“WELL, when is the right time, may I ask?” he asked, laughing.
“I’ll know when it’s the right time. I just don’t want to feel pressured or anything.”
Bullet shook his head because clearly, they are not on the same boat when it comes to the topic. Is sex really that complicated for women? Because for him and probably for men in general, sex is sex. Whenever there’s an opportunity, they’re gonna grab it without even thinking.
“If I could only do something to get even, I certainly would.” Astrid frowned as if she was really considering the thought.
“Do it. Maybe once he finds out that you’ve found someone else, he’d be jealous and-“
“And then there’s a chance that he’ll take me back?” she interjected.
“Well, it depends, really. If he still loves you, of course he’ll come back,” he commented. And then he intently looked at her. “Wait, are you telling me that you’re still willing to take that man back despite the fact that he cheated on you?”
“I know, I know, I am a fool.” She sniffed and frowned. She took a tissue out of her bag and blew her nose into it. “Come on, everybody’s been a fool in love even once in their lives.”
“Not me,” he laughed in response. “It’s just love anyway.”
“You’re just saying that because maybe you haven’t really fallen in love yet.”
“I’m saying that because I am not stupid. Why should I waste my time, my effort and my life on something that I know would never last? Love is just for the weak, Astrid.”
“Well, I beg to differ, Mr. Ortega. Love is not for the weak. Only those who can love are strong because they continue on loving even though they know that they’ll be hurt in the end.”
“Wow. Now it’s confirmed. You are drunk.”
“Oh yeah, I’m so drunk with love and I’m this close to going crazy,” she replied dramatically, with her fingers using a pinching motion. “And I’m this close in considering your suggestion to make him jealous. The problem is, it’s not easy to find a man who’s willing to pretend to be my...wait -” and then she looked at him. “Would you be willing to be my pretend boyfriend?”
“The question is, are you willing to face the consequences?” He asked slyly.
“Consequences?”
“If we pretend to be in a relationship, we’ve got to be...you know, we have to do the things that couples usually do like I may need to hold your hand...hug you...”
“And kiss me? I don’t care but I just have to warn you though. I’m a really good kisser so you’ve got to control yourself and not fall in love with me.”
Bullet wasn’t sure whether she’s just kiddng but he’s certain that she’s drunk. He shook his head and just laughed at her.
“You don’t believe me?”
“Hey, I’m not judging you or anything but it’s hard for me to believe in something that I haven’t experienced first-hand.”
“Oh, so you’re telling me that you need proof?”
Astrid winked at him and smiled. Even before he could answer, she suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. She stared into his eyes and when she touched his nape, his heartbeat doubled. He should be used to this and he should take advantage of this kind of situation but with Astrid, everything seemed new to him.
“Astrid...” Three inches, two, one. He had to close his eyes and wait for the touch of her soft lips.
“Bullet...” she whispered across his mouth. He could already feel her hot breath and smell its sweetness. “I’m really sleepy.”
Astrid suddenly backed out, which left him hanging, feeling like an idiot. She lay down and covered herself with the thick blanket as if nothing happened.
“Good night, Bullet,” she whispered softly after yawing.
Bullet quickly stood up and turned around. He walked away and went to the kitchen and got himself a bottle of beer before sitting on the couch next to the bed. He’s still shaking his head as he watched Astrid sleep.
If the situation was different, if it was a different woman, he would not waste his time sitting there and drinking beer. But it was Astrid, the woman who loathes men like her. It was Astrid, who, at first glance fascinated him and it was Astrid who’s now holding her driver’s licence.
Suddenly, he wanted to bang his head on the wall out of regret. Why did he even consider giving his license to her in exchange of his promise that he’d behave himself?
Bullet emptied the beer can and stood up. He was about to turn off the lamp but he was transfixed when Astrid suddenly turned. She was facing him now, her lips were half open and her hair, disheveled. She looked like an innocent angel and a sultry goddess combined. He was mesmerized by her charm, wit and natural beauty and he’s certain that he’ll be in huge trouble if he let himself stay in this room together with this woman even for just a bit longer...
