THE NOTORIOUS BEAU

"PUNTAHAN mo na lang kaya siya sa apartment niya? Where else would he be?"

Pinag-isipan ko sandali ang sinabi ni Cynthia habang iniikot ang manibela. I'm on my way to our friend's bridal shower, and in less than five minutes, madadaanan ko ang subdivision kung saan nakatira si Kiefer, ang boss ko. Cynthia could be right. It's a Saturday, still early in the morning. He stays home on Saturdays because it's his 'game day' with his little friends.

Yeah. He was thirty-four years old, and yet he still plays with boys twenty years younger than him. He's grounded like that, I guess.

So where else would he go?

Party?

"Walang pinuntahang party iyon," Cynthia says, as if reading my mind. "Kuya said Kiefer was with Kuya Keenan last night. I doubt they had a stag party, not without Denz and Blue there. Besides, they can't plan that without my blessing. Alam mo naman ang mga iyon pagdating sa parties. Baka diretso uwi na iyon kagabi. Try calling him again, he might answer."

"Entàxie."

"Don't speak Chinese," she snaps, making me roll my eyes. "So, punta ka mamaya, ah? We'll be expecting you."

"Oo na, and I don't speak Chinese! I'm Greek!"

"Half Greek," she corrects, the smile evident in her voice.

I groan internally. Binabaan ko na lang siya ng tawag kaysa makipagtalo pa ako tungkol sa pagkatao ko. That girl would just annoy me endlessly.

But you still adore her.

Napailing na lang ako habang hinahanap ang number ni Kiefer sa recent calls ko. I try dialing again, but it's still the same automated voice who greets me.

"Damn!" I mutter another curse when I realize I'm only meters away from the entrance gate of the prestige subdivision, which can only be accessed by elites and people of a high social status. I could only laugh about it—it just seems ridiculous how hierarchy and status and play of power work.

But then, they do exist. Unfortunately.

I've been to that other side of the coin, where the rich and the famous compete to stay on top of the social pyramid. I witnessed how destructive and consuming it was, how it devoured your sanity and your life, and how you could easily lose everything with just one snap.

I was there. I lived it, and I never want to go back again.

Den metanióno. No regrets.

Without a second thought, I maneuver the car to the left and stop in front of the unopened golden gate which bore the owner's famous emblem—a capital letter S—which I believe stands for Stanfield. It looks like a snake entwined between iron bars, a crown on its head.

Nice.

Saglit akong hiningian ng security guard ng ID at ng access pass, while the other one does a protocol check under and inside my car. Mabuti na lang at hindi ko pa naibabalik kay Kiefer ang access pass niya. Nang masiguro nilang nasa guest list ang pangalan ko at wala akong bombang dala, I'm cleared to go inside.

No sarcasm there. I understand too well why there's a need for such strict inspection. Hindi biro ang mga taong nakatira sa subdivision na ito, and people who occupy spaces here are lucky to have such access. Hindi madali ang bumili ng bahay rito, not even just to rent. All the legal paperwork and the tedious background checks are required to be a prospect owner.

But what you gain is more than just a property—high-tech and tight security system for privacy protection, stellar membership for all the recreational establishments available inside the community.

In other words—an unlimited access to luxurious lifestyle and all the privileges that come with it.

Very impressive, right?

And all of that is created by one man named Stanfield Steele.

For the thirteen months I've stayed here, I know enough about the man himself, his most adored wife, his sole heiress and four heirs—especially the ill-famed youngest heir.

Beau Luther Steele. The gorgeous rake, they say.

I can only shake my head in disbelief from all the things I've read, seen and heard about him. Ni hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit marami pa ring mga babae ang nag-aaksaya ng buhay dahil lang sa kanya. He doesn't even care about them.

Mabuti na lang at agad kong natunton ang apartment na hinahanap ko. I'd rather think of other productive things than evaluate Stanfield's notorious son and his wild and—oftentimes, unacceptable—behavior.

Dahil sadyang walang gate ang mga bahay roon, napansin ko agad ang puting BMW ni Kiefer na naka-park sa garahe, but not his Betty—his beloved monster of a motorbike. He usually takes it—her—with him kapag may personal siyang lakad. The gorgeous luxury car...it's purely for business.

