Chapter Seven

Nakatitig si Pepper kay Joey. Halatang bagong bangon lang ito, gulo ang buhok, walang make up, naka-pajamas at robe na pale pink, at bagong gising ang mga mata kahit namimilog ang mga iyon ngayon. Mahaba ang buhok nito, bahagyang kulot, at hugis-puso ang mukha. Ang mga kilay… ang elegante ng hugis. Makapal at may pilantik ang eyelashes ng almond-shaped na mga matang iyon. Sa mga matang iyon at matangos nitong ilong, sulit na sana. 

But her lips… plump. And red. 

Sumptuous, kissable lips.

Hahalikan kita kahit anong mangyari. Just wait. I will.

Muntik nang mapabuntonghinga si Pepper habang tinatago ng mukha ang imboluntaryong naisip. She’s definitely a woman, in all the physical ways that count. 

And she’s the most gorgeous tousle-haired woman he had ever seen in his entire life. 

So why the hell was she Joey, again? And why couldn’t he speak suddenly right now, while her eyes traveled over him?

“Lalaki si Pepper? Oh my god,” anito, natatawa at namumula ang mga pisnging iyon.

“Ahm, I’m sorry,” nasambit niya nang sa wakas ay makapagsalita siya. “Yes, I am. And why Joey?”

Nakita niya ang muling pagtikwas ng magkabilang dulo ng mga labi nito. Nagpipigil itong matawa ulit, but her eyes were dancing. “Josefina Ledesma. Jose… then Joey.” Nagkibit ito ng mga balikat. “Hindi nila nilinaw sa ‘yo na babae ang makaka-sama mo dito sa bahay?” 

“No. Akala ko noong una, girlfriend ka ni Joey,” sabi niya. Sleek, dude. Way to go to find out if she’s single.

Nagtiim ang mga labi nito and he had the suspicious feeling she knew what he was doing. “Ah. No. Hindi lesbian si Joey, as in I know the boyfriend Joey is actually a woman. So, no.”

Thank God for that! These days…

“So why Pepper?”

Ikinipit niya ang kanyang malamig na mga kamay sa kanyang kilikili bago sumagot. “It’s actually Peter. Pero ang explanation ng Mommy ko, whenever I would say my name noong maliit pa ako, I’d say Pepper. I had long hair—my parents. Whatever were they thinking? I looked like a girl daw. People will ask my name sa malls at parks and I’d say Pepper, and it stuck. It’s actually fun watching people’s surprise kapag nalaman nilang lalaki pala ako.”

Pinanonood siya nito. Nakatitig ito sa kanya, and she had unusual focus on that stare. “I guess Pepper could be anything.”

“Ah, no. Straight ito. Like, uh, you.”

Ngumiti na naman ang mga labing iyon at nagbaba ito ng tingin. He was suddenly thinking how brave she was, that she didn’t do anything stupid after seeing a man she didn’t know in the house with her. Maybe shriek like a banshee. Instead, nag-isip ito, nakitang nasurpresa rin siya, na galing siya sa kwarto, at nakapasok siya sa bahay kasi meron siyang susi. She didn’t think he was an intruder at all.

Beauty and wit. 

She’s really very attractive, and he should really stop gawking at her because it was clear she was trying to calm down from the surprise of their meeting and trying to get her control back. This was usually the part where things get tricky. 

“Can I come into?”

Tumango ito. “Sure. It’s your kitchen, too,” anito. 

“I really need coffee right now,” sambit niya habang nakatingin sa mug nito habang lumiligid sa island. Pero nagulat siya nang makitang maputi ang likidong umuusok pa sa mug. 

Milk. 

No jewelries, clear skin. Heart-shaped, youthful face and those large eyes that look innocent but intelligent. 

It somehow fitted. 

“I have coffee,” anito, at pinigil niyang mangiti dahil may defensiveness sa tono nito.

“Really? I had no time to shop for anything dahil hinabol ko ang chance makapag-drive bago dumating ang storm. Kaya lang inabutan din ako.”

“Naging busy din ako since yesterday… umalis ako sa amin na ang alam ko masama lang ang panahon. It’s turned into a storm after I got here.”

Napailing siya. “You don’t know how busy I was before today. Nasa drive na ako when I got a call from my friend telling me there’s a storm coming in.”

Nagbuntonghininga ito. “I’m not saying you can’t have my coffee, Pepper. May instant coffee ako, at may cocoa bars din sa fridge kung gusto mo ng hot chocolate drink. Kumpleto ako sa stock hindi dahil nagkaroon ako ng oras mamalengke, kundi dahil may dalawa akong lolang tumulong mag-pack ng kailangan ko. In fact, I’ve got hot water already boiling for you.” Sumilip muli ang ngiting iyon. “I was actually thinking na baka lumabas ka at kailangan mo ng mainit na beverage.”

