Chapter Five

“KUMUSTA ang interview mo, Coreen?” tanong kay Coreen ni Miranda.

    Nanonood siya ng TV nang dumating ang kaibigan mula sa trabaho. Sa halip na sumagot ay isang buntong-hininga ang pinakawalan niya.

Lumapit si Miranda sa kanya at naupo sa tabi niya. “I told you it was a foolish idea—”

Before her friend finished, she turned to her and broke her lips into a wide smile. “Sandro picked me, Mir! I am going to be his secretary!” maligayang balita niya.

Hanggang ngayon ay hindi siya makapaniwala na natanggap siya bilang sekretarya ni Sandro. Sa dami ng mga nakasabay niya kanina ay hindi niya akalaing siya ang mapipili ng binata.

Bumalik sa kanya ang naging interview sa kanya ng binata.

She was having cold-feet while standing in front of Sandro Madrigal's office.

“Go, Coreen,” wika niya sa sarili bago buksan ang pinto ng opisina nito.

Awtomatikong bumilis ang tibok ng puso niya nang bumungad sa kanya si Sandro. He was looking impeccably handsome in his three-piece suit. 

Sa labis na pagkabigla niya kanina ay hindi niya napagmasdan ng mabuti ang binata. She always saw him in the internet but he looked different in person. He was so much better in person. She couldn’t believe he was now in front of her.

He was still tall as ever. His deep-set eyes, his aristocratic nose, his perfectly angled jaw, those kissable lips…

Stop now, Coreen, paalala niya sa sarili.

“Good morning, Sir.” Pinilit niyang itago ang paghuhuramentado ng sistema.  She flashed him her professional smile.

There was a bit of recognition on him when their eyes met. “You’re the woman earlier.”

“Uh, yes, sir.”

IminuSandrora nito ang upuan sa harap nito. “Have a seat, Miss...”

Darn. His voice almost melted her knees. Hindi siya makapaniwalang ganoon kalakas ang epekto sa kanya ni Sandro. “Niarchos. Coreen Niarchos.”

“Coreen Niarchos,” gagad nito habang hawak ang isang dokumento na hula niya ay CV niya. Nag-angat ito ng tingin. Muling nagsalubong ang mga mata nila.

“You have green eyes,” wika nito habang diretsong nakatingin sa mga mata niya.

His brown eyes were deep and beautiful. They were directly staring at her, boring holes through her. Pakiramdam niya, nang mga sandaling iyon ay isang libong mga paru-paro ang biglang nabuhay sa tiyan niya.

“I'm half greek, Sir.”

“You graduated Business Management in Greece?”

She was a double-degree graduate. Pagdating sa Greece ay ipinagpatuloy niya ang kursong Interior Design. Nang matapos niya ang naturang kurso ay muli siyang nag-aral ng Business Management. 

But she didn’t put all that information in her CV.

“I lived in Greece for eight years.”

“Why did you come back to the Philippines?”

“Personal reasons, sir.” Hindi naman niya pwedeng sabihin na umuwi lang siya para magbakasyon.

Ibinaba nito ang hawak na CV at pinagsalikop ang kamay sa ibabaw ng mesa. “Miss Niarchos,” Muli nitong sinalubong ang mga mata niya. “Do you find me attractive?”

Bakit naging ganito bigla tanong niya? natatarantang tanong niya sa sarili. 

Bigla niyang naalala ang sinabi ni Almira. Sandro fired his secretary for seducing him. 

“You’re attractive, Sir,” sagot niya sa kaharap nang makabawi. “But it doesn’t mean I’m attracted to you.”

Tama ba itong sinasabi ko? 

Bahagyang umangat ang kilay nito. “What do you mean by that?”

“You're undeniably good looking, sir, but my eyes were already on someone else.”

At kung alam lang nito na ito rin ang tinutukoy niyang someone else.

“So... you have a boyfriend?” His thick eyebrows slightly raised.

