Chapter 3: Not Her Bed

MINULAT KO ANG MGA MATA KO. Isang kulay peach na kisame ang tumambad sa akin. Unti-unti, umupo ako sa kama habang hawak ang noo ko. I feel an aching pressure on my skull. Mas lalo lang sumakit iyon nang masuri ko ang kabuoan ng kwarto.

Shit. Anong ginawa ko kagabi?

Where the heck is my pink bed? Where are my heart-shaped couches? Who the hell replaced my cherry blossom curtains?

Bigla akong napatakip ng bibig nang may ma-realize. Ang yaman ng kumidnap sa akin at dinala pa ako sa isang condo. How considerate can this kidnapper be?

The interiors were minimalistic. Akala ko'y peach ang kulay ng kwarto, but as I observed, they were painted white. Nakasara pa ang kulay gray na kurtina kaya medyo madilim sa loob. The lamp on the bedside table was the one emitting yellow-peach light.

Natauhan ako bigla kaya bilis-bilis kong sinilip ang ilalim ng comforter. Every small thing in this room reminds me of a man. Kung disente man o hindi, it doesn't matter. What matters now is my dignity.

A decent man or not, may pagnanasa pa rin. Nauulol kapag nakakakita ng isang katulad ko.

Nang masilip ko ang sarili ko, I hugged the comforters and covered my body. Halos lumuwa ang mga mata ko nang matanto ang suot ko sa ilalim. Saka nilibot ko ang aking paningin sa kwarto nang may pangamba.

These aren't my clothes! Sigurado akong kulay pula ang damit ko kagabi. I am not wearing this kind of clothes. Not some white oversized shirt and a black cycling shorts.

I shut my eyes. For a moment, my mind is in a daze. Hindi nga ako nagsuot ng cycling shorts kagabi, ngayon pa kaya. I was ready to avenge myself last night by wearing sexy lingerie. I want others to see me as some valuable piece. Gusto kong magsisi si Jacob dahil pinagpalit niya ako sa tanso.

But truly, hindi ko ginusto 'yon. Nadala lang ako ng galit, but I really want to stay untouched throughout the evening. Kahit na may nakilala akong lalaki kagabi.

Wait.

Lalaki?

Right. I was with a man last night.

Kung gayon, he brought me here. He fucking brought me here and then… Shit! Just holyshit!

Don't tell me… Don't tell me he took advantage of me, of my vulnerability?!

Pero ano nga ba ang ginawa ko kagabi? Ano nga ba ang ginawa namin kagabi?

Damn, I only remember fragments of what happened last night. I know for sure that he held my arm noong paglabas ko ng pinto. But what comes after is a forgotten memory. Hindi ko na maalala kung ano o saan niya ako dinala! All I know is, he eventually brought me here in his condo and… and explored my body while I was extremely drunk last night!

"Ahh! Who are you?!" I screamed.

Isang lalaki ang lumabas sa pinto sa gitna ng pag-iisip ko. To my astonishment, he just got out half-naked from the bathroom. Halos lumuwa ang mga eyeballs ko sa katawan niya.

I have seen such built before, but this man's body is that of a Greek god. Strong, muscular, and oozing with so much sex appeal. Bigla kong nayakap ang buong katawan ko dahil sa maaaring gawin niya sa akin.

"What are you looking at?!" tarantang sigaw ko. "Bakit ka naligo? W-What happened between us?!"

Hindi siya sumagot at tinitigan lang ako. His pale green eyes appeared innocent as he stood there normally, wiping his hair with a towel. Why is he so calm?!

Paano niya nagagawang magpatay-malisya gayong pinagdiskitahan niya ang katawan ko? Is he looking at me that way because he remembers something from last night? In a scale of ten, gaano siya kabastos?

"Why the hell am I here?! Did you, perhaps, drug me and take me in your place, so you could put ransom above my head?!"

"Feeling…"

"What?!" My eyes enlarged. Then, what he said suddenly echoed inside me. "Hindi ako nagfe-feeling! Ikaw ang nagdala sa akin dito! May ginawa ka sa katawan ko! How dare you make a fool out of me! Binaboy mo 'ko!"

