chapter 5

Mabibigat ang pag hinga ni Lexie habang pilit na kinakalma ang sarili.

Pinilit niya rin ang sariling manahimik habang tila isang video tape na paulit-ulit na nag pi-play sa kanyang isipan ang namagitang halik sa kanila ni Ram kanina lamang.

‘Fine, it was a great kiss, hot even but gee… get a hold of yourself and quit thinking Lexie.’

Sermon niya sa sarili saka sandaling inilibot ang tingin sa kabuoan ng mini bar ni Ram.

“You okay?”

Kulang na lamang ay mabitawan ni Lexie ang hawak niyang shot glass nang biglang mag salita si Ram.

“Y-yeah, I am cool. Thank you.”

Sagot niya saka nag pilit ng ngiti.

“Fine I am not okay. How on earth can you stay calm after that mind-blowing kiss?”

Hindi na naka tiis na tanong ni Lexie sa lalaki, nakuha pang tumawa ni Ram bago siya sagutin.

“Well, this is not the first time that I shared a kiss with someone.”

Pa cool na sagot nito saka matamis na ngumiti.

“Yeah ‘cause you had a fair share of women right?”

Pilosopong sabi ni Lexie tapos ay inirapan ito.

“You got it right. Quit thinking about that kiss, that should’ve never even happen in the first place.”

Seryosong sabi ni Ram dahilan para mangunot ang noo ni Lexie.

“Now stop right there!”

She said and gather all her courage to look him straight to his eyes.

“You were the one who kissed me first, and I won’t deny that that kiss was probably the most amazing kiss I’ve ever had and now all of a sudden, you are telling me that what happened between us in your room not so long ago was a mistake?”

Kunot na kunot ang noo at mabilis niyang pag sasalita dahilan para sandaling matigil sa pag inom si Ram.

“I did not say it was a mistake, in fact the kiss was amazing, you are amazing I am just saying that it should not happen again.”

Paliwanag ni Ram, nanatili namang tahimik si Lexie at sinamaan ito ng tingin.

“Not gonna happen again?”

Pag lilinaw niya.

“Nope, not even a peck on the lips.”

Sagot naman ni Ram saka sunod sunod na tumango.

“And that is the rule between us, Lexie and I mean you can’t-“

“Stop again right there.”

Sabing muli ni Lexie.

“I object to that rule.”

Matapang niyang sabi.

“And I reject your objection to that rule.”

“Then I reject your objection to my rejection of your rule.”

“I reje- teka nga, these rejections will not going stop right?”

Kunot noong sabi ni Ram.

“I can keep going.”

Sagot niya saka ngumiti ng makahulugan.

“You are a kid.”

“I am not a kid, I am an adult who’s capable of my own life, I can make my own decisions and that includes giving myself to you, and you can’t say no to that.”

Sabi ni Lexie.

“That’s my new rule.”

Dagdag niya pa, namamangha namang napatitig na lamang sa kanya ang kawawang si Ram.

“You are unbelievable.”

Naiiling na lamang na sabi ni Ram dahilan para matamis na mapangiti si Lexie.

“I am amazing, you said that just a couple of minutes ago.”

Proud na sabi niya saka inisang lagok ang laman ng hawak niyang shot glass.

“So tell me about the ex.”

Ram ordered rather than asked.

“What now? Has this conversation already shifted to an interview, ‘cause I am telling you I am not prepared.”

Naka ngiting biro ni Lexie, napairap naman sa kanya ang lalaki.

“This is actually to help me think if you can be my ‘friend’”

Ganting pag bibiro din sa kanya ni Ram.

“Really? And you will say directly to my face that I can’t be your ‘friend’ after you found out how much broken I am?”

Sabi ni Lexie saka tinitigan ang seryosong lalaki.

“Come on, I want to know you, what is your story Lexie I don’t know your surname.”

Pilit na pag u-usyoso pa ni Ram.

“Well I know your last name.”

