Part I
Noli was visibly disturbed as he sat on the dinner table. Lara was attentively serving him his favorite pork adobo over steaming hot rice. She was a young woman of elegant simplicity and for Noli, her enticing beauty was always a sight to behold. Lara was the best reason to come home to at the end of a stressful day.

“Hey, hon, what seems to be bothering you? You are unusually quiet. You hardly even touched your food.” Lara was already seated this time beside Noli. She beamed with a radiant smile and said “ Hon, I made your favorite dessert – Oreo cheesecake!”

“I’ll have some, but maybe later Lara,” speaking in an almost inaudible voice.
Reluctantly, Noli uttered “By the way, my boss is … uhm…. he’s sending me to New York for training.” Noli wasn’t thrilled with the idea of leaving Lara and his daughter behind. He dreaded the thought, to say the least, because this was going to be the first time he will be away from his family. Add to that the fact that his training was going to fall right in the middle of a dead cold winter in the U.S.
“Wow, that’s great! I knew it was just a matter of time before your boss recommended you for training!” Lara jumped out of her seat and hugged Noli tightly while parting a tender kiss. “I love you honey. I’m so proud of you!”

“I do not want to accept the training offer because I will have to be out for almost two months.”
“What? Don’t worry about it. Two months is just a short time.” Lara smilingly pretended that Noli’s leaving was going to be no big deal. She knew she would have her hands full between home and school chores, but she felt terribly anxious at the thought of not having her man around. She was the type of wife who forever leaned on her husband. Noli wanted that kind of co-dependence. At the back of her mind she really thought “This will be the longest two months of my life!” But then again, she knew that Noli wanted to take up the offer.

“Tell me, honestly, isn’t this what you have long been looking forward to?”

“Yeah, but I can’t afford to leave you and Ella. I’m sure I will be terribly homesick. Maybe I should just pass up on this one and wait for another chance when I can bring you and Ella with me.”
“Don’t think of next time because this is what is being given to you now. Go for it. Ella and I can manage,” she said with a beaming smile. Lara didn’t want to give Noli the chance to argue any further. She quickly dismissed the issue and blurted out “Let me get you that slice of my yummy cheesecake!!”
There was a slight feeling of relief on Noli’s part as Lara appeared convincingly supportive of his going abroad. He assured himself that he will be home sooner than he thought and that he can survive the chilly nights in New York without Lara by his side. It was Lara who kept him warm and breathless.
The smell of brewed coffee perked up the morning and Noli knew that he needed a major caffeine boost to help him through the day. His boss was expecting him to confirm his decision first thing in the morning. He sat quietly for a moment, and took a sip of his coffee while staring at Lara intently across the table.

Part II

“Lara,..” he said, attempting to open up the previous night’s discussion.
“Shhh. No more. New York is waiting for you.” Lara stood up, quickly sat on Noli’s lap and gave him the sweetest kiss of the day. “I love you, hon.”

Lara sometimes drove Noli crazy. How in the world can he leave behind such a woman of great substance and passion? Of course he loved Ella dearly but she was much too young to even care about her father being away. A Barbie doll would just do the trick for her. It was Lara whom he was truly concerned about, as the door of his boss’ office stared at him, waiting to be knocked at.
After the usual pleasantries, Noli committed himself to the two-month training and started the paperwork to get his trip going. It was sort of a rush thing and Noli had to leave sooner than he wanted. A month seemed just like yesterday and he unhappily received a small packet from the courier service containing his machine readable passport and U.S. visa.

“Lucky for you. That’s a ten-year multiple entry visa which is very hard to come by. You can go back and forth to the U.S. anytime. But you don’t seem excited at all,” Lara said.
She thought that she would probably be jumping up and down for joy if she got the same privilege. After all, she has only taken domestic travels all her life. Ella came too soon even before they could save up for any short trip abroad.

“Yes, lucky for me but only because Rupert agreed to look after you and Ella while I am away. It’s hard to just leave you and Ella by yourselves because Mama and Papa are too far in Cebu to be of any help. Rupert promised me that he will call and visit you from time. It’s almost like having my brother around to be your handyman, security guard, driver etc. etc.”
“That’s not necessary, but it was really nice of your best friend to have agreed to be bothered by us for the next two months.“

“Don’t worry about it. He owes me a favor. It’s payback time,” Noli grinned.
There was absolutely no reason for him not to trust Rupert with his family. They go back a long way since their childhood days in Cebu. Although a few years younger than Noli and still at his senior year in college, Rupert had a lot in common with his best friend. Lara was everything in Noli’s eyes and Lara was starting to catch Rupert’s eyes.

