Lara Point of View
IM STILL on my car and I don't think I could make there early in the event that was set by my friend Clarisse, It was traffic and the cars infront me are not even moving.
Kanina pa ako tingin ng tingin sa relo ko, hindi ko hahayaan na paasahin ko uli siya. I keep slapping the steering wheel and then a call just showed up on my phone.
I clicked the 'answer' button and then I figured out that it was Clarisse.
"Lara, where are you? Kanina pa kita dito naghihintay, madami ng customer dito?" napakamot ako ng ulo at saka tinignan ang tumpok na kotse sa harapan ko.
"It still traffic, siguro late ako makakaabot diyan. Pasensya na talaga Clarisse, wag mo na 'kong hintayin. I'll be there as soon as I can." Clarisse sighed shortly on the line.
"Yeah, yeah just come here." and then she end the call.
"God! Clarisse please don't be mad, malapit na ako." utal ko at saka hinintay ang ilang kotseng na umusad.
I'VE BEEN THERE on the traffic for almost thirty minutes before I finally arrived at Clarisse clothing line, customers are everywhere and I can see the clothes in the isle outside.
"Clarisse!" tawag ko ng makita siya, kaagad naman niya akong niyakap at sandaling ngumiti.
"Oh God, finally your here."
"Pasensya na talaga Clarisse, magsisimula na ako." wika ko at saka tumungo sa ginawang stage ni Clarisse.
Lumapit ako sa microphone at tinawag ang atensyon ng mga customer na naroon.
"Hello, everyone." I greeted them, before they finally sit on the chairs they piled up.
"We have an announcement, that our clothing line offers a huge sale to those customer who can buy as much as high in just hundred." utal ko at kaagad na tinawag si Clarisse para ipakita ang ilang mga damit na nasa rack.
"This kid clothes have fifty percent sale, and also to adult clothes we offer sixty percent sale of the actual prize." napansin namin ang mga datingan ng tao roon, dumagsa ang mga customer at mukhang nabigyan naman sila ng atensyon na bumili.
Ilang beses akong nag-endorse ng mga produkto ni Clarisse. Halos mawalan na ako ng boses sa paulit-ulit ng mga sasabihin ko bago maubos ang mga damit na inilagay namin sa labas.
Clarisse signaled me to inquired the customer, sumunod naman ako at iniwan si Clarisse para siya naman ang makipagusap sa ibang customer.
This event will help Clarisse clothing line to discover our branch, maraming mga tao ang nagtanong sakin bago ko sila itinuro sa cashier lane.
Natapos ang event naubos namin ang damit na inilabas namin mula sa loob ng clothing line, kaagad na tinawag kami ni Clarisse para ipakita ang sales ng naibenta namin damit.
Mabuti at umabot nga ko sa event, sayang ng ipapasuweldo sakin ni Clarisse kung nasimulan na.
"Congrats to us!" Sigaw nito at kaagad kaming nagyakapan sa isa't-isa, ipinakita ni Clarisse ang aming na-ibenta.
"For that sales, I have an important announcement this upcoming summer." ani ni Clarisse, at kaagad naman kaming humarap sakanya para makinig.
"We will have a summer vacation and guess what, you don't have to worry the payment cause I just rent an island for the celebration of our opening. And also not to forgot, we have to prepare cause we are going to find a right model to show our product." kaagad akong itinuro ni Clarisse sabay ngiti.
"Lara, bago tayo umuwi. Lets have a dinner outside we have to talk something just for us." napalunok ako sabay tumango, ano kaya ang paguusapan namin?
"Congrats to us."
NAGPAALAM na ang ilang staff at naiwan na lang kami ni Clarisse, isinara na namin ang shop at mukhang ginabi na nga kami.
"Lara, lets go have a dinner." utal nito at iniwan na namin ang clothing line, we end up in a simple restaurant and the food was affordable.
