Aya was startled by a warm air that hit her face. She could also feel a presence, as if it was restricting her space. Her senses heightened on defense mode. From her slumber, she suddenly opened her eyes.
Her vision was met by a pair of dark orbs.
Naturally, her first initial reaction would be getting shocked and scared at the same time, and ofcourse... scream. But before she could do that, soft lips suddenly crushed into hers, silencing any attempted protest. She still tried to scream but her voice was muffled inside the culprit's mouth. She tried to wiggle free and fight but the woman, which she now recognized as Alexa held both sides of her face and pinned her body down.
Both eyes of the two women were wide.
Alexa put her palms on each side of Aya's face to prevent her from escaping, uttering a sound inside Aya's mouth, telling the designer to calm down. But instead... Aya got more panicked.
Alexa closed her eyes tightly and slowly moved her lips, wishing that it would calm the woman. After what felt like an eternity, she finally tasted Aya's lips and it really was... heavenly sweet. Just as she imagined. Alexa slowly felt Aya's body relaxing. She continued her slow movement, her thumbs gently stroking Aya's jaws, as if to tell the designer that she had no evil intention. Her kiss became more gentle when Aya's struggling stopped. And she was about to pull away but...
From pushing Alexa, Aya's hands fell on her sides. Alexa was kissing her gently and slowly like worshipping her and Aya gave in. She closed her eyes, too. And to Alexa's amazement, Aya kissed back.
Alexa moaned when she felt the designer responding. It gave her confidence to deepen the kiss. And now, she couldn't stop anymore. She had waited too long for this.
Aya put her hands on Alexa's waist. She was being carried away by the silly woman's passionate kiss. She wasn't touched for a long time now and she got needs too.
But Aya couldn't help but compare Alexa's kiss from Yuna... while Alexa was gentle and soft, Yuna preferred to be a bit rough.
That thought stopped Aya. No. She couldn't kiss Alexa and think of Yuna. That just wasn't right. She turned cold, like she was poured by a bucket of ice. Then... she pushed Alexa, "no!"
It caused the latter to stumble down the floor. "Ouch!" Alexa groaned.
"What are you doing???" The designer panted, now in a sitting position. She wanted to get angry but seeing the hurt expression on the silly woman's face, Aya suddenly felt guilty. "Ano ba kasing ginagawa mo?" She asked again. She wandered her eyes around and found out that she was now in her own room. "How did I get here? How'd you get in?" She added, confused. The last time she remembered, she was still inside Alexa's moving car.
Alexa pushed herself up, with an ashamed look on her face. "You won't wake up, so I carried you inside. I used your key," she answered, looking down. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to kiss you," she rubbed her nape. That mannerism again whenever she's nervous. "I just got scared you might scream so I..." she trailed-off "---did what I did... t-to prevent you from screaming. I just got... caught-up in the moment," she stuttered. "Baka kasi magising sina Tita at isiping kung ano na ang nangyayari."
Aya was still stupefied. "Why were you hovering above me on the first place? You scared the shit out of me." If she hadn't known Alexa, she'll think the silly woman had some bad intention of sort.
Alexa fidgeted, finding it hard to explain. "Well... that... I was just..." she exhaled and decided to be truthful "all right... maybe I did try to kiss you, but---" she added right away "it didn't happen and I was really about to pull away but then you suddenly open your eyes," she rambled fast "and well... as I've told you before..."
Alexa did some funny gestures with her hands when she couldn't form anymore words, which Aya find ludicrous.
The designer shook her head at the silly woman. "So, you did try to kiss me while I'm asleep?" She asked in a stern voice.
Alexa looked everywhere but Aya. Her hand fixated on the back of her neck. "Uh... y-yeah, I-I might have."
Aya fixed an eye on the silly woman and shot a dispproving glare. "Get out!" She pointed at the door.
"B-but..." the silly woman protested.
"Out!" The designer repeated, again.
Alexa's shoulders drooped. She turned her back around, but then remembered something and turned to face Aya again. "But you kissed me back!"
The designer was caught off-guard. Her face heated up when she recalled the scene. It rendered her speechless.
Alexa took that to her advantage and step forward. It's now or never. "Why'd you kissed me back?" She asked, low. Hope began to build inside her.
