Promiscuous (Who's the slut?)

Chapter Five

My head is spinnning. I think it's going to explode any minute. Is this a reunion of some sort? Baka lumabas yung 31 boylets ko, gees. That was a horrifying thought.

First, Riel was here after two months of staying in France. Asking for her affection.

Second, Brix came out of God-only-knows-where. Engaged. With her sister.

Third...

I felt the guy tightened his arm around me. I wanted to struggle free. But he became my strength all of a sudden. I leaned on him not knowing what to do.

"Brix?" I stared at the man in front of me. Trying not to sound affected. But I still felt the cold seeping in through my heart. I am now facing the only man I've ever loved.

"You've grown beautiful Marie Claire. It's been a year." Yes, Brix, it's been a year. A year of hell. Of degredation. Mysery and revenge.

"Yes, Brix. A year, so many things happened. Look at you, you're now getting married, huh?" I didn't know where I found the courage to smile at him.

He smiled. But there was something in his eyes I couldn't name. Regret? Guilt?

"Honey, why don't you tell Marie Claire how we've met again in New York?" Laina smiled sweetly as Brix couldn't take his eyes away from me. Yes, Brix look at me, while your fiancee is trying to hook your attention.

"You're different now..." he whispered. I grinned. "Of course." I tried not to sound bitter. I wanted him to see that he wasn't that important to me anymore.

Then I heard the man beside me yawned. "Drama makes me sleep." Laina's eyes grew wide. I gaped at the guy and then laughed. He was really a jerk. But then I'm in gratitude with this... this nerve.

"Who are you?" Brix's voice is uneven. Trying to intimidate the nerve of a guy who's holding me right now. Well, it always has been his specialty, intimidation. Come to think of it, he thought because he was a high ranked military's son made him important.

"He's my... my.. boy—" let... I stared at him. But he seemed soo... bored? My eyebrows both shot up. He wasn't even commenting or saying anything. Surely after he'd kissed me, he would say something.

"I was her fling at the moment." Laina gasped. I felt the roots of my hair turned red. He was such a slob. What kind of a guy is he? Saying that in front of my ex-boyfriend. Marie Claire calm down. Well, bakit ka nagagalit sa kanya? Sabi mo nga diba? Boylets. Not boyfriend. Fling, it's the same thing!

Somebody waved at Laina. She smiled. "Brix, father's going to introduce us to some important people. Let's go honey." Laina tried to take hold of her boyfriend's arm. But his clenched jaw was evident. Is he jealous?

He looked back at her. His eyes meeting hers.

Anger. Pain. That was what I felt the moment I saw him again.

Before I could say anything anymore, the guy released me without further notice. I almost staggered when I stepped in on my gown. I closed my eyes tightly. Trying to calm my simmering emotion. Ready to surface any moment.

"You're walking away?" I said in astonishment when he didn't bother to say even a polite goodbye.

He stopped in his track but didn't even budge to face her.

"Aren't you even going to tell me you're sorry?"

He slowly turned to face her. Boy, was he handsome and big? Yeah. He lazily scrutinized her starting from her dyed blond hair to her body. His eyes remained rigid on her exposed skin though. The nerve!

"Shouldn't you be the one thanking me?" I opened my mouth only to shut it up again.

"Thanking you? After kissing me in front of many guests? You.... you maniac! I should have thanked you for that?" God, her composure is precariously leaving her.

His eyebrows immediately raised.

"Darling, you might be forgetting I just saved your beautiful hide." He turned to leave. Again. God, he was so arrogant!

"Save my beautiful hide? Why, thank you, should I kiss your feet also?"

"Will you? Never mind at least kissing you wasn't bad." He drawled. Looking sooo... sooo bored? Damn him. As if taling to her was a great effort on his part. As if she was some kind of a nuisance.

Wasn't bad? Her mouth turned into a wide O.

Men chased her. Ready to do battle for her. But this--- this jerk dared to insult her! Mock her!

"So you think you were that good?" her composure was diminishing. Thanks to this God-awful man.

"Darling, I don't gloat. You should know the answer yourself." I gasped. I wanted to hit him. To scream at him. But he wasn't the least bit affected. He was so sure of himself.

I control men. Not the other way around. Sh*t.

"Well, I'll tell you I just indulged you." I said trying to sound so casual. I'd like him to feel so little of himself he can't stand a chance with me.

What came next was unexpected. Way beyond my comprehension. He pulled me into his arms. His hand was on my nape angling my head toward his. I met his gaze boldly. His eyes were so intense.

"Indulge me, darling? Since you know me now, you won't use that word ever." He said irritatingly soft into my ears. The hair on my forearm stood on ends. My breath got hitched. He kissed the hairline on my temple. I sucked in my breath.

Goodness, Marie Claire. It was only on your temples.

I closed my eyes to feel him. Waiting. Waiting for another assault of his mouth.

He suddenly released her.

Her mind went totally blank. No one had rejected Marie Claire!

"Maire..."

"My name's Marie Claire! Not Maire." I snapped at him. But when I looked up I can feel a pair of eyes surveying me. I met Brix's cold ones. It turned into slits at what he thought was the jerk's mumur of sweet nothings. Oh holy Lord! If he only knew.

Some wicked idea crossed my mind.

I raised my glass to the jerk. And then thrust my body closer to his warmth. Wrong move.

"Twice darling, now you're using me again." I grimaced. Letting my scowl visible. Damn. He's too observant. Too wise. He knew too much.

"Don't ever call me darling or Maire! Who are you anyway? You're a gatecrasher, aren't you? A spy perhaps? Oh, so I'm your ticket here, huh?"

"Getting paranoid, are we?" he laughed. I was mesmerized at the sound of his... voice. Low. Husky.

What of your plans Marie Claire? You're forgetting about making him kneel before you! Pero hindi siya ang itpo ng lalaking yuyuko na lang basta sa babae!

Unperturbed, he took the wineglass out of my hand. Well, the devil can disguise himself, why not? I smiled sweetly and seductively wet my lower lip.

"Don't tell me you came here for me?" I gave my best enticing shot. It worked a lot of times. I tapped my hand on his well-muscled chest. He gazed at my fingers making a slow lingering heat.

"Yes, I did." He whispered on my ear. The tapping ceased. He did? Why?

I frowned. "Why?" I could smell something quite bad in the air. His eyes never leaving mine. I'm getting shivers down my spine.

"Marie Claire! Oh there you are dear, so you've already befriend Rave here." The note of sarcasm wasn't lost on her. Rave? God. I wanted to rant and rave!

Rave. So the jerk, nerve or whatever, got a name, eh?

"He's your new assigned bodyguard, darling."

Darling. Darling. Darling. The word felt poisonous at the tip of my tongue. Bastard.