His Punishment

by Pia Marie

  “You’re making this up as an excuse. I feel you volunteered to be my partner! And I’m sure you loved it that you weren’t able to contact me earlier so you had the excuse to come follow me here!” he’s still mad.

  “Just shut up James! I am no longer interested in you and I’m just here for the stupid paired assignment. I will be back in Manila by Sunday so we have two days to work this thing and wrap up on Wednesday when you get back!” her voice is evidently starting to get angry as she sees James isn’t grasping the true situation.

  “You liar! I don’t know how you knew I’m here. But clearly, I bet you knew I’m with Rhea and you want to sabotage our vacation!” she shook her head in dismay as James continues condemning her.

  “Think whatever you like James! But for now I need you to come up with a company to cater to a resort business and vice versa. You have less than twenty minutes to do that!” she knew she sounded very demanding.

  “Shut up! I won’t do anything that you say! I’m going back to the resort in a couple minutes when the VIP arrives and I don’t know if they have any seats left for you to ride with us. So let’s just talk when you get to the island!” he felt happy he thought he was ditching her.

  She just grinned sheepishly.

  “I’m telling you James. You got less than twenty minutes to think and come up with the other company that we need. We have sooo little time. I don’t want to mess up your getaway with Ms. Cheerleader by staying here ‘til Tuesday just because you took a long time deciding which company!” she loves the feeling that she is on top of the situation.

  “Don’t you order me with anything you little bitch!” he can feel that she is getting the better side of him.

  “How dare you call me bitch! Asshole!” she retorted.

  “Ms. Tara.” the staff from the hotel approached them.

  “Yes?” she turned.

  “We could leave anytime now. Are you both ready?” the staff said once again.

  “Okay, let’s go.” She said and started walking. She knew she left James with a confused look.

  “Wait!” James screamed at them. “The VIP has not arrived yet. Are we not waiting for them anymore?”

  Tara grinned one more time at James and shook her head before she continued walking to the dock where the boat was.

  “Sir, Ms. Tara Salvador is Samal Beach Resort’s Marketing Manager, daughter of the owner.” The staff explained to him.

  “Tara is VIP?” James said with his mouth open.

  While on the boat, James could still not believe he made himself look like a complete fool in front of Tara at the island. He could have never guessed that the resort he was just praising a few hours ago was his stalker’s property.

  After about fifteen minutes, the speed boat docked at the island. Tara was being helped by the resort’s staff when James jumped out of the boat and down to the water. A big splash washed over Tara’s hair and face as James’ is a six-foot one inch guy and hitting the water with his jump really did create a small wave.

  He looked at Tara, “Sorry.” But his look isn’t apologetic at all. She saw him smirk as he continued walking ashore.

  I really hate this guy! What made me have a crush on him for the longest time!

  Tara did not see James when she went to the lobby to get her keys to the Villa. Tara doesn’t have a regular villa that she keeps. She loves to be placed in a random villa, just like their guests to check on the facilities and make sure everything is working well.

  “We were able to buy the radios for the resort Anne, perhaps five units will do?” Tara said to the manager of the resort and asked Don, the staff who accompanied her to the mall to buy the radios to hand over the radios to Anne.

  Anne received the equipment and thanked Tara.

  “Please set up everything that must be done for it to be used starting today. I will be taking two units home in Manila on Sunday when I leave, one for the Business Center and one at home so you can contact us in case of emergencies.” Tara explained.

  Tara was given the assignment to handle Samal Beach Resort by her parents as this is their first resort that was established. It is already running smoothly and Tara is still not a graduate of Marketing so her parents gave her this one to handle as a training ground, before she gets to handle one of their biggest resorts in Boracay Island after she finishes school.

  “Would you like to eat Ms. Tara?” Don asked her.

  “Okay Don, a half club sandwich and coconut milk shake will do. Can you send it to my villa?”

  “Yes Miss.” Don said.

  Tara hates being called ma’am, she feels like she is detaching herself too much from her staff. It makes her feel awkward that it’s like building big a wall between their statuses so she prefers being called miss.

  “By the way, which villa did you check me in to?” she asked Anne.

  “Oh Miss, the villas are fully booked for the weekend, the only two villas open are the honeymoon suites at the north.” Anne answered back.

  “That’s too big, I’m just alone. How about the hotel?” she asked again.

  At the back of the thirty villas, there is a five-story hotel with one hundred rooms.

  “The hotel just started renovation last week. It’s closed.”

  “What? But I arranged that the renovation be started as soon as I left. It has been more than a month since then! How come nobody told me about this?” Tara said, her voice starting to raise.

  “But Miss, we already informed Madam Tanya about it. We thought you knew that the Davao City Resort needed more attention than ours so the renovation there was started first before ours.” she explains.

  Okay there’s nothing I could do if they already told mom. But how come she didn’t tell me. Oh well, it’s okay, our resort in the city needed the renovation more than here in the island. Conferences, meetings and parties are held there, so it’s more urgent.

  “I will head to my villa, Anne. Please send me the sandwich there. Thank you.” she took the keys. . It says N200HS. It’s the room number.

