“Y OU MAY now kiss the bride,” sabi ng officiant.
Lalong tinambol ang dibdib ni Alexandra. She looked into Connor’s eyes. Siguro, pareho sila ng nararamdaman. Nababasa niya sa mga mata nito ang magkakahalong emosyon, tulad ng kanyang nararamdaman. He seemed uncertain, confused, mad, yet there was a tenderness, a certain kind of affection. Dahil ba nasa iisa silang sitwasyon? Siguro. She was not doing it alone. She was not going to jump from a cliff alone. Dahil kahit mapatunayan pa niya na hindi totoo ang kasal at makakuha ng annulment, hindi na magiging “first wedding” sa isip ang magiging kasal niya pagdating ng tamang panahon at ng tamang lalaki, sakali mang mauwi roon. Her first wedding would be this. Kakailanganin niyang magkaroon ng amnesia para lang malimutan iyon.
Ikinulong ng lalaki ang kanyang mukha sa mga kamay saka sinabi, “I never expected to get married like this.”
“Me, too. W-we’re not really legally married, are we?”
“We are.”
“We are?” Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Alexandra.
“Kiss her, what the fuck?” sabi ni Sergio.
“Everything’s gonna be all right,” bulong ni Connor, saka ibinaba ang mga labi kay Alexandra. It was a very gentle, very tender kiss that turned her knees weak. God, he was a great kisser. She had never been kissed that way before—like hers were the most important, most fragile lips in the world. May init na tumagos sa kanyang puso. Butterflies in her stomach were flying, soaring. At parang matatangay siya ng mga paruparo sa kaitaasan. Napakapit si Alexandra sa mga balikat ni Connor. Ang malakas na palakpak ni Sergio at ng mga tauhan nito ang nagpabalik sa kanya sa katinuan.
“I’m feeling generous tonight!” ngising-ngising sabi ni Sergio. “Man, you are so gonna thank me tonight. And you, too, little girl. It’s your honeymoon!”
Hindi umimik si Alexandra. May hinala siyang lalong lalala ang sitwasyon. Mukhang ganadong-ganado si Sergio na sirain ang gabi niya. Ang buhay niya!
Dinala sila ng lalaki sa isang hotel, the honeymoon suite, no less. Sabi nito, hindi aalis ang mga bodyguard sa labas hanggang matapos ang auction kinabukasan.
Ang unang ginawa ni Alexandra, subukan ang phone. Hindi sila puwedeng makatawag sa labas ng hotel, putol ang koneksiyon. Naghanap siya ng bug sa suite. Inuna niya ang mga lampshade.
Connor stopped her. “Don’t bother. I don’t think they had enough time to put bugs here and I doubt they would have anyway.”
“Does he own this place?”
“I’m sure of it. The family does. Otherwise, the guards outside will never be allowed. Are you all right?”
“I guess. Can’t we escape?”
“Do you honestly believe that’s the best option for us?”
Napabuntong-hininga si Alexandra. Tama si Connor. Wala na silang gagawin ngayon kundi ang maghintay. “I guess not.” Natutop niya ang noo nang maalala na isinauli ni Connor ang perang kinita nito kay Sergio. Ten million dollars.
“What was the job?” tanong niya.
“A Caravaggio.”
“Was it a pain to do?”
“Nah. It was nothing. Private collector stuff.”
Napatango si Alexandra. Kahit paano, mas madaling tanggapin iyon kaysa isang heist sa museum. Pero alam niyang hindi isang laro ang halaga at ang ginawa ni Connor para makuha iyon. Kung siya ang magtatrabaho niyon at mawawalan ng sampung milyon, baka hindi na mawala ang pagkakakunot ng kanyang noo, kahit walang dudang gagawin din niya ang ginawa ng lalaki. Kung titingnan, parang bale-wala lang dito ang lahat. Para lang itong nawalan ng beinte pesos na bigay rin lang dito at hindi pinaghirapan. How he could behave so calmly about the whole thing was beyond her comprehension. “I owe you. Ten mil.”
“You most certainly do.”
