“Ang saya natin ngayon a! Inspired?” ani Bettina kay Samantha habang tumitipa siya sa laptop niya.
She was composing a response to an email for a wedding client scheduled for the next year. Yes, they are fully booked for the rest of the year. And another yes, despite what happened last night, it was business as usual for Charlize Elizabeth Events today.
“I’m always inspired,” sagot niya pinipigil ang ngiti, ang mga mata nasa laptop pa rin.
Rumolyo ang mga mata ni Bettina, mukhang hindi convinced sa sagot niya. Humawak ito sa gilid ng table niya, tinitigan siya nang malapitan bago tinantiya ang expression niya.
“Na-inspire ka dahil nagkita kayo ng dati mong boss?”
Nalukot ang mukha niya bago siya natawa. “Hindi ‘no! Why would I be inspired seeing him? Sa totoo lang, I got pissed seeing him.”
Hindi lang ang Daddy niya at si Lucas ang nakakita ng mga mal
Samantha's heart automatically stopped and her jaw dropped.She had waited for him to call her the whole day. She knew he’d call after he delivered the goods she anonymously instructed him to buy for Natalie’s family. Natalie was a clue that would eventually lead to her—the one behind the elaborate game plan of the day. And now that he’s calling her, she’s glad that her plans had worked. She can’t wait to talk to Natalie later.But what if he plans to retaliate that’s why he’s calling her?Then the game is not yet over, she said to herself.She took a deep breath and composed herself. “Hello, Mr. Sandejas. This is Sam Bautista. Are you calling for the payment of the sake? Please tell me your bank account number so I can transfer—““Fine, you won,” putol nito sa kanya, mababa ang tinig ngunit may bahid ng inis.She grinned, satisfied. “I won? What do
“Excuse me?” naniningkit ang matang tanong ni Samantha kay Aaron.She knew what she heard. It’s just that it’s too preposterous that she wanted to hear it again for confirmation.Aaron smiled even wider, his eyes dancing in an emotion she’s not sure of. “Go out on a date with me, Ms. Bautista. Just one date at bayad ka na sa utang mo,” he declared suavely.Date.Tama nga ang dinig niya. Inaaya siya ng mayabang na si Aaron Miguel Sandejas sa isang date!She scoffed. Anong nakain nito at naisip niyong papayag siya sa gusto nitong mangyari?Well, you agreed to meet him here today. What difference does it make? tuya ng isang parte ng isip niya.Napaismid siya. Naisip na naman niya ang katangahan niya kanina. She was just caught off guard and was not thinking clearly. But now, she does.Tumuwid siya ng tayo, nakataas ang noo. “I’m sorry but I have to say no
The ride home for Samantha was silent and uncomfortable. She was more than relieved that Aaron was not talking to her since they left SSL’s satellite office. However, the silence is making her feel more awkward about the situation.Aaron was too close as she was seating on the passenger’s seat next to him. And his scent was surrounding all of her—drowning her with memories of him and that night.She knew now that staying unfazed in the presence of Aaron is tougher than she thought.She sighed.“Twelfth,” biglang sabi ni Aaron maya-maya.She turned to him amused. “Ha?”He shot a quick glance at her bago muling ibinalik ang mga mata sa daan. “That’s the twelfth time you sighed in the past hour. It’s either you’re anxious about something or you just really hate being with me and contemplating of jumping out the window?” anito, nakangiti.Napakurap
It’s lunch, you should eat. Or would you like to have lunch with me?Agad na rumolyo ang mga mata ni Samantha nang mabasa ang text message ni Aaron. That would be the third day that he’d been bothering her with his flowers and text messages. At sa totoo lang, nabubulabog na siya nang husto.Why wouldn’t she? Dalawang beses sa isang araw ito kung magpadala ng bulaklak, isa sa umaga at isa rin sa hapon—a different kind of flower each time. Nagte-text din ito sa kanya sa umaga, tanghali at gabi. At lahat ng text messages nito, halos iisa lang ang purpose—ang pumayag siyang makipag-date dito.Inis niyang inisuksok sa bag niya ng cellphone niya. Nakakapangalahati pa lang ang araw, napipikon na naman siya. Stress na nga siya sa isang supplier niya, dumadagdag pa talaga si Aaron sa mga alalahanin niya.What’s he doing anyway? Piss her off until she say yes to the date?Well, kung gano’n nga