Aya got alarmed when Alexa stopped right in front of her. Now, she was the one looking up at the smaller woman. "Diyan ka lang..." slightly panicked, Aya crawled further on the bed.
The silly woman got an amused look on the face. She was thrilled to elicit such reaction from the designer. "I won't try anything you 'don't want'," she quipped. She turned to sit on the bed.
Aya instinctively grabbed a pillow and held it on her chest. She glared at Alexa. "Don't come any nearer," she warned. She suddenly felt uneasy by the silly woman. Not the bad kind of way and she didn't like this.
A playful smile made its way to Alexa's lips. "You did like the kiss, don't you?" She teased the designer.
Aya's face turned red. "I did not! That was just a mistake! It shouldn't have happened!" Aya firmly objected. She immediately regretted it upon seeing the hurt on the silly woman's eyes.
Alexa turned silent. That came like a hard slap to her.
"You shouldn't have tried to kiss me on the first place," Aya goes on. She tried to put the blame on Alexa, which really should have been. She should be angry, not guilty. "While I'm asleep at that note. That's just creepy and aren't you being such a pervert?" She scolded "I trusted you," she added, disappointed.
Alexa looked down shamefully, again. "You're right. I'm sorry," she apologized for the second time. She was downright sad and heartbroken. She stood up, head still down.
Looking at the silly woman's dejected face, Aya suddenly wanted to take back her words. But what was done was done. She'd already hurt Alexa. "You know I wasn't ready," the designer said in a softer tone, but still putting the blame away.
"Yeah... I know..." Alexa sighed, weakly. She turned to leave. But she stopped halfway outside the door, "But still... you kissed back. You can't deny that you liked the kiss," she said over her shoulders, a faint smirk formed on her lips. She turned around and faced Aya for the last time, "right?"
The designer's face burned. She didn't answer.
With a guilt-stricken face, Alexa held the knob, "good night, Aya," she said before shutting the door.
----
It was past a week already and Aya had not seen Alexa's soul, again.
Inuntog ni Aya ang ulo sa swivel chair na kinauupuan. "Gosh... what have I done?" Ang tanong sa sarili, kagat-kagat ang labi at bakas ng pag-aalala ang mukha.
Walang tawag, walang text... isang linggo nang ganoon. Nasaan na kaya si Alexa?
Marahas na napabuga ng hangin si Aya. Inilibot ang paningin sa paligid. Siya lang ang tanging tao sa studio. Lunchbreak na at nagsipagkain ang mga kasamahan niya. Wala siyang gana kaya't hindi siya sumabay. A certain messy-haired woman was troubling her mind, she couldn't eat.
Yuna, was being Yuna, always taunting her given a chance. But Aya was more concerned by Alexa on MIA. She did try to reach the silly woman, but everytime she held her mobile to call or send a message she got chickened out. She didn't know what to say or do that won't hurt Alexa. And now she's really worried. She didn't have a contact with any of Alexa's friends to ask about the silly woman's well-being and it was frustrating her. She thought of going to Vermont or the restaurant in Chinatown, but she haven't had a chance. She was always busy with her work. She didn't even know where Alexa goes for work. She felt stupid for missing that important detail.
----
Littered empty bottles on the floor, a pair of discarded socks, shirts, jeans, one piece of white converse, pizza boxes and other left-overs were scattered along with them.
The room was all white--- from the walls to the ceiling and to the floor. It was a studio-type apartment. It had a small bathroom slash comfort room which was painted in white too and on the side was a small tiled kitchen counter with a tap on it, except that it had no kitchen tools other than a coffe-maker. There's no plates at all, just one mug put upside-down on a saucer, a teaspoon and a box of coffee grains. At the corner before the bathroom was a fridge.
And to the other side, was a bed. Pillows and sheets were all white too. In all those jumble of mess, this was the only thing that looked tidy except that... there's a messy black rug that was ruining the view.
Beep. Beep. Beep. A vibrating sound can be heard. It came from a cellphone over the bedside table. The vibration kept going on, making an irritating sound to the ear.