“Thanks, Joey,” aniya, nakatitig pa rin dito hanggang mamalayan niya ang kanyang ginagawa. At ninenerbyos siyang tumawa. Why the hell was he nervous? “I’m sorry. I still can’t believe you’re female.”

Ikiniling nito ang ulo habang tumatango-tango. “Me, too.”

“That you’re female?” tudyo niya habang kumukuha ng mug sa cupboard. 

“That you’re not a ghost.”

Napakunot ang kanyang noo habang binababa niya ang mug sa granite surface ng island. He did not expect that. “Ghost?”

Narinig niya ang mahina nitong tawa. “When I thought I was going to be alone tonight, kahit sinubukan kong i-distract ang sarili ko sa panonood ng N*****x, kung anu-ano na ang naiisip ko from serial killer sneaking in somehow in the middle of the night to a ghost haunting whoever rents this house. You don’t know how relieved I am that you’re here.”

Nakikinig siya habang fascinated na pinanonood ang expressions na nagdaraan sa maganda nitong mukha. 

“I know. I guess medyo ninenerbyos pa rin ako. I know I’m babbling.”

I could listen to you babbling like this forever. “You don’t seem like babbling, believe me. So… before naging ghost ang serial killer, may I know if he was a man or a woman?”

“A man, of course.”

“Ahhh… that’s so stereotypical!” protesta niya habang pinanonood ang pagkilos nito. Kumuha ito ng garapon ng coffee, creamer at sugar mula sa maayos na nakapatas na mga condiments sa worktop sa kabilang dulo mula sa lababo. 

Umikot ang mga mata nito habang binubuksan ang garapon. “When have you ever found a female serial killer in any movie na ang victim sa loob ng bahay ay isa ring babae?” Binitiwan pa nito ang garapon at nag-quote-unquote sign ang mga daliri so ere noong binanggit ang ‘victim.’

Umurong siya sa worktop at kumuha ng spoon saka binigay iyon dito. He liked that she was doing his coffee for him, and he felt comfortable watching her talk to him like he wasn’t a total stranger. “A teaspoon of coffee, same sa creamer, and no sugar,” aniya.

Tinimpla nito ang kape. “So, since ako ang victim, lalaki ang serial killer. But there’s a twist there, because the serial killer didn’t know that the victim happens to be a cop’s daughter—”

“Are you?”

Umiling ito, pagkatapos ay tumutok sa kanya ang mga matang iyon habang napapatigil sa paghalo sa kanyang kape. “Hindi. Do I have to?”

Kunwari ay relieved siyang nagbuntonghininga. “No. Go ahead.”

“And so she knew how to defend herself because her father taught her all sorts of martial arts while growing up.”

“All? Akala ko, cop, hindi… okay. Do continue.”

“So every attempt nitong si Serial Killer na pumasok sa bahay… and when he did, only to get hit by a trophy to the head—”

“Trophy? Walang gun?”

“She doesn’t own a gun. Pero may trophy ‘yung may-ari doon sa salas from a polo championship.”

“Can we go to the sala so I can see if it’s heavy enough?”

Tumigil ito at nakangiti siyang c-in-ontemplate ng tingin. “You’re really going to let me get away with this?”

“Gusto kong malaman kung paano naging ghost ang serial killer,” seryosong kumpisal niya.

Natawa ito, tunog ng sandaling hagikhik na ang cute sa pandinig sa kanyang mga teynga. Kahit hindi pa siya nakakahigop sa kanyang kape, he felt warmer. 

Naks. 

Tinuro nito ang direksyon ng salas habang hawak ang mug nito ng gatas. “Okay. Lezz go.”

Joey felt a little dazed as she led him towards the living room. Buhay ang standing lamp na naroon, binuhay niya kaninang lumabas siya at nagdaan doon bago siya nagtungo sa kusina kanina. Tinuro niya rito ang ilang trophies na naka-display sa cabinet katabi ng flat screen na naka-mount sa wall. 

 “There. Of course, pinili ko—niya—‘yong pinakamabigat.”

Lumapit ito sa trophies at pinagmasdan iyon. “Hmm. Pwede na.”

Naupo siya sa dulo ng sofa. “So, nawalan ng malay ang serial killer at nang magising siya, nakatali na siya sa isang silya, and gagged, and the ‘victim,’” muli, ang quote-unquote, “was there waiting for him to wake up so she could find out more about him.”

“She didn’t call the police?”

“She didn’t. She didn’t care about the police. Her father was framed and murdered by his superiors in a drug bust operation.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Yes… and before this incident, she had actually taken her revenge by…” Hinintay niyang matapos si Pepper sa unang paghigop sa kape nito para hindi ito masamid, “…killing the men who’d gunned her father down, and planting a bomb in the superior’s car to kill him, too.”

