Frank was lying in bed beside a woman he didn't even know. Neither of them had clothes on. His companion was already asleep, arms draped around him. He reached for his phone in the drawer nearby.
He gently unwrapped the woman's arm from around him. He was still in the same room where this woman had brought him.
He was already getting dressed when the woman stirred awake and looked at him.
"You're leaving already?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied shortly.
"So cold? Well, at least you were very hot in bed." She followed him.
He thought she was going to get dressed too, but instead, she hugged him from behind. He could feel her soft skin brushing against him, but once his libido faded, he didn't find her attractive anymore.
Still, he continued getting dressed, even as her ample chest pressed against his back. He gently removed her hand and grabbed his phone and belongings.
"Here." He handed her some money from his wallet—a twenty-thousand peso tip. He even caught the gleam in her eyes.
He left immediately, shaking his head slightly from the hangover—he was also emotionally hungover. When he turned his phone on, it vibrated non-stop from incoming messages. They were all from Mariely.
He didn't read them right away and went straight to where he parked his car. Once there, he got in and checked the messages. Mariely was currently reviewing and needed to stay focused on her board exams, which, for him, was a good thing.
It's already midnight. She's probably asleep. He told himself.
He stared at his phone and the number displayed on the screen. He sighed deeply.
He tried calling—expecting she wouldn't answer.
"Frank." She said his name.
His heart fluttered at the sound of her voice. No, no. He tried to deny the feelings he had for the woman on the other end. He cleared his throat quietly.
"Why aren't you sleeping yet?" he asked.
"Ah," she let out a soft laugh. "I just woke up to answer nature's call," she said. "I was about to go back to sleep when I saw your call."
He just nodded to himself. "You should go back to sleep."
"Did you just get home? It's almost 1 a.m., huh?" she asked.
Frank paused, unsure of what to say. He took a deep breath before replying.
"Yeah. I just finished some work," he lied. He was still in the parking lot.
Then, he heard another woman's voice on the line.
"Who are you with?" Frank asked.
"Ah, Veron. She stayed over here," she said.
He nodded. "Alright, I'm driving now. I'll text you when I get home," he told her.
"Okay. Drive safe."
"Yeah, and you—go get some sleep."
"I will."
He ended the call after that and started driving home.
XXX
Rodel was on his way home when he unexpectedly crossed paths with his teacher's boyfriend—who was, once again, with a different woman. Rodel just shook his head. He was grateful he wasn't with his two friends this time.
He accidentally bumped into the woman, making her spill her drink. The man's companion stared at him.
"Hey," the man called out.
He stopped and turned around. It was the son of their school head. He waited for her to speak.
"Didn't your parents teach you manners?" she asked.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he quickly apologized and turned to leave, ignoring the woman's muttering.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" the man asked him.
Rodel stopped and stared at him.
"Babe, let's go now," the woman said, impatient.
"Just for a while, I'll talk to him real quick," the man replied calmly.
"Fine. Make it fast—we have to go somewhere," she added.
"Yeah."
He signaled for them to talk away from the woman. Rodel followed, staying quiet until the man spoke.
"You're Miss Celestial's student, right?" the man asked.
Should I pretend I don't know anything? Rodel asked himself silently before answering.
"Yes, why?" he asked curtly.
"I see. Do you know what kind of relationship I have with your adviser?" the man asked again.
"Yeah. I know who you are and what kind of relationship you have," Rodel answered without hesitation.
"I'm pretty sure your two other friends know too, don't they?"
"Why did you want to talk to me?" he asked directly.
The man chuckled. "I like your guts," he said. "Who did you tell? And why are you guys taking pictures of me?"
"Why? Are you afraid our teacher might find out?" Rodel asked.
The man let out a low laugh. "No, I'm not afraid. I want her to know. That I'm cheating."
"If you no longer want to be with our adviser, then say it straight to her face—so she'll know you don't want her anymore, right?" Rodel looked him in the eye.
The man's lips curled into a sly smile. "You really think like an adult, huh? Admirable."
"Whether young or old, if you don't love someone, don't give them false hope. You enjoy hurting her feelings, don't you? It shows."
"Don't worry. I haven't told Miss Celestial about your flings. I even stopped one of my friends from doing it. We didn't want to make trouble—and our adviser taught us that," Rodel said honestly.
The man chuckled again and shook his head. "I'm out of words now."
"I'll leave if you've got nothing else to say." Rodel turned away. "By the way, a woman like our adviser doesn't deserve a man like you."
He walked away from him.
Once he was far enough, Rodel sighed. He glanced back and saw the man still staring at him. Then he walked back to the woman, slipped an arm around her, and they got in his car.
Rodel kept walking. It was getting dark, and his mother would worry if he got home too late.