CERLANCE ZODIAC

43 - Protection

“WHAT? ARE YOU GONNA JUST STARE AT ME UNTIL I MELT?”

Napakurap siya nang muling nagsalita si Cerlance. Sa mahabang sandali ay nanatili siyang nakatunganga rito. She had no idea how long she had been staring at him, but she could feel her heart racing, her chest pounding.

“And here I thought you’re excited to do it in my driver’s seat.” Tuwid na tumayo si Cerlance saka inisuksok ang mga kamay sa magkabilang mga bulsa. He smirked at her. “It's fine if you changed your mind." Tumalikod na ito at naglakad patungo sa pinto.

Napasinghap siya nang matauhan; mabilis siyang tumayo at sumunod kay Cerlance; totally ignoring the best-tasting sausage on her plate. Ibang sausage na ang gusto niya ngayon— and she was chasing after it.

Pagdating sa labas ay huminto si Cerlance sa harap ng entrance at hinintay siya. Paglabas ay kaagad naman siyang nahinto nang humarap ito sa kaniya. His hands were in his pockets still when he said;

“We both understand that this thing we have at the moment isn’t permanent and that we shouldn’t develop feelings, right, Shellany?”

She gave him a bored look.

Ano na naman? Mag-uusap na naman tayo? Akala ko pa naman ay patakbo nating babalikan ang kotse para umarya na?

Itinaas niya ang mukha. “Our agreement is as clear as the ocean water, Cerlance.” No strings attached. I get it, alright? Hali ka na kaya sa kotse?

Tumango si Cerlance; ang anyo ngayon ay naging seryoso. “Earlier, you said that you are a hungry, sexually active woman who craves sex.”

“Right.” Kailangan pa talagang ulitin?

“And so do I, Shellany. I love se.x as much as you do—and I like it done with someone who wouldn’t give me a problem in the end by developing feelings."

"I would never develop feelings for you if that's what you're so worried about. I don't think I will ever develop feelings toward another man after what my ex-fiance did to me." Syempre pa, labas sa ilong ang sinabi niya. Pakiramdam niya sa sarili ngayon ay isang matanda't mayamang lalaki na nangangako ng magandang kinabukasan sa batang-batang babae.

She shivered at the thought.

She was getting dirtier as time passed by.

"That's good to hear," Cerlance answered with a flat tone. "So, since we both wanted the same thing, we would probably do it as much as we possibly could until the booking ends and we separate ways.”

“Right.” Shi*t—bakit na naman parang may kudlit akong naramdaman sa tuwing binabanggit niya ang pagtatapos ng booking ko?

“I will be very busy in the next two months, and I probably wouldn't be able to see you after the booking. But when I get some time, I would definitely keep in touch. Iyon ay kung interesado ka pa?”

“I sure will.” Bahala na. Ang mahalaga ay ang ngayon—bahala na kung ano ang mangyayari bukas.

“And since we both understand that this ‘relationship’— whatever you want to call it— is temporary, you surely didn’t want to get pregnant, did you?”

Natigilan siya sa huling sinabi nito.

Mukhang alam na niya kung saan papunta ang konbersasyong ito…

“I admit that I had several lovers in the past, but I can assure you that I practice safe se.x, Shellany. I have done something I don’t usually do earlier today, and that was fu.ck you without protection. I can confidently say that I wouldn’t give you a disease, but we should still need to take care of our well-being if we wanted to keep doing this. In short, I don’t want to get you pregnant, and I don’t want us to get used to doing this unprotected. We are not in a relationship where we needed to stay faithful to each other, so you would most likely meet someone who you would think as delectable as I was, and you’d probably end up hooking with him, too.”

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay niya—hindi niya nagustuhan ang ideyang binubuo nito sa utak. Did Cerlance thought she was someone who would jump from one man to another?

Wait…

Well… yeah, she did.

And he was concluding that she was the kind of a woman who would do such a thing.

Could she blame him?

No.

Because come to think of it...

She had only met him in less than a week, pero noong unang mga araw pa lang ay nilandi na niya ito habang umiiyak siya dahil sa ex niya. Then, they ended up making out in the backseat of his car. Everything happened in less than a week—natural na mag-isip nang ganoon si Cerlance!

But I wouldn’t do that if it wasn’t him! depensa niya rin sa sarili. She just knew she wouldn’t do such a thing if it wasn’t Cerlance Zodiac.

