DASHER: THE DASHING DEVIL

CHAPTER 5

DONNIE MARIE PUT on her Queen-of-the-Brave-Face and stared at him as if he just grew two horns and a tail. She cleared her throat and stared at him innocently...quivering silently.

"Excuse me, but do I know you?" she asked innocently.

His blazing eyes raked her body, leisurely, na para bang ipinapaalala sa kanya kung paano siya nitong tinignan noong dumaan siya sa harap nito doon sa restaurant. She blushed.

"Please don't tell me you don't remember me," he said in a fake hurt tone.

He was too clever to play dumb with him, she thought. "O-oh, I think I remember you now. You were at the restaurant last week, right?" sabi niya na patuloy pa rin sa pagmamaang-maangan. She was a good actress. And she hoped that she could pull it off with him.

"Yeah, I did see you at the restaurant," sarkastikong turan nito. "Ikaw yung nakita kong lumabas mula sa comfort room. Hindi ba?"

"Y-yeah, fancy meeting you here," she laughed nervously.

"Hindi ka nagulat dahil marunong pala akong magtagalog?" She froze. Bumalik ang balasik sa mga mata nito. "What an odd reaction you got there, lady. Maraming tao ang nagugulat kapag naririnig nila akong magtagalog," he said matter-of-factly.

Damn! Hindi niya naisip agad iyon. Oh, she was busted, big time! Napatingin siya sa likuran nito. How would she be able to get away from?

"What are you talking about?" mayamaya ay tawa niya. "S-siyempre nagulat ako."

"You can't get away from me, if that's what you're thinking," banta nito na tila nababasa ang tumatakbo sa isip niya.

"I h-have to go. My friends must be waiting for me now," medyo tarantang sagot niya.

"I won't let you go unless ipaliwanag mo sa akin kung bakit bigla kang nagtransform mula sa pagiging isang inosenteng estudyante sa pagiging isang sexy at napakagandang babae."

"Mukhang nagkakamali ka," iling niya. "Paano naman ako magmumukhang highschool student?" natatawang dagdag pa niya. "I'm too old, don't you think?"

"I don't remember telling that you disguised as a highschool student. Paano mo nalamang highschool student ang tinutukoy ko?" nakakaloko nitong tanong.

Her nervous laugh faded. "W-well..."

"You can change your hair, your clothes or the way you act. Hell, you can even change the color of your eyes. But you forgot to hide your marks, honey."

"M-marks?" nagtatakang ulit niya.

His eyes shot through her neck. She didn't have to spend a minute to realize what he was talking about. He grinned. "That is just one of your sexy marks. One on your neck, one at the back of your left shoulder..." Then his eyes went straight to her breast. Lumawak ang pagkakangisi nito. "And my favorite one," nguso nito sa nunal niya sa dibdib.

Hindi niya naisip na takpan ang kanyang mga nunal sa katawan. Ni minsan ay hindi sumagi sa isip niya na iyon ang magdadala sa kanya sa bingit ng pagkakatiklo. Isa pa, hindi na niya hinahayaang makadaupang-palad pa niya ulit ang mga naging bahagi ng misyon niya.

Minalas lang siya na sa dinami-rami ng pwede niyang makita ulit ay ito pa ang nakita niya sa bar na iyon. Isang pag-iinit sa magkabilang pisngi at paglunok lang ang naisagot niya sa mga sinabi nito. Hindi niya magawang makaisip ng panibagong palusot para rito.

"And I still have another way to confirm my hunch about your transformation."

Matapos nitong sabihin iyon ay bigla nitong hinablot ang kamay niya. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya nang bigla siya nitong yakapin. She caught her breath when she felt his warm but very firm body against her. Ang mga kamay nito ay mahigpit na pumulupot sa kanyang bewang at likuran, as if telling her that she should fit that way in his arms. Awtomatikong nakaramdam ng init ang kanyang katawan dahil sa pagkakadikit nilang iyon.