But I wonder why the garage was open. Lagi naman iyong nakasara tuwing hindi niya ginagamit ang kotse niya.

I park my car on the driveway, the way I do every time I drop by, and open my door. Now I'm starting to think that this was a failure, dahil si Betty lang ang proof ko para masigurong narito si Kiefer, and seeing that his monster bike isn't here, it should tell me something, right?

Tiningnan ko sandali ang itsura ko sa rearview mirror at saglit na inayos ang buhok ko. Maybe I should try a lighter shade of brown next time. Masyadong akong maputla sa ganitong kulay. It's too dark.

I sigh. Why does it even matter? Hindi na mahalaga kung ano ang kulay ng buhok ko. This is fine. Everything is fine. I should stop obsessing about my appearance, my hair, my dress...

I guess old habits do really die hard, huh?

Bumaba na lang ako at tinungo ang pintuan. Inayos ko muna ang tabinging salamin ko bago kumatok ng tatlong beses.

Normally, Kiefer would open the door after the third bang on his door, but today, he doesn't. I'm really starting to feel upset for wasting my time here.

Kung hindi lang importante ang sasabihin ko sa kanya at kung sinagot ba naman niya ang isa sa mga tawag ko, malamang sasaya pa ako.

I sigh and try to calm down. I know I'm known for my infamous temper, but getting mad wouldn't solve this. Isa pa, kahit ano pang inis ko ngayon, the fact is—he's my boss and I'm simply his employee. Staff. A worker. Someone he can simply fire anytime. Though I have the other boss whom I haven't even seen—not even his shadow—ever since I started nine months ago, he couldn't care less because he's apparently busy with his other 'duties and responsibilities'.

At least, iyon ang sinasabi ni Kiefer sa tuwing may meeting kami. Well, Kiefer's a good friend and a good business partner. Hindi tulad ng ibang iresponsableng boss d'yan.

Grumbling, I knock again, rapidly this time while wringing his doorknob, at nagulat ako nang bumukas iyon.

Oh, well...look at that. He might be home after all!

Agad akong pumasok at tinakbo ang hagdan. I'm glad, very glad that Kiefer's home and I can give him the good news, leaving the decision up to him. Alam kong ilang araw na rin niyang pinroblema ang tungkol dito, and as a part of this business, I'm happy I could help ease the problem. I know my news will be of great help to him.

I admit, he's a brilliant game developer, but busting hackers is my game.

Siguro ay naglalaro lang siya ng video games kaya hindi niya nasasagot ang tawag ko. Convinced with my reasoning, I nod at myself as I walk along the hallway to his entertainment room.

But my hurried steps slow down when I see a sleeping monitor and an empty and very quiet entertainment room.

"What the hell?" I mumble. Where the heck is he?

I eye the next door with suspicion. I've been coming here quite often for business purposes and I can count those instances with my two hands, but I've never—not once—set foot nor laid eyes on the other side of that door.

Kólasi...

Don't tell me I'm wrong!

Hindi na ako nagdalawang-isip pa at tinungo iyon. I'll just go for the kill dahil hindi ko 'to pwedeng ipagpabukas. In the next few hours, malalaman ng pesteng hacker na iyon na natagpuan ko siya, and who knows, he might flee and run away from the consequences of his stupidity.

Besides, I have to be somewhere. I would be wasting two hours for the drive and another few hours for the bridal party before I could go home and finally sleep—and frankly, that's all I really want to do after spending a whole damn night hacking and finding that son of a bitch!

So I turn the knob aggressively and find that it's unlocked, too. Bumukas ang pintuan at ang unang-unang tumambad sa akin ay ang kama, and nope—it's not empty. At all. In fact, it's crowded.

But that's not really what surprised me. It's the man lying on his stomach, gloriously naked between two naked women. Natatakpan lang ang kahubdan nila dahil sa manipis na kumot na nakatakip sa ibang parte ng katawan nila, but it still left little to the imagination.

"What in the world is this?" I gasp.

My instinct is telling me to turn away before one of them wakes up, but something keeps me from doing it. Muli kong binalingan ang lalaki, and I realize it's not Kiefer. He just doesn't own those legs. I may have not seen him naked—God forbid—but I was sure his skin is a shade darker compared to whoever that man is.

