-=Yesha's Point of View=-
"Oh my goodness!" When I noticed Xavier's surprised expression as he stared at me, I discreetly mumbled, followed by a mischievous smile forming on his face as he stared at me meaningfully.I didn't think I could withstand his stare, so I averted my gaze, but even when I wasn't looking, I could feel his burning gaze.
It was truly a small world; who would have guessed that I'd be meeting the guy who stole my virginity in a couple of days, and he also happened to be my new boss?
"But he's still incredibly good-looking," I thought to myself, and I couldn't stop staring at him.
When I finally looked at him, I was dumbfounded, and he didn't even try to hide the fact that he was staring at me with such hunger in his eyes.
Sally would have been horrified to see the passion in Xavier's eyes had she been able to see what I was seeing.
I know I should turn away, but I just can't bring myself to do it. As a result, I missed Xavier's outstretched hand in expecting a handshake.
"Yesha, Yesha!" I was eventually awakened from my trance when I heard Sally yell my name.
I instantly turned my attention to Sally, who appeared to be an angry banshee, and when I followed her stare, I noticed Xavier's raised hand.
As I received his handshake, I felt an electric shock that compelled me to swiftly withdraw my hand. I had tried everything to keep it from shaking but had failed horribly.
While still reeling from the sensation of our hands touching against each other, I murmured, "Wel...welcome to the company."
"Thank you, Ms. Santillan; I am happy to be here," he said, still staring at me passionately.
The implication of his words did not escape me, but I chose to ignore it.
I sighed with relief when I was finally allowed to leave Sally's office, and I didn't linger much longer before returning to my station.
I tried hard not to look at Xavier as Sally showed him around the office and next to the other department of the company, which allowed me to slip and escape to the building's rooftop.
When I got to the rooftop, I reached for a cigarette that had been in my purse for a long time, and that's when I discovered my hand was still trembling.
I hadn't smoked in a long time, and the cigarette in my purse was not mine, but Angie's.
I swore not to smoke, but this appears to be an exception.
I called Julia's number while I was still puffing on my cigarette.
"What?! Julia yelled after three rings as soon as she answered my call.
"Juls, I'm freaking out! What should I do?!" I inquired, my voice quivering.
"Huh? What happened? Did something bad happen to you?" She asked, her voice apprehensive.
"I'm alright, it's just... remember what I told you yesterday?" I asked.
"What was that?" She asked.
"About the guy with whom I had sex," I replied.
"The guy who took your virginity? What's about him?" She asked calmly, now that she realized I wasn't in any danger, but to be honest, I think this is worse.
I took a long breath before responding to her query. "He's here, the guy I slept with is here."
"What exactly do you mean he's there? Do you mean in your workplace?"
"Yes, he's my freaking boss! I had sex with my boss!" I yelled, scanning my surroundings for anyone who might have heard me, but when I realized I was the only person on the rooftop, I felt better.
I could hear Julia coughing on the other end of the line, and I was certain she would be shocked by what I had to say.
"No freaking way! Talk about a small world," she commented.
"Tell me about it, but how should I continue? I'm already panicking! After what had happened, how could I face him again?"
I could hear her heaving breathing on the other end, and I knew she was thinking about what I needed to do, and then I heard her speak again after a few minutes.
"What you should do is not panic; act naturally as if you don't know the man; show him your poker face; maybe he won't bother you if you show that what happened between you two doesn't concern you," she suggested.
"Ok, I've got it! Please wish me luck "I answered before finally hanging up, but before I did, I heard her say good luck.
"Ok, Yesha, you can do it, pretend like you don't remember him and don't care what happened between you two, nerves of steel," I finally said, gaining the courage I needed.
The combination of smoking and talking to Julia helped me de-stress.
So, I returned to the office, head held high and radiating confidence as if ready to face anything, including Xavier. However, as soon as I walked into our office, I realized that everyone had left, except for Angie, who appeared to be waiting for me.
"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you to return," she said, irritated.
"Why? Did something happen? Where are the others?" I asked simultaneously.
"Everyone had gone, Xavier had asked everyone to a late lunch, and Sally had ordered me to wait for you," she continued.
"Sorry, I was on the rooftop talking to my friend."
We decided to follow the others to the Japanese restaurant near our office, and Angie couldn't stop talking about our new boss on the elevator.
