I Am a Woman

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Cee, let's have a dinner." I heard Satarrah say right after she barged into my office.

"Can't you knock first? I almost spilled my coffee." I rolled my eyes at her. Kahit kailan talaga ay hindi man lang ito marunong kumatok.

"Oops, sorry. Anyway, as I was saying, let's have dinner later at Slastan."

"I'm busy." Natambakan ako ng trabaho dahil sa mga undertime ko last week. Balak ko nga mag-overtime ngayon.

"Oh, come on, Cee. Tara. Your treat." Ang kapal talaga ng babaeng 'to. Siya na nagyaya ako pa pagbabayarin.

"Why would it be my treat?" My eyebrows are furrowed while I say that. Hindi na lang ako sasama kung ganun naman pala. Not because I don't want to pay, pero dahil pinangunahan na agad niya na ako ang magbabayad kahit hindi pa naman ako sumasang-ayon na sumama sa kanya.

"Of course, you are the gentleman here." Tinapunan ko lang siya ng masamang tingin.

"Whatever, Sat. I will not go with you if it's my treat. I would rather do my work here."

"I'm just kidding. It's my treat. I really need someone to accompany me later. It's so lonely to eat alone." Pagpapaawa niya.

"Just make sure you won't introduce me as your boyfriend again, Satarrah." There was this one time that she introduced me as her boyfriend to get rid of someone. I don't have any prior idea that she would do that. I also didn't know that the person we met that day could be violent. Muntik na ako masuntok. Ang mabuti na lang at may umawat agad sa kanya.

If I got punched that day, I swear I was ready to scratch Satarrah's face.

"I promise, hindi na. We'll just eat dinner. I want to bond with you, please."

"Fine." Napipilitang saad ko.

"It's settled then. I will wait for you at the lobby. Let's just use your car." She half-yelled 'yey ' like a child.

"Okay, I'll just finish this." I simply replied.

Nang matapos ko ang ginagawa ko ay inayos ko naman ang sarili bago bumaba. Satarrah is already at the lobby waiting for me, kaya naman dumiretso agad kami ng Slastan after that.

"So, how were you and Verra Normans? Usap-usapan sa office na lagi siyang bisita sa department niyo." Nabitin sa ere ang isusubo ko sana na pasta dahil sa tanong niya.

Then suddenly, I remember that woman. Mag-iisang linggo ko na kasi itong iniiwasan. Sa loob ng isang linggo ay dalawang beses ako nitong pinuntahan sa office. I wonder why that woman had so much time on her hands. Buti na lang at binilin ko sa assistant ko na sabihing wala ako sa office at may inaasikasong business matter.

"That woman keeps insisting na boyfriend daw niya ako." Rant ko sa kanya. I don't know what she wants from me. She can get any man she wants, but she keeps insisting that I am her boyfriend. Kaya naman I am trying my best to avoid her. I don't think I still have enough patience to deal with her.

By now, alam kong naghihinala na ang babaeng yon na iniiwasan ko siya. I also intentionally gave her a wrong phone number. Siguradong kapag nakita ako nito ay nakakatakot na tingin ang ibibigay 'non sa akin.

"So, you finally got yourself a girlfriend?" She said while suppressing her laugh.

"Satarrah! This is a serious matter. I can't have a girlfriend 'no." Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata. Hindi pa nga ako nagkakaboyfriend tapos girlfriend ang binigay sa akin.

"Well, you know what people say about her. She's a player. Maybe she finds you interesting. Just deal with her for the meantime. We all know that she's not serious about you. Netizens brand her as a playgirl dahil iba iba ang kasama. Kapag nagsawa na siya sayo, I'm sure she'll target another man." Mahabang lintanya niya.