34 Temptation

"Some, some boys are tryin' too hard

He don't try at all, though

Younger than my exes but he act like such a man, so

I see nothing better, I keep him forever

Like a vendetta-ta"

- Ready for it? lyrics by Taylor Swift

KYLE

"Mabuti naman at nakarating ka, Kyle! It's nice to see you again!" Mr. Albert said upon seeing me.. Kararating ko lang sa company particularly dito sa station na bagong gawa.

"Oo naman, Mr. Albert! Tagal natin hindi nagkita eh! Ganda ng bagong gawa mong station dito!" Sabi ko. "Naku, oo naman. Sila Vanessa ata and Patty ang may gawa nito noh!" Proud niyang sabi saakin. Sandali akong napatingin kay Mr. Albert.

"I thought nagresign na sila dito sa company? How come sila pa rin ang nagdesign nito?" Usisa ko. "Oh, about that thing. Nasasayangan kasi ako sa talents and their working skills kaya I tried to convince them na huwag nang umalis and thankfully, naconvinced ko naman sila.." Sabi niya. Tumango-tango ako at tinignan ang kabuuan nitong station.

And suddenly, memories hit me.

"Elle! Thank goodness naman at nakarating ka!" Mr. Albert said dahilan para mapatingin ako sa gawi niya. "Opo naman, Mr. Albert! Ikaw pa ba! Tsaka you know, what happened noon, let's forget it na.. " Mapangkahulugan na sabi niya.

"You're making me cry, Elle! Ang bait-bait mo talaga! No wonder napakaswerte sayo ni Kyle!" Sabi niya. Agad akong napatingin kay Elle.. Maybe, because I want to see her reaction?

She just smiled and tapped Mr. Albert's shoulder. "Of course, napakaswerte ni Kyle saakin kasi I don't hold any grudges neither sentiments about what happened back then, Mr. Albert.. Let's move on na lang ganoon." She said while smiling and take a look at me. "Oh there you are, Dear Husband!" She giggled.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit nakaramdam ako ng kaba sa sinabi niya.. Kaba or kakaibang pakiramdam? Hindi ko maexplain. Kakaiba tong nararamdaman ko ngayon.

Magsasalita pa sana ako nang bigla kaming makarinig ng matinis na boses

"Ano ba yan bakla. Kahit kailan talaga ang kupad mong kumilos!" Sabi ng isang familiar na boses.

"Tse! Tumahimik ka nga bakla! Palibhasa ang pangit mo!" Another familiar voice mumbled.

Then biglang napako ang tingin nila sa direksyon ni Mr. Albert na katabi ni Elle...

"BAKLA/BABAE?!" They both said in unison. Yes, Patty and Vanessa are here.

Elle smiled at them and signalled to hug them..Without any further words, they immediately went to Elle and gave her a tight hug.

"Bakla ka! Hindi mo alam kung gaano ako kastress dahil sa nangyari sayo dati! Akala ko talaga wala ka na! Huhuhuhu!" Patty said. "Oo babae! Akala ko talaga makakasama ko na tong pangit na baklang to for the rest of my life nang hindi ka na nakikita!" Dagdag ni Vanessa.

"Wow bakla ah! Hiyang-hiya ako sayo!" Patty exclaimed.

I saw Elle shook her head and tapped their shoulders..

"Ano ba guys, heto na nga ako oh. Buhay na buhay. No need to tell me those words.. And besides, I can find ways to escape hell.." Muli niyang sabi sa makahulugan niyang pananalita.

"Ang taray ah! Anyways, sino kasama mo?" Biglang tanong ni Patty. Elle smiled and point me out.

"Siya." Sabay silang tumingin saakin and suddenly biglang nagiba ang expression nila.

"Don't tell me pinatawad mo na siya sa mga ginawa niya? Nilang dalawa ng higad niyang kabit?!" I noticed the anger in Patty's voice..

