Chapter 5

MADISON:

DAMN!

Napapamura na lamang ako sa isipan na muntik pa akong masamid habang nakatitig ito sa akin! Kung bakit naman kasi nakakatibok puso ang titig niya!

"Careful."

Caleb's calm voice only made me more embarrassed. Nag-iinit ang mukha ko nang abutan niya pa ako ng tubig.

"I'm fine.” Tugon ko matapos uminom.

I immediately lowered my head and focused on eating. Gosh. This is embarrassing. Why was I acting like this? I was Madison Madrigal.

People feared me. Respected me. Some even trembled in my presence. Yet one ridiculously handsome man sat beside me, and suddenly I couldn't even look him in the eye.

The worst part?

He didn't seem affected at all. Nakakainis ha? Apektado ako pero siya. . . hindi?! Masyado ba siyang gwapo sa akala niya?

Muli kaming nagpatuloy kumain. Malakas pa rin ang ulan sa labas. The room felt colder with every passing minute. Yet somehow. . . I felt hot. Pinagpapawisan na nga ako kahit malamig ang silid.

The couch wasn't exactly designed for two people either. Ang liit nito para sa aming dalawa. Since Caleb was left-handed, nagkakasagian ang siko namin habang kumakain kami.

A simple touch. Nothing more. Yet every time our skin met, my heartbeat sped up. Again. And again. And again. Parang lulukso ang puso ko sa tuwing sasagi ang balat namin sa isa't-isa.

Meanwhile, Caleb remained perfectly composed. As if nothing had happened. As if my existence wasn't affecting him in the slightest. He simply continued eating. Calm. Collected. Napakagwapo, ang swabe ng kilos. At napaka-attractive ang dating.

I secretly glared at him. How unfair. Ang lakas ng dating kahit simpleng kumakain lang. Tsk.

****

After dinner, Caleb cleaned everything. Nanatili ako sa upuan. Nakamata dito na mag-isang niligpit ang lahat. He literally did everything himself. He gathered the trash. Wiped the table. Organized the leftovers. And somehow left the tiny room cleaner than before.

"Do you always clean up yourself like this?" I asked.

"Yes, boss."

"Why?"

He looked genuinely confused. “Because I can do it myself, boss.”

I rolled my eyes. Well, may punto naman siya. Kami rin naman ay tinuruan nila mommy na maging malinis sa bahay hindi lang sa sarili. Kaya hindi na nakapagtataka kung tinuruan din siya ng mga magulang niya sa gawaing bahay.

A few minutes later, he picked up our wet clothes. Napanguso ako na nakamata pa rin dito.

"Uhm, dadalhin ko lang ito sa laundry shop sa baba, boss." Aniya.

"No."

He blinked. "No?"

"Yes, no."

Nangunotnoo ito. "Why?"

I remembered the women downstairs. The ones practically drooling over him. My eyes narrowed.

"Because I'm coming with you."

Naipilig niya pa ang ulo pero tumango din sa huli. "A’right, boss."

Napangisi ako na kumapit sa braso nito at lumabas ng silid. Sumakay kami ng elevator pababa. Tahimik naman ito at hinayaan lang akong kumapit sa braso niya. Damn. Ang tigas ha?

The moment we entered the lobby again, I knew I had made the correct decision. Napapangisi na lamang ako sa isipan at hindi maiwasang mapataas ng kilay. Several women instantly looked toward Caleb.

Nagbubulungan pa sila at napapairit na nakatitig kay Caleb. Tsk. Did these women have no shame? Ang lalandi. Ang sarap pagsasampalin e.

Pasimple akong bumitaw sa braso nito at yumapos sa baywang niya. Natigilan naman ito na napasulyap sa akin. I pretended not to notice. Mahirap na. To my surprise, he simply walked beside me. And somehow. . . that made me feel strangely victorious.

****

After dropping our clothes off at the laundry shop, we headed toward the hotel's coffee shop. Pasado alasnueve pa lang kaya marami pang tao. Idagdag pang malakas pa rin ang ulan kaya maraming tao dito sa lobby ang nagpapatila ng ulan.

I was secretly enjoying the disappointed expressions from the women who assumed Caleb was taken. Serves them right. Kahit kita nilang may babaeng kasama si Caleb ay walang kahiya-hiya ang mga itong nagpapa-cute sa kanya. Mabuti na lang. . . hindi namamansin si Caleb.

As we crossed the lobby, Caleb casually placed a hand on my shoulder and gently guided me away from a group of guests. Napasinghap ako na bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko sa pasimpleng pag-akbay nito sa akin!

The gesture lasted only a few seconds. Professional. Protective. Nothing more. Yet my heart almost exploded. This man didn't even realize what he'd done. Damn. Ako ang babae. Hindi pwedeng ako ang unang mahulog at bibigay sa aming dalawa noh? No way!

Pagpasok namin ng coffeeshop, inalalayan niya pa akong maupo at pumwesto kami sa sulok. The coffeeshop was quiet. Warm. Comfortable. And for the first time since meeting him, I managed to have a real conversation with Caleb.

