by Thessa Lim
From behind Tony, the two receptionists grinned and waggled their eyebrows at Laine. They looked like they had a thousand questions to ask her, all pertaining to the man in the crisp collared black shirt, slim indigo trousers, and black penny loafers.
Tony rented a car for the evening. They walked to the parking lot and rode it.
“I can’t believe you’re here. Is Manila now a part of your itinerary? Is your mother here too?” Laine asked him as he pulled out of the parking lot. She was bursting inside with excitement at his surprise visit.
“No, Manila isn’t in my itinerary. You are. And no, Mom isn’t with me.” He toyed with the GPS to search for the nearest chicken inasal place.
Laine shivered with delight at his answer.
“Can we go to this new restaurant named Mesa instead? They have grilled chicken too. I’ve been wanting to try it out, but the girls haven’t had the time.”
“Sure, wherever you want is fine with me.”
They were seated outside the restaurant, with a view of a pond and trees adorned with lights. Their table had three candles laid out in the middle. Instrumental music played.
Tony ordered the seafood platter, grilled chicken, and laing.[21] They talked about Bohol and what he had been doing there. Laine also talked about her presentation that evening. She chattered for a while about the new program a facilitator was planning and the three big European banks they had approached about it. The presentation earlier was for the corporate social responsibility of Deutsche Bank in the Philippines. When they finished dinner and were enjoying their drinks, he reached out for her hand.
“Do you want to walk around? I haven’t been here before, but the place looks great.” She nodded right away.
He pulled her out of her chair and held her around the waist as they left the restaurant. Nobody had ever held her this close before. Sure, she had gone on a few dates with Philip and Allan . . . But she never held their hand, never let them hold hers. But Tony . . . even though his forwardness made her nervous, he did not. It was probably because she knew him when they were kids.
Laine was relieved that she was wearing one of her best dresses that day. It was a petite nude embellished dress. She had worn it to make a good impression during the meeting. The dress seemed right for their date that night, and she knew it was a date.
They walked along the restaurants that lined the eco-park of Greenbelt.
“So how can you still be single now?” he asked, a smile on his face.
“I’ve been single since forever.” She rolled her eyes.
Oh my God. He’ll think I’m a weirdo.
He stopped in his tracks for a while but then recovered. “That’s strange for someone . . . as beautiful as you.” He brushed her chin with his finger and teased, “Is there something weird or scary about you that I should know?”
“That’s so cheeky.” She laughed and stared up his eyes. “And must I presume you’re dating someone back in the U.S.?”
He laughed. “Only if you think I’m also beautiful.”
She dared not answer that question.
“I guess it’s because I’m a prude. Nobody’s really made me unprudish,” she explained and laughed at her words. “I’m very old-fashioned, I guess. Dad heightened my standards all the way to here”—she lifted her hand up high over her head—“when it comes to men.”
“What kind of man did he say you should find?”
“Well, he told me all the usual things a father would tell his daughter to look for in a man. But for some, they might not believe that there exists such a man because, well, guys are guys. But because of him, I knew that such a man existed. Does that make sense?”
He nodded at her and held her even closer. His body was warm and firm, and the closeness made heat rush up her back. They walked to a bridge above the pond that led to the other side of the park. He stopped and faced her.
“You don’t seem repelled by me . . . ,” he mused.
She looked away because she knew she must be turning scarlet. He turned her chin back to him.
“Laine, since you say you’re traditional and I’ve adored you since we were kids—” When her mouth hung open at this, he chuckled. “It’s true . . . Could you not tell? I wanted to be around you all the time . . . I’d stare when we’d play at the plaza . . . I-I want to see if we can start . . . something between us. If I seriously weren’t holding myself back . . .” His eyes dropped to her lips, and he licked his. “I’d probably be pushing against you . . .” He pushed her body with his to the side of the bridge and held her close. “And kissing you, and trying my darnedest to make you melt in my hands.”
She gasped but did not run away. Her heartbeat had accelerated, and she could barely catch her breath. She bit her lips to stop them from quivering. He moved his hands down her back, but they stopped once they reached her waist. His breath hitched. She could only stare at his face with wonder at how this sophisticated guy could possibly be so interested in her.
After a moment, he breathed, “I can’t remember what I was saying. Damn.”
His eyes dropped to her lips again. He bent down and kissed her.
I’m an adult. I like him. I can do this.
When she pressed her lips harder against his, he slid his tongue over the slit between her lips. He paused for a moment when she stiffened. He teased her lips until she parted them. He slid his tongue in to taunt hers over and over again. He cupped her neck and deepened the kiss until he heard her moan in pleasure.
Suddenly, a group of people approached the bridge. Laine pulled back. Realizing that she was uncomfortable with public displays of affection, he slid his arm around her waist again and tugged her gently to the other side.
“Do you want to maybe check out my hotel room?” He smirked at her.
She froze in her steps and blushed a deep red.
“I . . . I . . .” She blinked several times, trying to get her thoughts in order.
