ANNOYED
ALMERA'S POV
“This is fucking stressing!” I stopped signing the papers and angrily threw the ballpen I was holding. “I need a coffee, I need to wake myself up.” I muttered, I stood up and marched out of my office. Pero bago ako lumabas, sinigurado ko muna na wala sa labas ang asawa ko.
Matapos ang pangyayari kanina, iniwan ko siya sa elevator, ayoko na siyang harapin ngayon.
Ayoko siyang makausap! Kahit pa mahal na mahal ko siya!
Nang masiguradong wala siya ay dahan-dahan akong lumabas, parang ninja kung maglakad, alam mo 'yon? May pa-slowmo effect pa ako.
Maingat ang bawat galaw at patingin-tingin sa paligid, pero natigilan lang ako nang may isang empleyadong nakatingin na pala sa'kin.
Nakaawang ang labi nito at gulat-gulat sa nasaksihan.
“M-ma'am?”
Mabilis akong umayos ng tayo at inayos ang damit, pinagtaasan ko ito ng kilay.
“What are you looking at?” Maldita kong tanong. “Go back to work!” I pretended to annoyed.
She nodded her head repeatedly.
“Y-yes ma'am!” Usal nito at nagsimulang maglakad.
“Wait,” pagpipigil ko sa kanya. Tumigil naman siya at nilingon ako. “S-siguraduhin mong wala kang pagsasabihan ng mga nakita mo, okay?” Tumango siya at sininyasan ko na itong umalis.
I screamed in my head when she was no longer in front of me, I even banged my head on the wall. That was embarrassing! I'm out of my mind! That was very unprofessional!
Lumabas akong building at pumunta sa malapit na Starbucks, bumili ako ng coffee ko para magising ako ng tuluyan dahil parang hanggang ngayon ay tulog pa rin ang kaluluwa ko.
This is not me, masyado akong lutang.
I came back after I bought coffee, but I stopped walking when I heard my phone ringing. I took it out of my bag and quickly answered the call.
“Hi, how are you? Sorry I couldn't talk to you after what happened at the bar” pabulong na usal ni Cassandra.
“That's okay, it's not a big deal.” Nilibot ko ang paningin at natigil ito sa taong nakatayo hindi kalayuan at titig na titig sa'kin.
S-sh*t!
“Hindi kita natawagan agad, it's been two days na akong hindi pinabalabas ni Xio at hindi pinapagamit ng phone kasi nga ayaw na nitong mangyari ang nangyari sa bar, nakakainis. Hindi ko tuloy kayo makausap ni Yuiji,” naiinis na bulong nito. “Oh siya, sige, bye na. Tatawagan ko naman si Yuiji, for sure kinulong rin ito ni Knight, but I'll try parin. Bago ako mahuli ni Xio, bye!”
“I couldn't call you right away, it's been two days since xio wouldn't let me out and used my phone kasi ayaw niyang mangyare ulit 'yong nangyare sa bar, and it's annoying. I can't talk to you or yuiji,” she whispered angrily. “Oh well gotta go, okay? bye! I'll call yuiji, for sure knight locked her up too but I'll try anyway. Bye before xio catches me!”
Two days? Sh*t? Akala ko kagabi lang nangyari 'yong sa bar? Kung iisipin, pagkatapos nun, hindi ko na alam ang sumunod na nangyari.
Paano ako nakabalik dito sa Pilipinas nang hindi ko namamalayan?
Maybe I got drunk? No, hindi ganon karami ang nainom ko, pero iba pa rin ang epekto ng alak sa katawan ko dahil sa sakit ko. Siguro isinakay ako ni clark—nah, siguro ni Uncle! Tama! siguro isinakay ako ni uncle sa private plane pabalik sa Pilipinas? Like isinama niya ako pauwi?
Maybe? Maybe that's it!
