"D-Drake! W-what are you doing here?!" She finally said in an unfriendly tone. May ilang segundo rin siyang hindi agad nakagalaw o nakaimik nang mapagtanto kung sino ang lalaking kaharap.
Kapag minamalas ka nga naman! Nakaligtas nga siya sa mga manyakis na lasing kanina, heto at kaharap naman niya ngayon si satanas!
"That's a good way to say thank you" sarkastikong sagot ng binata. Nanatiling nakatukod ang magkabilang kamay nito sa pader habang ang mga mata ay sinuyod ang kanyang kabuuan.
The way Drake stared at her, from head to foot, made her shiver. Pakiramdam niya ay tila nahuhubaran siya ng mga matang iyon. She could feel blood rush to her cheeks as memories of yesterday inevitably flashed in her mind. Mga ala-ala ng mga sandaling pinagsaluhan nilang dalawa minsan sa nakaraan. Those eyes that used to stare at her with passion and hunger as he made love to her so wildly...
Stop it Cali! Mahiya ka nga sa mga naiisip mo! Galit na saway niya sa sarili.
Mula sa malamlam na ilaw na nagmumula sa bahagi ng bar na iyon ay nakita niya ang pag-angat ng korner ng labi ng binata into a lopsided smile, na para bang nahulaan nito ang mga imaheng sumagi sa isip niya.
"Care to tell me your thoughts, sweetheart?" he said teasingly, bahagyang iniyuko ang ulo sa kanya palapit.
"Don't you dare call me that Mr. Lustre!" she retorted, halos lumuwa ang mata niya sa galit kasabay ng pagtulak niya sa dibdib nito upang makalayo. Halos hindi natinag si Drake sa kanyang ginawa. He remained towering over her.
"Mula noon, hanggang ngayon Cali, hindi ka na nagbago. You still don't know how to say thank you" anito.
"What are you talking about?!"
"You never said thank you to me when I saved you from drowning back then... hmmm?" He inched his face even closer to her.
Gusto na yatang mag hyperventilate ni Cali sa nangyayari. She could feel cold sweat trickling down her neck, her heart was racing as if she's ran a marathon! Drake is dangerously close to her!
"At ikaw? hindi ka pa rin nagbabago..." Pinilit niyang mag angat ng paningin upang salubungin ang mga mata nito "...still the selfish, childish, bastard I was so unlucky to meet!"
"Selfish? All I did was to rescue you from those goons and yet I'm the one whose selfish?" may amusement sa tinig nito.
You devil! You know exactly what I'm talking about and yet you act innocent?!
Cali greeted her teeth at muling tinangkang itulak ang binata. "Let me go, will you?!"
"Cali!" Malakas na tawag sa kanya ng isang tinig. "Is everything alright?".
Sabay silang napatingin ni Drake sa pinanggalingan ng tinig. Cali sighed in relief nang makita si Mat. Papalapit ito sa kanila.
"Mat!" She called out. Kulang na lamang ay isigaw niya ang salitang 'help!' sa papalapit na kaibigan.
Mat stopped a few feet away from them. Pinaglipat lipat nito ang tingin sa kanila.
Drake eyed Mat curiously, na para bang inuuri nito ang huli, bago muling ibinalik ang atensyon sa kanya. He didn't even bother removing his arms that was trapping her against the wall.
"Your boyfriend?" He asked. His voice was low at hindi alam ni Cali kung bakit tila kumulimlim ang mukha nito.
"Y-yes! Oo!" Walang gatol niyang sagot.
"Cali, what's going on?" Mat took a few steps closer towards them.
"L-love... s-should we go now?" Sinadya niyang i-emphasize ang endearment na ginamit kay Mat, sinamahan pa niya iyon ng bahagyang pandidilat sa kaibigan, hoping that he will get the signal.
Drake finally took off his hands from the wall at dumeretso ng pagkakatayo. Noon pa lamang tila nakahinga ng maluwag si Cali. She hurriedly ran towards Mat at ikinawit ang braso sa braso ng lalaki.
Drake looked at them with a bored expression on his face. "I hope you'll be a better boyfriend to Cali next time, pare. The next time you neglect her like this, I won't let it slide." His voice was full of warning. Yoon lamang at tumalikod na ito.
Naiwan sila ni Mat na nakatingin sa papalayong lalaki. Si Mat ay confused at tila shocked pa rin sa mga nangyari lalo na sa huling tinuran ni Drake.
"What. was.that.?!" sa wakas ay bulalas ni Mat.
"Sorry, friend. I can explain... but can we leave this place first?" aniya sa nagsusumamong tinig.
*******
"So who was that guy and what the hell happened?! And why did you even say I was your boyfriend? Eeww!" Sinabayan pa ni Mat ng tila panghihilakbot ang huling sinabi.
Matthew is a good looking guy. Maraming babae ang nagkakagusto dito sa katunayan... mga babaeng hindi alam ang tunay na kulay ni Matthew Esteban.
Mat is gay. He doesn't cross dress but he's not hiding his gender preference. Mabait itong kaibigan at business partner but he hates it the most when Cali uses him as an excuse to drive away unwanted suitors, katunayan ay ilang ulit din nila itong pinag-awayang magkaibigan.
"I'm sorry I didn't have a choice!"
"Cali, you promised me the last time that you're not gonna use me as an excuse ever again! You know how I feel about that! It's so lame and-"
"That was Drake..." putol niya sa litanya ng kaibigan. She gulped. Just saying his name makes her uncomfortable.
Napalingon si Mat sa kanya. Kasalukuyan nilang tinatahak ang kahabaan ng Edsa. "W-what?! You mean the Drake I am thinking?!" Pag uulit nito, his eyes went huge.
She silently nodded.
"Oh my Gosh! H-how did this happen?!"
"I don't know!" She answered exasperated. Dinala niya ang mga kamay sa ulo at halos sabunutan ang buhok sa frustration na nararamdaman. "Oh God why do I have to see that bastard again?! Urghh!" she growled.
"You really mean Drake Lustre, right?" Paniniguro ni Mat na hindi pa rin makapaniwala. "The Drake Lustre you hated so much? Your-"
"Yes, my ex-husband, the bastard Drake Lustre!" She said gritting her teeth.