"Sometimes the best way to get someone's attention is to stop giving them yours."
Alex stared at the door the moment it came to a close, sitting there like someone pushed the pause button and everything stood still. Just a few seconds ago, Drei was standing in front of him and now she was gone. His eyes were still fixated at the door, gaping at it with much scrutiny – the silver handle, the rusty screws on the side, its blue colored paint. That blue wooden door that made her disappear from his sight.
"Are you okay?" he heard Tish ask, patting his leg. That was the only time he managed to blink and turn his head to her direction.
"Why wouldn't I be?" he smiled at her. "I just remembered something."
He met Tisha just two weeks ago at some party that Jason dragged him and Terrence to. Apparently it was one of Jason's friends, Henry's birthday that they gate crashed on that boring Friday night. Yes, he was bored because during that same week he got rid of Jessa, the cute TL from Convergys that Terrence introduced to him.
His whirlwind affair with Jessa lasted for 3 weeks. She was pretty and petite but with the right curves at the right places. And it only took him a matter of hours to sweet talk her into his bed. And yeah, she was very good with her hands. They met at a bar in Pasig and she happened to be with Terrence's date that night, Ina. In short, Terrence hooked them up – double date. Later on the girl became clingy – calling him every hour and checking on him, so he got rid of her just in time.
A month before Jessa, he was with Abbie, a real estate agent he met during their Christmas party. Abbie was a friend of their Operations Manager, Deanna. After a few drinks and some casual sweet talk, Alex was able to sweep her off her feet and they ended up in bed. Abbie was the kind of girl who somehow knew the game. She was very familiar with it and very honest from the start that she didn't want the commitment thingy. They decided to call it off after a month and they remained friends.
And now, here was Tisha, who was actually featured as the Girl-Next-Door in FHM's December issue last year. Before they were properly introduced, Jason already gave him the juicy tidbits about this girl. Tisha was the typical sexy siren with the right package – tall, mestiza features and a hot body any guy like him would like to get his hands on. And eventually he did, as always.
"Magic, dude!" he said while smiling at them smugly. Jason and Terrence just stared at him in shock as he left the party with Tisha in tow.
And so he's been seeing Tisha for the past 3 weeks. When it comes to her, everything was easy. She was his typical conquest – fun, submissive, sweet and she was predictable just like the rest of the women he has been with. And the sex was as what he imagined it would be – fantastic and yes, she was a tiger in bed.
Clearly he was back in the game, he's been with three different women in the past three months but then again there was something missing. And often times his thoughts would lead him back to that night he was with her. As if retracing what had happened between them, every bit of it like some unforgettable memory. He would deny it countless times but at the back of his head, he still thought of her even after that night.
Her.
The girl who left him the morning after.
Drei.
Drei was still inside his head, well not every day but quite often. Of course he knew that the thrill of the chase was officially over when everything happened that night. But how come he still couldn't erase the thoughts of her from his head? The memory of that night constantly flashes back. He still couldn't get over it. Because the truth is, it was the first time in years, that he had that kind of sex and of all the women, he felt it with Drei. It was just oddly amazing and filled with so much passion that he never knew of.
He could still remember the smile on her face when he told her that she was beautiful, because that night she was and for the first time, he told her the truth. Overwhelmingly beautiful and naked in his arms drove him right to the very edge. And he couldn't take his eyes off of her that night, watching her with so much wonder like he has never seen her before.
The way she bit her lips as she took him inside her while she straddled him on the couch. He watched her as she closed her eyes as he devoured her breasts, fighting to keep in her moans of pleasure. Drei felt amazing as she rocked him slow. Achingly slow with such grace that made his heart rev up as he held her. His eyes darkened as he watched her head falling back as she ravished his body with gusto. Letting his head fall back to the couch, he let her do her thing because this was her ride and it was turning into a hell of a ride. Then she bowed over him, entwining her fingers with his as they kissed, her muscles quivering as the pressure built. Alex found himself getting lost in the sight of her; he whispered her name again and again. Her body surrendered in gorgeous relief above him, and he groaned as the wave took him along with her.
The way she cried his name as he made himself at home between her thighs on the kitchen counter. He took his time exploring and tasting every inch of her. Her hands came up to tangle his hair as she shuddered endlessly beneath him. He ran his tongue over her wet throbbing skin, gently sucking her in to his mouth. He loved how she tasted as he sent her quivering and flying to the moon and back.
The way she kissed him, gently nibbling and nipping his lips hungrily, and the way she stroked his hard, pulsing length in the shower made him ache for her. With water washing over their bodies, he leaned her on the tiled wall. Cupping her bottom, he lifted her to grind his hips to hers as she wrapped her legs around his waist. With one gentle thrust he glided deep inside of her. Rocking each other to the very core, their bodies moved together in the same rhythmic pace. Intense, steady, and strong. He loved filling that void in her as much as she filled the void in him. Her eyes were locked on his as they took the freefall on the edge, surrendering in the absolute, numbing pleasure leaving them both breathing erratically and quivering.
It was the most erotic experience of his life. Sure he's been with many different women but none of them made him feel that way. It was a powerful feeling that seemed new to him. So unfamiliar that he suddenly felt desperately afraid to trust it. The mixture of heat, longing, affection, need and so much more in her expression took his breath away, leaving him wanting more of her after that. He wanted her. Still. Even after that night he couldn't get enough of her.
