STRAWBERRY, PINEAPPLE, YAM

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Stepha gasped as Sloven pushed her, dropping her, making her bounce on the bed. Iniwan siya saglit ng lalaki, tila may kukunin muna kaya kinalma muna niya ang sarili mula sa excitement na nadarama.

Inikot niya saglit ang mga mata sa marangyang silid na may chandelier na patay ang liwanag at mga mamahaling gamit. At ang kama? Malambot ang kutson at makinis ang bedsheet na may brass na frame. Napasinghap siya nang umibabaw sa kanya ang lalaki, may dala na itong posas na siyang ginamit nito para sa kanyang kanang kamay. Pagkatapos ay ikinabit ang isa pang posas na kakonekta nito sa bakal ng headboard ng kama.

At hinila na ng lalaki ang nakasuksok na kustilyo sa bandang likuran ng sinturera ng pantalon nito. It was the same knife he was using when he was trying to ward her off. Yet this time, it had no chain attached to it. It had a silver handle that gleamed as bright as its blade.

Napasinghap siya nang ilapit iyon ni Sloven sa kanyang leeg bago kumanan iyon sa kanyang balikat. She shivered at the feel of its cold steely blade against her skin as it slid under the strap of her dress. Sa pagpitik ng kamay ng lalaki, nahiwa na nito ang kanyang mga strap. He pierced the knife on the side of that bed, his cold, steely blue eyes stared into her intently as he slowly slid down her dress.

Stepha felt the fabric rub along her curves as Sloven pulled it down, slowly revealing her body. Nang tuluyan na siya nitong nahubaran, napapikit na lang siya. She felt Sloven's hands all over her body-- caressing and rubbing. 

And she let his touches consume her.

***

Stepha woke up, feeling sore all over. Sinubukan niyang bumangon pero nakaposas pa rin ang isa niyang kamay kaya napabuntong-hininga na lang siya. Natatakpan na siya ngayon ng kumot, pero alam niyang wala pa rin siyang saplot sa ilalim niyon.

A weak, yet satisfied smile escaped from her lips.

Sloven...

Hindi niya mapigilan na mapapikit para alalahanin ang pag romansa sa kanya ng lalaki nung gabing iyon. Mahigpit ito kumapit, may pwersa ang bawat pagkilos. His thrusts always made her body shudder with its strong impact. He took her slowly, but slammed with precise force. Mainit ang balat nito nang kumiskis ang matigas na dibdib ng lalaki sa kanyang mga dibdib. Ang mga labi nito ay maingat ang pagkilos, bumabaon ang bawat paghalik sa kanyang sentido, sa kanyang pisngi, sa kanyang panga, sa kanyang leeg at kung saan-saan pa dumapo ang mga halik nito.

She was almost out of breath when her lips parted and the door opened.

Napalingon siya at nabungaran si Sloven na nakatayo roon. Pantalon na denim na lang ang suot ng lalaki na sumandal sa gilid ng pinto at tinukod ang siko sa sinasandalan nito.

She could not help being at awe at the sight of him-- blue steely eyes, moist lips, sexy hips, low jeans that slightly revealed the sculpt of his pelvis, his ripped torso, hard abs and all.

"Good morning," he grinned at her. "How's your sleep?"

Stepha pulled the blanket higher to her breasts and smiled. "Good. I  had a good sleep."

"So it seems," tango nito. "It's already noon."

Napasinghap siya nang mapagtanto na late na pala siya nagising.

Lumapit na sa kanya ang lalaki at tinanggal na ang posas niya. Mabilis na umupo na si Stepha, bahagyang napangiwi dahil nananakit pa rin ang kanyang balakang. Sure, she had a lot of experience when she used to work in the club, but Sloven's power last night against her fragility could not be opposed by her sexual experience. He was really so, so, good.

"I already put your bag there," turo nito sa vanity table kung saan nakapatong ang kanyang bag. "Get ready. I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen."

She smiled and nodded. Hinintay muna niyang umalis ang lalaki na hindi man lang siya nililingon bago bumangon para mag-ayos.

Nang marating ang kusina, nakita niya ang lalaki na nasa counter at may tinitingnan sa kaharap nitong basket. Nakisilip siya at nakitang may laman iyong mga prutas na maayos ang pagkakasalansan. Isa-isa iyong hinahawakan ng lalaki bago magkakasunod na nilipat ang mga iyon sa mesa.

