Last Night in Tagaytay pt. 2

        NIO EXPECTED Heidee to be heavy but was still blindsided. Hindi niya kasi inasahang hindi na nito kayang tumayong mag-isa. She just seemed sober the whole time they talked by the pool. She was witty and funny as usual. He didn't expect her to fall down the second she tried standing up.

        Sighing, Nio stared at Heidee's flushed face. Kasalukuyan itong nakasiksik sa dibdib niya. He had no choice but to carry her from the elevator to their room. Nahilo raw kasi itong lalo dahil sa elevator.

        "We're almost there, okay?" he assured her.

        Opening the door while carrying Heidee should be a sport. Ilang minuto ring nakatayo si Nio habang sinusubukang buksan ang pinto nang hindi ibinababa si Heidee sa malamig na sahig ng hotel. Muntik na nga siyang tumawag ng staff. He didn't bother turning the lights on.

        "Hey, Evangelista," bulong niya rito. "We're here na. I'm going to slowly put you on the bed, okay?"

        Heidee just hummed in agreement. Nio carefully laid her on the bed. Saglit siyang napatitig sa suot nitong swimsuit. Basa kasi iyon. Sighing, he removed the towel wrapped around her waist. After that, he rummaged through his things. Nang makakita ng isang itim na shirt ay binalikan niya si Heidee sa kama.

        "Hey." Magaan niyang tinapik ang kanan nitong pisngi. "I need you to do something for me, okay?" Nio held her arms and tried to pull her. Pilit niya itong pinaupo at isinandal sa headboard. "You should make bihis before sleeping."

        Heidee snorted a laugh. "Make bihis," tumatawa nitong sabi habang nakapikit.

        "Good to know that you're conscious," natatawa niyang sabi. Inabot niya rito ang shirt. "Here. I can't let you sleep wearing your swimsuit. You'll get cold, e. Come on."

        "Gusto ko nang matulog," she mumbled, eyes still closed. "Ikaw na lang magbihis sa 'kin."

        Hindi napigilang matawa ni Nio. Parang bata kasing itinaas ni Heidee ang mga braso. "Okay, fine. Come here." Una niyang isinuot sa ulo ni Heidee iyong shirt. Maingat niyang isinunod ang mga braso nito. "That's better, right?"

        "Yep, thanks," mahina nitong sabi.

        Bago ilatag ang kutsong tutulugan, inayos ni Nio ang comforter. Binalot niya roon si Heidee. Muli siyang natawa. She looked like a burrito. A drunk one at that.

        Nio was about to sit down the mattress on the floor when he felt Heidee grab his hand. "Dito ka lang. Dito ka na matulog. Ang lamig, e."

        "I'll check the heater, okay?"

        "No. . . stay here."

        There wasn't much of a choice when Heidee pulled him toward the bed. Pinaupo siya nito sa kaliwang bahagi niyon. Bahagya pa itong gumulong para lang magkaespasyo sa tabi nito.

        "If 'di ka kumportable, tatalikod na lang ako," narinig niyang sabi ni Heidee. Bago pa siya makasagot, tumalikod na ito at umurong. "But please stay. Malamig sahig. Baka ikaw magkasakit."

        Still reluctant, Nio laid beside her. Nag-unat siya ng mga binti. Gamit ang kaliwang kamay ay inabot niya ang kumot na nakalatag sa sahig. Ibinalot niya iyon sa sarili. Instead of turning his back against Heidee, he faced her. "Are you already sleeping?"

        "Nope, 'di ako makatulog bigla." Pagkasabi niyon ay humarap ito sa kanya. Mapungay ang mga mata nito. Nio couldn't help but stare. "20 questions tayo, game?"

        "Are you really lasing?"

        "Yata, ha-ha. My head's still spinning but I can still see you." Smiling, Heidee pinched his nose. "Joke. Medyo umiikot ka na rin."

        "Then sleep," he suggested.

        "Ayaw." She pouted childishly. "20 questions tayo."

        "People only play that when they want to know something. If you want to know something, you can just ask me naman. We don't need to play that game and stay up all night."

        Heidee bit her lower lip. He was probably right. Mukhang may gusto nga itong itanong sa kanya. Hindi naman siya kinabahan. He's always been an open book as long as people ask the right questions.

        "Hmm, let's start with something na simple lang," panimula ni Heidee.

        "Okay."

        "Favorite food mo?"

        Nio chuckled. Bahagyang lumundo ang kama sa pag-uga ng magkabila niyang balikat. "Didn't expect that but for you, okay, I'll answer. I don't think I have a favorite. I'll eat anything that my dad, Pauie, or Ate Linda cooks."

        "Ay, same," nakatawang sabi ni Heidee. "Kahit ano rin na luto ni Mama, ni Annie, or ni Bastien. Your turn."

        Glancing at her cheeks squished by the comforter, he inched toward her. "Hmm." Hindi na lalagpas sa limang pulgada ang layo ng mga tungki ng ilong nila. "What was your first impression of me two years ago?"

       "Pokpok," she answered without hesitation.

