Chapter 10: Dumbfounded

“What can I do for you, Sir?” the male attendant asked Herbie even before he was able to step into the shop itself. He was looking up at the name just to make sure he got the right one this time.

There was about three photo shops in the mall and he got the right shop on his third try.

“Ahmmm, I’m here to pick up a photo album for Miss Mandy, Mandy Garcia?”

“Can I have the receipt please?”

“Oh, sure!” Herbie pulled the paper out from his pocket and gave it to the store attendant.

Herbie sneaked out of his office telling his secretary, Kelly, that he was taking his lunch in a resto for a change. He intentionally skipped telling her about picking up Mr. And Mrs. Cuevas’ Wedding album because he knew she would insist to have a look at it. He was excited himself to see it. He knew Mandy did a wonderful job with it. He had not seen it and he’s already proud of her work. “God, I am getting more and more obvious.” he just realized.

“Here it is, Sir!”

“Wow, is this it? I never thought a photo album could look this good… and heavy.” Herbie said as he lift the album up.

He had every reason to be impressed. Mandy had chosen the perfect cover and design for the album. It looks really simple and elegant. It matched perfectly the personality of the Cuevas couple.

Herbie browsed through a few pages. He thought the shots were stunning. Mandy captured all the emotions she was talking to her about when she was planning it all.

A few minutes later, his cellphone rang the alarm he had set before he left the office. He saw it fit to do that lest he forgot all about the time. He then closed the album and placed it the bag that went with it.

“Ah, Sir, wait a minute!” the attendant called out to him.

“Here are the drafts that Ms. Garcia gave us and also the excess photos. Give us a call, Sir, should there be any problem with the album or the prints.”

“Okay. Thanks!”

Herbie reached his office carrying the big bag that contained the wedding album, which of course, Kelly noticed. Its mere size was calling attention to almost anyone that saw him.

Before entering his room, he placed a box of donuts and a tall cup of frappé on Kelly’s table.

“What’s that, Sir?” Kelly asked casually.

“Oh, those are donuts and coffee for you, Kelly.”

“Haha. I know what these are and thank you, by the way. I meant that!” Kelly pointing to the bag he was carrying on his shoulder.

Oh, this? Ahmm, this is nothing.”

“That’s a big bag you have there and that’s nothing? I don’t think I believe that.”

“Alright, this is a photo album.”

“I knew it! That’s My Aunt and Uncle’s photo album, right? Let me see it, Sir!”

“No!”

“Come on, I won’t tell my aunt and uncle that I saw it first.”

“No!”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what, if you let me see that, I am going to give you…” Kelly pulled out an envelope from her drawer then said - “this.”

“What’s that?” Herbie wrinkled his forehead trying to think what the contents of that envelope was.

“Believe me, Herbie, you want to see what’s inside this envelope!” Kelly sounded so convincing and she could tell Herbie was about to crack.

“Alright. Deal! Give me that.” Herbie stretched out his arm to reach for the envelope.

“Nope! Let’s do it at the same time.”

“Okay.”

“1, 2, 3… exchange!” they both counted and handed over to each other what they wanted.

Herbie did not proceed right away to his office upon the exchange. He first watched Kelly’s reaction as she pulled the album out of the bag.

Kelly was nodding her head looking impressed at what she was seeing so far. As she turned the page, she gasped and covered her open mouth with both her hands. A mix of happy emotions was written all over her face and a few seconds more she was in tears.

“Oh my, God, Herbie! This is just the perfect first page of the album.” Kelly said as she wiped her tears.

It was not the usual picture of a couple posing with the entourage in front of the altar. The picture was a view of the couple at the center during the exchange of vows. They were looking at each other smiling. There was love all over their faces. In the background were all the people that mattered to the couple, their faces and their reactions captured perfectly.

“Wow, I didn’t know your wife is really this good!”

“I told yah!” Herbie said proudly.

“So you are really playing the Mr. And Mrs. thing, huh! Have you told her already?”

“What will I tell her?”

“That you’re in love with her?”

“Shut up!” Herbie jokingly said. “That’s none of your business.”

“Whatever, Boss.” Kelly replied as Herbie was walking into his office.

The first thing he looked for was a picture of Mandy on his desk, then he examined the excess photos about a hundred of them. They were duplicate shots of several parts of the wedding and they were pretty good, too. He was convinced, Mandy was not only good, she was accurate, too. Only a few pictures turned out blurred or out of focus and that was only because those shots were candid ones.

Then he looked at the draft or more of a mock up of the album itself. He was impressed at how Mandy had patiently drawn and written her instruction on every page. He was right about her - that when it came to her craft, she was a perfectionist.

Unknown to Herbie, Kelly, was watching him from her seat right outside his office. Herbie rarely closed his office door. He liked hearing his secretary and the rest of his staff chatter while at work.

Kelly was so amused watching his face react to whatever it was that he was focused on. That day, Kelly was watching because she wanted to see how he would react when he saw the contents of the envelope she gave him. It took quite a while that she almost screamed from her seat just so he could get on with it, but was glad that she didn’t.

Herbie then took the envelope, anticipation was all over Kelly’s face.

Dumfounded. That was how Herbie looked.

“You’re welcome, Herbie!” Kelly shouted from her seat. Herbie lifted his head to look at Kelly’s direction but still speechless.