Clarisse pour a drink on my glass before she start eating, hinihintay ko ang aming paguusapan. Because I was curious, maybe it bad or good news.
"Uh! Lara, mind if you start? Don't stare at me like that I can't focus on my food." tumango uli ako at sinimulan kainin ang pagkain, naging maluwag naman ang aking pakiramdam ng nagsimula na siyang magsalita.
"I already told you that we will rent a model so we can endorse our product, and I think this task will be assign by you." nasamid ako sa inumin at muling itinuon ang pansin sakanya, sandaling iyon ay bumalik ako sa pagsubo ng pagkain.
Why did she choose me to find a model, I will not beg infront of them just to accept this offer? Models nowadays don't accept lousy clothing line if they didn't met their expected paid.
God! Bakit ako pa Clarisse ang ipapalusong mong magmakaawa.
"Are you still okay Lara?" pukaw sakin ni Clarisse at peke akong ngumiti.
"Here's the information and the contract for this model that I've chosen, Miss Helena Wrotzwick, if she didn't accept the contract still, just convince her okay?" she said and I was like, stuck in nowhere. Ano bang gagawin ko? Hindi ito ang trabaho ko para magmaakawa sa mga model.
"Yeah, kompleto parin ang sahod ko diyan 'ha. Just add some bonus." Clarisse smile and then she focus to eat again.
"Ako nang bahala diyan Lara, I will trust you for this."
NATAPOS ang dinner namin ni Clarisse, ay umuwi ako ng wala sa sarili. I keep that thing on my mind until I arrived at my condo.
I stilled at the moment when I saw Zach wearing a hood jacket, he's holding a plastic bag of packed foods. Kumunot ang aking noo at kaagad na lumapit sakanya.
"Zach, uhm. Why are you here?" I almost stutter, he seems in silence and then he held the plastic bag at me.
"Apology, uhm—yeah. Thats-uhm, may I come to your condo?" tumango na lang ako at hinayaan siyang pumasok, I was confused why he's here at the late of night.
Inilagay ko ang kanyang mga binili sa counter, habang si Zach ay nakaupo sa couch habang nagbabasa ng magazine na nakuha niya sa lamesa ko.
Its feels uncomfortable, should I just accompany him? Its not a big deal that his ex hurt me, wala iyon para sakin at alam kong misunderstanding lang iyon.
God, what should I do?
Lumapit ako sa ref at kumuha ng juice, isinalin ko sa baso saka tumungo sakanya ngunit nasagi nito ang baso kaya nabuhos ang juice sa damit niya.
Napasigaw ako ng nabasag ang baso sa sahig at kaagad naman siyang tumalima na tanggalin ang mga nagkalat na bubog sa sahig.
Am I still okay? Maybe not.
"Are you okay Lara? Im sorry about that." tanging tango na lang ang ginawa ko at umupo sa couch, kaagad naman niyang inilagay ang mga bubog sa trash can at tumungo pabalik sakin.
"Im sorry for that, uhmm—did you already have dinner?" He asked and then I nod, naging blanko ang kanyang ekspreksyon at itinuon muli ang pansin nito sa kanyang basang damit.
And then a seconds leaped, I was shocked when he remove his wet shirt and I could see his naked body again.
Naalala ko na naman ang katawan na iyon, why he is always have a chance to show his body infront me? Is that intentional or it just came by accident? Right, accident by my stupidity.
Napalunok ako at saka naglakad pabalik sa counter ng kusina, ayaw kong makita ang kanyang basang katawan.
It affects me, woman do affect hot body? No! Its doesn't matter to Lara. Calm down, bumalik uli ang tingin ko kay Zach nakangiti lang ito habang hubad ang kanyang pang-itaas.
I swear, those V-line are giving me chills. "Do you have some extra-shirt Zach? Maybe you mind to get clothes first."
Ang tanong ko ngayon, paano ko siya mapapaalis sa condo ko. Lalo na't gabi na? Ano ba ang plano ng lalaking 'to.