Hindi na ako nakapagpaalam pa at pinatay na agad ang tawag. Mabilis kong iniwas ang tingin sa lalaki nang magsimula na itong maglakad papalapit sa'kin.
Ito na naman siya!
“WIFEYYYYY KOOOO!!” I stopped walking when I heard his voice but I immediately walked again when I realized it was him.
I even covered my face with my small bag because our employees were staring at me.
“Aiishh!” Mabilis akong naglakad at walang pakialam kung may nasasagi o nabubunggo man ako.
Gusto lang tumakas, kahit ngayon lang! gusto ko siyang maghabol sa'kin pero h'wag muna ngayon!
Nakakahiya ang mga pinagsasabi ko sa kanya nung gabing 'yon!
Napatigil ang mga paa ko sa paghakbang nang may humarang sa'kin, balak ko na sanang sigawan ang taong nakaharang ngayon sa harapan ko nang bigla ako mag angat ng tingin.
”Y-you.” I froze, ang bilis niya namang maglakad?!
Ngumiti siya, ngiting ngayon niya lang ipinakita sa'kin sa ilang taon naming pagiging mag-asawa.
”Your ignoring me” he pouted. “Did you eat? Did you have breakfast? Do you want to eat outside?” He didn't wait for my answer and I was surprised when he took the bag I was carrying, held my hand, and quickly pulled me.
Lumabas kami ng building, saan ako nito dadalhin?!
Pinapasok niya ako sa sasakyan at siya naman ang sumunod na pumasok bago ito paandarin, pareho kaming walang imikan sa loob ng sasakyan niya.
Maybe may iniisip din ito tulad ko.
I secretly glanced at him, he's damn hot while driving! Mesherep.
Nag-iwas ako ng tingin nang mapasulyap siya sa'kin, nakita ko pa ang pag-angat ng gilid ng labi nito bago ko tuloyang alisin ang paningin ko sa kanya.
I took a sip of my coffee, which was a bit cold, ito 'yong binili ko kanina sa Starbucks.
”Kalmahan mo lang, Almera,” payo ko sa sarili.
I noticed that the car stopped kaya napatingin ako window and saw that it was a red light, kaya pala.
”I'm thirsty,” napatingin ako sa tabi ko nang marinig ko itong magsalita.
Nauuhaw siya?
Naawa naman ako bigla, sobrang init ng panahon ngayon kaya pwede siyang ma-dehydrate.
Dumapo ang mga mata ko sa kapeng hawak ko bago ko napag-desisyonan iabot ito sa kanya kaya napalingon ito sa'kin.
”You're thirsty right?” Tumango siya. ”Then drink this, it's not water but I think it can help you” i smiled.
Pero nawala ang ngiti sa labi ko nang umiling ito sa'kin at nagsalita.
“Drink it first,” he said.
“W-what? Why?” Nagtataka kong tanong sa kanya.
“Just drink it” He unbuckled his seatbelt, siguro ay naiinitan na talaga ito.
But why do I need to drink this first? Does he think this has a love potion? Or poison? Even though I was offended by what he said, sinunod ko parin ito, I'll prove to him that I didn't put anything in it.
I drank my coffee habang nakatitig sa kanya.
But to my surprise...
He took the Starbucks cup I was holding and put his other hand on the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him.
Then, I think the world had just collapsed. My world.
He kissed me.
Not just a simple kiss, it was a deep and passionate kiss. He sucked the coffee I hadn't swallowed before pulling away from me.
He smirked when he saw my reaction.
“You want me to act like a good husband” he whispered. “Right?” I don't know but I felt hypnotized and just nodded to his question.
Like a damn puppy!
“Then expect things like this to happen, this is usually what husbands and wives do” he touched the side of my lips and stroked it. “Enjoy yourself, this won't last long.” He sat up straight and put his seatbelt back on.
He looked at me and smirked.
“Thank you for the coffee, I like the flavor wifey, it's fucking addicting.”
END OF CHAPTER 19
