Chapter 2: So Close
1296 Words
KRIS
“Why are we friends again, Gav?”
I was having dinner with Gavi. She is my close friend since college. She is sexy, slim, pearl white-skinned, with long hair and beautiful face. No one could guess she is a lesbian. And I love her for that. It just means that we are not katalo. Nonetheless, she doesn’t know about my s****l partner preference yet.
Her small eyes bulged and she almost choked when she heard my question. Ngali-ngali niyang inabot ang tubig at uminom bago nagsalita. “Oh, God! Are you proposing to me, Kris?” Hindi siya makapaniwalang nakatingin sa akin. It was like I suddenly grew horns on my forehed.
‘Great!’ Susungayin ko na lang kaya ang lesbianang ‘to?
“You wish, Gav. You wish!” I gave her a finger.
She burst into laughter. It was tinkling and gorgeous if I must admit. Walang pakialam ang bruhita sa mga nakarinig. Napatingin sa amin ang ilang mga customers sa restoran, lalo na ang mga kalalakihan. Bahala nga sila sa buhay nila.
“I was tense back there!” Hinampas niya ang kamay kong nag-f**k you sa kanya.
“Pinakaba mo ako, Kris. God! Masisira ang friendship natin, alam mo ba? It’ll be so awkward. Urgh! I’m having goosebumps. Look, o!” medyo maarteng aniya.
Nag-chicken skin nga ang bruhita nang ipinakita ang mala-porselanang braso.
“You know I f*****g love Kath. So, we can never… ever… be like… eww! I can’t even paint it in my mind. The two of us? Come on!” dagdag niya pang nakangiwi.
“I assure you, we can never ever be like that. But… how did you know you’re in love with Kath? Did you know it from the very start or you just realized it later on?” Kahit paano ay gusto kong malaman kung paano nga bang umibig sa same s*x. Kung magkatulad kami.
“Is there a girl you like?” balik-tanong niya naman.
“Don’t even ask.”
“Fine! Anyway, with Kath… well, I just liked her at first. Then… let’s say… it just developed and blossomed into love. Tsk! I’m so cheesy. I want to throw up!” She rolled her eyes.
Napatawa ako sa kanya. Kahit lesbiana naman kasi siya ay para pa rin siyang babae kung umakto. Pareho silang dalawa ng girlfriend niya. Pero tama siya.
“Kris, tell me honestly. Ano ba talaga ang type mo?”
Shet! Seryoso ang friend ko. Sasabihin ko na ba ang totoo sa kanya? Shet! I might be hanged because of it.
Napailing ako. Bibitayin talaga? Yeah, that was OA.
Well, maybe. Ako lang naman kasi ang tanging tagapagmana ng kumpanya namin. And my father will certainly not like the idea of having a son who’s gay! May mga plano na siya para sa ‘kin. Malay ko ba, pati na rin si Mommy ay meron na ring plano sa akin nang hindi ko man lang alam aside sa gusto nila akong ipakasal sa isang babae, which I personally think na isang pagsakal sa ‘kin?
“I don’t know. I guess, we’ll see in the future… or soon…?”
Napangiti na lang ako sa kanya nang alanganin. Hindi ko alam kung tatanggapin ako ni Gavi kapag nalaman ang tungkol sa totoong ako. Will I lose her friendship, too? Will she be open-minded as I am?
“Wala ka man lang ba crush? You know what? I never even asked you this before.”
Napatawa na lang ako sa kanya nang marahan. Napaisip ako kay Bad Boy Bastien Baltazar na crush na crush ko since high school.
“May crush naman. Para pa ngang ‘itsura ng anime, alam mo ‘yon? Tapos ngayon ay nagtransisyon siya na parang Hollywood star. It starts from the face, the hair…”
Napatawa siya. “Ah, so ‘yan ang type mo!”
Napangiti na lang ako sa kanya habang naiisip si Bastien.
***
“Sir Kris, someone’s waiting for you in your office.”
