Chapter Two

“What?” gulat na reaksyon ni Pepper sa sinabi ng kaibigang si Oliver. “How can she get pregnant? That’s impossible!”

“Why is it impossible?” nakakunot-noo ang kaibigan niya habang nakaupo sa isa sa mga armchairs sa isang sulok ng maluwang na opisina ni Pepper sa industrial design na interiors ng workplace niya sa Ortigas.

It was a double warehouse and headquarters. He had just acquired the place last year, and this year, they were working to acquire financing for a much larger project, isang business na kino-consolidate nila ng dalawa pang mga kaibigang wala roon ng mga sandaling iyon dahil parehong may personal na mga lakad.

“Maniwala ako sa ‘yo, p’re. Noong hinila ka niya paakyat sa kwarto hindi na kayo nakababa.”

Umiling siya habang nag-iinit ang mga pisngi. “Nalasing kasi ako kaya nahila niya ako sa kanyang kwarto. It’s not like we didn’t try. I wasn’t into it. Saka…” Naiinis na naisuklay niya ang mga daliri sa kanyang buhok. “Hindi ako sumama sa kanya sa taas to have sex. Hindi iyon ang usapan namin.”

Oliver snorted. “Ano? To sleep?”

Tumingin siya sa kaibigan. “Exactly.”

Napatigil ito sa pagtawa nang makitang seryoso siya. “The fuck?!”

“I was sleeping on my feet while everybody else was still busy enjoying the night. I flew to Hongkong then to Singapore and got back the same day, remember? Hindi nga ako dapat pupunta pero sabi mo, the others would be coming.”

“Well, they were. It was a party.”

“Pero hindi mo nilinaw na ganoong klase ng party, at hindi mo rin nilinaw na bahay ng Hanna na ‘yon ‘yon. I thought we’ll get to talk about an update because you promised me one, remember? I didn’t go there to fuck anyone!”

Napakibit na lang ito ng mga balikat. It was true, He broke up with his ex last year and buried himself in work, and he actually was enjoying working. Tatlong franchise ang nabuo niya dahil doon.

And they were about to consolidate their businesses under one company, but they needed financing for it. Hindi nila gustong lumapit sa kanilang mga magulang.

Noong gabing iyon, kahit galing siya sa byahe from Hongkong, nagtungo siya sa party para mag-relax at makausap ang mga kaibigan. “I was exhausted. She offered her bed. When we got upstairs, she told me she thought it was only a trick to get her alone. Fuck, no. She got… insulted.”

“Ahhh…” natatawa nitong ungol habang napapa-kamot sa noo. “I cannot believe nothing happened. Nothing at all?”

“I did participate in the kissing and we kind of got… anyway, she took the condom from my wallet and it’s not like our cocks actually listen to us. Nagyabang nang konti…” Napailing pa siya habang naaalala ang gabing iyon. “Frankly, it’s embarrassing. I remember laying on my back, and then I… pretended to fall asleep because I just couldn’t get it up for long, and she got angrier and left me. I didn’t even care. I was too sleepy. Stop laughing, fuck it! It’s not funny, okay? I didn’t get anyone pregnant, then or ever. Fuck it!”

Parang umaalingawngaw ang tawa ni Oliver sa buong office. Hawak pa nito ang tiyan habang nagpapahid ng luha. “Are you absolutely sure na wala siyang ginawa habang tulog ka?” tanong nito nang makabawi para makapagsalita.

“Wala,” pamaktol niyang sagot niya habang nararamdaman ang pag-iinit ng kanyang buong mukha. “Look, listening to me now, I know I sound lame, like I’m just making an excuse.”

Umiiling-iling ito pero ang tawa ay sumasang-ayon.

“But I really wasn’t into Hanna, you know that. I didn’t want to do it, dammit, but she was just… rubbing all over me… at akala niya talaga may mangyayari.”

“Then why did you let us believe something did? We’d been ribbing you about it. She’s been telling friends about it.”

“What do you think should I have said? Gago ka ba? Stop laughing!”

Halos mamilipit si Oliver, kiliting kiliti sa pagtawa.

“She was trying to save face. But saying I got her pregnant now is very wrong, dude. It’s not like I flirted with her.”

“You flirted with all of them,” anito.

“Precisely! Para walang mag-iisip na I was singling someone. Lalo na si Hanna. I wouldn’t date an artista. Alam mong ayoko ng public life.”

