Playful Seduction

Chapter 19.

“Akala ko, you’re bringing your friends?” Kunot ang noo na tanong ni Noah after kissing me on my cheeks when I arrived at the party. May hawak syang champagne glass at mukhang kanina pa sya umiinom. He’s clean shaven now, far from the rugged look he sported a few days before when we saw each other at the spa.

“Uhm, actually, it’s my boyfriend. Susunod na lang sya, nasa trabaho nya pa sya.” Nahihiyang sabi ko. I imagined this moment with Raius by my side pero wala sya. Naisip ko kasi na mas magandang magsabi ako na may boyfriend na ako when my boyfriend is by my side.

Pero naiintindihan ko naman.

May tugtog sila ngayon, so I accepted the fact na hindi sya makakasama. But then after a few hours, he called me to say na kinausap nya na yung isang kaibigan nya na kung pwede ay palitan sya sa second set as the vocalist. Sa unang set lang sya kakanta para kahit papaano ay may kita pa rin sya and ayaw rin daw nyang isipin ng manager ng bar na nagpapabaya sya.

But since the party is also just within Makati, hahabol daw sya agad.

I appreciate that he also wants to be with me. Na nagawan nya ng paraan. Pwede ko naman sana sya hintayin na lang at sabay kaming pupunta but I don’t want to be late. Besides, may mga mutual friends kami ni Noah na siguradong makikita ko rito after a few years na rin so makikipag kwentuhan rin naman muna ako.

I arrived around nine thirty. I wore a red long sleeve dress na medyo makapal ang tela. This is a rooftop bar, so it can be cold for the night.

Noah blinked a few times. “Boyfriend?”

Tumango ako at ngumiti. Alam ko naman na magugulat sya. Everyone would, I think. I mean, they really don’t expect me to have a boyfriend because I wasn’t really interested and they know it, mostly.

“Woah. Wait, really? May boyfriend ka?” Napangiwi pa sya.

Tumawa ako. “Yep. Is that really so surprising?”

Inubos ni Noah ang laman ng champagne glass na hawak nya bago sumagot. “You are a good catch, Rai. And whoever he is, he’s lucky to have you.” Biglang naging seryoso ang mukha ni Noah.

“I know. I am lucky to have him as well.” Delighted na sabi ko.

Ngumit si Noah at inakbayan ako. “Okay, well, habang wala pa ang boyfriend mo, how about we go around and greet these people?”

“Oo naman! Mamaya pa naman sya makakasunod. We can go around and entertain your guests.” I miss his company, sa totoo lang.

Back in Isabela na halos sya lang ang palaging kasama ko dahil halos tuwing summer lang naman ako nandoon, ipapakilala nya ako sa ibang kakilala at friends nya and it is nice and all but at the end of the evening, company pa rin ni Noah ang hinahanap ko.

Noah is a good listener and a good conversationalist as well. Punong puno sya ng sympathy lalo na kapag nag vent ako ng inis ko sa buhay. Tapos funny rin sya, sya ‘yung alam kong makakapagpa gaan ng pakiramdam ko kaya kapag nandoon ako ay palagi akong sumasama sa kanya. I never really became close with his friends pero conversational naman kami.

Kapag may outing sila before ay sinasama nya ako. Minsan ako na ang nahihiya dahil parang inaasar minsan si Noah na taga alaga ko daw since I am a few years younger than all of them pero tinatawanan na lang sila ni Noah.

So, I think most people will understand kung bakit nagkaroon ako ng crush sa kanya. I don’t think he knows about it, pero hindi naman sya manhid para hindi maramdaman na gusto ko sya. He’s the only guy I liked since time immemorial bukod sa mga celebrity crushes ko na bihira lang rin naman ako magka interest.

After working for Tito Ram as his assistant, Noah’s aunt invited him to go to Milan and work there instead. He graduated law and passed the exam but when he left for Milan, hindi ko alam if nag practice sya. Ayaw ko mag assume based on the changes happened for him.

I like the old him, but physically, the current Noah right now seems livelier and happier.

“Misha, you remember Raisa?” Inakay ako ni Noah palapit sa corner kung saan may mga pinaka familiar na mukha ang makikita.

“Of course! Hi! Oh my gosh, you’re really big na, ha!” Nag beso kaming dalawa.

Misha Sy is one of Noah’s friends back in Isabela. Hindi man kami naging super close but she’s one of the few na talaga ini-entertain ako tuwing kasama ko sila at hindi paulit ulit na nagsasabi na “bata pa ako” para sumama sa kanila.

“Hi! You look so pretty!” Tuwang sabi ko naman. Baby face si Misha kaya kahit late twenties na sya ay papasa sya na ka age ko o mas bata pa sa akin.

“Ay, naku! Ikaw itong ang ganda dyan. I knew you were gonna grow up this stunning!”

And then nandoon rin sila Glyzon and Armand, Noah’s bestfriends.

Most of the people in this group are from Isabela so I know most of them by face and their names. Umikot pa kami ni Noah. Bitbit nya ako habang nagpapalipat lipat sya sa mga group of friends nya na nandito. He rented the place at narealize ko lang iyon after almost an hour of going around with him.

“Ano, hindi pa ba pupunta boyfriend mo? I want to meet him!”

I pulled my phone from my purse. “Hmm, wala pa. Baka patapos pa lang ang first set. He will call me naman if he’s on the way.”

“First set? Ano ba trabaho ng boyfriend mo?”

“He has a band. He’s the vocalist. Part time ng band nya tumugtog sa isang bar tuwing Saturday night. Malapit lang naman dito.” Proud na sabi ko.

Tumango tango si Noah. “I see.”

“Gusto ko rin na makilala mo sya.”