One of the women suddenly stirs and wakes up, pero huli na para tumakbo. She spots me staring at them, and I watch with cool indifference as her eyes grow wide with horror. Mabilis siyang bumangon sabay hila sa kumot. "Sino ka? Paano ka nakapasok?!" the woman demands.

Uh-oh. I should really go.

The man with his face buried on the mattress grumbles. May sinasabi siya, but I can't understand him while he's kissing the pillow.

Doesn't matter. Baka isipin pa ng mga ito na naninilip ako, or that I'm into watching a wild, kinky threesome.

Tumalikod na ako at nagmamadaling umalis.

"Hmm...my, my. What do we have here? A trespasser."

Napapikit ako nang mariin nang marinig ko ang paos boses ng lalaki. Pakiramdam ko'y parang nahulog na sa lupa ang puso ko sa pinaghalong gulat at kaba. It's rough from sleep and sounds strangely...familiar.

"Care to join us? There's always a room for more," he says to me while the girls giggle.

I could have gasped from that indecent and crude invitation spewing from his dirty mouth, but I do it inwardly with so much incredulousness. My lips press into a thin line as déjà vu hits me right in the face—but it's not exactly déjà vu when they're real memories. Real emotions.

"I promise it will be worth your while. Do you want to climb in?" he continues, a hint of teasing in his voice.

I realize I was clenching my hands into fists so tight that my nails were digging into my skin. Pinilit kong kumalma bago dahan-dahang humarap sa kanila habang pigil na pigil ko ang hininga. "Sorry. Last time I checked, my boss lives here," I say, carefully avoiding any of their eyes.

If I were the same girl I was at eighteen, I might be all swoony, soft, and giggly right now. I'd even jump at the invitation, but I'm not eighteen anymore. Shame.

Napansin kong gising na rin ang isa pang babae dahil gumalaw ito at bahagyang itinaas ang ulo. Unlike the other one, she's not horrified at all. Ni hindi man lang nahiya sa akin. She just starts caressing the man's body as if I weren't there. Is she thinking I'm some voyeur? That I would enjoy watching them while she does that?

Apotrópaios!

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him move and turn smoothly on his back, uncaring that the flimsy excuse of that sheet covering his privacy is slowly slipping dangerously lower. He shifted on the bed, dislodging that wanton woman's hand away from him.

For some odd reason, I can sense he's staring at me with an intensity that's unnerving and unsettling. And he's too quiet for my liking, kaya nagpasya akong tapunan siya ng tingin.

His dark eyes heavy with sleep collide with mine, and I'm turned back to the time when he held my hands while we danced. I thought I've forgotten everything about that night, but here I am, thinking—remembering—how his big hand spanned around my hips as he maneuvered me through the music, the scent of martini and mint on him every time he leaned closer to me...

"So you're telling me you work for Kiefer," he says, breaking the silence. Breaking the spell.

"Yes." It was all I could manage to say right before turning around and fleeing.

Shit! What just happened?

Still frantic and confused, I keep walking briskly until I reach the stairs while giving myself a hard, mental slap. Please! I would never get involved with a promiscuous playboy who knows nothing of morals.

Nang marinig ko ang boses niyang tinatawag ako ay tinakbo ko na ang hagdan pababa na tila ako hinahabol ng pulis—but in this case, it would be more appropriate if I say I feel like being chased by a criminal. Criminals are bad, and so are playboys.

"Wait! Sandali!"

Gia ónoma tou Theoú! Why is he chasing me?

I'm about to reach for the door when it suddenly bursts open.

"Zara!" bungad ni Kiefer nang makita ako habang tila hingal na hingal. "Thank God, naabutan kita! Sorry, I was held up kaya hindi ko na—" Nawala ang tingin nito sa akin nang may kung ano itong nakita sa likuran ko. And I know what—or who—it is when his eyebrows knot in confusion. "Blue?"

Kiefer looks lost for a moment, and then suddenly his expression turns suspicious. Nagpalipat-lipat pa ang tingin niya sa akin at sa kaibigan niya—me and the man behind me.

I don't like where his mind is going. Nilingon ko si Blue at nakita ko kung bakit ganoon na lang ang kaguluhan sa mukha ni Kiefer.

