Stop blushing, Fresia! Kanina pa niya paulit-ulit na pinangangaralan ang sarili. Bakit ba kasi bigla na lamang ni Bullet hinalikan ang tungki ng ilong niya? He even did it so casually na para bang... para bang sila.

Naiwan siyang nakatulala sa may pintuan habang ito naman at pumasok sa kwarto nito para magbihis. They were just acting, but why is her heart thumping so fast? Itinapat niya ang kamay sa dibdib. Please calm down, she begged her heart.

She touched the tip of her nose. Muli siyang napangiti. She really thought that he would kiss her earlier. Naramdaman niya kaagad ang balak nito nang tumitig ito sa kanya habang nakasandal siya sa pinto. Oo na, assuming na kung assuming. Well, he did kiss her... but not where she wants to be kissed. Still, she found the gesture sweet.

Nang lumabas si Bullet ng kwarto ay agad siyang naghanap ng gagawin para hindi siya mukhang tangang nakatulala. Unang naabot ng kamay niya ang sandok na nakasabit sa may counter.

"Ready to cook?" nakangiti niyang tanong.

He smiled back. "Ano'ng lulutuin ko?"

Nag-isip siya ng mga putaheng pwedeng lutuin gamit ang karne ng baka. She went with the first dish that came to mind. "Beef salpicao."

"All right."

Kinuha nito ang sandok sa kanya at ibinalik sa sabitan. He took the defrosted beef and cut them into cubes. She doesn't know how to cook so she just watched. Totoo pala iyong sinasabi nilang gwapo ang lalaking marunong magluto. Gwapo naman talaga si Bullet, pero mas lalo itong nagiging appealing sa paningin niya dahil sa galing nitong magluto. That said, mas gusto niyang balbas sarado ito. He shaved this morning. He looked cleaner, nabawasan ang ruggedness nito.

--

She was fascinated by how he does things with ease, na para bang sanay na sanay ito. His grandmother must have taught him well.

"Ito lang ang ipaluluto mo?" tanong nito.

She bit her lower lip. Ano pa ba ang gusto niyang ipaluto? The truth is, she has so many things that she wants to eat. But if anyone would ask her on the spot, she won't be able to give them any answer. Dapat kasi, tuwing nagki-crave siya, inililista niya kung ano ang gusto niyang kainin.

The list would be a mile long.

"For now."

Nagsaing na rin ito habang niluluto ang ulam.

"What's your plan for today?" he asked.

"Plano kong maligo. Kaya kailangan kong bumalik sa apartment ko." Hindi pa naman siya sanay nang hindi naliligo. She usually takes one or two baths a day, kahit malamig ang panahon.

Lumapit ito sa kanya at walang sabi-sabi siyang inamoy. Bigla tuloy siyang nailang. Ang asim-asim na niya. Hindi siya nakaligo kagabi. Tanghali na ngayon, hindi pa rin siya muling nakakaligo.

"Yeah... I think you need a shower."

Ngumuso siya. "Grabe, hindi ka man lang nagsinungaling," kunwari'y may tampo niyang sabi.

Bullet laughed. "Why don't you go back to your place and take a quick shower? Tapos bumalik ka ulit dito."

"Magpapabalik-balik pa 'ko?" She crossed her arms against her chest. "How about this: do'n ka na lang magluto sa bahay ko. Kung gusto mo, do'n ka na rin matulog."

"Kasya ba tayo sa kama mo?"

Pinandilatan niya ito. Bakit kung makapagtanong ito tungkol sa gano'ng bagay, parang wala lang? Hindi ba ito aware na babae siya at lalaki ito? O wala lang talaga siyang appeal?

"Bakit mo tinatanong? Sa couch ka matutulog!"

Her bed was smaller than his. A lot smaller, pang-isahan lang. Para magkasya sila, kailangang magkadikit na magkadikit sila. Magkadikit o magkayakap.

Her cheeks heated at the thought.

"Hindi naman ako malikot matulog, e."

She knows that. Sa buong magdamag, isang beses lang yatang nabago ang posisyon nito.

"And we already slept together," dugtong nito. "In the most innocent way possible."

Kumunot ang noo niya. "What does that mean?"

"It means... that you're lucky I was so sleepy last night." Hinagod ng tingin nito ang kabuuan niya. She felt the need to shield herself from his gaze. Nanunuot iyon sa suot niyang damit.

