Lloyd Vincent
She pulled me close to her body, nuzzled my neck like she always did when she's in a deep sleep. The alarm went off but she was unfazed by the noise so I settled my book face down on the side table to wake her up. She must be tired from her work engagements last night. Kahapon lang, 4am na siya nakauwi from a photoshoot. She actually started as a stylist, but found that she has a knack in photography. When she had enough funds, she put up her own studio and did most of the work there, styling her models included.
"Babe.." I kissed her left cheek first, then her left eyes, moving to her forehead and left eye and finally planted a soft peck on her right cheeks. "Babe."
She tried to wiggle her body out of my embrace but it didn't do much. "Hmm?"
"It's eight a.m."
Her eyes flew open, sat up straight, and frantically searched for her phone. Looking through her notifications real quick, she jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom. In twenty minutes she finished taking a bath, sat on her vanity table, and began drying her long yellowish brown hair. "Anong oras ka nakauwi kaninang madaling araw?"
"Umaga na, 15 minutes past five?" Umupo ako at sumandal sa headboard habang pinapanood sya sa ginagawa.
"Maraming pasyente?"
"Sakto lang." It was a Wednesday night so the accidents were not that frequent. Having residency in the Emergency Department at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center (LAC+USC) has its own perks. This playful city had more accidents on weekends dahil well, weekends were supposed to be all about drinking and bad decisions.
"You sure hindi ka sasama sa birthday party ni Sophie?"
"I scheduled my therapy session ngayong araw, 2pm."
Sumimangot sya sa'kin. "Sophie informed us about the party two weeks ago."
I get what she's saying pero mas gusto ko siyang makasama nang kaming dalawa lang. We've been busy these past weeks over work kaya kahit magkasama kami sa bahay, I miss her terribly. My duty lasted from 12 to 16 hours, six times a week depending on the surge of patients while her job as a photo studio owner ate almost 24 hours of her day depending on the kind of shoots she got. But right now, she can't miss her best friend's birthday. Ang alam ko ay may gender reveal because apart from her birthday, Sophie's six months pregnant. "Nah, I'll pass."
"You haven't really out in months.."
"There were no company dinners set yet." I jokingly said, but she glared at me.
Lumapit siya sa'kin at umupo sa tabi ko with her hair half dried, wearing nothing but a bath towel around her body. "Alam ko namang homebody ka but LA is a great place to explore."
Disney Park, Griffith Observatory, Universal Studios, and Santa Monica beach were great but I'd rather lay in our two-bedroom apartment. I eyed the end of her towel just above her cleavage. With one finger, I unhooked it but she caught it. "I'd rather explore you."
"I'm leaving at 9 a.m.!"
Instead of stopping, I pulled her close by her waist so we were at the eye level. Her almond eyes softened, pleading to me. "Vincent.."
I broke my gaze into a grin and kissed the tip of her nose before letting her go. "Sige na nga."
Tumayo siya saglit, did that cute sprint outside the room that she always does, then she went back with her wavy hair hanging loose, the longest tresses reaching her waist. She was wearing colors from fiestas, but a pretty dress that ended mid-calf and paired it with a thin black belt highlighting her tiny waist. Her feet were clad in her favorite black heels. She was putting on her dangling earrings when she asked me if she looked okay.
