The penthouse elevator opened to reveal Aspen in just a white polo and slacks. Nakapatong na sa balikat nito ang necktie nito at halatang pagod na pagod. Naghabol kasi ito ng trabaho dahil matagal siyang nawala sa opisina. His dad was a bit disappointed at his sudden disappearance to which he blamed an emergency at kinailangan niyang tulungan ang isang kaibigan.
As soon as he arrived ay nadatnan niya sa balcony ang mga kaibigan niya kasama si Katrina at ang best friend nitong babae whose name he can't remember.
"Here comes the birthday boy!" hiyaw ni Gio na halatang kanina pang umiinom.
Miguel stood up when he saw him come out to the balcony and offered him a glass. "Cheers!"
Inabot niya ang glass at nakipag-cheers kay Miguel. Then, his eyes searched for Katrina. There she was, wearing a simple baby blue dress that was off the shoulders and was freely flowing to hug her body.
Kanina pa siya nagtitimpi simula ng mapag-isa sila sa sasakyan pauwi ng Pampanga. But he forgot that he had plans with his friends para isalubong ang birthday niya.
Food was laid out on the table, all his favorites. Crispy pata, steak, pesto pasta, buffalo wings and more!
Niyakap siya ng mahigpit ni Gio to which he hugged back. "Thank you, bro. Ginulat nyo ako! You shouldn't have prepared that much. I was gonna order in for the evening anyway. But thanks for this."
"Happy birthday, Aspen," masayang bati ng best friend ni Katrina sa kanya.
"Thanks," he replied.
"This is Selena by the way," pakilala muli ni Katrina. "Siya ang ikinukwento ko sayong best friend ko."
"Nice meeting you," he answered.
"Katrina prepared all this," Miguel said and pointed to Katrina. "Ang sarap ng steak niya, bro. You should try it."
Aspen went to sit beside Katrina at hinalikan ito sa pisngi.
"Happy birthday," she whispered to him.
"Thanks," he said and smiled at her. This was the first time in a long while that someone else prepared something special for his birthday. He's always been far from home lalo na kapag birthdays niya. He's always either traveling or abroad for studies kaya usually ay puro pagpa-party lamang ang ginagawa niya tuwing birthday niya. But it's nice to actually sit down and be with important people in his life.
"May kukunin lang ako," Katrina said and smiled. Umalis ito sandali at pagkabalik ay may hawak hawak na birthday cake with so much lighted candles on top. Nagsimula nang kumanta ng happy birthday song ang mga kaibigan niya.
And when they were done, Gio shouted. "Make a wish!"
"Pray for divine intervention in your life," biro ni Miguel.
"Alam naman natin na approval lang ng dad niya ang only wish niya in this lifetime," another joke from Gio to which he just laughed.
He blew the candle and smiled at everyone. "Thanks for being here, guys. It means a lot."
Inilagay na ni Katrina sa gitna ng table ang cake at umupo na ulit sa tabi ni Aspen. Everyone was happily talking around the table.
"You look beautiful," Aspen whispered to her ear.
"Thanks," tipid na sagot ni Katrina.
"How did you know?"
"I bumped into Gio this afternoon sa coffee shop sa baba. Tradition nyo daw palagi na magbirthday salubong mo. I didn't even know it was your birthday." May konting hinanakit noong sinabi niya iyon.
"I'm sorry. In all honesty, it slipped my mind. Ang daming nangyari the past few days, you know that. Are you mad?"
She didn't meet his gaze. "I'm fine," she just said.
"Hey," puna nito sa kanya and held her hand. "Are you really mad at me? Tell me," utos nito.
She tried to pull her hand. "Ano ba... nandyan ang mga kaibigan mo."
"So?"
"They both know you have a fiance already. This isn't right."
Umiling lamang si Aspen. "They know that it isn't official yet, Katrina. And if you need to know, it was only our parents' plan. I have no intention of marrying her."
"But you're still engaged to someone else. Hindi magandang tingnan." She successfully pulled out her hand from his grasp.
He just breathed deeply. Ayaw niyang mapansin ng mga katabi nila na nag-aaway sila. So he tried to join in the conversation of others and pretend like everything was okay between the two of them.
And just then, in the middle of their laughters, nobody noticed the elevator in the main living area opening and letting in a new visitor.
She walked right into the balcony where everyone was busy eating and laughing together.
"Hi, guys! You all having fun without me?" masayang bati ng bagong dating na bisita.
Everyone turned to the new comer and they all grew absolutely quiet. Miguel stood up unexpectedly.
"W-weren't expecting you," Miguel said.
"Well, it was because it's a surprise." She held up another box of cake. "Happy birthday to my dear fiance," she said and smiled.
Aspen was dumbfounded.
****
Katrina saw a beautiful, sophisticated woman standing in front of them all. She was wearing a white long dress that was synched perfectly on the waist making her look like the Goddess Aphrodite.
And she turned to look at Aspen's reaction. He was stunned. But he stood up to walk towards her and greet her.