"Patty." Vanessa warned Patty. "What?! May masama ba akong sinabi? I'm just telling the truth and if truth hurts, then bear with it!" Sabi niya habang nakatingin saakin. I sighed.

"Patty stop it. Gaya nga ng sinabi ko kanina, let's forget what happened in the past. Nandito tayo para makiisa sa pablessings ni Mr. Albert sa bagong station ninyo not to drag someone.." Elle said in a calm voice.

"But --" She interrupted Patty. "No buts, Patty. It's okay." Patty tried to smile at Elle but he rolled his eyes when he look at me.

"Let's go, bakla." Vanessa said while reaching for Patty's arm.. "Aray! Dahan-dahan nga yung paghila mo saakin!" Rinig kong reklamo ni Patty. Maya-maya pa'y nilapitan ako ni Elle.

"Kung ano man yung nasabi ni Patty, ako na yung humihingi ng tawad." Sabi niya. "It's okay. It's my fault naman eh." Sabi ko.

Nagsimula na ang pablessings ni Mr. Albert. May pari na dumating ang bliness ang paligid ng station. After nun ay may kaunting handaan na nangyari.

"Ayoko niyan, Patty. Diet ako ngayon." I heard Vanessa's voice. Patty rolled his eyes to what Vanessa said. "Kung ayaw mo 'di wag! Hindi naman ikaw ang kakain nito, ako naman!" Inis niyang sabi.

Napangiti ako habang umiiling. They didn't change. They're still the same, arguing and throwing sh*t words at each other but on top of that, they showed true friendship and they showed realness to each other.

Unlike me..

"Hindi ka pa rin ba naiirita sa kanila?" Elle suddenly asked me. Napatingin ako sa kanya na abla sa pagpili ng makakain niya.

"Grilled bacon?" I said while smiling to her. She smiled. "No.. I have this one na lang." Sabay kuha ng niya stewed chicken breast.

"I thought favorite mo ang bacon?" Tanong ko. Tumango tango siya habang namimili pa ng pwede niyang makakain.

"Yes but maybe not." She answered. "Huh?"

"Yes baka nga favorite ko yung bacon dati but it's different now. Iba na yung gusto. Ganoon naman diba? Sa buhay natin, there are times na we abruptly change our likes and dislikes?" Sabi niya habang nakatingin siya saakin.

"Y-yes." Hindi ko alam kung bakit nauutal ako habang nagsasalita. "Well then. I'm fine with these foods in my plate. Mauuna na ako okay?" Sabi niya. Tumango lamang ako at naglakad na siya sa mesang kinaroroonan nila Patty.

Bigla akong nawalan ng gana. Was it because sa sinabi ni Elle or because of guilt?

Tama naman siya, Kyle diba? You are a jerk. A big jerk..

Makaraan ang ilang oras ay napagpasiyahan nila Patty, Vanessa at Elle na magbar daw. Aalis na sana ako nang biglang magsalita si Elle.

"Magbabar kami. You want to join?" She said seductively? I don't know. "May meeting pa kasi ako eh.. Maybe next time but thank you for the invitation. " I answered. She shrugged her shoulders. "Okay.. Let's go girls." Sabi niya.

I was about to open the door of my car when my phone rang. It's Mr. Ruiz.

"Yes, Mr. Ruiz? I'm sorry but I think I'll be late, but don't sorry. I'm on my way already." I said upon answering the call.

"Mr. Villafuente it's alright. I'm calling just to inform you that I cancelled our meeting. Something came out and I need to work on it.. Let's just reschedule our meeting next time.. That's all.." And then he ended up the call.

"So...?" I heard her mumbled. Hindi pa pala sila nakakalayo.

"I'll come with you." Then a smile formed in her lips. How I missed those smiles in her.

"Great then. Let's go na." Sabi niya. Sumakay na ako sa kotse ko and tried to start the engine. I drove but I heard some unnecessarily sounds coming from the down part of my car. I stepped outside and take a look on it only to find out that it's flatted.

