One Night with the Stranger

Kabanata 19

Kabanata 19

Axel POV

If Grant didn’t call me hindi mangyayari ‘to, natapon ko pa ang kape ko sa kaniya at sa tingin ko ay tumapon ‘yon sa braso niya. I look at her and she is the woman last night and the woman who I keep seeing these past few days when I’m out.

“I’m sorry,” sabi ko sa kan’ya at tinulungan siya sa pagpupulot ng gamit niya.

Nang makita niya ako ay agad siyang umayos ng tayo saka nag iwas ng tingin sa akin, I think she remember me because of what happened last night. It was her fault last night that are path cross but today is my f*****g fault because I’m busy with my phone and I didn’t notice her.

“Sorry po,” sabi niya sa akin at yumuko.

“It’s my fault,” sabi ko sa kan’ya at tiningnan siyang mabuti.

Nag angat siya ng tingin sa akin pero agad din niyang iniwas ang tingin niya ng magkasalubong ang mga mata namin. Her eyes are so attracting, and I think I saw those hazelnut pair eyes before, but I don’t remember meeting her before. I just saw her at the hospital when I visit one of my workers who had an accident that day then the second one is when she was waiting for a cab outside Eireen’s café. I don’t know why she’s here, maybe she is a residence here, but she doesn’t look like one. I don’t want to judge her by her appearance but even though she wears clothes like this she still looks pretty. What the hell I’m f*****g thinking? I should check her arm not her whole appearance. Tsk!

“Pasensya na po sir,” sabi niya pa rin sa akin at umayos siya ng tayo saka niya itinago ang braso niyang natapunan ko ng kape.

“Let me see your arm,” sabi ko sa kaniya.

Alam kong natapunan ko siya ng kape sa braso kahit pa itago niya ‘yon sa akin. That coffee is freaking hot, and I think she needs to see a doctor to check her arm.

“Ha?” tanong n’ya sa akin na para bang hindi niya naitindihan ang sinabi ko. 

“Let me check your arm, I think my coffee spill on your arm” sabi ko na lang sa kaniya kahit na sigurado naman ako na natapunan ko siya ng kape.

“Okay lang po,” sabi niya sa akin.

Kumunot ang noo ko at lumapit sa kaniya para tingnan ang braso niya pero agad siyang umatras at inilayo sa akin ang braso n’yang natapunan ng kape ko. She’s scared and I can feel that. Napailing na lang ako. Maybe because of what happened last night. I’m just in a bad mood last night and I want to be nice to her, I don’t know why but I want to know here more.

“I need to check your arm so I could send you to the clinic,” sabi ko sa kaniya.

“Hindi na po kailangan,” sabi niya sa akin at lalapitan ko pa sana ulit siya ng biglang tumunog ang cellphone ko kaya kinuha ko ‘yon sa bulsa ko.

It was Grant who is calling me again. I look at her, “I need to answer this but wait for me so I can send you to the clinic and pay for what I did because I don’t want to own anything to anyone I don’t know,” sabi ko sa kaniya at tumalikod para sagutin ang tawag ni Grant.

“What the hell do you need?” tanong ko sa kaniya at naglakad palayo.

“I’m here at the lobby, talk to me here because I can’t go to your office!” sabi n’ya sa akin.

“I’m busy with something at this moment Grant!” inis na sabi ko sa kaniya.

“Just talk to me for a few minutes Axel,” sabi niya sa’kin kaya napabuntong hininga ako.

“Wait for me there,” sabi ko sa kaniya at binaba na ang tawag.

Itinago ko na sa bulsa ko ang cellphone ko saka binalikan ang babaeng kausap ko kanina pero nawala na siya. I think she went inside one of this unit here, but I don’t know where! She is near at Caius unit when I bump into her, and I guess our unit is close.

I just shook my head and walk towards the elevator when I saw one of the cleaner walking towards my direction.

“Good morning sir Axel,” sabi n’ya sa akin.

He knew me of course, “There’s a mess at the hallway near Caius unit and clean it for me,” sabi ko sa kaniya.

“Okay po,” sabi niya sa akin at umalis na.

Sumakay naman na ako sa elevator at bumaba sa lobby kung asaan si Grant. Kung hindi ko lang kaibigan si Grant hindi ko s’ya pupuntahan at hahayaan ko na lang siyang mag intay dahil may iba akong inaasikaso.

“What the hell are you saying earlier?” tanong ko sa kaniya at umupo sa bakanteng upuan sa tapat niya.

“You’re not in your suit,” sabi niya sa akin.

“I was about to get ready when you f*****g called,” iritang sabi ko sa kaniya.

“Here is the plan for the warehouse,” sabi niya sa akin at inabot ang isang envelope.

Kinuha ko ‘yon at tiningnan saka ako tumingin sa kaniya.

“Dad is still managing his business, talk to him instead because I don’t have a warehouse for you game Grant,” sabi ko sa kaniya.

“I told you I want to build a warehouse not buy a build already,” sabi niya sa’kin.

“That’s why I said go to my father. Si dad pa rin ang may hawak ng business niya at hindi construction ang negosyo ko Grant,” sabi ko sa kaniya.

“It’s still the same Axel, just do it and I will pay whatever the price you want,” sabi niya sa’kin.

“I’m not poor Grant!” sabi ko sa kaniya.

“I know! Just f*****g do it for me. I need to leave Axel, I still have a business trip to Cebu today, so the deal is done,” sabi niya at bigla na lang umalis.

That fucker! I stand up and walk towards the elevator, I need to prepare for work. I’m f*****g late because of Grant and what happened earlier.

I just wait for the elevator to go down and when the elevator door open, I saw the woman I’ve been looking for earlier, but she changes her clothes already. She is wearing dress that’s perfectly fit on her body. I smile but my smile disappears when I saw who’s also inside the elevator with her. The woman I love that also break my heart.

She smiles when she saw me, and I just smirk at her then look at the woman I’ve been looking for.

“I’ve been looking for you,” sabi ko sa kaniya at hinila s’ya palabas ng elevator na alam ko naman na ikinagulat n’ya.

Dinala ko s’ya sa may parking lot at doon siya binitawan.

“Ano bang problema mo?” tanong niya sa akin.

“Get inside the car,” utos na sabi ko sa kaniya.

“No!” sabi niya sa’kin at tumaas ang tono ng boses niya.

“Don’t f*****g shout! I’m not doing anything to you, I just want to make sure that your arm is okay” sabi ko sa kaniya at inangat ang braso n’yang natapunan ko ng kape.

Namumula pa ‘yon at hala na napaso siya, I need to bring her to a doctor to make sure that she is okay.

“I’m fine, mawawala rin ‘yan saka pwede po bang bitawan n’yo na kasi masakit at saka hindi ko naman po kayo kilala tapos bigla n’yo na lang po akong hinila papunta dito,” sabi n’ya sa’kin.

“I told you earlier that I will bring you to the clinic,” sabi ko sa kaniya.

This woman is stubborn!

“Hindi na po kailangan, kung ‘yon lang po ang sadya n’yo sa akin ay aalis na po ako dahil madami pa po akong kailangan gawin,” sabi n’ya sa’kin at akmang maglalakad palayo ng hilahin ko s’ya at isandal sa kotse ko.

“Ano bang problema mo? Hindi mo ba naintindihan ang sinabi ko sa’yo na okay lang ako kaya pwede bang pakawalan mo na ako?” tanong n’ya sa akin pero umiling ako.

I don’t want to let her go because there is something in her that I want to know more, and I really want to do this to her.

I move my face closer to her and what happened is she didn’t expect me to do.