Chapter 4

Nag-inat ng katawan si Mallory at napadaing. Sobrang sakit ng mga katawan niya na para bang nakipagsuntukan. But the bed feels so comfy and warm that she tust want to snuggle and sleep some more.

Napasinghap siya nang may naalala. Her yes snap open and she greeted by a Venetian chandelier staring back at her.

Dahan-dahan niyang binalingan ang kabilang gilid ng kama at nakita roon ang gwapo at matipunong lalaki na mahimbing na natutulog.

Memories of last night flood hermind. The strip club, the handsome man and the way her body writhed beneath. Shit. Nakaapat na rounds sila.

Nag-init ang mukha ni Mallory nang naalala ang mga pinaggagawa nilang dalawa kagabi. Halos magiba ang kama sa lakas ng paglabas pasok ng lalaki sa kanya.

Tinitigan niya ang lalaki na natutulog. He looks so much like a sleeping angel that she doesn't dare move, not even an inch, from the bed and wake him up.

Hindi. Mali ito, mali ang ginawa niya. 

Kailangan na niya umalis. Kung maaabutan siya ng lalaking ito na narito pa sa kama ay tiyak nakakahiya iyon.

Creeping off the bed, Mallory put on her clothes as quietly as she can. Rule number one, kapag makikipag one stand ka, kung sino ang unang magising sa inyong dalawa ay siya rin ang dapat na unang umalis. Iyon ang sabi ni Sariya kahapon sa kanya.

Mallory glance at the sleeping Adonis once again, and she can't help but smile. Last night was amazing and she know she will be regretting it for a while. But hell, it was worth it. The sex was out of this world and given a choice, she would want to taste him again.

Napailing na lang siya sa mga pumapasok sa isip niya. Dahan-dahan siyang naglakad palabas at sinigurado na walang makakarinig o makakakita.

Mallory dash towards the elevator, thankful that she didn't meet anyone on the way.

"At bakit ngayon ka lang?" Nakataas ang kilay na salubong sa kanya ni Sariya. "Iniwan mo na lang ako bigla sa strip club. Nakakaloka ka."

Her face turns a hundred shades of red and she try to make an excuse.

"N-Naparami... ang inom ko kagabi. Nakatulog ako..."

"Katabi ang gwapong lalaki?" pagtatapos ni Sariya sa sasabihin ni Mallory.

Parehas naman silang natawa at napailing na lang.

"Yes. Please don't ask any questions. I had a great time, that's all. Huwag mo na alamin pa kung anong nangyari. At yes, ako ang naunang umalis."

"Well, then I hope you used protection."

Her cheeks turn a deeper shade of red and Sariya laughs, shaking her head.

**

Lumipas ang dalawang linggo. Nawalan na tuluyan ng balita si Mallory tungkol kay Simon. Nagpadala ito ng divorce paper noong nakaraang araw, pero ang attorney nito ang nakipagkita sankanya. Pagkatapos pumirma ay umalis na rin siya agad. Mas gumaan ang pakiramdam niya. Hindi na rin siya nagigising sa gabi na bigla na lang umiiyak. Unti-unti na siyang nakakausad.

Pero ang nangyari sa strip club ay nakatatak pa rin sa isip niya. Kahit anong pilit at convince ni Mallory sa sarili na Isa lang iyon pagkakamali, ay hindi maikakaila na mag-eenjoy siya.

And she find her self reminiscing about the night they shared. As much as she want to convince herself that she was drunk that night, she do know that for the better half of the night, she was sober. She was in her damn mind but that didn't stop her from indulging herself in that sinful passion.

"Mallory, hello?" Pumalakpak si Sariya para kunin ang atensyon ni Mallory. "Naririnig mo ba ako? Nakatulala ka naman. Ano bang iniisip mo?"

She blush, ashamed that her best friend caught her daydreaming about a stranger, yet again.

"Yung lalaki na naman yan sa strip club, ano? Huwag ka tatanggi, masyado kang halata. You know, if you miss him so much, Why don't you go back to the place you met him? Perhaps you can be lucky to see him if he is a regular."

Mallory was about to open her mouth to retort, her eyes caught sight of something, or rather, someone.

