CHAPTER 6

"SOMEONE LOOKS grumpy." Boses iyon ni Ream na kakapasok lang sa barn at nakita si Reigo na nakatambay sa jacuzzi at masama ang tabas ng mukha. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Day off."

Ream frowned and glanced at the calendar inside the barn. "Today is Wednesday though."

"Don't care. I decided to take a day off, so I'm taking a day off."

Hindi na nakipag-argumento si Ream. This was Reigo, his friend who scheduled his mood swings. "Why so grumpy? Naka-schedule ba?"

"Nah. Just thinking of something." Bumaling si Reigo kay Ream. "How about you? Ano'ng ginagawa mo rito? Sa dami ng anak mo, may oras kang mamasyal?"

"Nope." Umupo sa pang-isahang sofa si Ream. "I'm meeting Dark here for his order. So technically, I'm working."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So why are you grumpy?"

Naalala na naman ni Reigo kung bakit. "Say you made a nickname for someone and then someone else—a very insignificant bug—used that nickname to call her. Would you be pissed?"

"Does this 'someone' have a relationship with that bug?"

"Nah. Katrabaho lang."

"Then do I have a relationship with this someone?"

"No. Just courting, I mean, trying to court."

Pigil ni Ream ang mapangiti. Reigo was the most misunderstood of them all. Maybe it's because of his long list of ex-girlfriends and his bitterness. Just a few months ago, he was cursing all women—even Cupid—and now, it looked like Reigo found a new one.

Hope it ends differently this time, Ream thought, and answered Reigo. "Wala kayong relasyon kaya wala kang karapatan."

Natahimik si Reigo saka bumulong, "Tama lang pala na hindi ako nagalit kahit gusto kong pasabugin ang bungo ng surot na 'yon."

Reigo's vocabulary shocked Ream. "The hell, man...? Alam mo kung ano ang surot?"

"Yeah."

Ream was still shocked. "I'm amazed."

Reigo shrugged nonchalantly, and moments later, he groaned as if pissed. "Ah, fuck. I want to crush that bug, but if Zee finds out, she's going to have my head and not the head that would bring me pleasure."

Napailing si Ream. "Then don't do it. If that bug went out of line, let your woman handle him. I'm sure she could crush him by herself after hearing the fear in your voice."

Reigo leaned back on the jacuzzi's edge and sighed as he looked at the ceiling. "I'm telling you, Oliveros, Zee is like a firewall. She would never crack under pressure. Her heat resistance is too high that I'm having a hard time melting her. Not only that, I think she is a very scary and dangerous feline. But damn..." Reigo sighed as if contentment just filled him. "I'm still drawn to her like a moth to a flame."

"Be careful."

Mabilis na napalingon si Reigo sa kaibigan. "What?"

"I said be careful," ulit ni Ream. "If you lost her like your exes, I don't think you'll ever be the same. All those bitterness that you felt when your exes cheated on you and left you, it is nothing compared to what you'll feel if you lost this one."

A frown made its way to Reigo's forehead. "Why?"

Ream smiled mysteriously. "You'll realize 'why' soon enough."

Oliveros was being cryptic, and Reigo was confused. He didn't know what Oliveros meant by his words, but he listened and noted it.

"So... kumusta ang panliligaw mo?"

Ibinalik ni Reigo ang tingin sa kisame. "I'm trying, but I sucked at it."

"Ano ba'ng ginagawa mo para ligawan siya?"

"Be myself...?" Reigo sighed. "Calderon said to be myself."

Napangiwi si Ream. "Sa ugali mo? Hindi ako nagtataka na hindi mo pa siya napapa-oo."

"Yeah..." Reigo sighed. "I'm not really a good guy. I mean, I know myself, so I know what I lack and I know my shortcomings and I actually want to hide them from Zee... but I have a feeling I'll regret it if I did. All my life, I've been operating through gut feeling—the reason I always feel when my exes are cheating on me is through that—and my gut feeling this time is telling me to be honest and not hide anything, so that's what I'm trying to do."

"I hope it works well for you." Ream was really hoping for the best for Reigo. "I'm rooting for you."

"Thanks!" Reigo got up and as bare as the day he was born, he left the jacuzzi and walked around the barn, naked and unashamed.

Nagpakawala ng buntonghininga si Ream habang nakangiwing nakamasid kay Reigo na hubad pa ring palakad-lakad sa barn. "Don't you have some decency?"

"Huh? What's that?" sarkastikong tanong ni Reigo bago kinuha ang itim na roba na nakasabit sa likod ng upuan sa hapag-kainan at isinuot 'yon. Kapagkuwan ay kinuha nito ang cellphone sa briefcase bag at pabagsak na umupo sa pang-isahang sofa habang umiinom ng beer na kinuha nito sa ref.

