Chapter 06
“Yes… hon… I have my clothes get ready… yes… okay… love you… bye”, he throw his phone on the bed as soon his conversation with Elaine was done. He lied to her that he’s staying at his father’s house, but here he was in the hotel—not in their family hotel.
He doesn’t want his father to find out that he came back early. This date was supposed to be his fiancé’s ideal date because she meant to attend the cocktail party. However, he’s all by himself right now.
Carlos sat on the couch, and why would he feel so hesitant staring at the other luggage he didn’t open since he arrived. He gets that luggage and ended opening it. Staring at these presents he got for the person he never forgotten.
There’s no day he doesn’t think of her. Eversince she avoided him with no reason; it drives him insane for not able to get an answer. Carlos cared for Sam and she knows that. But what just happened between them?
He sends her airmail but she never replied to him; even to his e-mails. Carlos fell asleep thinking of her; he only woke up when it was around five o’clock in the afternoon already and he needs to get ready as the cocktail party will start seven.
Carlos was maybe early at the party but it was a great opportunity to meet some of the potential clients for future investments his company. He’s not supposed to be alone; if only Elaine was around.
He walk towards the bar and ordered some scotch. There he was sitting while letting the time passes. Carlos was done talking to these businessmen and it’s already his nature to sit alone at the bar, happily drinking.
A few minutes later; the one who organized this cocktail party finally arrived. Carlos heard the crowd wowed and all their attention was to this guy and his escort. He turned his head to see this man and his escort. However, he felt tighten in his chest when he saw a ghost. A ghost of his past; but that was maybe rude of him to call her that. Carlos just saw Sam.
He was afraid to approach her and so he kept himself hiding from her. Watching her from afar was all he can do. He can’t help but admire how she looked right now. She was wearing a purple halter cocktail dress that paired with her killer black high heeled gladiator sandals. Carlos’ attention locked onto Samantha who’s at afar chatting with other businessmen—and speaking of these filthy men; he didn’t like the fact they were so entertained by her attention. God knows how much he missed her; everything he sees right now from her… it used to belong to him. Samantha always wears that smile whenever they’re together. But now, she’s sharing it to every men she talks. He couldn’t hide his gritted teeth for he hates what he’s sees now.
If only he could tell those filthy men that this woman was married to him. But does he even have the right thing say that? He couldn’t even show up himself there. Carlos thinks that this isn’t the right moment they have to meet.
Everyone was having a great time except Sam, the party just started but she easily gets bored when it comes to these kinds of parties. All these years; she had been wearing a mask that pretends that she’s okay. This party is nothing but business and that’s the point of this gathering. Meanwhile, Jeric was enjoying having conversation with other businessmen not until he pulls Sam’s hand to get near him. He started to introduce her to these filthy men. Yes, that’s exactly what she thinks of these old men.
She suddenly thinks of someone she’s not supposed to be. Sam had a flashback with this kind of gathering in the past and Carlos was the only one who tries to make her not feel so bored.
“Let’s go somewhere…”, he whispered to her.
“Where?”, she asked him. Sam was desperately seeking Carlos’ help in order to escape from this boring party.
Carlos grabbed her hand and together they escaped from the party.
She got back to her senses when Jeric held hand; the thought it was Carlos who usually does that to him. Sam looked at him as there was a split second image of him. Carlos. She’s seeking some help from him but this is Jeric—not him.
She let go of her hand from him. “Is there something wrong?’, he asked her.
“I… uh… I… nothing. I wanna go to the rest room”, she told him and walks out. Jeric didn’t stop her though.
Sam was biting her lip as she was heading to the restroom. She walks so fast as if she was in a hurry; she just couldn’t help herself but escape from that party even just for a few minutes. She went inside one of the cubicles as soon as she reached the restroom. There she sat for a while.
Meanwhile, Carlos washed his face inside the men’s restroom. He doesn’t know if how many glasses he drank tonight but he admittedly that he just couldn’t stop drinking while watching his very own wife with someone else. Then he was having a flashback…
“Whoaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!”