Ito ang bungad sa akin ng sekretarya kong si Liza. She is older than me for about two years. She is not married but has a boyfriend. Ka-officemate pa namin. I once saw them together making out at the mini-kitchen for the staff. She never knew I saw them.
Shet! Nagselos ako no’n. Buti pa siya may boyfriend na. Eh, ako?
“Who is it?” Kumunot ang noo ko. Wala akong in-expect na bisita ngayon.
“Bastien Baltazar. It’s his second time to come in your office, Sir Kris, remember?”
Tumango na lang ako at tinalikuran ang average-looking kong sekretarya na naka-high ponytail ang pinakulayang buhok na light brown.
Kumabog na ang puso ko nang binuksan ang pinto. Prenteng nakaupo si Bastien sa long couch na nasa kaliwang bahagi ng desk ko. Malapit iyon sa French windows. May flower vase sa center table na salamin.
Bastien smiled when he saw me come in. Isinara ko na ang pinto ng office ko at nakapamulsahang nakatingin sa kanya.
“I thought you were going to call, Bastien,” I calmly looked at him in spite of the butterflies that flittered wildly in my stomach.
“It doesn’t mean I can’t visit either.” Tumayo siya at humakbang palapit sa akin.
“So, tell me. Aren’t you busy with your life para bisitahin mo nang ganito?” Pasimple lang akong gustong mag-catch up sa buhay niya.
He laughed a bit. Hinagod niya ako ng tingin. Today, I wore black slacks and white long-sleeved dress shirt and a stripe blue-and-white necktie.
“There’s no use managing my failing business,” he answered nonchalantly.
Nabigla ako sa sinabi niya. “Failing business?” Nag-fencing ang mga kilay ko. Hindi ko kasi narinig na pabagsak ang negosyo nila. Just when? How? Why? Hindi ko namalayang ito na pala ang naitanong ko sa kanya.
“Why do you even ask, Kris? Do you want to help me?”
Napailing ako nang bahagya. “Is that why you were there that night? You were supposed to drown your sorrows?” I sarcastically said, looking at him.
“Maybe that’s how we should put it. Hindi na rin masama. Parang gusto ko ang tunog na ‘yan.”
“Bastien, if you want my help, you just tell me. After all, schoolmates tayo dati at iniligtas mo ako sa kahihiyan the other night.”
Napatitig siya sa akin nang husto. Humakbang nang marahan. Napansin ko na lang ang sarili ko na napaatras. Naramdaman ko na lang na dumikit na ang likod ko sa malamig na dingding ng office ko. Shet! This is so awkward.
‘Does he know I’m gay? Nakasulat ba ‘yon sa noo ko or what? Because no one knows that I am!’
His dark eyes roved all over my face so f*****g slowly. I can feel the heat creeping on my cheeks. Nakakahiya! Mababasa na niyang gusto ko siya! Jusko!
Ang bango pa naman niya. I liked his woody and musky scent. Iyon nga rin ang gamit kong perfume.
Dear God! He’s turning me on. Ano’ng gagawin ko ngayon? Itutulak siya?
Gapulgada na lang ang layo namin sa isa’t isa. I can feel his breath fanning my face. Parang minty na sweet ang amoy. I can also feel the warmth and strength exuding from his yummy body.
I felt my hard-on jerking inside my pants. My heart was about to burst or was about to get out of my very rib cage. I can hear it beating so loud in my ears that I might probably go deaf after this. Gusto kong himatayin. Now na. Puwede ba para tigilan na niya itong pag-torture sa ‘kin?
“Is that the only reason why you want to help me, Kris? Wala na bang ibang rason, ha?”
Napalunok ako at ang mga kamay kong nasa bulsa ng slacks ko ay nakawala na. Marahang nag-angat patungo sa dibdib niyang maskulado. I can feel the hard muscles that rippled under my palms.
“Get off me, Bastien. We can talk about this like civilized and well-mannered men.”
He chuckled, squinting his eyes at me. He was totally taunting me. “Like men? Are you really a man, Kris?”
- Writer
