Make Him Move On in 50 Days

Prologue

“Come on, Xy!” Selena encouraged me. “Move around!”

Selena laughed as she wiggled her butt against mine. Her hands were up against the air as she was dancing along to the music blasting through the club’s speakers. I could tell that she was already on the verge of getting drunk. One or two more bottles, and she was finally done for the night.

Shaking my head, I laughed at her craziness as I got a shot of whiskey to drink. I wasn’t in the mood to dance so I just planned to sit back and chill.

“Don’t be such a killjoy, Xy.” Deia also tried her luck to persuade me. “Let’s have fun tonight! The life of the party’s at the dancefloor, not here!”

“Pass muna ako ngayon,” sabi ko na lang at saka pumirmi sa aking kinauupuan.

Deia frowned, but I could see that she was very determined to make me dance tonight. “Oh, come on!” she exclaimed and grabbed my arm, trying to pull me towards the dancefloor. “This is only our free time. Enjoy the night!”

I chuckled and kept myself still. “We always party, Deia, so stop the act,” natatawa kong sabi sa kanya.

“But, still!” she sternly said and sat beside me. “There are so many eligible bachelors on the dance floor tonight. Some of them are tycoons! I heard them talking while I was there!”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Who cares?”

Mas lalo namang napakunot ang kanyang noo. “Seryoso ka ba, Xylia?”

Tinawanan ko na lamang siya. “Sige na,” sabi ko at bahagya siyang tinulak. “Samahan mo na si Selena roon. Mamaya may makakuha na naman sa kanya.”

Umirap siya. “May bago pa ba ro’n?” balik niyang tanong sa akin. 

Tuwing lumalabas kami upang magnighout ay pare-pareho lamang ang nangyayari. Ang pinagkaiba nga lang ngayon ay wala talaga ako sa wisyo na magsayaw at magsaya. Plinano ko ring huwag sumama sa kanila pero hindi nila ako hinayaan.

I was thinking of the corporate world that was going to welcome me after a few days and I wasn’t ready for that. I was already twenty five years old, and I still didn’t want to settle down. I still wanted to have fun. I didn’t want to be locked in the boring part of life, but I had no choice. 

“Please grow more, Xylia! Be mature and responsible! Act according to your age!” I didn’t know how many times I heard those words from my father.

Even before I graduated, I already planned not to get a job and travel the world instead. Plano kong magpahinga muna ng isang taon dahil halos buong buhay ko ay ginugol ko na sa pag-aaral. Baka mabaliw ako kapag sumabak agad ako sa pagtatrabaho. I might have a mental breakdown, and that was the last thing I wanted to happen.

Daddy agreed with my decision. Ang problema nga lang, ang isang taon na hiningi ko ay ginamit ko para mag-aral ng Architecture na hindi ko rin itinuloy kaya humingi ulit ako ng isa pang taon, hanggang sa nagsimula nang magtanong si Daddy sa kung ano ang balak ko sa aking buhay. Ang lagi kong dahilan ay hindi pa ako handa. I wanted to embrace my freedom as much as I could. But then, I was forced to apply for a job because of his threats. He said he would take me back home if I wouldn’t.

Ayaw kong bumalik sa bahay. Ayaw kong umuwi. Luckily, I was hired at a well-known company in the real-estate industry. I just need to keep the job and be a regular employee, then I’m settled! I don’t have to deal with my nagging father again.

“I can’t take it anymore!” 

Deia pulled me out from my thoughts when she suddenly exclaimed. I turned to her, and she looked at me like I did something wrong to her. “What did I do again?” I innocently asked.

“Kung ayaw mong sumayaw, just go and do my dare,” bigla niyang sabi. “I need some entertainment, Xy.”

I crossed my eyebrows. “Dare?”

I suddenly had a bad feeling about her dare. Parang gusto ko na lang tumayo at dumiretso sa dance floor pero gusto ko ring madinig ang hamon niya sa akin.

She grinned. “I want you to go to the dance floor.” 

“That’s all?”

Bahagya akong nag-alangan sa kanyang dare sa akin. Baka mamaya ay paraan niya lang iyon para mapapunta ako sa dance floor at mapasayaw nang wala sa oras. Kung ganoon ay hindi ako papayag sa dare niya. I would rather just sit and relax like what I had planned.

Umiling siya. “Na-ah! Meron pa,” sabi niya. “You need to drop your shoes while walking. Kung sino man ang pumulot ng sapatos mo, entertain him. Ask for his name, age, and number.” 

“Okay...” pag-aalangan ko ngunit naisip kong wala rin namang masama sa kanyang hamon sa akin. “Iyon lang naman pala, e,” dagdag ko pa.

Sinikop ko ang aking buhok at niladlad sa kaliwang balikat para mas makita ang aking leeg. I had been to bars before and trust me, long and soft necks of girls attract guys more.

“Hindi pa tapos!” pahabol niya.

“Ano pa ba?”

“And make him yours,” she added and raised her eyebrows. “You only have 50 days to do it. If you won’t succeed, you will give me five hundred thousand. Deal?”

“I can easily give you the money right now, Deia.” Nagtaas din ako ng kilay sa kanya. “Wala na bang mas challenging pa diyan?”

“Xy, hindi na usapang pera ‘to,” pagpapatuloy niya sa kanyang hamon. “Kapag hindi siya napasa’yo, it only means that you’re a no-no.”

“A no-no?” I asked, slightly confused with her terms.

