Chapter 16

“Salamat sa mga bulaklak,” wika ni Louise.

Itinabi niya ang bouquet nang papalapit na ang waiter para ibigay muna ang kanilang drinks. Binawi niya rin muna ang kamay nang napatingin doon ang waiter na nakangiti sa kanila.

“Babalik lang po ako, sir, madam,” ang sabi nito sa kanila bago tumalikod.

“Teka, hindi ba siya rin ‘yong waiter natin noon?” aniya sa asawa, biglang naalala ito.

Tumango ang lalaki. “Right. I asked for his name five years ago, and I asked if he is still working here. And he still is. However, he’s now the assistant manager. I heard he went to school while he is working here.”

Napa-ah naman siya. Impressed at masaya siya sa impormasyong iyon. Ibig sabihin, special treatment pala iyon para sa kanila ngayon. Pupusta siya, malaki ang ibinayad ng asawa niya para pagbigyan ito ng taga-restaurant sa special dinner nila.

“At siya pa ang nagsisilbi sa ‘tin.” Halos hindi siya makapaniwala. Parang scripted na kasi itong ginagawa ng asawa niya. Napaisip siya kung may ini-offer pang mas mahigit ang lalaki sa staff para lang sa okasyong ito.

“Well, I just told him some things, and he presented himself to assist us,” kumibit namang tugon ng asawa.

Naningkit ang mga mata niyang nanantiya sa asawa. She would bet he said something more than he wanted to admit to her or let her in on at the moment. Ito ay para lang ma-impress siya at nang maalala niya ang lahat noong una nilang date noon.

She did not mind at all, though. She loved that he was doing all this for her. She started to hope now. Perhaps, this time around, it was going to be sweeter and better for them. Just to prove to her that love was still alive between them.

‘Hindi ko na lang ba siya pahihirapan?’ naitanong niya sa sarili.

VIP talaga silang ituturing ng waiter nilang si Leon.

Habang kumakain, may ilan silang mga bagay na pinag-usapan. In-update siya nito tungkol sa kumpanya at kung ano rin ang ginawa nito at ng BOD tungkol sa kaso ni Bill. Nanghinayang talaga siya para sa may-edad na Amerikano. Hindi siya galit pero katulad ng asawa ay disappointed siya at feeling betrayed.

Nang mag-dessert na sila ay napatanong siya sa lalaki tungkol kay Sabrina. She knew it was a very sensitive topic for both of them. Pero gusto niyang malaman ang tungkol sa babae at sa relasyon ng mga ito ngayon.

“How’s… Sabrina?”

Natigilan ang kanyang asawang napatitig sa kanyang mga mata.

“I did expect you to ask me that, but I was hoping you wouldn’t.” His face went grim, lips thinning. Ibinaba nito ang kutsarita at uminom ng white wine.

“I have to know, Calvin. What’s going on with you and Sabrina lately?” Ibinaba rin niya ang kanyang kubyertos at tinitigan sa mga mata ang asawa.

She had decided she had to be open with him about Sabrina if she planned on letting him court her.

“Nothing is going on between me and Sabrina. Not even that night, Louise.”

“Fine. Let’s say I believe you now. So, tell me what happened after I left you. I want to know the details, which I didn’t want to know back then.”

Narinig niyang bumuntong-hininga ito. “I think this is ruining our evening. If you insist though, I should tell you.”

Tumango naman siya rito. “Yeah, I insist, Calvin.”

“After you left, I kicked Sabrina out of our house and out of the company. She asked for my forgiveness a million times… whenever she could get the chance to talk to me. I always blocked her number on my phone. She just used another and another one… It just went on and on. Then, she stopped calling me for a while, like she gave me a rest. And then, she’d be back to ask me to forgive her. Really, she is just like a pest!”

Napalunok naman siya. Kita niya ang galit sa mga mata ng asawa.

Napababa siya ng tingin. She could just imagine how Sabrina cared for Calvin.

“And then, I heard she met this guy, like two years ago. She dated him for a while. And… I didn’t hear anything from her again.”

“Really?”

Tumango ang lalaki. “Just recently though, she wanted to reach out to me again. Scott passed on the message, but I told him I don’t want to have anything to do with it.”

“Hmm.”

“Everything was just so wrong, Louise. I swear I never touched her.”

Napatitig siya sa kanyang asawa. He was looking outside the restaurant, drinking his wine. He looked desperate. Naaawa naman siya rito.

She began to agree now with Nicole and the rest that she did the wrong move back then. Dapat nga sana ay ipinaglaban niya ang kanyang karapatan para kay Calvin bilang asawa nito. At dapat sana ay hindi siya nagpadalos-dalos na iwanan ito at hayaan ang sarili at pati ang asawa na magdusa sa loob ng tatlong mahabang taon.

‘God, so it was all because of my blinding jealousy at the time!’ napagtanto pa niya.

Her throat constricted, and she groped for her wine glass as well and drank the liquid. Para man lang guminhawa ang pakiramdam niya.

Nakita niyang napatitig sa kanya ang asawa at saka tumayo na ito. He put the money on the table, and he led her outside the restaurant.

Binalikan pa niya ang bulaklak na itinabi kanina nang hindi binitiwan ang kanyang kamay at saka lumabas na sila na nagpasalamat kay Leon na napasunod ng tingin sa kanilang nakangiti.

“I think we should go to the hotel,” ang sabi pa niya sa lalaki nang magmaneho ito.