Always You

37

It’s three-thirty in the afternoon, and I still have time to get these files done. It’s Olly’s birthday on Thursday, and I instructed Amy to have all the reports submitted this afternoon. She will be spending her birthday in Boracay, and we prepared a short trip to celebrate it.

Bukas ng umaga ang alis namin, and Olly wanted me to sleep over sa bahay nila para sabay na kaming bumiyahe patungong airport. Susunduin din niya ako mamayang 4 pm dahil bibili  pa kami ng swimsuit na susuotin namin doon. I already told her about my relationship with Zeke, at gaya nang inaasahan ko, halos mawalan na siya ng boses sa kakatili sa kilig. Mukhang siya lang talaga ang masaya para sa amin.

Nakapagpaalam na rin ako kay Zeke sa short trip namin bukas. Ayaw niyang sumama ako, but I convinced him to allow me to enjoy once in a while, at pumayag na man siya.

I called his secretary to inform him of the files I just transferred. I asked him if he could send it to his boss for a quick look, but he informed me that Joanne Lopez is in Zeke’s office right now.

I felt a sudden pang of jealousy. I trust Zeke but I don’t trust Joanne. Baka bigla na lang niyang sunggaban ng halik si Zeke. I suddenly thought of a plan that would make him distracted for the meantime.

I dialed his number on my phone. I smiled when he answered it immediately.

“What are you doing?”, I asked him sexily.

I heard him cleared his throat.

“I’m on a meeting”, he answered. “Uhm, can you call me later?”

Then, he suddenly hung up the call!

I was shocked by what he just said. Hindi ko inaasahan iyon!

After a few minutes, tinawagan niya ako at sinagot ko naman.

“Joanne’s here. She invited me for a dinner tonight together with her dad. It’s about the property firm that he’s been pushing to invest here in Polaris”, he explained.

Hindi muna ako umimik. Ang daming tanong na pumapasok ngayon sa isipan ko. Why didn’t he inform me about it earlier?

“Okay, I see”, I answered. “Well you should go. You see, Joanne went all over here just to invite you. Pwede na man sigurong kausapin ka sa phone, ‘diba? Pero pinuntahan ka niya talaga”, I nonchalantly said.

“Andi.” 

I know that we’re in the office, but I just can't help but be disappointed about what he did earlier. Maybe because Joanne’s there.

I heard him sighed. There was a moment of silence and then suddenly I heard a flirtatious laughed from that girl. Mas lalo akong nairita.

“She must be very excited for the dinner”, iritable kong sabi.

Why do I feel something’s not right? At masyadong pormal si Zeke kung makipag-usap sa akin.

“We will be going to Singapore tomorrow for a business trip. I’ll just review the files pagbalik mo galing Boracay”, pag-iiba niya. “I’ll hang up.”

Hindi na ako makapag-react sa ginawa niya. He just hung up the call for the second time!

I got hurt sa ginawa niya. Pakiramdam ko, binalewala niya ako para kay Joanne. At hindi ko alam na pupunta pala silang dalawa sa Singapore bukas.

Imbis na umiyak, tinawagan ko si Olly and decided na magkikita na lang kami sa mall.

I didn’t inform him na aalis na ako. I sneaked out and went down to the lobby and looked for a taxi.