Six

Nakasunod ang mga mata ni Kassandra kay Xerez habang busy ito sa pagluluto. Nang dumating sila kanina, pumasok ito at sumunod na lang siya. He took his coat off and loosened his necktie. He looks so deliciously hot while cooking with apron on. This guy really knows very well when to put the ingredients and stirs it. 

Kahit nakakunot ang noo, he still looks like a model endorsing a food product. Para siyang nanonood ng cooking show. He placed the adobo in a bowl and added some vegetable salad in a plate. He also moved very smoothly. Para itong animè character na nagluluto. 

"Let's eat," anito. 

Nang-aarok ang mga matang tinitigan niya ito. "Do you really know how to cook?" 

Naninigurado lang siya. Baka bomba ang lasa ng luto nito at hindi maintindihan ang kalalabasan. Tiningnan lang siya nito at ibinalik na ang atensyon sa pagkain. She took a spoon on her mouth. She chewed and made a thumbs up to him. 

So delicious! 

Sunud-sunod na subo ang ginawa niya. Hindi niya alam na expert pala sa pagluluto ang kaharap niya. Kung titingnan, simpleng adobo lang naman. Pag tinikman mo na, mapapapikit ka talaga sa sarap. Gusto sana niyang tanungin ito kung saan nito natutuhan ang pagluluto pero huwag na lang. Baka hindi na naman siya sagutin nito. Tahimik lang silang naghapunan at nagpapakiramdaman. 

Kung sana naging madaldal lang ito, baka ngayon friendship goal na sila. 

Napatingin siya sa wrist watch. "Hala! Nine forty na pala!" Natitilihang saad niya. 

Ibinagsak nito ang kutsara't tinidor sa mesa. His lips formed a thin line. Tumayo ito at lumabas ng kusina. Nagmamadali namang t-in-ext niya si Pia na hindi na lang papasok. Late na rin naman siya. Mukhang tapos na ring kumain ang lalakeng laging aburido. She stood up and cleaned the table. She brought the plates to the kitchen sink and washed it. Hindi niya alam kung saan naman pumunta ang may-ari ng bahay na 'to. 

Xerez. What a beautiful name. The name itself sounds very moody and dangerous. Dangerous?

Ipinilig niya ang ulo. Kung anu-ano na naman ang pumapasok sa isip niya. She shouldn't think that way. Pakialam naman niya sa lalakeng ito? He's nothing but a cold-hearted jerk. 

But I enjoyed every moment with him. Yes, she's always looking forward to seeing him every day.

She heard heavy footsteps so she turned around. Still, his face is unreadable. His face is dark and gloomy. May inilapag itong papel sa mesa at lumabas ulit. She picked it up and found herself shocked from the amount that was written on it. One hundred thousand peso bills!

She left the cheque again earlier inside his car before getting off but look what's in flesh right now.

Yung totoo, ano ba talaga ang trabaho ng isang 'yon at parang barya lang dito ang pera? Then she remembered the debt of her father to some goons. She was torn between keeping the money and know something deeper about that Xerez guy. 

She slid it in her pocket and guided herself to the back door leading to the pool. There she saw the guy silently drinking wine with a cigar between his fingers. This is her second time seeing him smoking. She must admit that the sight of him smoking just added to his sex appeal.

Handsome is not enough to describe this guy. She shook her head. She feels like dreaming every time he's around. Dahan-dahan siyang lumapit dito at umupo sa tapat nito. 

He looked at her coldly. "I thought you already left." 

"Why are you smoking?" She asked instead. 

Ilang segundo bago ito sumagot. "I smoke when I'm thinking or stress." He answered and that made her stare at him. 

She poured herself a drink. It's would be her first time to drink and taste some wine. Kahit Tanduay, Emperador or Red Horse, hindi pa siya nakakatikim. 

"Let me ask you some questions, " aniya. "What's your whole name?" 

Tinitigan muna siya nito bago sumagot. Waring tinatantiya ang tono niya kung nagbibiro ba o hindi. 

"Xerez Castellano." 

Her forehead knotted. "Castellano? Are you related perhaps to Castellano Holdings and-" She stopped for a while. Castellano Holdings and Castellano Incorporated was one of the leading companies in Asia. "Hindi naman siguro. Napaka-common ng apelyido mo." 

He didn't say a word. 

"Sa'n ka nagtatrabaho?" 

"I have my own business." 

"Weee?" Parang joke eh. May nakakatagal ba sa kasungitan ng isang 'to? Probably no one. Oh wait. She can tolerate his absent-mindedness. Napailing na lang siya sa naisip.

She placed the money in the table in front of them. "Why are you giving me this?" 

"It's the refund of the money you could earn tonight," simpleng tugon nito. Ibinaba nito ang sigarilyo at uminom ng alak. 

Napanganga siya. One hundred thousand? Swerte na ngang maka-singko mil siya sa isang gabi e. "Seryoso ka ba?" 

"Dead serious." 

They were staring at each other for a moment. She doesn't want to break the magic that's enveloping them. Para kasing hindi ito masungit sa pagkakataong 'yon. Malamlam ang mga mata nito habang nakatitig din sa kanya. 

"I have the cheque that you left intentionally."

