Nagising si Red na may mabigat na nakadagan sa kanya. It was Troy. He was fast asleep. Napasapo siya. She was still hungover from last night. Well, technically, it was already morning when that happened... many times.

Nag-init ang pisngi niya. She decided to just get up and let him sleep some more. Siguro naman ay may pagkain nang inihanda si manang. Mukhang tanghali na rin naman.

She carefully lifted his arm off of her, but he stirred and put it right back.

"Gutom na gutom na talaga ako," pabulong niyang sabi. Saka siya napabuntong-hininga. Should she force him to wake up o maghihintay na lamang siya?

"Eat me."

Napakunot ang noo niya saka bumaling dito. He turned to her and smiled. Napatawa naman siya.

"Sira!" She slapped his arm as he drew her closer. "You're dessert. What I need is breakfast."

"Omelette?"

"No! Huwag mo ngang mabanggit-banggit sa 'kin 'yang omelette na yan."

Troy laughed. "Nagseselos ka?"

Pinilit niyang bumangon, but he quickly got up. Idinagan nito sa kanya ang buong katawan nito. He put her hands above her head so she won't be able to struggle.

"Troy!"

"I can't forget about last night."

That statement made her blush, but she didn't look away, no matter how uncomfortable it was getting. Gano'n nga siguro kapag gusto mo ang isang tao. They made you feel conscious about everything, kahit sa kaliit-liitang bagay. She doesn't want to lose that. Yung pagkailang. Because that's what sets Troy apart from other men.

"Ano? Gusto mo na naman?"

He gave her a boyish grin. "I wasn't talking about that, but okay. If you insist."

"Ano ba kasi yung sinasabi mo?"

Tinitigan siya nitong mabuti. Lalong uminit ang paligid niya. Parang matutunaw sya any minute.

"Troy, I think I'm in love with you too," he quoted. "But after last night, do you still just think that you're in love with me? Was it all in your head?"

"You know what I mean."

"I pay attention to your usage of words, Red. And I want us to be clear. When I said that I love you, I mean that I don't just think that I do. I feel like I do. I mean it with all my heart. Kayo kasing mga babae, minsan isang sentence, isang daan ang meaning."

"So gusto mo ng assurance?"

"I just want to know if you're as crazy as I am."

She smiled. "I am."

--

Kung magtatanong si Vico, sasabihin nya kaya? She shares things with Vico. Yung mga kagagahan nya, alam nito. He was like her human diary. But looking at Troy's sculpted body, she was having second thoughts. Would she be willing to share him with Vico? Not literally, of course. Just the thoughts of him.

Parang hindi niya kaya. She hates the idea of other women—and/or men—fantasizing  him.

"Gusto mo ng kape?" tanong niya rito, to distract herself. One minute more of staring and she will likely drool.

"Bakit? Magpapatimpla ka?"

Tumango siya.

"So ganito pala ang magiging eksena natin tuwing umaga? I thought it would be the other way around."

"Bakit? Ayaw mo na sa 'kin kasi hindi ako marunong magtimpla ng kape?"

"Of course not, silly." Hinalikan siya nito sa tuktok. "I just think it's a little unusual."

"It'd be more unusual after we get married. I can't cook, I can't do laundry... I don't like doing chores."

"Okay lang. I still love you."

He kissed her lips.

"What do you want for coffee? Black, sweet or creamy?"

"Last night's would be all right."

She sat down habang si Troy naman ay nagtimpla ng kape para sa kanila. Pagkatapos nito ay nagluto ito ng sunny-side up eggs at bacon.

"It's a good thing that I can fry stuff," he said.

Dumating si manang maya-maya para magluto ng pananghalian. But since they were already full, they decided to just eat it for dinner. They took a bath after the meal and headed off to the nearby town. It's a good thing na hindi niya isinuot ang heels. The nearby town was so much further than she expected.

