Chapter 2: The Search For The Husband 2

Gigil na nagmartsa si Tala patungo sa club. Pagkapasok na pagkapasok niya roon, agad siyang sinalubong ng ingay at usok ng lugar. She searched the place for a moment and made a beeline towards the bar where she saw Elle already enjoying her drink.

She quickly took the seat beside her friend. “Four shots de téquila, s'il vous plait,” sabi niya agad sa nakaabang na bartender. Ngumiti ito at agad na inayos ang order niya.

“Four? Are you that thirsty?” nanlalaki ang mga matang tanong ni Elle sa kanya.

“No, I’m stressed and pissed,” aniya bago sinunod sunod tunggain ang apat na shots ng tequila na mabilis na isinilbi ng bartender sa harap niya.

The drink burned in her throat, warming her insides but not enough to put off the emotions overtaking her. Nang maubos niya ang apat na shots ng tequila, muli siyang um-order ng apat pa.

“Hey, what’s going on, Tala?” Elle asked, her voice filled with worry.

She looked at her only trusted friend ever since she moved to Paris. She didn’t want to do it but she’s desperate.

“Twenty thousand Euros,” she declared in a stern voice.

Elle’s brows furrowed in an instant. “Okay? What’s that—“

“That’s how much you owed me this month after you spent all of your money to your friggin’ Antoine,” aniya, may kaunting gigil ang boses.

Antoine is Elle’s on an off boyfriend. The materialistic college guy clearly was just using her friend and would always spend Elle’s monthly allowance coming from her attache’ father currently stationed in Canada. At ngayon nga, unang linggo pa lang ng buwan, ubos na ang allowance ng kaibigan niya kaya ito umutang sa kanya.

Sandaling natigilan si Elle, wala sa sariling inubos ang cocktail drink nito. “Why are you mentioning all of those suddenly, Tala. I told you, I will pay next month and—“

“I will tell your uncle that you’re still with Antoine even if you’ve assured him last month that you’ve already broken up with him.” Lalong nalukot ang mukha ni Elle. “I will tell him that and more of your secrets,” she continued.

“What?!” gigil nitong singhal, humawak pa nang mahigpit sa braso niya. Elle leaned closer to her and asked with widened eyes, “Have you gone mad, Tala Eloise?”

She laughed. She knew she pushed the right button. “No. My mind has never been this clear, Elle.” Tumuwid siya ng upo, mischief in her eyes. “But don’t worry, I won’t throw you under the bus just yet if… you will help me.”

“Help you with what?”

“You need to say yes first then I will tell you.”

Elle scoffed. “I won’t do that!”

"Fine,” she said before looking for her phone inside her bag.

“What are you doing?”

“I just remembered that I have your uncle-mayor’s number. I’m sure he’d be pissed to know that his niece is still crazy in love with the man he told her not to fall for,” kaswala niyang sabi, panay pa rin ang halungkat ng cellphone sa bag niya.

“Allez! (Oh cmon!) Fine! Yes. Whatever it is you want me to do, yes!” gigil na sabi ni Elle, humawak pa sa braso.

Nag-angat siya ng tingin at ngumisi. Elle rolled her eyes and began mumbling something in French. Siya naman ay muling inubos ang apat na shots ng tequila na nasa harap niya.

Pagbaba niya ng ikaapat na shot glass sa counter, she swore, her vision doubled before it went back to normal again.

Good, she thought.

Kandahilo siyang tumayo bago sumigaw ng, “I am looking for a man to be my husband for a month for fifty thousand euros. The first to kiss me, wins,” she declared.

Agad na nagkagulo ang paligid. She heard rushed footsteps, tumbling chairs and Elle yelling—more like preventing anyone from getting close to her.

“No! Stay away! Trou du cul!” Elle yelled at a young man who tried to approached her.

She giggled as her friend frantically called for the bouncers for help.

Mali ang Daddy niya. With the right amount of money, pwede pa rin siyang makapamili ng lalaking pakakasalan siya.

When the bouncers successfully dispersed the crowd of men surrounding her, nakapamaywang siyang hinarap ni Elle. “Have you gone mad, Tala? Why are you suddenly looking for a husband here?”

“Because it’s the only way,” she replied half laughing, shaking her head a little bit.

“What? Vous êtes fou? (Are you crazy?) Your Dad will hear of this again!”

She laughed at her friend’s face of confusion. “Just do what you promised, Elle. You will help me get hitched tonight or you can say goodbye to your Antoine too.”

Elle stomped her feet in frustration. Sasagot pa sana ito kaya lang may lalaki ulit na nagtangkang lumapit sa pwesto niya. Elle gave the man a tongue-lashing.

She giggled as she watched Elle push the man back to the crowd where the bouncers were. And that’s when her vision began to blur again. She started to feel light headed too. Matatumba na sana siya nang saluhin siya ng lalaking katabi lang ng upuan niya sa bar.

“Are you okay?” the man asked in a deep voice, his hands were on her waist, steadying her.

His voice was pleasant to the ears, soothing like a caress. Even in the poor lighting condition of the place, she knew his eyes were a beautiful shade of brown. He smelled nice too—lemon and sandalwood. She doesn’t know but warmth enveloped her in an instant and she snuggled closer to him.

“I… I need… you,” she whispered absent-mindedly.

Dammit! She sounded like a horny hussy from an indecent film! But what can she do, she liked his smell and warmth.

He chuckled and she felt the rumbling of his hard chest against her fingers.

Oh this man, this man is something, she thought.

She bit her lower lip and looked up at him. Without warning, she tiptoed and gave his unsuspecting mouth a kiss. What's just supposed to be a peck became a full blown kiss when he responded with so much intensity and urgency.

His mouth was hot and inviting.

Delectable.

She knew she really won't mind kissing him until tomorrow but...

When he ended the kiss, she was reeling. From the tequila or the kiss, she doesn’t know. She only knew one thing… it’s him.

She chuckled inwardly, trying to hold on to her logic or what was left of it. Doubts were swirling inside her head. But she quickly shook them away. She had gone there tonight with a purpose-- to find a contract husband for a month. And she won't leave that place without having one.

It's the only way, she convinced herself. Her father left her no choice anyway.

The man helped her get settled to her seat once again with his eyes still locked on hers. She felt the air was sizzling, scorching her with a need she had just read from books.

“What’s your name?” she asked, still reeling.

“Knoxx, mademoiselle,” he replied with confidence.

Knoxx.

She liked his name. Rugged. Mysterious. Delicious.

Perfect.

She smiled and slowly shook her head to get her bearings. “I’m Tala. Well, you kissed me, Knoxx. Do you agree to be my husband for a month?” she asked in a breathy voice.

He paused for a while and studied her. Not a while longer, he grinned and pulled her flushed to him. “Oui, mon cheri,” he declared before claiming her mouth into another fiery kiss.