“Ano ngayong gagawin mo? Napakaraming nakakita sa party na umakyat ka sa hagdang iyon kasama siya.”

“What I remember was waking up after about two hours and throwing an unused rubber away. I couldn’t find you, so I thought you were in one of the rooms with someone else, so I left. These stupid parties you go to…” Napailing siya. “Ikaw ang may kasalanan nito, eh.”

Napabunghalit na naman ng tawa si Oliver. Honestly, he might throw something at him. Like the swivel chair. “Sinong maniniwalang tinulugan mo lang ang hot at seksing actress na si Hanna Montes?” tanong pa rin ni Oliver, pero rhetorical na iyon. Namomroblema na rin ito. “Lagot.”

“I don’t know. Why will I have to explain or say anything? I didn’t get her pregnant. It will come out in the end.”

Napailing si Oliver. “Hindi pa niya kinukumpirma kung sino pero malaking ingay noong inamin niyang buntis siya kaya siya hinimatay sa shooting.”

“Impossible,” gigil niyang ulit. “I'm telling you the truth, dude. There’s no reason for me to lie about it.”

Nagbuntonghininga ito, saka sandaling nag-isip. “Halos tapos na tayo sa mga kailangan para sa pagse-secure ng financing. Mabuti pa yata ay umalis ka muna. Kami na muna nina Rick ang bahalang kumontrol nitong gulong ito.”

“Pati ba sina Rick, naniniwala?”

Napailing ito. “Skeptical, as I am. I, for one, believed you fucked her, but I couldn’t believe you’d been that reckless.”

“I know, right?” sarcastic niyang sabi habang tinataliman ito ng tingin. Mukha na naman kasi itong tatawa, at namumula na ito sa saya at his expense.

“Ang problema ay ang PR ng business natin, pare. May clean rep si Hanna sa kanyang mga fans. She’s using the v-card.”

“Ako ang victim dito,” protesta niya.

“No, virgin-card. Like you’re the first. And it’s not like you’re no one.”

Napapikit siya at napahawak sa ulo. “Arrrgh!”

“It can affect our patrons. Puro wokes pa mostly ang mga fans niya so… this could get brutal.”

Napakamot siya sa batok. “Ahh, wala akong pakialam sa kanila. I’m thinking of Mom and Dad, though. Ayokong mag-alala sila.” His parents were both surgeons and had been proud when he got his own bit of fame playing football for his college in the UAAP. But they eventually hadn’t enjoyed the fame. Nag-iisa siyang anak, and they maintained having family day once a week. Lagi silang naiistorbo noon ng mga fans na sumusugod kapag nasa labas sila, o lumalapit kapag kumakain sila sa resto. Lalo na kapag may tsismis tungkol sa kanya na hindi totoo. He knew they were grateful noong nag-wind down na iyon noong maka-graduate siya at sumabak sa pagsisimula ng mga businesses mula sa mga ideas nila ng mga kaibigan niya.

Sandali siyang nag-isip, saka napailing. “I’d lie low.”

“Better.”

“Kayo muna nina Rick and Jim dito?”

“You can depend on us. Saan ka pupunta? Not somewhere na malalaman ng mga fans niya.”

Nakakunot ang kanyang noo habang napapaupo. “Hindi ko pa alam.”

“Never mind. Kami na ang maghahanap para sa ‘yo. Pack a bag and we’ll let you know in the morning.”

Napagsalikop niya ang kanyang mga kamay habang masama ang tingin sa mga dokumentong nasa kanyang mesa. Dinatnan siya nitong nagtatrabaho. “This is stupid. There’s DNA. How can she think she can do this to me? Hindi ba niya ako kilala?”

“Because she needed to make noise dahil may movie. They do that, you know. We’re not even sure she’s really pregnant. She’s been vocal about being your admirer noon pa mang Ateneo days natin.”

Nagbuntonghininga siya. Hanna wasn’t the only one. He’d had stalkers. That disturbed his mother pretty much.

Or that time na may nagtangkang magpakamatay because he wouldn’t date her daw, when he never even met her or knew her. She’d been asking him through emails he never had the chance to open.

His mom was relieved when he went out of the country for two years for his entrepreneurship studies. It’s been seven years now, pero nakikita pa niyang nagpi-freeze ito sa iilang mga pagkakataon these days na meron pa ring lumalapit sa kanya para magpa-autograph.

He thought those days were over. Inipon lang pala ang kabaliwan, at sa isang artista pa mandin.