Before her very eyes, she saw him kiss her on the cheeks and accept the box of cake she brought.
"Sit here, Dahlia," yaya ni Gio sa kapatid while pointing sa vacant seat katabi niya na katapat ngayon ni Aspen. They all sat down on one table and smiled at each other.
"Oh, we have new company," pansin bigla ni Dahlia, looking at her and Selena intently. "Do you have secret younger sisters I don't know about, Aspen?" biro ni Dahlia.
Sinalo kagad ni Miguel ang tanong nito. "They're my friends," mabilis na sagot nito. "These are Katrina and Selena."
"Oh, I never knew you liked college girls, younger than you," mapanuyang wika nito kay Miguel.
"I like 'em young, why not?" he joked.
Katrina saw hostility in Dahlia's eyes. And she was pretty sure that Dahlia didn't like their presence there.
"Hi, I'm Selena," pakilala ng best friend niya na katabi niya.
"Hey," tipid na bati ni Dahlia sa kaibigan niya. Then, Dahlia's eyes landed on her.
"H-Hi," she greeted her. Katrina felt so intimated by Dahlia's presence. She's older by a few years and she looked so expensive.
"So what are we waiting for? Let's drink!" Dahlia insisted and got a bottle of wine, pouring on everyone's glass, even Katrina's. "I wanna make a toast for my childhood friend who's now a special person in my life. I hope this new age and year bring you more joys and successes. You're only just starting but I can clearly see the fruits of your labor already. A toast to your greatness, Aspen!"
And everyone clicked their wine goblets and drank.
"Thanks for that," Aspen said and smiled at Dahlia.
But Dahlia's attention was on Katrina now. "Why didn't you drink? You don't like wine?"
Naalarma si Katrina sa tanong nito. "I... I just... I just don't drink."
"She really doesn't drink," Aspen said.
"So you know each other? I thought she was Miguel's friend?"
"She is. But I mean, Miguel brings her with us all the time and I've never seen her drink ever," Aspen answered.
Dahlia shot Katrina some more dagger stares. "Miguel brings you into the group all the time? I never knew he had someone special." And Dahlia stared at Miguel who was sitting on the other side of Katrina.
Gio steered the conversation in another direction. Dahlia can't know that the real reason why she isn't drinking is because she's pregnant! Luckily, nalipat ni Gio ang usapan sa bagong project ni Aspen pagkatapos ang success ng first pitched project nito sa dad nito.
Everyone then started to celebrate Aspen, forgetting about the wine story of Katrina altogether.
****
It was already 1AM and almost everyone was drunk. Katrina was the only one sober dahil hindi siya uminom the whole night. She just went to the comfort room at pagbalik niya ay wala na sina Dahlia, Miguel, Gio at Selena sa labas.
Malamang ay umalis na ang mga ito at nagpaalam kay Aspen.
Noong sumilip siya sa balcony ay nakita niyang nag-aayos doon si Aspen.
"Nasaan sila?" she asked.
"Oh, they just left. Miguel will drive them all. He's still sober enough to drive. I hope," wika nito.
"Did you invite Dahlia?" tanong niya kay Aspen.
"What? No! I didn't even know she was coming."
Iyon lamang at tumalikod na siya papasok muli sa main living area adjacent to the balcony. Sinundan siya ni Aspen at hinila sa isang kamay.
"Are you mad?" tanong ni Aspen sa kanya.
Pilit niyang hinila ang mga braso at iniwasan ang mga mata nito.
"Hey, Katrina..."
She breathed deeply and gave up nang hilahin pa siya lalo ng binata palapit sa kanya.
"Hey, babe.." bulong nito and pulled her even closer. "I didn't even invite her, I swear."
"She hates me. I can feel it."
"No, she doesn't. Imagination mo lang iyon. At isa pa, she doesn't even know that we're... that you live here. She was dead drunk ng buhatin siya ni Miguel kanina paalis. She doesn't even know you're staying here."
And that was it. Katrina wasn't able to contain her tears anymore. Her pregnancy hormones got the best of her!
"Hey, why are you crying? Katrina?"
"I... I feel like a mistress, Aspen... like a dirty whore na tinatago mo!"
"What?"
"I don't want to feel this way but I do," inis na inis na pag-amin niya. "And when Dahlia showed up kanina, I just feel so... so inferior. I know I'm a nobody in your life compared to her. We can't even compete dahil talong-talo na ako. She owns you. She's pretty. She's-" Before she could continue in her litany, he was already kissing her.
It was not a gentle kiss; it was a punishing one. He was kissing her roughly as he laid her down the couch. "Don't you dare say that again. You're the most beautiful woman I know. I like younger girls, I hope you know that," he whispered before capturing her lips again.
*****
A/N: Merry Christmas and thank you sa lahat ng mga bumabati at nagcocomment. :) Let me know kung TEAM KATRINA or TEAM DAHLIA ba kayo in the comment section!
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