CORA'S POV
I could not believe the gay who expressed interest in acting as my fictitious gay boyfriend was the most sought-after in the comedy club. She is much more beautiful now that I am viewing her up close! She is wearing minimal make-up and letting her long wavy hair fall. She is dressed in a black tailored formal dress with Giuseppe Zanotti Black Kansa Sparkle Heels that show off his manly toes.
Oh, my God!
She should also appreciate her cup 36D bra because she appears to have boobs. But she is actually sexy, and her figure is good and enough for me.
“Tapos ka na bang i-judge ang itsura ko, Missy?" With a bright smile on her face, she inquired. Tss! But, it no longer bothers me.
"Let's start with a proper introduction," I remarked, extending my hand. "I'm Corazon Peters," I continued.
“Freiya Cuesta,” she said with a smile as she took my hand in hers and we exchanged a handshake.
She has a gentle touch. It appears that I am holding the hand of a real woman.
"So, Missy Corazon—" I motioned him to stop. "B-Bakit?" she asked, perplexed.
"Please refer to me as Cora, okay? Cora."
"Oo, g ko na, Cora, okay? Cora,” she repeated exactly what I said!
What the hell?!
"Simply, Cora! Cora lang, C-O-R-A!" I screamed in frustration and even spelled my name, but she just burst out laughing.
"Cora sounds good, Cora, but Corazon sounds gooder!" She even exclaimed as if she had spoken something monumental.
Damn that gooder!
"All right, you can call me whatever you want."
This is the first time I have ever given up so easily! I am running out of time, so I need to wrap this up as quickly as possible.
"Magkano sweldo, Corazon?"
It was obvious to me! She desperately needs money, and that is precisely why she applied—to provide for her boys! Tss.
"Magkano ba ang gusto mo?"
"Ang cute ng accent mo, pero gusto ko one million."
"A-Ano?"
Sh*t! One million? ONE MILLION? Is this gay man lunatic or something?!
"All right, five hundred thousand."
"Five hundred thousand, my foot!" I grumbled irritably. "FYI, Freiya, hindi naman dugo't pawis ang iaaalay mo sa trabahong 'to. You're not even putting your life on the line for this job, so why do you feel the need to demand such a large salary?!" With my brows knitted together, I inquired.
"Shuta, tinanong mo magkano bet ko, tapos ngayon sinagot kita nagrereklamo ka? Gulo mo rin, 'no, Corazon?"
Damn that Corazon!!!
"Fine! Your maximum monthly salary is fifty thousand pesos, and that's more than enough!"
"Oh, galit ka ba? 'Wag ganiyan baka 'di mo na makikita ang sunshine." She's even caressing my back! This gay! "Pero, sa mga date ha, ikaw magbabayad." I nodded straight away!
Do I even have a choice? I am desperate for a boyfriend! To be honest, I am regretful by now, but there is no going back. She may not be the gay I expect, but I do not have much of a choice.
I just have three days till our high school reunion, and tomorrow is my only chance to get to know her. We have to prepare ourselves the next day, so I won't be able to spend that day getting to know her better. And if I don't accept him now, I won't have a boyfriend to bring to our reunion, whereas Silver will have her damn girlfriend. It's so unfair, and I'm sure I'll feel sorry for myself if I go there alone.
I let out a sigh.
Why did I just get an email notifying me that our high school reunion is on Monday?! If I had been aware for a longer period, I would have started looking for a gay boyfriend much sooner, and I would have gotten to know her a lot better. Tsk!
I handed the contract I set down on the table and gave it over to him. "So, here's the contract; please sign it before we talk about my idea," I stated. She signed it right away, and she didn't even bother to read the whole document. Great!
I'd had enough of his irresponsible behavior and had chosen to spend more than twenty minutes discussing the constraints, dos and don'ts, and the real strategy.
"'Yon na 'yon? Shuta! No sweat, Corazon!" Wow, she seemed so sure of herself!
"So, I'll see you tomorrow for our stage of getting to know each other. Because I am a busy person, you may now leave."
I took a firm stance and screamed behind my back. 'Damn it! What is her height?'
God, hanggang balikat niya lang pala ako!!
Damn that strange smile on his face! Is she making fun of me because I'm so small?! Kasalanan ko bang 5'2 lang ako?! Tsk!
"See yah, Missy Corazon!" she exclaimed as she came around to face me and added, "Sa Monday pa naman magsisimula ang trabaho ko, 'di ba? So, bukas hindi pa tayo?"
I answered, "Y-Yes."
That was awkward! A gay asking me 'hindi pa tayo?' sounded so strange!
"Sige, see yah! Juliet-juliet," she said with a wave of her right hand as she walked away.
