******
CLARISSE
Sinalubong ko agad si Lance bago pa man ito makalapit sa kinatatayuan ni Pierce. I grabbed his arms and shifted his body to a different direction.
“Akala ko ba idadaan mo lang ako? Then what are you doing here? How about your girlfriend?” sunud-sunod, kinakabahan at pabulong na mga tanong ko sa kanya.
Hindi niya ako agad sinagot sa halip ay kunot-noong tiningnan niya ang aking mukha. Halatang nagtataka ito sa obvious na natatarantang reaksiyon ko.
“Scarlet called me, may biglaan daw silang group study. She asked for another one and a half hour for me to wait,” paliwanag nito habang papalit-palit ang tingin sa aking mukha at sa kanyang braso kung saan mahigpit akong nakahawak.
Ang kulit talaga ng lalaking ito!
“Then you should have waited her in the campus. Bakit kinakailangan mo pa akong puntahan dito?” nagpipigil ng panggigigil na wika ko.
“This place is only fifteen minutes drive away from UP kaya naisipan kong balikan ka. Since I have plenty of time to waste, I decided to drive you home,” nakangiti pa nitong sabi.
You decided? Bakit sinabi ko bang magpapahatid ako! Bakit ba ganito ka-entremetido ang taong ito?
“Huwag mo na akong ihatid. Sige na, sige na bumalik ka na sa girlfriend mo. Hintayin mo na lang siya sa kung nasan man siya,” nagmamadaling sabi ko while slowly pushing him back to his car.
Kinokontra ni Lance ang bawat pagtulak ko sa kanya at tinanggal niya rin ang aking kamay na nakahawak sa kanyang braso. Pagkatapos ay umayos siya ng tayo at tumingin sa kinaroroonan ni Pierce. Hindi pa rin ata nito nahahalatang pinagtutulakan ko siya.
“Who is he? Siya ba ang anak ni Mrs. Calderon?”
Ipinaling ko ang kanyang ulo sa ibang direksiyon.“Huwag mo siyang tingnan, war freak ang taong yan baka mamis-interpret ka madamay ka pa sa init ng ulo niya. Umalis ka na at marami pa kaming dapat pag-usapan. Hindi mo na rin ako maihahatid dahil matatagalan pa ako.”
His face slowly changed. He looks slightly convinced. Mukhang naniwala ito sa sinabi ko. Unti-unti akong nakahinga ng maluwag ngunit bumalik ang kabog sa aking dibdib nang makita kong si Pierce naman ang naglalakad papalapit sa amin.
“Where’s his car?” walang kaabog-abog na tanong ni Pierce.
“W-Why are you asking that?” I said nervously.
“He’s here to pick you up, right?” sabay ngisi nito kay Lance before he gave me a meaningful teasing gaze. “Pare, pwede ba akong makisabay sa inyo?” kaswal na kaswal na dugtong nito.
“S-Sure…” hindi tiyak na sagot ni Lance. “But are you guys done talking? Akala ko marami pa kayong pag-uusapan.”
“Saka na lang, mukhang pagod na si Attorney. Okay lang ba makisabay pare?” ngingiti-ngiti lamang na wika ni Pierce.
What the heck is going on inside this guy head? Ah this is making me crazy! Mukhang may balak pa atang ipamblack mail sa akin ang mga nasabi ko nang magtalo kami. It's your fault Clarisse!Bakit ba naman kasi pinatulan mo pa ang makitid ang utak na taong iyan.
Tumingin sa akin si Lance as if he's asking for my opinion before he gave Pierce an answer. Pero kahit pasimple ko pang iniiling ang aking ulo, iba naman ang ibinigay nitong sagot.
"O-Okay lang... p-pero attorney just told me that I don't need to drive her home. Maybe you can convince her."
Isa pa tong lalaking to!
Natawa ng mahina si Pierce. "Come on attorney! Don't refuse this nice guy's offer. Kanina lang ay handang-handa ka nang umuwi. You even mentioned about us taking taxi separately but why bother if someone is willing to give you a ride."
Naguguluhang napatingin ulit sa akin si Lance. Wala akong magawa kundi bigyan siya ng napapahiyang ngiti. Yeah you just caught me lying.
"So do you agree now?" Pierce told me. "Pwede na ba akong sumakay?" sabi naman nito kay Lance without even a single ounce of hesitation.
"Sure! Let's go attorney," masiglang tugon ni Lance.
Wala akong nagawa kundi sumunod sa dalawang lalaki. Pero pasimple ko munang tiningnan si Pierce at mabilis na pinandilatan ito ng mga mata bilang pahiwatig na huwag na huwag itong magkakamaling magsalita. But he only replied with a smirk and a wink.
Pagdating sa sasakyan, Pierce took the backseat and I took the front seat. Lahat ay pansamantalang tumahimik. Mga palitan ng buntong-hininga lamang ang nangingibabaw na ingay sa paligid. Nagpapakiramdaman ang bawat isa. I could notice too na nagpapalitan ng mga tingin ang dalawa kong kasama thru the rearview mirror. The feeling of awkwardness is too obvious.
Gusto kong matawa sa aking isipan. What is this atmosphere? It looks like I'm entangled in a love triangle with guys whom I'm not even emotionally involved with.
My life is really full of superficiality. Madalas iba ang nakikita sa panlabas kaysa sa totoong nangyayari. Just like what's going on right now. Kung may nakakakita lamang sa amin, aakalain mong ang haba ng buhok ko. But in fact, these men doesn't really care about me...
As for Lance, he is being like this simply because I'm his boss whom he wishes to treat as a colleague and a friend. Plus the fact na nasa personality niya na ang pagiging maalalahanin. And right at this very moment, I know what's going on inside his mind. His curiousity is killing him dahil alam kong nararamdaman niya that there is a tension going on between me and Pierce.