It was almost empty when they arrived. Kakaunti lamang ang mga bahay. She got bored just by looking at them. Wala rin silang ginawa kundi maglakad. There was nothing else to do. Bumalik din sila kaagad sa bahay.

"Troy, I'm bored."

"Watch TV. May cable naman."

Sumimangot siya. "I don't like watching TV."

"Books? May books dyan."

"Do I look like I like reading?"

Lumapit ito sa kanya at hinila siya paupo.

"Then what would you like to do?"

"I don't know."

"I have something in mind."

She rolled her eyes when he grinned. Ngiti pa lang nito, alam na niya kung ano iyon.

"Grabe wala kang kasawaan!"

He made her sit on his lap. Inilagay nito ang mga kamay niya sa balikat nito.

"Don't you want me then?" he asked.

"Of course, I do. Kaso huwag mo naman akong araw-arawin."

"Isang araw pa lang naman, di ba?"

"At talagang nagbibilang ka?"

He pulled her closer. The tips of his fingers are on her chin, pulling her face slowly. When she was close enough, he started nibbing on her lower lip. The taste of the alcohol wasn't there anymore, but the warmth of his lips was enough to make her heady.

"Did you enjoy our body shots last night?" he whispered in her ear.

Hindi na niya ito itinama. Kaninang madaling-araw kasi nila iyon ginawa. Madilim din naman, dahilan niya.

Troy brought a bottle of tequila in the bedroom. And he had a lot of fun licking the alcohol off of her body. Kulang na nga lamang ay paliguan siya nito ng tequila.

"Do you want to do it again?"

"Ako pa talaga ang tinanong mo?"

She smiled and got off of him. "Come on."

--

If they aren't having fun in the bedroom, nasa kusina naman sila, kumakain ng mga lutong-bahay ni manang. The old woman also stayed for hours, telling them stories about the past. Kapag wala ang matanda sa bahay, sila namang dalawa ni Troy ang nag-uusap.

And so when Saturday came, parang kilalang-kilala na niya ito. They talked about a lot of things. Some are trivial. Some are surprising. It was then that she learned why Tanya hates her so much.

Four years ago, she didn't show up on a blind date. Si Troy dapat ang date niya noon. They were supposed to get to know each other on that date, because they will later on be paired up to be married. But she didn't show up.

So Don Victorino executed his plan B. Ipinagkasundo nito si Troy kay Tanya. Troy and Tanya were childhood friends, but like Santina, she was nothing more to him.

He told her that he felt guilty for what had happened to her, but he was also suffering at that time. When his father told him about her, he got curious. He began checking on her. At first, it was utter dislike. They were so alike, that it seems that it won't work out. Pero dahil na rin siguro sa similarities nila kaya siya nito nagustuhan.

"Tanya was so jealous of a lot of women, when in fact, she should just be jealous of one." He looked at her intently. "I went out with those women because I was angered with the fact that you were dating men left and right but you didn't even consider me. It made me question my worth, because I was told that I was worth more than any man, but I was nothing to you.

"You made me want you so badly. And when I finally had the chance to have you, I thought that I would get over the obsession. But... I don't know... it just made me want you more."

"And you still want me," nakangiti niyang dagdag.

Tumango ito. "Vince hatched a plan to get us together. Nung nag-break kami ni Tanya, my dad tried to set me up several times, but I told him that I want you. I know that you won't like it kung didirekta na naman kami sa 'yo, so Vince had an idea. Your father was in it too, since it was his goal to have you married to me anyway.

"We made someone convince Vico that I'm the only guy who'd fit your needs, and I know that you'll fall for it since you hate Vince. And the next thing I knew, nasa office na kita."

"I feel betrayed. Parang staged lahat," reklamo niya.

"Hindi naman pwedeng iaaasa ko na lang ang lahat sa tadhana, di ba? What's important is that it all worked out in the end."

"Ano na lang kaya ang gagawin mo kung sakaling kay Vince ako nagkagusto at hindi sa 'yo?"

"I have no plan B," he admitted. "It was all or nothing."