What the hell is Juliet-juliet, though? Damn! I think I should start learning homosexual lingo right now, especially that the contract states that we only have to act as lovers in public, but she can be gay when we're alone together. Tsk.
When Zella returned home from work, she immediately asked about what had happened during our first meeting. I did tell her everything, down to the smallest detail and she thinks she's the finest gay ever. Tss!! We almost spend the entire night chatting about her and her ridiculous fantasies if our fake relationship begins.
"Aren't you excited?" Zella remarked as we waited for Freiya to arrive outdoors.
"I'm a little excited because I think I'll get along with her, but—"
When she asked, "Her? Again?" she broke off my words.
Oo nga pala, she wants me to stop using 'her' and 'she' when I am talking about Freiya. She said it sounded so confusing. I had explained my position, but it was all put in vain; she insisted that I have to use the proper pronoun. Freiya may be gay, but a male is recorded as his sex on her birth certificate, she added.
"I'm sorry, I forgot." I sighed and rolled my eyes internally.
I've simply decided to follow her because if I don't, she will keep reminding me of it over and over.
Zella has given me her winning smile. Tss!
And, at long last! I breathed a sigh of relief. A taxi arrived after ten minutes of waiting.
A stunning gay went out! His dark violet above-the-knee dress looks best with his makeup. He wore his hair in a bun, revealing his little features.
Damn! He has a more feminine appearance than I do!
"Hello, my name is Zella, and I'm her best friend," Zella said as she extended her hand.
He replied, "Freiya, your best friend's soon-to-be gay boyfriend," and they exchanged a handshake.
Zella suddenly looked at me with teasing eyes before she returned her gaze at Freiya.
Tss, parang sira!
“Gusto pa sana kitang makilala, Freiya, pero marami pa namang panahon para riyan. For now, go na kayo sa lakad ni'yo.” Zella turned to face me, a naughty grin on her face appeared.
"Are you not joining us?"
"No, Cora, I'm not interested in being your third wheel."
What the hell?!
"Zella!" I called after her, but all she did was wave her hand, walk inside, and shut the door.
I can't believe her.
"Oy, tara, gora na?" Freiya asked.
He was about to go into the passenger seat when I abruptly stopped him. "Do you know how to drive?” I asked and he just nodded. "You drive," I said as I handed him the key and entered the car.
While going to the mall, we're both in complete silence until we arrive. And guess what? He didn't open the door for me; instead, he just stood there and let me do it. Tss, it's acceptable, hindi pa pala kami.
Gosh!!! Too weird!!!
"Oy, look, Missy, bagay 'to sa boy—"
He came to a complete stop and returned the men's shirt.
"Why?" On the spur of the moment, I inquired about his sadness.
"Nakalimutan ko kaka-break ko lang pala sa jowa ko a week ago. Akala ko kami pa. Bagay sana 'yong damit sa kanya," he said, attempting to smile, but failing miserably.
I shook my head and quickly followed him as he began his walkthrough somewhere. "Freiya, cheer up! Even though he was gone, someone came to make you feel that you will never be alone again," I spoke from the heart, and he responded with a real smile.
"Gora na nga sa men's shirt ulit, bilhan mo na ako, marami, ha." He gently drew me back into the men's clothing section. "Oy, Missy, bibili rin ba tayo ng couple shirt? Or gusto mo couple hoodie?"
Sh*t. I just realized, Silver had never asked me the same question before. I was the only one who asked, and his response was always the same: 'no, it's too cringe.' He has no idea how much I enjoy such stuff! Para sa akin, sweet ang twinning!
My tears were abruptly wiped away by someone.
"Huwag sa mall magdrama, Missy, mamaya mag viral ka, tapos ako pa masisisi. For sure 'yong caption ganito, 'ang sikat na si Corazon Peters ay nakitang umiiyak sa mall dahil mas maganda pa sa kanya ang kasama niyang beki', ganda 'no? Gusto ko 'yon!" Freiya said.
I hope I could erase that blasted smile from his face. Tss!!
"Joke lang. Huwag na nga couple thingy may naalala ka pa tuloy."
"No, let's get a couple shirts and hoodies as well," I suggested.
Before I looked for other clothes that could fit him, I saw him smiled softly. Tss.
After nearly three hours of shopping, we've finally finished buying all of the men's items he needs. It's a good thing he's not picky. Well, after all, he looks good in everything I've chosen.
Now we're on our way to our next destination, the Sixty's Bar. It is a great place to unwind for a while. It's precisely what we both need following our recent breakup.
All I wish is that I wouldn't get too tipsy. In my entire life, I've never been intoxicated. If that occurs, I'm afraid I've gone too crazy. Sh*t!