Sensual Torture (RED SEDUCTION SERIES #1)

CHAPTER SIX

ALISTAIR was still in the maudlin behavior since the woman left his flat. He could not accept defeat; he wanted a rematch. It was unusual of him for he was not gullible, still, he could not fathom why the fvck he fell into the trap. Hindi niya tuloy maiwasang isipin na siya ang daga na tinutukoy ng babae dahil nalansi siya nito nang walang kahirap-hirap at sa ganoong paraan lang. Pakiramdam ni Ali ay niyurakan nito ang buong p*********i niya. He hated to admit but Mayumi had power over him. And the fact was infuriating! Damn.

“Kailan ka pa naging uto-uto?” kastigo niya sa sarili bago ikinuskos ang mga palad sa kanyang mukha. “Bobo mo, Ali!”

Pagkatapos ay inilipat niya ang tingin sa nakabukas pa rin na pintuan at muling nagpakawala ng malulutong na mura. He shut the door closed and trudged back into the living room. Nakatayo siya sa gitna niyon, nakapameywang, at parang baliw na pangisi-ngisi. Sa lahat ng babaeng nakasalamuha niya ay bukod-tanging si Mayumi lang ang nagparamdam sa kanya ng panliliit sa sarili. Kalmado siyang tao at hindi madaling uminit ang ulo pero hindi sa pagkakataong ito. He was not himself after spending one steamy night of hedonistic pleasure with the dang woman. Napasentido ang binata bago inilipat ang tingin sa nagkalat na cushions, wala sa loob na pinagdadampot niya ang mga iyon. Pero dahil sa tindi ng iritasyon ay inihagis niya muli ang mga iyon at muling bumagsak sa sahig. Lalo pang nadagdagan ang pagkayamot niya nang makita ang mga paborito niyang libro sa sahig.

The blasted woman had no mercy on his favorite books. Ang daming choices sa shelves pero bakit iyong gawa ng paborito niyang author ang napili nitong iwagwag sa sahig?! He massaged the back of his nape and squeezed his eyes shut. Kasabay nang pagmulat ng mga mata ay ang tunog ng doorbell. Hinigpitan ni Ali ang pagkakabuhol sa nakatapis na tuwalya at sa malalaking hakbang ay tinungo ang pinto.

“Good morning, Sir.” Magalang na bati ng nakatoka sa housekeeping. Sa likod nito ay isa pang lalaki ang nakatayo at bitbit ang mga paraphernalia para sa gagawing serbisyo.

Bahagya siyang tumango at sinabihan ang kaharap na bumalik pagkatapos ng isang oras. Noon lang niya naalala na schedule ng pagdi-disinfect at pest control ng buong yunit. After a while, he found himself flirting under the cascading water in the shower. Umaasa siyang maiibsan ng malamig na tubig ang yamot na nararamdaman pero sa malas ay hindi iyon nakatulong. Flashes of vivid x-rated images from last night flickered in his mind. It was deliciously torturing him as if those were erotic clips from a blockbuster R–18 movie. Ali could still taste her in his mouth; could still remember how her moans blessed his ears; how she writhed under his skin. Mayumi’s ample yammers and her heady, intoxicating scent that drives him crazy.

“Such a beautiful cunt,” he rasped painfully.

The rivulets of water kissed against his long, veiny, and hard co*ck as he slowly rubbed it with wild expertise. Pagkatapos ay marahas niyang itinukod ang kaliwang palad sa marmol na pader para kumuha ng suporta. His fingers still strumming up and down in between his girth, he was damn close. Then Ali adjusted his tempo to full speed, thrusting his love stick with all his willpower. He was on the brink of an explosion as his orgaSm overridden every nerve-ending in his body. He threw his head back and screamed her name. A few moments later, his sticky cvm sloshed and coated his big palm. Sensual gratification truly rules the man’s world, he ought to himself. He rested his forehead against the cold tiled wall as his breathing slowly dropped into normal again.