She saw some strawberries, a pineapple and a purple yam. Nagtatakang tinanong niya ang lalaki.

"Did you buy that?"

"No. I have someone who buys these for me," balik na nito ng mga prutas at pagkain sa basket bago iyon binuhat at nilagay sa tabi ng lababo.

Then he turned to face her. "I'm pretty hungry right now."

"Do you want me to cook?" tanong niya sa lalaki. 

Tumaas lang ang sulok ng labi nito. "Nah. I suggest you take a dip by the pool. I will cook."

Na-excite siya nang marinig ang tungkol sa swimming pool. "I'll just go and get my swimsuit."

He just gave her a mysterious stare as she left Sloven.

Dahil magiging abala naman ang lalaki sa pagluluto, nagpasya si Stepha na magbihis muna. Suot ang puting two-piece, lumabas siya at tinungo ang giid ng bundok kung saan siya laging dumadaan para makababa. Bilin kasi sa kanya ni Feliks na doon siya pumunta kapag mag-rereport. Sinuot na niya ang kanyang earpiece habang dala-dala ang notebook at ballpen.

Nakikita kita mula rito, wika ni Feliks sa suot niyang earpiece. Report.

At nagsimula nang magsulat si Stepha. She was asking Feliks what could be Sloven's reason for stealing the RSF.

Why would you ask that? Ang misyon mo lang naman ay madala si Sloven pabalik ng Russia.

Nagsulat siya ulit.

Alam ko. Pero hindi ko masisigurado kung si Sloven nga ba itong kasama ko kung wala akong mababanggit na makakapag-trigger sa kanya na mapaamin na siya si Sloven.

Well, it is none of our business whatever  his reason is. Gawin mo na lang ang trabaho mo.

Nanatili siyang nakayuko sa kanyang notebook.

Gusto niyang sabihin sa mga ito na ang naging pagtrato sa kanya ni Sloven ay hindi gawain ng isang terorista o kung anumang termino ang nararapat para sa isang lalaking gustong pasabugin daw ang buong Russia.

Bakit ba tayo sumusunod sa mga order nang hindi naman nalalaman ang rason?

Dahil trabaho natin ito, maliwanag? Wala kang karapatang kwestuyinin ang kautusan ng nakatataas sa atin. At hindi mo trabaho na himay-himayin ang kaso ni Sloven Markov laban sa Russia. Ang gobyerno at hukuman na ang bahala sa bagay na iyan. Ang trabaho natin ay mahuli ang Sloven na iyan at nang mahatulan na siya ng nararapat na parusa para sa kanya.

Napabuntong-hininga na lang siya bago sinulat ang tugon dito. Copy.

Pagbalik niya sa mansyon, napasinghap na lang siya nang makita na may naka-ayos nang mesa sa poolside at dalawang upuan. Nasa mesa na iyon na ang kanilang pananghalian. Si Sloven naman ay nakaupo lang doon at nagbabasa ng libro. He lifted his eyes on her-- a sparkly blue as he smiled.

"Oh, sorry," aniya. "I just went out to--"

"To write something?" makahulugan nitong titig sa kanyang notebook. "I haven't told you about my love story, right?"

"Yes," nahihiya niyang yuko habang nag-iisip ng maidadahilan. Nahihiya siya dahil naka-swimming trunks na lang ang lalaki na hapit sa katawan nito kaya naman nag-iinit ang kanyang pisngi sa nakabakat doon na hindi biro ang laki. "B-But... But I managed to think of a prologue."

Sinara na nito ang hawak na libro at inihilig ang ulo. "What is the prologue then?"

Humigpit ang pagkakahawak niya sa notebook. "It's... just a little introduction. I wrote about a man in the island that people thought was out of his mind because of love. I wrote about our first meeting, I wrote about how beautiful Pulau Sapi is."

Ngumiti ito, ang mga mata ay tila nanghihipnotismong nakatitig sa kanya na para bang binabasa siya nito.

"You must be hungry after a long walk and writing. Come and have lunch with me. Then we'll talk a bit and swim here."

"Thank you," ganti niya ng ngiti rito. "I'll just return these--" taas niya sa notebook at ballpen, "--in my room."

