XIV. The Undeniable Attraction

“Do you love her still?”

It took a while bago ito sumagot.  “I don’t know.  I haven’t think of her for quiet some time.  I don’t think the feeling is still the same.”

Mas mabuti sana kung sinabi nitong hindi na, kaysa sa hindi ko alam.  A flicker of discomfort pricked Trisha’s heart.  She can’t explain the sudden tightness she felt when she heard his answer.  It’s not right, she doesn’t want to dwell on it. 

“You’ve been asking yourself why he haven’t said sorry when he betrayed you right? Maybe the reason why the anger returned when he finally said it is that all along you were asking yourself, did I deserve what happened?  Don’t I deserve the sorry?  I’m not a psychologist pero minsan kasi we asked ourselves kung deserved ba natin ang masaktan.  If all along ako pala ‘yong may kasalanan kaya nagkaganito–“

Natigilan si Trisha nang mahinuhang nakatitig ito sa kanya.  “Shoot!”

“What?” Naguguluhan niyang tanong dito.

“Chlo?” Seryoso nitong tanong but Trisha saw the amusement in his eyes.

She laughed and pinched him again sa tagiliran.  “Sira! Loko-loko ka talaga. Ang serious serious ko na dito.”

He chuckled and she really saw the amusement was genuine and she silently congratulated herself for what she did or said.

Bumalik ito sa pagseseryoso and opened another can.  “For five years I’ve been asking myself kung naging mabuti ba akong kaibigan sa kanya.  I didn’t saw any regrets back then.  As though I deserved to be betrayed.  But now I saw his eyes full of remorse and I can’t looked at him.”

“Are you happy to hear it somehow…the sorry?”

“I did! Siguro ‘yon ang kulang why I can’t forgave him totally because he haven’t even asked for it.”

“But your other friends did?”

“Yup!  And I was an asshole to them.   Never even once let them explain.” And he regreted it but he was angry and ashamed so he let himself matured enough before coming back.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed.  “Just give it time.  Nothing can stop a person who is willing to forgive.  I know you wanted to talk to them without awkwardness and as you said you’ve missed them despite what happened.  Ngayong andito ka na, open your heart and your mind ‘pag nagkita kayo.”

“Thank you.” He squeezed back and angled his head sideways to look at her.  Their eyes met.

Their faces were so near she can see the beauty of his eyes, the valley of his nose, the seductive shape of his lips.  She was stunned! She can’t control the rapid beat of her heart.  She bit her lower lip to suppress the giddy feeling in her stomach but it only intensified when she saw his eyes dipped down to her lips. Nakita niya ang paggalaw ng adams apple nito when he swallowed before gradually lowering his head…his lips… towards hers.

Closing time, open all the doors

And let you out into the world

Closing time, turn all of the lights on

Over every boy and every girl…

Trisha blinked and the moment was ruined by her phone’s ringtone for an incoming call.  Napansin din niya ang biglang paglayo ni Marsden sa kanya at pasimpleng itinuon ang ang atensyon sa pag-inom ng beer.

Agad kinuha ni Trisha ang phone na nasa lamesita.  She silently took a deep breath to ease her still rapidly beating heart.  Nag-excuse siya kay Marsden at sinagot ang phone while she get some cold water in the kitchen and poured it in a glass.  It’s her way of avoiding the awkwardess hanging in the air.   God! Are we going to kiss?

“Hello? Trish? Are you there?”  tanong ng nasa kabilang linya.

“Chlo! I’m so sorry…hi!”  Hindi niya namalayang kanina pa pala nagsasalita ang bestfriend sa kabilang linya.  Her mind was wandering elsewhere.

“Nagising ba kita best?” pagod na tanong ni Chloe.

“Yup!” pagsisinunghaling niya dito upang takpan ang kanina ay gumagala niyang isipan.  “You sounded tired, kakauwi mo lang ba?” pag-aalala niya dito.  Lately palagi itong nago-overtime dahil bago ang amo nito.

Narinig niya ang buntong hininga ni Chloe.  “Yeah!  Pinaparusahan ata ako ni boss eh, napakaworkaholic, damay ako.  Huhuhu…gusto ko ng magresign.”

Natawa siya dito.  “Anong magagawa mo eh ikaw ang secretary ng daddy niya, siyempre nagsisimula pa siya and you’re the one who knew all the transactions so keep up the good work best.”  Alam niyang nagcocomplain ito pero pagdating ng umaga ito ang pinakauna sa opisina.  Mahal nito ang trabaho at natural na masipag.  Kasama niya ito sa lahat ng part time jobs noong nasa college pa sila.

