The Artist's Vixen

TAV~Fifteen

The Artist's Vixen

15- Question

Unang ginawa ko ng magising ako ay ang pagsapo ko sa noo ko. Once again, Veena you gave in. You gave in to Xenon's seducing charms again.

Dinig na dinig ko ang paghinga ni Xenon sa gilid ko. Nasa kwarto niya kami. Pagkatapos niya akong ilatag sa sahig ng kusina ay may nangyari sa amin. Hindi natuloy ang pagtulog ko dahil nagtalik pa kami hanggang sa mapagod. I don't know how it happened so fast basta paggising ko ay nasa kama niya na ako.

Nakahubad at tanging kumot lang ang saplot.

I bit my lower lip. Tiningnan ko sa gilid si Xenon na mahimbing na natutulog. Dinig ko pa ang mahinang paghilik niya. Napangiti ako, he does snore cutely.

Kung wala lang sabit, kanina pa siguro ako nasa cloud nine dahil sa pagkahumaling ko ngayon kay Xenon. We had sex, he was my first. I should be happy since I did it with someone I like.

Umiling ako. Dapat ay hindi ko na ipagtulakan ang sarili ko kay Xenon kahit na may nangyari sa amin. I should know where I stand. I am just his model, nude model to be exact. Hindi naman sa pagmamayabang pero sino bang lalaki ang hindi maakit sa isang babae kapag nakita mong nakahubad. Pwera nalang siguro kung matino ka.

But knowing Xenon? I know he's not decent. Because if he's decent enough, hindi na niya iiwan na buntis si Lin at hindi na siya magnonobya pa. Dagdag pa na hindi niya na ako papatulan kung matino siya.

"What are you thinking?" Nagulat ako ng bigla siyang nagsalita sa gilid ko.

Napalunok ako. Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin ko sa kanya. I can't say to him what I was exactly thinking. That I am thinking of my accusations to him. I know its not confirmed yet and I'm not even positive if its true. Pero bakit iyon pumasok sa ulo ko? There must be a reason why.

"I transfered school when we were Grade 12." Tumuon ang atensyon ko sa kanya. Is he going to tell me what happened to him? "My Dad decided that I should take the academic track for senior high, hindi ako makapagdesisyon sa sarili ko noon dahil siya ang nagpapaaral sa akin. But when my mother died that summer before Grade 12 and he didn't care. Hindi niya tinustusan ang pagpapaopera ni Mama. Nagalit ako sa kanya at naglayas. I stopped going to school since I don't have money to enroll myself. Nagtrabaho ako para mabuhay." Habang ikunukwento niya iyon ay bakas sa mga mata niya ang sakit. Its like his pain is reaching me.

"Hindi ka na nakagraduate?" I asked.

A smile creeped from his face. "Luckily, someone helped me. Binigyan ako ng scholarship na makapag-aral ng senior high. I gladly accepted it. Who wouldn't right? That time, I enrolled to the performing arts track." Napatingin siya sa akin. Nagtama ang mga mata namin.

"You...uh, you really like painting huh?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"I love it." Ngiti niya. "But my Dad was against it. He told me that the income of being an artist is nothing compared to a businessman." He chuckled.

Aminin na natin na ang pagiging pintor ay talagang mahirap. Thinking that you need to be good in it, hindi lang sapat iyon. You need connections to show what you are capable of. Mabibili lang ang mga gawa mo kapag nag-exhibit ka na o nakaexhibit na at kilala kana ng mga buyers at bidders.

"Ang swerte mo. You've been successful and got this life." Natawa nalang ako sa papuri ko sa kanya. Well, its predictable. He won't be in the first section if he isn't destinied to be succesful.

"Not really." His lower lip protruded. "If I'm lucky then what will you call me when I finally have you?"

Natigilan ako sa tanong niya. God. Why does he look sincere even he's hitting three girls?

