An Interview With a Playboy

“Tomorrow, the interview will be officially done. And so were my obligation to accompany you during my free time. But aren’t you… going home yet?” Jennafei hesitatingly asked from Dex on their way from school to her house.

That was the 6th day they were together and because of two consecutive days that Dex gave her favor to answer more that one question, it did no longer take ten days to take the interview. After getting the last information that she needed from Dex, by tomorrow, she can already start writing the article about him. She was not forgetting her and Leila’s agreement that she will be taking her place the moment Leila left the publication office, next semester. Her dream to become the next editor in chief was close to coming true but she was not totally happy. Because after her interview with him and after he left her house, they will no longer be together.

It was silly and she knew it but she felt like she wanted to stay with him a little longer or more. Jennafei was puzzled about her feelings. Over that feeling that suddenly blossomed from her heart about him. She did not have to think hard to find out what that was. She knew she was already falling for his charm. Like all those women who became his “flavor of the week.” But she knew that she should not feel that way and it’s a big mistake what almost happened last night at the dim picnic site. It was a good thing that the kiss did not persist to happen because she did not know what will happen after that ever happened.

Jennafei was not capable of playing games. She knew very well just what Dex wanted from her. Perhaps, he may not be a bad person but it can’t be denied what a playboy the guy was and she won’t let herself be included to the number of girls he collected.

Dex glanced at her for a second then turned back at the road. The car has already entered the subdivision where her house is located in. They are still far ahead since it’s at the farthest part of subdivision.

“Are you throwing me out now? Do you already want me to go back home?” She did not know if it’s just her imagination or she heard from his tone of voice like he was sulking.

“It’s not like that!” She answered hurriedly. If only he knew what she really feels inside. But it won’t be good for the both of them to stay together. He had to be out of her life before she gets used to his presence always by her side… before her feelings towards the guy went somewhere. “I just thought that you have to leave now since your parents are already home.”

She was not sure if his parents are currently inside the country. She just wanted to catch him (by his own mouth). She had a strong hunch that it was his father who called him when they were at the picnic site last night.

“It’s just Papa who went home,” Dex gave an information.

“Well then, it’s time to get bonded with your father.”

She heard him snort. “He went home not to be with me, but to take care of his business. After that, he’ll fly to the States again. That’s also what Mama does. She has fashion businesses in Paris and in London. They just go home to check their businesses here.”

Dex’s car suddenly stopped. He tried to switch it a couple of times to no avail. “s.h.i.t. ‘Must be the fuel pump again. I should’ve driven my other car.”

Jennafei’s attention wasn’t on that matter but on what Dex have said. It’s now totally clear to her. Dex was not happy with his life. Even when he’s wealthy and he gets everything he wants. He wanted something that money could never buy. A happy family.

Is that why Dex wants it at her home?

He shook his head and looked outside. She just noticed that it was raining. They were already in front of the clubhouse. There is n.o.body around in this dark area. They don’t have any umbrella so they can’t just walk on their way home. Jennafei took her phone from her bag to call home but the battery was drained.

“Lend me your phone, I will call home.”

“You don’t need to do that.” Dex opened the door and went out without putting any on his head. He went around at her side and opened the door. “Let’s go.”

“We’ll go out in the rain?” Jennafei felt an excitement deep inside.

“It’s no big deal. Or do you easily get sick?”

When she shook her head, Dex pulled her from the car then locked the door. Jennafei left her bag inside the car. She did not look how he used the key-less lock without getting it wet. She just heard it’s sound. Dex put his jacket on her. Then he held her hand and pulled her to the street.

Jennafei glanced at her hand Dex was tightly holding. She wanted to slap herself because she can’t stop her heart from flattering with the touch of their skins and the scene that was happening.

She had dreamed of walking in the rain, holding hands with the one she loved. She looked at him dreamily as they walked. Maybe it was madness but right at the moment, she was wishing he would kiss her under the rain.

He abruptly looked at her and she felt her face heat up.

What am I thinking?

He suddenly stopped walking and faced her. He smiled and stared at her intently.

“W-why?” Jennafei asked.

“So it felt this good to be under the rain at night.”

“Is it your first time to bathe in the rain?”

“No. But it was my first time to be with a girl in the middle of the rain.”

“So?”

“I want to make the most out of it.”
“Like how?”