"Admit it, Xavier is extremely good-looking; he's more attractive than those famous actors," she remarked dreamily.
In response to her statement, I simply nodded my head. I let her talk while we waited for the lift to reach the ground floor.
I kept silent until we arrived at the mall, where the Japanese restaurant was located.
They were already eating when we came, and I noticed Xavier sitting on the farthest of the table seated alongside Sally, but there was no one sitting on his other side.
Angie decided to walk towards the empty seat when she noticed it, but she was quickly halted by Sally.
"Why don't you take this seat, Yesha, and Angie take the seat next to Bob?" Sally suggested, bursting Angie's bubble.
Angie's expression is clearly disappointed as she did what Sally instructed, and the way she stares at me is full of envy; if only she knew I would trade my seat for her any time of day.
I had no choice but to seat next to Xavier, and just being near him makes me uncomfortable.
I thought I was prepared to face him again, but I was mistaken, and all the confidence I had earlier vanished in an instant.
I couldn't get into the food I was eating since it felt bland to me for some reason.
"Actually, Mr. Fajardo, Yesha here is our best employee; she came up with the majority of the concepts that our clients chose," Sally proudly declared.
"Really? I'm impressed, but please call me Xavier. I'm not that old," with his toothpaste commercial smile, he added.
"Sure thing, Xavier," she said, and when she observed that Xavier's sake glass was empty, she instantly grabbed up the sake bottle, but it was also empty, so she gestured for me to pour Xavier's sake because mine had remained untouched.
I tried to stay calm, but my trembling hands caused me to spill the wine in Xavier's pants.
"What did you do?!" Sally hissed at me.
She was about to wipe the wine off his jeans when she realized she shouldn't.
"That's fine, I'll just go to the bathroom, excuse me," Xavier replied before heading to the restroom.
"Pull yourself together, Yesha, you appear to be out of focus today," Sally chided.
Xavier returned to the table a few minutes later and resumed his meal as if nothing had happened.
I felt like this was the longest lunch I'd ever been to, not because we were eating too slowly, but because Xavier's presence was causing my mind to go bananas.
I almost let out a sigh of relief as lunch came to an end, so I stood up and went out of the restaurant, disregarding Sally's call.
I was the first one to arrive at the office, and by the time the others returned from lunch, I was already busy working.
I took a look around and noted that Xavier was not with Sally when she returned, implying that he had probably already left, or so I thought.
Xavier reappeared in our office thirty minutes before the end of our shift, and as if he could sense that I was staring, he turned to face me.
I ignored his stare and seemed to be engaged with my work; I noticed it in the corner of my eyes as he entered Sally's office.
I grabbed my bag and left as soon as the clock struck 5 p.m., without even saying goodbye to my colleagues.
I was nearly sprinting as if demons were chasing after me, and the only time I caught my breath was when I arrived at the parking lot where my motorcycle was parked.
I was relieved to be free of Xavier's clutches, so I was startled when I heard a voice behind me, causing me to drop my keys.
"Hello Yesha, going home already?" He said in his stern voice.
"Mr. Fajardo, sir," I said after picking up my keys, putting on my poker face as Julia had instructed.
"Mr. Fajardo? Interesting, is that how you refer to someone you've had sex with?" He inquired, unconcerned about whether or not anyone heard him.
"Don't say that or someone might hear you, and just so you know, what happened between us was only a one-time affair that will never happen again," I snarled.
"You seem to be confident about it, but we'll see," he remarked, the way he looked at me it was as if he was challenging me.
I chose to ignore what he said and continued riding my bike, but even though I was already going, he remained in the same spot, staring at me as I rode away.
"Shit!"
