SPG AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

CHAPTER IX  

It was Wednesday when the HR department announced that there will have an employee's outing at the company. At syempre, isa si Jecca sa mga unang nakarinig ng balita para sabihin sa kaibigan.

"It's a three days and two nights outing sa Sorsogon at sagot ng kumpanya ang lahat ng gastusin!" Jecca excitedly told Ara.

"Kailan naman daw 'yan?" tanong niya.

"This week. Friday afternoon tayo aalis, tapos Sunday afternoon tayo babalik. So ano, are we going?"

"I don't know kung papayagan ako nila Mama at Papa. Saturday and Sunday is my scheduled therapy, eh," nanlulumo niyang sabi.

"Well, a little getaway is a therapy. Ako ang magpapa-alam sa'yo sa pamilya mo," pamimilit pa nito kaya napangiti si Ara.

"I'll see what I can do. Pero kapag hindi ako pinayagan, hindi ko sila pipilitin," sabi niya at tumango naman ito.

"Okay, okay! Oh, my God! I'm so excited!"

Nginitian lamang ni Ara ang kaibigan. And just when she was about to open her computer, her officemate, Mae, entered their office. Panting as if she run the stairs from ground floor to seventh floor.

"Guys, have you heard?!" sabi nito na hinihingal.

"Na may company outing? Oo na!" sagot ni Joan pero umiling naman ang dalaga.

"Our company is being sued! Haven't you read the news?"

Everyone inside gasp. Si Ara naman ay agad na binuksan ang browser at sin-earch ang sinasabi ng ka-opisina.

"Hala! Ano'ng nangyari?" she heard Jecca said from her cubicle, probably reading the news online.

'Abbys Advertising Company—Philippine branch, an international corporation, is being sued by H.N. Advertising Lineage, a local company, for plagiarizing a commercial slogan. However, base from the network media, Abbys is the first to release the commercial before the H.N. Atty. Sta. de Leones, the current CEO of H.N made a statement that Abbys not only plagiarized the slogan, but copied the commercial from a certain software company. Abbys hasn't have released any comments about the issue but already pressing charges against H.N.

"First time 'to!" Ara heard Jerry said.

"Baka hindi matuloy ang outing dahil dito," sabi naman ni Joan.

"Ara..." mahinang tawag sa kaniya ni Jecca kaya lumingon siya rito.

"I know. This is bad, Jec. Marketing department will be doomed," she said but Jecca shook her head.

"Not that..." umusog ito gamit ang swivel chair at tumabi sa kaniya. "Attorney Sta. de Leones is the owner of H.N. at siya ang nag-aayos ng problema. Sa palagay mo kaya...lalabas din ang big boss para linisin ang pangalan ng Abbys?"

"Jec, Abbys is an international company pero kahit kailan ay hindi pa lumabas ang may-ari nito. Sa palagay mo ba itataya niya ang security niya para lang harapin ang accusations ng H.N?" aniya at nagkibit balikat lang ang kaibigan.

"Eh, malay ko ba. At saka, chance na natin 'yon para makita ang guwapong mukha ng CEO natin. Remember 'di ba, sabi ni Thalia nakita na niya ang bossing natin?" Jecca said giggling.

"Ikaw talaga puro kalokohan ang nasa isip mo. Being sued for plagiarizing is a downside in our company. Pero may tiwala ako sa Marketing department na hindi nila 'yon ginawa. And to answer your question, I don't think na lalabas ang boss just for the sake of clearing Abbys' name. Hindi lalago ang kumpanyang ito sa matagal na panahon kung hindi strategic ang mga bossing kapag humaharap sa problema,"

"Naks! Ang galing naman talaga ng kaibigan ko mag-isip. Pero tama ka. May tiwala ako sa kumpanyang ito. Hindi sila magpapasahod ng mataas kung palugi ang kumpanya, am I right?" Jecca said then winked.

The news about the plagiaring issue spreads like a wild fire in a desiccated forest. At dahil dito kaya pinatawag ang lahat ng head departments. Nagulat pa ang dalaga nang makita niyang maraming reporter sa lobby ng building nang papunta sila ni Jecca sa canteen.

Ara could feel the tension in every corner of the building. Everyone is busy especially at the concerned office. Even her manager looks very pale as she went outside for the emergency meeting.

It was between office hours when she went to the hanging glass bridge that is connected to the building annex and stared at the ground floor. From seventh floor, she could see the reporters waiting at the lobby.

Nakapangalumbaba siya sa railing habang nakatitig sa kawalan. Napabuntong-hininga siya ng malalim at pinakiramdaman ang paligid.

"Are you the one to blame?"

Halos mapatuwid sa pagkakatayo ang dalaga at napatingin sa likod niya. Halos mahigit niya ang hininga niya nang mapagtanto niya kung sino ito.

"T-Thorn...ikaw pala," she said stuttering. "What are you doing here?" she asks trying to calm her heart.

"I thought I saw you so I approached you," seryosong wika nito.

Pinagmasdan ng dalaga ang binata. He was wearing a black suit and carrying an attaché case. She wonders why he's always grim looking. Para bang laging seryoso at kung hindi mo siya kilala, iisipin mong lagi itong galit.

"Hindi ka ba kasama sa emergency meeting?" she innocentl asked.

"Am I needed there?" he retort that made her mum.

"A-akala ko lang kasi..." napayuko siya. Well, she assumed that he is one of the department heads dahil sa kasuotan nito. Ayaw naman niyang tanungin kung ano ang posisyon nito sa kumpanya dahil ayaw niyang isipin na nosy girl siya.

"Don't you just love satire news, Araceli?" sabi nito dahilan para mapakunot-noo siya.

"Satire news?"

