My Husband Next Door (PREVIEW ONLY)

Part 6

"CALL me Sloane, sweetheart. What's with calling me by my last name? Magiging asawa mo na ako very soon."

Napanganga si Helga. Sa haba ng sinabi niya sa lalaking ito, ang tanging nag-sink in lang yata sa utak nito ay ang pagtawag niya rito ng 'Mr. Cartagena'. Unbelievable.

"Okay." Huminga siya ng malalim. Mukhang mapapasubok yata ang kontroladong pasensiya niya. And this was just their first meeting! "Sloane."

"Yes?"

God, here he goes with that stupid grin again!

"Don't call me sweetheart." May pagbabanta na ang boses niya.

"Okay, babe."

Wow. Ni hindi man natablan ng kasungitan niya?!

Gusto niya tuloy ihampas ang sariling mukha sa ibabaw ng mesa sa tindi ng frustration.

"Don't call me babe either. Tawagin mo lang ako sa pangalan ko."

"Why, what's wrong with calling you endearments?"

"Hindi ko gusto, okay? Hindi ba puwedeng sumunod ka na lang sa sinasabi ko?"

Sarcastic itong tumawa. "Honey, not everybody is your employee or business collegue. You can't just dictate us what to do."

Tumataas yata bigla ang presyon niya! "One more use of endearment and this meeting is over."

"And, now you're trying to scare me?" tila amazed pang sabi ni Sloane.

"I don't scare people, Sloane. I don't give them the chance to feel fear. Bago pa sila matakot ay nagawa ko na ang gusto kong mangyari sa kanila."

Sumeryoso naman ito. "Paano kung sabihin kong ayaw ko ng tinatawag mo lang akong Sloane? Paano kung mas gusto ko ng endearment? Pagbibigyan mo rin ba ako gaya ng gusto mong pagbigyan kita sa demand mo?"

For real?!

Helga scoffed and shook her head in disbelief and irritation. Goodness, hindi pa siya nakakakilala ng taong may kakayahang magbigay sa kanya ng sari-saring negatibong pakiramdam, lalo pa't sa unang pagkikita pa lang.

Presko at mayabang ang dating sa kanya ng mapapangasawa. Palibhasa siguro ay aware itong guwapo ito. Sloane's father was dark and tall but not really a good-looking man, pero ang genes ng half-American na ina ang namana nito pagdating sa facial features. He carried himself well with his sleek business casual attire, too. Helga normally disliked men with facial hair dahil untidy iyong tingnan para sa kanya. But Sloane's perfectly-groomed short stubble beard seemed to add maturity and substance to his face. He reminded her of those hot male models of high-end men's perfumes, except maybe that Sloane possessed both boyish and masculine features.

But, hey, that's beside the point! Hot or not, this sorry excuse of the male specie was irritating the hell out of her!

"Can we just call each other on first name basis?" Sinikap niyang magtunog pakiusap ang boses niya't hindi nag-uutos lang.

Muling ngumiti si Sloane. "See? Pag ganyan tayo lagi, 'di magkakasundo tayo."

"I told you already, hindi natin kailangang magkasundo. This marriage is nothing but a business," matiim niyang paalala.

"Paano tayo magkakaanak kung hindi tayo magkakasundo? I can't have sex with a woman who despise me."

"Sex?" She let out a soft sarcastic laugh before she sipped on her blood orange juice. "No, we're not gonna have sex, Sloane."