Buying Love (Published Under UMPRINTABLES!)

Fifty

Ram was welcomed by a severe throbbing pain on his head when he woke up. Kinapa niya ang ulo habang dahan-dahang ibinubuka ang mga mata. What the hell happened? Bakit ganito kasakit ang ulo niya?

Iginala niya ang paningin sa loob ng hindi pamilyar na silid. Nasaan siya? Kaninong kuwarto 'to? What happened last night? Bakit tila wala siyang naaalala?

Noon bumukas ang pintuan ng banyo at iniluwa nitong palabas ang nakatapis lamang ng tuwalyang si Roanne. Mukhang bago itong paligo. She threw him a sweet smile. He panicked.

Napabalikwas siya ng bangon. Noon niya na-realize na hubo't hubad siya sa ilalim ng kumot. Lalong lumakas ang hinala niyang may 'di magandang nangyayari.

"What the hell happened last night? What are you doing here?" aniya dito.

She smiled at him na tila walang nangyari. "Good morning, Ram! Gising ka na pala. What do you want for breakfast at magpapa-room service ako," anito habang tinutuyo ang sariling buhok.

Mabilis siyang umalis ng kama at saka naglakad palapit dito, not giving a damn if he's naked as hell. He gripped her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him.

"I'm asking you, Roanne! Why are you here! Anong nangyari kagabi!"

Lumatay ang takot sa mga mata nito ngunit agad din naman itong nawala. She went poker face again the very next second.

"Hindi mo talaga naaalala?" anito. She was giving him a puppy eyes look but not that he's buying it.

"Hindi maalala ang alin?"

"Ang nangyari kagabi?"

"Ano nga!" he barked at her.

Napapikit ito dahil sa ginawa niyang pagsigaw dito. She's scared of something, he felt it. Though she was trying to hide it from him.

"What have you done!" ang muli niyang sigaw dito.

"Something happened to us last night! We just had sex!" anito.

Nabitawan niya ito dahil sa labis na pagkagulat. They had sex?!

Yes, he was having sex with everybody before, before he got married with Hana, but never with Roanne. Hindi siya tumatalo ng ka-tropa. Isa pa, alam na niya dati pa na may pagtingin ito sa kanya, iyon ang dahilan kung bakit hindi niya ito pinatulan ni minsan, dahil malakas ang pakiramdam niyang hindi ito papayag sa one-night stand. Alam niyang hindi na siya nito tatantanan sakaling may mangyari sa kanila, that's why he never crossed the line.

"That's impossible," aniya dito.

"Well, it just happened!" anito.

"But how come I don't remember anything?" he said, more to himself than to her.