A hand suddenly appeared from under the covers and grabbed the annoying machine, and that messy black rug turned, revealing a face of a woman. It was no other than Alexa.
Peering her half-shut eyes on the screen, she unlocked her phone and answered without checking who the caller was. "What is it?!" She snapped, half of her face buried on the pillow.
'What the hell are you doing?!' The person on the other line matched her tone.
The silly woman flinched and put the phone away from her ear. She put it back again a few seconds later after seeing it came from an unknown number. "Just who the hell is this?! And why are you shouting at me?!" She yelled over the phone. She didn't recognize the voice. She was sure it wasn't her mother or any of her best friends, not even Aya. Aya. She groaned. She was startled when the person on the other line shouted again.
'You're the one who shouted at me, first! And it's Ivy! You moron!'
Ivy? She asked in mind.
Alexa suddenly jumped off the bed, causing a splitting pain on her head. "Shit!" She cursed.
'Are you cursing at me?' Ivy asked.
"No. Shit. I'm sorry... i-it's my head," she slurred and groaned, again.
'Why is your voice like that? Are you drunk? Seriously? In the middle of the day? What's wrong with you?' Sunod-sunod na tanong ni Ivy.
Sumandal si Alexa sa bed post, sapo ang ulo. She only grunted as a response to Ivy. Her toned stomach was exposed from the covers. She was only wearing a sports bra and matching boxer shorts.
'Are you hearing me, woman?' Ivy asked, sounding pissed.
"Yeah, yeah... I could hear you. It's just that my head feels like splitting in two right now... gahd..." Alexa complained. She hit the heel of her palm repeatedly over her head.
'Sino ba kasing may sabi na maglasing ka?' Sarkastikang saad ng journalist 'at teka nga muna... didn't I tell you to watch over Aya? Why is is it then that I suddenly found out that you're missing for about a week now? What happened?' She grated.
"Hindi ba sinabi sa'yo ni Aya?" Tanong ni Alexa habang nakapikit ang mga mata, sapo pa rin ang ulo. She stilled and tried not to jerk her head as she spoke. Any tiny movement caused pricking needle-like pain.
'No. Sinabi lang niya sa'kin na bigla ka na lang nawala at hindi na nagparamdam. Ano ba talagang nangyari, ha?' Ivy pried.
"I blow my chance on her, Vee..." Alexa anwered calling the journalist on her nickname. She felt close enough to the woman to do so, and Ivy seemed not to mind.
'What do you mean 'you blow your chance on her'?' Litong tanong ni Ivy.
"I might have kissed her..." replied Alexa with a weak sigh. She still felt stupid for what she had done.
There was a pause.
'How exactly did you kiss her?' Ivy asked without any hint of criticism.
Ikinuwento ni Alexa sa journalist ang buong pangyayari. In full details.
'That's it?' Ani Ivy na tila minamaliit ang pangyayari. 'Then why have you gone MIA?' Lito pa ring tanong.
"Uh... because I know Aya hates me now and probably doesn't want to do anything with me anymore," Alexa said it like it was the most obvious thing.
'How do you think that was the case, when she was looking for you, you idiot!" Ivy hissed.
Napaunat ng upo si Alexa. "She was looking for me?" Tila hindi makapaniwalang tanong. Nakalimutan na ang pananakit ng ulo.
'Uh-huh... how do you think I would know? And base on your story. Shouldn't you take that as a cue to finally court her? Not run away, you dumb girl!'
"But I disappointed her. I saw the look on her face. And she said it was a mistake! That it shouldn't have happened. That she wasn't ready. And she hasn't even contacted me since," Alexa rambled.
'Look here, you dum-dum. She said 'she wasn't ready', not 'I hate you'. And you mentioned she did 'kissed you back' and that means only one thing, and that is... she also feels something for you. It may not be big like love but that 'something' counts, so hold on to it. Nurture it. That woman started to care for you and it's up to you to push it. You haven't even started and now you're giving up? It looks like I'm wrong about you, after all. I thought you're a lionheart but instead, you're crawling like a mouse and hiding! And while you're there drowning yourself with beer, Yuna was there with Aya probably casting her magic spell again and guess who wins?" Ivy paused, releasing a deep sigh "Jesus, Alexa. Wake up! And don't expect her to reach out to you first. You know how introverted she is. She won't talk to you unless you go first. You know that."
