His Sweet Desire

Chapter 5

A SECOND LATER, they were in the middle of the dance floor, twirling around like deranged teacups.

"Oh boy!" she said, clinging onto Lucas arms for her dear life. They narrowly avoided colliding with a pair of swirling dresses.

Being forced to dance like this in front of a room full of people is one of Bella's own personal nightmares. Paano naman ay parehong kaliwa ang mga paa niya.

"I can't dance," Bella murmured. A thin sheen of sweat was glistening on her forehead.

"You're doing fantastic." Lucas uttered with a smile.

"Am I?" she asked with nervousness in her voice.

"Hey."

Bella looked up and met Lucas' eyes. For the first time in the whole time they're together, they were serious and thoughtful. They held with a sincerity she couldn't ignore. "I'm not going to drop you, okay? We're just dancing. You're not going to fall."

Bella searched his eyes for any sort of joke or deception but found none. In the end, she nodded quickly, taking a deep breath and gripping his hand and shoulder.

"That's it," Lucas smiled, "I've got you."

They started spinning with more and more speed, and in seconds, the rest of the crowd had faded to a blur in Bella's eyes. Suddenly she felt like it was only her and Lucas left in the room.

Bella gasped and pulled herself closer, but Lucas kept on staring at her with those sparkling eyes that made her even more nervous.

"Now hold on," he commanded.

She stifled a shriek as he swept them through the room as if they were the only ones dancing, lifting her, so the tips of her heels barely touched the ground. Bella smiled as he shot her a thousand-watt smile.

Nobody had a more beautiful smile than this guy. Bella could feel the light fluttering of butterflies in her stomach as they twirled again and again, tracing graceful lines under the twinkling chandeliers. After she got over the initial shock that this was really happening and that she was actually keeping up, her face lit up with a breathless smile. A delighted giggle escaped Bella's lips, and Lucas beamed back at her, tossing her lightly into the air before catching her in a low dip as the ends of her hair swept the ground. She was having an amazing time.

There was a frozen moment where she gazed up at him, only vaguely aware that they were the only ones not dancing in a room full of spinning dolls. Then, a throat cleared sharply right over her shoulder and the moment passed.

He pulled her quickly to her feet, and she turned around to find herself face to wrinkled face of a Japanese businessman.

"Mr. Osaka," Lucas exclaimed, taking a respectful step back. There was a caution and difference to the way he regarded the man. And there was something else too. He looked almost...nervous? It was an expression that seemed ill suited to his handsome, confident face. He was the kind of man who didn't get nervous in front of anyone. But why now?

"Mr. Thomas," the gentleman responded. "Pardon my intrusion. I was about to take my leave, yet I could not help but notice your delightful companion. Usually, you surround yourself with two or more."

Two or more?

Bella glanced at Lucas curiously, but he blushed and placed his hand on the small of her back. "It's no intrusion, Mr. Osaka. This is Maria Bella Hemenez, my girlfriend."

Although she'd heard the words when he introduced her to Mr. and Mrs. Cruz earlier, there was something different about the way he said them now.

And for just a minute in time, Bella felt like a princess. She was dressed up for the ball and the handsome prince had called her, his girlfriend. Somehow she wished this night could last forever.

Ipinilig niya ang sariling ulo para alisin ang kung ano mang biglang tumakbo sa isip niya.

Was it the 3 glasses of Champaign?

Mali ito. Mali ang pangarapin niya ang isang bagay na impossible para sa isang katulad lang niya. She knows better...

Ngumiti siya sa matandang hapon at nag-abot ng kamay. "Pleased to meet you, sir," the old man took it. "Anata ni o ai dekite kōeidesu," pag-uulit niya sa sinabi sa salitang hapon.

There was a split-second pause, and then the old man's face cracked into a thousand different lines as he laughed a strange, guttural cackle.

Bella glanced sideways at Lucas to see his reaction, but Lucas was staring at the old man like he'd never seen him laugh before. Like he didn't know he could laugh.

"Do you speak Japanese?" the old man asked her.

"I learned a song once," Bella admitted smiling. "It was titled Hohoemi no Bakudan by Matsuko Mawari it's known as the opening song of Ghost Fighter or Yu Yu Hakusho--- but to be honest, I only did it to impress a guy in high school," she added with a chuckle.

The uproarious laughter continued, and Lucas started on in shock. Even Mr. Osaka's aides seemed completely at a loss as to what to do.

When the old man finally quieted, he took Bella's hand in his own and led her off to the side of the floor, a bewildered Lucas trailing behind. "I am hosting a charity golf tournament next month. I hope I will see you there, Bella."

"I'll check my schedule, sir."

Mr. Osaka nodded. Humarap ito kay Lucas. "You look good together. You look different next to her, Mr. Thomas," makahulugan na turan ng matandang hapon bago ito nagpaalam at iniwan na sila.

Bella was confused of what the old man means but said nothing. Nakatingin lang sila sa likod ng palayong hapon.

"Lucas, darling..." boses ng isang matinis na boses ng magandang babae ang kumuha sa attention nila.

