ay binalak na niyang makipag-away sa mesa dahil tumama roon ang paa niya nang magpagewang-gewang ang lakad niya. "But you know, ano, I am on a bar. Celebrating with my gay friends. And ano, I am out of money and my gay friends won't lend me some cause they're so kuripot kapag hindi lalaki ang nanghihingi sa kanila ng pera."

Pumalatak si Joven sa kabilang linya. "Sa'ng bar 'yan?" he said, concern was evident on his deep, beautiful voice. Good, handsome Joven.

"Sa Taguig. Exploding Lights ang pangalan. 'Yong libre ang entrance ng babae? Siguro para makahatak ng costumers na lalaki. That's like, so awful you know? Parang prostitution na rin at some point. I better talk to the manager, don't you think so?"

"No," matigas na sabi ni Joven. "Stay where you are. Don't talk to the manager. I'll be there in thirty minutes."

"Okay," she said. "Thirty minutes ha? Kapag nalate ka, I might decide to sleep with a stranger." She followed that by a chuckle and then ended the call. Isinilid niya sa bulsa ang cell phone.

"Ang sadista mo," sabi ni Queenie, kaibigan niyang bakla. Cross dresser kahit hindi bagay. Nakakakuha pa rin naman ng boylet kasi may mabuting puso. Queenie, queen of mercy ang tawag niya kasi sobrang bait nga talaga. "Alam mo naman na hindi ka kayang tiisin no'n. Kailangan mo pa ba siyang pag-aalalahin?"

"I was just kidding, okay?" sabi ni Katrina, uminom muli ng alak. Napangiwi siya. "I was not planning on sleeping with a stranger. Alam n'yo naman na hindi ako gano'n. I don't feel that... Ugh, towards them."

Totoo iyon. Kanina ay may lumapit sa kanyang lalaki, sobrang guwapo. Mestiso, kabaliktaran ng suot nito mula ulo hanggang paa: itim. Maybe he was trying to be mysterious or something at mukha namang effective dahil napansin ni Katrina na pinagtitinginan ito ng mga babae.

Pero sa kanya ito lumapit and she just rejected him--flat-out: "Sa'n ang libing, kuya?" sabi pa niya, sabay nguso sa suot nito.

"Ugh feeling?" sabi ni Dondie, isa pa niyang baklang kaibigan. Hindi crossdresser kahit bagay. 'Playgirl' ang bansag sa sarili, kasi madalas mang-two time ng jowa. "Lust 'yan, 'di ba? Eh hindi mo naman din nararamdaman sa kahit sino 'yan, eh. Aminin mo na, kay Joven mo lang 'yan naramdaman."

"Paki mo?" she retorted. "Palibhasa ikaw, kahit kanino nararamdaman mo 'yon."

What Dondie said was true. The 'ugh' feeling was sexual attraction and she never felt that with any living male specie. Nararamdaman lang niya iyon kay Joven. May isa nga lang problema...

"Eh bakit ba kasi hindi mo i-seduce?" suggestion ni Queenie. "Matagal na silang break ng ate mo. 'Yong ate mo, nasa ibang bansa na, may asawa na do'ng iba. Oh, eh 'di puwede na. I-flaunt na ang tinatagong landi."

"I still can't seduce him..."

"Why?" magkasabay na sabi ng dalawa.

"Cause he's treating me like a little sister," sagot niya.