"Tigilan mo nga yan." saway ko sa kanya at humalakhak siya. Walang kakiyeme-kiyemeng niyakap niya ako at ang ulo niya ay nasa gilid ng leeg ko. "X-Xenon?"

"You smell good." What the hell? He's sniffing me? "What happened to you, Veena?"

I blinked continously because of his question. Tinawanan ko lang siya. "You seem interested."

"Of course I am. I wouldn't kiss you, back then if I wasn't." Sabi niya.

Napatingin ako sa kanya at limang milimetro nalang ang layo namin sa isa't-isa. Nakapikit siya. He's really handsome.

Dati ay nakikita ko lang siya sa malayo. Nasa labas siya palagi ng classroom at nakapamulsa. Like he doesn't care on what the world is going on. Pero most of the times, he wears his glasses. Kaya nakakapanibago itong mukha niya ngayon. Does he wear contacts now?

"I think I'm melting." Bigla akong umiwas ng tingin sa kanya ng minulat niya ang mga mata niya. "You stare intently."

"Stare? Asa ka no! Hindi kita tinitignan no! Over my dead body!" Pagdedeny ko.

Mas lalo siyang tumawa at mas nilapit sa kanya. Nanggigil siya. "Kaya pala dati palagi mo akong tinitignan pagkatapos ng search."

Shit.

Namula ang pisngi ko sa sinabi niya. Goodness! He's not a four-eyed boy back then, for nothing huh? Lahat siguro nakikita niya.

"Katulad ka pa rin talaga gaya ng dati." Komento niya.

"W-What do you mean?" Tanong ko.

Hinaplos niya pataas baba ang gilid ng beywang ko. "Still a vixen..."

"Vixen?" I gulped. Is he saying that I am sexually attractive.

"Yup. You still turn me on." He huskily said. Lumipat ang hinlalaki niyang daliri sa labi ko. "You still have that soft lips."

"Was I turning you on way back in high school?" I asked.

"Hindi kita hahalikan kung hindi. Veena, I am interested to know you that's why I kissed you. I kissed you because you were turning me on with that production number outfit you wore." Sabi niya.

Naalala ko ang costume kong sinuot noon. It was a cowgirl outfit. Checkered long sleeve tied so that the tummy can be seen. Below was a short short and paired with dark brown boots. May cowboy hat din para makumpleto ang costume. It was a little revealing.

"You were turned on by a cowgirl?" Tanong ko at natatawa na rin.

"Yes, yes I was." He confirmed.

"Lahat kami nakacowgirl outfit noon! So lahat ng co-contestants ko naturn on ka sa kanila?"

"Co-contestants? I thought, ikaw lang ang nandoon sa stage." sabi niya.

"Gago!" Sabi ko sa kanya.

"What? Ikaw lang talaga ang nakikita ko no'n. Nasa backstage ako, malamang ikaw lang ang makikita ko." Paliwanag niya.

"You were disqualified that night." Paalala ko sa kanya.

"Yeah. They found out that I wasn't Warren that night. Pangalan ko ang sinabi ko." Sabi niya. "Thanks to that friend of yours."

"Friend? S-Sino?"

"Kuen? Kuen yata yung pangalan no'n. I can't remember." Sagot niya. Bigla kong naalala si Kuen. God. I miss that girl. Simula noong natapos ang graduation ay hindi ko na siya nakita. How is she anyway?

"I miss her." I whispered.

"Thanks to that girl, I had the chance to kiss you that night. Mabuti nalang napilit niya ako." Biro niya.

We laughed. Binalot nanaman kami ng katahimikan. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko. Humihinga lang siya sa gilid ng leeg ko and I became comfortable with it.

"You avoided the question, Veena." Malamig niyang tono.

I didn't mean to avoid the question. Though, I don't want him to hear about how I fail in life. How I ran away from home. Am I ready to tell him?

"You can tell me everything, Veena. I am here for you, always." He said.

Then a question hit my mind. "Ano ba talaga tayo, Xenon?"

In my peripheral vision, I saw his eyes opened.