CHAPTER 4

"WHAT THE hell are you doing?"

Marahas niyang binitiwan ang kamay ko nang makapasok kami sa isa sa mga VIP rooms ng club. I blinked my eyes and shrugged. "To tell you honestly... hindi ko rin alam."

Now that I am slowly absorbing what happened earlier, shame has started to grow inside me. Dahan-dahan akong napaupo sa mahabang couch at inisip ang kabaliwang nagawa.

He scoffed. "You're insane."

Napatango ako. Maybe, yes. Nababaliw na yata ako para gawin 'to! Puwede naman akong lumabas at umuwi na lang. But I dragged someone innocent here. For what? Anong gusto kong palabasin?

My phone alarmed. Pinilig ko ang ulo ko para tigilan ang iniisip at kaagad inilabas ang cell phone mula sa sling bag ko. Wala sa sarili kong binasa ang text message.

Tiya Flor:

Kumusta ang date?

Napangisi ako na ibinalik ang cell phone sa loob ng sling bag. I couldn't believe that this would happen. I mean, yes, I expected that this date would be a failure. Pero hindi ko naisip na mapupunta ako sa ganitong sitwasyon— with a stanger guy inside in a VIP room!

Napatingin ako sa lalaki. Nahuli ko siyang nakatitig sa akin kaya, kaagad siyang umiling, nag-iwas ng tingin, at naupo sa couch kaharap ng kinauupuan ko.

With the red light of the room, he looked so hot. Because of the light, I couldn't tell what his complexion was, but I'm sure that he is of foreign blood because of the unusual height he is. He also has this manly face— a prominent jaw, long and thick lashes that shadow his hooded eyes, and bow-like lips. And his messy side part style of his hair made him look like a Bollywood actor.

"Excuse me?" he said.

Even in his pronunciation, you would know that he came from the West— from the States to be exact.

Napakurap ako. "Y-Yes?"

"Are you gawking at me?" His eyes turned to a slit, looking with accusing eyes at me.

Napalunok ako. I didn't know, but his deep and hoarse voice gave me heat inside. It was like a fire caressing my body and making my throat dry.

"H-Hindi..." Umiling ako at kaagad inilibot ang mga mata sa buong silid. All I could see in the room was things that were red— the couch and table, the wine shelf, the flatscreen TV, and cabinets. Or is it because of the light? "It's just that... you looked familiar. Are you an actor?"

He chuckled. "Is that a joke?"

Napabaling muli ako sa kanya. With the black polo and ripped jeans, he really looked like one of the actors abroad. "I mean it."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" he asked, sarcastically. "Or the other way?"

I shrugged and stood up. Naglakad ako palapit sa mga cabinet. Hindi ko kayang magtagal malapit sa lalaki. The way his eyes looked at me darkily, it did something weird inside me. The heat that was burning on my nape, I couldn't contain it.

Why am I feeling this way?

"Who is that guy?"

Napabaling ako sa kanya. Pero kaagad din akong nag-iwas at pinatakbo ang daliri sa mga cabinet. Hindi ko siya sinagot.

"A boyfriend?" he added.

I bit my lower lip and continued what I was doing.

"A psychotic ex?"

"Hindi."

"Then what?"

I halted and blinked. "Wala lang."

"Just nothing?" I heard the curiosity in his voice. "Then why are you running away from him? It seems that he's after you."

Is he that nosy?

Napairap ako at binuksan ang isa sa mga cabinet. Napalundag nga lang ako sa kinatatayuan nang makita kung anong laman niyon. My eyes grew wider and my mouth dropped. Even though my heart beated fast and loud. Kaagad kong isinara ang cabinet at pumunta sa shelf ng mga wine.

What was that?

Sex toys?

Humugot ako ng isang bote ng wine at bumalik na sa mesa.

"My treat," sabi ko, pero kunut-noo akong tiningnan ng lalaki habang binubuksan ko ang wine.

He scoffed. "Do you have a membership in this club?"

Napakurap ako at natigilan.

"Oww. It seems you haven't an idea." Tumayo siya at lumapit sa shelf ng mga alak at humugot din ng isang bote ng brandy.

"B-Bakit?" tanong ko, halata na wala akong kaide-ideya. "Kailangan bang may membership para makainom dito?"

"My treat," he said as he poured a brandy into his glass and sat down.

"Totoo?"

He smirked.

"Oh, sorry. Don't worry. Babayaran kita ng iinumin ko. Just give me your bank account—"

"No need," he said, stopping me. "Just enjoy the night."

Marahan akong napatango saka nagsalin na rin ng wine sa kopita at sumimsim kaagad.

"And... I am not the one who will pay this—"

Naibuga ko ang nainom kong wine dahil sa sinabi niya. "A-Ano?"

He chuckled. "I am not the one who will pay for what we're drinking."

"W-What do you mean?"

He shrugged and winked. "Just drink and enjoy the night."

