Bakit 'Di Na Lang Totohanin? (ALDUB-inspired)

Two

DISCLAIMER: — see first chapter —

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II.

Alden's POV

USUALLY WHEN I RETURN BACK TO THE office after my lunch break nothing exciting happens. I go back to my desk and deal with the messages I received during the hour I was gone and continue whatever work I left hanging before I decided to fill my stomach with food. Today, however, was different. As soon as I got to my desk I was greeted by the last person I expected to see hovering around my personal work space.

"Pao?"

Pao Basco, one of the most senior executive ad reps, looked up from a proof he was looking at when I entered my cubicle.

"Alden," Pao greeted and got up from my seat.

" 'Musta na?" We shook hands and bumped shoulders na merong kasamang pat on the back pa. "Akala ko ba out of town ka?"

"I was," Pao answered. "First day back ko today," he added.

"Talaga? Eh bakit ka naman napadpad dito sa cubicle ko? Not that I mind hanging with you, but it's unusual to see you on this side of the office." Since Pao was one of the most senior of reps and brings in the big bucks in advertising revenue for the company, his office got moved a couple of floors above with better view and imbis na cubicle eh actual rooms talaga ang office niya.

Pao gave me one of his rare mischievous smiles. I've known him for a long time now to be able to tell exactly what kind of smile it was. Not to mention yung pagtayo ng mga buhok ko sa batok. It was a sign that something ominous was in the air and I better be on guard.

"Meron akong narinig na balita," Pao began, his mischievous smile turned to a smirk, but it still spoke volumes as far as I was concerned.

"Oh?" I decided to play it cool and pulled my chair. "Ano namang balita yang narinig mo, bro?"

"I heard you broke one of your cardinal work rules."

"Which one?" I feigned ignorance on what he was referring to, but I already have a hunch on which rule he was referring to.

"The highest one."

"Which is?" I won't make it easy for him, friend or not I won't cave in that easily just because he was curious to know. And he was never ever curious to know. He knew I've broken that same rule at least a couple of times before and learned my lesson from it hence why I made it my numero uno rule that I must never ever break.

Pao picked-up on what I was doing. He knew how much I detest office gossip, and what he was doing right now was akin to that. Maybe he was just here to clarify facts, and I know he wasn't attached to the office grapevine like some of the other people at work, but still sending Pao to interrogate me instead of whoever wanted to know doing it themselves irks me.

"So, totoo nga yung mga naririnig ko," Pao didn't answer my question, he made a statement instead.

"Siguro," I shrugged and turned my chair so I was looking at the pile of work I left on my desk before I went for lunch. I noticed a couple of large brown envelopes made an appearance on my desk. I grabbed the one on top and looked at the note left by one of the layout artists on a sticky pad indicating which project this proof was for.