"Let's pretend that my opinion of you could not go any lower and you aren't more disgusting to me than a botfly."
"Let's pretend that I am not secure in my worth as a man and such statement from a woman could shake me."
I scowled at him.
He grinned. "Hi, Ayn."
"Go fuck yourself, Castor."
He laughed out loud.
"Why do men think that it is okay to say something offensive to a woman and we would find it cute? Is it because you want to hide behind the fact that you have insecurities about your masculinity?"
"Why do women feel that it is okay to insult a man and we wouldn't find it offensive? Is it because you were born with a warped sense of entitlement?"
I clasped my hands to my chest. "Oh, you were offended?"
"No, just sidetracked by your robust sense of feminism. The women-are-stronger-than-men vibe is really palpable."
I arched a brow. " A lawyer like you defines feminism that way? An endless battle of who's the stronger sex?" I challenged.
"Feminism is the promotion of women's rights on the basis that the sexes are equal. Equal, Ayn. Meaning to say that if you're dishing out insults, you should be woman enough to take one because if a comeback offends you then you're not being a feminist but a spoiled, entitled brat."
"Oh, so are we dissing each other's upbringing now?"
"You went after my throat in that area first when you said that I was being a lousy role model to my nephew earlier."
"I said no such thing."
"But it was implied." He glanced sideways at me to give a lazy smile. "Oh my, Ayn, this is going to be a long night."
And he was right, the car had not even moved and it already felt like an eternity to me.
Fuck, I don't think I can stand another hour with this jerk.
"Seatbelt?" he asked as he started maneuvering his car towards the subdivision's exit.
"It's on," I said. "But, I'd rather that we end this night now while I still have not developed an aneurysm."
He laughed again.
"I mean it. Stop the car now."
"Are you serious?"
I ignored him and instead took my phone from inside my bag to dial Manang Mely's number.
"O, Ayn, anong nangyari, may nakalimutan ka ba?"
"Manang, sunduin mo ako."
"Paano? Nasaan ka na ba?"
"Palabas pa lang ng subdivision," I said before I turned to the giant turd named Castor Saenz. "Pakihinto ang sasakyan—I said stop the car! Bakit lumabas ka ng gate?!"
"May nakasunod na sasakyan sa atin."
"Ibalik mo."
"Bakit mo ba ako inuutusan?"
"Are you for real?"
"Yes." He smiled at me.
"Hello, Ayn, nand'yan ka pa...?"
"Manang, sunduin mo na ako. Kalalabas lang namin ng Forbes. We're along EDSA—"
"EDSA? Pwede ba ang e-bike d'yan sa EDSA?"
"Manang! Take a cab or book an Uber! I don't care how you'll get here basta sunduin mo ako or else I might have to kill this man so I can take his car then I can drive myself home!"