Ginawa ko ang sinabi niya. I enjoyed my wine. Kahit pa naguguluhan ako sa sinabi niya. He will not pay the drink we were drinking. So... sino ang magbabayad?

As time went by, I felt the heat even more. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa wine na iniinom ko o dahil sa awra ng silid. Or is it because of the hot guy in front of me?

Habang tumatagal ang tingin ko sa kanya, mas lalo siyang nagiging guwapo at mas lalong bumibilis ang pagtibok ng puso ko. I didn't know what was happening to me. But I have the urge to kiss that man!

Ysa, hold yourself up! Hindi mo kilala ang lalaking 'yan!

"Uuwi na ako." I stood up, breathing heavily.

The guy looked at me. His cheeks were now burning red. Lasing na rin yata siya. "We're not even done yet."

"Uuwi na ako," mariin kong sinabi at nagsimula nang maglakad. Pero natigilan ako nang muntikan akong mabuwal dahil sa biglaang pag-ikot ng paligid ko. Good thing that the guy caught me. Nasubsob ako sa matigas niyang dibdib. Dahil kung hindi, baka sa glass table bumagsak ang mukha ko.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

But my mind was hair-wired, especially when I inhaled his manly perfume. Hindi ako nakasagot. I could feel the heat from his touch and it burned my skin. Dumaan din ang malakas na boltahe ng kuryente mula sa kamay niya papunta sa balat ko at sumabog iyon hanggang marating ang kinaroroonan ng puso ko.

"Hey—"

I pushed him and stormed out of that room. Bakit gano'n ang nararamdaman ko sa lalaking 'yon?

Yes, he's utterly hot and his sex appeal is oozing. Pero kailanman hindi ako nakaramdam ng ganito sa isang lalaki.

What do they call this?

Libog?

Nakakatawa, Ysa!

You even didn't know that such word.

Mas lalo akong nahilo nang makalabas ng VIP room. Agad sumabog sa mukha ko ang naghalo-halong amoy ng pabango, alak, at sigarilyo. But it had a sensual effect on me, even the upbeat music. Mas nagsipagtayuan ang mga balahibo ko sa buong katawan at may kung ano sa loob ng tiyan ko ang nangingiliti.

And I wanted to puke!

This is weird, Ysa!

You have never felt this way before!

Para akong asong naglalaway at naghahanap ng ka-mate.

This is insane!

Hinahawi ang mga taong magulong nagsasayawan sa daraanan, nagtagumpay akong makalabas ng bar. I felt relieved when I inhaled the fresh air— if you could tell that it was really fresh. I am in Manila. And the pollution here is severe. But I feel better now that I am already outside.

I breathed deeply as I took my phone out of my sling bag. Pinalis ko rin ang namuong butil ng pawis sa noo ko. At kahit hilo, sinubukan kong mag-type ng message para kay Tiya Flor. It was bad, though. Ni hindi ko mabuo nang maayos ang mga salita ko, pero hindi ako sumuko.

I'm not feeling well, and I desperately needed to get home!

Halos idikit ko na ang screen ng phone sa mukha ko para makapag-type nang maayos, pero may humaklit sa palapulsuan ko.

"What the—" Muntikan ko pang mabitiwan ang cell phone ko.

"Gotcha!" A deep voice chuckled near my ear. Napapikit ako nang humamplos ang mainit niyang hininga sa leeg ko. It smells good, but if he wasn't reeking in alcohol.

"S-Sino ka?" I tried to probe his face. He has an angelic face, but I've never seen him before.

He chuckled again. "Davin. Your date."

"Davin?" Kumunot ang noo ko at pilit siyang inalala. "Wala akong kilalang Davin."

"I was your blind date. But you ran away when I tried to get near you," he said. "Who's the guy you were with earlier?"

"Guy?" Napakurap ako. "Hindi ko alam ang sinasabi mo."

"Well, that's not important now. Come on. Come with me to my place."

Hihigitin niya na sana ako, pero nagmatigas ako. "Sorry, but I don't know you. Hindi ako sumasama sa kung sino lang—"

"Kung sino lang? Come on. I am your date—"

Isa pang kamay ang humawak sa palapulsuan ko.

"She doesn't want to go with you," sabi ng lalaki sa mariin na English.

I looked at him. The hell. If Davin was an angel, this guy was so hot. He looked like a devil with his dark eyes.

"And who are you?"

The guy didn't speak. Pero parang baliw akong nakatingin sa kanya at nangingiti.

"Well, whatever who you are, let Ysabella's hand—"

"Ysabella. Hm, Ysabella."

Mas lalong umukit ang ngiti sa labi ko. The way he mumbled my name gave me pleasure. He liked it. It was like it was a special name that he had heard for the first time.

"Let go of her hand."

"Bruh, she's my date—"

Mas lalong nandilim ang mga mata niyang nakatitig kay Davin. And it made my heart flutter. "Let go of her hand or else..."

"Fuck!" The Davin guy frustratedly spit. "Okay-okay. I'm backing off, bruh."