  She walked away already and started to wear her Oakley when she forgot to ask something. She turned back to the reception table.

  “By the way what room is Mr. James Aguilar checked in?” she asked when she approached the check-in counter.

  “Let me check Miss…” Anne looked at the computer and then said, “N300HS Miss Tara.”

  “Okay, thank you.” she said then turned and walked to her villa.

  Her villa from how she remembers it is a big one. With Jacuzzi inside and a patio that is directly planted on the beach, she can walk right into the sand if she does sleep-walk and if she forgets to close the patio’s sliding door.

  She was in front of her villa when she checked the two other villas beside it. She remembered Anne saying that there are only two available before she got here. So now there’s just one vacant. I wonder where the honeymooners are.

  She checked her keys again. N200HS. What? She checked again. It’s really N200HS!

  Shit! It means it’s sitting beside James and Rhea’s villa. Anne said they are checked in at N300HS.

  Chapter 3

  The band started to play right after dinner. James and Rhea went to the bar to chill and get a few shots before they start the night they planned.

  They have been going steady for the past three years already. They started dating when they met during their freshman in college. People thought that they made a wonderful match. The cheerleader and the basketball team captain. Isn’t that perfect?

  James was very attracted to Rhea when he first laid his eyes on her during their first game. She is pretty. Though he heard rumors that she is a player, he didn’t listen to them. They started dating after they we’re introduced and instantly hit it off. James has proven to himself that Rhea’s personality is far from the gossips being spread across the school. Though he admits that there are times that he catches her a bit flirty with some of his teammates, he knows she never did anything more than
that.

  He on the other hand had a few girl friends before. He was never known to break girls’ hearts nor ever had a record of cheating on them. He took all of his relationships seriously. But sadly, his associations with his past girl friends always end because of incompatibility.

  The band was playing good songs. They had two vocalists a girl and a boy. They played a variety of songs by Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Jessie J, Jesse McCartney, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Bruno Mars and a lot more.

  James felt Rhea touching his thighs as they were seated in the couch at the back part of the bar which now is a bit secluded. Compared to the big space, it is relatively safe to say there are a few people in the bar listening to the band.

  He roamed his eyes around finding a table of four boys drinking and laughing while eyeing the girl vocalist of the band. The vocalist is an attractive girl who resembles Tara’s features. There’s also a table of five people, boys and girls combined, another table of two boys and four girls and three more tables with a couple each.

  “Please write in your requests and give them to the waiter if you guys want us to sing some of your favorite songs for you.” James heard the guy vocalist call to the listeners.

  “Oh baby, can we ask them to sing ‘Just the Way You Are’ by Bruno Mars?” Rhea said in her tiny kitten voice. She is a sweet person most of the time, but she can also be a bitch when she wanted to and James knows that.

  There are times they fight over silly things just like any other couple. It was natural. And they kiss and make up once their heads cool off.

  “Sure baby.” He said nonchalantly, checking his pretty girl friend in her mini sleeveless dress that hugs her curves.

  “Just the Way You Are” has been their favorite song as a couple. Almost everywhere they go they hear it. And the lyrics are like meant for them. That’s how madly in love they are with each other.

  Just then, he saw Tara enter the bar heading towards their table. She looked wicked in her orange scoop neck body hugging shirt tucked inside her lemon yellow draw-string shorts. She looked like she was glowing in the semi-lit room because of her pearly white complexion.

  “What is she doing here?” Rhea hissed.

  Rhea is not fond of Tara at all. She knows her story and how she tried to grab James from her before they became a couple. Though Tara stopped bugging James after they became a couple, Rhea still hates her so much.

  James wasn’t able to tell Rhea about Tara being the VIP in this resort and that they were paired by Mr. Torres in a project. He still doesn’t believe that it isn’t Tara’s doing that they are paired for it.

  “Hi James, hi Rhea.” Tara said standing up in front of them her long straight hair lightly swayed in the night breeze that enters the semi-covered gazebo.

  “What are you doing here stalker?” Rhea annoyingly asked.

  Tara looked at James as if asking why he didn’t tell her and James just shrugged.

  “Well, as I see that your boy friend did not tell you why, then I must say so myself. We were paired by Mr. Torres on a project for our Business to Business Marketing subject then Christian told me you were here and I had to come since the signal in the resort is down. Deadline is less than a week from now, so I decided to join your little rendezvous and get this over with so I could leave on Sunday morning,” she explains.

  “Well, number 1, good you know that HE IS MY BOY FRIEND. Number 2, I don’t know who you got fooled there that it was your prof that assigned the partnership. And number 3, you are disturbing us but yes I would like this to be over real soon as well so I could kiss you goodbye by Sunday.” Rhea says irritatingly then looking at James.

  “Sorry I forgot to tell you baby.” James looked at Rhea and kissed her on the lips.

  Tara turned her eyes away from the kissing pair as she hears Rhea moaning lightly as they deepen the kiss. She knew that Rhea is really trying hard to get her envious.

  It’s not as if she is jealous of what James is doing to her slut of a girl friend. She just looked away because she can’t handle public display of affection. She finds it disgusting.

