My engagement party? What engagement party?! I froze. Pati si pempem din yata nalito sa mga pangyayari. I was certain that pempem adored Dustin as a playmate but as a fiancé? Jusko, nakakapagod yun, pempem because you'll have to accommodate him everyday, every afternoon and every night. Wasak.
People swarmed around us as they shook my hand and congratulated me. Some asked kung kelan ang kasal, others wished us good luck at yung iba naman ay nagtanong kung buntis ba ako. I was very confused and when I get confused, I do nothing but smile. Kaya sumakit ang panga ko sa kakangiti. Napaisip ako tuloy kung Abril na ba at parang isang malaking joke time lang itong lahat.
"Sa wakas, magkakaroon na rin ng apo ang mga Montemayor." An elegant old lady gushed. "Ang ganda ng mapapangasawa mo, pamangkin. Such an statusque beauty! I hope you're already pregnant, iha. Matagal na kaming nag-aabang ng apo galing kay Dustin!" Jusme! Anak? Agad-agad?!
"Auntie Dally, wala pa po." Dustin laughed. "Pero sana magkaroon na although I would prefer na kasal muna." He smiled at me. Ha? Aba, abusado ka! Hindi na lang yung mighty meaty mo ang balak mong ilabas-masok sa pempem ko ngayon! Pati tagapagmana mo balak mong iluwal ko pa?!
"Wag na kayong mahiya, kahit hindi pa kayo kasal pwede nyo nang unahin yung bata." Someone piped in. "Welcome to the family, iha. Too bad, Anita isn't here." She added as she gave me a hug. Sino si Anita? May Suzette na nga, may Lauren pa? Ang dami namang mga babae nito ni Dustin! Bigla akong nairita sa narinig ko. Feeling ko isa akong proxy sa isang beauty pageant—hindi sumipot yung isa kaya ako muna ang representative.
"Anita is my Mom." Dustin whispered in my ear. "Ang bilis mong sumimangot. Pati nanay ko pinagseselosan mo?" He grinned at me. Ang kapal mo ha.
I turned to him to retort but he was quick to cover my mouth with his. I heard laughter and clapping as the guests cheered. Lia, ano ba ito! What did you get yourself into? Palabas lang ba to? Kinailangan lang ba ni Dustin ng tulong? Anong nangyayari?!
"Dustin! Lia!" The man who made the announcement happily called as he approached us. He immediately gave me a bear hug and kissed me on the forehead. He had an easy smile and kind eyes and he reminded me so much of Dad. "Welcome to the family, Lia." He said as he took both my hands in his. "I was so eager to meet you. Parati kang naikukwento ni Dustin sa amin ng Mommy nya and your Mommy Anita would have loved to be here but she was called for an emergency operation kaya wala sya dito."
"Thank you po." I said. He was so warm that I felt it would be rude not to reply kahit naloloka na ako sa mga pangyayari.
"Don't worry, we'll have dinner with the family para masolo ka naman namin. Dito kasi ang daming tao at hindi tuloy tayo makapag-usap nang maayos."
"Oo nga po eh." I replied.
"I almost forgot, I'm Dr. Marco Montemayor, Dustin's father and your future father-in-law." He announced as he patted my shoulder. Ngumiti lang ako. Anong sasabihin mo sa mga ganoong declaration? Ay, no, Sir mali po kayo, ang totoo po nyan yung malaki at pinagmamalaking kaligayahan lang po ng anak ninyo ang gusto ko. Tsaka hindi po kami ang may relasyon, yung pempem ko po. Mamaya kailangan ko pang i-muestra kung sino si pempem eh di naiskandalo kaming lahat at naging headline pa ang ganda ko?
"Hello po." I said. Bigla akong naging demure at hindi ko alam bakit bigla akong nagmano. Ano yan, Lia?! He affectionately patted my head.
"Bweno, I have to talk to the other guests. I'll leave you lovers by yourselves, alam ko namang this night is yours. I hope we can talk longer next time, Lia." He smiled before he left. I felt disoriented. Ano ka ba, Lia! Kailangan mong magpasalamat?! Kailangan mong magmano?! Hindi mo nga naiintindihan kung anong nangyayari? Tanga ka ba?!
"Lia—"
"We need to talk, Dustin." I said.
