Slept with a Stranger

Natasha Claire Ortega "Uy sis! ano na nangyari sayo? ang dami ng costumer, kilos-kilos din. Kahit maganda ka, 'wag kang feeling mannequin." Tiffany scolded me, fashionably. I sighed and shake my head. Ilang araw na akong ganito, madalas tulala o kaya ay hindi kumimibo na napuna naman agad ni Tiffany, my bestfriend at ka-trabaho ko rin dito sa McConnell Mall o mas kilala na 'MCM'. It's a high-end mall with branches around asia and some in the US. A lot of famous fashion shops can also be found here, madalas din dito nag pupunta ang mga artista o mga politicians. "Good day ma'am, dress po?" alok ko sa mga magagarang babaeng nag titingin-tingin sa section namin. Sales-lady kami dito pero half day lang, pang part time job lang namin dahil wala pang tumatawag sa'min sa mga napag-apply-an naming mga kompanya. It's nice kase aside from this mall caters the customers, they also provide job opportunities sa mga tao, cashiers here are also college graduates so it's really a quality mall. Tiffany and I are both graduates of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Some may question why we decided to work as saleslady for the meantime, it is because sobrang beneficial sa amin ng terms nila rito. Mabait sa empleyado at very employer-friendly ang working time and the environment itself. Actually, overqualified na raw kami sa pagiging saleslady dahil na rin sa matataas naming grades nung nag aaral pa kami. Kinahapunan, natapos na ang duty namin at kaya napag-pasiyahan naming mag ice cream sa shop na pagmanay-ari rin ng mga McConnell. It is a general knowledge that not all of their companies are handled by one person, malaking pamilya rin naman kase sila kung tutuusin, but they are all good in business, siguro kung ka-pamilya ko sila I'll be very pressured to be on top of my game. "You know what, I'm still wondering kung bakit ka nagkakaganyan. Inaaya kitang mag bar pero parati ka na wala sa mood," panimula niya, tinatarayan pa ako. "Parang last last week lang noong mag-punta tayong bar then ayun ang saya diba? we get wasted and...." she paused. "Oh my G--" Napatili siya na siyang nakapukaw ng atensyon ng mga tao sa paligid. Binatukan ko siya dahil sa ingay, napaka palengkera talaga.  "Aray! What was that for?" inarte pa niya at inayos ang buhok. I rolled my eyes, "Lower your voice, Tiff, ano ba kaseng ino-OMG mo?" tanong ko, minsan napapaisip na rin ako kung bakit ko siya kaibigan. I don't like too much attention, while she gets all the attention most of the time because of her personality.  "Where did you go after the party?" biglang tanong niya na nagpatahimik sa'kin. I look at her blankly, sasabihin ko ba? but it's not like I have a choice. "Oh my gosh," she exaggerated once again. "Don't tell me.." binigyan niya ako ng mapanuring tingin, by now sa palagay ko ay may ideya na siya. Nanatili lang akong nakatitig sakanya habang siya naman nakatitig din na parang binabasa ang nasa isip ko. "I know you Natasha Claire, iyon ba ang dahilan kung bakit ganyan ka? parating tulala, balisa, at hindi mapakali?" dire-diretsong tanong niya at binuo pa talaga first name ko. Napailing ako, napakakulit. "What? come on, spill!" Pangungulit niya sa kabila ng katahimikan ko. "Fine...yes, ayon ang dahilan. And... I am supposed to have my period today too," pahina nang pahina ang boses ko, hoping she wouldn't probed, sana talagang na-delay lang. Napatakip siya ng bibig, "You b***h, bakit mo sinuko ang perlas ng silanganan? tsaka kanino? don't tell me doon sa lalaking lumapit sa'yo?" nandidiring tanong niya. I rolled my eyes, she's so loud at malapit ko na ulit siyang mabatukan. Actually, not just the guy whom I slept with is the only one na lumapit sa'kin. May-isa pa at iyon yung nakita ni Tff, 'yong bastos na lalaki na feeling gwapo, ang baho naman ng pabango.  "Siyempre hindi no, anong akala mo sakin?" Sabi ko. Kahit naman may pagka-marupok ako ay may taste naman ako! She rolled her eyes too, but relief is evident in her reaction. "Fine, then kanino pala?" she asked. Kinuwento ko sakanya ang nangyari that night, including the guy I slept with, of course just those that I remember.  "What? are you serious!?" she shouted again, and for the second time nagtinginan na naman ang mga tao. "You sure you're not dreaming?" she mocked me, at bahagyang patawa-tawa. I almost want to act na para bang hindi ko siya kasama dahil sa kahihiyan, napaka-ingay talaga ni Tiffany. Hinampas ko siya sa braso, "Ouch!" reklamo niya. "I know you're pretty and sexy aside from mabait ka pero sure ka ba sa sinasabi mo?" hindi makapaniwala niyang tanong. I laughed at her reaction before I sighed remembering our topic. "You know what Tiff, I really can't understand myself. It feels unreal, ilang ulit ko iniisip how I ended up in his bed pero siya at siya pa rin ang naaalala ko," sabi ko, can't even help but to bite my lip. "Well, if what you're saying is true then I am envious, the first guy you selept with is famous and a business tycoon. He is also one of the highest paid model in Asia. Ang may-ari ng mall at ice cream parlo na ito! Are you sure siya talaga 'yon?" she probed after listing all the achievements of that guy making my claims so impossible. "Ano namang mapapala ko sa panloloko sa'yo? and you know me, you'll know right away if I was lying." I said. "Wait, you said that your monthly period was delayed right?" parang hindi pa rin makapaniwalang tanong niya. It was supposed to be either yesterday or today, but even the pre-period cramps did not visit me. Natahimik si Tiffany at prenteng nag-isip. "Well, baka naman dumating na rin 'yung period ko tonight. Don't worry," sabi ko nalang, while it is me being nervous and all. Now if that intercourse will get me pregnant, I don't know what to do. I don't know if I have the means to raise a child, but I will do anything to keep the baby. I guess, I will just accept the child of course because it's mine. I suddenly thought of him. If I become pregnant, I probably won't tell him. I mean, there's no point in doing so, I don't want my child to be rejected by his/her own father. Sino ba namang matinong babae ang sasama nalng basta sa kung sinong lalaki? There is a huge possibility na iisipin niya na isa lang akong mukhang pera. I also don't want to look desperate... hayy, bahala na, bakit ba masiyado akong advance mag-isip?