Reigo looked like a bum with no future, and Ream just shook his head. Dark's reaction was the same when he arrived at the barn and saw Reigo lounging on the couch like it was not a Wednesday.

Oh well, Reigo came from an old money family. Kahit hindi ito magtrabaho buong buhay nito, hindi mauubos ang pera nito. His family was that wealthy. And the only reason Reigo was working his butt off was because he wanted to spend his own money—the money that he made for himself and not anyone else's. Ayaw nitong umasa sa mga magulang nito at sa mamanahin nito.

"Ano nangyari diyan?" tanong ni Dark kay Ream patungkol kay Reigo na nakahilata sa sofa. Katatapos lang ng dalawa mag-usap tungkol sa order ni Dark.

"Nagbibinata."

Tumaas ang mga kilay ni Dark. "For real this time? I mean, you know what I mean."

"I guess..." Ream shrugged. "A bull's eye from Cupid."

Dark chuckled. "He needs lots of luck then. And he also needs an anti-Volkzki curse."

Mahinang natawa si Ream. "Hayaan mo na para naman malasap niya ang nalasap naming sinumpa ni Volkzki. Damay-damay na 'to."

"True. Palibre na lang tayo sa kaniya sa tindahan nina Eva kapag brokenhearted na siya."

Tumango si Ream. "Yep. That's the plan."

Dark said nothing and left the barn. Afterward, Ream followed, and left Reigo alone in the high-tech barn, exchanging messages with the scary and dangerous feline.

ZEHANNAH LET OUT a relieved sigh when the meeting with the investors came to an end and they did not chew them out. The overtime was worth it, Zehannah thought as she walked towards the elevator that would bring her to the eleventh floor—her department's floor.

Riding the elevator, she checked her phone for any important messages, and there were none.

Well, there was one. It was from her Papi just informing her that he'll be discharged soon, and she didn't need to come to the hospital and help.

Kahit na sinabi 'yon ng Papi niya, gusto pa rin niyang tulungan ang mga ito pero may trabaho siya bukas. Siguro bisitahin niya lang ang mga ito sa bahay pagkatapos ng trabaho.

Aside from her Papi's text, there was another one that she hadn't opened since she received it this morning.

From: Reigo

'Good morning, my Zee.'

Hindi siya nag-reply kasi busy siya at hindi 'good' ang morning niya. Pero ngayong tapos na ang meeting niya, ni-reply-an na niya ang binata. 'Good morning to you, too. Wdyw?'

The reply from Reigo was instant. 'You.'

Napabuntonghininga na lang si Zehannah. 'Kulang sa tulog lang 'yan.'

'Nah. My sleep is good and I'm having a day off.'

Zehannah frowned. 'Day off in the middle of the week?'

'Yeah. Self-proclaimed day off since I woke up pissed.' Reigo replied. 'That's why I'm pretty sure about what I want, which is you, by the way.'

If Reigo was in front of her, she would've looked at him flatly. 'Gaano ka kalandi?'

'Sa 'yo lang lalandi.'

Napailing si Zehannah sa reply ng binata saka lumabas ng elevator nang bumukas 'yon. Ibinulsa niya ang cellphone saka tinungo ang opisina. Nang makarating doon at nakaupo na, saka lang niya nilabas ang cellphone at tiningnan ang messages.

Reigo sent another text.

'Am I bothering you at work?'

Napatitig si Zehannah sa text sa 'yon ni Reigo. She had a feeling that if she replied 'yes', he will immediately stop texting her because he understood her priorities when she's at work, which was much appreciated.

So she replied. 'Just finished my meeting and I'm resting, so I'm giving you 30 minutes of my time before I go back to work. Be grateful and say thank you.'

Reigo, who was in the barn, chuckled when he read Zehannah's reply. He really liked how sarcastic, witty, and confident she was. Though she could be savage when she wanted to and there were times that he couldn't rebuke her and have a comeback when they were bantering, he still wanted more of her.

'If I say thank you, would you kiss me?'

'Seriously. What's with you and kisses?'

Reigo licked his lips. 'You made me like this. You kissed me with tongue and I got hooked, so take responsibility for me, Zee.'

'You kissed me back, so take responsibility for yourself.'

'Am I not kissable enough?'

And Zehannah replied savagely. 'I would be lying if I said yes, but I'm just not interested in kissing you.'

Napahawak si Reigo sa dibdib niya saka napabuntonghininga at pabulong na nagsalita. "Such savagery. Good thing I'm not fragile."

'Zee, how could you be so mean to me? *insert sulking on the sofa*.'

Nagsalubong ang kilay ni Zehannah sa reply na iyon ng binata saka napaisip kung ano'ng itsura nito habang nagsu-sulk sa sofa.

'Take a picture of you. I'm curious what you look like while sulking.' She replied.

And Reigo did. He sent a photo and Zehannah's lips parted.

