Paul looked at her closely, “Come on, babe. What’s wrong?”
Lumayo si Claire kay Paul. Inabot siya ng lalaki but she kept moving away from him. Naiiyak na siya.
“I-I–I’m not that kind of g-girl…”nauutal na sabi ni Claire. Hindi na niya napigilang umiyak. Paul automatically reached for her and hugged her.
“Claire..Please, stop crying. I can’t bear looking at you crying…Please, baby..”pang-aalo ni Paul.
Claire couldn’t believe she gave herself to Paul, a total stranger which she just had met. And he’s a womanizer. She realized she would just be a random face to him. Kumalas si Claire kay Paul at dumiretso sa banyo sabay kuha ng mga damit niya.
Paul longingly followed her with his eyes. He decided na bigyan ng time si Claire. Siguro nabigla ito sa namagitan sa kanila. He knew he moved too fast. Heck, she was his cousin’s best friend. Papatayin siya ng pinsan niya pag nalaman nito ang ginawa niya. Lumabas na lamang siya ng villa.
Narinig ni Claire ang pagbukas at sara ng main door kaya alam niyang lumabas si Paul. Naligo siya at nagbihis, after several minutes, nag ring ang landline. Dinampot agad niya ang receiver.
“Hello?”
“What can you say about my cousin? He’s very handsome, di’ba?”tanong ni Sylvia sa kabilang linya. Nabosesan agad niya ito.
“Ang pangit niya, mas gwapo pa ako. You want to talk to him? He’s outside, I think…”
“You think?”panunuksong tanong ng kaibigan niya. “Haha, don’t answer that, anyway, I just wanna check on you guys. If there’s anything else you need, you can ask the front desk. Alright?”
“Hmmm, okay..”
“Nagkakagustuhan na ba kayo?”
“What?No!!!Ano ka ba?Di’ba nga lalaki na ako?Ewww. Wait, is that why he’s here?You set me up! How could you!”
“Oh, of course not! Hindi ko pinlano yun! Besides, wala akong sinabi sa kanya about you except you’re “Air.”
“Hmp, then why is he here?”
According to her best friend, Paul was a playboy (which she knew at sight). Womanizer. Kaliwa’t kanan ang mga girlfriends. Ang mga tulad nito ang pinakaiinisan niya sa lahat. Claire knew that pinalayas si Paul ng ama nito at tinanggal sa trabaho dahil sa pagiging babaero nito.
——–
Come the next day…
Habang nag-aalmusal napuna ni Paul na masama ang tingin ni Claire sa kanya.
“Galit ka ba sa akin?’tanong niya rito. He was wondering if she was angry at him and for what he did last night.
“Alam mo ba kung bakit ako nagkakaganito?”Nasa boses nito ang galit habang tinutusoktusok ng tinidor ang omelet na nasa plato nito.
Hindi sumagot si Paul. He looked at her and waited for her to explain.
“My fiance got another girl pregnant. Bad this is, I knew it weeks before our wedding. Alam mo ba kung gaano kasakit yun, ha? Alam mo ba?”pasigaw na sabi nito sa kanya.
She stood up and moved closer to his seat. “Alam mo ba kung gaano kasakit na malamang niloko ka ng minamahal mo? Alam mo ba kung paano yun nakakasira ng buhay? Alam mo?!!”Pinagtaasan siya nito ng kilay, saka pinanlisikan ng mga mata.
“I hate your kind, Paul. Kinamumuhian ko ang mga taong manloloko at mahilig manakit ng mga babae,”deretsahang sabi nito. “I’m beginning to regret what happened to us..But then, for you, it’s just another roll in the hay, right?”sarkastikong pahayag pa nito.
Paul calmly answered,”I’m sorry. Dahil nalaman mo kung ano ako dati. But I’m not sorry for what we shared last night. Huwag kang umastang tomboy kasi alam kong babae ka,admit it Claire, you felt it, too.”
Nanginit ang pisngi ni Claire,”Ewan ko sa’yo. At pwede ba, don’t change the topic! Ang pagiging womanizer mo ang pinag-uusapan dito.”
“Okay, this is the truth…kahihiwalay ko pa lang sa lahat ng naging girlfriends ko. Alam kong nasaktan ko sila sa simula but I had to do it for a start,”Paul said as he looked at Claire’s eyes. “I want to change, Air. And I want to ask for your help.”
“Hindi ako interesadong tulungan ang mga gaya mo!”
“Ganoon ba?I thought you want me to change myself. That’s why you opened your past to me, right? Well, I can find someone else to help me then…”Pagkasabi nun ay tumayo na siya at iniligpit ang pinagkainan niya.
Papalabas na siya ng kusina nang pigilin siya nito.
“What are you asking, Paul?”Claire said, her voice still filled with disgust.
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Lumingon si Paul. Stared into her and said,
“Be my girl.”