Kabanata IV
Robo Devin
Napatuwid ako kaagad ng upo at pinag-initan ng mga pisngi nang rumehistro ang matandang mukha ni Maurice, halata ang pagkadiskumpyado...simula pa kanina. Sa kaniyang pagtikhim ay umayos na rin ng upo si Alexei ngunit hindi nagmamadali tulad ko.
"Handa na ba ang senyorita para kumain? Baka lamigin ang mga pagkainang hinanda, Alexei."
I nodded a bit at Alexei so he agreed with the butler, making him go away but not without looking distatefully at every fiber of my being. Sa malayo ay narinig kong muli ang pagbukas ng mga double doors at yapak ng mga nagsisilbi.
I couldn't look straight at Alexei after that kiss we shared. I could still feel his tongue inside my mouth, and my lips were still very much swollen. Hindi naman na nagsalita pa si Alexei na hindi na ibinalik sa dati ang upuan at nanatili sa tabi ko.
Side by side, we ate the first meal. Masarap. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang tawag pero kada may ise-serve sila ay artikuladong artikulado ang mga waiter. The way they spoke was very proper, ang galaw, napakapino, though humility was definitely their best trait. Siguro ay kaya ganoon din si Maurice.
He treated me more of an outsider rather than a guest. Hmm. Outsider. Maybe that's it? Taga-labas ako. Lahat ng taga-labas ay masama ang turing sa mga Devin. Wala pang nag-isip sa kanila nang maganda – ako pa lang. Was this his retaliation then?
Thankfully, my hands were now acting fine. I enjoyed the appetizer, and it's time for the main dish of the three-course meal.
"Garlic butter baked salmon with roasted potatoes, and lemon sauce."
Even the way the two waiters served the dishes has an art to it. Mangha kong pinagmasdan ang plating ng isda. Hindi mo aakalaing homemade iyon dahil para talaga kaming nasa isang mamahaling restaurant.
Nang naiwan muli kaming dalawa ni Alexei ay maingat kong hinawakan ang tinidor at kutsilyo. Humiwa ako ng maliit at sumubo. Atsaka pa lamang gumalaw si Alexei at ganoon din ang ginawa ngunit halatang mas sanay na sanay kaysa sa akin.
"Wow..." bulong ko at hindi na napigilan ang pagngiti. "Ang sarap nito!"
The creamy texture of the salmon melted exquisitely in my mouth. Kaya rin ito ang in-order ko ay naalala ko ito noong bata pa ako. Baked salmon ang madalas kong kainin sa tuwing pupunta kaming fine dining nila Papa. Though I didn't quite remember it being as heavenly as this one.
"Hmm." Alexei only nodded in agreement as his closed mouth chewed slowly.
Hindi kami masyadong nag-usap habang kumakain. Except for the occasional glance he throws at me like he was in a deep thought. I wanted to break his head open like a coconut just to see what's inside. Minsan ay magkakatinginan kami, madalas ay hahabulin niya ang tingin ko dahil ako palagi ang tatakbo.
His eyes were too bold but too swift and mysterious. Like a shadow. It left my heart screaming, begging to be heard.
Nang hindi ko na makayanan ay sumimsim muna ako ng tubig at nagpunas ng bibig bago siya sinalubong ng tingin. Nagsimula na naman ang kaba sa dibdib ko.
"Uhh, ano iyon, Alexei?" marahan kong tanong. "Kanina mo pa ako tinitingnan..." Kaninang-kanina pa.
He mirrored my actions – sipping wine and wiping his mouth with a table napkin. Then he murmured something I didn't quite get.
"Ano?"
Bahagyang tumagilid ang ulo ni Alexei at mas lumapit pa sa akin. Halos kainin ako ng lapad ng dibdib niya.
