Eirene

Asking Cashmere to be my distraction after a destructive event happened to me earlier was the last idea that crossed my mind. Ang hirap mag-isip kung ano gagawin ko matapos ng mga nangyari at parang walang talab ang alak sa akin. Kahit ilang bote na natungga ko, wala pa rin talab kaya umisip ako ng iba. At naisip ko nga si Cashmere since he always there even if I don't need him.

"You want to be distracted in what way?" Cashmere asked, making gulped hard. Bakit ba kailangan niya pa magtanong? Tapos hindi ko pa alam paano sasagutin iyon ng maayos. Wala nga sa hulog ang utak ko kaya kailangan ko ng distraction sa kahit anong paraan.

"In anyway," I said casually, wanting to put this to rest. Baka maling tao tinanong kaya tumayo ako at lumakad paalis.

"Where are you going?"

"Home of course!" Kinaway ko ang kamay sa kanya habang naglalakad at ng mangalay ay binaba ko na rin. Patuloy ko sa paglakad at lumiko sa kanto na malapit sa building kung saan ako nakatira. Palapit na na ako pintuan ng apartment building na tinitirhan ko nang may pumigil sa akin. "Aww!" Reklamo ko.

"You left without paying for all the beer you downed, Eirene..."

"Babayaran ko na lang kapag sumahod na ako. Ay, ikaw pala iyong boss ko. Consider that as my cash advance."

"You're really a scammer." Tumawa ako at sinubukan na i-key in ang password ng pintuan. Hindi ko alam bakit may ganitong klase ng lock ang mga building dito sa London. Ang hussle talaga nito pero wala naman akong magagawa sa ngayon. I have to live with this country's offer of a lifestyle change. "Let me do that,"

"It's 070231."

"Gate's open, ma'am,"

"Thank you, sir!" sigaw ko saka ngumiti bago pumasok sa loob. I didn't know what had happened next, and I was in bed hugging my feet until a warm blanket warmed my body. That made me asleep.

And when I wake up, I gasp loudly upon seeing Cashmere sleeping beside me. What had happened last night? Did we -

I examined myself and breathed in relief when I felt my clothes still on. Walang nangyari sa aming dalawa pero bakit narito siya sa apartment ko? Bakit wala rin ako maalala sa nangyari kagabi?

Dahan-dahan ako bumangon ngunit bigo ako na hindi magising si Cashmere. His almond shaped blue eyes darted to me as if I did something bad to him. Marahan ko inangat ang kumot na nakabalot sa akin patakip sa mukha ko.

"Why are you here?" tanong ko matapos magtalukbong.

"You don't remember?" Hindi niya makapaniwalang tanong sa akin. Agad ko inalis ang kumot sa aking mukha at tiningnan siya.

"D-did w-we have sex?" But I was still fully clothed!

"You tripped in the stairs so I have to carry you up to hear but you knocked me off using that small shovel under your bed." Napabangon ako agad at tiningnan ang ulo niya kung totoo nga ba ang sinabi ss akin. Nang may nakita ako na mapula sa likod ng ulo niya, doon pa lang ako naniwala. "What made you think I'll take an advantage of you? I'm not that kind of man, Eirene Diaz."

"You sound defensive." Sinipa ko si Cashmere kaya nahulog siya sa kama ko na maliit. Hindi pa ako nakakabili ng bago na mas malaki para kasya kami ni Marishka.

"Why do you have to do that? After I carry your heavy ass and pay for your bill, what will I receive in return?"

"What else do you want me to do?"

"Play my kind of game." His kind of game? Kinuha ko ang isang unan sa likuran ko at binato sa kanya. Sinalo niya iyon at hindi naiwasan ang isa pang binato ko. Patuloy ko iyon ginawa hanggang sa kubabawan niya ako sa ibabaw ng kama. "Will you stop this? Aren't you worried about what might your neighbors think?"

"Naisip ko rin iyon kaya umalis ka na diyan at may pasok pa ako at ikaw rin pala, sir!" Umalis nga si Cashmere sa ibabaw ko at binagsak ang sarili sa aking kama. "Be careful with my bed. Wala pa akong pamalit at ayoko matulog sa sahig."

"Your bed is for kids,"

Bumangon ako muli siya hinampas ng unan.

"Tell that to the owner. She and your family are friends, right?"

"You don't want to try my kind of game, Miss Brutal?"

Ang bilis magpalit ng topic. At talagang pinipilit niya iyong laro na alam ko naman kung tungkol saan. It was a game of an inconvenient attachment. We will have sex and after act civil in front of many after. Paulit-ulit hanggang sa ang isa ay manawa game is over.

