The B-Side

Chapter 2: Enlightened

I have never been dissuaded about pursuing Marc. He had been the source of inspiration for a lot of things—my award-winning TV series Hamakin ang Lahat where the lead male was patterned after Marc (who would have thought I would win an award for that, huh), a movie entitled To Be With You backed by one of the more major production outfits in the country, and a couple more novels and novellas that are on the bookstands as we speak.

I live and breathe Marc.

But this time, it’s different.

This time, I think I should wake up.

Armed with a mission to avoid Marc at all costs at Baron’s party, I knew I had to fully be the girl that I haven’t been in a long while: myself. The version of me that wasn’t too extreme in terms of wanting to be with Marc, and the version of me that wasn’t encased in all these silly fantasies about me and Marc being together someday.

I came in that red haltered dress that I knew Baron loved because it showed my curves. I knew of another reason: he liked dresses because they grant him ‘easy access,’ and that worked a couple of times back when we were still dating.

I matched the dress with pumps that I knew would probably kill my feet later in the night, and also because Baron’s so much taller than I am—I only reach up to his shoulders. I grabbed a pair of flats before leaving and stashed it in my car.  

The party was already rocking when I arrived, and Baron was waiting for me at the door of his house when I arrived, as if he half-expected that I would be an hour late. I tried to remember the circumstances when I was late whenever I was meeting him. Right. Nearly all the time. Blame it on storycons and actresses turned divas to ruin dates with Baron. Blame it on directors who feel like they knew more about the story than the one who actually came up with the concept.

But amazingly, Baron stayed. And he made it so hard for me to hate him; it so easy for me to love him. Despite all my tardiness and stress, he stayed.

Then again, it wasn’t enough for me to stay too.

I presented him my gift—thanks to last-minute shopping, I got him a couple of books about running because that’s his thing right now—and wished him a very cheery happy birthday. Baron smiled that crooked smile, the smile that I remembered I used to like.

And then he hugged me. Baron’s hug was tight, secure, and homey—just like how I remembered it to be. And when his kiss landed on my lips—I think he was aiming for my cheek but I turned my head when Nate called me so the light peck on the cheek that he had intended became a full-on smack—that familiar feeling of warmth and being needed just came back rushing into me like a tsunami.

And I liked it. I liked those kisses many times before, so I think I am within reason to liking them all again now, especially when I am now free of Marc—not that he was a hang up before. I was Marc’s hang up, not the other way around.

The look of surprise also crossed Baron’s handsome face, and then he gave me a mischievous grin. “What do you know? We still have chemistry,” he whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

“We can explore that chemistry some other time, Baron. Your party?” I reminded him, and he shook his head, rolling his eyes while he was at it.

“Should I be happy you wore this dress?” he asked me as he placed his hand on the small of my back, the heat from his palm coursing through the thin fabric of my dress.

I nodded. “Very,” I told him, winking, and he flushed, making me laugh.

“Don’t start, L. We both know how I can be quick,” Baron said, passion (and lust) in his ragged whisper. I turned away so I wouldn’t see the look on his face, and also so he wouldn’t see how much I was blushing. As if on cue, Nate, with his girlfriend, the ever so petite Andy on his arm, sauntered over to us.