Chapter 2- Shampoo

Two hours later, Claire blinked, suddenly aware that she hadn't been paying attention.

Doctor Sebastian was still sitting across the small meeting table from her, but now he was watching her intently. Nakatingin ito sa kanya na para bang may sampung sungay siya sa noo.

Claire felt her cheeks color with embarrassment and hoped the old man wouldn't ask her to repeat what he'd been saying.

Ano nga ulit mga tanong nito? Hindi niya yata maalala dahil hindi naman siya nakikinig dito.

It's not like she wanted to be there; mamatay na yata siya sa pagka-boring, pero di naman siya inaantok; this was, after all, really absurd. Was medicine for lack of sleep not enough? Did she really need to have this so-called session that made her bored to death? Ito ba ang rason kung bakit pinapapasok siya ni Luci sa trabaho kahit huwebes na day off niya dapat sa buwang ito?

"How are you feeling, Claire? May I call you that?" tanong ng matandang doktor, his pronunciation careful and measured. Pinsan yata to ni Lucifer, di man lang marunong ngumiti.

"Sure, yes, you can po... anyway. Sorry, di ko nagets yung instruction niyo," Claire began, "I'm fine. I think I might just need a break for a moment, doc. Um—hindi pa ba tayo tapos?"

Umiling ito.

She blinked again, dispelling the fog in her brain. Nasobrahan ba siya ng kape, or talagang stress lang siya? "These meeting rooms get quite stuffy, para akong dinuduyan duyan," she said, trying to cover her inattention.

He smiled and said, "Of course. I believe we're done here anyway. Huwag mo lang kaligtaang bilhin yang vitamins at yung gamot ha? Would you like to ask Luke to step in? or should I tell him that our session is done?"

Claire got up from the table and nodded, feeling a quiet dread that he had asked to see her boss. "Naku huwag na po, sisigaw lang naman po yun kung kailangan ako ng kamahalan."

"Oh," saad ng doktor, "before you go, here. Kunin mo ito."

"What is this, doc?" Tanong ni Claire.

She looked down at his hand and saw he was holding a medical prescription. Embarrassed again, she took it hastily. "Kailangan ko po ba itong bilhin lahat?"

"Yes, you need to take all the vitamins and iron I've prescribed. Ang baba ng dugo mo. Umiwas ka na rin sa stress at bawas bawas ang kape iha."

"What happens when I’m done with this?" Tanong ni Claire habang binabasa ang reseta ng mabait naman palang doktor.

"You can call me, and we will have another session; then let's see if there is an improvement."

"There is no bad side effect po, right?"

"Wala naman, iha," he smiled and leaned back in his chair.

Claire took this as her cue to leave. "Salamat po."

"Welcome, iha, hindi naman kasi ako makakahindi sa pamangkin kung alalang alala sa gelpren niya," anitong patayo na rin sa upuan.

"Ho?" napangiwi siyang bigla, "Naku dok, hindi po ako gelpren ni sir Luke. Dakilang alalay lang po ako."

"I see," napangiti naman ang matanda at tumayo na rin, "Oh, sige sabihin mo sa amo mo na umalis na ako ha."

"OK, po, salamat po ulit."

"Teka, free ka ba sa sabado, iha?" tanong ng doktor habang kinuha ang cellphone sa bulsa ng pantalon nito.

"Ah, bakit po?" Naku, akala pa naman niya wholesome itong doktor na to.

"Ano, kasi, yung pamangkin ko—alam mo, binata yun iha. Napakabait. Pero walang nobya."

Claire wanted to roll her eyes. Eto na naman! Obyus ba talagang wala siyang jowa? Bakit lahat ng lang yata ng kakilala niya eh—nirereto siya sa kung sino-sino. Pati ba naman itong doktor na to?

"Mabait yun, iha., sabi nitong may kinakalikot sa bagong phone at pinakita sa kanya ang pinakagwapong nilalang na parang si Henry Cavill, pinoy version. "Gwapo iha no? Alam mo, nakailang blind date set-up na ako rito, pero wala pa rin siyang natitipuhan."

"Gwapo nga po, dok," ngiti niyang nakakaloko.

"Type mo?"

"Po?" namula niyang saad sabay kagat labing palingon-lingon sa may pintuan. "Eh, baka may GF na po yan, dok. I can't risk being a third wheel."

"Sus, I'm telling you. Wala pa siyang napili. Masilan. Anyway, you don't mind if I’ll set you up with him, right? He is half-British too. Just like your boss."

"Po?"

"Well, he is—a producer. I mean, film documentary producer. Educated ito, lumaki din sa London. Mabait at single na single."

"Talaga po?" Kaya pala pamilyar ang mukha.

"His name is Owen Robinson. Pamangkin ko siya sa ina," ngiting sabi nito habang sinunsundan ang tingin ni Claire na nasa pintuan ng meeting room. "Don't worry, I'll make sure that you will be available on Saturday. Your boss will never know, in fact, baka nga matutuwa pa yun kasi Owen and Luke are best friends. But I won't mention anything about blind dates. Don't worry."

"Really po?" takang saad ni Claire. Hindi siya na inform ah. "Oh, ganun po ba?" lingon siya ulit sa pintuan. "Sige po, what should I do?"

Nakangiti naman ang doktor: "I'll give him your number, and he will call you. He can't say no to me. So ano—okay lang ba yun iha?"

"May number po kayo sa akin?"

"Of course, you are my patient. Syempre. So, okay, na ha? makipag blind date ka kay Owen sa Sabado while I'll make sure Luke is busy with something else that he will never bother you." Tingin nito sa mata niya, "Okay?" dagdag nito.

