KABANATA 2

Meeting

“You are applying for the waitressing job, correct?” tanong ni Mr. Salazar sa akin nang hindi ako tinitignan.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t take my eyes off him. His face looked so elegant despite the hard expression he’s wearing. His face was oval-shaped, and he has almond-shaped and ash gray-colored eyes. They’re so mesmerizing when you look straight at them. Makapal ang kaniyang kilay, but they were elegantly and naturally arched. His lashes were thick as well, and long. His cheekbones were high and well-defined, making you want to gently stroke your fingers on them. The slope of his pointed nose was so delicate, perfectly matching with his really reddish heart-shaped lips.

“Excuse me, Miss Alquiza. Are you perhaps still listening to me?” I snapped back to reality when I heard his fingers tapped the table separating us.

“Yes, I’ m listening, Sir!” Umayos ako nang pagkakaupo at muling itinuon ang aking atensyon sa sinasabi niya.

“No, you weren’t listening. Because if you were, you should have already answered my question 3 minutes ago,” aniya habang umiiling na sinulatan ng kung ano ang papel sa harap niya. I assumed that it was my document.

And I couldn’t believe that he knew I was spacing out for exactly 3 minutes. Maybe he was just bluffing. But still, totoo pa rin naman na hindi nga ako nakikinig dahil hindi ko maalala iyong naging tanong niya.

“I’ll ask again… you are applying for the waitressing job, are you not?” he asked so formally that I almost spaced out again.

“Yes, Sir…” marahan kong sagot.

I saw him nodded and wrote something again on the paper in front of him. I waited for him to ask more questions, but none came for about 5 minutes, I guess.

Then he suddenly looks up and meets my eyes. I knew he was eyeing me because I saw how his eyes moved from my face down to my body, like he was scanning me for some flaw, making me want to hug and cover myself.

I cleared my throat which made him look at my eyes again. His gaze holds indifference. Like he has no interest in me. Feeling ko tuloy ay hindi ako tanggap dahil parang wala lang sa kaniya na nandito ako. Dagdag pa na wala akong educational background sa resume ko.

“Uhmm…” I whispered, but it was enough for him to notice and to look at me with curiosity.

“Kung hindi man po ako matanggap na waitress, p’wede po kahit janitress…” nahihiya kong sabi dahil halatang halata sa boses ko ang pagiging desperadong makakuha ng trabaho.

“Janitress, hmm…” Nag-isip siya saglit bago ako pinatakan ng madilim na titig. “You don’t want to try escorting?” tanong niya na siyang ikinakunot ng noo ko. “You’re too beautiful to be a janitress or a waitress. Men would surely line up just to be escorted by you,” he explained, and I knew already what he meant by that, but still… I had to confirm.

“Does the escorting system you have in your bar includes sex, Mr. Salazar? Like the escorts you have here are prostitutes or something?” I knew my voice was stone cold. Kitang kita ko ang amusement sa mga mata niyang titig na titig sa akin.

I saw him grinned a little before letting out a soft yet manly chuckle. Na para bang hindi niya na napigilan ang pagkamangha sa sinabi ko.

“We don’t do that in my bar, Miss Alquiza,” sagot niya. “Hindi ko hinahayaan na magkaroon ng ganoon sa lugar na pagmamay-ari ko. You see…” He sighed as he leaned forward and placed both his elbows on the table and rested his chin on the back of intertwined hands.

Then he continued, “I own my employees. Every one of them belongs to me. Escorting here means I’m lending my women to the elite men who want to relax. My women will just pour them drinks and sit with them…” He looked at me with stern eyes. “Not… sleep with them,” dagdag niya.

I closed my eyes and opened them again only to find him looking at me with burning and hungry eyes. But his expression immediately went back to being indifferent which made me question myself if I really saw what I saw.

He cleared his throat. “So… you don’t want to shift your application from waitressing to escorting?” he asked. Umiling ako.

“No, Sir,” matigas kong sagot na ikinatawa niya nang mahina.

“Alright…”

He stood up and went to me. Tumayo na rin ako at sinuklian ang malamig niyang titig. He was easily towering over me, making it so hard for me to look up to him. At mukhang napansin niya ‘yon kaya he slightly bent forward, and I saw him offered his hand to me.

