KABANATA 4

KABANATA 4 

I walk up with nausea. I wanted to vomit, so I hurriedly got up and ran to the comfort room. I thought I was just tipsy, so I thought.  The gurgling sound in my stomach is impalpable. 

Lumabas ako at kitang-kita ko na ang sikat na sikat ng araw. The beam of the sun infiltrate through the glass window as the curtains are rolled in the side of the wall. 

Pumipikit-pikit kung hinilot ang sintido dahil sa sobrang sakit. Gusto kung uminom ng mainit na mainit kape para mahimasmasan man lang ako. 

Gad! Tequila really hits different at ilang buwan na rin ng huli akong uminom. I'm getting rusty in alcohol, I guess. 

The whole house is quiet, I didn't see Miguel when I woke up and I think he left so early. Hindi ko na dapat sabihin kung saan. He's always out early and gets home late at night drunk and crazy. 

Pumasok ako sa kusina only to my horror! A gorgeous monster is busy chopping onions in the sink, his bare chest is covered with only an apron, underneath is just his boxer short, with usual devilish messy hair and I saw his veins protruding as he firmly held the knife. 

What a morning Cleopatra! I'm shocked he's still here. More than that, I'm in terror since it was years ago when I see him cook in our kitchen. 

"Good morning." 

Bumaling siya ng tingin sa'kin, the monster is smiling at me! For heaven's pity I swear I just heard my heart roar in tremendous delight. 

Hindi ko man nakikita ang sarili ko ngayon but as how heat my face is, I know I'm blushing. 

"Good morning." I murmur. 

I don't know  if he heard me pero marahan niyang binitiwan ang kutsilyo, lumapit sa'kin at tinaas ang kamay bago ako hinalikan sa noo. 

"You still smell alcohol, baby…" he said. 

Nailing siya sa'kin bago bumalik sa kanyang ginagawa while I am unmoving, wide-eyed and in so much disbelief. 

I'm not dreaming right? Nor hallucinating… hindi naman ako lasing para makita ang ganito ngayon. Hindi pa naman siguro ako baliw, hindi ba?

"Why are you still standing there?" Marahan niya akong tinaasan ng kilay kaya sa nanghihina ang tuhod kaagad akong naghila ng upuan. "Sit down there and I will make you a cup of coffee for your headache."

Marahas niyang binuksan ang cupboard, hinalughog ang kung ano at dali-daling nagtimpla ng isang tasang kape. I'm just watching him bewilderedly. I think I'm just really hallucinating or the tequila didn't really subside in my system dahil hindi gagawin sa'kin ni Miguel ang ginagawa niya ngayon. 

Marahas akong napalunok ng makita ko siyang papalapit sa'kin, dala-dala ang isang mug ng kape. He gently hold the side of the mug, afraid it might fall down. Kitang-kita ko na sobrang mainit 'yun dahil umuusok talaga. I didn't know I will be in love with this alluring monster coming through me. 

"Here you go… a cup of hot coffee and aspirin for you aching head caused by your drunkenness yesternight." 

He seriously put the mug, naghila ng sarili niyang upuan at tinitigan ako ng maigi. I just lowered down my face since I'm afraid I would see his scowling face. 

"Why aren't you saying a single word, Cleopatra." 

Matigas niyang sabi making me rise my gaze back at him. He gulp and touch my cheeks gently with his blue eyes directly see through me. Ito na naman ako, lunod na lunod na naman sa mga alon na dala niya. I am always bewitched with his eyes. 

"U-uhm…" nahihirapan kung lunok sa sarili kung laway dahil sa pinaghalong kaba at takot sa katabi ko ngayon. "What about you, do you want me to make you a cup of coffee?" 

I whispered but enough  for him to hear me. I saw how his keen eyes wanted to protest and ended up giving me a growl of annoyance. 

"No." He abruptly said and stood from where he is sitted. "I'm done cooking for breakfast, do you want to eat already?" 

Tumalikod siya sa'kin at pumunta sa may sink and my gaze followed him. He graciously walks and I really don't know that monsters could be this appealing. His ass sways as he walks and his well-built body screams danger but if danger means able to be taken care of by a monster then I shall befall in hell. 

He serve food in the table, kung panaginip man 'to hinihiling ko na sana hindi nalang ako magising. If I am just hallucinating then I must admit I'm enjoying this catastrophe. 

"Kumain ka na. I will cook your favorite menudo and the usual breakfast." 

Nakasunod pa rin ako ng tingin sa kanya ng busy'ng-busy siya sa paglalagay ng pagkain sa plato ko. He's sweating and wipe it with his free hand and goodness gracious, he looks sexy as hell. 

"M-Miguel… I'm not hallucinating right?" 

Mahina kung tanong sa kanya kaya bahagya siyang natigilan at muling bumalik sa'kin ang kanyang tingin. 

Marahas siyang bumuntong-hininga at umiling." No. I'm real, we're real." 

Kung totoo ito bakit pakiramdam ko hindi naman? Him, serving for me seems so impossible right now. My Miguel is gentle, kind, loving and sweet but that Miguel was held captured by his monster that he became one. 

"Cleopatra, look at me-" he touched my cheeks and  made me look at him. "I am real. You're not hallucinating or dreaming. Ikaw at ako ay totoo. We're real…" mahaba niyang wika making my tears fall slowly as his words penetrate depth within my heart. 

"Why are you doing this?" 

