In The Arms Of An Angel (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 32

"RJ, saan ka pupunta?" Kris asked him.

"Sandali lang, bro..." He answered distractedly.

"Huy, RJ! Anong..." Kris started. RJ ignored the rest of Kris' words and just walked away from his friends for his attention was caught once again by the vision in red. But this time he sensed that something is wrong based on her tensed body language.

He saw her walk briskly towards the exit after talking to her friend by the buffet table. RJ unconsciously followed her to the door, curiosity getting the better of him. She was almost to the main door of the building when an obviously drunk man stopped her.

RJ felt a strong urge to hit the foreign looking guy when he saw him block the woman's way and talked to her with a lascivious grin. And the urge is getting stronger as he gets nearer where they are at the lobby especially when he saw the man touch the woman's arm.

RJ stopped directly behind the woman, reached out and wrapped his right arm around her small waist until his hand rested on her bare midriff. He instantly felt electricity travel from his palm to other parts of his anatomy with just that simple contact with her smooth skin. He also felt the woman gasp and went rigid in his arms.

RJ forced himself to ignore the goosebumps his proximity to the woman is giving him and focus his attention back to the situation at hand with the drunk man in front of them.

"Hey, babe...Is there a problem here?" He asked her in a voice that is deceptively calm.

He saw the drunk man give him a once over before his gaze reverts back to the woman who is still frozen in front of him. RJ pulled her by the waist to move her to his side so he stands between her and the drunk man.

"Who is this guy?" The drunk guy asked the woman unsteadily.

"Well, I'm obviously the lucky guy who gets to call this gorgeous woman my girlfriend...Babe, is this guy bothering you?" He turned to the woman, who still looked quite in shock and raised his eyebrows in a silent question. The woman seemed to finally awaken from a trance with his inquiry since she turned and looked up at him as she answered with a quiet plea in her eyes.

"Oh there you are, b-babe! I was looking for you...And n-no, it's fine. I was just telling him that we are about to leave the party." The woman answered with a slight tremor in her voice and a forced smile on her lips. RJ was just glad that the woman decided to play along with his acting.

The woman was valiantly trying to hold herself together. But the tell tale shaking of her dainty hand that she lightly placed on top of his that is still resting on her stomach is an indication of her real state at the moment. He pulled her closer to his side to somehow assure her and himself that she is securely out of the other man's reach. He gave the drunk man a firm stare and in an authoritative voice said:

"Okay, let's go then babe...And sir, please step aside and let us through. I think you already had a little to much to drink so if I were you, you might want to call it a night as well before you get yourself in big trouble..." He stared down at the other man to assert his advantage. RJ is almost a foot taller and more muscular than the other.

The drunk man slowly stepped aside silently with both hands raised as if in surrender and let them pass. But not before giving them both an infuriating smirk. RJ took a step forward, provoked, but a hand to his chest and the silent plea in her eyes when he looked at her upturned face calmed him down enough for them to be able to exit the venue with no further incident. They went directly to the parking area with his arm still protectively wrapped around her waist.

RJ purposefully guided the woman towards his sports car that is parked across the entrance to the building but still within its viewing distance. When they got there, he immediately let go of her waist and turned to face her with barely concealed rancor.

"Miss, magnet ka talaga ng disaster, noh?! What were you thinking socializing with a drunk man?!" He snapped at the woman who visibly flinched at his tone. But she seemed to recover fast from that initial shock as he witness the fear in her eyes turn instantly to annoyance.

"Ahm, teka lang! Excuse me lang ha! Hindi ko ininvite ang lasing na yun to harass me! And I don't remember asking for anyone's help most especially from you so wag mo akong sumbatan!" The woman retorted.

RJ tried his best to control his temper and instead of answering back, he opened the passenger side of his car and ordered her to get in. The woman remained standing there in front of the open car door just glaring at him.

"Miss, sasakay ka ba o ano? Kailangan pa ba kitang buhatin papasok o gusto mong iwan kita dito?!" He asked her irritably.

"Bakit naman ako sasakay sa kotse mo? Di naman kita kilala. At saka kanina lang sinusungitan mo ako, di ba? Bakit nagbago yata ihip ng hangin?" The woman had the gal to answer back.

"Wow! Iba ka rin talaga miss, noh?! Ikaw na nga itong tinulungan ikaw pa may ganang magsuplada sa akin ngayon? Unbelievable!" He is really tempted to just leave her there at the parking lot to fend for herself.

"Palabas na ng party ang kaibigan ko any minute now so hindi mo na ako kailangang problemahin..." She argued but he cut her off.

"Miss, I hate to burst your bubble pero di kita pinasasakay dahil gusto ko. If you will just look back to where we came from, yung lalaking lasing na bumastos sa iyo kanikanina lang ay naglalakad na papunta dito sa direksyon natin. I just want to avoid a possible bigger trouble at wala akong intensyon na umabot pa kami sa suntukan para lang ipagtanggol ka so..." He gestured towards his car again. The woman turned and her eyes grew as big as saucers upon confirming that he was telling the truth.

"Eh bakit hindi mo agad sinabi?! Halika na umalis na tayo! Ang pa bang hinihintay mo?!" She hastily answered as she dashed to get inside the car and pulled the door closed.

RJ just took a deep breath before he went around the vehicle towards the driver's side.

"Tsk! Ano ba itong pinasok ko??!"