No Strings Attached

-10-

Chapter Ten.

"Tears of Joy"

 

"Uhm, Mr. Sandoval she's in the conference room right now in a meeting with―Sir!" Tinalikuran ko na agad siya at lumabas ng lobby to go to the conference room. I've been here before kaya alam ko na naman kung nasaan yon.

 

"Excuse me, Sir! Saan po kayo pupunta?" Nagpatuloy lang ako sa paglalakad, ignoring her Assistant. Hindi ko alam na sinundan pala niya ako. "Sir, you can't―" I ignored her again and continued my flight down the end of the hall kung nasaan ang conference room. Hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang ginagawa ko but I know only one thing and that is to see her.

My breathing was uneven and my heart was racing. Hindi ko alam pero kinakabahan ako. It's like I'm about to do something I will regret later on but damn. They said Carpe diem. I'll seize the day.

 

"Sir!!" I glanced over my shoulder to see that her Assistant have chased me down the hall. Halatang kinakabahan ito but I didn't stop. Narating ko ang harap ng conference room as I reached for the doors kung nasaan si Eleanor.

 

 

I gave two sharp knocks for common courteousy, pushed it open, walked into the room...

 

 

 

And froze...

The room was large at wala namang pinagbago, with four long tables positioned alongside each other―like the Hogwarts' great hall. At the tables sat about thirty people, all in their business attire. All of them looked intimidated, sophisticated and very corporate. I spotted Mr. Gonzales seated on the end of the room pero wala naman si Eleanor sa tabi niya.

They are all looking at me right now with curious eyes. Mukhang may pinakikinggan silang isang presentation presented by a primly suited, competent-looking woman, who happened to be Eleanor. She stood clearly startled with my untimely interruption beside an overhead projector mounted on a stand. Mukhang siya lang ang pinakabata na nasa loob ng room.

Natigilan ako as I tried to absorbed the scene. Eleanor was completely gaping at me with her questioning eyes but I was too damned to care. Naninibago ako sa itsura niya ngayon. She looks... very classy and more like an efficient Lawyer. She's wearing a formal white blazer with a striped button-down worn underneath tucked inside a dark gray pleeted skirt that runs until her knees and pointy stilletos.

Nakatingin lang kami sa isa't-isa pero walang nagsalita. Kahit ang ibang tao na nasa conference room ay hindi rin umiimik. Para silang nanonood ng isang teleserye na inaabangan ng lahat.

Just then, nasundan na ako ng Secretary niya who also froze the moment she entered the room, her face tightening and flushing furiously in embarrassment. But I stared at Eleanor again with that familiar feeling of longing.

Gone was the Eleanor who goes for tight revealing dresses or casual blouses. She looked serious and completely unpleased with my presence. As if regaining from the shock, tinaasan niya ako ng kilay, cocking her head to the side. "May I help you?"