Dex held her other hand. She was alarmed at the growing excitement inside her chest. He brought her hands to his lips. He kissed her knuckles while looking at her eyes. She stared for how long. There was something in his eyes she could not define. She gasped when he suddenly pulled her in and wrapped her in his arms.

“Dex…” Should she protest from his boldness inspite her willingness? The feeling that his embrace awoke in her being was indescribable. It was as if she had been hugged for the first time in her life. It was as if she wanted to stay in his arms forever.

“Jenna…” he whispered in her ear.

He just called her “Jenna”? Did that mean that he’s accepting her as the simple Jenna and not Fei who was his type of girl?

He slightly moved her his arms after hugging her for a long time. Her heart jumped even faster when their eyes met again. “Jenna…” And again she saw the same look he had last night under the stars. He wanted to kiss her!

She confirmed her hunch when his eyes landed on her lips. He looked at her lips the way he did last night. His hand lifted to her face to tenderly pushed the wet tendrils of her hair aside and caressed her cheek. She swallowed. She quivered at the intimacy of his touch. She felt his one hand go to her nape. Soon enough, she closed her eyes as his lips went down to reach hers.

At the first touch of his lips to hers, she felt as if her heart leaped out of her chest. She can’t believe the wondrous effect with the touching of their lips. He nipped her lips so softly yet pa.s.sionately. In a few seconds, his way of kissing altered. It’s a kind of kiss she had never experienced before. Aggressive. Pa.s.sionate. She felt like there were hot water pouring down her skin. She imitated his way of kissing. She heard him groan. He embraced her even tighter. She did not notice that her hands were already on his shoulders. She no longer cared about the surroundings. All she knew was that she likes the way he kissed her and she wanted him to kiss her more.
 

Jennafei rolled around on her bed. It was already 1 AM but she still cannot sleep while it’s already been sometime since she locked herself in her room. Right after dinner, she asked to ascend her room to finish her a.s.signments.

She did not want to avoid Dex because of the heated kiss they shared in the middle of the rain but because she was feeling shy. She did not know how to face him after what happened. But there is one thing that she knew about.  She already loved Dex.

It’s not because she granted her crazy wish that he was not awared of, but because when he held and kissed her, she thought that she never felt as happy before. Even when she was with Melvin.

She glanced at the picture frame of hers and her ex-boyfriend. She reached it from the side table and stared. The sadness she used to feel everytime she looked at it was no longer there. It meant one thing, she was already free from their old memories. She no longer loved Melvin.

She opened the bottom drawer from her side table and kept the picture frame inside. She took a deep breath after she layed down. The memories flashed her mind of how she and Dex walked home while holding hands and no conversation between the two of them. They were only both happy and smiling. Before they entered the gate, he pulled her in once again. He stole a quick kiss on the lips and she hit him on his shoulder.

She was awaken from her memories by few light knocks from her door. Who would knock on her door at this time? When she thought that it might be Dex, it was like her intestines were rioting inside from nervousness. She was not mistaken. It was Dex that she faced on the other side of her door.

“Dex? Why?” She whispered.

He looked around first before suddenly pulled her inside his arms and kissed her on the lips. The kiss was so gentle and unbelievably sweet.

“Goodnight,” he whispered as he let go off her lips. He pinched her chin. “Let’s talk tomorrow.”

He left her dumbfounded and with a dancing heart.


The next morning, when she woke up, she was surprised to know that that Dex already left without telling her. There were no cla.s.ses that day because it’s national holiday and she slept and woke up late.

“Did he say why?” she asked Jonas who gave her her bag. She learned that Dex went back to where they left his car last night to get their stuff.

“His mom went home so he also went home. He already brought his luggage. His driver fetched him. It seems that he won’t be back to live here again.”

There suddenly seemed like cold ice that poured her heart. He will not be coming back?

“There, there… don’t be so sad. He said he will go back here later because you two will be going out. It’s likely that he will ask you for a date. Yihee,” her brother started to tease her. “Kuya Dex looked so happy yesterday. Then while eating, he kept on staring at you while his eyes were shining. You are already together, aren’t you? Don’t tell me you nodded yes in the middle of the rain?”

She castigated Jonas to shoo him away. She can’t help smiling from what she heard from her brother.

In the afternoon, Dex was still not there yet. She was bothered and worried about him. So when she heard the sound of engine outside their house, she readily went out. It was to her disappointment and surprise when she saw that it was Melvin that went out from the taxi.

“W-what are you doing here?”

Melvin sadly smiled at her. “Jenna, can we talk?”