Sam and Carlos couldn’t stop screaming and shouting at the hill top. They were still wearing their formal attire from the party. Sam couldn’t hide her joy after what she and Carlos did; they escaped together from the party without letting their parents know where they are. Thanks to Carlos; he helped her escaped and drove for 2 hours just to be here at hill top.
Away from the city; all they can see were the glittering lights at dark skies. The two sat together at the rooftop of the car. Carlos handed her with some can of beers and together they star gazing.
“Dad’s setting me up with someone…”, she suddenly revealed to Carlos. However, he wasn’t surprise at all. He always knew that uncle Mauricio only wanted the best for his daughter.
“I have no choice but to meet up with that guy…”, she ended. Sam even got more upset when she caught him laughing. “Why are you laughing?”
“Nothing-“
“Why!?!”
“Because uncle Mau started to get desperate after we both refuse that we don’t want to end up with each other. Did you remember my dad’s reaction-“
“Yeah, he was totally disappointed!”, she let out a small laugh. Both of them knew that they were still enjoying their life. However, on Sam’s part she has been looking for “Mr. Right”. Someone who’s greater than her father, Uncle Yuan and Carlos; these men are the only ones she trusts. But she’s looking for someone greater than them—someone who is perfect.
“How about I offer you a deal?”, Carlos said as he turn his attention from the stars to her. “How about this… what if we couldn’t find the person who’s right for us? What if the time comes and we still couldn’t find what we are looking for?”, he asked her.
“I know exactly what you mean. What if our parents force us to get married again? Is that what you’re trying to say?”, she answered his question with another question.
“If I had enough enjoying my bachelor life; I will marry you…”, he looked at her seriously. “That is… if you’re still single”
“If I am still single and couldn’t wait any longer for the Mr. Right… I will marry you”, she told him as if they just made a deal that night.
But that deal didn’t happened. They got married in different situation and it was 360 degrees different from what they promised to each other.
Sam flushed the toilet; pretending that she used it for long. She can hear people passing by and accidentally heard two ladies conversation about a drunk man outside the building.
“Urghhh…. I can’t believe he’s here! I thought he migrated years ago in the States!!!”
“Good thing you slapped him. Carlos deserved it!”, the other woman replied. Carlos? Did Sam just heard them right?
Sam didn’t want to continue listening to their conversation. Something tells her that the person they were describing was her bestfriend—No! Her husband—No! Her soon-to-be-ex-husband and long-time-ex-bestfriend. She broke the ties of their friendship when Sam realized that Carlos can never be faithful to her. When she realized that Sam couldn’t entrusts her life with him.
She opens the door of the cubicle and the two ladies were both surprised to who just got out. “Where is he?”, she asked them.
“Who?”, the other lady frown as she stopped applying lipstick and looked at her.
“The guy you’re talking about…”
“Carlos?”, the other woman sounded so pissed while mentioning his name. “Why? Are you one his women?”
“Where is he?”, she repeated her question but there was a threat in her voice.
“I don’t know if he’s still outside of the building but-“, Sam didn’t let her finish what to say. She got out of the restroom and look out for him.
Sam heard them that he’s outside of the building and so she assumed that Carlos was at the parking lot. She looked around and there were people from the party are going home. Then she heard someone calling ‘Carlos’. Panting his name over and over; Sam look around and two cars away, she finally found the voice where it came from.
She just witnessed a couple kissing each other. They couldn’t just get enough with each other and the woman seems like a talker. She continually commanded this man to kiss her over and over. The woman called over and over his name ‘Carlos’.
“Wa-wait… someone’s watching”, the woman stopped him. “Is that one of your women again?”, she asked him and the guy turn his head to face Sam’s direction. Yup, it’s not the ‘Carlos’ he’s been looking for.
“Who are you?”, the man asked her.
Sam ignored him and decided to leave. She run back and stopped as she was standing outside the building. Why she was even looking for him? She’s not supposed to care about him anymore. Sam also doesn’t have plans coming over this weekend to meet up with her father and Uncle Yuan because that’s the time she has to see Carlos after so many years.