"Bad publicity is still publicity. Don't you think?" makahulugan nitong sabi dahilan para magtaka siya.

"Publicity for the company? Kailangan pa ba 'yan ng Abbys?" she asked and for some reason, she saw his lips tweak like it was suppose to smile but he was suppressing it.

"But the rival company needs it," sabi nito dahilan para mapasinghap siya.

"You mean..."

"That would be our little secret, Araceli," he said with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Does the owner of this company knows about it?" tanong niya.

"What do you think?" aniya na parang naghahamon.

"Well, he doesn't shows his face to anyone let alone to the employees. I think the CEO has a legal councelor that gives advice to him," she answered confidently and she could see his aura darkened.

"You think the CEO is hiding under someone's skirt." he said it as if an understatement.

"Oh, no. Hindi iyon ang ibig kong sabihin—"

"In layman's term. You just concluded that the owner of Abbys is a coward," sabi nito dahilan para manlaki ang mga mata niya.

"Hala! Hindi ko 'yan sinabi—" hindi na niya natuloy ang sasabihin dahil biglang may dumating na apat na lalaki. Ni hindi niya napansin na paparating ito. Para bang bigla na lamang itong sumulpot sa tabi ng kausap niya.

Naging matalim ang mga mata ng binata at makahulugan tiningnan ang apat na lalaki.

"I will follow," seryoso nitong sabi. "Wait for me at..." he trail off took a quick glance at her. "You know where,"

"Yes, Chi—Sir," wika ng isang lalaki bago tuluyang umalis.

"Sige na. Baka kailangan ka na sa trabaho," nakangiting sabi ni Ara na hindi man lang sinuklian ng binata.

"See you around," he said before turning his back at her.

***

Ara is ready to sleep when a heavy rain started to pour. She closes the curtain before going to bed and turning off the lampshade.

Wala pang ilang minuto na ipinikit niya ang kaniyang mga mata nang muli siyang nagmulat. She could feel an eerie cold around her room. Nakasara naman ang bintana at hindi naka-on ang aircon pero pakiramdam niya ba ay nangangatal na ang katawan niya sa lamig.

Inabot ng kaniyang kamay ang kumot nang may napansin siyang matigas na bagay sa tabi niya. Kinapa niya ito at halos mapaso ang kamay niya nang ma-realize niya kung ano ito.

A man in her bed!

"Sino ka?!" kinakabahan niyang tanong. Pilit niyang inaabot ang lampshade para muling buhayin pero para bang nawala ito sa silid niya. She's not even sure if she's on her room.

"Aren't you tired of asking the same question, Araceli?" the man answered and Ara knew...it was him again. The man from her dream.

"B-bakit ka nandito?" natatakot niyang tanong.

"To punish you," bulong nito malapit sa tainga niya at pakiramdam niya at nagsitaasan ang balahibo sa katawan niya.

"P-punish me? W-wala akong ginagawa sa'yong mali," she said weakly but she heard him chuckle not from happiness but from danger.

"You said something you shouldn't have said, Araceli," wika nito at alam niyang ang mukha nito ay nasa pagitan ng leeg niya.

"H-hindi ko alam—ah!" impit siyang napasigaw nang pumaibabaw ito sa kaniya.

"Get off me! Ano ba!" panlalaban niya pero wala man lang itong narinig.

"Are you going to resist me now, Araceli?" naghahamon nitong sabi dahilan para makaramdam siya ng panghihina.

"Please, stop doing this to me," halos pabulong niya lang na sabi at lihim na nagdadasal na sana ay marinig siya nito at sundin.

"I shouldn't have erased your memory the last time. So that you won't be acting like this," sabi nito dahilan para mapakunot siya.

"Ano'ng—" hindi niya natuloy ang sasabihin nang bigla siya nitong siilin ng halik.

And memories she doesn't know exists flashed to her mind. Him, her, in bed, endlessly pleasuring each other. She could feel his touch, his passion, and fire. A desire she doesn't know she is capable of feeling.

"Seeing how you answered my touch and kisses made me want you more, Araceli," bulong nito habang hinahalikan ang leeg niya.

All she could do is to suppress her moan. Oo, inaamin niya, gusto niya ang ginagawa nito. In fact, now that she remembers again, pakiramdam niya ay ayaw na niyang magising sa magandang panaginip na ito. She doesn't care if she's not allowed to see his face. Mamamatay din yata siya kung hindi niya mararamdaman ang haplos nito sa bawat parte ng katawan niya.

She helped him removed her clothes. He body arched everytime he run his fingers to her skin. She wants more. She wants more of him.

Naramdaman niyang nagbaba ang kamay nito sa puson niya while slowly teasing her. She's in desperate heat. She wanted to explode but she knew it was too soon. She has to wait and feel.

"Tell me you want this too, Araceli. Tell me you ache for my touch," he said while making a pleasurable rhythm to her core.

"I want...this. I want...your touch," she said panting.

Kahit na hindi niya nakikita ang lalaki ay alam niyang nasiyahan ito sa sinabi niya dahilan para pumagitna ito sa pagitan ng hita niya.

She could feel him seeking for entrance. Teasing her every core leaving her wanting more. Hanggang sa hindi siya nakatiis ay inarko niya ang kaniyang katawan para ipasok ang pagkalalaki nito sa kaniya. Narinig niya ang pigil na pagsinghap ng katalik. Pilit nitong pinipigilan na huwag gumawa ng ingay.

She was moving her hips up and down and she couldn't count the number he made her come. She made a silent shrieked when he turn her over in bended knees without removing his manhood on hers. He pump his body on her until they both reached the peak they both desire.

The two collapse as he spooned her in bed.

Like a moth to a flame. That's how he describes Araceli. And no, he's not the flame. He is the moth who's inevitable lured by the flame.