“Let’s go inside,” she said after a while.

“Let’s talk somewhere else. Even at the park.”

“Alright, I will just let them know.”

(T/N: I find this bizarre, I almost never do this. Letting my family know everytime I go out. There are those kind of family and upbringing I guess. Or maybe one of the reason is because this novel is set in 2007. It’s a time here in the country where not everybody has a cellphone (the parents and kids?), wherein you can just text or call them where you are at. These days, even  primary school students have their own cellphone or tablets. >.<>

She told her brother that she will just go at the park inside the subdivision. She brought her cell phone and instructed to text her right away once he arrived so she can go home right away. She did not tell him that she will go with Melvin because she thought that it was not necessary.

“Jenna, I already went out of the seminary,” her ex boyfriend said once they were seated on a bench at the park.

She was stunned. She cannot count how many times she prayed from G.o.d to just give Melvin to her, for him to go out from the seminary. But when her prayers were already granted, she did not feel any happiness. Maybe it’s because she felt that she was being selfish to ask that kind of thing from G.o.d or maybe because she is already in love with someone else.

“W-why did you do that?”

It was long before Melvin answered. She was surprised when he held her hand. “Because while I was inside, I realized what I really wan to happen to my life. That I was just pressured by my family. Although I love G.o.d but I can’t be a priest because I’m still in love with you.”

Jennafei was in wonder from what she heard. “Melvin…”

She did not expect what he did next. He kissed her on the lips and hugged her. She was stunned that she was unable to move. “G.o.d, I miss you, Jenna. I’m sorry for leaving you, baby. I know that I hurt you but I will make it up to you. Please accept me again.” Melvin’s voice sobbed. “I won’t leave you again, I will not hurt you anymore.” When she heard him cry, it’s like something caressed her heart. Their memories together for a year went back to her. She caressed his back to calm his cries.

Jennafei was gawking is s.p.a.ce while seating in place of Mrs. Nambio. The latter went to the comfort room so she replaced the librarian temporarily. n.o.body came to borrow and return books so no one disturbed her own s.p.a.ce.

What happened at the park the other day was still fresh in her mind. She was moved by Melvin’s tears. She was affected of what he did for her. She had loved him for a year and a few months. They had been best friends and lovers at the same time. When they talked and she was hugged by him, she felt that he was still important to her. But it’s in another way and no longer like before. She no longer loved him as a man, but only as good friends.

She knew who she really loved. That was Dex.

It’s Dex that since the night he kissed her, whom she had not seen till this hour. He did not do what he had told Jonas. He did go at their house yesterday. They never had the chance to exchange phone numbers that’s why she didn’t know how to contact him to check if he was alright. She planned to go yesterday to his house but was shied away because his parents were there and she also didn’t know what she should say to him. Not like they had a formal conversation since what happened under the rain.

The interview was yet to be finished. There is still one question left but that is not she was worried about. She wanted to see him. She wanted to know if he was okay.

“Jenna, alright, you can now go home.” Mrs. Nambio said when she went back.

She was still out as she walked in the corridor. Jennafei can’t stay still. She decided to look for Dex to ease her worries. She tried the basketball gym but he was not there. She also went his locker was at but still not there. She suddenly thought of that place he first brought her at. The place where students were not allowed inside.

She slowly went to that place. It was to her astonishment when she saw Dex kissing a girl while sitting on the bench. No one noticed her as they were both busy with each other. Jennafei decided to just leave that place because she knew that she did not have a right to scold him about what he’s doing because they don’t have a relationship. He did not promise her anything. She was the stupid one who a.s.sumed that there was meaning of those moments they were together. She was the dummy who hoped he also had feelings towards her after what happened in that moment under the rain. She was out of her head trying to figure out about Dex’s whereabouts while there he was so alright and having fum.

She rushed into the comfort room. There, she cried her heart out. She finally learned the reason he schemed to tie her to him during the time she was taking the interview. Also the reason he lived at her home. Dex was only challenged to get her. He can’t accept that he did not succeed to kiss her the first time so he made her fall in love with him to get what he wanted from her and raise his ego.

Dex was not used not getting what he wanted so will do everything to get it. According to him, there was nothing that he wanted and he did not achieve. And now that finally took what he wanted from her, he no longer cared about her and it will now be another girl who he will be showering his attention.

She just realized that it’s already more than a week since they were first together. So she was just a “flavor of the week” all along.