-=Yesha's Point of View=-"Damn it!" I cursed as I rode my motorcycle back home.The talk between me and Xavier really infuriated me, the nerve of him to propose that I would be willing to have sex with him again because it would never happen again, even though he was incredibly good-looking, but still, I need to be unyielding, once is enough.I still couldn't believe it when I found out I had a one-night stand with my boss, of all people.I blame the booze I drank that night; if I hadn't been intoxicated that night, I wouldn't have made the mistake of sleeping with a stranger and losing my virginity, but it's too late to repent now, so I vowed never to drink again.Aside from drinking, I blame Brix for everything; if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have gotten wasted and slept with a random stranger.Normally, it takes me more than an hour to get home, but because of how fast I drive, it only took me 40 minutes instead."How come you're here so early?" My mother asked as soon as I ent
-=Yesha's Point of View=-I awoke terrified because I feared I was still in the hotel room, but when I looked around, I realized I was in my own room."It was just a dream, Yesha," I reassured myself.I checked the time on my phone and saw that it was only 5:30 a.m. and that I still had plenty of time to spare, but I chose to leave my room.I looked at Dustin's closed door and assumed he was still sleeping, so I decided to give him a few more hours."You're up early; why don't you take a bath first? I'm almost finished preparing our breakfast; is your half-brother still sleeping?" She inquired, and I couldn't believe how casually he spoke the word "half-brother," as if he comfortably accepted Dustin as my half-brother."I guess he's still sleeping," I replied, my stomach grumbling as I smelled my mother's cooking.She was cooking garlic rice and longanisa, so I went back to my room to get my toiletries so I could take a bath, and when I was done showering, I went straight back to the
-=Yesha's Point of View=-I left Xavier's office feeling victorious; I hope what I did put him in his proper place, but I have my doubts.G5 is not far from my office, so I decided to walk there.There were a lot of people on their lunch break as well, but I was still hoping we could find a place to eat because I only have an hour of lunch break.When I checked my phone, I noticed a text message from Dustin. He was already waiting in G5 in front of the National Bookstore, according to the message he sent.I spotted him right away when I arrived at the meeting location he had specified in his text message.In all fairness to Dustin, he stood out from the crowd, and I was about to approach him when I noticed him talking to a cute Chinese-looking guy."Excuse me, but..." The Chinese-looking guy rudely interrupted me without glancing my way, making me frown."Get lost, miss whomever you are, can't you see we're busy?" He said, irritably, finally looking at me, and I could see the astonish
-=Yesha's Point of View=-I still can't believe my lie was exposed so quickly, and this time I blame Angie!I can already imagine Xavier laughing at me, and the worst part is that the person behind me didn't help me at all; he could have simply warned me that Xavier was behind me earlier, but he didn't.I had the impression that no one was on my side anymore, and that everyone was on Xavier's.When we eventually reached home, I was exhausted, and after parking my bike in front of our house, I headed inside, completely ignoring Dustin.I went to my room to get my toiletries and a change of clothes, and then I headed straight to the bathroom.I was about to shut the bathroom door when I heard Dustin."Wait a minute, Yesha!" He yelled."What now? What do you want?" I asked, still irritated with him."Do you and Xavier have a romantic relationship?" He asked, smiling, but instead of receiving an answer from me, he found himself facing the door as I slammed it in his face."The nerve of hi
-=Yesha's Point of View=-When I felt Xavier's lips gently nibbling my earlobe and leaving moist traces in my ear lobe, a moan of pleasure escaped my lips.I couldn't ignore the sensation I was experiencing due to Xavier's doings.His lips proceeded from my ears to my starving lips; his kisses were featherlight at first, but I didn't hesitate and became aggressive when kissing his lips, and his kisses deepened, his tongue tasting every part of my mouth.When I heard a faint moan escaping from Xavier's lips, I smiled; I sucked on his tongue out of lust, causing him to lose control."You're driving me insane, Yesha," he whispered, his seductive voice evoking hunger within me.I'm not sure how it happened, but I found us both naked, well, except for Xavier's black underwear, and I could see the massiveness of his manhood through the remaining material on his body.I couldn't stop feeling him there, and the thickness and length of his shaft heightened all of my senses.I heard a sharp int
-=Yesha's Point of View=-We've been working on our largest project for a well-known detergent brand for about two months, and I must say that we all pushed ourselves to the limit until we eventually came up with the best proposal for our clients, which we presented today.While we were all waiting at the office, Xavier and Sally were still both inside the conference room.No one was in the mood to chat, not even Angie, who typically talks to everyone.We're all nervous about the possible result; don't get me wrong, we're satisfied with the result, but that doesn't imply the client will be as well.After more than an hour, the door to our office opened, showing a solemn Xavier and Sally.The moment I turned to face Angie, I noticed that she was also looking at me with the same expression on her face as I was.Xavier and Sally's expressions are not encouraging to say the least.They told everyone to go to the conference room, and then they entered quietly first."So much for working ha
