For Your Eyes Only;

Caramel Brown

Ten nights ago, RJ was sitting alone on the same banquet hall, completely immersed in writing a letter and forgetting that his cup of cappuccino was already starting to go cold. When he finally finished, he took one sip and thought: this is exactly how I feel. Lukewarm.

He neatly folded the paper and slipped it inside a cream-colored envelope. He still couldn't bring himself to write out the name of the person he was writing the letter to. He got up from his seat and walked out of the hall, heading straight to the elevators where he pushed the button for the sixteenth floor. It had been a long and tiring Thursday because it was the final day of the national conference he has attended as a representative. He eagerly looked forward to five hours of sleep before his flight tomorrow.

When the elevator door finally opened to the sixteenth floor, his attention was swiftly drawn to the woman standing alone in the empty hallway. He walked slowly, his curiosity piqued at why the woman was standing in front of a door—room 1613.

As he came nearer into view, he studied her side profile. Her height was average and her figure was slender. Her hair cascaded in pretty waves and shades of hazel, about the same color as the vintage brown wallpaper of the hotel. She was wearing a white t-shirt and ripped jeans but she looked so regal even as her yellow sneakers fidgeted on the plush carpet of the hallway. She was clutching a piece of paper on her hands too and she was crying. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and ignored RJ as he went past her.

When he finally stood in front of room 1616, he stole another glance at the woman. Just before his hands could swipe the hotel key card, the woman came running towards his direction and kissed him full on the mouth.

Holy sh—her lips...ang...ang sarap.    

He stood frozen, too stunned to react but he saw that the room 1613 opened and a man and a woman emerged into the hallway. The couple saw them kissing, exchanged a laugh and went to the elevator. The woman kissing RJ held him by the wrists and directed his hand to swipe the hotel key card, never letting go of his lips. Room 1616 opened and she led him inside. He didn't protest because he understood: she needed a place to hide.

The room was dark because the lights were off and they collapsed on the floor, the woman on top of RJ. She finally stopped kissing him and they both took time to catch their breaths.

"Sorry po," she said, trembling.

RJ enjoyed the kiss so much that he replied to her without thinking.

"Thank you," he answered. The words escaped his lips before he realized how awkward that sounded.

RJ CALM DOWN, SUSMARYOSEP.

Despite her still-damp, tear-stricken cheeks, RJ felt and heard the beautiful woman laughing a little.

When he motioned to get up so he could turn on the lights, she stopped him, keeping him underneath her.

"Pwede po bang...sorry po, can I have thirty seconds? I promise I will leave right away."

"You can stay here for as long as you need."

She embraced him and cried. He couldn't explain why, but he decided to hold her tightly.

And just when RJ thought he was overcome with the intensity of the emotional moment, the woman unexpectedly started counting in between her sobs and tears.

"One... Two... Three... huhuhuhu...Four..."

She really meant strictly thirty seconds. Lord, bakit ang cute niya?

"...Fifteen...Sixteen..."

RJ had the sudden irrational urge to stop time. He wanted to hold this girl longer. Inexplicably, she fits so perfectly inside his arms.

"Twenty-eight...huhuhuhu...Twenty-nine...Thirty."

She went absolutely still and slowly got up then fumbled on the floor for the contents of her bag that spilled on the carpet. RJ turned on the light and looked at her. The woman met his gaze, her cheeks blushing. Her eyes were a little swollen from crying and yet, RJ was instantly enthralled. Her eyes were caramel brown: sweet, alluring, so delicious to look at.

They looked at each other and he watched helplessly as the woman gathered her things, opened the door and left. On instinct, his hands reached for the knob to go after her, but it finally dawned on him that she probably needed time for herself to be alone. His eyes darted on the floor and he picked up his hotel key card. He also picked up the envelope that fell on the carpet but he knew right away that this wasn't the letter he was writing just a couple of minutes ago. On the side, written in fancy cursive, was no doubt the woman's name: For Ms. Maine Mendoza.

The envelope wasn't sealed so he opened it and the contents were a written letter and a wedding invitation in an outrageous bright red swirling font. She is going to be one of the bridesmaids, and the wedding reception will be held on the banquet hall of this exact same hotel ten days from that day.

As RJ started to read the handwritten letter, he suddenly remembered the envelope containing his own letter that he finished writing earlier.

It was nowhere to be found.