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RED 19

The next morning was a different story. Tapos na ang pakiramdaman, panahon na para utak naman ang paganahin. Vico had been bugging Red about last night since she woke up. Hindi na lamang niya ito pinansin.

But Vico's not the only one who's trying to get the scoop. Nang paalis na sila ay nakaharang ang sasakyan ni Troy sa harapan ng bahay niya. Nakangiti itong sumalubong sa kanya, like it was still yesterday.

Inismiran lamang niya ito.

"What? No good morning kiss?"

She walked passed him and approached Vince. Hindi na niya hinintay na pagbuksan siya nito ng pinto. She simply slid to the passenger's seat.

Kumatok si Troy sa bintana niya pero hindi niya ito pinansin. Si Vince naman ay mukhang naghihintay uli ng paliwanag niya.

"Just drive," she told him.

--

Vico wouldn't go easy on her. Nang makarating ito sa office ay agad siya nitong kinumpronta. Apparently, Troy threw a tantrum and Vico had to commute to the office. Hindi tuloy siya nito ipinagtimpla ng kape.

"Why are you angry with me? Sa kanya ka magalit. He's the driver."

"That's beside the point, Red," he said grimly.

"We're already in the office, Vico. You're here to work your ass off, not to ask personal questions."

"Oh, so it's personal now? Akala ko ba business lang 'to?"

"You damn well know what I mean," she said dismissively.

Pinamay-awangan siya nito. "No, I don't."

"Get out of my office."

He glared at her, but she didn't engage in the glaring fight. He gave out a sigh of defeat saka ito padabog na lumabas ng office niya.

She didn't need to explain herself to anyone. They tried an experiment yesterday. That was it. But it's just for one day. And that day already ended.

Troy doesn't share the same sentiments though. She had just opened her email when she got a call from him. She ignored it, of course, but he was persistent.

Vico knocked on her door a while later.

"Phone call," he said, handing his phone to her.

"I'm not accepting calls today."

"Red..."

"No phone calls, Vico," she said with finality.

Ngali-ngali niyang i-lock ang pinto nang lumabas ito. She disconnected her desk phone para walang makatawag sa kanya. She also instructed Vico to not let anyone in and cancel all her appointments.

"Sana hindi ka na lang pumasok, ano?" he'd said.

She just doesn't want to deal with people that day. She wants to be alone with her thoughts, to recollect herself. Troy made her vulnerable yesterday. She can't afford to be vulnerable. If there's one thing that she'd learned in her 27 years of existence, it's that there are only two ways to live in this world: eat or be eaten. And she's not gonna let any small fish oust her.

She took a peek outside.

"Vico, come inside," utos niya sa pinsan.

He obliged begrudgingly.

"What?"

"I need coffee."

Vico crossed his arms against his chest. He was actually looking hostile at the moment.

"I'm not going to make you coffee."

"You won't. You'll buy me one." She handed him a five hundred peso bill. He still wouldn't budge. Ayaw nitong tanggapin ang pera.

"You won't like it when I get angry, Vico. Take the damn money and get me what I want."

Paasik nitong kinuha ang pera sa kamay niya.

"Ikaw na ang bahala sa flavor. Basta venti."

"I hope they have coffee as black and bitter as your soul," he murmured at the door.

"I heard that."

"I want you to."

Hindi niya alam kung matutuwa o maiinis siya rito. Vico's always been the bullied. Back in high school, nang malaman ng schoolmates nila na bakla ito, he was humiliated and tortured. He was called names and demeaned. Vico never fought back. He just kept quiet until it all went away.

Pero ngayon, ganoon na lamang ito kung makasagot sa kanya. She might be rubbing off on him.

She went back to her seat to work. Kung magkukulong din naman siya sa office maghapon, might as well do something productive. She'll finish the work before noon, magpapabili ng pagkain kay Vico at saka gugugulin ang buong hapon sa panunuod ng reruns ng TV shows sa internet.

At least that's the plan.

Vico came back a while later, with her coffee.

Kahit pa anong inis nito sa kanya, he still managed to get her decent coffee. The caffeine made her awake and alert. She finished answering emails way before lunch. Too bad she has a small bladder. Otherwise, she'd have stayed inside for the whole afternoon.

But that's not a possibility.

She changed into her flats and made a run to the bathroom. Wala na siyang pakialam kung pinagtitinginan man siya sa daan. The executive bathroom's just a few steps away, anyway.

Nagmadali rin siya pabalik.

"Did someone come by?" tanong niya kay Vico bago pumasok sa office niya.

Simple itong umiling saka bumalik sa ginagawa. It's not that she trusted Vico. She just expected him to be truthful. Taliwas kasi sa sagot nito, may tao sa loob.

"What are you doing here?"

Vince was sitting on her chair.

"You won't answer my calls."

"My phone's disconnected," dahilan niya.

"I called you on your mobile."

"I turned it off."

He gave her a bland look. "And yet you still wondered why I'm here."

"Get off my chair."

She didn't need to tell him twice. Vince stood up and sat on the visitor's chair instead. Siya naman ay naupo sa sarili niyang trono. Kumunot ang noo niya nang mapansin ang brown paper bag na nakapatong sa lamesa niya.

