Midnights with Sin

The Great Mogul

PINALIPAS KO MUNA ang isang araw upang maging pamilyar ako sa sistema ng application bago ako magsimulang mag-swipe up ng mga service na maaari kong gawin batay sa request ng clients.

Bukas ay pasukan na at balak kong matulog nang maaga kaya naman hindi ko muna talaga planong subukan ang app ngayon ngunit may ibang balak ang aking hinlalaki dahil bigla na lamang itong napapindot sa profile ng isang client na verified. Napunta ako sa kanyang profile at dahil nga sa hindi required ang totoong identity rito, tanging username lamang ang maaari kong itawag sa kanya.

Stygian Talon.

Client nga ito kung ganoon dahil hindi required sa mga ito ang sumunod sa color-object format ng agents. Nasa kanyang rated list din ang ilang profile ng agents na nasubukan na niya. Isa rito ay si Red Wings na may ribbon sa display photo, indikasyong isa siya sa top five highest-rated agent noong nakaraang buwan.

Dahil na rin sa kuryosidad, pinindot ko ang latest request ni Red Wing. I can see that Stygian Talon is a premium member because he has the freedom to personally converse with agents, given the direct message feature in his request tab. Nang magawi ako sa kanyang recent urgent request na kapopost pa lamang apat na minuto ang nakararaan.

I need someone beautiful and tall. Must be confident in wearing anything I give her. She should be able to shut her mouth for the whole evening. DM. I need her ASAP.

My brows scrunched as I reread his tab. Is he not a little rude? Is this the reality between people who need money and people who pay people who need money? He could have at least tried sugar coating his request.

I saw Red Wings’ blipping his star icon, which means she already sent him a response. As curious as I am, I shall make this one good test if I could somewhat surpass a top-rated agent in getting a job. Just for fun.

I quickly typed off.

Good evening, Sir. I saw your request and I am here to openly accept the offer.

I clicked send and I waited for a reply.

Kinagat-kagat ko muna ang aking kuko habang naghihintay at ilang minuto na ang lumipas ay hindi pa rin ako nasasagot. Ako ay napasimangot. Malamang naman, mas pipiliin niya ang top-rated kaysa sa rookie.

I was about to tuck myself in bed when my phone buzzed and a star blipped on my avatar.

Fucking goodness, he replied!

I think you’re dumb. You are too wordy. I said I require someone who can shut her mouth. Wanna get terminated from the site?

Napasinghap ako sa talas ng dila niya. Napakatitulado naman talaga. At saka, anong sinabi niya? Ako, madada? Siya nga itong maraming sinabi eh.

Sorry, sir. Beautiful, tall, can wear anything, can shut up. Need money. ASAP.

I was not supposed to send it.

I was not supposed to click the send button!

But I just did.

And now, I am staring at his challenging reply which shattered my dreams to sleep early for the first day of school on the next twelve hours.

Marionette Hotel. Now.

Shit, I just beat a top-rated agent.

TINAKBO KO NA ang kahabaan ng highway na iyon dahil sa sobrang traffic. Hindi maaaring i-decline ko bigla ang task na iyon lalo pa at ito ang una kong task kahit pa man hindi ko pa nakikita ang kliyente ko ay alam ko nang manggigigil ako sa kasupladuhan.

The good thing about the terms is that you don’t have to spend anything to please the client. Kung ano ang kakailanganin upang sila ay mapagsilbihan, sila ang gagastos nito para sa iyo. At kung ako lang naman ang mag-iisip, malamang ay simple lamang ang aking gagawin upang magkapera ngayon. Kailangan ko lang maging maganda at hindi nagsasalita.

Hindi ba?

According to the terms, we are free to conceal our faces as we wish. At dahil ako ay dakilang takot ma-paparazzi sa aking tatay, minabuti kong dalhin ang aking face mask.