Drei could make all the demons inside of him go away for a while, helping him let go of all that seemed wrong in his life. He could forget how fucked up he is. She could fix him and at some point that they very thought scared the hell out of him. A nameless desire that's been surging inside him since the day they met; a nameless desire which, up to now, he still couldn't put a finger on. He was alone in bed when the streaks of daylight began poking through his eyelids. Thinking she was just somewhere inside his room, he lay there staring at the ceiling contemplating on what happened the night before. A smile curled on his lips. He got up and looked around.
The room was empty and there was nothing but silence and the scent of her perfume lingered on his pillows, filling up the four corners of his bedroom. Leaving no trail behind her, she was gone.
"Are you're okay?" Alex heard Tisha ask once more. She was holding little Uel, who was sound asleep in her arms.
He gave her a smile and squeezed her hand that rested on his knee. "Yes, babe! I was just thinking—"
Then his gaze landed on the door. There was just some pull of gravity that urged him to get up. Man! What the hell are you waiting for? Get up!, a voice in his head commanded.
"About?"
"Where's Yo?" he suddenly blurted out, looking at Jeannie. "I haven't seen him around."
"He's probably at settling our bill," Jeannie answered. "We're gonna be discharged today you know."
"Hanapin ko muna siya saglit ha, kanina pa siya eh!" he stood up and headed for the door. "You guys want anything?"
"Can you get me a Coke Zero, babe?" Tisha reminded and Alex just nodded.
As soon as he stepped outside, he found Drei just a few steps away from him, walking slowly as she scanned her phone. With a few long strides, he grabbed her hand and turned her to face him.
"Drei..." he called out softly, not letting go of her hand.
She looked at him puzzled. "O, Alex, bakit?"
Alex locked her gaze. Her scent was suddenly enveloping and casting a spell on him. Here he is again, standing in front of her and getting lost in those beautiful, fathomless almond eyes - those eyes that gave nothing away.
"I just wanted to know..." he started.
Truth is, he didn't want to ask. Doing what he was about to do now could mean a lot of things. This will bruise his ego. This will stain his squeaky clean reputation of being the Alex Lizares that he is. But for now, he brushed those thoughts aside, there was a part of him that wanted to know the answer to the big WHY that's been haunting and making him restless for the past three months. It irked him that she was an exception to that rule in his book. Because no one ever left him the morning after – NO ONE.
Alex – 1 Drei – 1
The score was now a tie. And he hated that. He needed to know another answer to a question that's been floating inside his head... Did she fall for him? Is that why she left and never returned his calls?
He grew up believing that there is no perfect timing, its either you do it now or never. So he's taking it now. 'Cause now is the right time, while he still can take it. Maybe this is the last chance he'll ever get. Maybe they'll never talk to each other again, ever. And maybe he'll never see her again.
"Why'd you leave?" he asked, still holding onto her gaze. Drei stood there staring back at him. Her eyes were blank and cold.
Then she sighed. "Kasi what's the point? Di ba?"
He didn't answer instead he stood there trying to read her mind again, scrutinizing every part of her expression for possible loopholes.
"I was trying to reach you, you know..." he finally said as if digging further into their conversation. "I kept sending you messages, calling you, pero bakit di mo ako sinasagot?"
Drei let out a sheepish grin. "What for?"
They stood there staring at each other for a while.
"I mean let's face it, Alex, this was what you wanted all this time, di ba? Nakuha mo na gusto mo, nakuha ko na gusto ko, so quits na tayo." She said coolly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And now that we've finally got it over and done with, what's the point na ipagpatuloy pa natin to? It's not like we're in a relationship or something. Or that we're going to take it to another level. Right?"
It took him awhile to process everything she said. She was right. What for? The thrill of the chase is over now and there's no point in asking why she did was she had to do.
"Of course naman!"
"Bakit, ano ba ineexpect mo?"
"Nothing of course, Drei... it's just that I thought back there... I thought you felt–"
"Awkward?" she finished for him and he just nodded. She let out a soft laugh. "Why would I be awkward around you?"
Wrong move, Alex! Wrong move! Stupid move!
"My thoughts exactly!" he agreed. She was watching him carefully now and all he needed to do now was to choose his words correctly. He didn't want her to catch him unguarded. "I was just making sure that you're alright after... you know..."
Now he felt stupid for even assuming that she felt awkward! Fishing for answers wasn't a good idea. It was certainly the most stupid idea he's ever had today! Ahhh! Shit, he cursed to himself.
"I'm just making sure that we're still cool, Drei... Ok naman tayo, di ba?" he asked and she stood there with amusement in her eyes while he felt the embarrassment caving in on him.
Smirk. She smirked. "Yeah, we are! No biggie!"
"Great!" he said in relief, smiling at her. Instinctively he grabbed her hand out of the blue, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. God, he missed touching her. He missed the feel of her skin on his. "I'm glad we're okay, Drei. Yun lang!"
A surge of relief ran through him. Why did he ever think that she has fallen for him? Why did he ever think that a girl like her would have an emotional attachment to him? How stupid of him to assume something like that to happen between them? But it was over.
"So, mauna na ako, I need to head back to the office, Alex..." she interrupted, freeing her hand from his grasp. "Ummm see you around, I guess..."
"Yeah, see you around!" he smiled.
Let it go, man. Let her go, he thought as he watched her walk away.
Alex – 1 Drei – 2
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Music: Bette Davis Eyes by Marble Sounds
Playing For Keeps © 2013 C.Ellaine. All Rights Reserved