Lucas took Bella's hand and about to run away again, but it was too late. Nakalapit na ang babae sa kanila.

"f**k!" Lucas uttered. Mukhang hindi ito natutuwa sa babaeng lumapit sa kanila. Gayunpaman ay hinarap niya ito. "Wendy...," bigkas nito sa pangalan ng babae at humalik sa pisngi bilang pagbati.

"Are you avoiding me?" may tampo sa boses na tanong ng babae na kaagad kumapit sa braso ni Lucas, dahilan para si Bella na mismo ang bumitaw sa pagkakahawak sa kamay ng binata.

"Why would I? I just didn't know that you're here too," palusot ni Lucas.

"Silly. Why wouldn't I be here when it's my parents wedding anniversary."

"I just thought you're in the US," sagot nito na mababanaag ang pait sa boses.

"I came home to attend--- I came back for you, Lucas," she added with impasses.

Bella felt she was not needed anymore so she excused herself. "Excuse me, I'll just go to the powder room," pagpapaalam niya.

Tiningnan siya ni Wendy mula ulo hanggang paa na para bang sinusukat ang halaga niya. "Go on, no one needs you here," mataray nitong turan na ang intention ay ipahiya si Bella.

Umigting ang tainga ni Bella kaya hindi niya napigilan ang sagutin din ito ng pabalang. "And I am not talking to you, Miss. I was talking to MY BOYFRIEND," pinagdiinan niya pa ang huling salita tapos ay binigyan niya ng ngising aso ang gulat na si Wendy.

"B-Boyfriend?" tiningnan nito si Lucas na para bang humihingi ng paliwanag.

Si Bella ay biglang kinabahan. Paano kung pasinungalingan ng boss niya ang sinabi niya? Mapapahiya siya!

Ngunit nakahinga ng maluwag si Bella ng tanggalin ni Lucas ang pagkakakapit ni Wendy dito at kinabig siya palapit. "Yes, Maria Bella here is my girlfriend. Maria Bella, this is Wendy Cruz... a friend," pagpapakilala nito sa dalawang babae.

"What? A friend? I'm not just your friend, Lucas... I'm your girlfriend!" namumula sa galit na turan ni Wendy.

"Ex... Ex girlfriend to be exact, Wendy. So now... please, excuse us. Mauuna na kami, pakisabi nalang sa parents mo na umuwi na kami. Ciao," ani Lucas at hinila na nito si Bella palayo sa dating kasintahan.

Si Bella ay hindi alam kung paano magri-react sa rebelasyon na nalaman kaya parang robot nalang siyang sumunod sa boss niya.

The crowd parted like water as they made their way straight through the middle, ignoring the cameras hovering outside as they ducked into the car and sped away into the night.

They were silent the entire ride back to the vacation house. For whatever reason, Bella noticed that Lucas was distracted and subdued, drumming his fingers rhythmically on his legs as he stared out the window.

"I-I'm sorry!" mahina ang boses na paghingi niya ng paumanhin noong papasok na sila sa bahay bakasyunan.

Huminto sa paglalakad si Lucas at nilingon siya.

Naglakad siya palapit dito. "I'm sorry if I did something I shouldn't have done. Dapat hindi ko na pinatulan iyong Wendy. Nasira ko pa tuloy ang gabi mo," nakatungo niyang turan.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Bella. You did the right thing... Wala kang sinira. Matagal nang sira ang sa amin ni Wendy," sandaling nabanaag ni Bella ang pagtalim ng mukha ni Lucas sa pagbigkas nito ng pangalan ng dating kasintahan. "Isa pa wala na ang dahilan kung bakit tayo naroon, kaya wala nang dahilan para magtagal pa tayo doon."

"You mean Mr. Osaka?"

Marahan na tumango si Lucas. "Yes. He is my father's important business partner who owns one of the biggest shares in the company," imporma nito.

"Uhhh." Bella felt silly. How could she not know that. Nagtatrabaho siya sa nasabing companya ngunit hindi niya kilala ang mga big bosses maliban sa lalaki sa harap niya at ama nito na kasalukuyang CEO.

"You may now take a rest. Maaga pa tayo bukas," wika ni Lucas.

Gusto niya sana magtanong ng tungkol kay Wendy ngunit alam niya wala siyang karapatan. "Okay. Good night then."

Nakakadalawang hakbang na siya palayo dito ng tawagin siya nito.

"Maria Bella."

"Y-Yes?"

Naglakad ito palapit sa kanya.

"Don't your boyfriend deserve a goodnight kiss?" pagkasabi niyon ay bumaba ang mga labi nito at dumapo sa mga labi niya.

Dahil sa pagkabigla ay hindi siya agad nakapagreact.

Nang makabawi siya at itutulak na sana ito, si Lucas na mismo ang pumutol sa halik.

"Now that's finally a goodnight, Maria Bella," he uttered with a bewitching smile. "Thank you for tonight," turan nito at iniwan na si Bella na natutulala pa rin sa hindi inaasahang gagawing paghalik sa kanya ni Lucas.

"What the hell just happened?"