Love at the Nth Time

You

Chapter 4

Win set up a meeting with the sisters, the day Celine got her rest day. It took a week to see her again. She had work which my right mind found justifiable.

"Sorry, she still has the hangover from last night," said Win, and my eyes were on the table. Win told me this morning they would be coming today and what great timing. I went drunk last night, being sarcastic as I had a headache right now, for Pete's sake.

"Are you okay?" she asked. I averted away.

"I'd like to get this over with quickly," I answered. Arm elbowed secretly by Win with what-the-f*ck expression. I was the one who requested this.

I wanted to be honest with this girl in front of me. I wanted to be the 'me' who could make any woman give in, yet those memories she gave me, those responses… It troubled me as I couldn't even know who I was and what I was.

"Hey, can we talk? Alone," I said out of the blue, which halted Win and her older sister from their chatter. Celine looked down and nodded.

I kept walking ahead, assuming she followed me behind.

"So, how are your office mates getting drunk? Were you all boozed up?" I sat down on the wooden egg chair on the long balcony outside, at the back of the building where we used to grab a bite. She sat down in the armchair next to me, her eyes buried in the floor.

"I let out a lot of stress, but I didn't know it would stay there the next day." I chuckled.

"You're not used to handling it, huh? Is your job stressful?"

"Not really, it's about business. I keep doing it, and honestly, I'm not happy while I'm on it. Well, you're not even interested in the business. It's bad if I let this out to those who do." Eyes on her phone as she spoke. I stared at her. She's so honest. I couldn't believe she told me a private concern. I guess she thinks of me as a friend now.

"Aren't you talking about it to your sister?" She shook her head no, and replied,

"She has so many goals independently, and I'll only feel ashamed if I let her know I'm not interested in doing something which will benefit me in the future. I don't know. I'm in the state of knowing who I am or what I am..." I blinked, awed to hear those words from someone like her. I glanced at her a second and casually faced somewhere else. She opened up to me quickly.

"I knew it. You're not straight." My left leg crossed over the other. She exuded a deep and mysterious personality.

"Well, the same species will smell his kind, whoever it is." I laughed. God, that's unexpected.

"That's, yeah, right." She also laughed. She's smiling at me. Interestingly, I sought her to manage those communities.

I smiled at her. "I like it. Wanna go with me later?" She moved back.

"Where to?" she questioned. I rolled my eyes and put up my glasses a bit on my nose. She's getting on my nerves. Beneath my suite, I took the used case of a cigarette with a small lighter attached to it.

"i***t, I'm not like anyone who doesn't care with regards to their safety, especially when I'm with them. It's mainly a normal bar for third genders. Well, you have to prepare as there are those kissing and make-outs around." I was the one inviting her. God damn it.

"You're... smoking," she mumbled. I gazed at her.

"Yeah, is this illegal?"

"No, but…" She waved her hand like wanting to get away from the smoke near her. I smiled. "Haven't you been in love before?" she added. Green eyes lowered.

"Maybe it's something I did in the past, why it backfired on me or something." I inhaled the last smoke, comfortable as we talked about these kinds of matters. Clueless, she made me feel she didn't mind it, which turned out easy to open up.

"Do you smoke a lot?"

"It depends. Either smoke, beer, or women." I grinned, glancing at her. She's merely meeting my eyes with a poker face. Again, this was the way she listened, as to why I couldn't read her. "So, let's go?"

*One new message

Celine: Can I bring a friend? She's an older sister at work. I'm a bit scared.

Seth: Sure.

15 minutes later.

Seth: Hey, where are you? Where will I pick you up?

I groaned inaudibly when she accepted the phone call.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't sorry-me, where are you now?"

"I'm embarrassed about bringing my officemate," she muttered.

"Why? You told her already what's up with you?" I parked my car in front of a restaurant and asked the guy who passed by.

"You're already there? Wait!" shouted Celine.

"Where are you exactly? I'll pick you up. Hey, we're going back to Taguig if you forgot."

"I know! I'm just- I still haven't told my office-mate concerning this kind of bar."

"F*ck," I mumbled.