Reigo Vasquez was freaking naked! And he purposely showed the V-shape muscular grooves on his abdomen alongside his hips—also known as Adonis belt—down below, just enough to see the little hair that Zehannah was sure would lead her to that monstrous thing between his legs.

And the bastard was doing a very fake sad face. It was too fake that Zehannah forgot Reigo's body—okay, that was a lie. How could she disregard that body?

Ang katawan ni Reigo ay 'yong uri ng katawan na luluhuran.

Kung wala lang siguro siyang nararamdamang pag-aatubili na tanggapin ang alok nito, baka kagabi pa siya lumuhod. But Reigo's salivating body aside, she was still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to enter a relationship with Reigo.

Like she asked him that day, what was the merit of dating him other than his good looks and big 'D'? Ito ang katanungan na gusto niyang masagot sa loob ng dalawang linggo.

Hindi sa nagpapakipot siya. Hindi lang talaga siya sigurado kung tama ba ang magiging desisyon niya kaya nga humingi siya ng dalawang linggo para makapag-isip.

'Too much?' Reigo texted when Zehannah didn't reply.

'Your 30 minutes is done. Have a wonderful lunch 😀'

'Why am I hearing sarcasm in your reply?'

'Because I'm really being sarcastic.'

'So mean. Did you not like my body? It's all yours.'

Napabuntonghininga si Zehannah. 'Why do I feel like you're selling your body to me?'

'Because that's the only good thing I have. My face. My body. And my money. Other than that, I have nothing.'

Zehannah wanted to earn their conversation at her last reply, but after reading Reigo's message, she couldn't stop replying.

'Who told you that?'

'My exes. And I think they're right. I mean, why would they cheat and look for someone else if I'm not lacking in a lot of things? Handsome face and good body alone can't make a woman stay.'

There it is. Zehannah thought after reading Reigo's reply. The effect of what those women did to him. He's always boasting about how good he looked, but his self-esteem was really low.

Those women who selfishly cheated on him... did they even wonder what happened to the one they cheated on? The emotional and psychological torture they put their partners through... did they even think of that after the fact?

Just like Reigo—this handsome and flirty guy—his self-esteem had taken a severe blow. Affecting him emotionally and psychologically. Just like everyone else who was cheated on.

And she was angry. Angry for those people who suffered because of their inconsiderate partners and also angry for Reigo for experiencing horrible relationships one after another.

Huminga nang malalim si Zehannah saka tinawagan si Reigo.

"Zee...?" He sounded surprised that she called. "Wow. You're actually calling me. I should throw a party—"

"Those women cheated on you because they're all inconsiderate bitches, and not because you're lacking something. It's not your fault, it's theirs. Keep that in mind, Mr. Vasquez."

Zehannah ended the call without waiting for Reigo's reply, who was lost for words after he heard what Zehannah said.

After a little while, a smile stretched Reigo's lips and it turned into a soft chuckle. "Indeed. It would be idiotic of me not to ask you to date me, even though you're out of my league."

Bumaba ang tingin ni Reigo sa cellphone na hawak at mabilis na nag-type ng mensahe para kay Zehannah.

'Have fun working.'

'😤 What's so fun about working?'

'Let me send you a delicious lunch and snack to make it fun. Or you could choose me for lunch and a snack. Naked or clothed is okay. I could be hard, rough, gentle, and soft. In short, I'm an all-around delicacy.'

Zehannah's reply was only one emoji. '🖕'

And Reigo's reply was, '😚'.

And somehow, that kissing emoji made Zehannah chuckle and shake her head because she could actually imagine Reigo doing the same thing as his emoji. He's a kissing addict after all.

REIGO DID NOT bother Zehannah after his thirty-minute texting time. He only texted twice after that and that was to inform Zehannah of her lunch and then snack. Other than that, he was silent, which Zehannah appreciated because she really was busy working her ass off.

Kaya naman masaya si Zehannah nang oras na para umuwi pero ang kasiyahan niya ay naputol nang makitang inaabangan siya ni Dexter sa labas ng opisina niya.

"Zee, can we talk?"

Zehannah didn't reply.

"Zehan."

Doon lang siya tumingin kay Dexter. "Talk about what?"

"About last night—"

"Hindi na kailangan. Nakalimutan ko na 'yon." Nauna nang sumakay si Zehannah sa elevator at ayaw man niya, sumakay rin si Dexter.

Dexter was about to start a conversation with Zehannah when Zehannah's phone rang.

It was the first time that Zehannah was over the moon with happiness that Reigo called. Who wouldn't be? She avoided a conversation with Dexter.

"Yeah?" she answered Reigo's call.

"Hey, my Zee. I was roaming around and wasting my gas when I realized that I'm near your workplace. Can I pick you up?"

She rolled her eyes. "Dahilan mo, bulok."