F*ck you…thank you very mu-c-c-c-h-h-ch

Alistair was putting a black shirt on when an unfamiliar sound slithered through his ears. Then the corner of his lips tugged upward as the tone kept on jingling. He recognized the song; it was used as an OST for a particular movie he watched with Viktoria back then. Kunot-noong sinundan ng binata ang pinagmumulan ng tunog at voila! Beneath his bed was Mayumi’s taupe-colored purse. He quickly grabbed the keester and cracked it open. Naisip niyang iyon marahil ang hinahanap ng babae kaya ni-ransack nito ang mga gamit niya. The phone kept on ringing so he shut it abruptly. He was in no mood to answer goddamn calls for the lady.

Hindi naman siya personal assistant o bodyguard ng dalaga kaya bakit niya gagawin iyon? Wala rin silang relasyon at higit sa lahat ni hindi nga siya nobyo nito. Umasim ang ekspresyon ng mukha ni Ali dahil sa huling naisip. Fvck boyfriend. Hindi man lang bagay sa kanya ang titulo. From now on, he had nothing to do with the woman. He would ignore her forever.

Inayos ng binata ang sarili sa harap ng salamin at lumabas ng kwarto. Maya-maya ay bumalik ang mga naka-assign sa housekeeping at sinimulan ang trabaho. Nang matapos ay ini-lock niya ang unit saka umibis pababa sa basement parking para lamang muling mainis. His car was nowhere to be found, so Ali headed to the security department to report the incident. Aminado siyang iresponsable sa ilang aspeto ng buhay pero hindi niya matanggap na naglahong parang bula ang pinakamamahal na auto. He could not forgive negligence at this rate.

“SXX 069,” Clint mumbled, indicating Ali's plate number. He was skimming the previous records through the CCTV monitors. “Let’s zoom in this one.”

Ali waited for the result though impatience was tying him into knots. Kotse niya ang pinag-uusapan kaya kailangan niyang mabawi ‘yon sa lalong madaling panahon.

“Bingo!” maya-maya ay sabi ni Clint. The video in the monitor was paused. “Kilala mo ‘yan, ‘pre?” Itinuro nito ang babaeng nagmamadaling pumasok sa loob ng glossy grey BMW.

Alistair leaned closer to have a full view of the screen and confirmed! Nakilala niya agad ang bulto ng babae. He could not believe his eyes as to why the great Mayumi Reedus hostaged his auto. Ngayon lang din niya naalala ang susi ng kotse. Disoriented siyang tunay! Nahilot niya tuloy ang pagitan ng kanyang mga mata.

“Hey, bud. Kilala mo?”dinig niyang tanong ulit ni Clint.

“Yes, I know her.” Mabilis na sagot ni Ali sa patag at kalmadong boses.

Nahihiwagaan ito sa kalkuladong sagot ng kaharap kaya hindi napigilang magtanong ulit.

“Hindi mo ba ire-report ‘to sa pulis? Carnapping ‘to, ‘pre.”

“Hindi na kailangan. I can handle this myself.” Dinukot niya sa bulsa ng pantalon ang smartphone at mabilis na tumipa ng message doon.

Natawa nang tuluyan si Clint at bahagya pang umiling. Tila ba nakuha nito kung ano ang kanyang ipinahiwatig. “Ibig mong sabihin huli pero ‘di kulong?”

“You could say that.” Ibinulsa ni Ali ang cell phone saka tinapik ang balikat ng kaibigan. “Thanks for the help, bud. Una na ‘ko.”

NARATING ni Ali ang Octagon Mall bandang alas-dos ng hapon. Bahagya siyang naipit sa nakakaurat na traffic sa Edsa kaya natagalan. MWF kung mag-duty siya sa Chat Box na isa sa outlet ng kanilang negosyo. His father, King Mikael Davis was a former CEO of Davis Airlines in which the latter inherited from his granddad. Later on, Mikael had a change of heart, turning his passion for cooking to be his bread and butter. Since then, their family was into culinary that’s why Ali persevered to acquire his crib at the age of twenty-one. Building his empire was all blood, sweat, and tears but it’s all worth it. All the while he kept his position as the COO of their chain of restaurants as well.

