by Pia Marie
“I came to pick you up?” as if reminding her of something they agreed on.
“What? Did I tell you I’d ride with you?” she said sarcastically.
“Did you not see my messages?”
“I did,” she rolled her eyes.
“All of it?”
She glanced to her bag and scooped her phone at the pocket. She opened the message.
IF U DNT REPLY 2 THIS IT MEANS, U AGREE IM PICKING U UP.
“Why are you doing this James?” she said slightly massaging her forehead.
“Doing what?” he asks pretending not to know.
“This! All of this!”
“I don’t know what you mean. I just want to ride with you to save gasoline. Our houses are near and we go to the same school. So what’s the matter?” he foolishly responds.
“Sorry but I’m not comfortable! Bye.” She left without looking back.
She is so confused at how James is acting. Is he on drugs or something?
After thirty minutes, she was in school. Traffic was light. She drove to The Beach and parked her car in her favorite and reserved slot.
She got off the car and fixed her hair in her side mirror.
She stood straight when she saw one guy standing behind her reflection.
“James!” she turned around.
“What took you so long?” he asked as if impatiently waiting on his date.
She looked around and found James alone. What is he doing in my parking lot? Yes! This is my parking lot! He has his own near my old condo!
She spotted his black SUV parked near the restaurant. He parked here!
“What? Where did you pass? I was here since ten minutes ago!” he said like a child throwing tantrums at his mother.
Tara touched her temple and raised both her eyebrows to question James.
“Are you stalking me?”
“No!” he exhaled, “You’re silly! Me? Stalk? You? What gave you that idea?”
“Then why are you always around me?” she asked confused.
“I just . . . I want to say sorry,” he looked down on his shoes. He can’t look straight into her eyes. Was sorry all he wanted to say? He was confused himself.
“You already did. Last night . . . remember?” she pointed out to the card and the flowers.
He bought that when he left her eating yesterday at the mall. He doesn’t normally give flowers except if he’s courting a girl, or if it’s for his mother or for his girlfriend. The thought he bought that bouquet now had his head spinning. But yesterday while buying it, he felt so right.
“Haven’t said it aloud.” He didn’t know what to say. He can’t just tell her that he just want to follow her and make sure she is alright all the time. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t understand himself. After hearing what Christian told him, he found an odd feeling in himself that he does care about her. He suddenly felt he wanted to protect her.
Well maybe I like her. Yeah, maybe. Just maybe. I don’t want to confuse my feelings because I feel guilty.
“Now you did,” she said.
James’ Point of View
I kept quiet for a while and looked back up to her face. How come I never saw she looked like an angel? Her eyes are always sparkling. Her lips are always tempting unintentionally. Her hair in a bun and exposing that flawless nape. Her long legs. And I can’t believe I still find her sexy though she is covered in those jeans and normal top.
“Do you forgive me?” I had to know. Is she still mad at me?
It was her turn to be quiet. She just looked back at me straight in my eyes. How can I not forgive those charming eyes? And those soft red lips? The wind-blown strands of hair that covers his eyes partially? Those masculine chest and abs that could make superman ashamed? His hypnotizing scents mixture of heat, sweat and perfume?
“Does silence mean yes?” I kept staring at her.
“You know, no matter how sorry you are, no matter how many times you apologize, it won’t take back anything.” Tara said seriously.
I felt her pain as she said the words. I wanted to hug her right there and then and stroke her back and kiss her lips. I know I have hurt her. I’ll make sure she doesn’t feel that pain again.
But wait, does she think I am sorry that IT happened? I was actually saying sorry for forcing her. Not for taking her. God knows I want to feel her again. Is Christian right? Have I become a sex maniac?
This feeling is fresh to me. I never had flings. I take all my relationships seriously. I never got any woman to bed if I knew I didn’t love her or even like her.
What happened between us is an exception. It was a punishment. A stupid punishment for a misunderstanding. I misjudged her. I know that now and I feel guilty. It shouldn’t happen again. But I want her so bad. I want her next time to be special. Now the guilt is killing me.
Was it just that? I shook my head at my own question. I told her to stay away, then why am I like a mesmerized dog following this ferocious cat? I feel I am giving myself a headache at my own questions.
“I accept your apology, if that’s what you want to hear.” She finally spoke again.
She started walking, leaving me so lost.
“Tara!” I called to her. I quickly strode to catch up with her.
“What?” she asked turning around.
The sight of her leaving me alone in the parking lot made me feel miserable. I can’t stay away from her. I don’t understand myself.
“Can I walk with you?” I asked her, hoping she would say yes.
“Okay.” She said meekly.
I was so happy. But I wanted to hold her hand again. The same way I did at the ball. I miss interlacing our fingers together. I hit my forehead at the thought to wake me up.
“What’s happening to you?” she asked when she heard me slap myself.
“I don’t know.” I answered because I really don’t know. I looked at her and saw her puzzled look.
She just laughed at me as if finding it funny.
“You’re weird James!” she patted me on my shoulder and didn’t move her hand there while we’re walking.
Oh shit. I feel like a teenage boy! I can feel myself blushing as her hands touch my shoulder. Blushing? Fuck! Since when did I ever get giggly? Get a grip Aguilar! I keep reminding myself. But it’s not working.