Alexa could imagine Ivy rolling her eyes, huffing and puffing while walking back and forth, one hand on the waist as she spoke.
The silly woman was dumbstruck. If Yuna was a witch casting spells, Ivy would be the counter-witch that undo those spells. The journalist held an inducing power to awaken even a dead soul.
Alexa smiled at the thought.
'Are you even listening!!!?'
Halos mabingi si Alexa sa sigaw ni Ivy. Muli na naman niyang nailayo mula sa tenga ang telepono. "Gosh... she was even scarier than Aya," she said looking dumbly at the phone "and fierce in a capital F. Even more fiercer than Yuna," she murmured to herself, shaking her head.
'Where've you gone to!? Stop talking to yourself, you crazy woman!'
Hindi pa naibabalik ni Alexa sa tenga ang telepono ay narinig niyang muling sigaw ni Ivy. Napangiwi siya.
Itinapat muna niya sa bibig ang cellphone, for precautionary measure, "okay, okay... just stop yelling at me," ika niya. Still hesitant, she put the phone back on her ear again. "I'm ready." She was also ready to pull the thing away if a bomb suddenly dropped.
'Good.'
But Ivy's voice was calmer now.
'But you listen to me very well, Alexa,' Ivy's tone was still firm 'get out of that dungeon this instant or I'll come there personally and drag your chicken ass out, you got me?'
"Hey... I'm not a chicken," the silly woman immediately protested.
'Then prove it,' Ivy challenged 'be thankful I'm on your side, woman. So you should take advantage of that. Again, get your ass out now."
"Aye, Ma'am. I'm going to get my ass out now," she repeated, jokingly.
'Don't take it lightly, because that's a threat, Alexa. If you don't make your move anytime soon, I'm gonna go find someone else 'more capable'.'
Alexa was about to protest, but a beep followed suit. The line was cut.
"Wow..." Alexa muttered "she's serious." Ipinilig niya ang ulo. Parang bigla siyang nabuhayan ng dugo sa pep-talk na 'yon. "Okay, Alexa. Focus. First thing first." Natuon ang pansin niya sa paligid at napangiwi sa itsura ng kuwarto niya. "Is this still my room?" She groaned. She always hated a messy surrounding. Hindi bale nang buhok niya ang magulo, huwag lang ang paligid niya.
There's two things that defined Alexa's mood--- kung magulo ang paligid niya, ibig sabihin ay magulo rin ang utak niya. At kung maayos ang paligid niya, ibig sabihin ay maayos din ang utak niya. And obviously, the past few days, she hadn't been in her right mind.
So, she set out to clean her mess first. No, don't include her hair.
----
Maagang nakauwi si Aya nang gabing iyon. Wala na kasing gaanong trapik dahil sa pagtanggal ng MMDA ng mga provincial buses sa Maynila. Kaya naman paglabas pa lang niya ng alas-sais ay deretso na siyang umuwi. Wala na ring nangungulit sa kanya at nag-aayang lumabas, bagay na hindi niya alam kung ikatutuwa ba niya o hindi.
Napabuntung-hininga si Aya mula sa binabasang libro. Hindi rin siya makapag-focus na basahin iyon dahil panaka-naka ay pumapasok sa isip niya ang mukha ng isang makulit na babae. Aaminin niyang nami-miss na niya ito. Dinampot niya ang kanyang telepono sa mesa, hinanap sa listahan ng contacts ang pangalan ni Alexa. Gustong-gusto na niya itong tawagan, kumustahin... pero dinadaig siya ng pride niya. Ayaw niyang siya ang maunang magparamdam, ni ito nga ay hindi man lang magawang mag-text o tumawag. Isa pa, hindi siya ang may atraso kundi ito.
Binitawan na muli niya ang telepono. "Hay..." nakapangalumbabang buntung-hininga muli.
Nasa likod bahay siya. Mayroong mga umbrella huts doon na nagsisilbing pahingahan at ginagamit rin para sa mga pagtitipon. Sampung umbrella huts lahat iyon na may pabilog at apatang mesa. Sa kabilang bahagi naman ay ang hindi-kalakihang swimming pool.
