Chapter Ten

For the first time that month, she had a totally boring, unproductive and idle day at work!

            And she was miserable.

            Her body is already too used to working that it absolutely sets her system off the moment she doesn’t do anything. Nakatunganga lang siya sa loob ng opisina dahil advance niya nang natapos ang ilang paperworks, at hindi kayang tanggapin ng sistema niya na wala siyang ginagawa.

            Her intercom beeped, followed by Mia’s voice.

            Finally, work!

            “Line five.”

            She furrowed her brows. Bakit ma tumatawag sa kanya galing sa linya’ng ‘yun?

            Dali-dali niyang pinindot ang telepono, “Asia speaking.”

            “Miss Awa, this is from J Publishing.”

            “Yes, I know. What is it?”

            Isinalaysay ng tao’ng kausap ang nangyari. At bawat salita’ng lumalabas sa bibig nito, mas lalong siya’ng nagngi-ngitngit sa galit. She’s so close to tearing the chord apart.

            “Arnold, you say?”

            “Yes po.”

            Her jaw clenched. Napapikit siya nang mariin sa sagot nito.

            “Why is he deciding over something na hindi naman sakop ng trabaho niya?” nagtitimpi’ng tanong niya sa kausap. “And is it his job para pakialaman niya ‘yun? Does the Big Boss know about this? And why the fvck is he doing stuffs without consulting me first?”

            “Sorry po, Miss Awa, as per request din po kasi ni Sir Arn ‘yun. I’m just here to relay the message.”

            That Arnold Reymundo has been getting into her nerves since the moment he stepped into the company. He’s a colleague from the same publishing company she’s signed a contract with. He’s currently the production assistant, but is, evidently, aiming for a much higher position in the company.

            Pero wala pa itong right para magdesisyon sa final outcome ng libro.

            But alas! The Great Arnold just decided to edit and revise one of her stories that the publishing house is currently working on. He even had the audacity to tell them to limit the story into a fifty-thousand-word count, dahil baka raw hindi kayanin sa binding.

            Of course, the editorial department rejected the idea, but the guy insisted. Plano pa nito, babaguhin at tatanggalin ang ilang scenes at parts para lumiit ang word count.

            Just. What. The. Fuck.

            “I’m coming over.”

            She was seething in anger when she stormed out of her office.

            “Call me if something urgent comes up,” walang lingon-likod siyang naglakad papunta sa direksyon ng elevator, “may hayop lang ako’ng kakadenahan.”

            “Have fun!” sigaw ni Mia sa kanya.

            Mabilis niyang tinahak ang daan papunta sa publishing company. Awa’s been in the company for a couple of years now, she’s published her first ever written story under the company, while Arnold had only been working in the company for a year, and yet…?

            This is not about superiority, but she demands respect for something she’s worked real hard for almost a year. Iniiyakan niya ang mga sinusulat na kwento, especially kapag hindi na malinaw ang takbo ng kwento at kapag tinatamaan siya ng writer’s block; she cries over it, feeling inadequate every time she couldn’t write anything at all.

            Tapos ay ganito ang gagawin ni Arnold?

            No, hindi siya papayag. Talaga’ng makakatikim na ang lalaki sa kanya this time. Dati pa kasi niyang napapansin na mainit ang dugo nito sa kanya, for what reason? She doesn’t know. Halata lang sa mga kilos at pagpaparinig nito sa kanya kapag nagpapang-abot sila sa kumpanya.

            Well… same, dude

            She took quick strides to the elevator and pressed on the up button relentlessly.

            Pagkarating niya sa floor ng editorial department, gulat na gulat ang lahat nang makita siya. Reyna, the head of the department, who was just coming back from the comfort room, came to immediately assist her.

            It’s true, she never comes to the company unannounced― to protect her indentity from the public, but she told the person who called her that she was coming. Hindi ba nito sinabi sa kanila ang pagdating niya?

            “Awa,” nakipag-beso ito sa kanya, “what’s going on?”

            “Hindi mo alam na darating ako?” takhang tanong niya. “At hindi mo rin alam anong nangyari rito?”

            “I don’t think I understand what you mean, Awa.”

            She brushed her fingers through her hair and sighed exasperatedly. “Goddamn that douche!” she cursed under her breath. “Where is he, Reyna?”

            Reyna, stunned and flustered by her sudden outburst, asked. “Sino’ng hinahanap mo?”

            “Si Arnold!”

            “Okay, calm down.” Nilingon nito ang tao’ng nasa pinaka-malapit na cubicle. “Please call Arnold Reymundo over, tell him I want him here ASAP. Thank you.”

            Iginaya siya ng kaibigan papunta sa opisina niya.