Maingat na isinara ni Samantha ang laptop niya, katatapos lang ng online meeting niya sa isang wedding client na naka-base sa Norway. It was past 8 in the evening at ngayon pa lang siya uuwi. It was a lunch meeting. Well, lunch para sa client nila pero dinner para sa kanilang dalawa ni Mandy.Sila na lang ni Mandy ang naiwan sa opisina. Pinauwi na niya si Bettina dahil nag-aalala ito na baka mabulilyaso na naman ang bebe time nito kay Kristoff. Maging ang ibang tauhan niya pinauwi na rin niya dahil may event sila bukas sa Nasugbu at mamayang madaling-araw ang biyahe nila papunta roon. She wanted her employees to be well-rested for the long day tomorrow.She checked her business phone, walang message o missed calls. She smiled, a satisfied one. It has been more than 24 hours now that she blocked Aaron’s number on her phone. And she must admit, she’s enjoying her peace.“Mag-che-check lang ako kung naisara na lahat, Sam.
“Dad, ngayon lang ‘yon. Nakausap ko na si Capt. Javellana. He said he will look into it immediately. Who knows baka bukas, nakakulong na ulit si Robin," paliwanag ni Samantha sa Daddy niya.It was almost 11 in the evening and she had just came home. Ang akala niya, makakapahinga na siya agad pag-uwi niya sa bahay pero hindi pa pala. Wala naman siyang balak ilihim sa Daddy niya ang mga nangyari ngayong gabi. She just thought she can talk it to him when she and Charlie will visit him over the weekend. She’s sure, si Capt. Javellana ang nagbalita mismo sa Daddy niya ng mga pangyayari. She released a slow steady breath. And though it’s near impossible, she needed to talk to her father calmly. She doesn’t want him to panic or be under stress at this hour. It would defeat the purpose of them coming home.“But that’s the same guy who harassed you when you were pregnant! How the hell in the world did h
Samantha gave a satisfied smile as she watched the newly engaged couple in front of her dance inside the makeshift gazebo she and her team have made for tonight’s event. They placed it in the middle of what looked like an enchanted forest near the shore, with fireflies dancing around.It was magical.Sila ang mga clients niya sa isang resort sa Nasugbu na kinaroroonan nila ngayon. Both are doctors and college sweethearts. And she’s glad to be a part of their journey to the road of happy ever after.Happy every after.She smiled bitterly. She doesn’t believe in happy ever afters. With all the things she had been through, how could she? She got burned once, got pregnant unexpectedly and now a single mother to an adorable toddler. The world regarded people like her as a left-over—something that was thrown to the garbage by someone after use. At kahit na anong girlpower quotes pa ang mabasa at maibandera sa harap niya, th
Samantha was furious.Alas-dos na ng hapon subalit wala pa si Mandy. Malinaw ang usapan nila ng kaibigan: uuwi ito nang maaga ngayon kahit na nagpa-iwan ito sa Nasugbu kagabi.She trusted Mandy. At ngayon na hindi niya mahanap ni anino nito, naghahalo na ang galit at pag-aalala sa dibdib niya para sa kaibigan. Hindi rin niya ito makontak. Kaninang umaga pa nakapatay ang cellphone nito. She called the resort too to check on him, pero walang maibigay na eksaktong sagot ang mga ito. Hindi raw kasi nag-check in roon si Mandy ayon sa system ng resort.And now she’s here, pacing nervously back and forth inside her office.Where could Mandy be?Halos mapalundag pa siya nang biglang tumunog ang cellphone niya. When she looked at it, naka-flash sa screen and number ni Aaron. She tried to ignore it, ayaw niyang madagdagan ang pagte-tensiyon niya ngayon. Buong araw na siyang punumpuno ng tensiyon.Kaninang umaga lang,