“Can we talk?” he asked politely.
“What for? So you can charm me the way you charmed that girl? No way!” Baka mamaya ay apo pala ito ni Eros at gayumahin siya. He definitely looked the type where women swarmed over him like ants to honey. And she hated his type.
Pinagsalikop nito ang kamay. “Please! Can we be civilized for a while and discuss this problem maturely?”
Nginisihan lang niya ito. “See you in court then,” she said sweetly.
“Come on!”
“Talk to my lawyer!” Saka siya nagmartsa palayo.
“Where would you get a lawyer in the middle of the ocean?”
She stopped and looked back at him. “Maybe I can ask the guests around if there is a lawyer who’s interested in handling my case.”
“And spoil their expensive and lovely vacation?”
“Oh, I can always contact my lawyer friend in the mainland. And I can do that as soon as you get off my back!”
He walked towards her. “But until then, both of us would stay in this ship together. Unless one of us decides to jump over the ocean.”
“Why don’t you do the honor?” Iyon naman ang dapat sa mga tulad nito.
He closed his eyes. When he opened it, his green eyes gazed at her. “Can we at least have a truce?” he asked and offered his hand for a handshake.
“Okay. Let’s talk,” bigla niyang naisagot. And before she knew what she said, it was already too late to take it back. Sabi na nga ba niya’t may gayuma ito. Maybe it was his blue-green eyes. “But once you put your hands on me, I will throw you to the sea myself. I won’t wait to go back to mainland to make you suffer.”
Itinaas nito ang dalawang kamay. “Okay!”
Ngayon ay naintindihan na niya kung ano ang mayroon kay Nikolos Theron. How could he charm his way into a girl’s heart? Isang ngiti o tingin lang nito ay nakaka-hipnotismo na. Tulad ng nangyari sa kanya kanina.
She kept her fingers crossed. Di ako dapat maapektuhan ng karisma niya. Or else, I might find myself as shark’s food instead.
HANGGA’T maari ay iniiwasan ni Arizona na tingnan sa mata ni Nikolos. Natatakot siya na magayuma ulit siya. Tiningnan niya ang kisame, ang mga tao sa kabilang table, ang malawak na dagat na nakikita mula sa bintana ng restaurant. But never at him. Parang hirap tuloy itong mag-open ng conversation sa kanya.
“Hindi mo pa nagagalaw ang lunch mo.”
Gulat pa siyang nagpalinga-linga kung sino ang nagsalita ng Filipino. Then she realized that it was Nikolos who spoke. “Pardon?”
Sumubo ito ng steak. “Nasabi sa akin ni Miss Evans na Filipina ka. My mother is a Filipina. Hindi ba nakakatuwa? Magkababayan tayo.” He was so fluent in Filipino; she didn’t hear a trace of accent. Mukhang matagal itong naglagi sa Pilipinas.
“Anong gusto mong palabasin? Na dapat matuwa ako dahil sarili kong kababayan ang nang-harass sa akin?”
“I didn’t harass you,” he protested right away.
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Ipinagmamalaki mo pa sa akin na may dugong Filipino ka pagkatapos mo akong bastusin.”
He drank the cold water instead of the wine. His face was grim now. Gone was the smile he used to show her. “Di ba natin ito pwedeng pag-usapan nang maayos? Stop taunting me with every opportunity you can get.”
Napanganga siya. Siya pa ang masama ngayon. “Kung hindi ka nahihiya sa sarili mo, mahiya ka man lang sa akin.”
Saglit itong tuhimik at ipinagpatuloy ang pagkain. “It’s silly to file this case in court. Baka nga kahit sa prosecutor di ito pumasa.”
Nanlaki ang mata niya. “It is not silly. I was humiliated!”
He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t see anything. You were wearing a two piece suit. So what? Even if you strip naked in front of me, I don’t care!”
“You don’t care?” she sneered. “Hindi ba iyon ang purpose mo kaya mo nga ako binuhusan ng wine? Para may makita ka!”
He set down his knife and fork. Parang nawalan ito ng ganang kumain. “Okay. How much do you want so I don’t have to face you in court?” he asked coldly.
“Excuse me? Are you trying to buy my virtue?”
“Virtue? As if I raped you or something! Ni wala nga akong nahawakan. Ni hindi kita nakita. Kung tutuusin nga ikaw ang nanakit sa akin.” Hinaplos nito ang nasaktang panga. Doon ito inabot ng suntok niya kanina. “At least ako sure ako na physical injury ang ikakaso ko sa iyo.”
“Ako nga ang masakit sa kamao. Bato yata ang katawan mo!” Mukha namang di ito natinag sa suntok niya kanina. Tumayo siya at ihinagis ang napkin sa table. “Pero kung pakiramdam mo dapat mo nga akong kasuhan, gawin mo. At magkita na lang tayo sa korte.”