Layne walks back to the table to settle the bill. He sees someone in black sitting in Kate’s chair, his back to him. Layne’s footsteps on the gravel echo, and then the person stands and turns around.
“Hey, you must be Number Six. I’m Rob.”
Layne blinks and tries to hide his surprise and sudden guilt.
Rob extends his hand.
Layne takes it slowly. He and Rob shake hands. Rob’s grip is firm.
“Good to finally meet you,” Rob says with a smile.
Kate enters her apartment, carrying an eco-bag containing Layne’s gifts and notes to her. Once she is inside, she sits in her couch and starts to cry.
Layne and Rob stand in front of each other, their hands clasped in a handshake, each one sizing up the other. Rob stands a few inches above Layne, but Layne’s build overshadows Rob’s lean structure.
“I’m Layne,” Layne says, finally finding his voice.
“Sit down. I ordered us some drinks and bar chow. I noticed you didn’t eat that much,” Rob answers with a smile. He walks to the chair on the other side of the table.
“Did you follow her here?” Layne asks.
“Yeah. Guilty as charged. I have to admit it, it was very smart—the note from a writers’ group. You knew Kate would not have come had she known you wanted to meet her. I love the choices of the places you toured her around. I saw you left her gifts and more notes. It must have taken a lot of planning.”
“I had help,” Layne says with a smile. He is careful to keep eye contact with Rob.
The waiter arrives with a bucket of San Miguel Light beer with sisig and chicharon bulaklak, both local delicacies usually eaten with alcohol. He uncaps two bottles and distributes to the two men.
Rob takes a long swig from his bottle. Layne focuses on Rob’s red lips.
God, this guy is too handsome. No wonder Kate fell head over heels in love with him.
Layne shakes his head and takes a deep drink.
“I’ve known Kate for more than fifteen years. I know her like the back of my hand. She knows me inside out as well,” Rob says with a smile. The smile doesn’t reach his eyes a hundred percent.
Layne stays silent.
“This morning, I knew something was up. She’s always bad at keeping things from me. So I followed her, not because I don’t trust her, I was curious about what you would do.”
“You know about me.”
“Yeah, she told me after Sydney and Vietnam. I said you might be a stalker. I still think so, that’s why I followed her. Just in case she needed saving.”
Layne smiles. “Don’t worry, she is safe with me.”
“Is she? Was she? Sydney, Vietnam, China, India, Malaysia, Singapore. That’s a lot of countries to have one-night stands in. And you never asked to see her here. Until now.”
“I know. Biggest regret. If I did... she might—”
“She might—?” Rob asks, an eyebrow cocked.
“I don’t know. Maybe she wouldn’t be engaged to you,” Layne says with a smile. He then drains the beer in his bottle.
“Aaah. But you don’t know Kate.”
Layne stays silent. He opens another bottle.
“Kate could never, ever resist me. I believe even if you were in the picture, she will still say yes to my proposal.”
“Okay.”
“Yes, okay.”
“But doesn’t it bother you?”
Rob frowns. “Bother me how?”
“That she accepted your proposal because she couldn’t say no to you. And not because she really wants to say yes?”
Rob stays silent. He opens another bottle and takes a long drink.
“I told her this evening that I love her,” Layne admits.
“Let me bet she won’t change her mind,” Rob says.
“You might win the bet, but—”
“But what?”
“She’s not going to change her mind because she doesn’t want to lose you. And picking me means losing you. You have this long history together. I can’t compete with that.”
Rob stares at Layne. He is nearly done with the beer in his second bottle.
“You made her cry. Not sure if it was China or India but she was depressed as hell.”
“I regret that. I didn’t exactly feel happy during that period too.”
Rob drinks the rest of the beer in his second bottle.
“She and I have not known each other that long, but I have this feeling this ‘history’ of yours is not exactly all roses and unicorns either,” Layne says. He finishes his second bottle of beer too.
Rob uncaps two bottles from the bucket, and hands one to Layne.
“Yeah. I’ve hurt her a lot. That’s why I’m making good on my promise to her,” Rob explains.
“Promise?” Layne asks. He takes a deep drink.
“To marry her when she turns thirty-five,” Rob says, and then he drinks half his bottle. “I love her with all my heart, Layne. I would die without her. I am marrying her because I want her to be my wife for the rest of our lives.”
The waiter arrives and refills their bucket with more bottles. He opens two bottles and gives one to each guy.
“I just want to know if you’re going to pull more stunts like this.”
Layne shakes his head. “No. I’ve had my say. And for the record, I didn’t do anything I shouldn’t have, except tell her how I feel. I - I will not do any more stunts.”
“Will you try and contact her again?”
“I will try not to. I’ve done what I could. The rest is up to her.”
They drink.
“Good,” Rob says.
“Although I don’t think there is much to think about really. I mean look at you and look at me. You’re rich, successful, no responsibilities. I am not rich—I am supporting my entire family. You’ve known her for half of your lives. We just met a few years ago. You’re confident and suave. I am not. You gave her a ring, I screwed up my chance. No contest.”
Layne drains the contents of his bottle.
Rob stays silent. He finishes his beer too.