“Whoaaa…” Namilog ang mga mata nito. “So she is badass.”

Tumango siya. “Mismo. And she had been hiding, so of course ang duda niya, si Serial Killer was sent by her enemies to kill her. And so, she tortured him by cutting him everywhere to get information from him. Kaya ang pobreng serial killer, sa halip na siya ang gumawa ng kanyang mga kahindik-hindik na plano para sa kanyang victim, biglang siya ang naging victim ni Girl.”

Natawa siya sa titig nito sa kanya.

“I’m a writer, by the way. Don’t worry. This isn’t a debrief of what I’m going to do to you after this.”

“Ahh… thank goodness for that. So you’re going to write this?” 

Ngumiwi siya. “No, it’s pathetic. It’s only purpose is to make me forget how scared I was for being alone here. So, gusto mo pa bang malaman kung bakit may ghost?” tanong niya bago siya humigop ng gatas sa kanyang mug.

Pinanood niya noong maingat nitong binaba ang mug nito sa coffee table. Saka ito nagsimulang tumawa. Mahina lang iyon, hindi full-out. But he was in stitches. 

“Are you okay?” kunwari ay nag-aalala niyang tanong noong makasingit.

He was nodding his head. “I’m so glad to meet you. And don’t be scared anymore. May kasama ka na rito.”

“Sure you don’t want to dash out again and go through that rain to get back home?” natatawa niyang tanong habang may mainit na pakiramdam na kumakalat sa kanyang dibdib. 

“So did he… die… and he haunted her after that?” tanong nito sa pagitan ng mga tawa.

Tumango siya. “Yes. She buried him in the garden under the roses and since then, he haunted anyone who ever rented the rest house except his murderer kasi na-trauma s’ya masyado and he really didn’t want to see her again.” Tumigil siya sandali para huminga. “Yes, by that point, I was already getting lazy.”

Naghintay siyang makabawi ito sa pagtawa habang umiinom sa mug niya. Kinuha nitong muli ang kape nito kapagdaka. “That’s a good story. Really great twist.”

Hinigop ni Joey ang natitirang gatas sa kanyang mug at nginitian ang lalaki. “I’m glad you like how pathetic it was. No, I’m not scared anymore.”

Nakatingin ito sa kanyang mug na wala nang laman noong binaba niya iyon sa coffee table. “Are you going in?” tanong nito, nasa tinig ang panghihinayang.

“Wala na akong crazy kwento bukod do’n, I’m sorry.”

“At least stay while I drink my coffee?” tanong nito, saka parang napahiya. “I mean… only if you want to.”

Sandali niya itong tinitigan habang nararamdaman niya ang kakaibang kiliti sa dibdib niya. He’d said it in a way that was almost challenging. Anong nangyayari? This hadn’t happened to her before, enjoy a man’s company like this the first thirty minutes of meeting him.

Of course. How could it ever happen? Isa kang prinsesa sa tower na in fact ay enjoy na enjoy sa pagbabantay sa ‘yo ng dalawang draconian witch great-aunts mula sa mga prinsipeng gustong matikman ang iyong honey. 

Or something like that.

Except this time, may nakatakas na charming prince na gusto mo. The draconian witch great-aunts must never know!

Nang magbaba siya muli ng tingin, nag-iinit ang kanyang mga pisngi. “Well, there’s something else I can think of I can do for you na mas praktikal kaysa mga kwento ko,” aniya.

She could swear she heard his breath hitch. Again, iyong kiliting iyon noong sumagot ito sa tinig na medyo pumiyok. “What is it?”

Tiningnan niya itong muli. It’s happening. Nararam-daman niya. Iyong pinagsusulat niya na wala siyang kaalam-alam, totoo pala. Kumakabog ang dibdib, tinuloy niya ang ginagawa.  “Kumain ka na ba?”

Tumulala ito sa kanya. 

“Ng dinner, Pepper,” aniya habang nagpipigil matawa.  

Bumuka ang bibig nito, saka ito nagbuntonghininga. “No. I had no time to get to a diner or to buy… stocks. I figured I will just go out again… after—”

“I’ll cook for you,” kalmado niyang sabi. God, she just flirted, and he’s in a loop. Paano pa kung—

“You have food?”

Napakurap siya. “Oo, I have food.” He’s really hungry. And here, she’s experimenting with him. Ano ba? Nakakahiya ang hospitality niya. Ikakahiya siya ng kanyang mga lola.

“Joey, nakakahiya,” anito noong tumatayo na siya.

Nginitian niya ito habang kipkip niya sa kanyang dibdib ang mug niya. “Replace it na lang when you can. Okay? Para matahimik ang konsensya mo.” 

Saka siya nagbalik sa kusina para ipagluto ito ng dinner.