  “Tara, I think let’s just do the brainstorming later after the band finishes. It’s our first night here and I don’t want the moment ruined because of you.” James said frustratingly.

  “Okay, I will meet you at the lobby. The band ends first set at eleven pm. I can’t wait for you to finish the two sets with them. It will be one hour past midnight that time and I don’t think we would want to be up too late.” Tara said coolly.

  Bitch! This bitch is trying my patience! James thought.

  “You know James I am as pissed with the situation as you are. I really don’t want to be here but I have to as I really want to finish this project soon enough than you think. So unless you cooperate, I would be on your trail even after Sunday!” Tara said as if reading James’ mind.

  “Okay. Okay. I will see you at eleven at the lobby.” He finally gave in as he deemed he really didn’t have a choice not unless he wants her treading on his path.

  “Good.” Tara said and looked at Rhea before she stood up. She saw James whispering in Rhea’s ears perhaps convincing her to let him meet with her so they can get rid of her sooner.

  “Is that Miss Tara?” the girl from the band said through the microphone as she noticed her standing across the room.

  Tara looked at the band and saw that it was Mitch. She just waved and started walking to the bar’s exit when she saw that the couple is amenable to her proposition.

  “Wait, Miss Tara. Can you sing a couple songs with us? It has been a while!” Mitch the vocalist said.

  “Oh, not tonight Mitch!” Tara says loudly so she can be heard as she is at the back.

  “Please Miss Tara, please?” Gary the guy vocalist said.

  “Yeah, she will sing with you!” Tara heard James.

  A few off-notes and a laugh won’t be bad. James thought smiling like the devil himself.

  Tara saw the other listeners looking at her.

  “Okay!” Tara said and walked slowly to the small stage.

  “Okay guys, this is Miss Tara, for those who don’t know her, she is . . .” Mitch was cut mid sentence when Tara whispered something to her.

  “Well, if you don’t know who she is, that’s okay, it’s not as if she’s a celebrity.” Mitch said trying to joke about the matter.

  “So how are you Miss Tara? Is that your boyfriend back there?” Gary smiled pointing at James.

  “Oh, hell no. He’s actually with his girlfriend.” Tara answered looking at Gary.

  “Another couple, so we got three here. Would you do a duet with me for the couples here Miss?” Gary asked Tara again.

  “Sure.” she said.

  “’Just the Way You Are’ is requested here. Whose song is this?” Mitch asked the listeners.

  She saw Rhea raise her hand happily.

  “Oh, it’s your friend and his cute girl friend. Shall we do this?” Gary asked Tara.

  Tara nodded and looked at James and Rhea who are both intently watching her. She can figure that James can’t believe she is still there standing with the band and agreeing that she would sing.

  The band started playing the introduction of the song in acoustic.

  Oh, his eyes, his eyes make the stars look like they're not shinin'

  His hair, his hair falls perfectly without him tryin'

  He's so beautiful

  And I tell him everyday

  Yeah, I know, I know when I compliment him, he won't believe me

  And it's so, it's so sad to think that he don't see what I see

  But every time he asks me do I look okay?

  I say

  When I see your face

  There's not a thing that I would change

  'Cause you're amazing

  Just the way you are

  And when you smile

  The whole world stops and stares for a while

  'Cause, you're amazing

  Just the way yo
u are

  I can’t believe it’s her. Is it really her? My God! Her voice is like an angel’s. I would like to record it and play it in my phone every time my day sucks. Her voice is so calming, it soothes my nerves. I never imagined she can sing so beautifully. James thought to himself still struck from Tara’s voice.

  Tara does sing. She inherited that from her mom. She really jams with this band whenever she gets the chance when they are all here in Samal. She is a natural singer. She did not even have to take some voice lessons. She just gets better through practice.

  Gary sang the second part of the song and James can’t wait to hear Tara’s voice again.

  I can’t believe I like the way she sings. It could be the only thing that I would like about her. James shook his head at the thought. James is still staring at her. Tara saw this when she glanced to check his face when he heard her. She is pleased at what she saw. Open-mouthed James is staring at her and the ignored Rhea is throwing fiery looks at her.

  Tara started to sing her part again and James could not sit still in the couch even while Rhea was stroking his back sweetly.

  The way you are

  The way you are

  Cause, you're amazing

  Just the way you are

  When I see your face

  There's not a thing that I would change

  'Cause you're amazing

  Just the way you are

  And when you smile

  The whole world stops and stares for awhile

  'Cause, you're amazing

  Just the way you are, yeah

  'Cause, you're amazing

  Just the way you are, yeah

  She finished the song and James was in awe as well as the other listeners in the bar. She heard applauses from them and some screams for her to sing one more song. The group of guys at the table in front of the stage are whistling and looking at Tara, asking her to sing one more song.

  “That was amazing Miss Tara. You should really join our band.” Mitch says in the middle of the roaring crowd.

  Tara just laughed and she heard Gary say, “Why don’t we give the listeners another round. One of your solos this time, Miss Tara?”