“Kainis talaga wala na akong time para sa sarili ko, paano na ako makakahanap ng lovelife nito?  Tomorrow we’ll going to the branch in Cebu.  I’m his secretary not his personal assistant.  Para akong asawa na kahit personal wardrove niya ako ang nag-aasikaso.”

“Eh bakit di mo na lang ecareer.  Atleast kahit wala kang lovelife nae-experience mo maging isang wife,” panunukso niya dito.

“Sira! Him? Over my dead body!”

“’Wag kang magsalita ng tapos.  Sige ka baka lunukin mo lahat ng sinabi mo.”

“Tseh! Sige na nga goodnight na, ayaw ng bumuka ng mga mata ko.  I’m so sleepy, see you next week so cancelled na muna ang dinner date natin tomorrow hah.”

“Okay, night night Chlo.”

Nang bumalik siya sa sala, inubos na ni Marsden ang beer at tumayo na.  “I should go so you can finally sleep.”

She nodded and accompanied him outside.

“Thank you…for everything,” saad ni Marsden nang nasa labas na sila.

“You’re welcome, call me anytime, hmmm… kahit na tulog na ako, Basta ikaw ang tumatawag gising ako,” widening her eyes open.

They both laughed and bid goodnight.

★★★

In the next day during lunch break kasama sina Abby at Jay umiinom ng Milk tea sila Trisha sa Cafeteria nang lumapit sa kanya ang lalaking nakaeyeglass na napapansin nilang  special treatment sa cafeteria.

“Subukan mo nga yong black forest mas masarap,” saad ni Abby kay Jay.

“Ayoko–“ napangaga si Jay habang nakatingin sa likuran ni Trisha.

Someone cleared his throat.

Nilingon ito ni Trisha, “po?!” gulat na tanong niya dito.

“Miss Trisha Lee Fuentes?” confident na tanong nito.

“Ako nga po, ano pong atin?”

“Pinabibigay nga pala ng amo ko.” Ibinigay nito ang isang kahon ng fresh from the oven macarons.

“Akin?  Sino bang amo mo?”

Hindi ito nagsalita, he was now looking at Abby na hindi namalayan ni Trisha na kinakain na pala ang masarap na macarons.  “Pakisabi sa amo mo salamat ha,  ang pogi mo pala sa malapitan,” sabay kindat ni Abby dito.

Nakita niyang nagblush ang lalaki at dali-daling nag-excuse at lumabas ng café.

“Abby talaga ang takaw mo,” reklamo niya dito.  “‘Di ko tuloy nalaman kung sino ang nagbigay niyan.  Baka may lason ‘yan or love posion, cge ka,” nangingiti niyang saad dito.

“Oh my God!” Abby stopped eating and hysterically drank the tea.

Tawang-tawa sina Jay at Trisha. 

“Itong babaeng ‘to naman kasi, hindi na tuloy natin nalaman kung sino ‘tong secret admirer ni Trisha, ang ganda mo girl!”  hinawakan ni Jay ang kanyang buhok, “haba ng hair!” konikilig nitong saad.

She chuckled and assured them wala siyang secret admirer.  Pero hindi mawala sa kanya ang macurious kung sino ang amo nito.

Nang makarating silang tatlo sa kanilng floor, nakasalubong nila si Jade.  Nasanay na si Trisha na hindi pinapansin si Jade.  Ayaw din niya itong harapin regarding the photo.  Ayaw niya ng gulo kaya nagpapasalamat siya dahil umiiwas na rin ito sa kanya.   Surprisingly after ng scandal hindi na siya nito pinoprovoke.  Masaya silang nagkwe-kwentuhan nang mapadaan ito sa kanila, wearing high heels and sexy skirt with sleeveless corporate blouse.  “Lower your voice piggy.”

Magsasalita na sana si Trisha to defend her friend nang maubo si Abby ng pagkalakas-lakas sa harapan mismo ni Jade.  Natatawa si Trisha at Jay dahil within the cough, Abby was saying “bitch, bitch, bitch”.  Jade looked like she wanted to throw up at nagmamadaling pumasok sa opisina nito.

Nag-appear sina Jay and Abby at tawang-tawang pumasok sa Accounting Office.