Chapter 2

Rental Girlfriend

You know what's hard when it comes to my grandparents? It's hard to disappoint them, and make them angry or upset. Not that we're a hundred percent scared. Actually we can't be scared with our kind grandparents. And that's the problem. Ang hirap nilang i-disappoint when they've given me everything. And after seeing the obvious joy in their faces after knowing na may 'apo' na sila sa akin... Nagkatinginan na lang kami ng mga pinsan ko. And then I find myself nodding to my grandparents. Then I sighed secretly to myself...

I wasn't thinking right.

Baka mas lalo lang silang magalit sa akin kapag nalaman nilang kasinungalingan lang... Pero hindi ko na rin alam ang gagawin ko ngayon...

"I'm sorry, bud..."

I wanted to punch Ben and Bray on their faces. Nasa isang private room or office na kami ni Ben sa loob ng club niya. Yes, my cousins own this superclub, and the two brothers' business is about clubs and parties. Nagsisi rin naman silang dalawang magkapatid pero tapos na. Napaniwala na nila sina lolo at lola.

Sakit talaga sa ulo 'to.

Ano ba talaga ang iniisip ko na hindi ko na lang tinanggi? Kahit pwede pa naman 'yon... Am I out of my mind? But thinking about the joyful faces of my grandparents... I can only sigh now. Wala pa kasi silang apo sa amin ng mga kapatid at pinsan ko. Si Kuya Austin pa nga lang ang magpapakasal sa amin. And we're all single. Kahit si ate na nasa late twenties na rin niya. Mas'yadong focused sa career na isang TV host naman. Tapos itong dalawang pinsan ko pareho lang din kami ng hobby when it comes to girls... And Lexie's still in college. Wala ring boyfriend.

I sighed for the nth time. Our lie already made our grandparents look forward to it... Damn.

"I seriously don't know what to do right now." I said to my cousins.

Nagkatinginan din ang dalawa. "Well, you can start dating and get someone pregnant now..." Bray suggested.

Binatukan naman siya ng kuya niya. "You can't get a girl pregnant in just seven days!" Parang naasar pa si Ben sa kapatid niya. "At ang sabi natin may anak na si Gus. Hindi nakabuntis."

"Oo nga pala." Umakto pa si Bray na parang nag-iisip talaga. "Edi sabihin na lang na nakabuntis pa lang at 'di pa lumalabas ang bata. Nagkamali lang tayo..."

"No." Umiling naman si Ben. Pagkatapos seryoso siyang tumingin sa akin. "Just ask someone to act for you?" he also suggested.

"Yeah!" Parang may umilaw naman sa ulo ni Bray. "Gaya sa mga actors na nakakasama ni Ate Alia sa trabaho? Pwede 'yon. Just ask an actress and then a child actor, too. Para kompleto na. Sino ba'ng sikat ngayon?" Nilagay na naman ni Bray ang kamay sa baba niya na parang nag-iisip talaga siya.

Binatukan na naman siya ni Ben. "Idiot. If it's a famous actress you think hindi makikilala nina lola? Hindi ka nag-iisip. Mag-isip ka nga! Gamitin mo 'yang utak mo."

Sumimangot lang naman si Bray sa kapatid niya. Parang naging kambal na lang din ang dalwang ito. Although Ben's really older. Sabay kasi silang pinalaki sa bahay nina lola. Kahit wala ang moms nila. And then hindi rin nag-alaga ng anak si Tito Ben. So Bently and Brayden grew up close to each other kasi ganoon sila pinalaki nina lolo at lola.

"Ah! I know!" si Bray ulit. "Have you heard about rental girlfriend?"

"What?" Napatanong din si Ben sa kapatid niya.

"A rental girlfriend. Iyong parang same sa Japan. They have it now here in our country, too!" Bray said and even sounding excited about it.

"Seriously, what?" Parang nalito na si Ben sa kapatid niya. "What do you mean? And where did you learn about this?"

Bray grinned. "Napanood ko kasi minsan sa mga anime ni Lexie." He said.

Ah. Our cousin, Lexie, loves anime or anything na mukhang pambata para sa akin.

"And then when I researched about it, it's real!" Mukhang tuwang-tuwa pa si Bray na nagpatuloy sa sinasabi niya sa'min ni Ben.

"Why did you research it? And have you tried...this rental girlfriend?!—" Mukhang aatakihin na yata sa puso si Ben sa kapatid niya.