"Tsk. I did not," said the man all casually.

He began walking towards a room that looked like his walk-in closet. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin habang nalilito pa rin sa pinagsasabi niya. Surely, I can spot a liar. But this man who's in the same room as me, is a difficult one. Parang nagsisinungaling na nagsasabi ng totoo. I don't know.

"What do you mean… walang nangyari sa atin?" tanong ko.

"Hmm?" Dumungaw ang ulo niya mula sa sliding door. His face is teasing. "Why? Are you disappointed that nothing happened between us?"

"What? No!" Tumayo ako mula sa kama nang mawala ang hilo ko. "Ang ibig kong sabihin, how the hell did you unclothe me?!"

Naglakad ako malapit sa walk-in closet niya sapat para marinig niya ako. "Bakit ganito ang suot ko?! Where are my belongings?!"

"I put them here," aniya.

"Oh, Jesus! Ikaw ba ang…" Nag-hesitate ako bigla sa naiisip ko, but I will ask anyway. "Ikaw ba ang nagpalit ng panty ko that's why I'm wearing clothes that aren't all mine?!"

Silence.

Napalunok ako. Kinikilabutan ako sa pagwawalang-kibo niya. The question was too simple. It's answerable by a yes or no.

"What is taking you so long to say no?!" hiyaw ko, galit na galit. "Oo, wala ngang nangyari sa atin kasi hindi naman masakit 'yong… basta! Maybe, something happened other than sex-"

"Here are your belongings…" He went out neatly clothed. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin patungo sa living room ng kanyang condo. "I had them cleaned and dried last night. Do you want to have breakfast with me? You look like you're about to devour me."

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "Bakit mo pinalabhan ang mga damit ko?"

He shrugged. "Seems like you don't remember, Miss."

"I don't remember me undressing myself. Hinubaran mo ba ako?"

Bigla siyang humalakhak at mas lalong sumama ang loob ko. "Hindi ko gawain 'yan. Kung sasabihin ko ang ginawa mo, you might not want to stay here any longer."

"Give me back my dress!"

He chuckled once again. "Ayaw mo bang malaman kung papaano ka napunta rito-"

"Wala na akong pake!" I cut. "Just give me back my dress and I'm leaving this place!"

"Please, don't shout..."

May gana pa siyang pangaralan ako sa kabila ng lahat. At may lakas pa rin siya ng loob na ngumiti sa kabila ng pagsisigaw ko.

Since I insisted to have my dress back, binigay niya iyon nang may pag-iingat. And because I'm upset at his cocky behavior, hinablot ko iyon at tinalikuran siya. But before I could slide the door close to his walk-in closet, inirapan ko siya nang sobrang diin, which left him all smiling like an idiot.

Pagkapasok ko ng kwarto, agad akong nagpalit ng damit ko. I had no time to admire the room. Wala rin naman akong makikita dahil minimalistic ang design. I prefer more complex colors like an abstract.

"Where will you go? Eat first," alok ng lalaki pagkalabas ko ng kwarto.

Nilapag niya ang dalawang plato sa kitchen counter saka nagsalin ng tubig para sa dalawang baso. Obviously, he made an effort to prepare it for us. Mukha ring masarap ang mga niluto niya. I can see smoke from the soup he just made.

"I'm not hungry," sabi ko.

"Really?" Nagtaas siya ng kilay. "You just woke up at busog ka na agad?"

"Yes, I am hungry!" Aminado ako. "But I seem to lose my appetite eating with you."

Kailangan ko nang umalis. I never want our paths to cross again. I can't take being in the same room with this man. Though he looks harmless and nice, I can't totally trust him. Gayong hindi ko alam kung papaano niya ako nabihisan.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a sip?"

Umiling ako. "I am sure that I never want to see you again. And if ever you cross paths with me, huwag mo 'kong kausapin o lapitan. Pretend that you don't know me. Sa ganoong paraan, I can forgive you for undressing me without my consent."