“Hindi ako lampa,” mariing tanggi ni P.
“Oh? Natakid ka sa Australia kaya mo nakilala si Taylor. And the other day at the park, you did the same thing to me. Is that your way of—“ Taylor shot a warning look at Ale. “Making friends?” Hindi niya itinuloy ang gustong sabihin. It wasn’t appropriate anyway.“Kung ikaw din lang, hindi na.” Inirapan siya ng babae. That left him dumbfounded, habang si Taylor ay nagpipigil ng tawa.He kept quiet after that. The woman is clearly nuts, at hindi niya alam kung paano natatagalan ito ni Taylor. Para bang kahit ano’ng sabihin niya sa babae ay offensive ang dating. At isa pa, napakadali nitong maasar sa kaniya. Well, ganoon din naman siya kaya amanos lang sila.Ipinikit na lang niya ang mga mata kaya tuluyang maubos ang pasens’ya kay P. Sa traffic at pagod ay nakatulog s’ya sa biyahe. Nang maalimpungatan ay naka-park na ang sasakyan sa harap ng isang condo, kaya nagtatakang tiningnan niya ang kaibigan.
“Tay, I’m staying at the hotel,” wika niya bago ito umibis ng sasakyan.“It’s too early, and I bet your room is not ready yet. Stay at my place for a bit and let’s eat. I’ll whip something in the kitchen.”Nang malingunan niya si P ay nasa labas na ito at may ka-text sa cellphone. P couldn’t stop smiling and Ale wondered if she was talking to her boyfriend. Nang maisip ‘yon nakaramdam siya ng inis. Hindi niya alam na kanina pa siya inoobserbahan ni Tay.“What?” tanong niya nang may sabihin ito sa kaniya pero hindi niya naunawaan.“I said, she’s not dating anyone. You’re welcome.”Kumunot ang noo niya. “So? What does that have to do with me?” Ang lagay, kailangan pa niyang magpasalamat sa impormasyon na hindi naman niya hinihingi?“You like her, don’t deny it.” He was about to say that Taylor is mistaken pero umiling ito. “Don’t break her heart, Ale. Iba na lang kung hindi mo seseryosohin.” That was the last thing Taylor said before he got out of the car.***Nang makarating sila sa loob ng condo ni Taylor ay hindi sila nagpapansinan ni P. Ang luggage lang nito ang ibinaba mula sa sasakyan, pero ang sa kaniya ay naiwan doon.“Are you staying here?” Hindi niya napigilan ang magtanong. Silang dalawa lang ang nasa sala dahil si Taylor ay nagtungo na sa kusina para magluto.“Why do you care?” Sumagot si P sa kaniya na hindi man lang nag-abala na tapunan siya ng tingin.“Has no one ever told you that it’s rude not to look at the person in the eye when they are talking to you?”“Dad. My brothers,” sagot nito sa kaniya. Hindi pa rin siya tinitingnan. Napansin niya na hindi nito binanggit ang ina.“And you’re still doing it?” sarkastikong tanong ni Ale sa babae.P locked her phone and faced him. “Ay! Tao ka pala? Akala ko sama ka ng loob na ipinaglihi sa tao.” She grinned at him before getting up and leaving him alone.He was taken aback with her response. He stopped going to church a long time ago, pero sa oras na ito— gusto niyang tawagin ang lahat ng santo para bigyan siya ng sapat na pasens’ya para sa babae. Kung alam kaya ni P kung anong klaseng tao siya, pagsupladahan pa kaya siya nito? The thing is the woman has the gall to annoy him, at wala pang nangahas na gawin ito sa kaniya.He followed her a few seconds later, at napatigil siya sa paghakbang nang marinig ang pakikipag-usap nito kay Taylor.“Can I help you with anything?” tanong ni P kay Taylor. “I can cook the bacon.”Tumawa si Taylor. “And burn down the place— Ouch!” Pabirong sinuntok ni P si Taylor.“You’re mean,” kunwari ay nagdaramdam na wika ni P.Taylor laughed a little at ginulo ang buhok ng babae. “Set the table with Ale and rest.”Sumimangot kaagad si P. “I don’t need help.”“Tsk. I’m starting to think what they say is true.” Maang na tumingin si P kay Taylor. “The more you hate, the more you love.” Humalakhak si Taylor.