Pinagmasdan ko lang ‘yong kamay niya sa harap ko hanggang sa magsalita siyang muli.

“Congratulations, Miss Alquiza. You’re hired,” sabi niya na siyang ikinagulat ko kaya imbes na tanggapin ko ang kamay niya ay itinakip ko ang kamay ko sa bibig ko.

Napansin ko naman agad ‘yon at tinanggap ang kamay niyang nasa ere pa rin gamit ang kaliwa kong kamay.

“Thank you po!” I couldn’t even hide the happiness and excitement in my voice. It was just so overwhelming.

I let go of his hand when we heard someone knocking on his office’s door. I looked at him and I saw him pressed the red button on his table.

“Hindi pa po ba tayo tapos, Sir?” nagtataka kong tanong sa kaniya.

“Not yet, Miss Alquiza. We’re still going to discuss about your contract and schedule. However, if you really need to go now then we can just reschedule your contract signing by tomorrow.” He looked at me as he waits for my answer.

Ilang saglit ko iyong pinag-isipan bago siya sagutin. “Babalik na lang po ako bukas…” sabi ko, medyo nag-aalinlangan pa dahil baka biglang magbago ang isip niya sa pagtanggap sa akin.

“Alright. We’ll just reschedule it for tomorrow. Same time and same place, here…” aniya bago dumiretso ng pinto at binuksan ‘yon.

“Thank you. Balik po ako bukas,” ulit ko at tumango lang siya sa akin bago tumingin sa labas.

It was my cue to get out of his office. Nakalabas na rin akong ng building at palabas na ngayon ng gate. Dumaan ako sa information desk at nagpasalamat sa mga staffs na nandoon pa.

“Sa rami ng nag-apply kanina, ikaw lang ang natanggap…” sabi noong kumausap sa akin kanina noong papasok pa lang ako.

“T-Talaga?” tanong ko nang hindi nakawala sa akin pagtataka.

“Oo. Anyway, good luck sa ‘yo. Binilin sa akin ni Mr. Salazar na babalik ka raw bukas. Ibang klase, mukhang nagustuhan ka ni Sir, ah. Hindi kasi n’yan tinatanggap kapag hindi tinatapos ang meeting sa kaniya. Kaya noong binilin ka niya sa akin kanina lang, nagulat talaga ako,” dagdag niya pa na siyang mas ikinataka ko.

Hindi ko na nga lang siya sinagot at binigyan na lang ng tipid na ngiti bago tuluyang umalis doon.

Nang makarating ako sa apartment ko ay kumain agad ako ng hapunan. Bumili lang ako sa karenderyang malapit sa tinutuluyan ko at buti na lang ay bukas pa sila at may iilang pagkain pa.

After I ate my dinner, I made sure na maayos ang hapag at nahugasan ko na ang mga dapat hugasan. Pagkatapos ay naligo ako ulit at inayos na ang hihigaan nang matapos makaligo at magbihis.

And just when I was about to lie down to sleep, I heard someone banging on the door of my apartment. Sobrang lakas noon at sunod-sunod na para bang balak pang gibain ang pinto. Agad naman akong kinabahan nang sumagi sa isip ko na baka ‘yong mga loan sharks ‘yon.

Napamura ako sa naisip at nagpas'yang sumilip sa bintana at hindi nga ako nagkakamali, dahil ‘yong mga loan sharks talaga ang nasa labas. Dalawa lang sila ngayon pero hindi pa rin ako nagpakampante at agad agad kong inayos ang mga gamit ko.

“Shit, shit, shit. Paano nila nalaman na nandito ako?” inis kong tanong sa sarili habang nilalagay lahat ng mga maaari kong kailanganin sa body bag ko.

I don’t think I can come home to this place anymore since they already found out that I’m staying here. Mabuti na lang at nakapatay na ang ilaw kaya maaari nilang isipin na walang tao sa loob. Kaya kahit hirap na hirap sa paghahanap ng mga gamit ay sinikap ko pa ring mahanap ‘yong ibang mga kailangan ko.

Dahan dahan akong tumayo at naglakad papunta sa likuran para roon lumabas. I gently opened the door and quietly went down the stairs. At nang makababa ay dali dali akong lumabas sa gate sa likuran at tumakbo palayo.

