When Blue Descends

CHAPTER 36

"Khatalina!"

I was about to take a bite of my food when I heard my name being called off despite the loud heavy metal music being played in the huge speakers. I rolled my eyes and continue eating my lasagna as I can already tell who is calling me.

I felt his presence as he sits beside me which is accompanied by someone making me lift my gaze and look at the added person at the table. It was indeed the girl that I saw in the restroom with the pink and all-black punk outfit.

She has piercings in her eyebrow and lower lip, thick carved out brows, eyeliner, and dark mauve lipstick. I look at Christoff for a second and look back at her. They both look intimidating yet I am pretty sure that his girlfriend is just like him who looks intimidating yet has a good personality.

She then smiled at me making me smile back at her.

“Hi, I’m Angeline! Nice to meet you!” she said smiling widely as she introduced herself and extends her hand to me.

I then accepted her hand and shales it as I started introducing myself.

"Hi, I'm Khata--"

"Oh, come on! Everybody knows you," she exclaimed cutting me off making us all titter and later start eating as Christoff announced that he's hungry.

I then focused on my food as I listen to them talking while they are eating.

“So, have you guys chosen your outfits?” Angeline asked.

I then raise my gaze and nod at her smiling as I am quietly chewing my lasagna.

“Yeah, when’s the wedding though?” Eedrix asked as he took another sip of his beer.

Christoff and Angeline look at each other the way my clients did earlier way back in Ethereal. It is just a fool of admiration, excitement, and contentment. They smile at each other and held hands. Christoff then lifts their holding hands as he brings them close to his lips kissing her fiance’s hand while staring at her. Angeline then blushes as she bits her lips.

“Guys, stop, Khatalina’s puking inside,” Eedrix said making me laugh.

“How’d you know?” I said joking.

Eedrix then smiled at me and pinched my cheeks. I then glared at him when I felt the ketchup on his fingers wiping against my cheeks causing the three of them to laugh.

I then pout and slouched looking at Eedrix making him stop laughing.

“Why did you do this, babe?” I asked still pouting as I acted “cute” which makes me throw up inside me with what I am doing.

“W-well, I’m just messing with you, b-babe,” he answered stuttering probably caught off guard when I addressed him “babe” knowing that Christoff and Angeline will hear it.

“Don’t worry, I know you guys are just kidding with your endearment… right?” Angeline said doubting us in the end as she furrows her brows.

“Khatalina wants to grow old alone,” Christoff answered making me glare at him.

Naramdaman ko naman na marahan akong kinalabit ni Eedrix kaya naman napalingon ako sa kaniya. Lumapit siya sa akin at bumulong habang may itinuuro sa kumpol ng mga customer na hanggang nayon ay nagsasayawan pa rin.

“You know that guy, right?” bulong niya.

Tinignan ko naman iyong direksiyon na itinuturo niya at wala naman akong mamukhaan sa kanila kaya naman pinanliitan ko ang mga tao ng tingin para mas makita ng malinaw iyong mga mukha nila.

“Saan?” tanong ko habang patuloy na iginagala iyong mata ko.

“Nandoon siya sa mga tao kanina,” sabi naman ni Eedrix habang sa akin lang nakatingin at ibinaba na ang kamay.

Tinitigan ko naman siya pabalik. Staring into his eyes intimidated me for some reason accompanied by this weird feeling in my chest and heat in my stomach.

“Guni-guni ko lang ata…” he uttered as he slowly bit his lower lip still staring at me.

“Ehem”

Our eyes darted to Christoff. Both of them are laughing at us making me pin back my gaze at my food and finish it. Eedrix did the same making the space between us go cold and silent.

“Kung anong nilamig sa labas ay siya ninyo namang ikinainit, huh?” pang-aasar ni Christoff.

Hindi na lamang ako kumibo at nag-focus lang sa pagkain.

“Here are your desserts”

My gaze went up as I heard a familiar voice.