Bakit tila yata pa-personal ng pa-personal ang tanong nito?

“Uh.” Nagdalawang-isip siya kung magsasabi ng totoo. “No. I don't have any.”

“Oh? How about the guy you like?”

She couldn’t help but bit her lower lip.  “Uhm…well, I like him but he doesn't know it... And I don't have any plan on telling him.”

“Why?”

Because even if I tell him, there's still no chance that he would like me… “Because it's complicated.”

“My apologies for asking you personal questions,” wika nito nang may marahil ay mapansin ang pagkailang niya. “But anyway, you're hired.”

Nanlaki ang mga mata niya. Did she heard it right? She's... hired? “Sir?”

A smiled appeared on his lips. “You’re hired, Miss Niarchos.” 

“Sigurado ka na ba talaga diyan sa pinasok mo, Coreen?” tanong sa kanya ni Miranda. “Sigurado kang magpapaalila ka sa Sandro mo?”

“Mir, hindi naman ako magpapaalila.”

“Sus, ano bang trabaho ng secretary? Di ba, tagatimpla ng kape, tagasagot ng tawag—”

“Don’t worry, Mir,” putol niya sa kaibigan. “Para namang hindi ako sanay utus-utusan.” Nagtrabaho siya bilang part-time service crew noong nag-aaral pa siya sa St. Claire.

“Ano pa bang magagawa ko, eh, diyan ka masaya,” tila sumusukong wika ng kaibigan. Pumalatak ito. “Hay, totoo pala talaga na kapag matalino, tanga sa pag-ibig.”

Siguro nga, isang malaking katangahan ang ginawa niya. But it was her only chance to be close to Sandro. At ngayong ibinigay na sa kanya ang pagkakataong iyon, hindi na niya iyon sasayangin.

MULA sa binabasang papeles ay nag-angat si Sandro ng tingin sa bumukas na pinto ng kanyang opisina.

Iniluwa niyon si Coreen, ang bagong sekretarya niya. Dala-dala nito ang isang folder habang naglalakad palapit sa kanya.

It was almost a week after she started working for her. Sa loob ng isang linggong iyon ay wala siyang maipintas sa dalaga.

Coreen was efficient as a secretary. She was very professional. She never looked at him the way Gianna look at him. She never wore revealing clothes. That day, she was wearing a white long-sleeved blouse and a black pencil cut skirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun, giving him a full access of her heart-shaped face. 

“Sir, here are the minutes of yesterday's meeting.” Inilapag nito sa table niya ang hawak na folder.

“Thank you, Coreen.”

Nagtagal ang tingin niya sa mukha nito. She was beautiful. She may not as pretty as the models he had dated but she was beautiful in her own way. Her best asset was her green eyes. They were really striking.

“Sir...”

Damn, Sandro. What the hell’s happening to you? Why the hell are you acting as if you haven’t seen a beautiful woman for a long time?

Coreen was beautiful, but he already met women far more beautiful than her. Besides, she’s his secretary.

“Yes?”

“Sir, I’ll go ahead,” paalam sa kanya ni Coreen.

“Okay, thank you.”

Bago makalabas si Coreen ay bumukas ang pinto ng opisina. Iniluwa niyon ang kaibigang si Jackson. 

Jackson came back to the country yesterday. Umuwi ito para daluhan ang anniversary ng mga magulang nito.

Ibinaling nito ang mga mata kay Coreen. Bahagyang kumunot ang noo niya nang mapansing nakasunod ang tingin ni Jack sa sekretarya.

“Is that your secretary?” tanong sa kanya ng kaibigan paglabas ni Coreen. “Damn, she’s hot, Sandro. Paano kapag inakit ka naman niyan, pare?”

“Shut up, Jack,” sagot niya sa kaibigan. “She's different. That's why I hire her.”

“Finally, a girl who's immune to your charms, huh?”