Siyam
Harot
"Zemex." tumayo ang balahibo ko nang marinig ko ang boses ni Vortigern.
Napatingin si Zemex sa likod ko at tumango bago umalis sa kanyang inuupuan, dala-dala ang kanyang platong punong-puno ng shanghai. Napa-iling ako sa kanya. Inubos ata niya ang shanghai. I write a mental note to tell the cooks.
"You're awfully quiet." Umupo siya sa harap ko. Pinatong niya ang kanyang siko sa lamesa, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "Aren't you happy that I'm here?"
"Wala 'ko sa mood makipaglandian, mamaya na."
A bemused expression paints his face. Half a smile and a hand crept on my thigh. His expression sank faster than a penny in a pond. Nakasimangot na siya ngayon habang pinasadahan ng tingin ang katawan ko. He didn't like the one piece, huh? What a waste of effort. A cough from him was all it took to form this orbital silence.
Tanging pagnguya ko lang ng kinakain kong chichirya ang naririnig ko. Completely oblivious to the stares of the man in front of me.
'Di ko alam gagawin ko, okay?
I didn't expect him to come. And now that he's here, I cannot help but feel awkward and shy around him; especially now, he's inches away from me. He's talking to me and not being sarcastic. Is he on drugs? He doesn't usually talk to me. Masungit siya, ba't hindi siya masungit ngayon? May lagnat ba 'to?
"What's the purpose of me being here if you're just gonna ignore me?" I could hear the pout on his lips.
Craning my neck to him only to be met with his face closer to mine. Heat rushed up my cheeks and I found it difficult to breathe the same air as him. Vortigern Zacarìas sure is full of surprises. One moment he's hot and then the next he's cold. Parang kanta lang ni Katy Perry, he's unpredictable. An enigma, if you will. You could never tell what was going on inside his head. And more often than not, he's been giving me mixed signals. Howbeit, I'm kind of enjoying this game he wants me to participate in. It sets a thrill in the pit of my stomach.
His lips, one wrong move and they'll be on mine. His eyes, those exquisite hazel-green eyes... they stared into my soul. Moving down to my lips. My heartbeat drummed in my ears. The whole damn zoo was causing havoc in my stomach.
He smirked. "Hindi ka na ba tinatamad lumandi ngayon?"
My breath heaved. My mind in a blur, he consumed my thoughts. I couldn't think rationally if he's this close to me. Various scenarios played in my mind. His head tips to the side, gaining more access to my lips. Vision shifting in between his eyes and lips. Ang gulo-gulo niya!
"Please don't invade my personal space." I meant to come out strong and demanding, but it came out more of a plead and a whisper rather than what I'd originally had in mind.
"Swimming na tayo?"
"Vortigern, ang gulo mo."
He retracted away from me with the stupid smirk still plastered on his lips. "Magulo? Wala namang magulo sa tanong ko." Kinuyom ko ang aking kamao.
Nakahinga ako ng maluwag nang lumayo na siya, I was out of breath. I placed a hand on my chest while exaggerating my intakes of oxygen. His face now blank, like he hadn't been teasing me before. "Tara na, let's go swim." He caught my arm and pulled me closer to his warmth. "Gusto ko na sa tabi lang kita."
"A-ano?"
He rolled his eyes at my confused state. "Relax, woman. I just asked you to swim with me; I didn't ask for your hand in marriage."
Sa huli, wala na akong nagawa dahil pursigido siyang isama ako. Hinanap ng mga mata ko ang aking mga kaibigan na ngayon ay nakikipaghalubilo sa mga babaeng narito. Vortigern dived in the pool, splashing water everywhere. He rose up gracefully with his hair tossled and wet. Plucking up a brow at the sight of my still-dry state. Taking my lower lip between my teeth, lowering myself to sit on the edge of the pool. He swam to me. Circling a strong arm around my waist and taking my hand in his before submerging me into the cold water. My breath hitched at our chests squishing together, my cleavage more prominent. His eyes cast down, only to travel back up to meet mine. His lips inched closer to my ear.
"Are you cold?" Umiling ako bilang sagot.
Still gathering my thoughts, I couldn't bring myself to speak. Binitawan niya na ang kamay ko at binalot ito sa bewang ko. Matangkad si Vortigern kaya abot niya ang sahig ng six feet pool nina Helios. Buti nalang at hawak-hawak niya 'ko, baka malunod ako ng 'di oras. Nanatili kaming gano'n ang posisyon at hinayaang balutan kami ng nakakabinging katahimikan. I gasped as I almost slipped, grasping on the chunk of his muscled shoulder tightly. A smooth chuckle escapes him before gripping the back of my thighs, wrapping my limbs loosely around his waist.
"Stay still," binulong niya sa'kin.
My knuckles whitened, he roamed around the pool with me in his arms. I circled my arms around his neck, lifting myself up to him as I tighten my legs that are wrapped around him. Gusto kong inggitin ang ibang babaeng nandito subalit hindi ko magawa sa takot na baka kumalas ang hawak ni Vortigern sa'kin at mahulog ako sa pool. Hinayaan kong dalhin niya ako sa kung sa'n-saang parte ng pool habang nakikipagusap sa mga kabanda niya at mga kakilalang lalaki.
"Ba't mo ba 'ko keilangan isama sa'yo, pwede ka namang mag-isa nalang." Bulong ko sa tenga niya.
"Mas gusto kong kasama ka."
Naestatwa ako nang halikan niya ang balikan ko. Mainit ang kanyang labi at mamasa-masa. Mukha na siguro akong kamatis sa sobrang pula at kilig na nararamdaman ko ngayon. Napakagulo talaga nitong si Vortigern, aayaw-ayaw siya sa'kin no'ng una tapos ngayon? Ngayon nakikipagharutan na rin siya sa'kin.
"Harot." Tumawa siya sa aking sinabi.
"Sa'yo lang naman."