Chapter 5

Maloi POV

As in Ow em Geee Gulong-gulo ang gabing ’to—influencers everywhere. Picture dito, kwento doon. Sa gitna ng saya, may konting kurot sa konsensya ko.

Omay Ghad Sorry, ate Aiah.
Sinama pa naman kita dito kasi you look not okay a while ago. Pero sabi ko sa sarili ko, nandiyan naman si Colet maasahan ko yun.

Bumalik ako sa pwesto namin kamustahin sila kung want naba nilang mag go home.

At doon ako napa-stop.

Si Colet lang ang nandoon. May kasamang babaeng hindi ko kilala. Wala si ate Aiah. At si Colet… parang napakong statwa at di makatingin sa babaeng halos yakapit na siya.

“Hi everyone,” bati ko.

Napatingin agad si Colet, sabay tayo

“Ah—andyan kana pala! By the way, this is Mary. Mary, this is Maloi, my—my girlfriend.”

Sandali.

Girlfriend?
Hindi ako umiinom pero muntik na akong masamid sa hangin.

Kita sa mukha nung babae ang hiya. Agad niyang binitawan si Colet.

“Oh… sorry. I didn’t know you have a girlfriend, I should go then” sabi niya bago mabilis na umalis.

Pag-alis niya, agad kong hinampas si Colet.

“Gagu ka,” sabi ko “kelan mo pa ko naging girlfriend”

Napaupo siya na parang naubusan ng lakas.
“Naubusan ako ng English, bai.”

“Pati common sense,” sagot ko.

Saka ko naalala. “Asan si ate Aiah?”

“Nag-CR daw kanina…”

“Kanina?” taas-kilay ko.

Tumango siya. “Oo kanina.. nasaan na kaya yun”, sabay kamot 

“Ay naku ka,” sabi ko sabay tayo. “Hindi ’to okay. Tara. Hanapin natin si ate Aiah.”

…..

Mikha POV

That girl napansin ko na siya agad nung pagpasok niya sa venue she was so stunning muka siyang anghel.
Pero hindi siya familiar. And I know most faces here—either friends, business partners, or plus ones na kilala ko rin.

So tinanong ko discreetly yung isa sa mga tao ko kung sino ’yung girl na naka-gold dress.

“Plus one daw ni Maloi Ricalde,” sagot niya. “’Yung sikat na  vlogger.”

Ah. Okay.

That made sense. Maloi always brings interesting people. After that, I let it go.
Back to the party. Back to smiling like everything’s under control.

I was enjoying the night and contented because seems everything is having fun,

But all of a sudden may naramdaman akong.

Parang may nakatingin.

I tried to ignore it—until I caught someone staring at me.

Siya nga.
’Yung girl sa gold dress.

For a split second, nagtagpo yung mata namin. And I swear, I’m not like this pero parang ako pa ’yung naunang nailang but I’m not gonna lie she’s exactly my type. She looked away so fast, pero ako yung na conscious bigla.

Why is she looking at me?
At bakit parang ako ’yung nahiya?

Bigla akong uminom. Isang lagok. Dalawa.
Okay, Mikha. Get it together.

Pero hindi pa rin mawala yung awkward feeling, so I excused myself and went to the restroom—part of me ay nahihiya, part of me needing air.

It took a while before I finally stepped away from everything.

Kaya pumunta muna ako sa seaside.

I just wanted to breathe. Tahimik, hangin, I bring some vodka and wine which is which and ask the staff to bring me some snacks. I stood there for a bit, letting myself relax.

I’m happy because seems everyone is having fun.

I’m about to pull some cigar on my pocket.

Tapos bigla ko siyang nakita ulit.

Seriously? Again?

Bakit nandito siya naliligaw ba siya?

She was still in that gold dress, walking slowly, parang wala sa focus. Even from a distance, mukang lasing na yata.

Wala talaga akong balak kausapin siya.

Like, at all.

But the place was dark, and this area wasn’t exactly safe—lalo na kung mag-isa ka at lasing. 

I watched her for a few seconds, debating.

Do I leave her alone?

Or do I check if she’s okay?

She started spinning a little, like she was trying to enjoy the breeze.

Cute. But also—delikado.

Lumapit lang sana ako para magtanong.

Then she turned too fast.

“Ay butiki!” sigaw niya.

Nagbanggaan kami.

Instinctively, hinawakan ko siya sa braso bago siya tuluyang mawalan ng balanse.

Nag-sorry siya agad, parang nahihiya.

“Sorry, sorry… I didn’t see you,” 

Aalis na sana siya 

That’s when I spoke in tagalog

Bigla siyang napatigil. Tumingin siya sa’kin, 

Akala niya daw ay di ako pilipino

She laughed. Soft..
And up close… wow. Mas cute pala siya sa malapitan. 

Nag-usap kami for a bit—random stuff, how she ended up here, how the night was too loud, how the seaside felt calmer. Hindi awkward. Actually… comfortable.

And I don’t know saan ako kumukuha ng lakas ng loob I asked her if she want to stay and drink with me.

She blinked.
Then smiled.

Lucky napapayag ko siya.

…

The night was getting deeper, and somehow, even we are stranger to each other we were talking like we’d known each other for years. Random things, small stories… and I was trying my best to give her advice.

She wasn’t telling the whole story about why she was so sad tonight, but one thing was clear—she needed someone.

She was tipsy, laughing, then suddenly crying, then wiping her own tears. Asking herself what was wrong with her.

I told her, softly, “Nothing’s wrong with you. You’re perfect in your own way.”

I was about to guide her back to her friends, but then she froze and said quietly, “What if… Colet was right?” bulong niya.

“What do you mean?” I asked, curious and a little cautious.

She stepped closer. My chest tightened. My cheeks burned red. Why is she this close? She was looking at me… triangling her gaze, making my throat dry, my heart hammering.

Her lips… damn, they were inviting—but I’m not the kind of person to just… do it.

Earlier she told me she’s straight. That she didn’t know this party was mostly for women loving women. I was… a little disappointed. But why was she like this now?

She didn’t say a word, just kept staring, her eyes… saying something I couldn’t quite read but made me feel weak.

“Can I… kiss you?” she whispered.

I think I went temporarily deaf. My brain shut down.

Damn, she’s… 10/10. So I just nodded. Shocked, frozen, but yes. Before she change her mind.

And then—sinunggaban niya ako ng halik masyadong mabilis ngaun yung labi niya nasa labi ko na. it was so deep para sa unang pag kakataong halik. I wasn’t ready at all. Intoxicating, tasting like sweet alcohol, hot, and… somehow magical. 

I moaned softly, surprised by myself.

Then, 

She pulled away just as suddenly.

She looked at me.

Like she was trying to memorize my face.

Like she was deciding something she couldn’t put into words.

And then—

she collapsed against me.

Just for a second.

Her body went heavy, her eyes slowly closing.

Exhausted.

Blackout.

I froze.

I didn’t know if I was lucky…

or completely screwed.

My heart was racing, my mind still trying to catch up.

Like, Did that really just happen?

I carefully picked her up and brought her to my VIP room.

Not because I had plans—

but because that’s just how I am. Gentlewoman instincts, I guess.

I called her friends right away.

Made sure they were okay, made sure everyone got home safe.

I told my staff to escort them to whatever hotel they were staying at,

to give them anything they needed—

No questions asked.

Standing there, watching her sleep peacefully,

I realized one thing—

Something shifted tonight.

And whatever that kiss was…

it wasn’t meaningless.
…..