The Red Light Kiss

12

12

''I don't know, dude. I think she's mad.'' I exhaled the cigarette smoke before throwing it straight to the trash bin. "Paano ba kasi manuyo?"

I frustratedly sat on my swivel chair and looked up, massaging the bridge of my nose. I don't know how to fix things with Joshien. She's had been avoiding me since the moment I failed to meet her for lunch at magsisinungaling ako kapag sinabi kong hindi ako naaapektuhan sa hindi niya pagpansin sa akin.

It was my fault and I really, really wanna do something to make it up to her.

Ilang araw niya na 'kong hindi pinapansin at iniiwasan. I... feel like her absence is... affecting me in some way.

''What the fuck did you do? At sino 'tong babae 'to?'' I swallowed hard after hearing his question. I don't even know what and how to introduce her. Cause what am I gonna say, she's an intern working for me?

Tunog tanga.

''Is her identity important?''

He chuckled playfully. ''Of course, you fucker. Sino ba kasi 'to? What the hell did you do? At anong paano manuyo? Ano ka bata?''

I clenched my jaw, slowly conceding. I'm talking to Rous now, a friend of mine I met back in high school. We've been friends since then and he's the only one I could trust with this. He's a known playboy in our batch and even today that he's taking up his residency, he can still manage to squeeze time for playing. I'm sure he can help me... Hopefully.

''Rous, the thing is..." I paused. "I unintentionally ditched her.''

''You what? Ditched her?'' he repeated. ''That should be easy.''

Buti sana kung ganoon nga. The moment I saw her, is the moment I instantly realized how different she is compared to other people I have met.

She's feisty and really, really brave. Matapang. Mataray. At matalino. Unang kita ko pa lang, alam ko nang may kung anong ningning sa kaniya na nag udyok sa akin gumawa ng paraan para makita siya nang madalas. She's hard to please, at least that's what I noticed when instead of feeling happy and lucky cause she met me, a mayor and public servant like how others label me, she instead rolled her eyes and showed her indifference.

Para bang... hindi man lang siya nakaramdam ng galak na kina kuryoso ko. If she's like other people, she would have probably jumped in bliss or showed her joy, but she didn't.

Aside from that, Joshien's incredibly pretty. She looks like a villain you couldn't hate. Her eyes are like a pair of magic that would lure you to look at her more. The more you look at her, the more you'll get enchanted.

She's tall. Probably around 5'6 or 5'7. She's mestiza and her small moles and freckles in the face complements her plump lips and intense gaze. Para akong nabubudol kasi para bang mayroon siyang mahika sa mga mata dahil hindi ko magawang alisin ang tingin ko sa kanya.

And damn her magic cause I feel like I am under a spell... her spell. I am damn enchanted.

"She's not easy to please. I sent her lunch for the past three days. The first one? She threw it away. The second day? She left it in their office to rot. The last one?" I paused again. I don't know if I should be mad or what.