Chapter 8

My hand was on the doorknob, and I had about four seconds to decide who I wanted to be.

Option one: the sensible woman who said goodnight through the door and went back to her lumpy sofa bed. Option two: the woman who had cried on a beach tonight and badly wanted to be held without anyone asking why.

Bahala na. I opened the door.

Lex stood in the dark living room in a gray T-shirt and pajama, one hand on the doorframe, the other closed in a fist. He looked like he had been standing there a long time, arguing with himself and losing.

"I couldn't sleep," he said.

"Neither could I."

"I know. I could hear you turn over every eleven seconds."

"Hindi yun reason to knock on my door at one in the morning."

"No. But this is."

He opened his fist and on his palm lay a tiny, slightly crushed, cream-colored crocheted moon.

My breath left me. "You found it."

"Under the sofa, after the lights came back." Pag-amin niya. "I should have told you in the elevator. I'm sorry."

"Bakit hindi mo sinabi?"

He was quiet so long I thought he wouldn't answer. Then, softly: "Because it gave me a reason to knock."

Hindi ako naka sagot. My heart did something between a skip and a flip.

I looked at my other luna earring, then, before I could think, I folded his fingers back around it.

"Keep it," I said. "For luck. Until I can make you the other half. I'll keep mine."

He looked down at his closed hand as if it held something that could break, and then up at me, and the air changed.

Hindi ito iyong biglaang spark na parang kidlat. It was slower, mas banayad, pero mas mahirap pigilan. It was like a rubber band that has been stretched, finally reaching its limit. I could smell the rain in his hair. I could see his pulse in his throat.

"Rule five," I reminded him.

"This suite is too small for rule five.” He let out a shaky laugh. "What do you do with a rule when the room is the problem?"

"You leave the room."

"Where?"

"Out. Somewhere with a lot of people and no beds." I grabbed my clutch. "Neutral territory."

"It's one in the morning."

"It's Hawaii. We can't be the only ones still awake."

Tinitigan niya ako, then gave me a slow and wicked grin. "Give me two minutes to find good pants."

The lobby was nearly empty, and the air outside was warm and smelled of wet leaves and plumeria.

Parked at the curb was a very familiar van playing soft Hawaiian music.

"Miss Luna!" Sigaw ni Uncle Dale when he saw us. "I knew it! After the storm, everybody goes out. You hungry? Thirsty? In love?"

"Uncle Dale," sagot ko. "It’s one in the morning, why are you still here?"

"Pau hana," he said mysteriously. "After work. Who's your friend?"

"Lex Legaspi. I'm her—" Lex stopped. There was a long pause. 

"Colleague," he finished, with remarkable dignity.

"Colleague," replied Uncle Dale and sounded like he wasn't buying it. "Get in. My cousin has a place nearby. Best mai tai in town, with karaoke, good people."

"Is this a kidnapping?" Lex asked me, climbing in.

"This is Hawaii. I think it's the same thing."

The place was squeezed between a noodle shop and a tattoo parlor, a small, cheerful, slightly crooked building with strings of colored lights and a hand-painted sign in glowing red: KALANI'S ALOHA LOUNGE & CHAPEL. Underneath, in smaller letters: Mai Tais. Karaoke. Marriage Licenses Available Until Midnight (Ask For Marites).

Inulit ko pa ang basa, just to confirm na tama ang nabasa ko.

"Chapel?" asked Lex.

"Uncle Dale, Is this a bar or a church?" tanong ko.

"Yes," said Uncle Dale sounding extremely pleased with himself, habang itinutulak ang p***o.

Sa loob, warm and lively ang atmosphere. Maingay, maliwanag, at punong-puno ng energy. Dark wood ang interiors, may nakasabit na paper lanterns, at may maliit na stage na may karaoke machine. Punong-puno ng locals at tourists ang bar. A big man with a gray ponytail was shaking a cocktail behind the counter. He saw Uncle Dale and shouted, "DALE! You brought strays!"

A small, round woman in a floral blouse appeared out of the crowd, wiping her hands on a towel. She looked at me. She looked at Lex. And she said, in perfect, rolling Tagalog:

"Aba, mga Pinoy! Mukhang pagod na pagod kayo. Halika, upo kayo. Ako nga pala si Marites."

Muntik na akong mapaiyak at bigla akong nakaramdam ng homesickness.

"Hello, Tita Marites. Salamat po."

She took my face in both hands at tinitigan ng mabuti. "Engineer ka, 'no? Sa itsura mo pa lang. Tapos ito—" She looked at Lex mula ulo hanggang paa at bumalik sa mukha nito. "Ito ang boyfriend mo?"

"He's not my boyfriend," I said quickly.

"Colleague," sagot ni Lex.

"Colleague," Tita Marites repeated, with a slow, knowing smile. "Ganyan din kami ni Kalani noon. Umupo kayo at kumain. I’ll bring you the good mai tais."

I looked at Lex, who looked at me, who looked at the glowing sign that said Chapel.

Neutral territory, I had said.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a very small, very sensible voice whispered, Luna. This is not neutral.

I ignored it, and sat down.