At nang mapag-isa na si Stepha sa kwarto, hinubad na niya ang earpiece at tinabi iyon sa kaila-ilaliman ng kanyang mga gamit kasama ang notebook at ballpen. May tila maliit na compartment ang bag na iyon na kung hindi mo iaangat ang tela niyon  ay aakalain mo na pinakailalim na parte na iyon ng bag.

Pagkatapos ay sinaluhan na niya ang lalaki sa pagkain.

"You are different from the Russian men I've known," aniya sa kalagitnaan ng kanilang pagkain. "You are so warm to your guests."

"Why not?" matiim nitong titig sa kanyang mga mata. "You are the most beautiful thing I have seen, and I regret trying to drive you away."

Napayuko siya at naalala bigla ang nangyari.

"About last night..."

"It's not the vodka, I know," he concluded confidently. "You're attracted to me, I am attracted to you. No wonder, we easily gave in to each other. You're so sexy and I am easy to set in flames when a woman like you is in front of me, and we felt like we should not waste time and start fucking. No wonder we ended up in bed."

Napaawang na lang ang kanyang mga labi sa sinabi ng lalaki, na tila ba kaswal at natural na para rito ang nangyari sa kanila. Sloven was not like those other guys who viewed one-night stands as something that happens because a person loses his mind or was too drunk and unable to think straight. Sa mga sinabi ng lalaki, nakitaan niya ito ng maturity sa pagi-imply na hindi pwedeng isisi sa kalasingan o sa alak kung bakit nangyayari iyon. 

Dahil doon, para siyang na-flatter pa. Ang ibig sabihin lang kasi niyon ay ginusto talaga ni Sloven na angkinin siya kagabi. Hindi iyon dahil lang sa kalasingan o anumang dahilan.

"I am just confused, you are here because love disappointed you, right? Remember, the people here call you, the man made crazy by love."

He chuckled lowly. "That's just a fucking alter ego to drive them off my part of the island."

Napatitig siya rito. So, kasinungalingan lang ang pagiging baliw niya sa pag-ibig?

"People are stupid, right?" mahina nitong tawa. "They even believe the pettiest and stupidest stories when they see it. Make it frequently available for them to see and they will believe it more."

"So, about the story I will be writing for my novel," baba niya sa hawak na kutsara habang umiinom na ng orange juice si Sloven, "does it mean you have no story to share to me?"

Binaba ng lalaki ang baso at tumawa habang napapailing bago siya nito tinitigan sa mga mata.

"None. And why would I want to collaborate with you and write a love story?" mapang-uyam nitong wika.

She stared at him in disbelief.

Dinampot ni Sloven ang isang sariwang strawberry at ini-dip iyon sa maliit na porcelain bowl na may lamang puting yogurt. Sumandal ito ng pagkakaupo, medyo pasalampak at tila nanunuksong dinampi ang strawberry na may yogurt sa pang-ibaba nitong labi. 

"Love stories are stupid," then he bit the strawberry. He chewed slowly, swallowed and slowly licked the yogurt that touched his lower lip as his eyes remained on her.

Kahit yata ang pinaka-natural nitong galaw ay parang nang-aakit pa rin para kay Stepha.

Nag-landing ang mga mata niya sa librong binabasa kanina ni Sloven na nasa gilid ng mesang iyon. She read that it was titled One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Binalik niya ang tingin kay Sloven. "Why? Have you even read a romance novel?"

"I did," he scoffed. "Not just once, but many times. When you're a young man, you are curious about the world, even about love. And love stories disappointed me for so many reasons.

"Love stories make men look stupid. Who the fuck in his rational mind could wait for ten or twenty years for a woman? Men are not as stupid as that, the world doesn't revolve around a woman no matter how worth the wait she is. 

"If she's not available, then we'd be busy with living our own lives and set her aside from our minds and do something worthwhile like acing our careers or world-domination and maybe, flirt with some girls we happen to get attracted with along the way. And I tell you, if we want a woman, we don't wait for her to be fucking available. We will make her available. Because when you love someone, why waste the time that you can spend with her with fucking waiting? That is situational though. Some men are cowards and would simply choose women after him, than who he really likes but doesn't show interest or just wants to make him wait too long

"Another insult to me as a man, is when your love stories imitate us as these robot slaves, who will do anything even those out of this world just to get a woman's love. That's exaggerated and we are not that stupid. I won't jump off a bridge just because the woman I love told me so. I won't pretend to be someone who I am not just to get near to a woman. That's stupid, because a man who is seriously in love with a woman would present his true, real, genuine legitimate best version of  himself to her, " then he murmured, "Even if he's a cold-blooded criminal.