-=Dustin's Point of View=-Having never felt this way before, I woke up early the following day feeling energized and liberated.I decided to leave my room and noticed Yesha's door open, and when I looked, I noticed her preparing the things she would bring to their company outing.I couldn't help but feel bad, knowing that all of my questions concerning Julia had kept her awake.I met many different people, both girls and boys, and this was the only time I felt this way, leading me to believe that what I was feeling with Julia was love.I had always read about love at first sight and assumed it was a fantasy, but oddly, I had firsthand experience with it."It's still early; why don't you go back to sleep?" Yesha said as she discovered me looking from outside of her room.When I peeked out her window, it was still dark, and when I checked the time, I saw it was just after 5 a.m."I'm ok; I'm not sleepy anymore. Do you need help?" I inquired, and she replied by shaking her head."Oh, ok
-=Yesha's Point of View=-When I arrived at the meeting place, I decided to park my bike in the company's parking lot and walk to the lobby where everyone was waiting.We eventually left to go to Zambales, where our company outing will be held, after ensuring that everyone who promised to come to our company outing arrived.The company chose to rent a high-end bus just for this company outing; the bus was so luxurious that we could sleep during our journey.I was looking forward to this outing because I've been stressed ever since I discovered Brix was cheating on me, when I lost my virginity to a stranger only to discover that the man who took my virginity was my boss, and when my half-brother appeared in front of our house and eventually fell in love with my best friend.This outing would be ideal if Xavier didn't decide to join us."Hi, Yesha! Relax a little. We're going to unwind, but you looked as if you were going to a wake," Angie remarked after noticing my expression."If you
-=Yesha's Point of View=-I was still sleepy when I got out of bed, and I wanted to make breakfast for the man I love, but I was puzzled when I realized he wasn't in bed anymore."Where has he gone?" I wondered aloud.I went into the bathroom to see whether he was just relieving himself, but I didn't find him when I opened the door and peeked inside.The next place I looked was the kitchen, but I didn't see him there either, so I went back to our room, and that's when I spotted a sticky note on the side table.I picked it up and immediately recognized Xavier's handwriting."Yesha, I'm sorry if I have to leave early. I have a client I need to see today; eat your breakfast and don't wait for me."Those were the words scribbled on the sticky note, and I couldn't help but feel sad when he seemed to have forgotten what day it was.Today is our second anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend; it's hard to believe that two years have passed since he told me he loved me as I was about to leave
-=Yesha's Point of View=-I went to Julia's house with a heavy heart; the ever-so-strong Julia had tears in her eyes as I bid her farewell."You're not allowed to have more than one best friend in the UK; I want to be your only best friend, do you understand?" She demanded stubbornly."Without a doubt! No one could ever replace Julia Montero as my best friend, and I doubt I'd ever find someone like you, not in the UK, not in the Philippines, and not anywhere else in the world," I stated.I was trying hard not to cry, but when I saw Julia crying, I couldn't stop the tears falling from my eyes.She grabbed me and hugged me hard, as though unwilling to let me go, but we both knew I had to leave, so she finally let me go after about 10 minutes of hugging me."I want you to promise me that you'll try to be happy once you're in the UK; you deserve to be loved, so never give up on love. Yesha, promise me that," she added."I promise," I said with a smile.I would do everything to be happy, n
-=Xavier's Point of View=-"I love you."Those three words kept replaying in my head; it had been more than a day since our last conversation, yet her words lingered in my ears.I hadn't expected to hear those words from her, especially because she already knew my stance on love.I had already told her that I don't believe in love and would never believe in love, but for some reason, those words from Yesha's lips struck me."Damn it, Yesha! Why did you have to complicate our relationship? Why did you feel the need to fall in love with me?" In frustration, I asked.It frustrates me that she expected me to feel the same way when I had already expressed my position, but what bothers me even more, is that I had missed her.I am a practical man who believes that if something no longer works, it is best to end it rather than let it continue, yet for some reason, I couldn't just let Yesha go.I used to have no issue ending a relationship, especially if the woman was falling for me, but I cou
