The Other Daughter

Chapter 4 : The Spectator & the Star

That stupid contract to find Pat a date was a bad idea. She knew it was going to be a deal with the devil. All she got from it was not a date but heartbreak from the supposed advisor.   The girl who was supposed to help her date was the one she ended up almost in bed with.

She does not know how she could even face Krystal if ever there was a press conference or an event or an interview.

Pat still could not believe their intense fight that night. She also could not believe their even more intense kiss.

Pat did not have a lot of experience with intimacy. She has had two kisses before from her past boyfriends and these were all uncomfortable and hurried tasks.

But this was different. This took over her. This had an effect on her that she could not erase. She believed that was her first real kiss. Having Krystal's mouth hot over her own had been playing nonstop in her mind, her heart always would race when she dreamt about that night-- how Krystal's muscled shoulder felt on her palm, how her strong hand felt up her breast, and how every movement of her lips seemed to consume all of Pat.

But most surprising of all --- was how Pat reacted to those kisses. She felt the heat slowly build up in her stomach and a certain lightness overtaking her as she felt Krystal's body thrust onto hers. Her body responded to Krystal in a way she never had experienced before, it was like she hungered for the woman writhing on her. It was both volcanic and calming at the same time, she felt her body hum right when Krystal's ravenous mouth sucked onto her neck. She remembered pulling Krystal closer to her body longing for more of her skin on hers.

She barely slept in the last few nights and when she did that was all she dreamt about.

The bliss she felt that night was washed over like a cold glass of water poured on her face. She still remembered how arresting Krystal's fury was. Her acerbic words of anger telling Pat that she was nothing but a possible one-night stand. Krystal's bitter tears and the sadness in her eyes still haunted Pat.

Pat watched the happy ending of "Notting Hill" and she found herself crying again. She kept wiping her tears quickly with crumpled kleenex tissues. She had been crying non-stop since that fateful night with Krystal. She had called in sick for the past two days.   She just wanted to disappear and lock herself in her room watching movies.

Just the ringing of the movie soundtracks playing in the little confines of her room. Just her hugging her pillow that still smelled like Krystal's hint of baby shampoo. Just her looking at their old text messages of pure unadulterated fun banter and gaguhan asaran.

Just her viewing her photos of Krystal. Just her replaying the last 60 days in her head.

Just her alone in her thoughts where she still got to see Krystal's smile, her childlike laughter that made her eyes disappear and her nose wrinkle. Just her in this silence.

But then there is a loud bang on her bedroom door.

THUD.  THUD.

It was one more pound on the door and there came bursting into her room was Chanelle,  with all her strength--- she actually broke open Pat's door.

"Hindi ka ba marunong kumatok," Pat asked as she looked at Chanelle with her voluptuous body breaking open the door with her own strength. She saw her wooden door frame with a dent and pieces of wooden shards all over her room.   She was overhearing her friend saying sorry to her mother who was frantically worried about the door.

Chanelle was still wearing her Makati Med scrubs, she worked as an oral surgeon and Pat knew on Tuesdays she had rounds.

"Maria Patricia Lumaban ---- gaga ka ba?!"