"Stop flirting with me!"

Bullet chuckled. "Why? Affected ka?"

"It's making me uncomfortable," she admitted.

The laughter in his eyes disappeared. Sumeryoso ito at tinutukan ang pagluluto. "Sorry," he muttered.

She didn't know if she said something wrong. Naging seryoso kasi bigla ang atmosphere.

"Uuwi muna ako," paalam niya rito. "Babalik din ako."

Kinuha niya ang damit at saka nagbihis. She put his dress shirt inside her bag and took it home. He told her that she could keep it so she's keeping it. Kumportable naman iyong isuot.

--

Fresia let the cold water wash away his heated stare and his warm embrace. They're getting dangerously close to each other. She should not have let him sleep in her apartment in the first place. Ayaw niya ng ganoong pakiramdam. Ayaw niyang parang laging napupupusan kapag malapit ito sa kanya.

They've only known each other for two months and she already kissed him twice. Kulang na lamang ay mag-leave in sila dahil palagi ito sa apartment niya. He already met her parents. Their friends are already friends with one another.

With Richard, everything took a long time. Iniisip tuloy niya kung sino ba ang totoong siya. Is she the person who finds it hard to give love or the woman who swoons over being kissed at the nose?

Umiling siya at kinuskos nang mabuti ang katawan. Siguro nagkakaganito siya dahil hindi pa siya nakakaligo. Maybe after her bath, she'll feel more like herself, the one she's familiar with.

Pagkatapos niyang maligo ay agad niyang hinanap ang phone. Hindi pa nga pala niya nasasabihan ang mga consultants na hindi siya makakapasok. After calling the manager of the store, she quickly got dressed and dried her hair. Hindi pa siya kumakain. Sa kamamadali niyang makalayo kay Bullet, hindi na niya nahintay na maluto ang salpicao.

Ngayon ay nagrireklamo na ang tiyan niya.

She blames her parents for her lack of cooking skills. Abala kasi palagi sa trabaho ang mga magulang niya. Nasanay sila ni Fiona na kumain ng luto ng iba. Madalas silang bumili noon ng ulam sa kapitbahay.

Sobrang dalang din nilang kumain nang magkakasama. Maybe that's why she finds it hard to give love. Palagi kasi siyang kulang sa pagmamahal.

Her stomach grumbled again. Napahawak siya sa tiyan. "Oo na. Aalis na nga."

--

The guard didn't give her a hard time when she got back. Agad siya nitong pinayagang umakyat sa unit ni Bullet. Sinabayan siya nito sa pagkain. He was making small talks while they eat, but she still couldn't brush the awkward feeling off.

Hindi naman pwedeng ganito sila palagi.

"Hey, do you want to go out later?" tanong niya. "Nuod tayo ng sine."

His smile was polite when he answered, "Sure."

Tapos katahimikan ulit. Tunog lamang ng mga kubyertos ang maririnig.

"What's for dessert?"

Bullet got up and looked inside the fridge. "Mangga?"

"Mangga? Okay lang."

Inilabas nito ang mga hinog na mangga, hiniwa at inilagay sa plato. Then, the silence continued. Nagpasalamat na lamang siyang kumakain sila. At least, may excuse para hindi magsalita.

She offered to wash the dishes after.

--

Pagkatapos nilang kumain, lumabas na silang dalawa para manuod ng sine. It was raining hard outside and as always, when there's rain, there's traffic.

"Magpapatugtog ako, ha." Pinakialaman niya ang radio nito. Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield ang kanta. Mukhang malapit nang matapos. Gustong-gusto niya ang kantang iyon simula nang marinig niya iyon sa isang shampoo commercial. Saktong-sakto pa sa moment 'yong linyang feel the rain on your skin. It makes her want to go out of the car and just dance in the rain. Kaso hassle. Baka magalit pa si Bullet sa kanya kapag nabasa ang loob ng kotse nito.

"What's your favorite song?" tanong niya rito.

"As Long As You Love Me," sagot nito.

"BSB?"

He nodded. "Yep."

"My god! That's so old!"

Bullet chuckled. "It's not that old. Ikaw?"

"Hmm... wala kasi akong paboritong kanta. 'Yong solid. Fleeting favorites, meron."

"What's your favorite song at the moment?"

