Working Girls Series# 1: Beautiful Nightmare

Chapter 49

Itinukod niya ang mga kamay sa kanyang magkabilang gilid habang nakaupo sa isang mahabang bangko sa rooftop saka tumingala sa mga bituin sa langit. Nakaupo din sa nasabing bench si Cleadeth mga ilang dipa mula sa kanya. Sumunod lang siya dito kanina matapos nitong itanong kung pwede ba silang mag-usap at naiinip na siya sa kakahintay kung ano'ng gusto nitong sabihin at kailangan pa talaga nilang umakyat dito. Ito ang nag-aya kaya dapat lang na ito ang magbukas ng usapan. Tumikhim siya nang hindi na niya matiis ang katahimikan sa pagitan nila.

"Ano'ng plano mo kay Max?", kapagkuwa'y tanong nito. Napalingon siya dito, sinalubong ang mapanuri nitong mga mata.

"Bakit mo tinatanong?", ganting tanong niya dito na ikinataas ng kilay nito.

"Seryoso ka ba sa kanya?"

"Ano naman sa'yo kung oo?"

Cleadeth smirked and shook her head.

"You know we can go on like this, questioning without answers. I can keep up. Don't test me, you'll never win against me", mayabang nitong itinaas ang mga kilay at humarap sa kanya.

What? Did she think she'll give her answers that easily? She won't be called stubborn as a mule by Max for nothing.

Cleadeth shook her head again and exhaled an exasperated sigh.

"You need to go back to where you came from."

It's her turn to raise her brows at the bitch.

"So you can stay and seduce Max like what you've been doing these past few days?"

Cleadeth laughed before giving her a disbelieving look like she's the fool here.

"Oh, how naïve of you. You don't really know what you're talking about. That should be my line, you know."

Mia gritted her teeth in annoyance just by looking at her sardonic smile. If this goes on, she can't promise herself that she'll be able to keep her mouth shut. 'Wag lang talaga siya nitong simulan.

"You don't know Max that well –"

"I know about the cause of his nightmares", sansala niya sa sasabihin nito. She felt satisfaction as she saw her shocked expression.

"He told you?", hindi makapaniwalang tanong nito.

"Of course", taas-noo niyang sagot. Bakit, ito lang ba ang marunong magmayabang?

"Alam ko ang tungkol sa nangyari sa mga magulang at kapatid niya. At alam ko ring bestfriend ka ni Anna kaya parang kapatid na rin ang turing ni Max sa'yo."

Pasimple siyang lumunok. Saan ba siya humugot ng lakas ng loob na sabihin 'yon? Pero medyo napingisan ang kanyang self-confidence nang muli itong ngumisi na may halong pagmamayabang.

"Pero talaga nga ba? Yung lang nga ba ang tingin namin sa isa't-isa?", may pang-uuyam nitong tanong na para bang may alam ito na hindi nya alam.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll know soon enough. What you need to know is that Max is a very complicated man. He's danger personified."

"I know."

"You don't know the half of it. Did he tell you he almost killed a woman before?"

Muli siyang napatingin dito, hindi makapaniwala sa sinabi nito.

"Just a random girl he bedded after a party to relieve his stress but Max tends to have worse nightmares when he's stressed out. He choked the poor girl until she's unconscious. Buti nalang nagising si Max bago niya ito mapatay. But the damage had been done. The girl was traumatized."