“Boss!” Rene, one of his long-time staff greeted him with enthusiasm and a good salute. “Kanina ko pa kayo hinihintay dumating, eh.”

“May kailangan ka, Rene?” he asked in a commanding tone. Nakatutok ang atensiyon sa laptop.

He was in the back office busy checking the monthly sales of the shop. His working space was compact but the interiors were homey. Kapag nga tinatamad siyang umuwi sa condo unit niya ay doon mismo siya nagpapalipas ng gabi. Sa lahat ng kanyang empleyado si Rene ang maraming issue sa buhay at reklamo sa kumpanya samantalang above minimum naman ang rate nito. Idagdag pa ang pagiging mayabang at bully sa ilang ka-trabaho. Kung hindi lang mahirap mag-train ng bagong tao ay malamang na sinesante na niya ito. Malayang pumasok ang empleyado at naupo sa leather sofa bed.

“E, boss, hindi na ako magpapaliguy-ligoy pa,” umpisa nito sabay huminga nang malalim.

“Ano? Magre-resign ka na?” Ali jested as he averted his eyes to him. In terms of work, he’s a cool and calm boss. As much as possible he promotes harmonious relationship with them.

“Grabe naman ‘yung joke mo, Sir. Resign agad?” Natawa ang lalaki bago nangamot ng ulo. “’Di ba p'wedeng may iko-konsulta lang muna?”

A chuckle fell out from Alistair’s lips. Gago rin talaga si Rene at gano'n kung makipag-biruan sa kanya. “Ano na nga ‘yung sasabihin mo?”

“Ipapasok ko ho sana ‘yung anak ko para may gawin naman siya sa sembreak.” Nangamot ulit ito, ang batok naman ngayon. “Ka’ko kaysa iyong online games ang i–grind n’ya, e maigi pang dito na lang siya lumagari.”

“Ano’ng games ba ang gina-grind niya?” si Ali na may tipid na ngiti sa labi.

His sister Leona happens to be an online streamer, too. Dumerecho ng upo si Rene at kumunot ang noo. Tila ba hinahagilap ang tamang salitang sasabihin tapos ay ipinitik ang mga daliri sa ere.

“Iyong may sumisigaw ng savage at enemy enemy. Araw-araw pagkatapos ng klase n'ya pulos iyon ang inaatupag. Kunsumido na nga si misis sa batang ‘yon.”

“Ilang taon na ba ‘yan?”

“Bente-anyos po, Sir.”

Tumangu-tango si Ali at bahagya pang napahawak sa baba. Tumatanggap naman talaga siya ng working student kaya di na bago ang suhestiyon ni Rene. Sinabihan niya ang staff na ipasa thru e-mail ang CV ng anak nito para ma-review. Nang mag-alas sais y media ay nakatanggap siya ng text message mula kay Thor. Kailangan daw ng huli ang tulong niya. Dahil nasa 5th floor ng Octagon Mall nakapwesto ang mga consignor stores na mina-manage ng kanyang kaibigan ay madali niya iyong napuntahan. Magalang na bumati sa kanya ang sales staff na nasa reception at bahagya niya lang iyong nginitian bago dumerecho sa back office ng kaibigan na nasa loob mismo ng Boro Classics. It was like a 3in1 coffee because it serves as a stockroom, pantry, and a biometrics area, too.

“O, andito ka na pala. Sakto dating mo, ‘pre.” Thor said the moment he saw him. Mabilis itong tumayo bago ibinulsa ang smartphone.

“Aalis na tayo? Putcha ‘di pa ako nakakaupo, ah,” natatawang reklamo ni Ali sabay sunod sa kaibigan hanggang sa tuluyan silang makalabas doon.