"Where My Love Goes," she answered. "It just sounds so sweet. Ang sweet pa no'ng music video. The vocalist proposed to his girlfriend."

"I'm not familiar with that song. Kantahin mo nga."

She smiled sheepishly. "Gusto mong bumagyo?"

Bullet shrugged. "It's already raining, anyway."

"Sintunado ako." She has no problem with singing terribly. It's singing terribly in front of the guy she's crushing on that bothers her.

"Sintunado rin naman ako, e."

"Ikaw muna."

If he's worse, then she'll probably have the confidence to sing.

Tumikhim nang ilang beses si Bullet. Saka nito sinimulang kantahin ang chorus. Okay... to tell the truth, she was expecting him to sound like Felix. Si Felix na kasi ang standard niya ng pinakapangit na pagkanta simula nang marinig niya itong kumanta.

She wasn't expecting his voice to be tender and kind of teary. He wasn't as good as Mickey, but he can sing.

"Your turn."

She made a face. "Ayoko na. Nahiya na 'ko."

"Ang daya naman!"

She laughed. "Some other time," she promised.

--

They finally arrived at the mall after a long while. Dumiretso kaagad sila sa sinehan para bumili ng tickets. Pinoy rom-com film ang gusto niyang panuorin. Sa title pa lang (na title rin ng kanta), alam na niyang magiging corny at cheesy iyon. Pero ganoong movies ang gustong-gusto niyang panuorin.

Masarap kasi sa pakiramdam. Magaan. At guaranteed ang happy ending.

Umiyak pa siya nang matapos ang palabas. When they got out of the cinema, Bullet looked confused.

"I really don't get you," sabi nito sa kanya. "Parang wala sa personality mo na mahilig ka sa gano'ng klase ng palabas."

"Kasi mahilig akong magsira ng gamit? Kasi madali akong magalit?"

Tumango-tango ito. "At kasi matakaw ka."

Hinampas niya ito sa braso. "Ano naman ang kinalaman ng appetite ko do'n?"

Tumawa ito. "Wala. Gusto ko lang i-point out."

"For your information, malnurished na malnurished ako noong kabataan ko kasi walang nag-aasikaso sa 'kin. My parents were always busy at work. Pati ate ko, abala rin sa pag-aaral. Walang masarap na pagkain sa bahay kasi walang nagluluto," paliwanag niya. "Kaya kung matakaw man ako, 'yon ay dahil ngayon lang ako nakakakain nang maayos."

"Iiyak na ba 'ko?"

She made a face. "I was just telling you the reason why I am what I am."

"Okay."

Okay? She grunted. Why did she tell him that in the first place? Gusto ba niyang i-justify ang katakawan niya?

"Kain tayo?"

When she nodded, he took her to a buffet restaurant.

--

This is one of the reasons why she likes Bullet. Tinu-tolerate nito ang katakawan niya. Kahit naka-tatlong plato siya ng pagkain at isang plato pa for dessert, wala lang dito. He said that it's hard to come across women who like to eat. Karamihan daw kasi, puro diet ang iniintindi. Takot na takot tumaba.

Mabuti na lamang talaga at mabilis ang metabolism niya. She gets away with eating a lot because it doesn't affect her figure.

They stayed at the mall until evening. Naglaro sila sa arcade pagkatapos kumain. Bullet likes to play basketball so 'yon ang nilaro nila hanggang sa sumakit ang mga braso niya sa sobrang paglalaro.

Nang pagod na pagod na sila pareho, they rested for a while and then they headed to Mickey's bar to get a few drinks.

Sa bar counter sila umupo para malapit kay Mickey. He's bartending.

"Hey!" bati nito. "Are you two out on a date?"

Nagkatinginan silang dalawa ni Bullet.

"No," sagot niya. "As friends lang."

Mickey raised his eyebrow but didn't comment on that. "Okay then. First round's on the house," he said before pouring them drinks.

They were on their third glass when Bullet's phone rang. He excused himself and left her for a while. Dahil abala si Mickey sa ibang customer ay pinanuod na lamang niya ito.

"Hey there..."

She looked to her right. Someone sat on Bullet's chair.

"Hi."

"Can I buy you a drink?"

She raised her glass. "I already have one. Thanks."

Tinawag nito ang atensyon ni Mickey. "Give this lady another drink. On me." Binalingan siya nito. "Sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Mine," she heard someone answer.