KEEPING IT WARM.

Unnamed Encounters

"Tara na nga," aya ng pinsan niya sabay tayo mula sa sofa na hinihigaan nito.

"Saan?" tanong niya nang hindi man lang inaalis ang unan na nakatakip sa mukha niya mula pa kanina no'ng tumambay sila sa sala.

"Sa club. Saan pa ba?" sagot nito na may pang-asar na tono.

She reluctantly tossed the pillow aside and playfully hurled it at her cousin. "And what are we going to do there?"

Agad namang bumalik sa kan'ya ang unan na kababato niya lang. "Edi maghahanap ng parausan mo!"

Napabalikwas siya ng tayo dahil sa isinigaw nito at saka hinampas ito sa balikat. "Ano bang pinagsasabi mo r'yan? Mamaya marinig ka ni Mama," nag-aalalang asik niya rito.

"Wala si Tiya. Kanina pa umalis papunta sa palengke. Kaya nga ako nandito kasi tinawagan niya ako, e. Parang wala ka raw sa mood no'ng nakaraan pa," paliwanag nito at saka dali-daling inayos ang hinigaan na sofa.

Her cousin wasn't entirely off the mark. She wasn't in the mood to go out, but her body was craving something she couldn't provide alone. "It's been three months since I last had satisfying sex, Niamh. I need some release."

"Kaya nga inaaya kita ngayon na lumabas, 'di ba?" Niamh retorted. When it came to clubbing and nightlife, Niamh was the ultimate companion. She knew every club in the city, no matter how obscure, along with their opening and closing hours.

The idea of going out and finding someone to satisfy her body did sound enticing. Her body even tingled with anticipation.

Hinayaan siya nitong makapag-ayos bago sila sabay na lumabas at sumakay ng taxi papunta sa kung saanman siya nito balak na dalhin.

*****

"Is this a new club?" she asked as they arrived at the unfamiliar location.

"For you, yes. Not for me," Niamh giggled mischievously. She had a penchant for taking her to different places – no, she had an obsession with it. It was as if Jeanne was Niamh's personal accessory. "I've been here twice. Though sa katabing club ko nakilala si Fafa J."

"Ugh, straight," she muttered with disdain at the mention of the name. Fafa J was her cousin's boyfriend – yes, a man, unfortunately.

"Wow ha. Ikaw nga hindi nabubuhay r'yan kapag hindi nakikipagchukchakan, e!" Niamh retorted, giving her arm a playful smack.

"It's just because I have needs to fulfill. It doesn't mean na gusto ko sa lalaki," she clarified. It was a fact. Men were just a means to an end for her. Para sa kan'ya, parausan lang ang mga lalaki at ang tanging bagay na may pakinabang lamang sa kanila ay ang bagay sa pagitan ng mga hita nila; na kung minsan ay hindi pa nila ginagamit nang tama.

"Sabi ko naman kasi sa 'yo i-try mo sa babae, e. Bading ka naman tapos ayaw mo subukan." Niamh said, casting a judgmental glance her way. She rolled her eyes in response.

"I've said it before; I have no idea how to please a woman, okay?" She did, in fact, know how. Who understood a woman's body better than another woman? It was just that she wasn't comfortable with the idea of going down on someone. It didn't disgust her; she was just hesitant. If there were lesbian stoners who didn't like receiving, she was the polar opposite of them.

"Kaya nga hahanapan kita ng top mo, someone who can dominate you in bed." Ilang beses niya na nga ba itong narinig mula rito? She'd lost count, but she knew she'd rejected it just as many times.

"No way! I will never be submissive to anyone." The idea was a non-starter for her. She craved dominance in the bedroom, the chance to control men and remind them of their place. Yes, she was, in fact, the embodiment of the word misandry.