He's still naked, for Pete's sake! He didn't even have the littlest amount of decency to cover himself with boxers or something that would conceal his genitals in case those sheets failed to do its supposed job!

Oh, for the love of God! I almost groan out loud, pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko. At least Kiefer is here now. I can finally leave in peace!

Bumuntonghininga na lang ako at tiningnan ang boss ko nang maigi. "Kiefer, really?" He really doesn't think I would do that, does he?

Me—with the disreputable lady charmer, Beau Luther Steele? Who, by the way, is my other boss?!

And there's also the fact that this man has never had a single serious relationship that lasted more than a day. A one-night-stand kind of man, an outright playboy! He doesn't date women—he sleeps with them and then discards them like some disposable underwear, and I don't want to be that underwear!

Katulad na lang ngayon. And it's not even one but two Eves!

"You didn't tell her I crashed last night?" singit ni Blue. "You should tell her next time. She's got the habit of trespassing, you know."

Matalim ko siyang binalingan at saglit akong napaantras nang makitang nasa likuran ko na pala siya. Mas lalo akong nainis sa nanunudyong ngiti niya. "You should probably lock your doors next time, if you don't mind, especially if you're in someone else's house." With bimbos in tow.

Tumikhim si Kiefer sa pagitan namin. "Zara, since today's not a working day and we're not in the office, I won't tell you it's not nice to talk to your boss with disrespect. Blue, hindi mo pa yata kilala si Zara. She's—"

"Zara..." Blue mutters, as if he were tasting the letters of my name. "Oh! So, you're that Zara!" Bigla niya akong tinuro.

I frown at his annoying finger. "What Zara?"

"Kiefer's favorite employee."

"What?" I give him a look that says, 'You say the most stupid things.'

"She's Cynthia's friend," ani Kiefer. "Baka gusto mo lang malaman, pare."

Kumunot ang noo ni Blue, and here I am, getting more worried by the minute. Hindi ba mahuhulog iyang saplot niya? "Which one?" he asks.

"The one you—"

"Bago ko makalimutan," putol ko sa sasabihin ni boss, at kinuha sa bulsa ko ang ipinunta ko rito at isinuksok iyon sa bulsa ng leather jacket ni Kiefer.

Sinadya kong huwag patapusin siya sa pagsasalita dahil alam ko na kung ano ang balak ni Kiefer sabihin. I just don't want Blue to remember that night. I don't want him to recognize me and see how I used to be—dirty blonde hair, blue eyes...someone living an unworthy life. I just want the last trace of Chryxanthe Andretzi Gonzales—the old me—to disappear forever so no one could ever find her again.

"It's your guy," sabi ko habang inaangat ang salamin ko. "He's all yours."

"What guy?" nagtatakang tanong ni Blue while staring at me.

My eyes are black-brown. I remind myself of that and look away from him.

"Some stupid hacker who's been messing with our security system recently." Kiefer takes out the piece of paper and smiles. "Now you're a dead piece of shit."

Napailing na lang ako at nagsimulang umalis. Maybe I should tell him about the other bad thing that I did—that I destroyed that poor hacker's system. It will probably take years to build a system like his again. Well, it's a shame. Magaling pa naman siya, but he had the unfortunate fate to face a bully, and I just love to bully someone who's not nice.

"Saan ka pupunta?" habol na tanong ni Kiefer sa akin nang mapansing palabas na ako ng apartment niya.

"Sa bahay ng girlfriend mo," sagot ko nang hindi lumilingon. "Oh, and you also have two more guests in your room."

"What the fuck?" narinig kong asik niya kay Blue.

"They were really nice guests..."

I unlock my car and thank God for the beeping noise that drowned the rest of their conversation. Buti na iyon, kaysa kung ano pang marinig kong kabastusan galing sa bibig ng lalaking iyon. He just brings unholiness with him everywhere he goes.

"Hey! Cynthia's not my girlfriend!" narinig ko pang sigaw ni Kiefer nang makapasok na ako sa kotse ko. I'm surprised he even guessed right. I should laugh at his comment, but I can't.

Well, not when the notorious heir is sending me off with that crazy, amused, devilishly sexy eyes.

Really? Doesn't he feel any exhaustion after spending an entire night with those two?

Ugh! I groan and pray hard that Monday never comes.