Napabuntong-hininga si Alexandra. Mukhang kailangan niyang tumanggap ng ilang trabaho na ang kita ay para lang sa utang niya kay Connor. Willing siyang ibalik dito ang pera, with interest, kung gusto nito. Iyon lang naman ang makatarungan. Ang problema, si Luca lang ang makakapagbigay sa kanya ng mga trabaho at baka sumama na ang loob sa kanya ng matanda dahil hindi siya nagtiwala rito.
“Do you think Luca would hate me?” Walang duda na malalaman ni Luca ang lahat. Duda siyang itatago ni Sergio ang lahat, sakali man.
“I can keep your secret if you can.”
“You won’t tell him? What about Sergio? Does he know that you’re with Luca?”
“Yeah. He called Luca for the job.” Nagkibit-balikat si Connor. “He would probably brag about this to Luca, of course. I don’t think Luca is going to hate you. I’m pretty sure what you did was not the worst thing he encountered. He’s a good man.”
“How did you meet him anyway?”
“My father wouldn’t introduce me to his contacts after our first and only job so I took a job from Francine. No one told me about Luca, but he came to me. He invited me over for a cup of coffee, the best I’ve tasted. Coffee and brioche, while talking about the job I’ve done. He said he’s heard a lot about me and wanted to know if I was looking for a job because he has one. I took it. And as they say, the rest is history.”
“Are you saying your father is also in the business?”
“Yes. But he’s different. He doesn’t want me to do this and I think he blames himself for accidentally getting me into this. One time he needed help, I found out about what he does. That one night, I met Francine. Francine gave me my first job.”
“Your father knows Luca?”
“Yes. They had a few deals back in the day, but my father pretty much does things on his own now. Just calls a dealer before a project he worked on himself and wouldn’t accept jobs anymore. I guess he wants to take it easy now that he’s much older.”
“Do you think one can lead a normal life in this kind of world?” bigla niyang naitanong.
“Define normal.”
“You know, normal.”
“Of course not, honey. Come on.”
Napatango si Alexandra. Siguro, gusto lang niyang may magkumpirma ng kanyang hinala. Alam na niya iyon, pero gusto pa rin niyang marinig para kung sakaling mali siya, magkaroon uli siya ng ilusyon. It was an illusion, she understood now. They could, however, turn back and try to have a normal life. A quiet one. Iyon ang pinakamagandang option sa mga tulad nila.
“Who sold Sergio the books?” tanong niya.
“I will find out tomorrow, hopefully. That was the deal. I hope he wouldn’t back out.”
“Bastard!” sabi ni Alexandra kahit bahagyang napahiya. Siya rin mismo ang sumabotahe sa misyon. If only she listened. At least, natuto na siya ng leksiyon.
“Enough talk. Let me take care of that wound.” Tumawag sa housekeeping si Connor at nagpahatid ng first aid kit. Nagpunta ito sa banyo para kumuha ng basang face towel, saka nagsimulang dampian niyon ang gilid ng mga labi ni Alexandra. Napatitig siya sa mga mata ng lalaki. Wala roong iritasyon o galit, walang pang-iinis. He was just a man who was trying to help her out. Who would have thought that this man was capable of such tenderness?
Bahagya pang masakit ang kanyang pisngi, pero bearable. Nagsara na rin ang sugat sa loob at bale-wala ang sakit. Hindi niya maalis ang mga mata sa lalaki. He definitely had some Asian features, although he looked more South American. Marunong mag-Filipino, pero hindi nito madalas gamitin ang lengguwahe kaya hindi niya sigurado kung Pinoy ba ito o marunong lang mag-Filipino. In some communities in the States, Filipino had become a second language.
“Were you born in the Philippines?”
“Yes. I spent the first years of my life there.” Ngumiti si Connor pero agad ding nabura habang pinagmamasdan si Alexandra. “That asshole. Why men hit women is something I will never understand.”
“You hit me,” paalala ni Alexandra.
“In self-defense! How was I supposed to know you didn’t want to kill me?!” Nanlalaki ang mga mata ng lalaki. “I’m sorry though. If I had known I was gonna marry you one day, I never would have.” Kumindat ito.
Natawa si Alexandra. How could he be so adorable? “You’re crazy.”
“You are. Your tiny self, going to Italy on your own. If I was anything like Sergio, you’d be dead by now.”
“I doubt it. I was kicking your ass, remember?”