"What's this?"

"Your lunch."

"You brought me lunch?"

He leaned back on the chair. "I believe I did. Sabi ni Vico kanina ka pa raw nagkukulong dito."

"Hindi ako nagkukulong. Busy lang ako."

His eyebrow arched. "Doing what? Wala ka namang pending."

"You looked into my email?"

"You left it open," he told her, motioning at her computer. Right, hindi nga pala niya ito ini-lock. Saglit lang naman kasi siyang lumabas. Saka hindi naman niya akalaing magpapapasok ng kung sinu-sino si Vico sa office niya.

"Next time, remember to lock your computer before going anywhere," pangaral nito. "Baka magka-issue tayo sa security nyan."

"Okay. Sorry," she said casually.

Itinuon niya ang atensyon sa trabahong nasa harapan. He's right. Wala naman syang pending, pero may mga kailangan pa rin naman siyang asikasuhin. Kumunot ang noo niya nang ilang minuto na ang nakalipas ay hindi pa rin ito umaalis.

"May kailangan ka pa?"

"Did I hear you right?"

"What?"

"You said sorry."

"Well, don't get used to it."

Pinagdaop nito ang mga palad at saka tumingin sa kanya ng mataman.

"Is there something wrong?"

She heaved a sigh. "Yes," sagot niya. "You're still in my office."

"Vico told me that you were with Troy yesterday. Hanggang gabi raw kayong magkasama. Did something happen?"

"It's none of your business."

"If it concerns you, then it's my business."

"I'm old enough to look after myself, Vince. I don't need your guidance or your concern. Now, leave."

Bumuntong-hininga ito. He really looked concerned. Kunot-noo pa rin itong nakatingin sa kanya.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me?"

"I'm sure."

"Alright."

Laking pasalamat niya nang umalis ito. Kinuha niya ang dinala nitong paper bag mula sa lamesa at saka sinilip ang laman noon. She frowned when she saw a container with no food.

Kaya naman pala magaan, sabi niya sa sarili.

May nakatiklop na papel sa loob noon. Kinuha niya iyon at saka binasa.

I don't know how else to reach you. Can we have lunch together? –Troy

She crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash. It didn't make sense to her. Did Troy just ask Vince for a favor just to get to her? And did Vince help Troy? Why exactly? They're supposed to be rivals.

Halos mapapitlag siya sa gulat nang biglang bumukas ang pintuan ng office niya.

"Red?"

"Ano na naman?" inis niyang tanong kay Vico.

"Hindi ka magla-lunch?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Sure ka, ate?" Another head popped in. It was Ariesa.

Vico widened the door.

"Sama ka na, ate," pamimilit ni Ela.

"I'm sorry, girls. I'm really busy," dahilan niya.

Sumimangot ang dalawa.

"Araw-araw mo na lang ba kaming tatanggihan, ate?"

Lumapit ang tatlo sa kanya. Vico sat on the table next to her. Ang magkapatid naman ay nakatuod sa swivel chair niya.

"Please, ate? Magtatampo na talaga kami sa 'yo."

"Fine," she said in defeat.

Kinuha niya ang purse at saka ini-lock ang computer. Nakakapit si Ariesa sa braso niya habang si Ela naman ay kay Vico. Masayang nagkwento ang dalawa tungkol sa araw ng mga ito. She noticed that they weren't talking about their brother. Ni isang mention ng pangalan nito ay wala siyang narinig. It made her realize that she wanted to hear his name. As to why, she doesn't know.

"Did you bring a car?" tanong niya sa dalawa nang pumunta sila sa parking lot.

"Kuya did," sagot ni Ariesa.

Napatigil siya sa paglalakad.

"Kasama sya?"

Tumawa si Ela. "Syempre naman, ate! Para may manlilibre!"

Sinamaan niya ng tingin si Vico.

"What? Wala akong kinalaman dyan," tanggi ng pinsan niya.

"It was all kuya's idea," pag-amin ni Ariesa. "Sabi nya kasi baka hindi ka sumama kapag sya ang nag-aya."

"Hindi talaga ako sasama."

"He said he was really sorry for what he did," Ela told her. "Ano ba'ng ginawa nya, ate?"

Aside from being so genuinely nice yesterday? Wala na siyang maisip.

Hindi na niya sinagot ang tanong. Hinayaan na lamang niyang hilahin siya ng mga ito papunta sa kotse ni Troy. He was standing beside his car, waiting for them.

The girls ran to him and gave him a hug. Siya naman ay hindi mapakali. Will he give her a hug? Will he kiss her? What then? What will she do? Will she turn away?

But he did nothing. He simply smiled and opened the door for his sisters. Susunod na sana siya pagpasok sa backseat nang unahan siya ni Vico.

"Sa unahan ka," nakangiti nitong sabi sabay sarado ng pinto.

Troy already opened the door for her. Wala na siyang nagawa.

Natigilan siya nang may makitang nakalagay sa uupuan niya. It was a bouquet of yellow roses.

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