“You never know with Kate.”
Layne stares at Rob, and then decides to go for it. He got a call earlier from Portia telling him about something a friend of hers who spent the Holy Week in Boracay shared with her.
“Of course, if you tell her what happened in Boracay, things can change,” Layne says with a smile.
Rob raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t you?”
Silence from Rob.
“She’ll know soon enough, I heard there were pictures. Irrefutable evidence,” Layne says, using the words Portia, the soon-to-be-lawyer said.
Rob leans back in his chair and smiles.
“So you told her, I gather?” Rob asks.
“No, I didn’t,” Layne says and although he really wanted to, he just couldn’t. He didn’t want to win Kate that way.
“You’re stupid then to not use that ace up your sleeve, if you really do have it,” Rob says with his lopsided smile.
“It’s not my sin to confess,” Layne says with a serious face.
Rob sighs. “It was just a simple make-out. I didn’t even initiate it!”
“But I heard you didn’t stop it.” Portia said that her friend swore Rob disappeared with the woman and didn’t come back to the party that night.
Rob stares at Layne seriously, the smile gone from his face.
“What’s worse? What I did in Boracay or what happened in Pagudpud and Laoag?”
“Nothing happened,” Layne answers.
“Nothing physical. But isn’t that worse? You had an emotional connection, admit it!”
“Yes, we did,” Layne admits. “That’s why I left.”
“Smart move. Or our first meeting wouldn’t have been as cordial as now,” Rob says with a sarcastic smile.
“So will you tell her?” Layne asks.
“Eventually.”
Layne
stays silent. He and Rob stare at each other intently.
Impasse.
“I am ready for something stronger,” Rob suddenly says. “Game?”
Layne nods.
Rob orders a bottle of Don Julio Tequila Blanco.
Layne smiles. “Now I know who introduced Kate to this drink.”
After a few shots.
“Fuck! I remember this is how you got her to sleep with you in Sydney!” Rob slams his hand on the table.
Layne laughs. “More like the reverse. Remember, I’m Number Six!”
“Oh, yeah! I bet she was nervous as hell...”
Layne smiles. “She didn’t show it. All I saw was this beautiful, confident woman who knew her tequila.”
Rob laughs.
“Look, Rob, I will not initiate anything with Kate. You don’t have to worry about me,” Layne says. “But if Kate initiates, I can’t promise I will not agree to see her.”
Rob stares at Layne.
“You know what? In another universe, you and I could be friends,” Rob says with his lopsided smile.
“Maybe,” Layne answers softly.
“But here, you are the guy who could potentially take Kate away from me.” Rob leans forward and stares at Layne.
“I won’t.” Layne leans forward as well.
“Excuse me?” Rob asks.
“If by chance, she picks me... against all odds, I won’t ask her to give you up.”
Rob laughs. “That’s stupid, man, considering our history.”
“I know. But she can’t live without you. Loving her means accepting what she needs to survive and she needs you in her life.”
“I am obviously not as selfless as you. So please leave Kate and me alone.”
Layne stares at Rob. He pours another shot for both of them.
“Okay, to leaving Kate and you in peace,” Layne says as he raises his shot glass.
“I’ll drink to that!” Rob raises his shot glass and they click and they both down the shot effortlessly.
They consume the whole bottle.
Layne gets home drunk. Pito carries him with extreme difficulty into the living room.
“Kuya, what happened?” Gidgette asks, and she mouths the same question to Pito.
Layne is silent and despondent—as he always is when really drunk. Sophia and Portia take over and help Layne up into his bedroom.
Gidgette asks Pito what happened when Pito sits tiredly on the couch. He rests his head on Gidgette’s shoulder and they hold hands. He relates that everything went well with Kate during the day and until the dinner. Then afterward, he drove her home. But when he returned for Layne, he saw him in deep conversation with a man.
“He’s like a movie star and model,” Pito whispers.
“Oh shit! The fiancé!” Gidgette exclaims.
“I tried to be close by just in case they got into a fight, but they were very civil, actually talking deeply, as I observed. They drank a lot, first beer, then something harder. Then they even shook hands after. But Layne was in bad shape when I helped him into the car—and I don’t think it is only because of the alcohol.”
“The other guy?”
“Also drunk. A BMW came with a driver to pick him up.”
“Poor Kuya,” Gidgette whispers.
Pito looks at her and gives her a soft kiss on the lips. “At least, he was able to do what he set out to do.”
“Yeah,” says Gidgette. “Thanks, Pito, for doing this for Kuya.”
“It was my pleasure, Gidge. Your Kuya is a great guy, and Kate is a special woman. I hope they work it out in the end.”
“I hope so too.”
Kate wakes up to a loud knock. Her eyes are swollen from crying. She opens the door and finds Rob, slumped down on her doorstep. Kate suddenly had flashbacks of that night long ago when Rob came to her drunk because of Miss Pinky.
“Rob!”
Kate helps Rob into her apartment. She sits him on the couch.
“What happened? You’re drunk!”
“Do you love me, Kate?” Rob looks at her, his face red, his eyes brimming with tears.
Kate sighs. “You know I do, Rob,” she says softly.