Just as when she was about to go back inside the party; Samantha didn’t mean to bumped onto someone and as she stood up and faced the man she encountered. She didn’t expect to see ‘him’ for real. She and Carlos bumped onto each other unexpectedly.
Both just couldn’t take their eyes off with each other. And for some reason, they were having a flashback of their past… the last time they were together.
Her heart starts to beat so fast and seeing him again; her whole system don’t know how to react but something inside her longing for this man. Carlos approaching her slowly and never took off his eyes of her.
Carlos… she wanted to call his name. All these years, she didn’t bother to open her email or even take a look to the pictures that Uncle Yuan was trying to share. Pictures of him; she had no interest to see anymore—but why now? Why does it feel like the missing part of her has always been him?
She watches him coming closer to her; it was written all over his face how he misses her. There were sadness in his eyes but that was so hard to believe in her part. She pitied him for a moment.
“Sam…”, he finally called her name. It’s been years since the last time he called her name. He wanted to tell her how much he misses her, but it felt like something that stuck in his throat. He was stunned by how Sam changed physically.
“Sam!”, another familiar voice calls out her name. Jeric found her “…there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. I thought you were in the restroom”, he said as he walked towards Sam.
“Ye-yeah…”, she switched alternately her attention from Carlos to Jeric; and from him to Carlos. “Sorry…”
“It’s okay…”, Jeric noticed who was the man that Sam was talking to. “Mr. Ancheta… you know Miss Monterverde?”
“We’ve known each other for so long, Mr. Galvez”, he answered him while looking at her.
“How do you find the party? Where’s Elaine? I was expecting you two to be present in my party”, mockingly smile at him. Jeric maybe thought Carlos will steal his girl. If he only knew; however, he doesn’t have to include Elaine in this. Or Carlos just doesn’t want Sam to find out if who was Elaine in his life.
“She couldn’t come. She just couldn’t leave her work”, he simply told him.
Sam faced Jeric with her curiosity “Elaine’s Mr. Ancheta’s fiancé… I thought she would be here”, he told her. And she turned her attention back to Carlos; there as if she needed a long explanation from him. There’s only coldness in her eyes—no hope of forgiveness or whatever instances between them.
“Hey, Mr. Ancheta…-“
“Call me Carlos…”
“Okay, Carlos. I’m Jeric; may I ask if when will Elaine arrive?”, Jeric asked him again while he wrapped his arms around her waist. That even made Sam surprised and Carlos saw how uncomfortable she was.
Sam didn’t want him to notice and though she doesn’t like men touching her like this; she didn’t let Carlos noticed. She almost lost her composure and because there’s a sudden burst inside of her. Madness she can only define right now.
“She promise to come over here by the end of the month”, he said.
“Well, good then… tell her to call me. I got a good offer to her with my winery”, he look at her “Do you wanna go home?”
“Yeah, I don’t feel like staying here anymore…”, she told him. She took a last look on Carlos.
The two leaves as soon as possible as they said their goodbyes to Carlos. He watches them go and how he wishes that Sam would turn around and look at him once again. There are so many things he wanted to ask; so many things he wanted to tell her.
He goddamn followed them. Carlos had no choice; he wanted to talk to her. It felt like he had to explain to her about him and Elaine. He then found that she’s still living in the same building and to his hand, Carlos was holding a key to her pad.
The moment Jeric stopped his car in front of the condominium; Carlos got out of the taxi and there he waited. He watched them at afar talking and when Jeric finally said his goodbye as he went back to his car. Carlos waited for the car to go and soon followed Sam who just got inside of the building.
Carlos rapidly approaching the elevator; Sam was surprised as she saw Carlos approaching her direction. She wanted the elevator door to close right away and so she pressed the button. But he successfully access to the open the door and stopped her from pressing the button.
He reclined her against the wall, while the elevator start lifting them to the floor where she lives.
“What are you doing here!?!”
“Sam, we need to talk…”
“About what!?! Get off me… let me go!”, Carlos pushed her against the wall and locked her wrists by his hands.