"Oh, yes!" Bray looked proud of what he's done.

"Damn...you. And what happened?" Now Ben started to seem curious, too...

"What? You mean with these rental girlfriends? I think they are for the lonely men..." Bray said.

"Are you lonely? Fuck you." Parang naiinis na naman si Ben sa kapatid niya.

Gusto ko nang matawa sa usapan ng magkapatid. Kung wala lang sana akong pinoproblema ngayon. I sighed.

"Of course not! I just tried it because after watching anime with Lexie, I got curious you know..."

"Whatever. Tell us more."

Bumaling ako kay Ben. Nagkatinginan kaming magpinsan. "Are you serious about this?" I asked him.

Ben shrugged his shoulders. "This can be our only option...?"

Umiling na lang ako sa mga pinsan ko. But then they continued to talk about it and later on we're already discussing about this rent-a-girlfriend thing...

I was waiting inside Ben's office. Dito na lang daw papupuntahin 'yong babae. Dapat nga hindi raw pwede 'to at sa public place lang daw para safe 'yong rental girlfriend... Pero mukhang nagawan din naman ng paraan ni Bray at suki pa yata siya doon...

The office door opened after a knock and my permission to come in. And a pretty girl with a long hair entered the room. That was the first time I met Valerie. She was well dressed on our first meeting. She was also cute and a small woman. And that's not because she's short. She has a proper height. She's petite and her body curves was at their right places...

My lips parted as I watched her in front of me now. Hindi na pala ako nakapagsalita agad because I was checking her out... Damn.

"Hello?"

"Oh!" reaksyon ko rin nang matauhan. Kumurap-kurap pa ako saglit. And then I watched her again. But this time seryoso na, at medyo naging pormal pagkatapos din saglitang tumikhim. I just cleared my throat a bit that seems to be drying a little... "Please have a seat." I offered her politely...

As she sat down there we started discussing about the contract that will be made.

"So...you're doing all this para lang makuha ang mamanahin mo?" she asked.

Umawang naman ang labi ko.

Pero mabilis niya rin binawi ang sinabi. She shook her head like she realized she's wrong to ask... "I'm sorry. It's not important to me... Okay, I agree to do it." she said.

Tumango na lang ako at napangiti rin bahagya.

Now I have someone to act as the mother of my child...

Madali lang kausap si Valerie. Kasi siguro trabaho niya 'to... Siguro sanay na rin siya... Wala na siyang gaanong tanong sa akin pagkatapos mabasa ang kontrata namin... Kaya hindi na rin ako masyado pang nagtanong sa kaniya. As long as she can do the role I think it's all good na...

Pagkatapos ay muli ko pa siyang napagmasdan habang chinicheck pa niya ang mga contracts namin. I also have to sign a contract with their company. Okay na rin 'yon at na explain na rin naman sa akin ni Bray.

I noticed that she has soft eyes...with a small nose... And her pink lips looked soft, too...

"So,"

Nagulat pa ako nang bigla siyang magsalita at nag-angat agad ng mga mata. Like I was caught doing something illegal... While her forehead creased a bit as she looked at me... Ngumiti pa ako sa kaniya na parang tanga. And she did not smile back. Akala ko ba aakto talaga na parang girlfriend ang nasa rental girlfriend ayon sa pinsan kong si Bray. Pero bakit parang medyo masungit pa pala yata itong napunta sa akin?

"Tapos na siguro tayo rito... If we're done, then I have to go..." she said.

I nodded. But I can't help it that my mouth still talked. "Aren't you supposed to be a little sweet..." I'm not sure what I'm talking about. Gago, Gus. Ano'ng nangyari? Hindi mo na yata alam pumorma... Nakalimutan mo na ba? Sabi kasi ni Bray... Gusto ko na lang magbuntong-hininga sa sarili ko...

Saglit na kumunot na naman ang noo niya sa akin. But she looked like she understood, too. "Akala ko kailangan lang natin umarte sa harap ng pamilya mo... Pero kung gusto mo—"

I cut her off because I felt embarrassed... "Never mind. Uh, you may go..." sabi ko na lang. Wala, Gus. Ano'ng nangyayari sa 'yo, gago? No. It's that, what's with this girl?

Nagkatinginan pa kami ng ilang sandali... Until she nodded and then left me alone in my cousin's office... I let out a loud sigh when she's not there anymore and just let my body fall back down the couch...