Chapter 5

"Let's party!" Mary shouted in the middle of the crowd where they are dancing.

"whoaaa!" sigaw din ni Emily, a bit wasted already.

"so Em, what problem do you have?" sigaw ni Mary sakanya habang nagsasayaw sila. Natawa naman si Emily sa approach nito, nagtanong pa talaga ito sa gitna ng kasiyahan nila, na nakalimutan na ni Emily yung bumabagabag sakanya.

"now's not the right time for that, my bad. we're having fun, I don't want that to be ruined by my problems." She shouted back so that they can hear her.

"it's that bad?" sabat naman ni Mary.

umiling-iling si Emily habang nagsasayaw parin sila. "No, but any problem has a potential of ruining the good mood either it's small or big so let's not talk about that right now." she said na nagpatango sa mga kaibigan n'ya.

Patuloy parin sila sa pagsasayaw lalo na si Emily na nakailang baso narin ng wine. Medyo lasing na rin si Emily pero alam n'ya pa yung ginagawa n'ya, nakakakilala pa siya ng tao.

"I didn't know that you go to this kind of place." biglang ani ng estranghero sakanya ng kumuha siya ng panibagong maiinom n'ya.

napalingon si Emily sa tabi n'ya ng sinabi nito iyon at nagulat si Emily ng makita n'ya ang lalaking nagsalita ay ang lalaking may ka-date na skandalosa kahapon.

"hey? it was you yesterday, the one who has a scandalous date." she said and pointing her finger to him.

napatawa ang lalaki sakanya. "yeah it was me." anito. "but you don't have to say na I had scandalous date, I was forced to date her yesterday by my mom." He continued which made Emily chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I remember you for that kasi. It's like my impression of you is having a date with someone who is scandalous and loves to humiliate less fortunate people because of some dress or unimportant things." she replied.

"you tell me about it." he smirk upon saying that. "my mom loves setting me up for dates with some random girls that she sees potential of bearing my child." pagsisimula pa ng kwento nito.

"every woman has a potential of bearing a man's child." tugon n'ya pa dito.

"precisely, kaya nga this month lang, more than thirty women na ang naka date ko because of my mom and I make her promise yesterday that it'll be the last one. Lahat naman kasi palpak, just like yesterday." napailing-iling nalang si Emily dito.

Napatigil ang estranghero sa pagku-kwento ng parang may narealize ito.

"I'm over sharing with a stranger." may konting gulat sa boses nito.

"it's fine. I know a lot of people like you, you tend to overshare things with people that you feel comfortable with. Don't worry, you can trust me with your problems." biro n'ya pa sa binata na may konting katotohanan.

The guy chuckled when she said that. "I'm Anthony, by the way." pagpapakilala pa nito.

"Emily." she replied.

"so Emily, I viewed you yesterday as a very innocent woman with a very elegant yet professional personality, I didn't expect to see you here." ani pa nito sabay ikot ng tingin sa loob ng bar.

"well, have some problems as well and a drink with a good dance can slightly take it all away." she said comfortably to a stranger, well, not by name because he just introduced himself to her just a second ago.

napansin ni Emily na panay tingin ito sa kaibigan n'yang si Matilda na ngayo'y medyo may tama na din sa alak at hayok na kung makasayaw sa dance floor.

"you like my friend? sorry, off limits." she said to him. She viewed Anthony as the womanizer kind of a man. He's the type that you'll see in every woman's bedroom every morning, all naked. She's not judging at all, that's just how her first impression of him yesterday. Sa likod ng matipuno at nakaka-attract nitong sex appeal, idagdag mo pa na napaka elegante nitong magdala ng damit na mahahalata mo talaga galing ito sa mayamang pamilya at ito mismo nagmamay-ari ng sarili nitong kompanya, may tinatago itong kalandian na nakikita ni Emily sa mga mata nito at may iba pang napapansin si Emily sa paraan ng pagtitig nito sa mga tao na para bang inaaral nito bawat galaw nila.

"Matilda? no." he replied while laughing at what she said.

"you know my friend? how?" she confusingly asked him.

"I'm Gideon's friend, if you know him." nanlaki ang mata ni Emily sa sinabi nito.

"you're his friend!? How come I don't know you?" tugon n'ya pa dito.

nagkibit-balikat ang binata sa sinabi n'ya. "maybe because I was busy before and I was in America for quite some time before I come back here in the Philippines." That explains.

"you wanna dance?" aya nito matapos matahimik ni Emily sa huling sinabi nito.

ngumiti si Emily dito at dahil narin siguro sa tama ng alak, excited siyang tumango dito at inubos ang matapang na wine na inorder n'ya saka siya nagpatangay kay Anthony sa dance floor.

Emily and Anthony danced in the rhythm of the music seductively. Not minding if they just met yesterday, as long as they're having fun.

Nakahawak na sa beywang ng dalaga si Anthony habang ang mga kamay naman ni Emily ay nakasabit sa magkabilang balikat ni Anthony habang nakapikit ang mata at dinamdam ang ganda ng music na nagpapagiling sa beywang n'ya habang sinisiksik ang sarili sa binata.

Naramdaman ni Emily ang paghigpit ng hawak ni Anthony sa beywang n'ya lalo na nang tinalikuran n'ya ito at dinikit ang puwetan sa pagkalalaki nito na nararamdaman ni Emily na unti-unti ng nabubuhay. Emily loves teasing.

Patuloy sila sa pagsasayaw and Emily also continued teasing Anthony, until Anthony buried his face into Emily's neck at dinilaan ito doon.

Napaigtad si Emily sa ginawa nitong iyon, it was the first time that someone did something like that to her even after all the partying she has done. Napaharap siya kay Anthony and she saw him smirk.

"first time to experience that?" he is teasing her this time. sa lakas ng music, at sa hina ng pagkakasabi nito niyon, narinig talaga ni Emily ang mga sinabi nito at kung paano naging sobrang kaakit-akit ang boses nito habang sinasabi iyon. Hindi n'ya alam kung dala ba yun ng alak or baka dahil lang talaga sa nakakaakit ang binatang kaharap n'ya.

nilapit ni Anthony ang mga labi sa tenga n'ya para bumulong.

"you're so innocent, I find you very innocent even after how you sexy dance me but I can't help but to be turned on by you, darling." lumakas ang kabog ng dibdib ni Emily. She hasn't experienced anything like that before. Yes, she goes to a bar, have a drink and dance in the dance floor but she never lets a man dance with her nor touch her that's why she was also confused on why she said yes to a dance with this man.

humarap ulit sakanya si Anthony na ngayo'y ang pungay ng mga matang nakatitig sakanya. Her stare goes down from his eyes, down to his nose and down to his pinkish lips.

"kiss me, Emily. kiss me, darling." hindi alam ni Emily kung anong klaseng pagninipula ang ginawa nito but she follow what he said.

She kissed him.