“Are you going to get your toga now?” she asked me as she removed her hand.
“Yeah. Are you?” actually I wanted to go to the pebble wash where my team mates and I usually stay, but her question seems to me that she’s asking me to get our togas together. Or is that what I wish it was? Fuck! I’m so lost! I feel love-struck with this girl! LOVE-STRUCK?! I hit my head one more time with my palm.
I heard her laugh and she stopped walking then made me turn to face her.
“Are you okay?”
“Can we have lunch together?” I asked out of nowhere. Now where did that question come from?
I saw her bite her lower lip as if thinking of answers to a test question. Was it that hard to have lunch with me? She kept eyeing me like I’m some alien fallen from outer space.
Stop biting your lip! You’re torturing me! I want to savage it and leave it swollen and asking for more.
“Okay.” She said after what seemed like hours that I held my breath.
“Nice!” I said then we started to walk silently to the office where our togas will be released. Then we saw Christian and Lyn went out the door we were about to enter.
“HI!” Lyn said looking at me then at Tara then at me again and back at her. I can feel she is questioning with her eyes what we’re doing together.
I saw Tara kissed her best friend in the cheek. I hope she does the same to me and only me. I wonder what makes me possessive of those lips.
“Dude!” Christian patted me on my shoulders with that evil smile. I know what he’s thinking.
“Have lunch with us?” I heard Lyn ask her.
“Sure!” she replied. But I thought she’s having lunch with me. She looked at me as i
f hearing my thoughts.
“Oh, can we have lunch with them?” she turned to me.
I saw Lyn and Christian looked at me with their questioning eyes.
“Yup. Let’s just get our togas first.” I said staring at her chinky eyes.
“Let’s go,” she opened the door and we slid inside the room.
After a couple minutes, we have our togas and instinctively I grabbed her stuff and carried it outside. I didn’t bother to check her reaction. I opened the door and we went out and found our best friends waiting.
I saw them looking at my arms. Clearly, they knew I was carrying Tara’s stuff. I was holding two bags and she was just leisurely holding on to her designer doctor’s bag.
“What?” I asked Christian. Was it wrong to be a gentleman?
“Nothing,” he grinned and gripped me by the shoulders and started walking.
“I’m not gonna say a word.” I heard him whisper.
“Shut up!” I told him.
“You’re driving?” he asked me.
“My car. You drive.” I said.
“No sweat!”
They were surprised we went to The Beach to get my car.
“Here?!” Christian asked surprised.
“Yeah.”
I see Christian’s eyes. He didn’t say a word but I know exactly what he is thinking. Good for him because I don’t know what to think myself.
He opened the passenger door for Lyn and that left me and Tara at the back seat. I opened the door for her too. Something I never did for anyone. Not even for my grandmother!
She just looked at me and smiled. “Thanks!”
I looked at her as she got up my car. Moments ago, I was asking myself what she has done to me. What is making me want her more and just to myself. As I closed the door after her, I found myself closing my own book of confusions I have written in my mind.
Just with that one simple smile, I got my answers.
The ride to the mall seemed so slow. We were just both sitting at the back watching our best friends ogle each other. We both know they are very much in love. I glanced at Tara and she just smiled at me. Hell that killer smile! Good thing we’re not alone in the car, or I could have not controlled myself from kissing her.
We decided to have lunch at the nearest mall to school. The girls were in one of the stores and across it was a flower shop. Christian asked me to come with him. He wanted to buy some flowers for Lyn.
I went with him and eyed those long stemmed yellow roses and decided to get one for Tara. I don’t know why I am so fascinated with yellow flowers when I think of her. I don’t usually buy other kinds of flowers than red roses. But with this girl, I don’t know, there’s something unique in her and I don’t want to go for my usual basics.
After paying for the flowers for our lovely ladies, we went back to wait for them outside. There were some girls from school who keeps checking us both out. I know for sure that they are eager to know for whom these flowers are for.
They left the shop with one bag each. These girls are shopaholic. But I don’t mind. I can provide for her whatever she wants and needs. Plus the fact she can buy it on her own. I grinned widely when she saw me waiting for her. But that is beyond my point, I would lavishly offer her everything that she would want and need if she was my girl.
Hell! Now that was something! I can’t believe I am having such thoughts. They were waaay too advanced than integrated calculus or quantum mechanics.
I approached her and gave her my floral gift. She reached it and smelled the rose while closing her eyes. Her sight was giving me a mild stroke. My heart is beating faster at this lovely scene in front of me. Yes, faster than my usual heartbeat after dunking the basketball in the ring.
“Tara,” I murmured when I went to whisper in her ear. Her vision is so distracting to me. How can simple gestures like that stimulate my senses? She’s not even doing anything directly to me, but her impact. It’s just so intense.
“It’s beautiful,” she said sweetly and kissed me in the cheek.
I was shocked. Yes I wanted her lips to touch my cheeks but I wasn’t expecting it now. I held her head for her not to move away. Then I whispered to her, “Not as beautiful as you.” Then I released her as I don’t want her to feel my heart pounding as if I ran the track ten whole laps without stopping.
