The Morning After

She was jolted out of her sleep. She could feel her eyes burning from under her still closed lids. Then she smelled it. "That's not my perfume." And her eyes fluttered open.

She felt a blinding pain as the light from the window reached her eyes and hurriedly peeked at the watch on her wrist. No watch there. Then she thought, "Ohhhh, this is NOT my bed. Not mine."

Slowly she sat with her eyes still half closed.

With her left hand supporting her weight, right hand was free to reach onto her sides, trying to grab for something familiar. No watch on this side. And started to move her left hand.

"Brrrrrriiiiiiiiinggggg...."

"Is that mine," she whispered to herself. Her eyes flutterred open as she started to scavenge for her cellphone. "Is that even mine?" She thought, not knowing what her own phone alarm would sound like since she rarely uses it.

Pants.

Black panty.

Black bra.

Board shorts.

Watch.

"Brrrrrriiiiiiiiinggggg...."

"Board shorts?" She asked herself quietly. She can now remember who it was now. She knows who owns that particularly white board shorts.

She hurriedly looked around the room. Empty except for her and all the other inanimate objects that are so foreign to her. Empty! As quickly as possible she went through every single item that she needs before she could flee this so sunny place.

Panty on.

Bra on.

Pants on.

Shirt on.

Bag, check! Cellphone still ringing inside bag, check! Wallet, check! Everything else? Check! Then she half dragged her feet across the room, her slingbacks still unhooked. After making sure that the corridor is clear she made a mad dash towards the door, inside the elevator and down the main gate.

"Whew! That was close"

And then she found herself standing in the middle of a busy street in front of his condo building. Men staring at her. Men. The guards, the vendors, the peons, the MMDA guy, the jeepney driver. Everyone staring, as if they know what she did.

She pulled her head up and started to walk away. Feeling his behind burning from all the stares.

Its mad enough to call some guy in the middle of night and barging in on his home while he's trying to catch some rest. It's almost unthinkable to have sex with someone you're not with and who won't commit even if you ask him to. It's insane to leave without telling him. And it's normal to want to do it all over again.

She stepped in the cab she just hailed. She's heading home but would soon come back.