Before entering the hotel room he instructed me to knock on, I carefully wore the mask over my face. White light washed over me when I pushed the door open as I entered the room. I was surprised to see his masked face too, which is black and plain but appealing. He looks ready for a masquerade ball.

Bigla akong nanliit nang maramdaman kong ako ay kanyang siyasatin.

I can hear his smirk as he said, “How am I supposed to know you are beautiful if you won’t show me your face?”

“I’m sorry, Sir. I was given the option to use masks,” I honestly answered but being in the same room with him somehow made me feel like I am being kept in a room a lot narrower than my apartment.

“Oh?” Amusement was vivid in his voice. “You will have to remove that and change into these. I’ll give you three minutes to change. There is the bathroom. If you would not be done within three minutes, I will leave and rate you one out of five stars immediately.”

I quickly caught the box of what seemed like an evening gown and a pair of shoes and hurried to the bathroom. Hindi problema sa akin ang kumilos nang mabilis kahit pa ako ay lumaking sinanay ni Mommy upang maging isang socialite. Just right from the way my father, stepmother, and stepsisters treated me like a modern Cinderella was enough for me to adjust to a practical pace.

I had no time to look at myself at the mirror because I already dashed outside, effortlessly walking with the red stiletto that is a bit down my size and found him already opening the door as if walking outside.

“I’m done, Sir!” I yelled as I caught up to him, sashaying my hips for a bit so that the hem of the free-flowing black evening gown that exposed my shoulders and a bit of my chest would not entangle with the high heels.

He turned round to look at me and then without any carefulness, he flung another box for me to wear as he signalled me to follow him to the elevator. It was a white mask that spreads over the eyes and cheeks. It could conceal my face elegantly right. I had no time appraising it though, so I quickly strapped it at the back of my head and raced to the elevator before it totally shuts.

Tumabi ako sa kanya at saka palihim na naghabol ng hininga. Sigurado naman akong hindi siya nakatingin kaya kinuha ko ang sandaling iyon upang ipunin ang aking buhok at saka minadaling itinali nang pataas at saka ipinusod nang maluwang. Mahaba ang aking buhok at natural na may mga maiikling buhok sa gilid ng aking mukhang hindi sumasama kapag tinatalian.

A few moments later, he walked out of the lift. I followed him until we came to an enormous hall where the air is filled with classical music that if I am not mistaken is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. There were lots of people and they were all dressed extravagantly.

“Here’s your task. I’m going to show you an amount of money on a piece of paper and when the last item for the charity auction comes, you will have to bid with it. Simple.”

Tumango naman ako at muling inilibot ang paningin sa paligid. So this is what charity auctions look like. The Valderamas have been on some auctions like this but I was never taken to any.

Ngayon lamang ako nakapunta sa ganitong okasyon.

He led me to a row of seats where he occupied the front row and motioned for me to sit on his left side. Everyone in the hall began gathering for the seats as the coordinator of the event started greeting everyone. I can smell sweet cognac on my left side and that’s where I found out that I am sitting beside a rather good-looking lady, maybe two years ahead of me, even with the golden mask around her eyes. She looks sophisticated.

The auction ran from selling some paintings, jewels, antique objects, exclusive photos, rare books, and some old coins. The more I sit still in the middle of the crowd who just easily throw money like flowers for pieces of objects is crazy.

“And now for our last item. This is the long-lost crown jewel, the Great Mogul which caused uprising of war along Asia, centuries ago. It was retrieved by mica miners along the Indian border together with the fossilized remains of soldiers and horses that corrected match the carbon dated prediction of the jewel. Anyone who wants this for 100 000 dollars?”

“One hundred!”

“Any higher than one hundred?”

“One-fifty!”

I looked at the piece of blue diamond that only seemed to me as if it is as small as a strawberry. I shook my head in disbelief as I let the people spit amounts of dollars for the jewel while I orally compute the conversion of the three hundred thousand dollars to Philippine peso. This is crazy.

“Any higher than six hundred?”