Part III

Rupert was laboring over the pages of his unfinished thesis when he suddenly thought aloud “Why the hell did I just quickly said yes to Noli? This is the worst time to be distracted with other things because I am right in the middle of my thesis research. Man, I just couldn’t say no to Noli.”
Thoughts can be playful and deceiving. There were memories to be revisited from the past. Rupert met Lara as soon as Noli started courting her. Theirs was a whirlwind romance and they were head over heels in love with each other. Lara was an extremely simple yet attractive woman. Everybody thought that Noli was the luckiest man to have received Lara’s total surrender of heart, mind and body. She too caught Rupert’s fancy at that time but the law of attraction, although compelling, was something that Rupert had to resist then. Anyway, there were a lot of other women who were scrambling to get the attention of a good-looking guy like him. Rupert thought that he himself was a prized catch too.

He felt quite uncomfortable as he drove Noli off to the airport with Lara and Ella. Ella cried profusely which broke Noli’s heart but he was more broken at the sight of Lara holding back her tears.
“Rupert, thanks for everything. I’ll see you in two months. I owe you a lot, bro.”
“No problem, bro. What are friends for? Don’t worry, I promise to take good care of them. Bring home the bacon! I’m sure you can outsmart those guys!”

“Thanks again.” Noli hugged Ella a second time and kissed Lara on the lips for as long as his breath could hold. It was a touching moment for their family but oddly for Rupert, he felt strangely uncomfortable again. This time, there was something so irresistible about Lara’s aura of sadness. She was a sight of beauty and tempting vulnerability.

Rupert brushed aside his thoughts, and scolded himself “Stop it Rupert. You have a girlfriend. This is just another one of your forbidden fantasies. This too, will pass. Get real, man.”

He tried to behave as gentlemanly as he could and brought Lara and Ella home. They parted with the usual thank you and goodbye and he politely told Lara “Do not hesitate to call me anytime for anything. And I mean anything, ok?” Lara acknowledged Rupert with a smile. Yes, that radiant smile that always swept Noli off his feet.

He drove off to join his college buddies for a “one for the road” session. It was pretty much a routine life for him. Rupert was in school for the most part of the day except that he felt compelled to drop by Noli’s house everyday to check up on Lara and her daughter. Their place was actually a bit out of his way home but he nonetheless obliged.

The phone rang and Lara was not surprised to hear Rupert at the other end of the line. He did sound quite broken and Lara felt something was bothering him this time.

“Hi Lara. What’s up? I just thought I should tell you that our friends are going out tomorrow and if Noli were here, I’m sure he would have joined us. It would be great if you can come as his proxy but I guess it’s not possible because there’s no one to leave Lara at home with.”

Lara occasionally joined Noli and his friends whenever she could have Ella sleep over at her sister’s house. Rupert’s invitation was providential because her sister in fact just asked if Ella could sleep over the next day. Lara felt a rush of contained excitement because she had not broken out of her daily routine since Noli left three weeks ago. She quickly replied with a hint of joyful anticipation.

Part IV

“You know what, my sister is picking up Ella tomorrow to sleep over at their house with her cousins. I’d like to go but I will ask Noli’s permission first. We will have our daily chat a bit later and I will just tell him that the group is going out tomorrow. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
“Maybe you can text me once Noli has agreed. I can pick you up tomorrow. Thanks, really Lara. Appreciate it.”

“Hey, Rupert. I don’t mean to intrude but you sound as if something is bothering you. I guess it’s woman’s intuition. Anything I can help you with?”

Rupert was stunned at Lara’s sensitivity. She was definitely a feeling person, unlike the other pretty girls he used to date who had nothing to show off beyond their looks.

“Roxanne broke up with me. It was like she slapped me real hard on the face. She led me to believe that we had something real going on for us.”

“Oh Rupert, I don’t know what to say. But I am just here if you need a friend. I’ll text you later about Noli’s approval. You take care, ok?”

“Thank you….thank you Lara. Bye.”

Lara dutifully detailed her day’s trivialities to Noli as they went about with their daily chat. It was their way of keeping in touch. Lara didn’t skip a note when she told Noli what had happened to Rupert and Roxanne. Noli couldn’t be even more supportive of his friend because he knew that although Rupert’s reputation with women precedes him, he was definitely a one-woman man. He loves hard and falls equally as hard. Noli readily agreed to have Lara join the group because he knew that she will be in good company.