Sabi niya saka pilit itong nginitian.

“You and your ex, go.”

Ram ordered, for a minute, Lexie figured that Ram Jordan would not stop asking until she gave him information.

Malakas ang naging pag buntong hininga ni Lexie at nag hintay ng ilang sandali bago nag salita.

“Well, my ex has cheated on me.”

Iyon lamang ang nakuha niyang sabihin, naging dahilan naman ang tipid niyang sinabi para mangunot pang lalo ang noo ni Ram.

“Your ex, what’s he like?”

Tanong pa nito. Lexie turned to her drink and took one more sip before she answered.

“Well, he’s handsome, he was kind, he’s sweet, he cares no, he cared about me and at least I can say he loved me.”

Sabi niya saka mapait na ngumiti.

“Hmm, by the way you talk about that guy makes me wanna cringe. Niloko ka niya shouldn’t you be mad?”

“I am mad Ram.”

“No, I was actually hoping that you will trash talk your ex because I think that is what you need.”

Naka ngiting sabi ni Ram, natawa naman si Lexie dahil doon.

“Hindi ko naman kailangang mang trash talk para ipakitang galit ako, and get this I don’t need to show you how mad I am. Just you know, my ex, he- well for the past six years he became a part of my life, siya ang naging mundo ko sa loob ng anim na taon, I loved him.”

Tila wala sa sariling sabi ni Lexie saka pinilit na pigilin ang nag babadyang mga luha.

“He cheated on you.”

Seryosong sabi ni Ram.

“He did, you know I could pray to Mary again and again and ask her to reset the time, I could pray to Mary until I become Mary but I know that even I pray until my knees bled out it still won’t change the fact that my ex…”

Sabi ni Lexie saka marahas na pinahid ang ilang butil ng luha sa kanyang pisngi.

“That your ex cheated on you.”

Mapait na ngumiti si Lexie saka sunod sunod na tumango nang si Ram na mismo ang nag tuloy sa sasabihin niya.

“You can’t ask your Mary to take back what already happened.”

Seryosong sabi nito.

“I know…”

Sagot naman ni Lexie.

“But you know that you can ask your Mary to help you take away the pain.”

Agad na napa angat ng tingin si Lexie kay Ram, sinalubong naman siya ng matamis na ngiti ng lalaki.

“Why do men cheat?”

Tanong niya pa saka tinulak palapit kay Ram ang kanyang baso para salinan ulit ng alak.

“I am not sure, I never cheated on anyone.”

Naka ngising sabi ni Ram, mabilis ang naging kilos ni Lexie at malakas itong hinampas sa braso.

“Aww! Pero tingin ko, people cheat because that’s just what we do, it is not fun to do all and all but it’s just what we do, people enjoy doing things that aren’t fun.”

Naka ngiti man ay bakas pa rin ang kaseryosohan sa tinig na sabi ni Ram.

“So, tatapusin ba natin ang gabing ito na puno ng drama? ‘Cause I can’t give you anymore advices, Lex.”

Naka ngising sabi ni Ram.

“Well you asked.”

Sagot naman ni Lexie, nakuha niya pang irapan ang lalaki bago muling ininom ang kakasalin lamang na alak ni Ram.

“Hey you wanna forget about your ex?”

Mabilis na nakuha ang atensyon ni Lexie sa biglang tanong na iyon ni Ram.

“Hell yeah!”

Malakas ang boses na sabi niya.

“Why, have you already made out your mind and you are already going to f#ck me now?”

Naka ngising sabi ni Lexie dahilan para mapa iling si Ram.

“Can you pleasure a s#x deprived man in bed?”

Maloko ang ngising tanong sa kanya ni Ram.

“Well that depends…”

Kibit-balikat niyang sabi saka buong tapang na tinitigan ang lalaki.

“I could so do that, Ram. That’s if you are willing to please me in your bed first.”

Mapang akit niyang sabi, nakuha niya pang kagatin ang pang ibabang labi matapos mag salita.

