Chapter 2

Amari Vann

Playboy.

That is what that guy or that Congressman is.

Umiling ako ng bahagya habang lulan ng taxi.

When he smiled at me, ay mabilis kong binitiwan ang end ng hawak naming bigas, akala ko ay mababagsakan sya but he is strong enough to hold it.

Mabilis ko syang tinalikuran, ignoring all the stares and side remarks of the people around us.

"Dito na lang po kuya" sabi ko sa driver kaya mabilis naman syang nag park sa harap ng bar.

Almost 9PM na din ng gabi.

May mga guards sa harap ng bar at alam mo agad na hindi basta-basta ang bar na ito, pang mayayamang tao lamang. Hindi naman na nakakagulat dahil Hanna's parents are rich, naging magkakilala kami dahil madalas ay kasama sya ng mom nya pag nagkaka casino. Mabait ang pamilya nila, they helped me on several occassion na din lalo na pagdating kay Enzo.

"Good evening ma'am, pangalan ho?" tanong sakin ng guard.

"Amari Vann Reyes"

Mabilis itong bumaling sa hawak nyang listahan ng guests and he browse through it nung mukhang nakita nya na ang pangalan ko ay tsaka ito ngumiti at gumilid para papasukin ako.

"Have a great night ma'am"

I just nodded and smiled bago pumasok sa loob.

Pagpasok pa lang sa loob ay sinalubong na ako ng malakas na malakas na tugtog, marami ng tao na sumasayaw at umiinom.

Mabilis kong hinanap si Hanna and I found her sitting prettily in one of the VIP couches here, wearing a very sexy red fitted dress.

"Vann!" she shouted ng makita ako at mabilis na tumakbo para salubungin ako ng yakap. "You made it!"

"Oo naman, bakit naman hindi, Happy Birthday Hanna!" I kissed her on the cheeks and handed her my gift.

"Aww! Nag effort pa talaga, sabing okay na yung pumunta ka but thank you!"

Naglakad na kami papalapit sa couch na kinauupuan nya kanina, this is where I start being uncomfortable dahil kahit best friend ko si Hanna, may iba rin syang circle ng friends, her rich circle of friends that I won't be able to relate to.

"Guys, this is Amari Vanessa, you can call her Vann or Vanny just like how I call her" pagpapakilala nya sakin, some people smiled and nodded but that's it, I know it, hindi nila ako gustong pumasok sa circle nila. "Geez, remove your jacket na" baling nito sakin kaya wala na akong nagawa pa, hinubad ko na ang denim jacket ko, revealing me in my body hugging black sleeveless dress na above the knee. "You're a bombshell, Vanny!"

"Ssh, ikaw talaga Hanna! Sige na umupo na tayo-

"Hanna, OMG! I haven't seen you in years, happy birthday! When was the last time we saw each other? Sa paris no?"

I was cut off nung may lumapit na magandang babae to greet Hanna, I was forced to step aside kasi baka hindi nya ako pinansin or hindi nya talaga ako pinansin.

Hanna looked at me apologetically. I just nodded and signalled her that I will be at the bar.

I walked to the bar and sat down there, the whole place is rented for Hanna kaya walang bayad ang iinumin kong alak.

I was on my fourth shot ng maramdaman kong nagvibrate ang phone ko, mabilis kong inilabas iyon and it is a message from Enzo's doctor.

Matagal na nya ako at ng ospital na kinukumbinsi to let Enzo go, sabi nila kahit pa magising ang kapatid ko, malaki ang chance na paralyzed sya. They make me feel like I am just making it tough para sa kapatid ko but they do not know how I feel, he is the only one I have.

His doctor texted me to remind me regarding his bills and medication.

I sighed.

You can do this, you have to do this Vann! Para sa kapatid mo, kakayanin mo ang lahat.