"Nak! Pagbuksan mo nga ang pinto at may kumakatok! Ako'y nagluluto dine," narinig ni Aya na sigaw ng ina mula sa kusina.
"Nandiyan na ho!" Sagot ni Aya at pumasok na ng kabahayan. Dumaan siya sa back entrance ng kusina at sinilip muna ang ina. "Bakit nga ho pala bukas ang gate? Gabi na ho, ah," puna niya.
Kung nasa front door na kasi ang bisita, ibig sabihin ay malaya itong nakapasok ng gate. Ang alam niya ay wala rito ang ama, dahil narinig niya nang magpaalam ito kanina.
"Aba'y may kinuha lamang ang iyong ama diyan sa kapit-bahay at babalik din agad. Labasin mo na at kanina pang kumakatok," taboy ng ina.
"Sige ho," aniyang naglakad na papunta sa front door.
Samantala... patuloy ang pagkatok sa pinto, waring inip na inip na ang nasa labas.
"Sandali lang!" Sigaw ni Aya sa kung sinumang nasa likod nito. Makakatok, wagas eh. She peered at the peephole but there was something that obscuring the view. Nagpasya siyang pihitin na ang seradura.
"Ano ba 'yon---" natigilan siya dahil isang malaking kumpol ng tulips ang bumulaga sa kanya. Hindi niya makita kung sino ang may hawak nito. Ang tanging nakikita niya ay black boots at kamay ng hinuha niya ay babae. Napataas ang isang kilay niya. Sino naman kaya ito at anong pakulo ito? "Para kanino ba yan?" Ang tanong niya. Baka delivery lang kasi.
Magtatanong sana ulit siya nang dahan-dahang bumaba ang kumpol ng tulips at ni-reveal ang nakangising mukha ng taong kanina lang ay laman ng isipan niya.
Si Alexa.
Napaismid ang designer. Nakaplaster na naman kasi sa mapang-asar nitong mukha ang mapang-asar nitong ngiti, with wiggling eyebrows pa. Pero hindi maiwasang sumikdo ang puso niya, nakaka-missed din pala ang baliw na ito. Hindi maiwasang pasadahan ng humahangang tingin ang kaharap.
Alexa was specially cute today. Mukhang nag-effort itong magmake-up. Aya liked how the black eyeliner was put up, giving the silly woman a bad ass look. The smaller woman's thin cherry-red lips was outlined in a permanent smirk, making her cute nose looked smaller and pointier. And to complete the bad-ass look, a black leather jacket was draped over her shoulder with white fitted tank top underneath, showing her perfectly toned stomach. If Aya would look closer she was sure there was an outline of abs on it. Alexa matched her outfit with an almost black close to gray jeans and black combat boots.
But of course, Aya's favorite was the silly woman's disheveled hair. Alexa looked rugged with it... but cute.
Aya scolded herself when she caught herself admiring Alexa. Natuon ang tingin niya sa hawak nitong bulaklak.
"Ano naman 'yan?" Mataray na tanong ng designer, magka-krus ang dalawang kamay sa dibdib. Siyempre'y magpapakipot muna siya.
"Uh... bulaklak?" The silly woman answered sarcastically, slightly tilting her head to the side.
"Nakita ko nga," angil ng designer "Akin na nga 'yan..." she extended an arm to receive the flowers.
"Bakit, sinabi ko bang para sayo 'to?" Nang-aalaskang tanong ni Alexa. She was completely sober now. Pagkatapos ng isang linggong pagpapakalunod sa alak ay natauhan din siya. Salamat kay Ivy. Kaya heto siya ngayon... manliligaw.
Biglang umasim ang mukha ni Aya."Kung ganun ay para kanino naman 'yan?" Pinamaywangan niya ito.
"Para kay Tita Belen. Nandiyan ba siya?" Alexa continued teasing her. Sinimangutan siya ng designer.
"Nandiyan sa loob. Di bale na, hindi naman ako mahilig sa bulaklak 'no!" Pagpapakipot pa ni Aya, pero hindi naman maalis ang pagkakatingin sa mga bulaklak. Tulips are her favorites. Bibihira lang siyang makakita ng ganoong klaseng bulaklak sa Pilipinas. Hindi alam ng karamihan na iyon ang weakness niya.