“F—“ P was going to say the f word pero isang tingin lang ni Taylor ay umirap ito. “Nevermind!” Tumalikod na si P at naglakad palayo sa kusina. “Ale!” tawag nito sa kaniya. Nang makita siya nito malapit sa kusina ay kaagad na kumunot ang noo. “How long have you been there?”Of course he’s going to lie. Baka tawagin pa siya nitong tsismoso. “Ngayon lang.”P stared at him for a quick second, at halatang hindi naniniwala. “Help me set the table.”“You forgot the magic word.” If you can’t beat them, join them. Ang lagay ay si P lang ang pwedeng mang-inis sa kanilang dalawa?“Excuse me?” Sumandal s’ya sa hamba at naghintay. P rolled her eyes and said, “Please.”“That’s better. Come.” Hinawakan niya ang kamay ni P at iginiya niya ito pabalik sa kusina.He doesn’t know what he was thinking when he held her hand, but he did anyway. He liked the warmth coming from it, at kahit pasimple nitong hinihila ang kamay ay hindi niya hinayaan. He reached for the plates using his one hand, and did the same with the glasses. Saka lang niya ito binitawan nang kailangan na nilang dalhin sa mesa ang mga plato. P avoided his gaze and went back to the kitchen to get the utensils. Nang ihain ni Taylor ang pagkain ay may naglalaro itong ngiti sa mga labi. Alam niya, Taylor’s teasing him.Naupo sila para kumain. Si Taylor ay nasa kabisera, at nasa magkabilang gilid sila ni P. Tahimik siya habang kumakain at panay ang sulyap sa babae. Simula nang hawakan niya ang kamay nito at naging masuyo ang pakikitungo niya kanina ay para itong nangimi sa kaniya. She barely spared him a glance.“Ale, do you want to go out with us tonight?”Tumingin siya kay P bago tingnan si Taylor. “Where?” Uminom siya ng tubig.“To the bar. We’re going out to get something to drink,” sagot ng kaibigan sa kaniya.“Sure.” Nakita ni Ale ang pagngiwi ni P. Did she not want him to go with them?Taylor drove him to the hotel, at naiwan si P sa condo. She was tired from the trip and went straight to bed after they ate. Hindi niya alam kung mananatili si P sa Maynila o sa Sta. Monica ito titigil. Hindi niya maintindihan ang sarili kung bakit aligaga siya. He should not care where P stayed, but there is that pull he keeps trying to resist. Iba si P sa lahat ng babaeng nakilala niya. “She’s different, no?” Hindi siya umimik at hinayaan ang kaibigan na magsalita. “Pietra came from the Profacis of Palermo. Have you heard about them? They are the leading suppliers of diamonds in Italy and the majority of Europe.” That meant she came from old money, Ale thought to himself. “What does she do for a living?” “She’s an architect— a really good one. P works for one of the top firms in New York as a consultant,” sagot nito sa kaniya. There’s a hint of pride in his voice towards Pietra. “Mayaman naman sila. Bakit kailangan niyang magtrabaho para sa iba? She doesn’t even need to work at
“What the—“ Nalaglag sa sahig si Ale mula sa kama at ‘yon ang nagpagising sa kaniya. Gising na si P at ngayon ay nagniningas ang matang nakatingin sa kaniya habang nakaupo sa gitna ng kama. Magulo ang buhok ng babae at para itong leon na anytime ay sasagpangin siya. “Ano’ng ginawa mo sa akin?!” Maang na napatingin si Ale at saka tumayo para harapin ang babae. “Ginawa— Are you serious?” Lalong tumalim ang tingin nito sa kaniya at kumuyom ang mga kamao. “Ano naman sa tingin mo ang gagawin ko sa ‘yo?”“Magtatanong ba ako kung alam ko?” masungit nitong tanong sa kaniya.She was loud and Ale’s head is hurting from drinking last night and lack of sleep. Nang mahagip ng mga mata niya ang orasan ay wala pang alas sais ng umaga. This woman will be the death of him.“Ako na nga ang nagmagandang loob, ako pa ang masama?” Pietra looked lost. “Sa sobrang saya mo kagabi, naparami ang inom mo. Taylor left early kaya naiwan ka sa akin. And I didn’t have the keys to his condo, so I brought you here.”
