"WHAT are your plans now?" her Aunt Sonia asked her.
Tessa poured wine into her glass with a smile and then sipped it. "Joaquin," was her short answer, then gave her aunt a meaningful look.
"Aren't you finished with that man?"
She shrugged and stood up. Then she approached the window and opened its curtain. That's when Tessa was greeted by her aunt's beautiful garden.
"I love your garden, Aunt Sonia," she couldn't stop saying. While she has no plans to change the topic. Because if there's one thing she likes to talk about the most, it's none other than Joaquin.
"Thank you, sweetheart," was her kind response to what she said.
That's when Tessa looked at her aunt and then returned to where she was sitting earlier. "I want to see Joaquin, Aunt Sonia," she finally managed to answer her question earlier.
“Is that still necessary? You are a very beautiful young woman. You can meet more than that man if you just give yourself a chance," she advised her.
After hearing what her aunt said, that's when Tessa smiled bitterly. Then quickly returned to her memory of how she and Joaquin met.
*****
ONE YEAR AGO
Tessa frowned, took a breath, then turned off her phone after the conversation between her and her father. He forces her to return to America to take care of their business there.
She grew up there in the United States. She is now in the Philippines on vacation. But on many occasions, she had to admit that she liked it better now. She wants to be with her Aunt Sonia who does not complain about everything she wants. But she has to admit that her ex-boyfriend is the reason why she doesn't want to return to her father yet.
Jordan Smith is an American soldier. He loves her very much and she loves him too. Because she often gets what she wants from him. Her mother Sylvia died after giving birth to her. Since then, her father never remarried and instead focused all his attention and love on her.
Just like what she said, Jordan became comfortable with her. Because he is often away, only her nanny was with her in their huge house.
When her dad retired that's when he started a business.
A convenience store in their village that made good money. She was already a graduate of the Business course, so her father made her manage it.
In its first year, she was able to run their business well. The reason why they were able to expand and add some manpower.
When it comes to dating, Jordan is not strict with her either. The only thing is, he wants to meet the men she's in a relationship with. Nor was her standard high in choosing a man for her because as for her father, she will be the one who will live with whoever guy she picks, not him.
But in an unexpected situation, she fell in love with a married man.
When Tessa thought about that she smiled bitterly and then picked up her glass of wine and brought it to her lips.
"Damn you, Arthur," she whispered angrily as she picked up his glass again and finish its contents this time.
She then signaled to the bartender to refill her glass after which he quickly complied.
She loves Arthur very much. He was a Sales Agent that she met at their convenience as one of the customers.
She fell in love with him easily. The reason why she was full of resentment when she found out from him that he was married.
She believes that Arthur loves her too. It's just that they can't be together because he’s already had a family and has three children. So, to forget him, she decided to go home to the Philippines. Something that her father agreed to.
She told Jordan that it will be a one-month vacation. After that, she will return to America. But now, in her heart, it seems that something is preventing her from doing that.
Tessa was interrupted with her thought when she felt a man sitting on the stool next to her. Unknowingly, she turned and looked at him. Just to stop to see how handsome he is.
When the man probably felt her gaze, he turned to her and smiled.
"Hello," she said to greet him first. "Tessa," she said, giving the man her hand.
Tessa saw Joaquin's open gaze on her. The flame of desire was in his eyes, and she liked it.
Ever since she and Arthur broke up, she was still in America when she started doing nothing but entertain herself with men who show her motives. Often and many of those, are one-night stands. And all that was secretly hidden from her father's knowledge.
She has to admit to herself that she also feels guilty every time she flirts with different men. But if she doesn't do that, she will find herself thinking about Arthur again, and she will end up feeling sad again. And she didn't want to go back to that. She didn’t want to be like that anymore.
"Joaquin," answered the man who accepted her hand and then kissed it.
While Joaquin was doing that, he didn't take his eyes off her. Then he suddenly gave her a simple wink she knew what that meant.
Tessa smiled then seductively bit her lower lip. That's when she saw that Joaquin was going to pick up his glass.
Tessa's teasing smile still hadn't left her lips when she picked it up and brought it to her mouth. She wants to give Joaquin the signal that she likes him too. And she needed something like him to warm her cold nights.
"Hey," she heard the man say with amusement.
"I know somewhere private," she said without hesitation in a tone that she knew he couldn't refuse.
She knew Joaquin was the type of man like she what is. Used to these things. Used to flirting with women and used to short-term pleasure. Used to one-night stands.
"So, I guess I passed your standard?" that was his meaningful question to her.
Tessa shrugged her shoulders at that question. "That depends on your performances, later," she replied.
Joaquin didn't answer and instead picked up her glass and finished its contents. Then grabbed the wallet from the back pocket of his pants and left money on the counter.
"Let's go?" he told her afterward.