WE END up watching a movie, he suggest that he wants to hang out with me since he didn't celebrate their won on game, pumayag na ako kahit gusto ko ng matulog.
Zachary suggest that we should watch an horror movie, 'yon pa naman ang ayaw ko at hindi ako sanay kapag gabi na pag nanonood.
Nakaupo lang malayo sakanya habang kumakain ng cup noodles na ibinili niya, pinipilit kong hindi makatulog kung sakaling mawalan ako ng malay kung ano-ano na ang ginawa ni Zach sa condo ko.
I keep forcing myself to wake, but later on I screamed when a jumpscare just show in that freaking television.
At namalayan kong nakayakap na ako kay Zachary, mukhang tumatawa siya ng palihim at siningkitan ko ito.
"Zach! I don't want to watch horror baka alimpungatan ako, I give up." i said in a low tone of voice and remove my hugged to him, pinakalma ko ang aking sarili at matalim na tinitigan si Zach.
"Maybe we should, uuwi pa naman akong mag-isa." he replied and then seconds later, narinig sa buong condo ang sigaw ko ng biglang dumilim ang lahat.
I guess the power was out, wala akong nakikita at tanging nakakabinging katahimikan lang ang naririnig ko.
"Are you still there, Zach?" I asked and I heard his soft laugh.
"Yeah, I am." He said and then the power was back again, and I realized I was hugging Zachary again. Nakakahiya anong ginagawa ko? This is absurd.
Pinakawalan ko uli ang yakap sakanya, at hinayaan ang sariling lumayo sa hiya.
But in the few moment of silence, he reach my hands and slowly crawling towards me, bumagsak ang aking katawan sa couch habang siya ay lumalapit at gumagapang hanggang sa naging pantay ang aming mga posisyon.
My mouth gaped as I supress my shyness, I am freaking locked in his hand at ilang pulgada na lang ang pumapagitan sa aming katawan ay mapapatungan niya na ako.
Please, God help me! I swear I could die in this moment.
My eyes gazed at him, his face was in serious and I can't define how his sharp eyes burned in hotness. His jaw clenched and I can feel the heatness of his body against mine.
Nararamdaman ko na ang kanyang hininga sa mukha ko, parang hindi ko na-kontrol ang aking sarili. At tuluyan niya na akong napatungan, I can't endure this type of embarassment.
"Zach." I called him softly, before he dipped his head on my face. And sealed me with a kiss.
My heart was pounding so loud to the point I could think that the whole building can hear it, full of silence and I can only hear the smooching sound of our lips.
My whole sense are dying, I just feel his soft lips and his tantalizing eyes that only divert on me, he's kissing me passionately and it was promising.
"NO! IT'S only a dream!" sigaw ko ng magising ako mula sa bangungot, I touch my lips as my mind rewind of something.
Napalingon ako sa paligid at umaga na, ano ba ang nangyari kagabi? Kaagad akong tumayo at pilit na inaalala ang nangyari, I thought Zach was here.
Dumiretso ako sa kusina at nakita ang cup noodles na kinain ko kagabi, at naalalang dinala nga ni Zach 'yon sakin.
Did something happen? Paano ba siya umalis? Kaagad akong tumungo sa aking kwarto at nasilayan ko ang kanyang hood jacket sa kama.
May napansin akong note kaya kaagad kong dinampot at binasa ang nakasulat roon.
"Thanks for the night, you were asleep already so I didn't tell you that I'll go home, ayaw kitang gisingin at mukhang napagod ka. I'm sorry for being a nuisance, take that jacket its yours, change for the glass I broke." I said and take a look in his jacket, iniwan niya talaga 'to para sa basong nabasag niya.
Kaagad akong bumalik sa couch at parang may sumalpok na tren sa utak ko, did it happen? That kiss in my dream? If Zachary came here.
Maybe its real?