“Can I ask you a favor?” Thor uttered as they were already inside the lift.

“The very reason why I'm with you now. Shoot.”

His kook friend held on his hand and said, “Give me a good punch in the face.”

Surprise by the latter’s gesture, Ali scrunched his forehead as he stared at him. He doesn’t know what his trip was, however, he knew when to promote altruism. Ano ba naman ‘yung maliit na pabor kung ‘di niya pagbibigyan? What are friends for?And just like that, his palm landed onto his buddy’s face.

“Does it hurt or you want me to go extra hard?” Ali asked after a while. He suppressed a laugh as he playfully flexed his muscled arms.

Massaging his crimson cheek, Thor faced him, nodded mutely then shook his head after. Hindi na tuloy napigilan ni Ali ang humagalpak ng tawa kahit pa nga nawi-wirduhan siyang tunay sa kaharap.

“What’s funny?” si Thor na nagtatakang tumingin sa kanya. Hawak pa rin ang namumulang pisngi.

“Ikaw, ‘pre. ‘Yung totoo, naka-droga ka ba?”

“To hell with drugs. Wala akong interes sa bato.” Bahagya itong ngumiti with matching pag-iling.

“So, ibig mong sabihin kaya mo ako pinapunta dahil gusto mong sapakin kita?”

“S’yempre hindi,” natatawang tanggi ng huli, “palagay mo sa’kin baliw?”

“B*lbol ka ba? Gulo mo, eh.” Ali scratch the side of his head.

“Gago. Ako naman pinaka-gwapong b*lbol sa balat ng lupa.”

Sabay silang tumawa nang malakas. Then the elevator dinged and the doors snapped open at the lower ground of the mall. Both men quickly hopped inside the auto. Habang biyahe ay ipinaliwanag ni Thor na kaya siya nito pinapunta dahil magpapatulong ito sa pagde-decorate para sa surprise party nito sa nobya. Isang oras bago nila narating ang La Gueza Drive. Solstice just moved in last week in the vicinity because her office was just three blocks away from the tower. Maselan kasi ang pagbubuntis ng babae at hindi na advisable ang mahabang biyahe sa kanya.

“Remind me again why the f*ck am I doing this?” nakangising tanong ni Alistair habang bagot na inaararo ang balloon compressor.

“Because you have no choice.” Sabi ni Thor sa tonong mapang-asar.

“Akala ko pa naman magpapatulong kang ubusin ‘yung mga alak sa bahay mo kaya mo ‘ko kailangan.” Inilapag ng binata ang tatlong pack ng mga lobo sa sahig. “Nag-expect pa naman ako tapos isasali mo lang pala ako sa kabaduyan mo.”

Humalakhak si Thor. “Thanks for punching me, anyway,” sa halip ay sagot nito. Abala ito sa pagkakabit ng curtain string lights sa hook. “Sa sobrang lakas ng pagkasapak mo gising na gising na ako sa katotohanang magiging tatay na ‘ko.”

Mula sa ginagawa ay umangat ang ulo ni Ali para tingnan ang kaibigan. “No worries, dude,” itinaas niya ang hawak na lobo bago, “cheers to the new dad!”

“Thanks. S’yempre ninong ka.”

“Sure. Baka naman may magandang ninang kang p’wedeng ipakilala d’yan.” Ali jested, smirking.

Naiiling na tumawa ang kaibigan niya bago maingat na bumaba mula sa steel ladder. Tapos na nito ikabit ang fairy lights kaya naman agad nito iyong pinagana. Pagkatapos ay namulsa at masayang pinagmasdan ang kumukuti-kutitap na mga ilaw. Kung hindi pa tumikhim si Ali ay hindi lulubay ng tingin doon si Thor.

“I’m sorry, dude…I’m just happy doing this for Ice.” Huminga pa ito ng malalim. “It's just that… I never thought I'm capable of being a father.”