About Pierce, his reason is too obvious. It even came out from his own mouth.... it's all because of our contract. Sa pag-aakalang may namamagitan sa amin ni Lance, pakiramdam niya ay nanganganib ang aming kasunduan. All he cares about is his money and maybe his ego too. At anumang oras sa mga sandaling ito, I know he'll turn into a jerk.
And as for me, I don't have other reason for being uneasy except na natatakot akong baka komprontahin ni Pierce si Lance about the lied I made. That will be a big blow of embarrasment. Ano na lang ang iisipin sa akin ng aking assistant? Na napaka inconsiderate kung tao kung saan pagkatapos niya akong tulungan nagawa ko pa siyang gamitin at nagawa ko pang sirain ang kanyang imahe sa mata ng ibang tao. I don't want to look like a pathetic person in the eyes of any of my employees. That is not going to happen. Never.
"Should I drop you off first?" tanong ni Lance kay Pierce pagkalipas ng mahaba-habang katahimikan.
"You can drop us off together. Bababa ako kung saan bababa si Clarisse."
Wait, what is this? Anong pinagsasabi ng lalaking ito?
"But I'm sending her home," naguguluhang tanong ni Lance.
"Then, I'll get off at her home too."
Nanlaki bigla ang aking mga mata at agad kong nilingon si Pierce. Is he out of his mind? Why is he giving Lance a hint about our relationship?
"Bakit magpapahatid ka na sa bahay? Akala ko ba may gagawin ka pa sa opisina?" tanong sa akin ni Pierce nang may sarkastikong ngiti nang makitang nakatingin ako sa kanya.
Oo wala na akong balak bumalik sa opisina! Sinabi ko lang yun dahil ayokong makasabay ka!
I wanted to shout at him. My teeth is gritting sa panggigil habang nakatingin sa nakakalokong mukha ng lalaking ito.
"Huh? Your planning to go back to the office? You can't. Wala ka ng kasama doon at saka iilan-ilan na rin lang ang tao sa building baka may masamang mangyari sayo. There's nobody there to help you out," nag-aalalang hirit naman ni Lance
.
Isa pa to! Sige, dagdagan mo pa ang dahilan para lalong mag-isip ng masama tungkol sa atin si Pierce.
"I won't anymore. Maaga na lang akong papasok bukas," mahinang sagot ko.
"Lagi mo bang ipinagmamaneho si Clarisse?" tanong ulit ni Pierce.
"Yeah, I did in this past few days," nakangiting sagot ni Lance.
"Kaya ba hindi ka na nagdadala ng sasakyan, Clarisse?"
Hindi ako sumagot. I decided to shut my mouth. Ayaw ko nang pahabain pa ang kung anumang tinutumbok na topic ni Pierce. Seryoso na lamang akong tumingin ng diretso sa daan. Paulit-ulit akong huminga ng malalim to calm myself. Kung papatulan ko ang tension sa loob ng sasakyan, baka masiraan ako ng ulo bago pa man kami makarating ng bahay.
Lance answered in my behalf. "That's not because of me driving her. Her driver's license was confiscated by a police officer. And lately she had a very busy schedule kaya hindi niya pa ito nakukuha."
"I see. By the way, how are you related to Clarisse?" wala nang paligoy-ligoy pang tanong ni Pierce.
Napapalunok na lamang ako habang nakikinig sa kanilang pag-uusap.
"She's my boss. I'm her paralegal assistant. I'm Lance Perez by the way."
"I'm Pierce Calderon. So you're her apprentice that's explain why you look much younger," he said then I heard him sigh. "Attorney De Silva is really a bad girl. She didn't even made an effort to introduce us to each other," kunwa'y pabiro pang dugtong nito.
Natawa ng mahina si Lance. "My boss is not a very accomodating person. Maybe she's still weighing things out bago niya tayo ipakilala sa isa't isa."
"You're her assistant, does that mean na madalas kayong magkasama sa mga lakad?"
"Hmmm. Parang ganun na nga," inosenteng sagot ni Lance. "How about the two of you, are you somehow related to each other? Attorney said you're the son of one of our clients but I feel that you two are much more that that. You could even call attorney in her first name and you know some personal things about her too."
Ilang segundo ang lumipas bago sumagot si Pierce.
"Of course I know her well.... because I am her husband."
Napapreno ng malakas si Lance at muntik na akong masubsob dahil dito. Inihinto niya bigla ang sasakyan sa kalagitnaan ng kalsada.
Pansamantala naman akong natulala. Parang naghahalo ang apoy at lamig sa aking katawan sa narinig kong sinabi ni Pierce hanggang sa unti-unting mangibabaw ang init sa aking kabuuan.
Napakuyom ako ng mga kamay sa galit. Had he gone crazy?! My face is burning in anger and I turned my head para lingunin at sigawan si Pierce. Hindi ko pwedeng palampasin ang sinabi niya! Subalit nang mapadaan ang aking mga mata kay Lance ay bigla akong natigilan. Nakatitig ito sa akin nang may hindi makapaniwalang mukha.
"Y-You're married?" seryosong-seryosong sambit nito.
Napapalunok ako while receiving his gaze. I feel something different sa paraan ng pagkakatitig niya sa akin... para bang dinidiktahan ako nito na hindi ako pwedeng magsinungaling sa aking isasagot. My mouth started trembling as I open it.
"S-Sort of," I unintentionally replied in a low voice habang napapayuko.
Lance laughed in disbelief. "S-Sort of married? Is there even such a thing?"
"Hard to believe isn't it?...But she is what she is. A very secretive and a very private woman...And yes, she is my wife," ngingisi-ngisi pang wika ni Pierce....