Mahina kung tawa kahit naguunahan naman ang mga luha ko sa pagtulo. If he's just guilty for last night that I caught him with someone else's dress then he must not. I'm a masochist, so whatever he does he doesn't need to be guilty because no matter how much pain he will cost me I will still choose to be enchanted with his monster. 

No matter what you do Miguel I will still be coming back to you. I can't slip away with you as long as the skies are still blue as so the ocean for it will forever remind me of your eyes and drown in your spell. 

He gently tucked the loose strands of my heart back into my ears. "I'm doing this because I'm missing you." He smiled and kissed me passionately on the lips. 

I parted my lips and accepted his gentle kiss as it fiddled into my mouth, searching for my tongue. The tender kisses were replaced by a furious rumble as his hands traveled everywhere in my body. 

"I love you Cleopatra…" he whispered in the midst of his intoxicating kisses. 

We were panting as we unleashed each other's lips. He looks at me intensely, touches my lips slowly as if it's very intricate and I know I'm starting to get dizzy again. Hindi dahil sa alak kung hindi dahil sa mga halik niya. I realize I don't need tequila to get drunk, just one torrid kiss from the monster I am fully inebriated. 

"We shall eat or else iba ang makain ko." He commented, making me hardly blush in embarrassment. 

Walang ni isang namutawi sa'ming salita pagkatapos ng nangyari, I'm so flustered for what just happened. For heaven's pity, lasing na lasing na ako kahit sobrang aga pa ngayon. 

I insisted na ako nalang ang maghugas sa plato after eating breakfast with him but he said na siya nalang daw dahil gusto niya. 

"Go, take a bath. I'll drive you to the office today." Taboy niya sa'kin pero nakasimangot lang akong nakatingin sa kanya. "what now, Cleopatra. Gusto mo ako na ang magpaligo sa'yo?" Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay making me gasped in shame. 

What the hell… umu-o ka na Caprice! You're coquettish right? 

"Why are you still standing there? You really want me…" he amusingly whispered but enough for me to hear his baritone voice. 

I fastly run upstairs when he smirk walking languidly kaya marahas akong napatakbo sa itaas at rinig na rinig ko ang malakas niyang halakhak. 

My heart… my heart is gasping violently as well as my breath. If today is my last day here on earth, I must ask the heavens above to give me another chance to be with the monster for I know El Dorado won't accept me and the gate of hell shall be open. 

Excitedly, I went out in the bathroom with just a towel only to see the monster gawking at me. Marahas siyang bumuntong-hininga, pumikit-pikit as if I frustrate him. 

"Please, Clea… magdamit kana, stop torturing me babe." 

Nahihirapan niyang wika at muli akong hinalikan sa buhok bago pumasok sa banyo. I followed him my gaze and before he disappear I saw him wink which  made me gasped in awe. 

I wore my office attire again. I'm sure I'm very late but if being late is being with the monster I won't mind not going to the office for the whole day. Dito nalang ako kasama niya. Gagawa kaming bata…

Tanga ka talaga Cleopatra!

"You done, baby?" Marahan niya akong nilapitan pagkalabas ng banyo. 

The towel wrapped in his lower body doesn't help with my view towards his vesiculovirus magnificent physique. He hugged me in the back as we were making eye contact in front of the mirror. 

"I'm almost done… your hands, Miguel!" I gave him my sternful look through the mirror and pounded him repeatedly dahil kung saan-saan na umaabot ang mga kamay niya!

Albeit I like it but I should not give in to my carnal desires. The monster laughed enticingly so I pinched him in his abdomen making him flinch in pain. 

"Bababa na ako at sa living room nalang ako maghihintay sa'yo Miguel." I said. 

I'm busy picking my things as I put it in my bag at hindi ko na siya muling binalingan ng tingin. He's still busy choosing his garment. I heard him grunt and make it as my way to go out. 

I'm tapping the sofa as boredom strike me, kanina pa ako nag-iintay pero hindi pa rin lumabas ang asawa ko. It has been ten minutes and I'm not really good at waiting people, in a literal means dahil kaya kung maghintay ng ilang taon para lang sa pag-ibig ng demonyong bumababa na ngayon. 

He's slowly walking in the stair with his white t-shirt, ragged jeans with the car key in his left hand and his right hand is busy putting his phone in the pocket of his jeans. He walks like a king and I am his hostess willing to do anything for her  emperor. 

"I'm sorry, I just made a few calls before stepping out." He explained. 

I nodded understandingly as we walked in the car. He opens the front door for me and I hop in. Put my seatbelt on as he said. 

The ride from home to the office is just twenty-minutes drive. It is really true when they say that time seems to run so fast when you are happy and with the person you love. The twenty-minutes drive seems just like a one minute drive, especially when I'm with Miguel in the car today. 

Bumaba ako sa kotse na kitang-kita ang gulat sa mukha ng mga empleyado namin. I saw them mumbling something to each other when they saw Miguel helping me out in the car. 

"I will go with you inside, I have a file to take." He smiles sheepishly. 

I nodded and confidently walked inside with all their gawking stares as if I'm not mauled with the monster who is  following me. 

Alam kung sinusundan pa rin kami ng mga empleyado ngayon ng tingin and I read in their eyes the admiration written on their faces as they're gaping when Miguel slyly greeted them all good morning. 

I know they are all curious as to why Miguel is with me today, as I am. But despite their curiosity they still give their warm smile and my heart leaps in so much exhilaration when Miguel intertwines our hands as we are walking through the elevator, making my employees chirped in shivereens.