“No biggie,” kibit-balikat na sagot niya. Hindi siya interesado sa ideyang konektado sa pagkakaroon ng anak pero aminadong masaya para sa bagong achievement ng matalik na kaibigan.

“Palagay mo magiging mabuting tatay kaya ako sa anak ko?” kapagdaka ay tanong nito. Ali heard the uncertainty in his voice. Natural reaction from a first-time parent, he thought.

“Don’t be a worrywart. I know you'd be a great dad.” He assured him and smile effusively. “Kaya lang di ‘ko sigurado kung magiging mabuti kang asawa.”

“Tangina sa'yo talaga nanggaling ‘yan? Lakas mo, ah.”

Binuhol ni Ali ang dulo ng air-filled myllar balloon bago iniitsa sa sahig. “Di nga kasi ‘ko sigurado d'yan sa tabas ng pagmumukha mo,’pre.”

“Tingnan mo ‘tong gagong ‘to. Kaibigan ba talaga kita?” reklamo nito pero nakangising-aso naman.

Maya-maya ay kinuha ni Thor sa rattan basket ang isang bungkos ng helium inflated heart balloons bago pinakawalan ang mga ‘yon derecho papunta sa kisame. Si Ali naman ay tahimik na nakamasid habang patuloy sa pagpa-pump ng compressor para sa huling pack ng party balloons. Hindi niya lubos maisip na kayang gawin ni Thor ang mga ganoong bagay samantalang pareho silang ultimate pabling noong college. Nang malagyan ng hangin ang kahuli-hulihang lobo ay nagpakawala ng malalim na buntong-hininga ang binata.

“Stupid things you do for love,” he grumbled, shaking his head. His peepers fixated at the twinkling lights. “I better not see myself doing this for someone.”

“Cheesy not stupid. Careful what you wish for ‘cause you might just get it.” Thor reiterated, enunciating the words slowly.

He gathered five pastel-colored balloons from the basket again before putting those one by one on the bed. Tumayo naman si Ali at inabot sa huli ang tatlo pang natitirang lobo. Nang mailigpit na ang mga kalat ay sabay na silang lumabas ng kwarto. Saglit na nagpahinga ang dalawa sa maliit na balkonahe habang umiinom ng beer.

“I guess, I have no say over a man in love.” Ali said after he took another chug on his drink. “I mean look at you, you’re a whole different person now. Dati-rati nako-kornihan ka sa mga ganitong pa-sorpresa tapos sa ganito ka rin naman pala mauuwi.” Tumawa siya ng bahagya saka nagpatuloy. “Pakiramdam ko tuloy kinuha ng aliens ang bestfriend ko.”

Arthur chuckled, too. “What? Don’t tell me aburido ka dahil hindi ko nagawang mag-decorate noon para sa’yo? Ngayon ka pa ba magseselos kay Ice?” The annoying grin was still plastered on his lips.

“Gago mo naman,” nakangising balik niya bago inubos ang iniinom. “You know I prefer muffins over hotdogs.”

Iniunat niya ang mga binti at tumingala sa madilim na kalangitan. Nanghinayang ang binata dahil kaunti ang mga bituin ngayon. He closed his eyes, letting go all the vexations from the ruckus today. Somehow, he felt relaxed.

“You know what dude,” Thor said after sometime. Nakatingala na rin ito sa langit at may malawak na ngiti sa labi.

“What?” Ali drawled with eyes still closed. His arms crossed over to his chest.

“One day you’d be in my shoes. Gusto ko rin maranasan mo ‘tong klase ng saya na nararamdaman ko ngayon. And if that happens, I hope you’d find the woman you deserve and worth fighting for.”

As Ali listened to his friend’s litany, an image of a particular woman flickered in his mind. No. He didn’t like the idea running inside his head. Then his phone rang; he grabbed it away from his pocket and read the message on the screen. Then it him! Gertrude and his fvcking car. Nagpaalam siya kay Thor at nagmamadaling umalis doon.