"I know. And I promise you that we will. But Tita Freda is heading this way and we can't avoid her. Let's just say hello and then we'll leave." At sino naman si Tita Freda?! I thought as I watched the unsmiling woman, who was beside Dustin's father earlier when he announced our engagement, approach.
"Dustin." She coldly said.
"Good evening, Tita." Dustin greeted. "This is Lia—"
"Yes, I know who she is." The woman replied and I couldn't help but arch my brow. At anong problema nitong isang ito? Inggit sya kasi may cleavage ako?!
Hindi nya ako binati kaya tiningnan ko lang din sya. Wala akong alam sa kalokohang engagement drama ni Dustin and I wasn't going to pretend to be nice just to impress anyone. Wala akong pakialam sa mga kamag-anak nya.
"You're a model?" Dustin's Tita asked. Parang nakaka-insulto yung pagkakasabi nya ng model. Parang ang dating sa akin ay nagtitinda ako ng taho nang nakahubad.
"Yes, she is, Tita. Model po si Lia and she's also their company's creative consultant." Dustin said and the woman ran her gaze from my head down to my feet.
"Nakapagtapos ba sya?" Aba, sasapakin ko na to eh!
"Yes, I have a degree." I replied. "Although considering how rich we are, a degree isn't really necessary." I haughtily added and she frowned.
"You used to have better taste when it comes to women, Dustin." She muttered and my temper rose. Aba! "I used to approve all the girls you dated but after you and my daughter, Lauren, broke up I don't know what happened—" I felt Dustin's demeanor changed at her words.
"Oh, Lauren's your daughter? I heard she married someone very rich and very old. Congratulations, that speaks a lot regarding how you brought her up."
"Don't you dare—"
"And considering how ancient you look, being approved by you is not flattering at all." I interrupted and she glowered at me. "I'm so glad your taste in women has improved, babe." I smiled up at Dustin. "I'm bored, can you take me somewhere more interesting?" I happily returned her glower. Chura mo. For sure mas maganda pa ang patay na kuko naming magkakapatid dyan sa Lauren mo! Peste!
"Excuse us, Tita." Dustin said as I felt his hand on my back. He steered me away from his Tita Freda and I smiled at the other guests although I was furious inside.
"Jusko ha, nakakairita sya. Magpasalamat talaga sya na bagong manicure ako ngayon at ayokong madumihan ang mga kuko ko or else kinalmot ko na sya!"
"Relax."
"What is your ex's mom doing here? Lauren's obviously your ex. Her name came up twice in a span of one hour!"
"Tita Freda is Mom's best friend."
"Tapos pinagpalit ka ng anak nya sa gurang? Hindi sya na-impressed sa ano mo?" He laughed softly.
"Stop being naughty, Lia."
"I am not trying to be naughty. In fact, gusto kitang makausap dahil nalilito ako dito sa circus mong engagement!" He draped an arm around my shoulders.
"Babe naman. I loved how you called me babe earlier. Parang ang lambing. Parang dinidilaan mo ang tainga ko." He murmured. Oh no, stop it pempem! You're getting excited again! I felt a delicious tremor ran down my spine at feeling ko tuloy dinidilaan din nya ang tainga ko. Hindi lang tainga. Pati yung ano ko. Jusko, Lia kailangan mo nang umuwi. "Why do you look so flustered, Miss Carbonel?
"Ugok ka! Tumahimik ka!" I snapped and he laughed. He guided me towards the house at bigla akong kinabahan. Parang alam ko kung saan hahantong to.
"Pasok." He said as he pushed the main door open.
"Ayoko. Next time na lang tayo mag-usap."
"Pasok na." He squeezed my behind. "Pasok na at baka ibang pasok ang maisip ko." He added and I scrambled inside. He chuckled and I scowled at him. Abusado din itong gunggong na ito eh. Bakit ba kasi ang sarap mong gago ka, ha?
I looked around his house and I was impressed. Napaka-elegante ng bahay nya. It reminded me of the Carbonel Mansion. I used to hate Dad's house dahil feeling ko dati napaka-cold. Tsaka ayaw ako ng Mommy ni Alexa kaya natatakot akong pumunta dun. But when Dad married Lee Ann's mom, she had the mansion renovated and I loved how she perfected the balance between warmth and sophistication. May ganung feel ang bahay ni Dustin. Nice house, Montemayor. I wanted to say but I kept my mouth shut. Baka kasi yayain nya akong binyagan ang bawat sulok ng bahay nya, mahirap na kasi parang feeling ko ay papayag ako pag nagkataon. Pempem, stop it!
