Ms. Writer and the Billionaire Playboy

Chapter 8

WHAT NEEDS TO BE accomplished? She looked in grief and silence at the almost empty paper infront of her. Mga dalawang tanong palang ata ang nasusulat niya. Medyo inaantok na rin siya, siguro ay gusto nang magpahinga muna ng braincells niya. It has been a long day after all. She has tomorrow to prepare for a whole day bago bumalik si Matt sa beach house.

But even though she knew her mind was tired, her body seemed to still flex itself, some of her senses still heightened and alive. Marahil ay dahil sa kauna-unahang beses ay mapapalayo na siya sa pamilya.

Marahil din ay dahil bago ang environment niya. Her bed although no matter how comfortable, is still new to her. New to her senses, new to her smell and touch. She looked at the clock and it was still about eight thirty in the night. Maaga silang naghapunan nila Manang Heidi. She was able to meet Tonton, Heidi’s son, pati ang asawa nito. Wala siyang dapat ipag-alala dahil nakastay ang magasawa sa isang attached building mini-house ng beach house.

May naka-attached rin na emergency landline sa kwarto niya. She felt that she cannot really write, her mind was wandering, her mind was letting her body reign the show tonight. She wanted to move, maybe feel more…maybe she wanted to sniff the air outside. Pwede naman iyon hindi ba? Wala namang nakasaad na bawal siyang tumingin tingin sa labas.

Anyhow, Matt already told her that the place is safe.

Chelsie can’t stand it, at napatayo siya mula sa kama. She slipped on her flipflops, and started to slowly and sneakily move her feet outside her room.

She was assigned with keys, so it wouldn’t be a problem for her to go outside though, hindi naman siya ikinulong sa bahay. She was aware though that there might be CCTV cameras somewhere around, iyon ay hinala lang naman niya. Pero hindi naman siguro krimen ang paglabas ng beach house upang maglakad lakad muna siya sa dalampasigan. She tiptoed until she reached the glass door, and it creaked softly…until it opened to the soft chilly somber air of the night.

She sighed, feeling more relaxed by the sight of the night sky from afar, just a few steps and she’s sure there will be twinkly stars from afar. The sea wind made her feel more alive.

Nami-miss na niya agad ang pamilya niya…she missed their evening family dinners kung saan magsasalu-salo sila. But this experience, being alone and just being herself was quite liberating as well.

She had in the first time after a few years a time to really be just by herself. And maybe this is what she needed for her growth.

She removed her flipflops, at tinahak ng mga paa niya ang dalampasigan. She could already hear the waves from afar, and the coldness of the wind enveloped her. She shivered a little bit, but she thought it was nice and every second, her body was starting to like how the wind touches her skin. It was cool and refreshing.

She felt her heart beat with appreciation for that special moment.

She planted her flipflops in the sand at doon siya napa-upo, she craned her neck up the sky. She felt more revitalized by the beauty of the scene. She felt hopeful. Makakayanan niya rin ito.

Napatitig siya ulit sa malawak na karagatan.

She wondered about Matt, about what would happen to them, about how she would write about them. She knows very little of him, and she was only about to read what he would answer to her questionnaire sheet.

Hindi pa tumatagal ang ilang minuto ay napapitlag siya ng biglang may marinig na kaluskos sa kung saan. Everything was silent and even dark before that. But now, she was suddenly aware of an imminent movement somewhere. And tanging ilaw mula sa lamp post sa gate ang naka-on. But everything was just lighted with dimmed led light in nook corners around the glass house.

That moment, there was an urge to immediately flee, ngunit nagmasid na muna siya. Mas lumakas ang kaluskos na iyon, it was from the bushes around the gate area, she was sure of that.

She felt her heart race a little bit faster, more subtly louder than the previous seconds that intervened her life. She felt it more becoming louder and louder, screaming almost from afar, ang kaluskos na halos lumalakas na. Doon na siya napapitlag, she grabbed her flipflops and ran as fast as she could towards the glass door.

Dahil sa dilim ay halos bulag siyang tumakbo, only feeling the sand in her feet. She has never been so terrified. May tao ba? Mamatay tao? Magnanakaw? Naku, ipinagkatiwala pa naman sa kaniya ni Matt ang panunuluyan sa bahay na iyon…or is it Matt? Is Matt a serial killer? Oh my god.

Mas napaharurot siya ng takbo, head bent down.

She hit an impact. A hard wall, or was it a hard body? Napadausdos siya sa shock.

She fell into a much harder and warmer, but now softer…arms?

Napapitok siya, only from the dim lights of the corner could she trace up the lines of that face. It was a charming and enigmatic face, full of intent and serious stare.

“M-matt?” she hushed, cupping her breath.

Feeling that their body was huddled together very closely, his arms around her, and her face pressed sideways in his chest, ay itinayo siya nito pabalik sa katinuan. She gasped for breath, her one palm still sticked into his arms for support.

“What are you doing, Chelsie?” it seemed, that it was Matt who made the rustling from the bushes. Was he?

And she heard a little noise from his back, of what appeared to be a breathing mewl from a dog. It now barked loudly upon seeing her.

Oh god, aso iyon. It was the one making the rustling earlier.

“Meet Apollo,” Matt motioned, it was quite bigger than inspection, eyes like Matt, serious and alert. It looked like a retriever, or a german shepherd or a cross breed.

“I brought him here, for an additional security. Now that a lady is here, although my rest house is generally safe, you might need a guard dog. Plus Apollo is friendly and he likes the beach.”

Napatango-tango si Chelsie, her breathing heaved, became more relaxed. She didn’t know her one palm is still in Matt’s arms, although he might have noticed as well.

“N-naglalakad lang ako, nagpapahangin, sorry. Nadinig ko yung kaluskos kaya napatakbo ako,” she gave a relieved smile.

And then it occurred to her, will Matt stay here for the night?

“I finished my errands earlier than expected, so I just drove her.” He explained, “and I didn’t have the time to tell Heidi, I didn’t want them to bother anyway.”

Now, seeing Matt under the dim light of the night, he still have this manly stance that she could understand any woman could fall for.

“Are you okay?” he seemed genuinely concerned.

“Yes, talagang nagulat lang ako,” she chuckled a little bit. And then she noticed her palms, and like scalding hot removed it from his arms immediately. Good thing, the darkness hid her sudden blushing. Oh, why would she even blush? Pinagalitan niya ng kaunti ang sarili.

“Sana hindi ka galit na gumala ako sa labas ng saglit, I just needed fresh air.”

“It’s perfectly fine, it must be good for your senses. Siguro ay baka nami-miss mo rin ang pamilya mo.”

Napatango siya ng kaunti. “First time ko kasing parang malalayo sa kanila, pero okay naman. Mas mapapabilis ang trabaho ko kung mas concentrated ako, hindi ba?”

Matt nodded in what seemed to be a sudden delight.

“I’m really glad I picked you.”

It was not a pick-up line, and it meant picking her for the job, but it kinda made her blush a little more too…Matt is too much handsome when his eyes smiles a bit like that, in contentment.

“So, do you care for some snacks?”

To her surprise ay itinaas ng kaunti ni Matt ang dala nitong isang cellophane, it looked like a burger or something.

She didn’t know how to respond, but she just gently nodded.