Ale made a call downstairs and ordered a few things for P. As much as she is okay going out without a brassiere, mababaliw si Ale kapag nagsimulang mag-attract ng atens’yon si P sa mga lalaki. Baka bumaha ng dugo sa hotel. He can’t understand his feelings right now but something is off with him when it comes to Pietra. Kahit hindi sila nagkakasundo sa maraming bagay, may mga pagkakataon na lihim siyang napapangiti nito. She talks a lot. She talks back at him. But he loves how she can freely speak her mind and not be afraid of the repercussions. A true Profaci princess— that’s what she is. Ibinilin niya kay P na i-receive ang order niya kapag dumating ito. Tanda niya ang sukat nito. She’s a 34B cup. It’s perfect for her size. It’s not too big, but not too small. He even ordered a new underwear to match and a pantyliner to boot. Tatlo silang magkakapatid na lalaki, pero hindi naman siya tanga para hindi malaman ang mga gamit ng babae. Back then, he wanted to know what women need so wh
Ale pinched the bridge of his nose when he heard P’s voice. She’s using Taylor’s phone at hindi niya alam kung bakit. Sa background ay alam niyang nasa bahay ang mga ito. “Saglit lang, Ale. May inuutos lang si Tay sa kasambahay. Are you busy? I can call later—" “It’s fine.” Sinenyasan ni Ale si Leah na mukhang hindi natutuwang nabitin. She looked like she was ravaged. “Do you know why he needed to talk to me?” Leah was trying to work on Ale with those sensual kisses on his neck while he was on the phone. But whatever Leah is doing is not working for him. Kausap niya si P sa kabilang linya at pakiramdam niya ay mali ang ginagawa niya ngayon. They are not even dating. Daig pa niya ang nakulam. “I don’t really know, but he was on a another phone call earlier. Tay looked upset.” “Okay. Just give me a second,” sagot niya sa babae. Tinakpan ni Ale ang mouthpiece at hinarap si Leah. “I can’t today. Rain check?”Leah looked disappointed, but he can’t do anything about it. “Alright. I’m h
Ale woke up from someone humming. He didn’t want to go upstairs to the guest room after his coffee so he stayed on the couch after Taylor left. Malayo na nga ang antok niya kanina ay uminom pa siya ng kape. He was reading an article on his phone when he received an email notification. It was from his brother and he’s pissed that Ale is not answering. Alejandro can’t take a hint, so Ale deleted the email and logged out. Hanggang sa mapagod ang mga mata niya at tuluyang naidlip. Nang magising siya ngayong umaga ay namulatan niya si P na kumakain ng almusal habang may sinusulat sa papel. He got up and walked towards her, pero hindi siya binigyan ng pansin nito. Sa laki niyang tao, imposibleng hindi siya nakita ni P. Hindi niya talaga maintindihan ang babae. Nang nagbreakfast sila ay masaya naman ito. Even when she called him yesterday afternoon, okay rin naman. Inisip na lang ni Ale na baka time of the month ni P. Naupo siya sa tabi nito at pinanood itong gumuhit. Bukod sa lapis, pambur
HIMAYA, SIARGAOThe waves looked beautiful. Pero mas maganda pa rin si Pietra. She had no make up on and there’s barely gloss left on her lips and yet, she looked stunning. Kahit ang pagkakatali ng ponytail niya ay hindi pinag-aksayahang gamitan ng suklay. Nakasuot si Pietra ng isang maxi dress na dilaw at kanina pa pinipigilan ni Ale ang sarili na sabihan itong magpalit ng damit. Kararating lang nila rito ay nag-attract na ito ng atens’yon. He didn’t like it one bit.“Hindi kaya mapulmonya ka sa suot mo?” Pietra snorted. “Sa init na ‘yan? Kahit magsuot ako ng two piece rito ay hindi ako sisipunin. My immune system is strong, Gambino.” Tinapik pa nito ng dalawang beses ang likod niya bago tinungo ang lobby. She knows his last name.Their things were brought to their suite. Pietra didn’t like the idea that they are going to share a room pero iginiit niya na may dalawang queen beds at hindi sila magtatabi pagtulog. Mas madaling bantayan ang babae kung nasa iisang silid sila. The bigges
"That was one good wave! Did you see me?" tanong ni P nang makalapit sa kaniya. Akala niya ay hindi na ito lulubayan ng mga nakikipagkilala. Kaunti na lang talaga at mauubos na ang pasensiya niya kanina. He was about to walk towards her and picked her up. Isasampay na sana niya ito sa balikat na parang sako. Mainit na nga ang panahon, mainit pa ang bumbunan niya. "It was a good wave and you did really well," puri niya sa babae. Saglit itong natigilan at parang na-shock. "What?" Damn! Did he say the wrong thing again? "Did you just give me a compliment?" Kumunot ang noo ni Ale. "You did, didn't you?" Tumawa si Pietra at saka naghalungkat sa bag. Napangiwi ito nang hindi makita ang hinahanap pero kaagad din nagliwanag ang mukha nang mapatingin sa hawak niya. "Uy! Akin na lang 'yan!" Kinuha ni P ang kamay niyang may kapit na flat tops. Isinubo nito 'yon at bahagya pang dumampi ang gilid ng labi nito sa kaniyang daliri. Shit. What she did was enough to set him on fire. Kakaiba talaga
Nang sumunod na gabi ay bihis na bihis si Pietra. She was wearing a turquoise maxi dress at nakalugay ang buhok nito. P had waves on her hair and aside from a little blush and lipstick, wala na siyang ibang kolorete sa mukha. “Where are you going?” Ale just went out for a walk. Nakatanggap siya ng tawag mula kay Estefan kanina at kinukumusta siya. Pauwi ito ng Pilipinas ng isang linggo at gustong makipagkita kung libre siya. “On a date.” P was putting on some bangles at saka isinunod ang manipis na hoop earrings. She looked absolutely stunning. “What? With whom?” Ale does not like this at all. Lumabas lang siya saglit, pagbalik ay may date na ito. “Emilio. He’s on vacation too. He saw me surfing yesterday then we bump into each other at the lobby earlier.”Lalong nagsalubong ang kilay ni Ale. Emilio is a man! Natural! May Emilio bang babae?“When?” Yamot siyang kumuha ng long sleeves at isinuot. It matched his black shorts perfectly. Hinarap siya ni P. “May date ka rin?” Hindi ni