Aba aba! Two birds with one stone? Baka makaraket pa siyang extra sa pelikula ng Owen na yun, o baka yung dalawang niyang bunsong kapatid na lalaki ay makapasok. Raket din yun ah.

"Sure po," sagot naman niya.

"Good. So, goodbye, iha. I'm sure magustohan ka ni Owen, alam kung mabait ka at, well—kunting ayos lang, mag mukha ka nang modelo."

She blushed—of course, at least mukhang modelo, hindi tulad ni Luke na sinabihan siya nitong, kung mag ayos lang daw sana siya, eh magmumukhang tao na siya.

Hays! Sa naisip bigla tuloy nangasim ang sikmura niya. Parang gusto niyang mamulutan ng demonyo at isabay sa Soju na bili ng kapitbahay niyang byuda kahapon.

"Salamat po, dok. I’ll wait for his call," sagot ni Claire, lumabas na siya at dumaretso na sa pantry room. Nakakailang hakbang pa lang siya ng napahinto siya sa nakita.

She found Luke in the posh kitchen, making his own coffee, much to Claire's amazement.

"Damn it, this thing is not working," anitong inis na inis at tinatapik-tapik ang coffee maker.

"Sir Luke, um—sorry," Claire stammered, "you should have asked me to get you that, sir."

"It's okay. I'm the one who scheduled you for the two-hour meeting. I knew I'd have to fend for myself for a while." Slang na sagot naman nito habang naniningkit ang mga mata sa inis.

Luke then stared at her blankly, surveying his assistant. "Fuck!" inis nitong saad, "lintik namang coffee maker to. Ayaw gumana, bumili ka na nga ulit ng bago."

"Sir Luke, di po naka-on yan," aniyang, nagpasingtabi sa amo, kinuha niya ang tasa nito sa kamay. Umatras naman si Luke ng bahagya, tiningnan siyang maiige. "Bakit naka-off? I told you never to turn this thing off."

"Sir, malakas po ang kain ng kuryente nito, baka matulad nung isa last year na nasira kaagad, kaya ino-off ko po para magtagal."

"I need this thing to work every time," reklamong sagot nito habang pasinghot-singhot ito sa hangin.

Napakunot noo naman si Claire.

"Ako na po ang gagawa, just give me some space." Aniya habang nagtataka naman kung bakit ayaw humakbang ng amo. "Ako na po—"

"What shampoo are you using?" Takang tanong nito.

Ano daw? Paanong napunta sa shampoo ang usapan nila? Tanong niya sa sarili habang ini-on ang coffee machine at hinugasan ang tasang hawak hawak ng amo kanina.

Nilingon niya ito. "Um—why po?" tanong niyang nagtataka. Mabaho ba ang buhok niya? S***a! Huwag naman sana, nakakahiya. Claire frowned and checked her hair in the wall mirror. Di naman mukhang oily ah, at naligo naman siya kanina. Takang isip niya.

"It smells like strawberry and vanilla, I like it." Sagot ni Luke at biglang tumalikod na at iniwan siyang natulala

Ano daw?

Teka, may nakita ba siyang ngiti sa mukha nito? Surely enough, parang may nakita siyang maliit na ngiti.

"Imposible," bulong ni Claire sarili.

Marunong bang mag-appreciate ang amo niya? Parang hindi naman.

She wasn't mistaken, though. There was a strange smile on her boss's lips. Hindi niya nga lang nakita.

Ilang minuto pa ang nakalipas, tapos na siyang magtimpla ng kape, pumasok na siya sa opisina nito habang dala-dala ang paboritong brewed coffee ng amo.

May kausap naman ito sa cellphone.

"So, tito, what's your assessment?" tanong ni Luke sa kabilang linya.

Ilang segundo pa ang nakalipas, nagsalita ito ulit.

Luke shrugged. "One session, I don't know. But it went well, right?"

Tumango-tango naman ito habang sininyasan si Claire na ilapag ang kape. Tumalikod naman siya at napahinto sa huling sinabi ng amo sa kausap na nagpalingon sa kanya ulit.

He looked Claire in the eye and said, "I noticed that she was always tired... yes, yes. She's always worn out, as far as I know. Best not to give conflicting romantic advice; she is just my secretary, Tito, and there is nothing to worry about. She is safe from me," he said, enunciating each word clearly.

Napataas naman ng kilay si Claire, tumalikod at lumabas na ng opisina ng may pabulong-bulong sa sarili.

Safe from me, daw... sus! as if naman papatulan niya ito.

"But things might change," ani Luke sa kabilang linya at inilapag na ang cellphone sa mesa.

Hindi na narinig ni Claire ang huling sinabi nito.

He hadn't been paying enough attention to the meeting earlier and felt a little guilty about it.

The client was having trouble with a customer service story that was beginning to gain traction on social media, and he was supposed to somehow, magically, fix it. He'd given the standard advice regarding retractions and admissions of not doing good enough and promised to review processes and be more sensitive in the future.

"God, my life is so boring," bulong nito sa sarili.

May mga bagay-bagay na nagpapagulo sa isipan niya, at kung ano man yun, he was willing to ignore it.

However, he smirked as the little sweet-strawberry haired woman caught his eye, sitting inconspicuously on the corner of her desk just outside his office. Maybe he needed one of her shampoos.

"Relaxing sa ilong..... Damn it!" iling na sabi niya. "I must be crazy for thinking about my secretary’s shampoo."