        Once again, he burst out laughing. It made him wonder why. Parang dapat kasi ay na-offend siya sa sagot ni Heidee. That wasn't the case, though. Lalo pa nga siyang natuwa na ito ang kasama niya ngayon sa iisang kama, sa iisang kwarto, sa isang hotel, sa Tagaytay.

        "And now, what?" he asked, still laughing. "Did it change naman ba?"

        "Medyo tama naman ako," pag-amin ni Heidee na lalong nagpalakas ng tawa niya. "Uy, ako naman. Anong first impression mo sa 'kin?"

        Nio has been working in the Marketing Department one year before she was hired. The odd thing, however, was that he remembered where he exactly was when she was introduced to the team. Nasa cafeteria siya noon, pumipili ng bibitbiting kape sa rooftop. Saktong kauupos lang ng stick ng sigarilyo niya nang i-mention siya ni Ma'am Val sa group chat.

        Ma'am Val wanted him in the office immediately because they had new employees named Annaliza and well. . . Heidee. He found her name pretty so he went downstairs. Ni hindi pa niya nakakalahati ang biniling kape pero bumaba siya.

        "Uy, ano na? First impression mo sa 'kin?" pag-uulit ni Heidee ng kaninang tanong.

        "I thought you were unapproachable and intimidating. I was a little scared of you until you corrected a typo I made on a presentation."

        "Ha? 'Di ba nga dapat mas matatakot ka no'n?"

        "I don't know." He shrugged. "I found it funny, e. I was grateful to you, too. I made Marv check that PPT and he didn't notice anything."

        "Hmm, so unapproachable at intimidating pala, a?" pagbibigay-diin nito sa mga binitiwan niyang salita.

        "That was years ago pa naman. You shouldn't hold that against me, Birthday Girl."

        "Ang funny lang. Unapproachable and intimidating ako for you and yet. . . here you are."

        Nio chuckled softly. "And yet, here we are." His eyes shifted from her eyes to her lips as he said those words.

        It didn't go unnoticed. Alam niyang napansin ni Heidee ang ginawa niyang iyon. Gumaya kasi ito. Sumulyap din ito sa mga mata niya pababa sa mga labi niya. What she did was so intense he felt the need to blink and the temptation to look away.

        The atmosphere suddenly felt like the night after New Year's Eve. Serene, intimate, calm. It would be silent if it weren't for the soft grumbling of the air conditioner installed by the far corner of the room and the ticking of the wall clock over the door frame.

        Tahimik sana kung hindi rinig ni Nio ang malakas na pagtibok ng puso niya. He didn't need another second to figure out what that loud thumping meant. Pamilyar kasi. Hindi na bago sa kanya. Halos buong araw na rin kasi niyang nararamdaman iyon.

        Huminga siya nang malalim.

        Nio closed his eyes as he slowly leaned toward Heidee. But to his surprise, he felt her hand make its way to his nape, deepening a kiss that was just about to happen. Confused, he opened his eyes. Ang nakangiting si Heidee ang bumungad sa kanya. Nanatili ang kamay nitong nakahawak sa batok niya.

        "Evangelista, are you sure abou—"

        Bago pa niya matapos ang balak tanungin, hinapit siya palapit ni Heidee. Their lips crashed onto each other delicately, perfectly. Nio's mind probably shouldn't have gone elsewhere but at that moment. . . all he could think about was how he has been thinking about kissing Heidee for a few hours now.

        As Nio sink into the kiss, he felt Heidee tugging the hem of his shirt, slowly lifting it. He helped her remove his shirt. In the process, she climbed on top of him, much to his surprise.

        That pulled him out of whatever they were doing (or about to do). Parang nagising siya. Kaagad siyang umayos ng upo. Tinitigan niya si Heidee. Nakakunot ang noo nito, magulo ang maalong buhok, mukhang naguluhan din sa bigla niyang pag-ayos ng upo.

        Magaang ngumiti si Nio. He pinched her chin. "I'm not rejecting you, okay? I just think it's wrong to do that because well. . . you're drunk even if kanina mo pa dine-deny."

        "Pero 'di naman talaga ako las—"

        "You can't even stand up properly, Evangelista." He reached for his shirt. Muli niya iyong isinuot. "I think we should just sleep. We have to wake up early pa, right?"

        Napamaang si Heidee. "Ayon na 'yon? You kissed me back and that's it?"

        "No," mabilis niyang sabi. "What I'm saying is that we should probably pick up where we left off when we're both sober. For now, let's sleep, yeah?"

        "Sige pero d'yan ka sa sahig," sagot nito, sabay talikod.

        Nio couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings but I don't want to take advantage of you. You get that naman, right?" Napabuntonghininga siya nang 'di ito umimik. "God, if you knew how long I've been wanting to do that, you'd proba—Evangelista?"

        Buong ingat siyang umurong para silipin kung natutulog na si Heidee. Nangingiti siyang napailing nang makitang nakapikit na ito. "I guess what I'm saying is thank you for that. I was scared that I was going to let us go back to Manila without us doing that, e, kissing. Ha-ha. So, thank you." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Happy birthday, babe."

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