Wala pa kasi akong kaalam-alam sa kanya. Hindi naman siguro kalabisan kung kilalanin ko siya, right?

"So. . . how long are you staying in the country, Caleb?" I asked.

"A month." Simpleng sagot nito na napasimsim sa kape niya.

Napanguso ako. "Only a month?"

"Pwede ring hindi abutin ng isang buwan, boss."

I frowned. Napabusangot ako sa sagot nito. Damn. That wasn't nearly long enough. Ang bilis naman niya.

Wait. . . why do I care?

"Ahem! Okay.” Tugon ko na pilit pina-normal ang boses at itsura. “Where did you grow up?"

“Dito rin sa bansa, boss.”

Napanguso ako. "What about your family? Do you have siblings?" muli kong tanong.

His eyes briefly darkened. Ilang segundo ang lumipas bago ito sumagot.

"Yeah, before. . ."

Something about his expression made me regret asking. Kita kasi ang pagdaan ng galit at kirot sa mga mata niya, so I changed the subject.

“How about friends? May mga kaibigan ka ba?” pag-iiba ko ng usapan.

Huminga siyang malalim saka sumimsim sa kape niya bago umiling.

“Wala akong matatawag na kaibigan, boss.”

“That's weird. Bakit naman wala? You're not that friendly?” tanong ko pa.

Then we talked about travel, hobbies, favorite foods, random things. Kung ano-ano ang mga itinatanong ko sa kanya. Hindi siya ngumingiti, hindi rin nagsusungit. Pero nanatiling malamig at kalmado itong sumagot sa mga tanong ko. Hindi rin siya nagtatanong ng tungkol sa akin.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Nakagat ko ang ibabang labi at napayuko na kinastiguhan ang sarili. Damn. Bakit ko ba naitanong iyon? Oh no. Nakakahiya!

Caleb looked equally surprised. For a moment, he didn't answer. His ears turned slightly red. Nahihiya akong tumitig dito para aralin ang itsura niya.

"You do have one," I muttered.

"No. I'm single, boss."

Something inside me immediately relaxed. Then he added–

"But someone already owns my heart."

My smile froze. A strange ache settled inside my chest. Bwisit. Bakit nasaktan at nadismaya ako sa sagot niya? I stared into my coffee.

"Oh, I see."

*****

An hour later, we returned to the room. The rain had finally weakened. The exhaustion from training, driving, and everything else was beginning to catch up with me.

I yawned.

Caleb looked tired too. Kahit hindi niya sabihin ay makikita naman sa mga mata niya. The moment we entered the room, however, a new problem appeared. Both of us stopped. Our eyes landed on the bed.

One bed.

I scratched my head. Damn. This was awkward. Napangiwi ako. I glanced toward the couch. Masyado iyong maliit. Especially for someone built like Caleb. Napababa ako ng tingin sa sahig.

The floor wasn't much better. Cold. Hard. And uncomfortable. Ang sama ko naman kung dito ko siya patutulugin sa sahig na gan'tong maulan, ‘di ba?

I looked at him. He looked at the bed. Then back at me. Neither of us spoke for several seconds. Tila pareho kami ng naiisip.

“Uhm, you can use the bed, boss. Sa sofa ako.” Aniya.

“No. Hindi ka nga magkasya doon e. Paano ka matutulog doon?” sagot ko.

Naipilig nito ang ulo. “Dito na lang sa sahig kung gano'n–”

“Seryoso ka ba? Magkakasakit ka. Ang sama ko naman no'n.” Sikmat ko dito.

“Pero–”

“No buts. Gusto mong pagalitan ako ng daddy ko, hmm?”

Napakamot siya sa ulo. Lihim naman akong napangisi. This man could survive a war but couldn't solve a simple sleeping arrangement. Namula ang pisngi nito na napaiwas ng tingin sa akin. Lalo naman akong napangisi. Caleb suddenly looked nervous for the first time all night. . . maybe he might have guessed exactly what I was about to suggest.

Humakbang ako na humawak sa roba nito. Napalunok pa siya na dahan-dahang napalingon sa akin.

“Bakit, Caleb. . . bakla ka ba? Hindi mo kayang. . . makatabi ang isang babae sa kama, hmm?” I teased him.

Namula ito na nagulat at napaawang ng labi. “What the–” aniya na unti-unting. . . napangisi.

Napalunok ako na napabitaw dito, pero yumapos ang isang braso niya sa baywang ko at hinila ako padiin sa kanyang halos ikasigaw ko! Namimilog ang mga mata ko ditong dahan-dahang yumuko na inilapit ang mukha! Oh God! I'm dead!

“You think I am gay, hmm?” pabulong tanong nito na ikinasinghap ko. “E kung. . . punlahan kaya kita, Ms Madison Madrigal. Tingin ko naman. . . hindi magagalit si Tito Delta.”

“H-ha?"