“Thanks James.” she smiled at me again. Her sweet smile.
“Who told you I love yellow?” she asked and I was surprised.
“You do?”
“You didn’t know?” she asked again looking up at me. Actually, she is not that tall nor that short. She is just perfectly standing near my chin.
We were so close together. I can smell her signature scent. The same scent I smelled when I kissed her in the parking lot and in the hotel suite. I have memorized her smell since then. Her intoxicating smell that my nose had searched for weeks.
“No. It’s just every time I see yellow flowers, I think of you. I don’t see you much of a ‘red flower person’.” I answered.
“Yeah, I hate red flowers. FYI.” she said.
“Will keep that in mind.” I told her as I smiled back at her, then interlaced our fingers before we walked after the couple in front of us.
Christian and Lyn were the ones who decided on the restaurant. We waited for the server to usher us to our table and we ordered.
“I’ll just go to the washroom.” Tara said when she asked me to move from the booth we were sitting at.
“I’ll come with you.” Lyn offered.
The two ladies headed for the washroom and left me and Christian.
“We don’t have much time.” Christian said.
“What do you mean?” I didn’t know what he was referring to.
“They won’t be away for long. Now spill.” He told me waiting for me to tell him.
“I followed her yesterday when you told me she asked Lyn to join her at the mall.” I told him slowly trying to weave back my memory of yesterday.
“Then? Hurry!”
“I followed her at the restaurant and she was a bit distant from me after I joined her. Then I went to get her flowers to say sorry. But dude I was so restless I couldn’t give it to her. I put it in the car in the parking lot where I saw her car and moved my car beside it. Then went back and saw her entering the coffee shop. God dude, I had two cups of coffee in less than 2 hours. I felt like palpitating but I don’t know. I had to come near her.”
“You’re stalking her like she did to you? You even parked at The Beach today!”
“That’s what she asked me this morning. Anyway, last night I gave her the flowers as my apology. In her home. I went there after dinner. She was a sight dude. I didn’t know she could be that alluring!” I know my eyes glowed at my last sentence as my mind pictures her again from last night.
“Maniac! Maniac!” he teased me.
“No! I was just admiring her beauty.” I said defensively. “Then today, there’s something. You know I was confused right?”
“Yeah. And . . .” urging me to go on.
“Until that moment at the parking lot, when we left for the mall . . .” My sentence trailed as I reminisced her smile when she thanked me.
“Dude, say it. You like her?” as if tugging my tail that was kept for so long.
“Yes!” I finally surrendered.
Christian laughed at me hard. Real hard that I had to yank his head to stop.
“I knew you did!” he told me with that big devil smile.
“So what’s your plan?” he questioned once again.
“I got to tell her or it would kill me.” I said exaggeratingly. “I know I wouldn’t be able to stand another minute of not seeing her. And I don’t want her to be with any other man except me.”
“Are you sure you just like her?” he eyes me again with that doubtful grin.
“I don’t know yet. But all I know is that I have to tell her that I really like her and I’ll tell her at your party.”
“Party!
Shit! I forgot!” of course he will forget. It wasn’t planned at all.
“I’ll fix it. I’ll tell the block.” I told him for reassurance.
“You’ll tell the block what?” I heard Tara say. I didn’t notice they’re back. I was relieved they didn’t come back any sooner or it will spoil the idea that was forming in my mind.
“Christian’s party.” I murmured.
“Your party babe?” Lyn asked her boy friend.
“Yeah. I forgot to tell you. It’s this Saturday. I’ll pick you up at 8 pm.” Christian said as he moved for her to sit beside him and kissed her.
“I’ll pick you up?” I turned to Tara.
“No need. It’s near. I’ll just drive.” she told me. Our houses are in the same village. But still I can’t help being overprotective towards her. I want to do everything that would please her and would make her realize that she is special to me.
“Please?” I asked her again.
She bit her lip. Why does she do that? She must do that just in front of me or no saint would not be stirred up with that. I continued staring at those gorgeous and enticing lips.
“Okay. 8 pm?” she asked.
“Great!” I felt like a thirteen year old going on a date.
Chapter 10
It’s almost seven in the evening and James has been itching to call Tara and pick her up. Yesterday was hell. He wasn’t able to talk to her or see her. She replied to his message though saying she is out with her parents and some of their board of directors for a new business venture. They are expanding their resort operations.
Today is Christian’s party. He has called her a dozen times making sure she isn’t backing out from attending the party. He wanted so much to be with her.
She had been so mad at his last call. He knows he has been bugging her. But he was really excited. He wanted to amaze her when he proposes to be her boyfriend. He fixed a little surprise for her actually and he can’t wait for her to see it.
After thirty minutes of walking around his house thinking about her nervously, he decided to leave and fetch her. The drive to her house is just five minutes. But his eagerness and excitement made him get out of his house earlier than what’s due.
At 7:36 p.m. he was in front of Tara’s house. He didn’t know if he would go out of the car or just wait. He was just too tensed. It was first time for him to be this anxious for his date. Not even with Rhea. He was never late for dates but definitely never this early.