He laughed and kissed her on the forehead. “That was really precious. I never thought I’d make the little mermaid from next door stutter in my lifetime.”
She swatted his chest. “We can go to my apartment. I can introduce you to Zara.”
Tony and Laine went back to the apartment to find Zara sitting by the dining table and reading from her laptop. Her mouth fell open when she saw Tony’s arm around Laine.
“Hi,” she greeted and then raised her eyebrows at Laine. Question and mischief danced in her eyes.
“Zara, this is Tony. Tony, Zara,” Laine introduced.
“Tony! Your childhood friend from Bohol! You’re here?” Her eyes widened, and then she was grinning from ear to ear at the two of them.
Laine threw Zara a warning glance not to give away that they had talked about him, but Zara ignored her.
“Yes, he wanted to see Manila,” Laine explained.
“No, not really. I came to see you,” he corrected her.
“Guys, I’ll take my things to the room so you can talk and stuff.” She gathered her belongings and walked to the room before Laine could reply. Then she stopped in her tracks and turned around to them. “Unless you guys want the room?”
“No! Oh my goodness. Go already!” Laine shouted and covered her face with her hands.
“I was just teasing. We don’t let guys in the bedroom because we share.” Zara giggled. “Tony, you should know that you’re the first guy Laine has brought here.” She was about to go but then turned to them again. “Not that I’m saying that there’s anything wrong with her . . .”
Tony chuckled under his breath, and Laine’s eyes grew wider. “Zara . . . ,” she warned.
“Laine’s the best. The very best.” Zara smiled and then finally exited to the bedroom.
“Since you’re so adamant about not being in a room alone with me, it makes me feel as if I haven’t been kissing you very well.” He chuckled, sat on the couch, and pulled her down to sit on his lap.
“You do. I’m just really slow and really awk
ward.”
They stared at each other for a while, each wondering what goodness they could have done to be staring at the other’s eyes. Tony thought about the time his mother cried when he told her she did not have to work a single day because her son would provide her with everything she needed. Laine thought about a dugong[22] she had helped rescue when it was stranded on shallow waters at a beach in Busuanga.
When she smiled at the thought, he asked her, “What are you thinking about?”
“I’m thinking about a dugong,” she answered.
He doubled over in laughter. “What the hell are you thinking about a dugong for? You’re really killing my ego here.”
“That’s one of the most exciting rescues I’ve ever taken part in.” She hesitated before saying, “Maybe that’s a good deed I’m being blessed for now . . .”
He became serious, touched by the thought. Once again, his eyes fell to her lips. Her breathing quickened.
He’s going to kiss me again.
He cupped the back of her head with purpose and dived his tongue into her mouth. She gasped for breath as his kiss deepened, almost as if kissing her were his sole purpose in living. She kissed him back but could not match his strength and urgency. She pulled her head up to breathe. Seeming to take that as an invitation, he began laying kisses on her neck and behind her ears.
“Tony . . . you said you want to talk . . . All we’re . . . kissing now.” She shuddered as a heat that was very strange to her rushed through her body.
He gathered all the self-control he could muster and pulled himself away.
“Laine, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to maul you. Are you okay?”
She nodded meekly but was still trying to catch her breath.
“You’re still like the girl I looked to when I was a kid. Your eyes . . . they used to drive me crazy when you would glare at me for another prank I pulled.” He chuckled. “Your hair . . .” He tugged gently at her hair and smiled. “But you’re all woman now. The things you do for what you care about . . . I admire you even more.” He tugged gently at her hair again.
“That’s really sweet.” She smiled.
Then a question passed through her mind, one that she had been toying with ever since she had returned from Bohol.
“What is it? You look like you’re itching for something.”
She hesitated. “Tony, how many ladies have you been with?”
He took a deep breath and adjusted her on his lap. “I’ve had two girlfriends.”
“And you’ve slept with them?”
He nodded uneasily.
“So you’ve only ever slept with two women?”
He cleared his throat, weighing his words. “There were some other women.”
“How many more?”
He cleared his throat again. “Maybe six.”
She took a deep breath.
Two plus six equals eight. How could you have been naked in front of eight women? Okay, individually, but still . . . Eight? Has God’s Gift ever been with eight women?
She had been expecting this, but it bothered her more after hearing it than she thought it would. Tony cursed in his mind when he saw Laine’s expression change. He could not very well explain to her that this was a common number in the United States. That would only offend her. So in his mind he cursed the question and the honesty with which he had to answer it. Then he cursed himself for being caught unawares and not knowing what to do so that she would still be happy with him at this moment.
“Laine, I’d tell you from the very beginning if what this is is casual. But it isn’t to me.”
She did not really hear him though. She was lost in a barrage of thoughts.
Eight women and I’ve never been with a man.
She felt sick all of a sudden.
What if I were just another casual affair to him? I’d become just another statistic. Could he be a womanizer, a relentless flirt? Sweet talker, check. Awesome kisser, check. Handsome and sexy, check, double check.