As Rupert sat inside his car waiting, the early evening sky was dimly lit and the crescent moon was hiding behind the clouds, warning of an imminent downpour. He decided it would be more appropriate for him to wait for Lara right at her doorstep with an umbrella in tow just in case it suddenly rained.
Rupert was about to ring the bell when the door opened. There was Lara, standing if front of him with her long hair and her radiant smile. That radiant smile. She looked stunning even in her jeans and her black top which was discreetly showing her cleavage. She didn’t need to make any effort to attract attention. Rupert remembered that scene at the airport. She was again a sight of beauty and tempting vulnerability.

They all sat on a table overlooking the ridge and helped themselves to as much San Mig lights as they could handle. It was a thoroughly wholesome evening because there was just the company of real friends, good food and crazy karaoke singing. They felt bad about Rupert and Roxanne parting ways but not for long. Before any of the ladies could turn into Cinderella, they all split ways and headed home to where their cozy beds awaited their drunken souls. Everybody had a damn good time.
Rupert and Lara got home past midnight, just about the same time the skies rebelled with a heavy downpour. Rupert and Lara huddled under a big umbrella, with his drenched coat covering her from the cold rain. As they reached the doorstep, they stood there staring at each other. The words were waiting to be uttered but silence overcame them. At that point, both of them were reconciling a conflict in their mind – should he leave or should he stay?

Part V

“Maybe I should get us both a cup of coffee. I feel a little tipsy,” Lara mumbled.
As soon as he got into the living room, Rupert took off his drenched jacket and almost routinely, his wet shirt. It was as if he was in the privacy of his own room. Lara promptly got him one of Noli’s old shirts. Rupert knew that she was taking stolen glimpses of him as he was wearing the shirt. Lara thought differently about this man, and it was all that was on her mind.

“How’s your coffee?” asked Lara as they were seated beside each other on the couch.
“The best coffee ever. Nothing could be more perfect,” Rupert answered.

“I wish Noli were here… Damn Noli… I sadly miss him so much. I shouldn’t have allowed him to go. This will be the saddest Christmas for me… and …” Lara cried her heart out even before she could say another word. But she managed to recover her composure and blurted out “ You and I are the same. Why did they leave us? Why does it have to be so difficult?”. Lara cried harder than ever.

Rupert instinctively hugged Lara tightly as she cried over his shoulder. His shirt was almost drenched again but this time with her tears. His embrace was almost suffocating for her but she did not mind because she felt secure. They were too close for comfort but nothing could set them apart. It was just too good to take away.

There was a spark, and then there was fire. Their body and soul ignited with passion and there was no turning back. The gentle, caressing touch became an animated exchange of emotions that were waiting to be set free. Rupert and Lara were totally caught up in the moment. There was no Noli, no Roxanne, no Ella. Neither was there any fear, conscience, or guilt. It was just the two of them and the rhythm of the falling rain. Everything couldn’t be more perfect.

The next morning was unlike any other morning for Rupert and Lara. This was the beginning of a new life for both of them, a life riddled with more questions than answers. Why did it happen? Where do we go from here ? What are we to do?

Lara awkwardly managed to get up from bed and slip into something more decent. Rupert was at a loss but he knew he was happy. No, he was ecstatic from last night.

“Rupert, I had the greatest time of my life. I cannot express how good I felt but…but I think we should stop seeing each other.”

“Lara, I am sorry about what happened. I shouldn’t have taken advantage.”

“No, no Rupert. You need not be sorry. Thank you. I think you must go before Ella arrives with my sister.”

Rupert did not say a word. He quietly left as Lara wondered how she will pick up the pieces from where she left off with Noli. She was confused but she was inexplicably happy too.
The days seemed longer as they came by but Lara tried her best to get back to her normal life. She was not remised about communicating to Noli her day to day activities. She remained attentive to Ella’s needs at home and in school. She was a doting mother. She was everything that she could be, including a cheating wife who was tentatively determined to break up with the foolish lover who was Rupert.

Part VI

Lara had lost count of her transgressions since that rainy evening at home with Rupert. But she wasn’t remorseful at all. If loving a person was right, how can loving Rupert be wrong? She picked up the phone one morning and spoke to the other guy with much trepidation.
“Hey, I have a bit of bad news. Noli is coming home on Sunday. I’ve got to see you before then. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you more. God knows how much I miss you.” Rupert took a very long pause.
“Rupert?”

