"Kamusta si Tito?" Cha looked at the room her father was in.
Samantha sighed. The old man is still recovering from his travels. Lalo na noong hinarap nila ang atribidang asawa ni Christian. Mukhang naubos ang lakas ng Dad niya sa pag harap sa tusong babaeng iyon.
Imagine her Dad signed all of his shares para lang makumbinsi ang babaeng iyon na turuan siya tungkol sa negosyo.
She was against it at first dahil nga sa business management naman ang natapos niya but it was the last wish of her Dad. Her Dad also guilt tripped her into accepting the offer dahil may kasalanan daw siya kay Amelia Montenegro.
Hindi ba dapat ang asawa nito ang mag bayad sa nangyari at hindi siya? She was just a poor innocent victim too not until she was driven to cling to him. And she actually began liking the guy!
Sa unang kita niya pa lang kay Amelia Montenegro. Alam niyang tama nga ang sinabi ni Christian patungkol sa babae. Amelia is so busy with her career that she couldn't careless about her own love life.
Naiinis pa din si Samantha nang maalala niya ang eksena sa pagitan nila ni Amelia Montenegro. The woman can pierce your soul with her eyes. Para siyang nakahubad sa mga tingin na ibinibigay nito sa kanya sa board room ng araw na iyon.
Samantha swallowed hard. Bakit parang ang hot nitong tingnan ng pasadahan siya ng tingin. She felt like Amelia is looking right through her soul.
Alam nitong siya ang kerida ng asawa nito. Yet the woman chooses to mentor her as if it was nothing. Hindi niya alam pero parang may mali sa mga nangyayari. Though it was stated in the contract that Amelia will be professional towards her kahit na anong mangyari. It was also stated that Amelia will not associate Samantha's previous relationship to Christian as a ground for treating her bad.
She doubts that it was true. For all, she knew it was a pile of bull crap.
"Dad is still not well." Malungkot na ibinaba ni Sam and tingin sa tiles.
Cha held her hand and squeezed it. "I'm still glad that you choose to come home, Sam. Tito had been through so much. I'm sorry that I had hidden the truth from you. Kagaya mo ay matigas din ang ulo ng Dad mo. When he found out that I knew about his illness. He begged me not to tell you but I had to dahil nga kunti na lang ang panahon na ibinigay sa kanya ng sakit niya."
Umiling si Sam. "No Cha. Thank you. You are the best best friend I could ever have."
Cha shook her head smiling. "Mula diaper days' pa lang Sam. We are together kaya naman gagawin ko ang lahat para sayo. You are like my real sister."
Its true. Cha and her go back way before they were babies. Siguro dahil nga sa mag bestfriend din ang mga Dad nila.
"Don't you want to spend your days with Tito? Bakit hindi kayo mamasyal?"
Umiling siya. "Masyado na daw siyang mahina. He doesn't want to waste the time going on vacations together. Gusto ni Dad na maging ready ako sa pamamahala ng company. So I had no choice to work."
Just thinking about her Dad living her makes her heart ache. Gusto niyang bumawi. If only she could go back in time and changed her behavior. Pero andito na ang lahat. She can't go back. She can only move forward.
"So, kailan ka daw mag sisimula under Amelia Montenegro's mentorship?"
Pag iiba nito sa topic dahil mukhang napapansin na nito ang lungkot sa mga mata niya.
"Bukas na bukas din. Her secretary is very pregnant and she wants me to take over."
Kumunot ang noo ng kaibigan niya. "You will become her secretary?"
Tumango tango si Sam. "Yes. That's the only job she could offer that could apparently show me how she runs the whole resort business. Kahit na ang layo naman ng business ni Dad sa business na ginagawa niya. But Dad insisted that I mentored under Amelia to be young, successful and intelligent.
May point din naman ang Dad niya. Sa sobrang workaholic ni Amelia. Christian Montenegro is now a man who sleeps around a lot dahil hindi iyon maibigay dito ng asawa nito. Kaya siguro ganun na lang din kahusay ang babae sa career nito bilang business woman.
Tumawa ito. "May point si Amelia. She could show you while you follow her around like a puppy. It's the best revenge she could have for you stealing her husband."