"What. You don't have to curse!" I rolled my eyes and rested my forehead on the steering wheel of the car.

"You're inviting someone who doesn't have any idea what kind of place it is? Are you even human? I know your sister is way smarter than you!"

"Hey! Why is being smart popped up here? I'm trying to wait for the perfect time. She has a lot of gay and lesbian friends, so I think she'll be fine." Her voice was panting.

"But did you tell her about you?"

"No." I sighed softly.

"Just come with me alone."

"No way," she muttered in defense.

"As if I'm gonna do something to you! You're not even my type, you i***t!"

"Why are you shouting??"

"I'm not patient enough to wait here forever!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm already on my way. Stay where you are. I'm almost near."

"Good. Come here quickly." I sighed. What a girl. Now, I think this was a bad idea.

I waited for her, excited to see her without her sister around and outside the business. Driving the auto, I opened the window to see her standing on the sidewalk. She spotted me. She's simple. She had a very calming face similar to Korea's, still a Filipina's features, and her lips. I met up with women who had gorgeous and sexy lips, yet I had the strange urge to touch hers. I diverted my attention to adoring their beauty, which caused me to mess around with them. However, it was unknown to me wanting to do it with her.

"Why are you wearing your clothes for shopping?"

"What?" She hopped in the passenger seat beside me. This lady was even below my standard.

"Are you going to the market? You even wear an antique cardigan. What the hell?" I started my car. "I'll let you meet some people. You'll know what you are if you expand the people you know." I supported her.

"Oh, is this bad?" I glanced at her.

"Don't wear the cardigan when we get there."

"No way, I'm simply wearing a sleeveless jumpsuit."

"Why did you wear sleeveless if you'd cover it anyway?!"

"I'm comfortable in these clothes! What's wrong with you?" she whined.

"Damn it. This isn't going anywhere. You're lucky. Your boyfriend's not getting bored of you."

"What did you mean?" I glanced at her for a second. s**t. I talked too much. "No, it's nothing." Restless, she heightened it with her words.

"No. You mean something by what you said earlier, never mind." She looked outside the window. I was being stupid.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it that way."

"It's fine." Bothered by it, I glanced at her again.

"You're beautiful. I don't think no one realized it." I heard her chuckle.

"I'm just cute." I smiled.

"Yeah, a lot…."

"Whew…" I chuckled. What kind of reaction was that? Uncertain, if she acknowledged it seriously, even so, a stated fact.

I never made fun of a woman's physical features, as I was part of the fashion industry except their clothing style, of course. We dropped off at a fast-food restaurant since she suggested it, so I went along. We would eat in the car on our way, still awkward. I had never been to this kind of place with someone so simple as her. I had this feeling I preferred to stay in the car.

She gazed at me after she received the order. "What?" I asked as I followed her through the door.

"You're so pretty. People are gaping at you." I held my breath in surprise. She praised me while I thought of discomfort; shame on me. I pushed the door and let her get outside first.

"Hey, give it to me. Get inside," I said and held the door, handing her the order as she got inside.

Shut the door, put a hand on my waist, and took a deep breath, I shook my head slightly while my eyes were on the ground. With a quick rub off my nose, my feet strode to the other side of the car. I felt sudden guilt.

"You know what? I've had a hobby of writing stories since high school." I glanced at her as she started to take out those foods she had bought. I started my car, so she's into writing. I kept listening to her. "Some of my stories come from lesbian relationships. The catch was I'm the leading lady." I chuckled.

"Wow, I like to read it."

"No way," she replied, raised her hand holding the wrap she was eating, and offered it to me. I shook my head no.

"I already ate on the way. Why not publish it?"

"It's embarrassing. No way would I share it with anyone." She kept on eating.

"That's sad, not sharing your talent."

"It's not a talent. It's merely a hobby." I chortled a little. Still, at rush hour, the vehicles were static.

"Hobby, huh. If it has potential, then it is a talent. You never know."

"No, I don't even wanna know." I chuckled along with her.

We went into the bar, unaware of how much time had passed. I smiled as I watched her enter the place. I enjoyed her company. Told of the things she loved sharing. It was the consent of expression.