“Wow, thank you! I already forgot that I ordered us desserts!” Christoff exclaimed as he sits properly and arrange our table.

My eyes are all pinned at the guy who wears the same uniform the woman who served us earlier our lunch with a tray in his right hand and his gaze pinned back at me with a serious image on his face. My heart started beating fast as my palms became moist making me revoke my stare and look at my restless hands.

“Enjoy your food,” he said as all the foods were all set on our table and turn his back at us.

I immediately stand up and followed him not bothering to look back at Christoff who’s calling me and asking where am I going. At this point, all I can hear is the rapid rhythm of my heart and almost blurring everything in the background except his back. He continues to walk in the crowd of dancing customers making me run close to him and try to grab his arm but he walks fast and a man suddenly pops in front of me.

“Hi, Miss. Are you alone—”

He didn’t get to finish his words as I continue walking past him still staring at the guy’s back trying not to lose him in this busy crowd.

“W-wait…” I utter as we passed the crowd.

He then runs into the bathroom making me stop following him and stand in front of the bathroom.

“Miss, lalaki ka ba?”

Napatabi naman ako sa daanan nang marinig iyong lalaki na papasok ng banyo a nanghingi na lamang ako ng paumanhin saka gumilid at sumandal sa pader para maghintay sa kaniya.

I am not obligated to explain everything to him but for some reason my feet just want me to follow him and explain why I am here. I took a deep breath and decided to stand properly and started walking away from that restroom.

“It’d be weird if I explain it to him for no reason. I don’t even know if he cares,” I whispered to myself.

“Right, go away! Just like you always do!”

Napahinto naman ako sa paglalakad at napalingon sa pinanggagalingan ng boses at nakita si Jaxen na nakasuot na ng ibang damit at hawak-hawak iyong unipormeng suot niya kanina.

He is now wearing this black leather jacket on top of a black shirt and gray pants. Seriously, am I really the only one who is a palette breaker in here?

His eyebrows are knitted together and his eyes are full of anger and judgment. His jaw is clenched and his hand is in a ball of a fist.

"You decided to run and follow me all the way here but give up just by waiting for me to come out," he said with his deep monotonous voice giving me a different image of him which I somehow find attractive-- what the heck am I thinking? I am out of my mind! This guy is literally mad at me and here I am getting attracted to him.

"You work here?" I asked as my eyes drifted down to his arm to his hand holding the uniform he's wearing earlier.

He took a step closer not bothering to answer my question making me resist breathing. He then stopped as there are only 6 inches between our chests.

I decided to let my eyes look in a different direction as I don't want to accept his piercing looks.

"No, Khatalina, I don't work here. I just took someone's uniform so that I can walk closer to your table and make sure it is you that is in there," he said answering my question.

I bite my lips as I focus my gaze on a burly woman wearing a black tank top paired with short shorts and fishnet stockings. She's dancing flirty against a tall, lean guy who seems to be enjoying how the woman rubs her bottom against the guy's crotch.

"Para lang masiguro ko na ikaw nga iyong halos makipagpalitan na ng mukha doon sa model na 'babe' mo," he added making me furrow my brows yet not enough for me to look at his eyes.

I can feel the anger in his voice yet it is adamant about telling me that I am something that irks me. I remain silent as I decided to listen to him first as I watch the woman now hugging the guy as their faces almost touch.

"You know, Khatalina, if you have a boyfriend, bakit hindi mo nalang sinabi sa akin? Why let me touch you back in the club?"

I then looked at him making him clench his jaw. His eyes are full of anger, pain, and jealousy. I can feel it. It may not be what he feels but why would he be so bothered by me talking to Eedrix? But this feeling, the feeling that he might have feelings for me will never be a hundred percent true if he wouldn't admit it and come out of his lips only.

"Come on, spill it. What really do you want to say?" I asked with a deadpanned emotion on my face with my calm voice not showing how irked I am.

Yeah, I am just annoyed. Just... Annoyed.

