When I finished my last chapter, I had the craving of an expectant mother such that another friend called me insane before dutifully driving me two hours, through a rainy late afternoon, to Choco Kiss in UP Diliman.

I asked to be smuggled into a gathering Tuesday last week and, really, my only interest was to see those party people letting their hair down. I’m talking about Lakas-NUCD party people.

When I was introduced to Robin Padilla in mid-July, he acknowledged that he was a bit intimidated.