Samantah rolled her eyes. Tumawa ulit ito.
"I don't know about that. But something tells me that the whole thing is a farce."
"You know I think there are people like Amelia that could separate business from pleasure. Mukha kasing career woman talaga siya."
Sa sinabi ni Cha ay napabuntonghininga na lang si Sam.
Yes, and it would be a challenge.
---
Sam went inside the RC 2's building and she immediately saw Bridgette, Amelia's secretary. Nakangiti ang babae at mukhang hindi ito sanay sumimangot. There was a wrinkle on the side of her eyes maybe because of excessive smiling. Natutupi kasi ang gilid ng mga mata kapag lagi kang nakangiti. That was only on Sam's opinion.
Pero bakit kaya hindi ito madalas nakasimangot o naka-poker face kagaya ng amo nito? Hindi ba ito affected sa sungit o sa strict ng boss nito?
"Hi. Start ko na for the secretary position ngayon di ba?"
"Yes." Tumango ito at nag simulang maglakad sa hallway. "But I can't mentor you dahil malapit na ang kabuwanan ko. Please just see what my activities are para hindi ka maligaw. I have created a list of to-do list for you. From morning to night. There are also documents that I had prepared for you to study."
"Oh."
Sam stopped herself from smiling dahil baka ma-offend niya ito. Someone could really get organized like Bridgette. Nakakahanga.
"These are the files for the basics."
May inaabot itong documents sa kanya. Sam tried to read what's on the paper pero dahil nag lalakad sila ay hindi niya din masyadong maintindihan ang mga binabasa niya. And she stopped at the door when they turned to a corner and entered Amelia Montenegro's office.
Nakita niya agad ang babae sa bungad pa lang. Amelia is standing and looking out of the window with her right hands on the front pocket of her white slacks.
Nakaka-intimidate ang ayos nito. Like a power house business woman.
"Have you brief her, Bridge?"
"Yes, Boss."
Boss? Sam snickered and that's when Amelia looked at her. Para itong bored na pusa kung tumingin. Those brown eyes look so sleepy but it was making her look like she was fresh from the bed and fucked right.
Masyadong malamlam.
Sam swallowed the lump in her throat. Mukhang narinig siya nito. Pero nakahinga din siya ng maluwag nang hindi siya nito punahin. Instead. Amelia picked up the news paper handed to her by Bridgette and slowly turned the pages.
Pinagmasdan lang niya ito habang ginagawa iyon. Occasionally, Amelia will also lift her cuf of coffee and sip.
Bridgette made her way out of the room and Sam looked at the pregnant secretary before looking at Amelia again. Susundan niya ba si Bridgette o mananatili sa harap ni Amelia? But the secretary didn't call her to follow. Hindi din naman siya kinikibo ng kaharap niya.
Screw it! Tatalikod na sana si Sam but she heard Amelia clear her throat.
"You looked good today. Ang layo sa itsura mo noong una tayong nagkita. You are comfortable wearing jeans and shirts. Am I correct?"
Napahinga ng malalim si Sam sa sinabi nito. There was an underhanded insult right there na hindi nakaligtas sa tenga niya. Pumintig ang ugat niya sa sentido.
She turned around only for her to be confused dahil nakangiti na naman ito. It was a sexy smirk that made Sam's heart leap inside her heart.
Kumabog and dibdib niya. She wonders what is going on inside Amelia's pretty little head. Pinasadahan pa siya nito ng tingin.
"Well, now that I have a proper look at you. You are gorgeous, no wonder...."
Hindi na nito tinapos ang sasabihin nito. Sam was left speechless when Amelia put her right hands in the air completely dismissing her.
"Follow Bridgette out. I will not call on you today as my secretary. Make sure that you read all of the things Bridge had given you. Tomorrow I'll teach you the basics of management."
Sam felt her anger rise. Ikinuyom niya ang kamao niya. She can already feel her face get hot. Pero hindi niya ito pwedeng kontrahin. She knows that she needed this for her father. This is the only wish her father wants her to do and she will honour it no matter what.
She didn't say anything to what Amelia Montenegro said. Lumabas siya sa opisina nito with her heart clenched.