“I was being gentle.”
Itinirik ni Alexandra ang mga mata, umismid kahit bahagyang nakangiti. Imposibleng hindi siya mapangiti. “So... how do you want me to settle the money I owe you?”
“You wouldn’t let that go, would you?”
“Absolutely not. And didn’t you say that I owe you? Absolutely not!”
Tumawa ang lalaki. “Saka na natin `yan pag-usapan.”
Dumating ang first aid kit. Ice pack lang ang nagamit nila mula roon. Nakaupo lang sila sa couch. It dawned on her that she was actually with her husband. Lalo siyang na-conscious. “W-wait, you said we’re really married? They don’t even know my name. Did you tell them?”
“Of course not. My guess is Francine told them.”
“That old cow!”
“She’s a good person. Or at least she used to be. Lately, I find it hard to trust her. Mas magandang kumuha ng trabaho galing sa kanya kaysa siya ang bigyan ng trabaho. I’m afraid she’s lost her credibility. She always needs a lot of money and she’s a third party contractor, doing mostly the easy parts of the job so she doesn’t get a big enough commission.”
Aware ba ang lalaki sa katotohanang kasal na sila ngayon? Mukhang wala na silang magagawa kundi ang magpa-annul pagkatapos ng auction. Sa panahong iyon, siguradong naka-file na ang papel nila. Ayaw niyang magkailangan sila kapag binanggit pa niya ang issue.
Napatingin si Alexandra sa mukha ni Connor. Napansin niyang matamang nakatingin sa kanya ang mga mata ng lalaki. Dark, smouldering eyes. She wondered how many had looked into those and dreamt of becoming the only one those would stare at with love.
She also noticed his breath smelled very clean. Maganda ang mga labi nito. She wanted to find out what those lips would feel like against hers if he would kiss her without a gun pointed at them.
“I… I will freshen up.”
Tumango ang lalaki. May tensiyon sa pagitan nila na damang-dama ni Alexandra. Nagmamadali na siyang tumuloy sa isang kuwarto. It was a one bedroom suite. Tumuloy siya sa banyo at agad na naghubad at tumapat sa ilalim ng shower. She felt hot. Although it was something familiar to her, she was not aware that it was that easy to feel. Isang tingin lang sa mga mata ni Connor, ganoon na agad ang kanyang naramdaman.
Sa kabila ng lahat, umalingawngaw sa kanyang isip ang sinabi ni Sergio—it was her honeymoon. “Shit!” sambit niya, nilakasan ang pressure ng shower, umaasang madadala sa agos ng tubig ang nararamdaman. It seemed useless. Nang matapos maligo, naghanap siya ng maisusuot. May robe at iyon na lang muna ang kanyang isinuot. Inilagay niya sa laundry bag ang maduming damit at tumawag sa housekeeping para maipalaba ang damit. Wala siyang gagamitin bukas. Nagpunta na siya sa sala.
“Done?” tanong ni Connor. Tumango si Alexandra. “My turn.” Ang lalaki naman ang nagpunta sa kuwarto.
Nanatili si Alexandra sa sala at dumungaw sa bintana. The world outside was too colorful, too beautiful, too loud. Parang thoughts niya sa gabing iyon. She was married, she wanted her husband. But no, they were not married the way many people would want to be. Napakaraming bagay ang kailangan niyang pagtuunan ng pansin. Sa dami, hindi na niya alam kung ano ang uunahin. Pero hayun siya ngayon at sa sitwasyon, parang mas gusto niyang isipin na lang kung ano ang ngayon. Wala na sanang bukas kung saan kailangan niyang harapin ang lahat.
“`You okay?”
Napalingon siya kay Connor at tumango. May dala itong laundry bag, suot ang isa pang robe. Noon may kumatok at ito na ang nagdala ng kanilang mga gamit sa pinto. Ngumiti ang lalaki. He looked so fresh and so masculine. Magkaiba ang appeal nito at ni Preston.
