Twenty Days With Her (ON HOLD)

Day 1

"Where exactly do you put your hands on somebody who hurts everywhere?"
- Charles D'Ambrosio

"What am I doing here?" I grumbled to myself as I rest my head on the steering wheel.

Yeah, the answer is simple, there are people to whom you can't say no.

I glanced at my wristwatch for the nth time. Its quarter to one and my head aches as I thought I still have a class to attend at seven thirty.

I sighed and decided to get off the car. The sooner I found her and ended this craziness, the better.

I started to walk towards Per Voir. Matapos akong kapkapan, the guard pushed the door open for me. The place is unbelievably crowded thinking that its Monday! Ano kaya ang meron? I thought. It is almost pitch black inside but there were stobe lights flashing everywhere that allow occasional glimpes of the people in the surrounding area.

Nagpunta ako sa bahagi kung saan may mga lamesa at upuan, nagbakasakali na isa doon ay inookupa niya. May ilan akong nakitang kakilala at tinanguan. May nakapagsabing isa sa mga kaibigan ng owner ang ngayo'y nagcelebrate ng birthday. Kaya pala maraming tao.

Hindi ko siya nakita doon so I decided to walked towards the bar and took a stool.

Pinagtitripan lang ba ako ng babaeng iyon?

My gaze fixed on the dance floor. Maraming nagsasayaw. Ang iba ay halos nakikipagkiskisan na ng katawan sa kani kanilang mga kasayaw. Halatang ang utak ay napasok na ng ispirito ng alak. Ilang sandali ko pang nilibot ang aking mga mata at natagpuan ko na rin ang hinahanap ko. There she is, wearing a short red dress that clungs to her body like it was a second skin.

Time stop and the only person I see is her. I can't help it, my eyes don't want to leave her. I was mesmerized by her every move as she dance with the up beat rhythm of the music. How she sways her hips and how her auburn hair bounces. Her hands were thrown up and her eyes closed as she let herself soak in the music.

Then, I realized how much I've missed her.

Suddenly, she stopped dancing as if she had sensed someone was drooling- err, I mean, watching over her. And then our eyes met and a playful grin started to form on her red lips as she walk to my direction. Ngiting alam kong di umabot sa kanyang mata.

She took the stool beside me. Nilapit niya ang mukha niya sa akin, malapit na malapit and for a moment I thought that she was going to kiss me.

She laughed, a suductive one and rest her hands on my right thigh.  I felt my face heated up.

"Nagpaalam o tumakas?" Dumiretso ang mukha niya sa gilid ng mukha ko as she whispered in my ear in a teasing tone.

Her breath smelled mint, lemon and alcohol. Lasing na to. Bahagya kong pinilig ang ulo ko. Pero bakit parang ako ang nalalasing?

"Ihahatid na kita." Sabi ko nang medyo makahuma na ako.

"What do you want to drink?" She ask not looking at me. She waved at the bartender, acting as if I didn't say a thing.

Lumapit ang bartender. She looked at me with her one brow raised. Tiningnan ko siya ng masama and she just rolled her eyes.

"Two Kamikaze." She ordered.

"Look, I'm not here for fun and booze. Lets go, I'll drive you home." May diin ko nang sabi. I look directly in her eyes, nagsukatan kami ng tingin, pero hindi tulad noon, siya ngayon ang unang nagbawi ng nito.

Hindi niya ako pinansin. She lifted her face, nakapikit ang mga mata at nakangiti siya habang bahagyang tinatango tango ang kanyang ulo na para bang naeenjoy niya ang napakalakas na tunog ng musikang pinatutugtog. Hindi nakaligtas sa aking paningin ang pagtulo ng kanyang luha, mabilis niya iyong pinahid.