Delectable Men 2: Brentford Montgomery

Chapter 2

Wala talagang katulad kapag pinapaligiran ka ng mga kaibigan mo, with the sea air running over your skin and a cold drink in your hand. Idagdag pa ang napakagandang tanawin ng city lights na mas lalong naging perpekto ang gabi na iyon.

Brentford Montgomery leant back against the railing of his cruise ship and surveyed the group in front of him. Champagne flowed, music wafted up into the air and the group was laughing and reminiscing about the past. Marami na ngang panahon ang lumipas, pero sa tingin ni Brentford wala namang pinagbago ang mga kaibigan niya.

"Hey, man." Thompson Smith dropped down beside him, beer in hand. "Hindi ka ba umiinom ngayong gabi?"

"Gusto ko munang magpakabait kahit ngayon lang." Brentford grinned and held up his bottle of water in salute. "Nag te-training kasi ako for a half marathon."

"Talaga?" napataas ng kilay si Thompson.

Brentford shoved his friend and laughed. "Yes, really." As much as he wanted to be annoyed that his friends would assume him incapable of running a half marathon, but he kind of saw their point. Running competitively required a certain kind of routine and dedication that wasn't Brentford's style. He was a laid-back kind of guy: he thrived on surf, sand, and girls in bikinis. Ang hindi uminom ng alak ng ilang linggo at ang magising ng madaling araw para sa training...ay ang pinakaayaw pa naman niya.

"Aminin mo na hindi talaga 'yan fit sa lifestyle mo dito sa barko." Thompson gestured to the scenery around them.

The ship was a sight to behold-luxury in every sense of the word from its classy interior design to the quality craftsmanship out on the deck.

Malaki man ang pamilyang Montgomery pero kailanman hindi nila naranasan ang maghirap. They hadn't been poor, but he'd never been exposed to fineries such as cruise ships. Pero ito ngayon siya, nagmamay-ari na ng iilang cruise ships sa New Zealand.

"I didn't exactly come up with the idea myself," pag-amin pa ni Brent. "May nakilala kasi ako na isang lalaki at hinahamon niya ako sa pagtakbo. He bet me a hundred bucks I couldn't train for a race."

"So nagsimula ka sa half marathon?" nakangiting napapailing sa ulo nito si Thompson. "Why not attempt a lazy ten k to begin with?"

Napakibit-balikat si Brent at nginisihan niya ang kaibigan. "If I'm going to waste a perfectly good sleep-in, it might as well be for something big."

"Nagsalita ang lalaking hindi pinagpalit ang sarap ng tulog kaysa maging hurado ng bikini contest."

"Pinagsisihan ko nga 'yon eh."

Thompson interloked his fingers behind his head and leant back against the ship's railings. "Those were the days."

"You look like you're living the dream now." Brent fought to keep a note of envy out of his voice.

Sumilay naman ang ngiti sa mga labi ni Thompson nang ibaling nito ang paningin sa fiancee nitong si Jenny. Sumasayaw ito kasama rin nga mga kaibigan nito. Just like the old times.

"I am." Thompson nodded solemnly.

Just as Brentford was about to change the topic of conversation Wendy broke away from the group and joined the boys. Napa-angkla naman ang babae sa kanya. "Masaya ako at nagkita-kita ulit tayo rito sa barko mo." sabi ni Wendy.

"Saan na ba ang boyfriend mo, hindi mo ba siya kasama?" tanong ni Brent.

"As usual, trabaho pa rin ang inaatupag nito." Napanguso ito. "Pero nangako naman siya na sasama na siya sa'kin sa susunod nating gathering. Malas lang niya dahil hindi niya pa nararanasan na maglakbay sa dagat sakay ang cruise ship."

Napatawa si Brent. "It's an experience, indeed. My clients pay an arm and a leg to be sailed around in this ship. Alam mo, it's worth every cent talaga pag maranasan mong sumakay sa ganitong mga barko."

The Honey88 certainly fitted the ship's name, and although she was the oldest of the ships his company owned she aged as gracefully as a silver-screen starlet.

"Hulaan mo kung sino ang nakausap ko noong isang linggo lang," ani Wendy sa kanya.

Brent quirked a brow. "Sino?"

"Si Charmel."

Hearing her name was enough to set Brent's blood pumping harder. Si Charmel lang kasi ang babaeng nagpapagising sa diwa niya tuwing maalala niya ito. She'd been the life of the party during their time, and she'd had a magnetic force that had drawn people to her like flies to honey. Ang problema nga lang ay dati itong girlfriend ng matalik niyang kaibigan na si Thompson. Nang dahil nga sa nangyari noon sa bar, muntik ng magkalamat ang pagkakaibigan nila ni Thompson.

Brent's eyes flicked to Thompson, but there was no tension in his face. Masyado kasi itong abala sa kakasulyap sa mapapangasawa para mapansin nito ang pinag-usapan nila ni Wendy.

"Alam mo bang nasa Subic ngayon nagtatrabaho si Charmel?" pagpatuloy pa ni Wendy.

Napalunok naman si Brent. Huling kita kasi niya sa babae noong nagsasayaw sila sa isang bar sa Makati, at nasuntok nga siya noon ng kaibigan niyang si Thompson.

Talagang naiiba si Charmel sa mga babaeng nakilala niya. The way she moved was enough to bring grown men to their knees, and he had a particular weakness for girls who knew how to move.

"Pwede tayong dumaong sa Subic - since ikaw naman ang nagmamay-ari ng barko." Napangisi sa kanya si Wendy at siniko siya bilang pasang-ayon.

"Alam mo ba kung saan siya sa Subic nagtatrabaho?" tanong niya rito.

"Ang nabanggit lang niya sa’kin na nagtatrabaho siya sa Subic."

"Pero hindi pa ako sigurado ha kung--" Brent forced a slow breath, trying to shut down images of Charmel.

Their friend zone was something to be respected, and girls who landed themselves in that zone never came out. But with Charmel he seemed to lose control over his ability to think straight.

"We should go," sabi ni Thompson sabay tapik sa balikat niya, as if to reassure him once again that there were no hard feelings about that night. "I'm sure matutuwa 'yon kapag nakikita niya tayo ulit."

By this time, Emy, Jessie, and Jenny had wandered over for a refill. Thompson, ever the gentleman, grabbed the bottle of champagne and topped everyone up.

"Pinag-usapan pala namin ang pagpunta sa Subic," sabi ni Thompson. "Plano kasi namin na susurprisahin natin doon si Charmel."

"Oh sure, we should definitely go!" sabi ni Emy at sinang-ayon nga ito ng grupo, maliban na lang sa kanya.

Napatingin naman ang mga ito sa kanya. Bakit naman hindi? Simpleng reunion lang naman ang gagawin nila.

"Aba, bakit hindi? Kung sinang-ayon na ito ng lahat." sabi na lamang niya sa mga ito.

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