~~
ASTRID woke up that morning without Bullet in sight. When she realized that it’s already seven in the morning, she hurried and got up despite her splitting headache. After taking a shower, she quickly got dressed and left a note on the nightstand.She was about to get inside the elevator when she heard someone approaching from a distance and when she turned around, she was surprised to see Bullet beside a tall woman. Based on how the woman put her arms around him, it’s pretty obvious that something’s going on between the two. He’s grinning from ear to ear as if he had just won a million dollars. Well, it certainly looks like it.Astrid turned away and pressed the elevator button, praying that it would open before Bullet notices her because she still didn’t know how to deal with him after what happened the night before.She immediately went inside when the it opened and finally, she breathed a sigh of relief. B
“JOSH?” Astrid stood up when she saw Josh coming over. He was glaring at her as if he wanted to eat her alive. But she didn’t care about it because her attention was on someone else - Ellen, who was holding Josh’s hand. She looked as if she had seen a ghost.“What are you doing here?” Josh asked softly. He was wearing the red sweatshirt with the logo of his favorite basketball team, which was her gift on his last birthday.She knew she had to say something but nothing came out from her mouth. Thankfully, Bullet was quick-witted and immediately stood up. He put his arm over her shoulder and joined the conversation.“She’s on vacation, with me,” he chimed in, smiling. “So, you are ‘the’ Josh. Astrid has told me so much about you. By the way, I’m Bullet, the new boyfriend.”Astrid turned her head and saw Bullet smiling. He tightened his grip on her shou
ALL throughout breakfast, Bullet heard nothing from Astrid. She was just quiet while stirring her coffee and occasionally getting a glimpse at Josh and Ellen. He could clearly see the sadness in her eyes and he knew that she’s trying her best not to cry.“You look awful,” he whisper against her ear. “Do you want to get out of here already?”But she just smiled. She inhaled sharply and drank her coffee. He was suprised when she held his hand but he understood what it meant - that she needed his support so he squeezed her hand to let her know that she could count on him.“So guys, what are your plans for today?” Bullet inquired, just to break the ice.Josh and Ellen looked at each other. “Well, we’re thinking of visiting the Grotto first. How about you?”“I have a lot of places in mind so I think we’ll go ahead, right Astrid?” He stood up, grabb
AFTER 3 MONTHS...BULLET has been glancing at his cellphone several times since he arrived at Margarita Ville. It’s already nine o’clock in the evening but Miles was still out of sight. He should have gone back to Mania instead of staying and waiting for some girl.Miles is a singer at The Lounge, his go-to bar whenever he needed to unwind. She’s sexy, beautiful. She’s fun to talk to, sweet and yeah, she’s good in bed. She’s the type who knew what he wanted and she could do all the crazy things in bed, even things he never thought possible. That’s why he’s here now. Because she promised to keep him warm in this cold night.But he’s been sitting there at the bar for more than an hour, has finished four bottles of beer and he’s already losing his patience because he wasn’t born into the world just to wait for a woman.He poured some beer to his
“SO, what’s the story of your life, Mr. Samuel Blake Ortega?” Astrid prodded after emptying her bottle of beer. Bullet looked at her because he was surprised by the sudden serious question. They were the only ones at the bar at that late hour except for an employee who was starting to wipe the tables.“What do you want to know?”“Like what you do besides flirting with girls at the bar?” She was staring at him as she spoke as if she was really interested to know everything about him.“Well, I’m a teacher. I used to teach Math.” He poured beer in their glasses and put ice in them. He could no longer count how many glasses Astrid had but there were at least nine empty bottles in front of her.“Ah, that explains why you’re so good at counting women,” Astrid muttered loudly.“Ouch.” Bullet shouldn’t have been offened by what she said be
ASTRID’S face was just a couple of inches from his. Her breath felt warm and intoxicating. He has consumed a lot of alcohol but he knew that his fast heartbeat wasn’t because of that. He’s the type who gets easily attracted to women but Astrid has a different effect on him. It was as if his eyes were being absorbed by her stare and he couldn’t promise that he won’t be able to control himself from kissing her if she continued to look at him that way.“I think...I’m really drunk now,” Astrid whispered with a smile. They were already standing in front of her cottage, just a few steps from the Villa bar. He slightly moved back when he felt her hand touched his cheek. “Because I suddenly want to kiss you...but of course, I can’t, I shouldn’t.”“Why not?” he joked. Though it’s quite dark in that part of the alley, he could still see her beautiful red face. He actually f
PROBABLY, Astrid was really drunk because even though everything was clear to her and she could taste every kiss from Bullet, she didn’t know why it was happening. She could also hear his deep breathing as well as his moan every now and then every time she passionately responds to his kisses.Why did she let this happen in the first place? Why the hell did she let herself kiss a man who’s almost a stranger to her? She couldn’t understand why she was so attracted to Bullet because his type was far from those men she had dated in the past. Aside from being too handsome and too proud of himself, he’s also a certified playboy, which is one of the things she hated the most in a man.Oh who was she kidding? Any woman would be drawn by his hypnotizing stare. The question was why in the world was he wasting his time with somebody like her, considering that she’s not like those gorgeous and sexy women he’s been?
AND it did. Bullet kissed and licked her bosom. It wasn’t the first time that she has experienced something like this but she has to admit that the feeling he gives her was different compared to others.As he kissed and caressed her left chest, his other hand was busy working on her underwear. He was able to take it off without a hassle and her silk undies fell on the wooden floor. She felt his hot skin against her body and she sighed as his warm palm moved over her stomach, down to her abdomen.This was really happening, Astrid thought at the back of her head. And though she knew it was wrong, she was certain that she couldn’t stop him - no - she’s certain that she had no intention of letting him stop. Everything seemed so right, so perfect. She felt as if she’s been waiting for this man for so long, some to whom she’d surrender all of herself to. But this was going to be her first. Ever.“W-wait...” sh