-=Yesha's Point of View=-I awoke the following day sleeping beside Julia in her bed, hollow within. Still, when I remembered what I had discovered the previous night, tears streamed down my cheeks as I remembered Lindsay, Xavier's wife."How could you do this to me?" I tried to stifle the sound of my tears by placing a pillow over my face, worried that it might awaken Julia from his sleep, but no matter how hard I tried, a sound escaped my lips."You're crying yet again," Julia remarked.She lifted the pillow covering my face and gazed at me with so much sympathy.I couldn't help but embrace her, seeking support and comfort in the hope that it would help lessen the pain.She embraced me real tight, making me feel that she would always be there for me.I made a conscious effort not to turn on my phone; I knew Xavier would most likely want to speak with me, but I was still not ready to hear or even see him.I had already texted my mom last night to tell her that I would be unable to r
-=Yesha's Point of View=-My life goes on as usual, with everything falling into place.My relationship with my parents is improving, particularly with my dad, who wants to make up for the years he wasn't in my life; even my relationship with my siblings is improving.Everyone at work supports my relationship with Xavier; no one believes my relationship with our boss is inappropriate, which surprised me.Everything in my life is almost perfect, except for one thing: for Xavier to finally tell me that he loves me and for me to tell him how much I love him.I was tempted to tell him how much I truly loved him at times, but the fear in my heart kept me from doing so; yet, I realized that in order for me to know the true score between us, I needed to lay all my cards on the table and tell him how I felt for him.I was afraid because I didn't know what to expect; I knew Xavier cared for me, without a doubt, but does he already love me?As much as I didn't want to get hurt, I knew that to w
-=Yesha's Point of View=-I awoke the next day, still sore from last night's passionate lovemaking, but pleased to see Xavier's peaceful face, still fast asleep; I'll never tire of looking at his handsome face, the man I love.I took a quick shower and then decided to leave; I locked the door behind me before leaving, as no one should know that Xavier and I were sharing a room again or that Xavier was wearing nothing and the only thing covering his manhood was the blanket I used.I can only picture their shock if my relationship with Xavier became public knowledge.When I eventually stepped out of my room, it was still early; it was just eight a.m., and there were few people outside, but I could see a few coworkers eating breakfast.I immediately grinned at seeing Angie and Sally eating their breakfast; they were seated in a far corner of the restaurant and thus did not notice me immediately."Hello, ladies! Are you all right with me joining you?" When I approached their table, I aske
-=Angie's Point of View=-"Do you really think you could get away with messing my chance of finding a foreigner husband, Yesha? Better think again, my friend," I said while going to Yesha's room.I managed to get a duplicate room key for her room when I acted that I was supposed to be sharing a room with her and told the receptionist that I had lost my key card, and since the receptionist saw me with Yesha, she believed my lie.My heart was pounding in my chest while I continued walking. I was afraid that I might get caught. I was about to turn around when I suddenly remembered the missed opportunity of having a handsome foreigner husband.I mean, I was almost there; I convinced Phillip that we were meant for each other, and he had already promised to bring me to the US so we could get married, but because of Yesha's revenge, that would never happen.I knew I had done her wrong when I decided not to wake her up when we had already arrived, but that was just a joke, so she shouldn't br
-=Yesha's Point of View=-I am happy for my mom; she has finally been reunited with her true love. However, I only have one concern.My dad wanted us to follow him to the United Kingdom, where he hoped to start our family.I love my mom and support anything that will make her happy. As much as I hate being apart from my mom, I have no plans to leave the country permanently, and I don't suppose Dustin is ready to return to the UK."I'm truly happy for both of you, but I don't see myself leaving the Philippines for good; I have a career here, and I couldn't possibly abandon it just like that," I stated firmly.They chose to talk to me after learning of my decision to stay in the Philippines from Dustin. I'm sure my mother persuaded my father to do so."You don't have to be worried, Yesha; there are plenty of better opportunities in the UK. I could place you in one of the largest advertising agencies in the country, or you could start your own," he suggested casually."I said no," I repl
-=Yesha's Point of View=-Dustin's statement helped me understand him even more; it's no surprise that he grew close to my mother and me because it was the only time he felt like he was part of a true family.Living in a house void of love must be torturous for Dustin; even though I haven't had a love of a father, my mother made sure that I didn't lack in love; she never failed to show me how much she loved me, and I make sure that I also show her how much I love her.Maggie had a confused expression on her face, and I could tell she was struggling, but after a few moments of hesitation, she ultimately departed with Jessica; before she left, she looked at Dustin again, and I could see the sadness in her eyes.We watched as Maggie and Jessica walked away, and we kept staring behind them until we couldn't see them anymore.Dustin shed a tear from his left eye, which he quickly wiped away with his hand; after today, my love for Dustin, my loveable bisexual and complicated half-brother, h