"Ouch."

Zehannah sighed. "And no, you can't. Malapit lang naman ang condo ko. I can take care of myself."

"Hmm. Do you want me to have dinner with you in your condo?"

"Huwag ka nang umasa. One time, big time lang 'yon."

Reigo grumbled. "Nawalan ako bigla ng ganang kumain."

"Kawawa ka naman," sarkastikong sabi ni Zehannah.

"Mean and sarcastic. That's what you are, Zee," Reigo continued grumbling while driving.

"Yes. I am. So why do you still want me to date you?"

"I like you. That's why."

Zehannah clicked her tongue. "Such a smooth talker. Pero hindi pa rin ako magpapasundo sa 'yo."

"Sabi ko nga. Uwi na ako sa barn."

Zehannah smiled and exited the elevator when it reached the ground floor, not minding Dexter, who still wanted to talk to Zehannah. "Sige na. Ba-bye na. Maglalakad ako papunta sa condo. Baka mahablot cellphone ko bigla, wala akong pambili ng bago."

"Okay. Ingat sa pagtawid."

Nalukot ang mukha ni Zehannah. "Ano ako, bata?"

Reigo chuckled. "Hindi. Pero puwede ka nang gumawa ng bata."

"Gago ka talaga."

"Did you blush?"

Zehannah rolled her eyes. "You wish. It would take your all to make me blush."

Reigo sighed like he gave up. "Sabi ko nga. Sige na, umuwi ka na. Ingat."

"Yeah, you too."

The call ended, and Zehannah immediately went home. Nang makita niya ang mamahaling sasakyan ni Cassia sa parking lot na bigay ng asawa nito, t-in-ext niya si Cassia na mauuna na siya. Mukhang may tinatapos pa ito dahil hindi ito umangal na hindi niya ito hinintay.

Nang makarating sa condo niya, nag-text siya kay Reigo na huwag siyang padalhan ng pagkain dahil ang dami na niyang leftovers at 'yon ang balak niyang kainin para sa hapunan.

At ang dumuho, lyrics ng kanta ang reply sa kaniya.

Lyrics from the song 'All by Myself'.

Napailing lang si Zehannah saka nagpadala ng text kay Cassia para makisuyo. Pagkalipas ng ilang minuto, nagpasalamat siya kay Cassia dahil nagawa nito ang pinapasuyo niya.

'No problem, Master Zehan 😚.' Was Cassia's reply making Zehannah smile, but when she read how Cassia addressed her, her smile turned into a sigh.

"Ayaw talagang makinig ni Cassia," bulong ni Zehannah sa sarili. "Oh, well. She did me a favor just now. I owe her one."

Pinalipas muna ni Zehannah ang isang oras bago ginawa ang balak.

She opened the app she usually used when she's feeling lazy to cook and ordered different kinds of food for one person and then she put in the address and paid for the food. After that, she went back to reheating her leftovers for her dinner.

Meanwhile, in the barn, Reigo sulkily dropped himself on the sofa and grumbled at how unlucky he was. Zehannah didn't let him take her home, didn't want to have dinner with him, and didn't want him to buy her food.

Nawalan siya ng ganang kumain dahil sa kamalasan niya ngayong araw kaya naman nahiga na lang siya sa sofa at nagpatugtog ng kanta sa cellphone niya.

But his music was interrupted when the barn's phone rang.

It was a call from the village's gate. May delivery daw para sa kaniya. Nagtaka siya dahil nakapangalan talaga sa kaniya pero wala namang maalala si Reigo na in-order niya. Pero kahit ganoon, pinapasok pa rin niya baka padala ng isa sa kaibigan niya o para sa isa sa mga kaibigan niya.

Those lunatics usually addressed it to the barn, especially if it's a gift for their wives to avoid being found out and ruining the surprise.

But to his surprise, it was a food delivery for him. Yes. Him. Nakapangalan sa kaniya ang delivery.

Reigo was skeptical and didn't want to accept the food until his phone beeped and he received a message from Zehannah.

'Enjoy your dinner and eat wild, Mr. Vasquez.'

With a smile he couldn't hold back, he accepted the food and thanked the delivery guy. Then he went back inside, placed the paper bag with food on the center table in the living room, and replied to Zehannah.

'I'd rather eat you, but thanks for the food. Unlike you, I'm not paying you back. I'm deciding that it's your treat.'

'I'm amazed at how thick-skinned you are.'

He chuckled. 'Yes. I'm very thick and you know it.'

'Kumain ka na lang. Gutom lang 'yan.'

'I'll tell you how thick I am after I'm full. Anyway, enjoy your leftovers and eat wild, my Zee.'

There was no reply after that, but Reigo was in a good mood. Who wouldn't be? His Zee just sent him food. If that was not a good development, then what is?

CECELIB | C.C.