In the end, the one who invested more in feelings was a loser—Cashmere's kind of friend with benefits.

But we're not friends.

"What would I get if I agreed?"

"A distraction you wanted last night and a warmer night in London. We both don't want an attachment, Eirene. That's why I came up with this plan. No attachment, just sex."

"Do you like me?"

"No."

"Why do you want me to be your playmate?"

"I know you." Hindi ko maiwasang matawa bigla. Dahil lang sa kilala niya ako kaya gusto niya ako makalaro? "I know it's absurd but hey it will be cliché if I answer I like your eyes."

"Okay, go on,"

"Your breast." That's cliché, too, and I don't have the delectable set of breasts. Tumingin ako sa dibdib ko kaliwa't kanan. "I know you would say it's not that big, but I'm curious."

"You're such a blunt talker, Gridley."

Nagkibit balikat lang siya habang ako ay nakatingin lang sa kanya. Pero ang totoo pinag-iisipan ko na ang mga sinabi niya.

"No attachment, just sex?"

"Yes." Tumingin ako sa paligid. Hindi namin iyon puwede gawin dito. Bukod na hindi soundproof ang pader, may kapitbahay ako na religous. On my second week here, she handed me a Bible and read verse after another until she finally let me. On my fifth, she gave me a plate of homemade cookies and read another Bible verse before I got to work. "So, what do you say?"

"We can't do it here. My friend will arrive in two days, and I will have a flatmate."

"At my place?"

"And get caught by your super protective mother and pakialamera sister?"

"I have another exclusive for me, and no one in hell knows about it. If I will bring you there, that makes us two."

"Why do you keep calling your home hell?"

"That's where the demon lives, right?"

"So you admitted?"

"Just humoring you, Eirene."

Naiiling akong pinigil ang pagtawa. "Fine. Let's do it," I said after recovering from laughing in secret.

***

Abala ko inayos ang pagdi-disenyo ng panibagong request ni Miss Icheyeru habang nakasalampak sa sahig ng cubicle ko. Mas nakaka-trabaho ako kapag ganito na kalat-kalat ang mga gamit gaya ngayon. Mas mabilis ako nakaka-isip pero siyempre hindi naman ako lang magde-desisyon dito. I have to get Arch. Lisbon and Cashmere's approval on this because they're the boss.

"Miss Diaz... woah! What happened here?" tanong na agad nagpa-angat sa aking tingin.

"Why are you here, Ashton?"

"Someone dropped this package addressed to you. I brought it here since the receptionist hasn't seen you go down since you punched in."

Huminga ako nang malalim. "I'm so busy with another interior design for Miss Icheyeru's drawing room."

Tinanggap ko ang package at sinantabi lang iyon muna.

"Do you need help?"

"No, but I need your socials for my friend."

"Is she pretty?"

"So pretty. Chinese eyes, big breasts, ass, you name it."

"What's her name?"

"Marishka Perez."

"You're the best, Miss Diaz."

"Always!"

Mission accomplished. I paired up my friend already and now I have to work. But my eyes darted to the package given by Ashton. It was a Victoria Secret paper bag. A perfume? Inabot ko iyon saka binukas ngunit imbis na pabango ang nakita ko ay set ng lingerie na kulay itim. Nang mas bulatlatin ko pa, bumagsak ang isang card sa loob noon.

"A handwritten card,"

May ideya na ako kung kanino galing at nang basahin ko na ang nakasulat sa card tama ang hula ko. The package was from Cashmere which made me stand up and peered him through the glass wall of his office. He was there talking to someone over the phone. I waved my hands, but he didn't look my way, making me look ridiculous. I'll text him instead. 

Inikot-ikot ko sa harap ko ang card at hindi ko maiwasang mamangha sa sulat kamay niya. Parang babae ang nagsulat pero hindi naman siguro niya pinasulat kay Kaliana dahil mabubuking kami. Wala pa nangyayari, sira na agad ang plano. 

Para saan ang lingerie? Victoria Secret?

I furiously tapped my hands on my phone as I waited for his reply, and when it did, my eyes widened upon reading it.

Wear it. I want to see you wearing that lingerie on our first night.

Golly! This man is so experimental kind of guy. But part of me is a little excited about the agreement, not because he called our first night. I guess I have clarified that to him.

Just a reminder, it's an inconvenient attachment, not a honeymoon, Gridley.

Tumayo ako ulit at sumilip sa salamin pader ng opisina niya. There I saw a woman who quickly throw her arms around his nape upon entering the office. She's with Miss Bianchi and Kaliana.

Sino kaya iyon?