The F- Buddies

28. Warning

I really didn't get why people tagged me as"the rude editor" just because I real-talked them. Like . . . so sensitive mo naman, bruh.

I let GT sit on my chair, then I stood beside him and showed him the flags.

"Degrading ba yung comments?" tanong ko pa. "Is it rude?"

Binasa niya ang iba bago sumagot. "It is strict. And . . . questionable."

"But not rude."

"Well, siguro, depende sa magbabasa. If I were the author, mao-offend ako. It sounded like you're trying to juice out something in me na kaya ko namang ibigay nang kusa pero tinatakot mo 'ko. Something like that."

Tiningnan ko tuloy siya nang masama. So, ganoon talaga siya?

"But not rude," pagpipilit ko.

"Did you receive a complaint about this?" pagkuwestiyon niya sa akin habang kinukunutan ako ng noo.

Ano ako, tange? Sasabihin ko sa kanya? Bahala siya.

"Can you tone that down? You sounded sincere naman sa mga comment mo," utos ko.

"I can, of course."

"Good!" Itinuro ko ang screen. "Do that. Now."

"Nope. I'll do it later. I can finish this before we go."

"But—"

"Hold up!" Nagtaas siya ng kamay para pigilan akong magsalita. Nag-minimize siya ng tab at nagbukas ng blank word document. "I need to see your writing style. Urgent. Please."

Tinitigan ko pa siya kung nagjo-joke siya.

At hindi siya nagjo-joke. Oh . . . kay?

"Write for me," he said. He stood up from my chair and asked me to sit.

"I thought okay na yung audition?" nalilitong tanong ko at wala na ring choice kundi umupo.

"Write in English. Smut scene. Or anything sexual-related. Third person's viewpoint, omniscient or limited, your call." Tinapik pa niya ako sa balikat. "Start."

And . . . I saw myself staring at him, waiting for an unknown response.

I would write. A smut scene. In front of him?

No fucking way!

Kung nasa restroom ako o kung wala siya sa paligid baka makagawa ako. But now? It was a big NO.

"Eunice, I'll do your job, but please, I need you to cooperate with me now."

Nagtayuan ang balahibo ko mula sa likod papuntang batok. Napapikit-pikit pa tuloy ako habang nakatingala sa kanya.

Ayokong tinatawag niya akong babe, pero ang weird pala kapag Eunice na. Ganoon ba kaseryoso ang pinagagawa niya? Nagmamadali ka, Kuya?

"Fine. Okay."

I sighed. What the hell am I supposed to write? I don't write smut, for Pete's sake! Kaso nakakahiya kay GT na ang lead editor ng editorial department kung saan siya under, hindi pala marunong magsulat. Oh, the ignominy.

I closed my eyes for a while to think of a scene. Fuck, what am I supposed to write? I've never done any smut scenes before!

A! Bahala na! I typed:

"Did you just have sex inside the . . . what?"

Anna fiddled with the straps of her white halter top dress. It was too provocative for their business, and Alice wanted to ask if Anna had a decent shirt, but she knew that wasn't the question she needed an answer to.