The Scent of You [Under Revision]

Kabanata 14

Inaamin ni Fran na kapani-paniwala ang hula ng kaibigan. Naiintindihan nito kung saan nanggagaling si Rosie. This is one big blow kung pakana man ni Monica 'to.

Bumalik si Rosie sa pwesto upang hablutin ang nakasabit na sling bag sa upuan. "Puntahan ko lang si Sir, Fran," paalam niya.

Fran taps her pen on the table. "You won't tell him your conclusions, will you?" she asked.

"Malalaman ko pagdating doon," anas ni Rosie 'tsaka nilayasan si Fran.

Napakamot na lang si Fran habang tinatanaw ang likod ng kaniyang kaibigan. 'Your love can't hide, Rosas kahit ano'ng gawin kong iiwas ka sa tukso. Bahala ka na, you're too old to get scolded.' Fran mumbled.

Walang pagbabago sa isip ni Rosie na puntahan ang kanilang amo sa bahay nito. Kaya lang maski roon ay naka-set up na ang kagamitan ng 'di niya mabilang na reporters.

Maigi na lang at may sikretong passage sa likod ng bahay ni Echarri kaya ro'n dumaan si Rosie. She has knowledge of her boss's door passcode, but waited until she got the approval of Echarri to let her in.

Pagtapak pa lang nito sa loob ay bumalik ang alaala ng dalaga sa gabing pinagsaluhan nila. Lumilibot ang kaniyang tingin sa kabuuan ng malawak na bahay nang biglang lumitaw si Echarri.

Napayuko ang dalaga nang wala sa oras. "Good afternoon, Sir," bati nito.

Mukhang kagagaling lang ng kaniyang amo sa fitness room dahil sa suot nitong compression suit, lahat ng maaaring bumakat ay talagang bakat. Basa pa ang buhok nito sa pawis.

Agad na nag iwas ng tingin si Rosie. While Echarri is wiping his entire face with a sweat towel. "Oh, hi, Rosie. Please make yourself comfortable. I'll just wash up," anito.

She gulped and sighed as she sat on the couch. Kalahating oras lang siya naghintay dahil lumabas si Echarri ginugulo ang basa pa na buhok.

At least he is wearing not so tempting clothing. Just a dark-colored sweatshirt and a dirty white fleece jogger.

"How's everything going there today?" tanong ni Echarri paglapit sa nakaupo nang sekretarya.

"Everything is a bit of a mess, Sir, to be honest with you." Walang dalawang isip na sagot no'n. "Maski sa opisina po nakatambay ang iba pang reporters."

"My fault. Sorry," he apologized. "I should have been extra careful. Are you monitoring the status of the stocks?"

Itsura pa lang ng sekretarya ay alam na kaagad niya ang sagot. Nilabas nito ang bitbit na tablet upang ipakita kay Echarri.

"0.8 percent declined as of now, Sir."

Echarri couldn't take his eyes off the red mark. "The articles? Does it still spread like wildfire?" He lets go of the tablet.

Binawi ni Rosie 'yon. "They deleted the source, but screenshots are being posted on social sites. Ang best and basic option po ay magbigay ng statement sa press." Gayon din ang napag-usapan sa nangyaring emergency meeting ng board.

Echarri crossed his leg and put both hands at the back of his head. "Have they figured out where the source came from?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, hindi rin po matukoy no'ng mismong broadsheet kung kanino ang source. They were saying the pictures were posted on their media boards. Tingin po namin, e, pro hacker po ang may gawa kaya gano'n na lang kahirap i-track."

"Who would it be?"

Sasabihin ba ni Rosie ang hinala? Magmumukha iyon isang alegasyon laban kay Monica ngunit malakas talaga ang loob ng dalaga na tama siya.

"Allowed po ba akong magbigay ng opinyon, Sir?" tanong niya.

Her boss extends arm saying to go ahead with it. She clears her throat and speaks up.

"Your relationship with Monica La Torre didn't end well..."

"Are you saying it was Monica?"

She nods. "Sir... what if ginawa niya ang isyu na 'to para isipin ng mga tao na kayo pa rin? At ikaw ang masisira sa mata ng madla kapag hiniwalayan mo siya. Tingin ko po hindi malabong gano'n nga dahil alam niyang malaki ang mawawala sa 'yo."

Haplos ni Echarri ang kaniyang baba at tinitimbang ang posibilidad sa sinabi ng kaniyang sekretarya.

"Given you were right, where is the evidence she's the mastermind?" Umiling ang binata. "We don't have any hard evidence on our hands."

"Willing po ako na puntahan at i-confront siya. Ire-record ko ang usapan upang mapatunayan sa lahat na kagagawan—"

Tumawa si Echarri sa balak na gawin ng kaniyang sekretarya. "Kung gagawin man natin ang bagay na 'yan, ako dapat ang humarap sa kaniya. Why would you trouble yourself with my issues?" he opposed.

Echarri really doesn't mean to sound offensive, but it does with Rosie. She frowns and begins to look gloomy. "Gusto ko lang makatulong sa problema. I'm sorry for crossing the line..." She got up and turned around.

Hinuli ni Echarri ang kamay nito. "With no offense meant. Rosie, of course you are a big help and I appreciate you. Ayoko lang na problemahin mo ang problemang ako dapat ang mag ayos. It's way beyond your task," he explained.

Lumingon si Rosie rito. "Can I be honest one more time?"

Binitiwan ni Echarri ang braso ng dalaga bago tumango.

"Ang rason po kung bakit ganito na lang ako mag alala sa inyo— 'di lang dahil sa pagiging sekretarya ko. Willing ako gawin kahit ano kasi mas higit pa ro'n ang turing ko sa dapat ay amo ko lang."

"Rosie..."

"Hindi mo ba nahahalata? Like for real, bulag ka ba, Sir? Hindi mo ba pansin sa mga kilos ko na mayroon akong lihim na pagtingin sa 'yo?"

Of course, Echarri wasn't expecting that from her.

"Why? Why do you like someone like me? You know every nook and cranny of me..."

"Ano naman sa akin 'yon, Sir? E, ano kung hindi mabilang na babae na ang dumaan sa 'yo? Hindi mababago no'n ang nararamdaman ko."

Tutop ni Echarri ang bibig, 'di makapaniwala sa naririnig. Tanggap naman ng binata na red flag ang tingin sa kaniya ng lahat. But... Rosie.

"Maybe you're just mistaken, Rosie."

"That is by far the worst yet the funniest rejection I've ever heard my whole life." Mapait ang naging pagtawa ng dalaga. "How could I be mistaken for my own feelings, Sir? Sige nga po, paano?"

"You don't deserve someone like me. I'm an as*hole, you know that."

"Ilang beses ko po ba na sasabihing wala akong pakialam kung as*hole ka o hindi?"

Echarri shakes his head as a sign of disapproval. "You deserve better, Rosie. You're too innocent, so don't insist on liking me—"

Rosie says otherwise. She filled the space between them and aggressively kissing her boss.

Echarri was too stunned to move while Rosie's hands slipped around his neck and shoved her tongue into his mouth.

By then... Rosie's innocent image was gone with the wind.

Bagaman kaagad pinutol ni Echarri ang mapusok na halik ng dalaga at tinulak palayo.

"I will pretend nothing happened. Never ever do that again. You know where the door is. Go home," he firmly spoken while touching his lips.

Echarri turns his back on crying Rosie. And a devastating moment of silence occurs.