Alexa smiled, knowingly. "Are you sure? Ibibigay ko 'to sayo... pero sa isang kundisyon..." tinaasan lang siya ng kilay ni Aya "kiss ko muna," sabay nguso at lapit ng mukha sa designer.
Napaatras si Aya at inumangan ito ng kamao. "Ito gusto mo?"
Umayos naman ang makulit naman ang babae, bagamat hindi pa rin nawawala ang nakakalokong ngiti sa mga labi."Sige...bahala ka, wala kang flowers. Ganda pa naman nito, bagong pitas pa. Fresh from the garden!" Pang-iinggit pa ni Alexa. Inikot-ikot niya at sinamyo ang bulaklak, sabay tingin nang mapang-asar kay Aya.
"Paki ko! Bigay mo na kay Mama. 'Di ba't sabi mo para sa kanya yan?" Kunwa'y hindi apektadong tugon ni Aya.
Biglang natawa si Alexa sa mukha ng designer. "Actually, para sayo talaga 'to."
Aya's face softened a bit. Sabi na nga ba't nang-aasar lang ang bruhang 'to.
"Pero kapag tinanggap mo 'to, ibig sabihin payag ka na," dugtong ni Alexa.
Aya's brows furrowed. "Saan naman?"
"Na... ligawan kita," sagot ni Alexa.
Nag-init ang pisngi ni Aya sa narinig. Ano raw? Gusto siyang ligawan nito? At mukhang hindi ito nagbibiro. Napalunok ang designer. Heto na naman ang anxiety niya. Napatitig siya sa mga bulaklak. Tatanggapin ba niya?
Napatawa ulit si Alexa sa mukha ni Aya. "Huwag mo nang pag-isipan. Sige na... oh..." iniabot na niya rito ang bulaklak "Kahit naman pumayag ka o hindi ibibigay ko pa rin sa'yo 'yan. At sa ayaw at sa gusto mo, liligawan pa rin kita," Alexa stated, stubbornly.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Reklamo ni Aya.
Alexa chuckled. She already made up her mind. Napalingon siya sa likod ni Aya nang mamataan ang mama nitong sumisilip sa pinto. "Hi, Tita! Magandang gabi po."
"Oh...ikaw pala yan hija. Ba't di pa kayo pumasok?kanina pa kayo diyan sa pinto," Nakangiting tugon ng ginang sa dalaga. Mukhang masaya ito na makita muling dumalaw si Alexa. Hindi lingid sa kanya na may hindi pagkakaunawaan ang dalawa, kahit hindi sabihin ng anak.
"Paano ho itong anak niyo, ini-interrogate pa ako," Alexa playfully said which earned a smack from Aya.
"Heh! Ikaw nga itong nang-aasar."
Tinawanan lang ito ni Alexa.
Napadako ang tingin ng ginang sa bulaklak na hawak na ni Aya ngayon at napangiti ng makahulugan.
Nag-init ang pisngi ni Aya sa tingin na iyon ng ina. Siguradong siya ang ma-i-interrogate mamaya.
"Ah...tita, heto nga po pala para sa inyo." Sabay abot ng di kalakihang paper bag. Hindi iyon napansin ni Aya kanina."That's a little gift from my grandma."
Tumaas ang kilay ni Aya. Pati ba Mama niya liligawan nito?
"Salamat hija. Oh siya, pumasok na nga kayo," giya ng matanda. Nauna na rin itong pumasok at bumalik na ng kusina.
The two complied.
"Nagpapalakas ka ba kay Mama?" Taas-kilay na tanong ni Aya, bagamat hindi siya komportable sa isiping tototohanin nga nito ang panliligaw. Alexa just gave her a toothy grin. Inirapan niya ito. Sinamyo niya ang hawak na bungkos ng tulips at palihim na ngumiti.
Hindi iyon nakaligtas sa paningin ni Alexa. "Kunwari ka pa, gusto mo rin naman," she teased. Aya smacked her again na tinawanan lang niya.
This was going to be an interesting courtship.