He then titters in disbelief. He lifts his hand and pinches the bridge of his nose as he closes his eyes for seconds. He then took a deep breath and shakes his head.

"Matalino ka. Alam mo tinutukoy ko kahit noong nakaraan pa but you decided na magmaang-maangan--"

"It has to come out of your freaking mouth, Jaxen," I said cutting him off.

I remain my cool temper and calmness as he didn't expect what I said.

"I need assurance. I cannot-- and will not dictate someone's feelings and words," I added making him snicker.

He stared at me for a while as he nods his head slowly and started parting his lips while filling the 5 inches space between ours leaving an inch between.

"Khatalina... I am--"

"Babe?"

Great. Jaxen didn't get to finish his words as we heard Eedrix called me. Hindi ako lumingon kay Eedrix at tinitigan lang si Jaxen na ngayon ang mga kamao ay nanginginig nang kaunti.

"Your boyfriend's calling you, flirty," he said as he looks directly into my eyes making me notice that his eyes are a bit ruddy. Is he drunk? In the middle of the day?

He then shakes his head and started walking past me leaving me stunned on my feet with how he called me. I then lift my hand and place it on my hurting chest. I asked for him to call me that but I did not expect how much it will hurt hearing from someone I considered a friend after Pauline. The audio in the background becomes clear together with the loud chatter of the customers and hearing Eedrix still calling me.

I then look at Eedrix whose standing as both of his hands are all kept in his pocket. Why did he call me babe seeing me talk to somebody but earlier he hesitated when Angeline and Christoff are around? Sinandya ba niya iyon? Or I am just analyzing everything too much?

Tinanggal ko na ang pagkakahawak ko sa dibdib ko at binaliwala na iyong nararamdaman ko saka napagpasyahang maglakad na papalapit kay Eedrix dahil paniguradong kanina pa sila naghihintay sa akin.

"You okay? Siya iyong kaninang tinuturo ko sa'yo," saad ni Eedrix nang makalapit ako sa kaniya.

"Yeah, tara na," sagot ko sa kaniya saka kami naglakad pabalik sa table namin.

Hindi ko na ininda iyong dami ng tao saka kumain nalang ng cheesecake nang makabalik kami sa table namin. Tahimik lang akong nakinig sa usapan nila Christoff at napatingin sa phone ko nang mag-vibrate ito.

Miss Khatalina, we need your opinion on this document.

Email lang pala galing kay Kimberly. Binasa ko naman iyong dokumento na sinend niya habang patuloy na nakikinig kila Angeline.

"Saang beach ba?" Tanong ni Eedrix.

Inangat ko naman na ang timgin ko matapos kong mag-email kay Kimberly pabalik saka inilagay ang phone ko sa bulsa. Napadako ang tingin ko sa isang maliit na bote ng beer na hindi pa nabubuksan. Nakita ko naman na mayroon ding mga beer sila Christoff kaya naman inabot ko marin iyong beer at nagsalin nito sa baso ko at nilagyan ng ice tubes.

I don't drink beer so I am not quite sure how will this react to me. Champagne lang kasi talaga ang iniinom ko but at this point, I want to drink and I have no choice but to drink the beer they provided me.

"Baka sa Palawan," sagot naman ni Angeline.

I then drink the glass to my lips as it is followed by the slow rush of the beer invading my mouth.

I tasted the bitter yet sweet taste of it making me squint my eyes. I heard Eedrix titter making me look at him.

"First time?" He asked.

I then smiled and nod my head.

"You'll get used to it. Now that I think of it, champagne lang ang nakikita kong iniinom mo last time," he said referring to the party when we first met.

I took another sip as I felt the warm feeling in my throat somehow igniting something in me and making me want for more of it.

"Calm down, Khat. Malakas 'yan," saad ni Christoff.

Napatawa naman ako sa kanila despite the worried look on their faces.

"I have a high tolerance to alcohol"