The Case of Falling For You

Chapter 17

Andrè must’ve realized, too, what he just said. I wasn’t sure if he was about to explain bakit niya ako tinawag na sexy of all words, but right on cue—ding!—the elevator opened, and any possible explanation was flushed down the metaphorical toilet because we weren’t alone in the elevator.

Pagdating namin sa club, it was already 11PM. As in, alas-onse. Ang tagal ko palang nag-ayos?! Hindi ko napansin kasi hindi man lang ako kinatok ni Andrè. Ni hindi niya ako tinanong kung kinain na ba ako ng alien o sumanib na sa’kin ang multo ni beauty vlogger na na-possess ng lahat ng concealer sa mundo. Kaloka.

"Nasan daw sila?" I asked, pero literal na tinangay ng hangin ang tanong ko dahil sobrang ingay sa club. May feeling akong magkaka-ear damage ako bago pa man ako malasing!

"What?!" Andrè shouted in my ear.

"NASAAAAN. NAAA. SILAAA?!" I shouted back like a host sa raffle draw.

Ang lapit namin sa isa’t isa kasi siksikan ang dancefloor. I tried looking around pero hala—sinampal ng realidad ang virgin eyes ko. As in, oh my god. May dalawang nilalang na parang gustong kumain ng kaluluwa ng isa’t isa sa sobrang intense ng halikan.

“VIP area!” sigaw ni Andrè.

Hindi na ako nakasagot kasi busy pa akong mag-prenup shoot sa mga naglalaplapan sa harap ko. Nakita ni Andrè kung saan ako nakatingin, natawa siya, then casually hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at hinila ako palayo.

Siya ang nauuna kaya lahat ng natatamaan ng siko, balikat, at puwet ay siya ang nag-aabsorb. Parang siya ‘yung human bumper ko sa bowling alley ng mga lasing.

Pagdating namin sa second floor, may konting katahimikan na (konti lang talaga, like... 0.8 decibels less).

"Are you okay?" tanong ni Andrè. I nodded like a traumatized frog.

"I told you it’s gonna be wild," sabi niya sabay abot ng bottled water. Napatingin ako sa paligid at doon ko lang na-realize na nasa harap ko na pala sina Vito and friends. Like boom. Social circle unlocked.

"Hey, nice to see you again!" bati ni Nikolai, ang human Red Bull. Ngumiti ako, trying my best to not look like I’ve just seen a live audition for Paano Lumandi sa Public Places 101.

"Maricon, right?" tanong niya.

I nodded. "Thanks for the invite."

He winked. “No prob. We’ve been drinking kanina pa. Let’s get you three shots para fair!”

Excuse me?

Lumiit ang mata ko. NOPE. HARD NOPE.

I knew myself. One shot and I become Regina George na may hugot. Two shots? Maricon: Ang Mahiwagang Malandi. Three shots? I’ll probably start giving people career advice in the CR while crying over a stranger's breakup.

I shook my head, polite but firm. “No, thanks.”

“Come on—” Nikolai tried again.

"The lady already said no, Niko," sabat ni Andrè. Ohhhh. Look who’s suddenly chivalrous. “I’ll drink her share.”

“Now we’re talking!” sagot ni Nikolai sabay order ng isang bote ng tequila.

Lord, this night is gonna be longer than a teleserye flashback.

Napatingin ako kay Andrè in horror. Alam kong malakas siyang uminom. Feeling ko beer ang pinainom sa kanya nung bininyagan siya. Pero kitang-kita ko rin na may balak ang mga kaibigan niya. Parang gusto nilang ilubog siya sa alak ng pagbabalik-bayan revenge.

“Are you serious?” tanong ko.

He nodded, then handed me his car key. Oh, wow. Symbolic passing of torch.

“I’m sorry, but tonight, you have to be my driver for a change,” he said. “Unless you wanna drink?”

I blinked. With these people? They look like the type who use champagne as mouthwash.

“Nope.”

“Okay,” sagot niya. “I promise I won’t drink too much.”

Yeah, right. Kasi nung dumating ang tray ng shots na parang dominoes sa haba, we both knew that promise was a lie.

Andrè was chugging alcohol like his life depended on it. As in para siyang contestant sa Minute to Shot It.

"Is he gonna be okay?" tanong ko kay Sancho, a very Filipino-looking dude in the middle of what felt like a United Nations general assembly of drinkers.

“Yeah... He’s gonna be fine,” sagot ni Sancho habang pareho naming pinapanood si Andrè na parang nasa Mortal Kombat match with tequila. “He grew up drinking.”

I can see that, thanks. Pero kailangan ko na ding umihi. Iced tea + water + panic = bladder attack.

On the way to the CR, napansin ng subconscious ko ang isang pamilyar na mukha. Madilim sa club, may strobe lights pa na parang may sariling utak—pero kahit anong pag-asa kong mali lang ako ng tingin…

“Happy birthday, you old guy!” sigaw ng isang babaeng tumatawa. May cake. May kandila.

Put—

Pablo.

And he looked... happy. Like really happy. With a bunch of people. With a girl. With lies in the air.

Akala ko may meeting?! Anong meeting, sa bar?! With cake?! With strobe lights?!

Gusto ko siyang tanungin, pero I couldn’t even breathe. I stood there—emotionally constipated, watching him laugh like I wasn’t waiting for his call just hours ago.

Why couldn’t he just tell me? Why did he have to lie?

It f*****g sucked. And I f*****g pitied myself for giving a damn.

Lumabas ako. Umupo sa gilid ng entrance. Hindi ko alam kung iiyak ako o magpapaload sa tindahan.

And then—chaos.

"What’s happening?!" I asked, nanlaki ang mata nang makita kong binubuhat ng bouncer si Andrè palabas ng club!

Sancho was negotiating for his life habang si Vito, hawak-hawak ang half-limp na si Andrè.

“Dude, chill the f**k out!” sigaw ni Vito kay Andrè na literal mukhang sasapakin ang buong planeta.

“What happened?!” tanong ko.

“Hindi ko rin alam!” sagot ni Vito. “He was looking for you, tapos sinamahan ko siya, then like—blink—may sinusuntok na siyang tao! And now we’re being thrown out!”

Tumingin ako kay Andrè. Nasa upuan siya sa pavement. Naka-yuko. Mukhang lasing na lasing. Namumula ang mukha. Pawis. Nakatulala.

“Asshole. f*****g asshole,” bulong niya nang magtama ang mga mata namin.

Lord…

The drama. The chaos. The tequila.

And I, your girl Maricon?

Still sober.

Still holding his car key.

Still wondering why I signed up for this mess of a Friday night.