I drank my fifth shot at pumasok muli sa isip ko ang offer nung huklubang Alex na iyon, I know what he wants pero dahil sa binabayaran kong utang sa kanya na hindi man lang halos nababawasan dahil napakalaki ng interes ay dumadagdag pa ito sa isipin ko, imbis na naka focus na lang ako sa medikasyon ni Enzo.

I had boyfriends, the last one lasted for almost two years but we had to break up dahil he needed to go abroad, I hate LDR and I feel like it won't work kaya I called it off. Main point is I did date some guys pero I never had sex! Hindi ko pa naisusuko ang bataan and now because of frustration, I am on the verge of selling it to the devil.

I shook my head and continued drinking. Magpapakalasing na lang ako, yun ang tamang gawin sa ngayon.

Umiikot na ang paningin ko dahil sa tama ng alak ng marinig ko ang hiyawan ng mga tao na tila may dumating na artista, I ignored it dahil I only came here for Hanna and for the alcohol.

"Let's make some noise! Let's welcome, Congressman Art Theodore Dela Cuesta!" the DJ announced and that was enough for the ladies in here to go crazy.

Tumingin ako sa entablado and saw his PSGs hindi naman madami but would be enough to secure his safety siguro.

He went up to the stage and did a fist bump with the DJ, they handed him a microphone.

Tiningnan ko lang sya, bata pa talaga sya. I think he is the same age as I am or older than me ng isa or dalawang taon.

"Thank you for inviting me, hindi na ako nakatanggi kasi we all know Hanna, you can never say no to her" he said that made all the people in the club laugh, maybe except me.

Kakilala pala sya ni Hanna. I looked at my bestfriend, umiiling ito habang tumatawa.

"Anyway, let's all have fun and please no pictures sana! Happy birthday beautiful young lady! I will be your one call away kuya and please stop posting memes about me, you don't do that to your older cousin!" Art added before laughing.

"Cause all the girls around me are crushing on you and I can't tolerate that!" Hanna added before laughing.

Geez, pinsan pala sya ni Hanna, how come I didn't know? Well, aside from her parents, hindi naman na ako nag usisa sa buong angkan nya, all I know is they are a family of rich and political people.

Tumalikod na ko sa entablado at nagsimulang bumalik sa pag inom.

Pagabi na ng pagabi at palasing na ako ng palasing pero I am having fun kahit mag isa because of the good music and the drinks.

"One whiskey smash please" mabilis akong napalingon sa tabi ko ng marinig ko ang boses na iyon.

I immediately smirked when I saw Art Theodore beside me, he is already looking at me.

"My, my, aren't you the most flirtatious politician I've ever met?"

He laughed.

"Anong ginagawa ng isang magandang binibini mag isa rito?"

"Getting wasted"

He drank what he ordered earlier before looking at me again.

"Now, I am really interested in you" he told me before he winked at me.

"Bakit ba ako ang ginugulo mo, you have other friends in here for sure, doon ka na" I told him, trying to shoo him away.

"But they are not as pretty as you"

I rolled my eyes and drank another shot.

"But seriously, why are you here alone?" he sat down properly and looked at me, seryoso na sya ngayon.

"I want to vanish"

"Vanish?" he asked me, he is holding a drink on his hand. "Do we want us to vanish or we wish the pain, regrets, problems to vanish instead?"

"You sure do know a lot of stuff"

"I am a politician"

"I can see that"

"What's your name?"

"Amari Vann but people often call me Vann"

"But what if I wanna call you Amari?"

"Well, it feels odd pero that is up to you"

"Do you want me to sing for you tonight, Amari?"

Nagkibit balikat ako at ininom ang alak sa harapan ko, he stood up and I thought he already left me pero nagulat ako ng umakyat ito sa entablado.

Mabilis na nagtilian ang mga tao.

"This is for the woman who said she wanna vanish tonight" he said that bago nya ako mabilis na tiningnan.

He was handed a guitar and he sat down on a stool in the middle of the age.

He started strumming and started singing a song I am unfamiliar with pero tila alam na alam ng lahat.

I was about to look away pero muli syang tumingin sakin.

