That Woman

Chapter 18

Keji's P.O.V.

"Sir, we need to use a bullet proof car." Robin, my new body guard told me. Sa sinabi niya ay isang pangalan ang pumasok sa aking isipan. I can't stop thinking how he is now. He's just a body guard---fuck, a Cum Laude graduate! It's been a month after I fired him. It wasn't my intention but I need to do that, for his own safety. How funny it is, his job is to protect me yet I wanted to keep him safe.

"Okay." Kakatapos lang ng isang meeting naming mga nanalong kandidato. Yesterday was the election at nanguna ako sa botohan. I went home after para magbihis. I look at my wrist watch. "Argh. Past lunch na..." I whispered.

"Let's go to KID, I'll eat first."

The wind chime made a noise nang ako'y pumasok. "Welcome to KID, Sir. Sa VIP place po ba?" tanong ng lumapit na manager sa'kin. She's pertaining the place upstairs na exclusive for VIP customers.

"No need. Dito na lang ako since kaunti na lang naman ang tao. You may go ahead, I'm fine."

"Okay, Sir. Maggie, pakitake na lang yung order ni Sir." Sabi nito sa isang waiter. Naghanap na akong mauupuan saka ito lumapit sa akin.

"What's your order Sir? The usual po ba?"

"Hmm. I want something new. Ano ang mga inihaw ninyo?"

"Sir, we have grilled pork, seafoods, chicken and veggies din po. Ang best seller po ng mga inihaw namin ay ang P5 po sa menu. May tatlong malalaking inihaw na pusit, isang hito, isang liempo, may lechong manok at baboy, bicol express at inihaw na talong at okra po. Good for one person na po iyon, Sir. Masarap po iyan kasi si Chef mismo ang mag-iihaw!" excited nitong paliwanag. I think he's talking to the mysterious chef. I want to meet that guy, baka pwede ko siyang kuning cook.

"The mysterious chef? Sino ba iyon?"

"You boyfriend ni ma'am Sir! Si Gary ay Sir Gary na pala. Haha. Nagulat din kami noong una Sir pero nanghihinala na kami noong una pa lang kasi hindi naman namin siya makita humawak ng mga paper works ganoon po. Last week lang po siya nagpakilala." Gary? Yung boyfriend ni Gale? Si Gary?! Wtf!

"Seriously?"

"Yes, Sir. Grabe nga po eh, close pa naman namin yon noon. Nahihiya na po tuloy kami. So sir, iyon na po ba an order niyo?"

"Ah... yeah."

Sino ka ba talaga Gary? Bakit ka pumayag na maging bodyguard ko kung una pa lang alam mo na ang sweldo mo ay kakarampot lang ng kita mo dito. Who the hell are you? I doubt if politics involve here kasi simula noong naging bodyguard kita naging maayos na ang kampanya ko. What the fuck is your motive?

I called a friend of mine habang naghihintay ng order ko.

"Marco, I need you to do me a favor. Investigate about Gary Martinez. Name your price." Marco is a former international agent but decided to quit the job simula noong nagpamilya na ito. He is still accepting job relating to hacking, seeking information and others that aren't connected to killing. Now he owns a telecommunication company in the Philippines.

Pagkatapos ng tawag ay sakto namang pagdating ng order ko. "Where's Gary? Can I talk to him." I planned before not to talk to him or kahit magpakita man lang pero pagkatapos ng mga nalaman ko ay nagbago ang isip ko. "Nako Sir, kakaalis lang po nila ni Ma'am Gale. Masama po kasi ata ang pakiramdam ni Ma'am eh. Sige po, mauna na ako."

I sighed after hearing what she said. Maybe Gary knew that I'm here. I eat my lunch and forget about my problems for a while. Luckily, nakakain naman ako ng maayos.

"Hon, are you busy?" Althea asked over the phone. I mean it, I'm planning to break up with her kasi una pa lang alam kong wala akong nararamdaman sa kaniya. It's just because of the thought that she's Ariela, the girl I promised my forever but the feelings I had when we were kids never came back again.

"I am not. Where are you, pupuntahan kita." I'm just taking it slow since Tita Suzanne told me not to break up with her because of her condition. She has a heart disease, that's what Tita Suzanne told me. But I know the truth, I found out that she's lying because I caught her once inside a bar in New York, drunk and wasted. She knew na bawal sa kaniya ang alak. Inuwi ko siya noon na wala na siyang malay dahil sa kalasingan. I looked at her medicines, I got curious because it has a sweet smell, like a smell of a chewable ascorbic acid. Pinacheck ko ito sa pharmacy and found out that my claim is correct. I confronted her and she admitted that she is faking her condition because of the attention Tita Suzanne is giving her. She missed being cared like that but then I asked her to tell her the truth sooner. Unfortunately, I think she has no plans to tell the truth. Tita Suzanne is the only reason why I can't break up with her.

"Oh yes! I'm actually inside a salon and about to ask you if you can fetch me kasi coding ako ngayon."

"I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay bye, I love you." I ended the call. I can't answer her.

I saw Althea as I enter the Salon, gone with the innocent look like Tita Suzanne. Anyway, they do not look a like. She made her hair shorter with a rose red dye, matching her lips. "Hi hon!" She was about to kiss me on the lips but I immediately kissed her on her cheeks kaya sa pisngi ko rin napunta ang halik niya. "You look good." I complimented.

"Is that all?" She pouted.

"You know you're the most beautiful girl here, Althea." I faked my smile but it seems like she didn't notice it. As I look around, she's the youngest lady inside the salon.

"Let's have a date Hon!" She said as I start the engine of the car. I looked at her.

"Where do you want to go?"

"What about we go to Hong Kong, Oh My G! I heard that the latest design of my favorite bag has come out already in Hong Kong, let's go there Hon!"

"Althea, we can't go out of the country. We're not completely sure about our safety here. Remember what happened to your Mom last month? The investigation is still on going."

"But---" she was about to complain but her phone rang. She answered it. "Hello, who's this and where did you get my number?" I looked at her. Her eyes widen. "A-ah see. You're here in the Philippines? A-are you in a vacation, let's hang out soon.-- Oh, okay. See you!"

"Are you okay? You're pale." She's sweating.

"A-h yeah, Hon. It's a friend of mine. Nandito na pala siya. Nagulat lang ako."

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