            “Ba’t hindi mo alam?”

            “Ang alin ba?”

            Ikinuwento niya ang sinabi ng kausap kanina, na hanggang ngayon ay hindi niya kilala kung sino.

            “He’s not totally helping, at all!” she gritted her teeth in annoyance. “Marami akong inaasikaso sa kumpanya ko, Reyn.”

            “That asshole.” Hindi na maipinta ang mukha ng kaibigan. “I’m so sorry about this, Awa, hindi ko alam. Nobody told me about this.”

            “Haven’t you been in the company lately?”

            “Kakauwi ko lang last week from Italy. Lolo Chito had a mild stroke, Will had to take over the company temporarily, walang magbabantay kay Lolo, so nag-presenta na ako.”

            “How is he then?”

            “After a month’s worth of therapy, medyo okay na siya. He’s fast recovering.”

            “Good to hear that then.”

            Reyna is one of the few friends closest to her. They met during college, along with Myra and Mia― whom she’s been friends since diapers. Sa sobrang close nila, kilala rin sila ng pamilya ng fiancée ni Reyna. So it was only natural that she got a worried after hearing Lolo Chito had a mild stroke. Super kwela pa naman ng matandang iyon.

            “We’ll fix this Awa, pasensya na talaga.” Hingi’ng paumanhin ulit ng kaibigan. “That guy had been a total headache lately, hindi ko ba alam sa isang ‘yun.”

            “I’ll give him a piece of my mind later.” Naiinis na sabi niya. “Oh, he better show his face before I totally lost it.”

            She threw herself onto the couch when she reached her unit, the sudden trip to the publishing company had exhausted all of her energy.

            Ang tanging naiisip nalang niya ay matulog. Fvck shower!

            Pero nanlalagkit na ang katawan niya, and exhausted as she was, she still prefers to sleep with her body clean. Even her dinner only consisted of reheated binagol and her own coffee blend.

            Her phone chimed, following a notification on her screen.

                        Ella Wp

May pa-games sa F******k page soon, sumali ka HAHA

            With a frown, she went to the author’s page and, like what she said, may palaro nga’ng nangyayari.

            She typed in a message for Ella:

                        Asia

                        What’s happening?

            Intrigued, she clicked on the post that was garnening comments after comments.

            It was Ella’s recent post, may picture ng isang mystery guy na kasama, and with a caption that said: get to know the chief and catch his heart, take the quiz!

                        Ella Wp

                        we’re doing something for the new characters

                        na-isip naming through games nalang, so readers

                        would get to at least know a little deets about them

                        before they’re finally out in the book

            Oh.

                        Asia

                        Natatawa ako, parang marketing strategy lang LOL

            She checked on the comment box and read the first ones she saw.

                        Annie: OMG! I need to have his heart!

                                    Ella Wp: baka mamatay siya beh kapag kinuha mo puso nya amp

                        Leslie: NOOOO! HE’S GOING TO BE MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE!

Christa: may boyfriend na ako kaya sige, sa inyo na ‘yan lol!

                        Daisy: ipa-ubaya niyo na sa’kin ‘yan. ako rin pipiliin nyan, makikita niyo!

                        Marie: woy, ‘sy Daisy, ‘wag masyado’ng makampante, nandito pa si ako HAHA

                        Jacky: tapos sa huli, wala sa inyo mapipili sads. matindi kalaban nyo, si Nikki

                        Ella Wp: galingan niyo sa quiz, maganda ang prize LOL!

            With a shrug, she typed in a reply and sent it to the comment section.

                        Asia: I’d like to try.

            Kahit hindi siya sure kung ano talaga pinagkakaguluha nila, it looked fun to her, so she might as well try it out. Anyway, wala naman mawawala sa kanya kung sumali siya sa mga ganito’ng paandar nila.

            She needed a break from an exhausting day at the publishing company, anyway.

                        Ella Wp replied to your comment, her notification said.

            Albeit confused, napangiti pa rin siya sa reply na nabasa.

                        Ella Wp: that’s the spirit! you go girl, goodluck hahaha!

            Eh? Good luck saan naman?

             

            When the time for the quiz has come, tinitigan niyang mabuti ang pangalan na naka-display sa screen ng phone niya.

            Liam Skye

            The name looked strangely familiar to her.

            “Saan nga ba?”

            Then it dawned on her.

            It was the same name she saw on her friend suggestion from F******k, na pinag-send-an niya ng friend request nung nakaraan.

            And it was the same name she read from Ella’s story, sa last chapter na in-update nito. It was the last line from the chapter, na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa pala na-u-update ulit ni Ella.

            For whatever reason, her heart thumped lightly against her chest.