Preston was the preppy type. Iyong tipong white collar guy. Isang tingin pa lang sa ex ni Alexandra, madali nang masabi na isang executive ang lalaki. Kahit ang casual wear nito, hindi masyadong casual. She had always thought she liked men like Preston. But there was something about him that was missing and it was apparent on Connor. It was a certain kind of “edge.” Hindi lang dahil sa alam niya ang trabaho ni Connor, kundi may dating ang lalaki na nagsabi niyon. A certain something that spelled unpredictability and adventure.
Hindi si Alexandra ang tipo ng babaeng naghahanap ng ganoon—o iyon ang inakala niya hanggang ngayon. Preston seemed “safe” and Connor seemed “exciting,” but not the adrenaline junkie loose cannon kind. Hindi iyon katumbas ng kawalang-seguridad, pero higit din sa lively personality nito ang lahat ng iyon. What was it about the man that made him so very irresistible tonight?
“Do you want to have something to drink?” tanong nito, naglakad papunta sa minibar. Hindi iyon tulad ng sa ibang hotel na simpleng ref lang, kundi isang totoong bar. Isang mahabang counter na chiller ang ilalim. Sigurado siyang mamahaling mga alak at pagkain ang nandoon. It was not the honeymoon suite for nothing.
“Sure,” sabi ni Alexandra, kahit dikta ng kanyang isip na huwag nang uminom. Hindi iyon makakatulong sa kanya. But then maybe it was exactly what she needed after a very long day.
Kumuha si Connor ng isang bote ng Don Perignon. He popped it open and poured two glasses with it. “Well, since the asshole paid for the suite, might as well, right?” sabi nito.
Nagkaroon ng ideya si Alexandra at lumapit sa lalaki. Nag-toast sila, uminom siya, saka kumuha ng sariling wine at binuksan. Imbes na inumin, ibinuhos niya ang laman niyon sa lababo, deretso sa drain. “Here’s for slapping my face, asshole,” litanya niya. Ano na lang ba ang pagsasayang ng pera ni Sergio matapos nitong gawin silang laruan ni Connor? Hindi niya itinuturing ang sarili bilang vindictive, kundi naghahanap lang ng hustisya.
“Wait, I think you’re doing it wrong. It’s such a waste,” sabi ni Connor.
“And your ten million is not?” Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Alexandra.
“I know, but…” Itinaas ng lalaki ang daliri, saka tumawag sa housekeeping, nag-request ng pagpapalinis. Kinindatan siya nito nang ibaba ang phone.
Nang dumating ang housekeeper, pinapasok nila iyon sa loob, kasama ang cart. Sinabi ni Connor sa guwardiya sa labas na may natapong alak. Tumango lang ang mga bodyguard.
“Como estan, señora?” tanong ni Connor sa housekeeper na may nameplate na “Adela” sa dibdib.
“Bien, señor!” nakangiting sagot ni Adela.
“It’s your lucky day, Adela. Do you have some space in your cart?” tanong ng lalaki, saka itinaas ang mga alak sa minibar. “All these are yours, consider them as gifts.”
Tumutol noong una ang babae, pero sa huli ay nakumbinse rin ni Connor. Nang itanong ni Connor kung kaya ba nitong mailabas ng hotel ang lahat ng iyon nang hindi sinasabi sa management, tumango lang ang babae. Nagpasalamat ito nang ilang ulit, saka nagpaalam na rin.
“That was the most fun I’ve had in a while,” sabi ni Alexandra.
Ang lakas ng tawa ni Connor. Isang bote ng champagne lang ang natira sa kanila. Umorder ang lalaki ng sandamakmak na pagkain mayamaya. Kahit ang mga bodyguard, binigyan nila ng pagkain at hindi rin tumutol ang mga ito.
Dinner was great. Noon lang na-realize ni Alexandra na gutom na gutom pala siya. Nang matapos, nag-champagne sila, kasabay ng stawberries, magkatabi ng stool sa minibar. Hinaplos ni Connor ang kanyang pisngi. “It really is a shame what he did to you.”
Alam niyang namumula pa ang pisngi kung saan tumama ang palad ni Sergio. “I will heal. He will be an asshole forever.”
Sa katunayan, halos wala na ang sakit. Ang mas nangibabaw sa kanya nang mga sandaling iyon ay ang uhaw. Parang natuyo ang kanyang bibig at ang solusyon ay nasa mga labi ni Connor. How she wished that he would kiss her.
And he did.