Wala akong cellphone kaya naman hindi ko matatawagan si Aling Nora at isa pa hindi niya alam na may naghahanap sa aking mga loan sharks. I didn’t tell her because I was so afraid that she wouldn’t help me if she knew about it. And I don’t think I won’t be able to continue working for her.

I didn’t stop running until I no longer know where I was going. Hindi ko na napansin ang nasa paligid ko dahil sa pagtakbo kaya naman tumingin muna ako sa likuran ko para tignan kung may sumusunod ba sa akin o wala. At nang makitang wala ay saka pa lang ako tumigil para habulin ang paghinga.

I wiped the sweat on my forehead as I rested my left hand on my knees. I was panting and I suddenly feel thirsty, but I don’t have water or anything to drink with me. Hindi ko na rin naman naisip pa kanina dahil sa pagmamadali. Sa inis ay hindi ko napigilan ang pagsipa sa maliit na batong nasa harap ko.

“Dito!”

Muli akong kumaripas ng takbo nang marinig ‘yon kahit hindi sigurado kung sila nga, dahil na rin siguro sa adrenaline at instinct. At nang mapansin na medyo pamilyar na ang daan ay mas lalo kong binilisan ang pagtakbo patungo sa isang lugar na alam kong hindi nila ako masusundan.

Kaya lang nang papasok na ako sa gate ay sakto naman ang salubong sa akin ng isang mamahaling kotse na palabas pa lang. Agad tumigil ang sasakyan at ganoon din ako. Kaya lang nawalan ako ng balanse dahil sa biglaang pagkakatigil kaya naman bumagsak ako sa sidewalk ng kalsada.

“Miss? Okay ka lang ba?” agap sa akin noong nasa driver seat, habang nakadungaw siya sa bintana ng sasakyan.

“Dito yata lumiko! Bilisan mo!”

“Shit!” Dali dali akong tumayo at dumiretso sa sasakyan na muntik nang makabangga sa akin.

The doors were locked so I tapped the window of the passenger seat with my hands. Ni hindi ko na rin alam ang ginagawa ko at bakit iyon pa ang naisipan kong gawin pero sobrang desperado na talaga akong makatakas sa mga humahabol sa akin.

I heard the doors unlocked so I took that opportunity to open the door of the passenger seat and went inside. Mabilis kong sinarado ang pinto ng sasakyan at yumuko para mas lalo pang makapagtago. I also made sure that the door on my side is locked, but then I was so clueless sa nakikita kong mga buttons. Kaya naman nang marinig kong mag-lock ‘yon ay nakahinga ako nang maluwag.

I lowered myself more when I saw the loan sharks running past the car where I was. Tumingin ako sa likod at nang makita silang lumiko ay mas lalo akong nakahinga nang maluwag.

I heard someone cleared his throat. Umupo ako nang maayos at doon ko pa lang na-realized kung ano ang ginawa ko. There were two people in the car aside from me. ‘Yong driver at ‘yong nasa tabi ko ngayon na hindi ko man lang napansin kanina.

I looked at the person sitting beside me, and my eyes automatically widened when I realized that he was the owner of the bar who interviewed me a while ago. It was Evarius Salazar.

“Care to explain what was that all about, Miss Alquiza?” There was a hint of amusement in his tone, but the irritation in his voice was clearer. Napaiwas ako ng tingin dahil sa kaba at hindi nakasagot agad.

“K…” sabi niya kaya napatingin ako ulit sa kaniya. But then I realized that he was actually pertaining to his driver.

“Yes, Sir?” sagot naman nito.

“I’ll drive my car. You can go home for now. Just use my spare car,” Mr. Salazar instructed, and his driver immediately complied. Lumabas ‘yong driver niya sa sasakyan at sinundan ko lang siya ng tingin.

“So…” I heard him say which made me look down, my gaze resting on my hands that were on my lap. “Did you change your mind? Are we going to have the meeting, that was rescheduled for tomorrow, right now, instead?” he asked coldly.

“Uhmm…”

“No. Actually... that wasn’t a question,” aniya bago lumabas mula sa passenger seat at lumipat sa driver seat. “We’ll have that meeting now,” he clarified as he roared the engine to life and started driving.

I acted without hesitation because I was cornered. Now, I don’t even know if I could really trust this person. I couldn’t help but feel scared of what might happen, and at the same time, mad at myself for not being careful.