I Hate You with All my Heart!

Chapter 13

"Hey you two! You look like you want to eat each other!" Pawie started laughing.

Kassy stood up despite Zandro's attempt to clasp a tighter hold to her thigh.

"Gotta pee!" Kassy made haste to the bathroom. They heard her slam the door.

"Kas! You trying to bring the building down?!" Pawie hollered, brought his tumbler up, "let's drink to that, pare!" Touching his glass to Zandro's.

Zandro drained the liquor, looked at Paolo and said "Are you two dating?"

Although taken a bit by surprise with this direct question, Paolo still answered calmly. "When we were in college, we went out for almost a year. Pare, if I could go back to that...." Pawie gave a sigh and had that look in his eyes like he was back on those moments. "I love sniffing her hair, I could just drown on it. She smells so good..." he continued but saying it more to himself than to Zandro who is simmering with jealousy. He was trying to tamper it down. He now regretted asking Paw that question. He thought he was OK whether this two dated or not, but a mental picture bloomed big and bright in his mind of them kissing, caressing and Pawie pawing Kassy like he did.

"DAMN!" Zandro stood and followed Kassy to the bathroom. She was just coming out when Zandro pulled her to the bedroom, closed and locked the door. He kissed her without preamble. She was stunned at first then became a willing participant.

When they both took breaths, Zandro held Kassy's face in his hand, pushed his face close to hers and said "You will never do that with anybody else!"
He kissed her nose and went out the room. "Weirdo!" Kassy gave herself a few seconds to straighten her hair, her clothes.

***********

After a few drinks, Pawie asked Kassy to check out the new bar just a few blocks from her condo building. Kassy agreed. Zandro didn't want them to go but he went along. He will not let Kassy go by herself with her ex-boyfriend.

The three ended up riding a tricycle, with Zandro ending up riding behind the driver, Kassy and Paw seated inside the tricycle cab. Zandro was too slow following the two when they hailed the tricycle, he thought they were walking to that damn bar. He kept trying to sneak a peek inside the tricycle cab, Kassy is seated closer to him, Pawie on the outer side of the cab. Zandro touched Kassy's upper arm with his right hand, his thumb making lazy circles on her skin. She almost jumped but realized it was Zandro. She turned and gave him a warning look, but he continued his exploration of her soft, smooth skin. He can feel himself getting hard. Just knowing he can touch more than her arm, it's driving him crazy. He just wanted to take her away to one of his hotels, lock them both inside one of its penthouses and not come out for the rest of their lives. He will do all the things he has fantasized doing to her until he hears her moan his name over and over. He wants to feel himself inside her warm, moist walls, feeling her gripping him until he spills himself inside of her.

************
Surprisingly the bar looks really nice as far as neighbourhood bars go, it just opened a few weeks ago. The interior is dim but there are lights strategically placed on the ceiling and floor area that gives it a very cosy atmosphere. The crowd is obviously from the offices and condos that dotted the immediate area of the bar/lounge. There is a small stage at the corner, the bar is what greets people once they enter the double doors. There is just one security guard on the front.

"Manong Percy, you work here too?" Zandro heard Kassy say to the guard.

"Yes Ma'am! Kelangan po!"* Manong Percy answered with a smile.
*(I need to)

"That's why I haven't seen you at night," Pawie said.

Zandro almost missed that statement. He really needs to talk to Kassy and straighten out whatever is going on between them. He felt like he has been wanting her for a long time and just did not realize it until he saw her that night on the dance floor.

Then they touched, it set his world on fire. And the flame has just bUeen burning. He does not know for how long, all he knows is that he wants her. Only her.

Paolo insisted it's all on him, so the drinks flowed. Zandro was not too happy especially since he saw Kassy drinking without pause. The only good thing was, she was seated beside him on their table, Pawie across from them. She and Paw seems to have a drinking competition going, Zandro chose to be the reasonable one for a change. He realized he wanted to be sober to watch over Kassy, since when did he care? He won't probe the answer to that question just yet, he took a swig of his gin and tonic. He whispered to Kassy "Why are you drinking so much?"

"It's good. It's good," Kassy turned her head and brought her face closer to his, reminiscent on that unforgettable night on the dance floor when she put her face up to his and he got a punch on his jaw instead of a kiss on his lips. Zandro traced his fingers tenderly on Kassy's cheek. Paw saw that, but before he could say anything, the waiter came over.

"Sir, do you need anything else?"

"Yes, can you bring me coffee please?" Zandro said. " What about you two?"

"More of this," Kassy and Paw said at the same time, eliciting a laugh from both. Paw pinched Kassy's nose. They both ordered more of their long island tea and more buffalo wings.

"Kassy, are you drinking yourself to oblivion?" Zandro whispered in Kassy's ear. He wanted to nibble her ear, scatter kisses on the side of her neck she still smells fresh, like the fragrance of flowers in the morning, underneath is her own smell which reminds Zandro of vanilla. He definitely wants her. More of her than what she is allowing.

"Sorta..." Kassy huffed in his face since Zandro moved himself so close to her. If Pawie noticed this as unusual he doesn't care, in fact he wants the other man to ask him what is going on. But Pawie seems to keep his own counsel.

"I'm staying the night..." Zandro made it sound like a threat when he said it so softly to Kassy's ear. Kassy just gave him a look that says "try it."

Their drinks and food arrived.

Zandro stood up, "Excuse me, I'm going to the little boys' room, don't do anything I wouldn't," he gave Kassy a quick peck on her cheek, surprising her. Before she can say or do anything, Zandro walked away.

*********

"Hello? Since did he start giving you some beso-beso??" Pawie wasn't going to keep it to himself.

"Since I let him..." Kassy couldn't look Paw in his eyes.

"Kassy?! I thought you hate the guy, you said you are not his type?? I cannot believe it! Do you know what you are getting into? Do you even know what his reputation is?? I have known girls who....Oh my God, I do not want you to.... no, Kassy, just no!" Pawie wiped his face with his hand to try to obliterate his feeling of dread. He knows Zandro's reputation in some of the circles he sometimes go to. Women who cries to him because of Zandro, he is bad for Kassy. He will only bring her heartache, Pawie knows this as sure as he knows he will do anything to protect her. He vowed to do that after they became friends again. They broke up because he took her for granted, he regretted that day when she found out he was fooling around with one of their classmates. And the classmate was not even a girl...

Pawie realized he goes both ways, he begged Kassy to take him, but she refused, she went away for awhile. He has regretted that ever since when he woke up one day with the sure knowledge that Kassy was the love of his life.

A couple of years ago, they reconciled but Kassy told him, they can only be friends. Pawie latched on to that, gratefully. He will not lose her now but he felt he already has. He then made up his mind, he will just be there for her, no matter what.

Aloud he said "Kassy, look, I am sorry to have ranted, but I met women that Zandro had affairs with, some of them ended in psychiatric wards."

"OK. I will admit we have a thing, but it is not even a relationship. It's just a thing and I will not even consider taking it as anything else. After you...I do not want to be hurt liker that again..."

"Oh Kassy, I am so so sorry..." Pawie stood up, sat beside Kassy and held her.

And that is what Zandro saw when he was walking back to their table.