“I mean, really love me, Kate,” Rob asks, like a child.
“I do really love you, Rob,” Kate says truthfully.
“You won’t leave me, right?” Rob asks, his voice breaking.
“I—” Kate stammers.
“I can’t bear it if you leave me,” Rob whispers, as he buries his head in her neck.
“Rob, you better drink some water. What have you been drinking?”
“Beer, Tequila,” Rob whispers into her neck.
“I told you to never mix your drinks!”
“Don’t leave me, Kate,” he whispers. Rob embraces her tight.
Kate embraces him back. “I - I won’t, Rob. I’ll be right here. I will always be here for you.”
With that, Kate knows her decision has been made.
For some reason, she feels a deep sadness.
Layne is drinking coffee in his room. His head is still spinning, but most of the dinner he ate with Kate and the bar chow he ate with Rob have been upchucked, along with most of the alcohol in his system.
He hears a knock.
“Come in,” Layne says softly.
The door opens and his mom enters. Layne involuntarily covers the back of his neck.
“’Nay, please, I don’t need a lecture right this minute,” Layne says.
Nina slowly walks to her son and embraces him tightly.
Layne is surprised, but he feels suddenly comforted. So he hugs his mom back and he buries his face in her shoulder. They stay that way for a long time.
Afterward, Layne sleeps peacefully.
1
The Sin
Rob groans when he wakes up and the sunlight streaming through Kate’s thin curtains hurts his eyes. He has a massive headache, and his mouth tastes like shit. His body also aches. He realizes he is lying on Kate’s couch, a pillow under his head and a blanket over him.
He tries to sit up and his head throbs. He remembers the night before and he groans anew. He remembers how he groveled to gain Kate’s promise she would never leave him. He didn’t like the way it feels.
He remembers how he found the note on Kate’s desk the other night, and how he knew it was more than just a writers’ group invitation. How, he spent the previous day following Kate around and how he confronted the other man in her life. Rob is suddenly ashamed of himself, although he did enjoy meeting Layne and talking to him and laying down the law. Layne was not a bad guy at all. Better than all of Kate’s past other guys combined. Which makes Layne all the more dangerous. He is also different in type than any of Kate’s other boyfriends. Kate always favors the more unassuming, sensitive guys, and Layne is just different. For one, he was a different physical type. Rob never knew Kate liked muscles on a guy—she never had a boyfriend who was sporty or healthy like that. She also didn’t like the player type, and Layne had that vibe about him at first, although it was apparent it was really more an act than anything.
Rob realized last night that Layne really loves Kate. And he believes Kate loves Layne too.
Which was why what he did last night was totally uncalled for. He basically took away Kate’s choice... again, just like he had always done in the very distant past.
I am better than this, Rob thinks.
And there is the Boracay incident Layne raised that had been plaguing Rob’s guilt ever since it happened.
Boracay, a few days ago.
“Rob Salcedo? Is that you?”
Rob stops in his tracks and stares at the speaker. He smiles.
“Well, who else would look like this but me?”
The speaker is beautiful, petite, with long straight hair and Chinese mestiza features. She is wearing a thin cover-up over a black and white zebra-print two-piece bikini.
Damn, she looks hot! Rob thought.
“Is Kate with you?”
Rob shakes his head, his smile still intact. “No, she opted to go on a Northern road trip with her sister than join me here.”
“Well, Kate was never the party animal that you are, Rob.”
“How are you, Pinky?”
“I am fine. Wow, it’s good to see you!”
Rob smiled. “It’s good to see you too!”
Rob stands up from the couch, stretches and yawns. He looks at the clock on Kate’s wall and discovers it is the middle of the afternoon. He makes his way to Kate’s bedroom and through the door, he sees her kneeling on the floor, putting things into a small box. Rob recognizes the gift bags from the day before. He watches as Kate carefully takes out each gift and each note, and packs them into the small box.
He hears her sniff and he realizes Kate is crying.
Damn it. Rob thinks. I promised myself I will never be the cause for Kate to ever cry again...
Rob slowly walks back to the couch, lies down, and closes his eyes.
Kate closes the box and then opens a trunk in her closet and places it at the bottom-most part, and covers it with other bric-a-brac.
“Goodbye, Layne,” she whispers, her voice breaking. She sobs softly, making sure she didn’t make too much noise so Rob wouldn’t wake up.
She loves Layne. She loves Rob. They are different kinds of love, yet similar in its intensity. Choosing one means losing the other. Last night, Rob asked her to never leave him. Layne didn’t ask her to choose him—at least not upfront. He left it up to her to choose him.
At this very moment, she just wants to disappear.
She takes out her phone and calls Jane.
“Jane, I need you...”
A couple of hours later at a bar
“Kate, seriously, what is the matter?” Jane shouts out to be heard over the loud techno music.
“Jane, please just be with me tonight. I don’t need to talk, I don’t want any lecture, a dissertation, nor any judgment,” Kate says slurring her words.” I just need you to make sure I make it home in one piece.”
Jane shrugs and looks at Ariel, one of her officemates who was also part of the Holy Week road trip.
Kate, Finally Page 14