" In the midst of the crowds

In the shapes in the clouds

I don't see nobody but you"

I blinked my eye dahil parang kinakanta nya sakin iyon. Aren't this guy so weird?

Pero mas weird ako dahil tila kinikilig ako na ewan.

"In my rose-tinted dreams

Wrinkled silk on my sheets

I don't see nobody but you"

I must admit, his voice is heavenly! Sobrang gwapo na talented pa.

Natapos na sya sa pagkanta at hindi agad sya nakabalik dahil pinagkaguluhan na sya, lumapit si Hanna sakin, lasing na lasing na ito kaya saglit akong kinulit pero umalis din sya nung may tumawag sa kanya.

"Did you like my song, Amari?" nakabalik na pala si Sebastian.

"Is that for me?"

"Kanino pa ba?" he smiled and got another shot from the bartender.

I just smiled and kept on drinking.

We spent the whole night drinking and talking to each other na hindi ko na napansin ang oras at kalasingan ko.

It is almost 4AM nung tumayo ako, wala na si Van sa couch na kinalalagyan nya and nagpaalam si Art to go to the restroom, wala na akong balak hintayin pa sya dahil panigurado this is our first and last time to meet.

Umiikot ang paningin ko hanggang makalabas ako ng bar, I can't find my jacket kaya ramdam ko ang lamig sa labas habang nag aabang ako ng masasakyan.

Nataranta ako ng may humawak sa braso ko.

"Can't you atleast say goodbye?"

Nagulat ako ng makita si Art sa harapan ko.

"Ooh, sorry!" pumiglas ako. "Goodbye then" dagdag ko bago sya tinalikuran at naglakad.

Bored ko syang tiningnan ng hilahin nya ako ulit para iharap sa kanya.

"Don't you like me?"

"I do pero I know who you are and what type of guy you are and I am not the best woma-

Kusang nagwala ang puso ko ng hilahin nya ako para halikan. Hindi ako nakagalaw and maybe because I do have a crush on him, I kissed him back.

When he stopped kissing me and stared at me for a bit.

"Let's say that for tonight, you are the right woman for me and I am not the guy you think I am"

"What?"

"Will you come with me tonight?"

I smiled and found myself nodding.

I am still drunk and the next thing I remembered is when me and him are kissing non-stop in the elevator while we are on our way to his condo.

I am drunk but I know what my body wants.

I felt as he started removing my clothes, his kisses are leaving burning sensation all over my body, making me crave more for it.

The next thing was he is on top of me, positioning his huge shaft to enter me while he is kissing my neck and when he penetrated me parang kusang nawala ang pagkalasing ko, I almost screamed in pain.

He gave me a confused look, of course, he didn't expect that I am a virgin!

"I'm sorry-

"Let's just finish this" I cut him off, we are already here, it is done already, I do not need him na kaawaan ako at isipin na isa akong tanga.

He started moving slowly, helping me adjust and when I finally was able to adapt on the phase where it was truly satisfying, we danced through the rhythm, and will sometimes call each other's name until we reach each other's climax.

Even before I woke up ay tila nag flashback iyon sa akin kaya nung idinilat ko ang mata ko ay naging marahan ako sa pag ikot to look at the man beside me, who is sleeping peacefully.

I slept with someone!

Sa gitna ng mga problema ko ay nagawa ko pang makipagtalik, ngayon pa talaga?! Vann! What kind of a woman are you?!

At talagang sa isang pulitiko pa! Sa isang congressman.

I just laid down there at payapa syang tinitigan.

Art Theodore.

Theo.

He said I can call him that. He said only his family member or close people calls him that.

I did sleep with him pero that won't change him, he is a playboy. I am just one of the girls he decided to bed last night.

I stood up quietly and picked up my clothes. Tahimik akong nag ayos at tahimik ko ring nilisan ang condo nya.

He is someone big and I am just a random woman, hindi ko na kailangan pang magpaalam dahil hindi na rin naman kami magkikita.

We will go on our separate ways now.