"Yumuko ka!" tarantang sabi niya kay Sariya. Mabilis namang yumuko si Sariya kahit hindi naiintindihihan kung bakit nila kailangan iyon gawin.

"Bakit? Bakit kidnapping ba na nagaganap?" tanong ni Sariya at sinubunan na luminga sa paligid, pero agad na pinigilan ni Mallory.

"Huwag! Huwag ka gagalaw!" bulong niya sa kaibigan. "Shit. Lumalapit siya sa dito!"

Mas lalo pa nataranta si Mallory nang maglakad ang lalaking naka-one night stand niya papalapit sa kanila.

"Ha? Sino? May pinagkakautangan ka ba na hindi ko alam?"

"Ano ka ba, syempre wala. Bakit naman ako mangungutang tapos magtatago naman ako."

"Eh sino ba kasi?"

"The man from the club!" Her heart thudding against her chest as he draws closer.

"Nandito siya? Nasaan? Baka naman hinahanap ka rin niya? Bakit ka ba nagtatago?" 

"Mrs. Lopez? My wife?" Nalaglag ang panga ni Mallory nang marinig ang boses na iyon. Nasa harapan na nila ang lalaki.

Umayos ng upon si Sariya at nginitian ang lalaki. Nakagat naman ni Mallory ang labi at nag-iwas ng tingin.

"Hi, Sariya Ramirez." Inilahad ni Sariya ang kamay sa lalaki, tinanggap naman iyon nito at nakipagkamay. "What was that again? Mrs. Lopez? Your Wife? Who's your wife?"

"Right in front of you."

Parehas na umawang ang bibig nila ni Sariya sa naging sagot ng lalaki. Siya lang naman ang nasa harapan ni Sariya. And obviously, hindi siya si Mrs. Lopez.

"I-I... don't know what you are talking about," kinakabahang sabi ni Mallory. Shit. Bakit ba siya kinakabahan eh hindi naman talaga siya si Mrs. Lopez. "Certainly, there's no wife here." Mallory answered, trying her best to remain calm even with her panties creaming.

"Wife,  that's not what this paper says. Ayun dito, asawa kita. You're Mrs. Lopez." He smirks before casually placing a document on the counter and leaning on it.

Sabay nilang binasa ni Sariya ang nakasulat doon. The more Mallory read, the more her blood boils.

"Anong ibig sabihin nito?" galit niyang turo sa lalaki. "A contract marriage... for a year? Naglokokohan ba tayo dito? Hindi ko natatandaan na pumirma ako rito!"

Hinila ni Sariya ang braso ni Mallory. "Huwag mo lakasan ang boses mo. Maraming nakatingin sa atin."

Pero walang pakialam doon si Mallory. Kakahiwalay lang niya sa asawa niya, may asawa na naman siya?

"Then why is your signature there?" Ayaw talaga patalo ng lalaki.

Mallory look at the signature again and this time, she's sure it's her signature. Pirma nga niya iyon.

"Kailangan ako pumirma..." She halt when a memory flashes in her mind. "Oh my god..."

"Naalala mo na ba?" At mas lalo pang ngumisi ang lalaki.

"You tricked me into signing this!" singhal niya rito at akmang hahampasin ng bag, pero naagawa ni Sariya ang bag. "Ano bang gusto mo mangyari? Bakit mo ako pinamirma sa marriage contract na yan?"

"Simple lang naman ang gusto ko, Mallory. I want you in my bed, pleasuring me... just like you did that night—"

Inagaw niya ang bag kay Sariya at ibinato na iyon ng tuluyan sa lalaki. "Adik ka ba?"

Pero sa halip na magalit o mainis ay natawa pa ang lalaki. "Hear me out first. I want you, and in exchange, I'll make your ex-husband and his your ex best friend kneel down before you."

Her breath catches in her throat as she watch him, his eyes darkening and his tone serious.

"You... investigated me? Paano mo nalaman ang tungkol sa akin?" What kind of a mess did she plunge herself into?

"I have always known you, Mallory," sagot nito. "Your ex-husband is hosting an engagement party tonight with Vanessa. As his uncle, I have to attend... and as my wife, don't you think it's only right to attend with me?"

"You're Simon's uncle?!" sabay na sigaw sina Mallory at Sariya.