“Seven hundred fifty!”

I was about to faint with the costs but then my client nudged my elbow and quickly tapped the end of his pen down the piece of paper on his thigh.

“Eight hundred!”

“Now,” he commanded and without any second glances, I lifted the card up and yelled, “Ten million!”

The hall fell in utter silence and I could not ever decipher the sudden tension I felt in my head. Even before I could breathe again, the dealer asked for any higher price.

“Ten million!” the auctioneer exclaimed in glee and surprise. “Any one higher than ten million? Going once…”

I could feel a lot of eyes boring at the back of my head and particularly, one pair of grey eyes that is enough to freeze me to death.

“Going twice…”

“What are you doing?” my client hissed beside me but I happened not to pay attention to it as I tried my best to act the part of a willing bidder.

“Sold to the lady in black!”

There was a clamour from the crowd but then when I looked up at him, even with his mask, I could clearly see traces of anger.

“Bakit po?”

He pursed his lips, shoved the paper on my hand, and pulled me away from the hall.

Nakarating kami sa elevator at sa tingin ko ay tapos na ang trabaho ko rito ngunit ako ay nagulumihanan nang bigla siyang magsalita.

“May deperensya ka ba sa mata?”

Tinignan ko siya nang nagtataka at saka umiling.

“Wala naman po. May nagawa po ba akong mali?”

He was about to c***k up, I swear. He was breathing hard and deep.

“What made you think ten million is the same as one million?”

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya at bago pa man ako makakilos muli, hinila niya ako kasabay ng pagbukas ng elevator at saka itinulak papasok ng kwarto. Muli kong binasa ang nakasulat sa papel at binilang ang zero na nakasaad dito.

Napasapo nga ako sa noo.

One million nga.

I looked at him in alarm and bowed apologetically.

Ngayon ko na nararamdaman ang isa-isang pagbagsak sa akin ng malalaking bato mula sa langit dahil aking napagtanto kung gaano ako kapalpak sa aking nagawa.

“Sorry, sir. Sorry po.”

“What would your apology do? It won’t give me back my nine million. Stupid.”

I fell silent for a moment when I had nothing in my mind to justify what I did. It was honestly a mistake.

“Well actually, you can do something about it,” he suddenly said, amusement playing in his voice. I heard the clicking of the lock on the door and I can’t help but to feel nervous. Slowly, he removed his mask and tossed it somewhere.

I gasped in recognition.

He smirked and said, “Well, seeing from your reaction, you might have seen me somewhere. Am I that famous?”

He was that billboard model.

Kaya pala pamilyar ang mga mata niya’t labi. Hindi nga ako nagkamaling siya ay matangkad at matipuno.

“Do you want to make amends with my nine million, White Flame?”

“Y-Yes, Sir.”

“I can see that you haven’t read the terms of your agency yet. First time?”

I looked down in defeat.

“Well, then I would let this pass.”

“T-Talaga po?” mangiyak-iyak kong tanong ngunit lalo lamang siyang napangisi.

“That’s not what I mean. I’m still getting my nine million back from you.”

All color in my face got drained.

“Pero wala po akong pera.”

“How are you going to pay me back, then?”

“P-Pwede po bang hinay-hinayin ko?”

He arched his brow and said, “Dapat kanina bago ka nagbid, hininay-hinay mo munang basahin.”

Napapikit ako at muling humingi ng paumanhin. Pero sa isip-isip ko, minumura ko rin siya dahil hindi man lamang niya nilagyan ng mga kuwit ang sinulat niya.

“I have something in mind. Now take that dress off,” he smirked.

It was a matter of split seconds before I could realize what he was planning to do. Bago pa man niya ako malapitan, ibinato ko ang pares ng sapatos sa kanyang harapan at saka nagmadaling tumakas upang makaligtas sa kanyang mga balak.

“Hindi ako maruming babae!”

I slammed the door hard, leaving him dumbfounded, as I ran home barefooted.