Nagbaba siya ng tingin. Hindi niya kayang tanggapin ang mga binibigay nito. Wala naman siyang ginagawa kaya bakit tatanggapin niya? 

Napatikhim siya nang wala sa oras. "H-Hindi ka ba magtatanong tungkol sa 'kin?" 

"I know everything about you," mahinang sagot nito. 

"Ha?" 

"Nevermind." He looked at his wrist watch and stood up. "Let's go. I'll bring you home." 

Habang nasa daan, hindi niya maiwasang lingunin ito. She has this good feeling that they just have gotten closer. Hindi niya alam pero biglang sumasal ang tibok ng puso niya habang pinagmamasdan ito. 

"Bakit bigla ka na lang sumusulpot sa tabi ko? Won't your girlfriend get mad at you?" 

Please say you don't have one. 

"Don't have one." 

Nagbunyi yata ang puso niya sa narinig at napangiti nang malawak. Good thing Xerez isn't looking at her or else, he would see how happy she was. Ilang sandali pa ay sinapit na nila ang boarding house niya. Gusto pa sana niyang makasama ito pero nahihiya naman siyang ayain itong magkape. 

"Ahm... I... G-Gusto mo bang magkape?" Alanganin niyang tanong. 

Ewan niya at parang may sariling isip ang bibig niya at bigla na lang nagsalita. 

Sandali itong nag-isip. "Sure." 

Pumasok silang dalawa at nakasalubong ang kapitbahay niyang si Rachel. Just like normal girls, may insecurities din siya sa katawan. A lot of people said she's beautiful inside and out but she never believed that. Unlike Rachel, she's almost perfect. From porcelain-like skin to pretty face. One thing she knew as her flaw is just like her, she also works as a stripper. Si Pia ang nagsabi n'on sa kanya. Wala eh, chismosa din ang kaibigan niya. Maraming beses na rin niyang nakita na may dinadala itong lalake sa kwarto nito. 

Rachel's eyes glued at Xerez. She knew very well how great she was at flirting. Ngayon pa lang ay hindi na maganda ang pakiramdam niya. Natatakot siya at baka mabaling ang atensyon ni Xerez dito. She needed to do something so that girl can't snatch Xerez away from her. Hinawakan niya ito sa braso at pumasok na sila ng kwarto niya. Hindi niya alam ang iniisip nito sa ginawa niya pero wala na siyang pakialam d'on. Ang importante ay mailayo niya ito sa hitad na 'yon. 

"Huwag mong papansinin 'yon. Aswang 'yun," aniya. She wanted to laugh at her own words.

Aswang talaga, Kassandra? 

Xerez remained silent but there was something in his dark emotionless eyes.

Magtitimpla na sana siya ng kape nang tumayo ito at lumapit sa pinto. 

"Where are you going?" Tanong niya. 

Lumapit ito sa kanya at parang nanigas siya nang haplusin nito ang pisngi niya. "I still have things to do. Rest well," he said and let go of her face. 

Wala na sa harap niya si Xerez pero parang wala pa rin siya sa sarili. 

Did he just touched my face?

Gusto niyang tumalon sa kilig. She never thought he would actually caress her face. Her heart was celebrating and fell asleep with Xerez still in her mind.

Mag-iisang linggo nang hindi nagpapakita si Xerez sa kanya. Hindi siya nag-aalala pero gusto niyang malaman kung buhay pa ba ito. Of course, he's very much alive. Nararamdaman niya iyon. Maalala lang niya ito ay bumibilis agad ang tibok ng puso niya. She must accept the fact that he's already digging his way into her heart slowly by slowly. Pero may pangamba at takot ang namamahay sa kanya. What if he's just playing with her? Makakaya ba niya ang sakit pag umalis na ito? Now that he's not showing himself to her, her heart tightened inside her chest. Parang gustong tumakas ng mga luha sa mga mata niya. Nakatulugan na niya ang isiping iyon. 

Naalimpungatan lang siya nang tila may nakadagan sa tiyan niya. She turned to her side and her eyes suddenly widened when she saw Xerez sleeping next to her. Nakayakap ito sa kanya at tumatama sa leeg niya ang mabangong hininga nito. He look so handsome in every way. Magulo ang light brown na buhok nito at bahagyang nakaawang ang mga labi. She wanted to kiss this tempting emotionless guy beside her but stopped herself.

How did he got in? When did he arrived? Their position also appears to be natural. Yung parang common na lang sa kanila ang position na 'to. 

Pag naging boyfriend ko ang bato na 'to, iinggitin ko nang todo ang mga kababaihan, pilya niyang naisip. She was about to lift his arm so she could free herself but his embrace became tighter. 

Napahugot siya ng hininga nang wala sa oras. 

God! Please clean my dirty mind! She wanted to hug him back and kiss him senselessly pero baka magising ito nang tuluyan. She tilted her head a bit to have better access on his face. He's really like a character from a comic book. Too gorgeous to be true. Pinagkasya na lang niya ang sarili sa pagtitig at pagnasa dito habang may pagkakataon pa siya. 

Wait! Pagnanasa? Seriously, self? Gusto niyang matawa sa mga naiisip. Hindi na niya namalayan na nakatulog na ulit siya.