“Isabel,” Larry said. “Are you all right?”
Her sobbing had stopped, and most of her tears had dried up, but she didn’t trust her own voice, so she said nothing.
“Isabel, It’s Mariella.”
Isabel tensed at the sound of her cousin’s voice.
“Why are you acting so crazy? Come out now,” Mariella said.
This probably wasn’t the kind of help Larry wanted. Isabel heard Larry whisper something to Mariella, but she couldn’t make out the words.
“Isabel,” Mariella said a moment later. “It’s okay. We’re your friends, di ba? Come out and talk to us.”
“I’m sorry,” Larry said. “I didn’t mean to do anything to hurt you. Please come out.”
Slowly Isabel stood up. Her hand rested on the doorknob for nearly a minute before she finally turned it. The pained look on Larry’s face was enough for her to know he truly had meant her no harm. He seemed to hang there, a few feet beyond the doorway, unsure of what he should do.
Mariella, on the other hand, stepped forward immediately and put an arm around Isabel’s shoulders, guiding her out of the bathroom.
“Are you okay now?” Mariella said. “Everything all right?”
Isabel sniffed a couple of times, and nodded.
When she reached Larry, she stopped. He tentatively put a hand out and moved a strand of hair that had fallen across her face.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Tears welled anew in her eyes, but this time she reached out and pulled herself into his chest. Larry led her to the bed, where they sat on the edge. He stroked her hair and kissed her on the forehead. At some point, Mariella handed her a glass of water and a pill.
“Take it,” Mariella said. “It will help you relax.”
Isabel wanted to protest, but the look in Mariella’s eyes told her she’d better just do as her cousin ordered. It didn’t take long before she was feeling sleepy. The last thing she remembered was Mariella looking down at her, smiling peacefully. But it wasn’t the smile that made the biggest impression. It was her cousin’s eyes, filled with hatred and jealousy.
What happened next wasn’t surprising. Ever-loyal Larry told Isabel everything the next morning. At first, it was as if her whole nightmare was coming true. Isabel cried again, but this time, Larry didn’t leave her side until she listened to everything he said, and understood that he would never let anything come between them.
What he told her was this: After Isabel fell asleep, Mariella had said her cousin wouldn’t wake until the morning. He thanked her for her help, and told her she didn’t have to hang around. But she insisted on staying a little longer to make sure Isabel was okay.
They watched TV for a while, Larry sitting on the bed next to Isabel, Mariella using one of the chairs by the window.
“Do you mind if I get something to drink?” Mariella asked.
“Help yourself,” Larry said.
From the small refrigerator she removed a couple of beers and opened them.
“Here,” she said, handing one to Larry.
“No, thanks,” he said, putting a hand up. “I’m okay.”
“But it’s already opened,” she said.
Larry smiled halfheartedly and took the bottle.
Before he knew it, they’d finished off all the beer in the refrigerator.
“You want to play some pool?” Mariella said.
“I should stay.”
Mariella glanced at Isabel. “She won’t even know we’re gone.”
He didn’t relent right away, but when she continued to entice him, he finally did. He thought they would go to the tables right there in the hotel, but instead Mariella said she wanted to play someplace else.
The neon lights of Fields were shining brightly, illuminating the constant flow of traffic. The street was jammed with trikes and jeepneys, while on the sidewalk door girls stood in front of bars talking to any guy that passed by. There were people everywhere-couples, individuals, groups-all smiling, laughing, having a good time. Music seemed to be coming from all directions, competing songs blaring out of speakers mounted above the door of each bar, melding together into a strange rhythm all its own.
Mariella led Larry past The Pit Stop and down to The Rack. To him, everyone in the place seemed to know Mariella. The mamasan bought them both a drink and told them to have fun.
There were two pool tables in the back beyond the large, square stage that sat in the middle of the room. While the place was doing a pretty good business, only one of the tables was occupied. Mariella racked the balls on the empty table.
“You can break,” Larry said when she offered the honor to him.
He lost track of how many games they played, but he was pretty sure Mariella won most of them. While they were playing, Mariella would touch him on the shoulder or the arm. Each time Larry would step away, chalking up his cue or pretending to check out his next shot. Once she brushed passed him, her breast running lightly across his back as she made her way to the other end of the table. It could have been explained away by the tight space between the table and the wall. Then again…
“I think it’s time I head back,” he said, wrapping up the last game.
“What? It is still early,” Mariella said. “Isabel won’t wake up until morning. And you are on vacation. She would want you to be having fun.”
“Thanks for the pool.” He handed her some pesos, then headed for the door.
He’d barely stepped outside when he felt Mariella’s hand on his back.
“I can’t let you walk back on your own,” she said, smiling. “You don’t mind, do you?”
As much as he wanted to say otherwise, he said, “No.” She was Isabel’s cousin, and, as Isabel pointed out several times, the only family she had in town.
As they walked, Mariella talked almost nonstop about things he didn’t care about and barely listened to. She didn’t stop until they were climbing the stairs of the hotel to his floor.
At his door, he removed the key from his pocket, but didn’t put it in the lock right away.
“Thanks again for your help,” he said. “Goodnight.”
“You’re sure you don’t need my help?”
“You’re the one who said she’s not going to wake up until morning,” he said.
She pouted. “Are you sure?”
Larry nodded. “We’ll be fine.”
“All right,” she said.
She opened her arms, so Larry leaned forward to give her a quick hug. When she turned her head to kiss him, Larry thought it was going to be her normal peck on the cheek. Instead, her lips found his. Immediately, he pushed her away.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked.
She took a step back toward him. “Giving you what you want.”
“I don’t want this!”
“Come on,” she said, reaching out and putting a hand on his arm. “Isabel will never know.”
He pushed her hand away. “No.”
“We can do it in the shower. You’ll love it. I make better love than Isabel ever will. You’ll see. I’ll show you.”
Larry stepped backward until he felt the door behind him. “Get away from me. I don’t want you.”
“Everyone wants me.”
“Not me.”
She stared at Larry, then the grin on her face grew. “That’s okay. I’ll tell Isabel we did it anyway. Maybe I’ll tell her you tried to rape me while she was sleeping.” She paused. “But if you really want to do it, I won’t tell her anything.”
“Go ahead,” Larry said. He took a step toward her, angrier than he’d ever been. “Tell her whatever you want, but don’t think I’m not going to tell her everything you’ve just said first.”
There was a flicker of doubt in Mariella’s eyes, then she laughed. “Larry, I was just kidding, di ba? Just a joke. Isabel is my cousin. I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“Get out of here,” Larry said.
“It’s okay. You’re just upset. It was only a joke.”
Larry took another step toward her, so she backed away.
“Okay, I’m leaving. You’ll feel better in the morning. You’ll see I was just joking. Maybe we can have lunch.”