"Do you like it?" He asked and I shrugged.
"It doesn't matter if I like the house or not. What I do not like is this whole engagement joke, Dustin. Ano to? Kinailangan mo ba ng actress to play as your fiancée at ako ang naisip mo?"
"Lia, it's not like that."
"Then tell me what this is all about. Anong nangyayari? Wala nga akong boyfriend and I'm suddenly engaged? You have to tell these people that this is all a mistake. I don't like this game you've dragged me into, Dustin. I don't like commitments, aminado ako dyan; ayoko ring mag-asawa at aminado din ako sa fact na yan pero wala kang karapatang paglaruan ako just because wala akong balak mag-settle down. Ano ito, after ilang months magda-drama tayong dalawa na nag-away tayo so we can break-up this engagement?!" My voice rose and we heard a door closed. Nagkatinginan kami ni Dustin and he put a finger against his lips. He took my hand in his and pulled me towards the stairs.
"Doon tayo sa taas mag-uusap." He whispered and I followed him. Isang napakalaking sala ang bumungad sa akin, almost similar to Alex and Alexa's. Ang pagkakaiba lang, ang sala sa second floor ng bahay ng kapatid ko ay puno ng mga laruan at mga libro ng mga pamangkin ko whereas yung kay Dustin ay isang napakalaking flatscreen television na nakaharap sa isang malaking sofa lang ang laman. "Dito, Lia." He led me towards one of the doors, opened it and gently pushed me inside.
Ang unang nakita ko agad ay yung sobrang laking kama na nasa gitna. Wow. Kahit siguro mag-wrestling kayo at magpasirku-sirko magdamagan ay pwede. I thought and inwardly groaned when I saw a vision of myself naked and riding Dustin like a cowgirl. Pempem, stop it. Ayan ka na naman! Puro kahalayan na lang yang naiisip mo! I cleared my throat before I turned to face him. He looked very amused. "This is my bedroom." He said.
"Ah, okay. Nice." I tried to sound nonchalant pero sa kasamaang-palad ay naramdaman kong uminit ang mukha ko. At kelan pa daw nauso sa akin ang pagba-blush? I cleared my throat again. "So yun nga, ano...I mean, yung..." I hated that I was stammering while he was sexily grinning. "Kailangan mong sabihin na hindi ako yung fiancée mo—" I stopped talking because he started to loosen his tie. Ay teka lang, ano ito? Bakit naghuhubad to?
"Go on." He said. "I'm listening." Oh well, I'm not! I'm not listening! I'm stripping naked in front of you while you're tied to that bed—Jusko, jusko! Tukso! Layuan mo ako! "You were saying?"
"Ha?" I stupidly asked and he laughed softly.
"Pwede bang wag ka munang maghubad?" I blurted out. "Kasi gusto ko ng isang maayos na pag-uusap."
"Ang lalim mo yata ngayon, Binibining Carbonel." Gagong to! "Gusto mo bang sukatin natin ulit kung gaano ka kalalim?" Naku, wala lokohan na ito. Tinext mo ba to, pempem at sinabi mo ba ditong naglalaway ka sa mga lalaking matalinghaga? I took a step back. Leave, Lia! Leave! Now na!
"Okay. Bye." I said as I turned on my heel and nearly ran towards the door. I heard him laugh before I felt his arms around my waist.
"Aalis ka na agad? Di pa nga tayo nagsisimula?" He whispered.
"Busy ako, alam mo na." I mumbled as I pushed away from him. "Sige, text na lang kita—"
"Mas honest pa ito, Lia kesa bibig mo." He muttered as I felt his hand under my gown's skirt. "Ito na lang dapat kinakausap ko kasi mas nagkakaintindihan kami nito." He said as I leaned againt his chest.
"Dustin, stop." I whimpered. I knew I wasn't very convincing as he continued to fondle me. "Dustin—"
"Do you think I'm playing with you, Lia?" He bit my ear. "Do you think I'd go through all these just to play with you?" He asked and I moaned as his fingers continued to move. "Answer me, Lia. Sa tingin mo ba pinaglalaruan lang kita."
"Ano pa nga ba?" I asked and gasped as his movement gained speed. "Dustin—!"
"Didn't it ever occur to you that I might be in love with you, Miss Carbonel?" He asked as my knees buckled.