No one had ever made her feel so hungry… and so desperate for attention and s*x but Cerlance. And at first, she thought it was only because she missed her ex-fiance. But now… she felt otherwise.

Shutacca, Shellany. Ayusin mo mga desisyon mo sa buhay!

“With that being said, I want to let you know that from now on, I want us to take care of ourselves by using protection, Shellany.”

Napakurap siya bago ibinalik ang pansin sa kaharap.

Hindi siya makapaniwala sa paraan ng pakikipag-usap nito sa kaniya tungkol sa bagay na iyon. Kung sabihin sa kaniya ni Cerlance ang tungkol sa pag-gamit nila ng 'proteksyon' —o contraceptives— ay parang nagpi-presenta lang ng business plan. At hindi niya alam kung maiilang o mapapahiya.

But on the other hand… she appreciated his intention. Lalo at nag-aalala rin siya sa mali-maling desisyon niya sa buhay. Mas maiging ang isa sa kanila ay nag-iisip nang tuwid, habang ang isa—siya — ang padalus-dalos. It was a balance between them, and it was good.

It was good to have Cerlance thinking about the most important thing while she enjoyed messing around with her eyes closed.

Dahil sa totoo lang... wala siyang kaide-ideya sa mga ginagawa niya. Wala siyang pakialam kung ano ang mangyayari sa kaniya kung matatapos ito. Ni hindi siya sigurado ngayon kung ano at sino talaga ang gusto niya.

And just now, she decided that if ever she and Knight would get back together, she would definitely still want to continue this relationship with Cerlance. And those two guys wouldn't even know one of them exists!

Bahala na kung minus 200 siya sa langit, basta ayaw niyang pakawalan si Cerlance kahit pa nasa bisig na siyang muli ni Knight.

Huminga siya nang malalim at pilit na ngumiti. If Cerlance wanted it to be this way, then fine.

“I honestly hate condoms, but sure. If that’s what you were trying to suggest, let’s do it.” Humalukipkip siya at muling itinaas ang mukha.

Nasa harap sila ng entrance ng restaurant at nasa gilid ng kalsada kung saan may dumaraang mga tricycle at jeep. Ang oras na iyon ay medyo abala at ang paligid ay hindi kaaya-aya para pag-usapan nila ang tungkol sa bagay na iyon. Pero ayaw niyang umatras o umiwas sa on-the-spot topic na binuksan ni Cerlance. She didn't one to appear inferior.

Saktong may dumaang motorsiklo na malakas ang pagharurot nang muli siyang nagsalita,

“Gusto mo bang dumaan muna tayo sa supermarket o bumalik sa mall para maghanap ng condom? I’m just worried na baka wala silang stock ng double XL dito— mukha kasing iyon ang size na kakailanganin mo.”

Cerlance eyes flickered in amusement—iyon ang unang emosyong pinakawalan nito simula nang mag-usap sila tungkol sa bagay na iyon. Ilang sandali pa’y umangat ang isang sulok ng labi nito sa pinong pag-ngiti, kasunod ng paglampas ng tingin nito sa kaniyang balikat.

Nagsalubong ang kaniyang mga kilay at nilingon ang kumuha sa pansin ni Cerlance, at nang makita ang isa sa mga babaeng staff ng restaurant na nakatayo sa likuran niya bitbit ang dalawang paperbag ng take-out food sa isang kamay habang ang isang kamay ay nakahawak sa nakabukas na glass door, ay napangiwi siya. Lalo nang makitang tila natigilan ito at ang mga mata’y bahagyang nanlalaki na marahil ay na-eskandalo sa narinig mula sa kaniya.

Ahhh, s**t.

She was too embarassed she didn’t know what to say. But she knew she had to say something; pambawi sa kahihiyang narinig nito mula sa kaniya. Pero bago pa niya naisip kung ano ang tamang sasabihin ay bumuka na ang kaniyang dibdib, at bago pa niya napigilan ang sarili ay lumabas na ang mga salitang…

“May alam ka bang store na nagbebenta ng double XL condoms and lubricants, Miss?”

Lalong nanlaki ang mga mata ng babae, at bago pa rumehistro sa isip niya ang mga pinagsasasabi ay naramdaman na niya ang kamay ni Cerlance sa kaniyang braso kasunod ng paghila nito sa kaniya palayo roon.