Just Because You Are

Chapter 6 (Part 2) - The Piano Recital

"I haven't seen you as pressured as this, Mr. Chua," Reese said, unmoved by Quino's obvious hotheadeadness. She knew him too well to be affected by his typical bossy and 'suplado' statements.

"It's difficult to be lax, especially in business, and you know that full well," he simply said, reaching for his Cappucinno. Just then, Lani knocked and entered his office. She immediately gave a mug of coffee to Reese.

"Sir, si Mr. Pascual po tumawag, nag-remind lang po tungkol dun sa lunch nyo sa Cyma. Di nyo raw po kase sinasagot yung tawag nya," Lani said.

Quino immediately realized that he left his phones inside his car.

"Ah, okay, Lani," he said, checking his watch. Ten o'clock in the morning. He still had an hour and a half to read through the documents in front him. He fished his keys from his pocket and gave them to Lani. "By the way, kindly get my phones inside my car. Thanks."

"Cyma with Robert...a reunion, huh?" Reese asked, smiling. The three of them were in the same class when they were still in highschool.

"Yeah, business meeting, actually," Quino declared.

"Oh? Kelan pa naging business-minded si Robert?" Reese inquired. "Di ba he's in the academe?"

Quino looked at Reese, trying very hard to control his annoyance. 'Why do you have to be too nosy?' he thought, managing to flash a lopsided grin.

Instead of answering her, he shook his head and returned his attention to the proposals he was reading. He was thankful when Reese finally stood up.

"Balik muna ako sa office ko," Reese said. She was already at the door when she turned towards Quino's direction. "Quino?...I thought we could have lunch together...but anyway...maybe next time?"

Looking up at Reese, Quino nodded a little hesitantly. "Ah...yes, next time, Reese."

As soon as Reese closed the door behind her, Quino shook his head again. He just couldn't figure out why she was still patiently making some initiatives for them to go out together when in fact ever since they were teenagers he was already making it obvious that he had no plans of dating her.

"Sir, eto na po yung phones nyo."

Quino immediately checked his phones. "Thank you talaga, Lani, ha? Sa sobrang busy ko kung anu-ano na ang mga nakakalimutan ko."

Lani smiled sheepishly. "Alam nyo po, Sir, sa tingin ko hindi lang secretary kailangan nyo," she began, "...baka po kailangan nyo na po ng...alam nyo na...special someone...para po kahit busy kayo sa work may umaasikaso po sa inyo."

Even if she had been Quino's secretary for already five years she would still tend to get a little hesitant in talking to him about his personal life.

Quino's face brightened all of a sudden. "I guess you are talking from experience, Lani."

"Naku, oo naman po. Maalaga po kasi si Sonny kaya kahit sobrang busy kami sa mga trabaho namin inspired kami pareho," Lani, who had been married recently, said with a proud smile. "Kasi naman po Sir, masarap po talagang maging in-love."

Smile is said to be contagious, and since Lani was beaming and exuding with love, Quino could not help but smile with her. But he merely cringed at the idea that it feels good to be in-love.