“If I ask you to give me a mind blowing orgasm, are you going to do it, Lexie?”

“If you will do the same, I will.”

Sagot niya.

Sabay pa silang natigilan ni Ram at ilang sandaling binalot ng katahimikan ang paligid, mayamaya pa ay sabay rin silang nag tawanan.

“Oh gosh this is so epic!”

Tumatawang sabi ni Lexie

“I am bad at this.”

Dagdag niya pa saka pinilit ang sarili na tumigil sa pag tawa.

“I know I can tell, Lexie is not good in flirting, I can finally say that to your face.”

“I am not?”

“You are not.”

Desididong sagot ni Ram habang umiiling.

“Don’t judge my flirting techniques, Ram. I can learn.”

Sabi ni Lexie saka tumawa.

Tumagal pa ng ilang oras ang masaya nilang kwentuhan at inuman ni Ram, kung saan saan na rin umabot ang napag usapan nila.

She found out that Ram was indeed a multi-billionaire and owns many businesses in and out of the country, Lexie was pleased to give him a bit of information about herself while being extremely careful not to talk about her relationship with Ram’s nephew or worse speak about her plans of using him.

“It’s two in the morning Ram, I think I should go.”

Sabi ni Lexie, matumba-tumba pa siyang tumayo mula sa barstool na kanyang inuupuan at naging maagap naman sa pag alalay ang lalaki.

“Yeah, masyado nang late para umuwi ka pa, why don’t you just go upstairs and lie down? Ako na ang bahala dito.”

Sabi pa ng lalaki saka iginiya siya sa kinaroroonan ng hagdan.

“I can sleep here? Ram I-“

“That wasn’t a request, Lexie. I am telling you, go to my room and rest.”

Ram said, the look he gave her dared Lexie to argue back.

“Hindi ka na pwedeng umuwi and I can’t drive this late so go upstairs. I will be up there in a little while.”

Dagdag pa ni Ram dahilan para mapasimagot si Lexie, the thought of Claire asking her a lot of questions when she go home later already makes her sick.

“I am not a child, Ram.”

Lexie argued as she stomped her feet.

“Then stop behaving like one.”

He snapped back. Lexie wanted to talk back but later figured that arguing with Ram has no point.

Alam niya rin naman kasi na hindi siya mananalo rito.

“Old with rules.”

Lexie murmured and turned her back at him.

“Lex.”

Tawag sa kanya ni Ram kasabay ng marahan nitong pag hila sa kanya, nahihilo man ay hindi pa rin naging dahilan iyon para mapigil ang kanyang pagka bigla nang halikan ni Ram ang tungki ng kanyang ilong.

“I don’t want to rush things with you, whatever you want with me, sigurado akong hindi iyon tama, I am way older than you and that is why I treat you like a child, so you have to behave yourself.”

Mahabang sabi ni Ram saka walang sabing hinalikan siya sa labi.

“Sinasabi mo ang mga bagay na ito, yet you are pulling me closer to you, you are letting me go and when I am finally ready to turn my back on you, you will again pull me back.”

She said almost a whisper.

“I am happy to know know you, Lexie.”

--

Bagama’t nahihilo dahil sa dami ng nainom ay naka ngiti pa rin si Lexie habang naka higa sa malambot na kama ni Ram.

Kung bakit siya naka ngiti, sa kanyang palagay ay hindi niya alam kung paanong sasagutin, ang alam niya lamang ay masaya siya.

For the first time since Rafael has cheated on her, with Ram, she finally get to genuinely laugh again.

“Ram ain’t so bad after all.”

Lexie said to herself as she dozes to bed.

Naramdaman niya pa ang malalaking brasong yumakap sa kanyang baywang ngunit masyado na siyang inaantok para pansinin pa iyon.

“What the hell are you doing to me, Lexie?”

Just like a dream, Lexie heard Ram whispering to her ears.