Housemates With Benefits [COMPLETE|PUBLISHED]

Sabrina (62)

At nauna na akong lumabas sa kanya but not before I heard him groan and utter a curse.

"Fuck, Sabrina.  Not fair," reklamo niya habang hinahabol ako.  

Mahina ko na lang siyang tinawanan but I continued walking.  His strides were definitely longer than mine kaya maagap niya akong napantayan.  Inabot niya ang palad ko and hand-in-hand, we approached the door to the lion's den, also known as the del Valle Christmas Ball.

With every step we take, the colder Oliver's aura becomes.  Nawala na ang mapaglarong nobyo ko.  He was replaced by the sole heir of the San Martins.  Confidence and power stamped on every inch of his body.  

I was right.  There was a door list and my boyfriend was on it. In that moment, it occurred to me that Tita Adina was not really expecting me here.  She made sure to keep Papa off the list.  But not me.  Sino nga naman kasi ang mag-aakalang ako ang magiging plus-one ni Oliver.  Next time that she will hold a party such as this, sigurado akong magpapa-RSVP siya with the name of the plus one and make sure that I'm off the list.  

Mabilis naman kaming pinapasok sa loob and we stood just inside the room as Oliver takes note of the surrounding.  People are milling around near the entrance with most of them waiting for their turn in front of a backdrop.  I could see several photographers there and some media men probably.  Iniwas ako ni Oliver mula roon and we moved deeper into the room.  

I could feel eyes sizing us up.  Oliver watched them back, weighing and judging their stares as they judged us back.  Hindi na ako nagtaka that most of those stares came from women.  Some of them watched us with a frown.  Lalo na kung mapapadako ang tingin sa akin.  They must be wondering who the heck am I and how dare me to stand beside this demi-god.  Intrigued, they kept on looking.  

May ilan rin namang pamilyar na mukha.  Those people, after a few minutes of staring, they went back to their own conversations.  Lalo na ang mga nakasama namin sa ibang parties na aming dinaluhan.  Not the cousins, however.  Not the Trinidad and the del Valle cousins.  

Lihim akong napabuntong-hininga.  I expected them here kahit na ipinagdadasal kong sana ang mga elders na lang ang dumalo dito.  Hindi na sana ang mga pinsan namin ni Rachel.  Another unanswered prayers.  All of them seems to be here.  

The del Valle cousins stared at us, me in particular, in various degree of worry and irritation.  I could see the question in their eyes.  Does Señora Adina know I am here? They must be worried about how Tita will react seeing me here at baka mapagkamalan pa ang isa sa kanilaa na nag-imbita sa akin.  As much as possible, they try to avoid the señora's wrath.  They should have not worried.  Alam naman ng lahat that they won't lift a finger to help me.  

The Trinidad cousins stared at us, too.  In equal shots of shock, disbelief, and wicked glee.  I  inhaled deep and steeled my spine.  Lion's den, indeed.  I got a feeling na hindi matatapos ang gabing ito na hindi ako mapapahiya in the hands of one of them.  Ang tanong na lang ay sino sa kanila ang unang magbabato ng poisoned dart.  

They are Tita Adina's side of the family.  Like her, they can be vicious.  They know how much Tita hates me.  Some of them will surely curry favor from her by putting me in my place.  Inaasahan ko naman iyon.  I will actually be shocked if none of them try it.  I just pray that they wouldn't do it too publicly na madadamay ang pamilya San Martin.  Sana maalala nila that this ball is a business affair and that we shouldn't air our dirty laundry here.

A waiter with a tray of hors d'oeuvres approached us.  Tig-isa kaming kumuha ni Oliver and we continued deeper into the ballroom.  

"Will I be meeting your father here?"