“I’ve upset you. It has nothing to do with us. That’s in the past,” he pressed again, pleading in his mind that she start speaking to him again.
“Tony, I don’t have a number,” she said in a very low tone.
“And that’s great. That’s really precious.”
Because her eyebrows furrowed even further and she was no longer looking at him, he squirmed uncomfortably. He had never been judged for his number before. Among his friends back in Virginia, his number was considered modest enough.
“I should probably go. You’re too upset with me now.”
He lifted her off his lap and gingerly settled her on the couch. She cupped her chin in her hands, still reeling and not knowing how to react. He paced the small space in front of the couch, with his hands in his pockets, hoping that her expression would change. When she did not speak, he sighed.
“I’m sorry. I-I don’t know what to say,” she whispered.
“You should go rest. You’ve got work tomorrow.” He gave her a kiss on the forehead and hesitated before leaving. “Have a good night.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jazmine and Braden
Jazmine’s mobile beeped. She checked her messages, and a cold gripped her body.
Suddenly, she felt like throwing up the insides of her stomach.
Stop it. This isn’t about you. This is about Liam.
Despite her ill feelings, she knew what was best for Liam was for his father to take an interest in him and become a regular presence in his life. She was willing to put up with having Braden around if her son were to gain the world by having a father.
That was all. She knew she and Braden were over, that she could never be with a coward who left her at the time she needed somebody the most. However—and she did not want to confess this to anyone—she hoped they could regain some sort of relationship that would keep him and Liam together.
She picked up the phone on her desk, called Laine, and whispered, “Braden wants to see Liam.”
“Don’t let him!” she hissed under her breath.
“Liam needs a father. He can’t be around just women . . . Who will teach him basketball and boxing?”
“We can learn those things and teach him. On the other hand, Braden might teach Liam about . . . cowardice and irresponsibility,” Laine snapped.
“Laine, I hate him, but you know I can’t tear them apart. It’s wrong, possibly even illegal.”
“I told you not to put his name on Liam’s birth certificate,” Laine grumbled.
“Well, all things considered, he’s going to the apartment on Saturday in the afternoon.” Jazmine cringed. “Can you please be there with me? Just hide in the room or something.”
“You didn’t need to ask.”
That weekend, Jazmine set up Liam’s bouncer on the table in the living room. She had wanted to put on the new zebra onesie that Fiona bought him, but she decided to go with a plain and homey blue shirt and shorts tandem instead.
Laine had already arrived and had set up the baby monitor the other way. The receiver was now by the couch, while the speaker was in the bedroom.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Both girls froze and grabbed each other’s hand. After a couple of beats, Jazmine moved to open the door. There was Braden, her boyfriend of two years who left her when she became pregnant. He was tall, but today his body was slumped. He was wearing high-cut sneakers, baggy jeans, a DC comic shirt, and a scowl.
“Hi,” he muttered.
“Hi.”
He peered in from the doorway and saw Liam on the bouncer. Liam was playing with the monkeys that were hanging on top of the bouncer, cooing whenever the monkeys made a jingling sound.
“Is that—,” he started, then realized it was a stupid question. His lips were set in a straight line, his eyebrows drawn together.
Jazmine could not understand how they ended up this way. They were in love, in a long-term relationship at one time.
How can he not want the son we made together?
He stepped in and sat on the couch in front of Liam.
Suddenly, somebody banged on the door.
“Is he here?” Anne screamed from outside. “Open up!”
“Shoot,” Jazmine said and looked at Laine, her eyes wide.
Laine could only give her a sheepish expression, revealing that she had spilled to Anne. Jazmine avoided exactly this because she knew to expect fireworks when Anne was pissed. She opened the door and let her in.
“Anne, Braden is here to see Liam, okay? Please don’t make a scene,” Jazmine begged her.
Braden stood up and glared at Anne. When Jazmine and Braden started dating, he was cool with all her girlfriends. However, sometime along the way, Anne started being snarky and almost disgusted with him. Jazmine thought he had just rubbed her the wrong way and let it be. When Braden left Jazmine, Anne actually suggested hiring a hit man to get him.
“Guys, we’ll just be inside the room.” Laine pulled Anne to the bedroom.
“No, I got things to say—”
Laine covered Anne’s mouth before she could continue and dragged her to the bedroom. Jazmine only made out a few words, which seemed to refer to a picture. When the bedroom door closed, Braden sat down again and shook his head, muttering curses.
“Braden, why’d you come?” Jazmine sat down beside him on the couch but kept her distance.
“I just wanted to see him. Gabe . . .” He stopped and shook his head.
“What about Gabe?” she asked, confused.
What did his cousin have to do with this?
He shook his head again and waved his hand to tell her that it was nothing.
“Mom is getting attached to him, and so I wanted to see him,” he said.
“You should’ve come days after he was delivered.”
“Nobody told me.”
“I sent you a message . . . Or did you change your number?”
He shrugged.
“It takes only nine months for a baby to come out. You should know that.”
He shook his head.