"But love stories make me smile too," and a mocking grin spread across his face. "It makes me smile at women's stupid illusions. So what do you women really want? A self-made man who has millions in his bank account, who is handsome, who is drooled over by women, who is a gentleman, who is kind, who is confident, who has conviction, who is sexually smart, who is wise and matured. 

"Then what? Your heroines will nag and get angry at these men for using money to solve a problem, they will hate him for being a gentleman and kind to other women, they will hate his confidence and call him proud, they will hate his conviction and call him inconsiderate because he was choosing his own beliefs than considering a woman's fragile, irrational feelings. They will admire this man so much, then in the middle of the story, they will fucking strive to change this man for the better," he emphasized with sarcasm. 

"And who the fuck is this man who has all these perfect qualities and owns an empire? He sounds better off  and busier than the presidents around the world combined!"

Stepha was a bit insulted with his perception about love stories and romance. Pero medyo humanga siya sa pagiging direct to the point ng lalaki at pagiging honest. He looked confident speaking his own mind and cared less what other people think. In his long speech, he was oozing with his alpha male vibe.

"Oh, I have more complaints, but that won't be acceptable for your clouded mind to take. So, just ignore it," patuloy na nito sa pagkain.

She bravely retorted, "Or maybe, you are just feeling that way because you once believed that love stories can happen in real life but it didn't?"

Ayaw na niyang patulan pa kung ano ang pinaglalaban ng Sloven na ito, kaya lang hindi yata nakikita ng lalaki kung bakit ganoon ang kalakaran ng mga romantikong kwento. Romance novels gave women like her that hope that they would, someday, meet a nice man like the heroes in those stories, that love could be magical and how happy it could make them feel.

Tinitigan na siya ng lalaki ng masama kaya kumain na lang siya at nagnakaw ng tingin sa libro. Ilang saglit lang din siya natahimik.

Siguro ay nabahala ang lalaki sa namayaning katahimikan kaya nagpahabol pa ito.

"No offense meant, but what I just want to say is, women should stop with these unrealistic views about love and especially, out of this world expectations about men like us. It fucking insults me. Love doesn't work that way. Real life doesn't present love like what you fantasize about. It is not that cringe-y, shallow and petty love story. Men can't just say it straight, but they are literally insults for us, the way you women view us in your romance novels."

Dahil sa pagkakatitig sa libro at sa mga dinagdag ng lalaki, naisipan niyang mag-tanong.

"What about that book? What is that book all about?"

"It's about people who should wake up from their damn illusions and self-denials--" sarkastiko nitong sagot pero biglang napalitan ng bahid ng kaseryosohan ang gwapo nitong mukha, at dinugtungan iyon, "--that isolate them from the real world, from what's real... from the truth."

Stepha lowered her head. Dama niya ang panonood ng lalaki sa kanyang pagkain bago ito muling nagsalita.

"Stop writing fantasies and illusions about love," he spoke softly in a pleading tone that made her shot a look into his blue, soulful eyes. "Stop making a living in its illusions and live its reality." Napasinghap na lang siya nang maabot ni Sloven ang kanyang kamay at pinisil iyon. "Stay here with me."

So, naglitanya lang ba ang lalaki ng ganoong mga bagay tungkol sa mga romance stories para lang makumbinsi siya na iwanan ang buhay bilang isang manunulat at... sumama rito?

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Russian Influence:

** Russian relationships are fast. There was even a training program for women on how to get married with a man within three months! And Russian men were said to be able to make a quick judgment since Day 1 if a woman he's dating is the one he's going to get married to. Of course, these are based on my random research from different sites.

** Russians were more of a realist when it comes to the concept of love. They don't really entertain happily ever afters and find some of the romantic stuff stupid and unreal. (But a percentage of them could be romantics though. I know, confusing right?)

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AN:

Lakas maka-  I won't jump off a bridge just because the woman I love told me so. ni Sloven, nakalimutan na yata niya na plano niyang pasabugin ang buong Russia dahil lang sa request iyon ng kapatid niyang si Anya XD  

Ikaw? Sasama ka ba kay Sloven? HAHAHA XD

Love,

ANA xoxo