"Sh.t!" I cursed. I saw Elle stopped her car and opened her window. "What happened?" She said out of curiousity. "It's flat." I plainly said.

"Omg! Who did this?! Napakaheartless naman nung tao na yun!" She said while umiiling.

"Don't worry. I'll give you a drive. Sakay na." Sabi niya. Sandali ko siyang tinitigan. "Hop in." She said while smiling. I left out of choice. I hopped in.

I opened the backseat but Patty and Vanessa are there. No choice. Umupo ako sa may harap, tabi niya.

Now this is what I mean.. Awkwardness..

"So Kyle, ano bang nakita mo doon sa higad na yun over our precious Elle ah?!" Mataray na tanong ni Patty. I saw Vanessa pinched him. "Ang arte kaya nun! Kala mo maganda!" Dagdag pa ni Patty.

"Ehem." Elle cleared her throat. Maybe to make Patty shut and it's effective but I saw Patty rolled his eyes..

"Pagpasensyahan mo na lang si Patty ah, wala kasing love life kaya ganoon." Vanessa said. I only smiled at them. "Bakit ikaw meron? Tse!" Inis na sabi ni Patty.

We got stucked with the traffic. "Radio naman dyan, Bakla! Nakakabored eh." Sabi ni Patty.

Elle opened the radio sa car niya at nabigla ako sa kanta..

'You're my piece of mind,

in this crazy world.

Your're everything I've tried to find,

your love is a pearl.

You're my Mona Lisa, you're my rainbow skies,

and my only prayer, is that you realize,

you'll always be beautiful, in my eyes.'

Memories suddenly flashed back in me.. Those times na naghahanda ako para sa pagpropose ko sa kanya. Ang saya-saya noon dahil sa wakas ay wala ng sagabal sa pagmamahal namin ni Elle. But sadly, ako pala yung naging problema sa relationship namin.

"This song sounds familiar, isn't?" I heard Elle's voice. Napatingin ako sa kanya na abala sa pagddadrive. "Yeah." Bulong ko..

After awhile, nakarating na kami sa bar.

Naunang bumaba sila Patty dahil magboboy's hunting daw sila. Dumiretso ako sa bar counter at umorder ng maiinom ko.

"Ladies choice please." Rinig kong sabi ni Elle at tumabi saakin. "Here.." Sabay abot ng bartender.

"Hindi ka ba galit saakin, Elle? Sa kung anong nangyari dati?" Bigla kong tanong sa kanya. I saw her smirk and ininom ang isang boteng may alak.

"Who wouldn't?" Sabi niya. Oo nga naman. Sino nga naman ang hindi magagalit sa nangyari diba? Your husband left you in the middle of the sea unknowingly kung makakasurvive ka ba or not.

"But you know what?" Bigla akong napatingin sa kanya. "From that moment, I only knew one thing." Biglang sabi niya at humarap ako sa kanya. Bigla akong kinabahan sa pwede niyang sabihin.

"That you were never loved me." Sabi niya. Magsasalita pa sana ako nang biglang magring phone ko. "Answer it." Biglang sabi niya. I sighed at tumayo upang sagutin ito.

After a while ay bumalik ako sa tabi niya at ininom ang natitirang basong alak ko.

"I have to go. Mr. Ruiz are looking for me, but thanks for the invitation though." Sabi ko. Tumango siya at tumayo ako. Nagaabang na ako ng taxi nang bigla akong makaramdam ng matinding paghilo. And the next think I knew, it went all black.

-

Napamulat ako dahil nakahiga na ako.. I saw an image of a woman who's coming near to me.. She's wearing a sexy black lingerie and I saw myself naked..

She went on top of me and pulled me closer to her.

"I missed you." I uttered. I caressed her body expertly and was about to kiss her but my lips went on her neck..

Suddenly, I felt her breath on my left ear.. I felt shivers.. "1, 2, 3...." She mumbled and there I saw nothing but darkness..

--

To be continued..