“Yes, a no-no.” She gave her sweetest smile. “Wala kang kuwenta,” she said and laughed.

There was nothing hard about her dare. I was confident with my beauty and charm. But I wasn’t fond of playing games, especially playing with boys.

“Then, vice versa,” I stated, and she stopped laughing. “If I succeed within 50 days, you’d be the one to pay.”

Deia suddenly fell into her deep thoughts. Mukhang nag-isip pa siya nang malalim bago nag-angat ng tingin sa akin habang nakangiti.

“No problem, Xy,” she said, and I was surprised with the confidence she showed me.

Tumaas naman ang aking kilay at saka tumayo.

“Then, let’s start this little game of yours.” I smirked as I loosened the pumps that I was wearing before I walked towards the dance floor without hesitation.

I heard Deia’s loud cheers when I left our table. She’s really enjoying this, huh?

“In three... two... one...” bulong ko sa sarili bago hinayaang matanggal sa pagkakasuot sa aking paa ang sapatos na suot ko.

Nakakatatlong hakbang pa lang ako mula nang mahubad ko ang aking suot na sapatos ay may humawak sa balikat ko. I smiled so widely, suddenly feeling proud of myself. 

Lilingunin ko na sana ang kumalabit sa akin nang matagpuan ko siyang nakaluhod sa aking harapan upang isuot sa akin ang sapatos. He softly caressed my naked feet and let it rest on his thighs. I couldn’t properly see his face yet, but I felt something different.

No one had ever touched me like that. It almost made me shiver kahit na ang paa ko lang ang hinawakan niya. The way he caressed my feet gave me some kind of sensation that I had never felt before.

“Your shoes...” he trailed before he raised his head to look at me. “Naiwan mo, Cinderella.”

My lips slightly parted as soon as my gaze landed on his hazel brown eyes. He wasn’t familiar to me at all. We always club at this bar and that was the first time that I saw him. He looked so foreign to me.

Hindi ko maiwasang hagudin siya ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa. Napalunok ako nang makita ang kanyang katawan na maganda ang pagkakaukit. His broad shoulders were so wide at kitang-kita iyon dahil sa hapit na dark long sleeves na kanyang suot. Ang manggas pa ng kanyang button down shirt ay tinupi niya hanggang siko.

My eyes drifted to his face and I just gulped gawking at him. I couldn’t help but admire his God-like features—those hazel brown eyes, pink lips, pointed nose, eyebrows that were perfectly curved... even his messy hair fit his foreign look. He was physically perfect.

But then, I reminded myself that I wasn’t there to admire his looks. I had to do a deal.

I flashed my sweetest smile and offered my hand. “Hi, you must be new here,” I greeted him. “I’m Xylia. You are?”

“Well, yeah, it’s my first time in this bar,” sabi naman niya at hindi ko maiwasan ang mamangha sa lalim ng kanyang boses. “I’m Brendt,” pakilala niya sa kanyang sarili.

Tinanggap niya ang aking kamay. My hand looked so tiny because of his gigantic calloused hand, but it somehow fit perfectly on his.

“It looks like we're the same age.” I flawlessly shifted our conversation. “Mind asking how old are you?”

“Maybe, not...” Umiling naman siya at saka ngumisi. “I’m already twenty nine.”

Twenty nine, huh? I thought we were the same age. Hindi halatang mas matanda siya sa akin ng apat na taon. But wait a minute! I still didn’t know if he was still a bachelor or whatsoever. What if he already has a wife? I didn’t want to commit adultery just because of a dare.

“Oh! I’m twenty five,” I told him. “Anyway, are you already married or… engaged?” 

Nakita ko ang pagbabago ng kanyang ekspresyon. Pakiramdam ko’y mayroon akong nasabing mali.

“Uhm... Is there something wrong?” nag-aalala kong tanong dahil baka na-offend ko siya or something.

Malay ko ba kung nandito siya sa bar na ‘to dahil hindi natuloy ang kasal niya o iniwanan siya ng mapapangasawa niya. 

“No, uhm...” Umiling naman siya at saka lumitaw ang mapaglarong ngiti sa kanyang labi. He bit his lower lip before he shook his head. “I’m not married,” he answered. “Does it look like I’m already married?”

“Well, I just thought you are, since you’re already twenty nine years old,” I voiced out my thoughts. “So… would you mind if I get your number?”

Ang akala ko’y hindi niya agad ibibigay sa akin ang kanyang numero ngunit nang ilahad niya ang kanyang kamay ay bahagyang napataas ang kilay ko.

That fast, huh?

“Phone, please?” he asked for my phone.

Without second thoughts, tinipa ko muna ang passcode ng aking cellphone bago ko binigay sa kanya upang mairehistro ang kanyang numero. He pressed a few keys before he gave me back my phone. I looked at my phone, and saw how he simply saved his contact using his name.

Sa gitna ng aming pag-uusap at ng ingay ay biglang tumunog ang kanyang cellphone. Napakunot ang kanyang noo nang tiningnan kung sino ang tumatawag.

Lumabi naman ako at naging kuryoso. Nang muli naman siyang mag-angat ng tingin sa akin ay nginitian ko siya agad. Napangisi lang siya nang dahil sa aking ngiti at saka ibinulsa ang kanyang cellphone.

“I gotta go now, Miss Cinderella. I still have some important things to do,” he told me.

I was about to bid my goodbye when he suddenly leaned forward to give me a soft kiss on my cheek that made me freeze.

“I’ll be waiting for your message or call,” he whispered before he left me on the dance floor.