“Lara, we spoke about this before. Noli is my buddy, my best friend. He treats me like a brother. I hate to say this but don’t you think it’ time to…”

“No, no. I can’t. We must not stop this” Lara started to cry and Rupert could almost feel her pain. She was nearly hysterical.

“I don’t want too either, Lara. Okay, we’ll think of something. But you must understand that we need to be more discreet when Noli comes back. We don’t want him to start getting suspicious about us.”
Lara was appeased for the moment. She believed she still loved Noli with all her heart but she loved Rupert just as much. The whole time Noli was gone, it was as if she already loved Rupert for the longest time. She was ready to share her heart, body and soul with the two men she loved.

Rupert kept in touch with Lara but he frequented Noli’s house less often than he used to. It became more difficult for Rupert and Lara to carry on their clandestine affair but they faithfully subscribed to the creed “if there is a will, there is a way.” They just had to be more creative and opportunistic. Lara looked forward to those days when Noli was on an out-of-town assignment. When she knew he would come home very late from work, she would sneak out and see Rupert even for a short while. Every minute counted. No time was wasted. Home was not spared from their illicit activities because Lara always had a way of diverting Ella’s attention.

Noli and his friends, together with Rupert, saw each other from time to time like they always used to do. These were undoubtedly unnerving moments for Rupert because it was hard for him to look at Noli straight in the eye. The guilt was haunting him inside but the thrill of being with Lara was worth all the fear and anxiety.

It was Ella’s turn to celebrate her birthday again. This time, her dad was with her to blow her birthday candles. It has been twenty four months since Noli arrived from his training in New York and since then, he has been given more opportunities to work for his promition. At the same time, Lara and Rupert remained faithful in their relationship and frequently gave credit to themselves for being successful at keeping Noli clueless about it. But clueless not for long.

Rupert picked up the phone and whispered “Take it easy. Okay, I will go there. Are you sure Noli is asleep? Just in case, he wakes up, I will just say that I passed by to drop off something. You must have had more than just a few drinks.”

“Just please come over, will you? Please, please…” Lara was mumbling all over.

Rupert arrived at Lara’s house short of thirty minutes and found her lying on the couch. It was almost the same scene as that fiery rainy night. The only difference was that Noli was at home. But somehow, that didn’t seem to matter.

“My God, Lara. What is happening to you? You have been drinking too much.”

“Rupert, I missed you.” Lara was all over him even before Rupert could make a move. They found themselves again lost in the moment.

“What the hell is this all about?”

It was like all hell broke loose and Noli felt his blood pressure shoot up the roof. He wanted to hit Rupert so bad and knock him out of his senses. It was beyond his comprehension to see his wife in an uncompromising situation, her beauty stained by her unforgivable infidelity.

“Rupert, please step of my house. Please leave, now!!” Noli couldn’t say more.
Lara managed to get up and desperately ran towards Rupert, clinging to whatever part of him she could hold on to.

“Rupert, no! Don’t leave. You can’t leave me. I want to go with you.” And she broke into senseless crying.

Rupert came to his senses and finally decided to leave, never to look back. That was the last time he saw Noli and Lara. It was like a scene straight out of a telenovela.

Rupert saw this scene play over and over again. This time, it was just a scene from the past, from an eventful evening that happened a year and a half ago. In between today and that scene, a lot has happened. The story can now be told differently. So he knew that Noli and Lara’s marriage almost went down the drain because of him. He also knew that Noli’s love for Lara was incomprehensible because he truly forgave her for her indiscretion. No other man could love a woman as much as Noli did his wife. There was no doubt in Rupert’s mind that he was a home wrecker, a traitor, a guilty and despicable man who lost a best friend in Noli and a lover in Lara.

But the thought of Lara still haunted him – that sight of beauty and tempting vulnerability. The past is a gift from which one can grow wisdom, Rupert thought. But there was something about the past he couldn’t forget, many questions left unanswered. Does Lara still love me? Did that affair make me less of a man because I gave in to the temptation? Why have all my relationships failed?

Rupert waited in silence for some answers, but somehow he didn’t care. As he stood in front of the mirror, there was just that good-looking man staring at him who still couldn’t see through his conscience…much less feel through his heart.