CHAPTER 5 – THE EPISODE
MATEO SAT tediously on his private plane as it flies back towards home. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
It's a good thing that the issue in Singapore branch was easily resolved. He still needed to put-up an all-nighter though. And now he badly wants some sleep.
But that's not what he really wanted.
He's been dreading since last night. He badly wants to see her...He badly wants to smell her vanilla strawberry scent. He badly needs her.
He asked her to come with him to Singapore, but she bluntly rejected him saying no one's gonna be left in the office if she comes as well.
She's being a really good secretary that it's starting to back fire at him.
These past few days...It's all about her...
And now, he was thrilled with the thought of her waiting for him in his office with her smiling face and greeting him "welcome back..."
Imagining that made him smile.
'I think I've already lost it.'
BUT THE scene in front of him is not definitely what he had in mind.
His Mia, laughing and talking comfortably with one of his greatest enemies in the business society:
Tsukishima Ricci...
It had totally slipped his mind that he was coming over today to discuss the partnership that their companies' going to make to end the years' worth of feud between their GOC's.
But it seems like the feud might be prolonged if he doesn't stop talking to her.
"Mia..." He called for her attention.
The two immediately stopped their conversation and turned their attentions to him.
"Sir Mateo, you're back!" She greeted him with a wide tender smile that cooled off his anger.
But it suddenly went back when Tsukishima greeted him with a smug look on his face. "Yo Mateo! You're back already? I thought you're gonna stay in Singapore for good."
'Annoying asshole, as usual.'
"Nope, I have a company to run...so I can't." He walked towards the two and went in front of Mia to block her out of his sight.
"That's too bad, I was enjoying your secretary's company here. So, are we going to start the meeting about the partnership? You kept me waiting dude."
'Tsk.' If his father wasn't so obsessed with this partnership, he wouldn't really agree. They wanted to start a friendship with the Ricci's and his father still has some authority left over him so he can't say no.
"I think we'll have to reschedule that Tsukishima. I'm not in the mood for another meeting right now." That's a white lie...He just wanted for this annoying asshole to go back to where he came from and leave them alone for good.
"Awww...you tired Mateo? That's disappointing, I was really looking forward to spend some time with you." Tsuki said teasingly. "Good thing you're secretary kept me entertained for hours... We actually started a friendship here...right Mimi?"
'Mimi? Really? So they decided to have nicknames now?' The fact that Mia was already acquainted to this asshole already irritates the hell out of him, and now they have nicknames.
He shot him with deadly gaze. He turned his gaze to Mia who had a confused face at the moment...
"Uhhh, yeah..." She said while blushing...and smiling.
'She's blushing? What the heck?!'
For some unknown reason, his knuckles started clenching and he was gritting his teeth trying to supress the boiling anger that's starting to breakout.
"Then I'll assume we'll hold the meeting some other time..." Tsukishima cockily said and then pushed him aside to get in front of Mia. Then he leaned in her desk. Their faces inches away. "Mia, can I get the address now?"
"Oh yes," Mia scrambled a bit to get a piece of paper and wrote something on the piece of paper and hands it to Tsukishima. "Here Tsuki."
'Tsuki?! The heck!'
"Thanks... I'll see you there someday." He said as he waved the paper.
"Sure."
Tsukishima then walked towards him and whispered just enough that Mia wouldn't be able to hear it.
"Always keep her with you Mateo, 'cause if you let her slip, I'll grab that slightest chance." Then he tapped his right shoulder, leaving him dumbfounded and walks towards the elevator.
"See you soon Mia..."
"Sure Tsuki..."
The elevators closed and the asshole is finally out of his sight...
He turned to Mia with a furious expression on his face.
"What was that all about ...Did you just really give him your home address? Why do you have nicknames with each other? When did you even start being friends?" He asked nonstop making him breathless afterwards.
"Uhhh...just a few hours ago? Like what Tsuki said?" She answered unsurely.
"Tsuki..." He confirmed.
"Yeah...He said it's okay for me to call him that."
"And you gave your address to him?!"
"That wasn't my home address, it was an address of the café I recommended him."
"And the Mimi?!"
"Oh..." She chuckled..." That was the first time he called me Mimi...It's kinda cute, actually..."
'That asshole! He really knows how to piss me off. I'll get back at him someday.'
'But...wait a second... Why the heck am I pissed off in the first place? Why do I care if she talks to somebody else, or make friends with other guys, or laugh with them or have nicknames with each other?'
But the more he thinks of those possibilities, the angrier he gets.
"It's not really a big deal Sir Mateo...Uhhh...Sir Mateo, are you alright?"
The fury inside him has already reached its limit... Everything felt blurry, his head feels heavy. And all he could think of at that moment was to ruin Tsukishima's face 'till he can't be recognized.
"Sir Mat--! Ca-- you --- me?!"
He can't understand what his secretary is saying...
'Shit! Another episode!'
Mia was shouting but he can't comprehend anything. He pushed her harshly aside and he strode inside his office with heavy steps.
As he closed the door, he let all his anger out by throwing everything he touches. Loud crashes of expensive things are echoing across the room as he destroys each and every one of them.
He shouted at the top of his lungs hoping to release some of his anger...
But his fury is all over the place and he doesn't know how to stop.
He really hates this...
Every time this happens...
He hates it. He hates the fact that he could not control his emotions...and he can't understand himself.
The door of his office suddenly flew open but he doesn't care...all he could feel right now is anger...
He is aware that everything around him is a mess. But he just doesn't care.
He throws his swivel chair across the room, flips his office table, not minding the things on it, nor the important documents needed to be signed tomorrow.
He punched the walls of his office to let out his frustrations... He punched and punched the wall with his forehead planted on it, grunting as his fist collide with the hard wall. He punched the wall so many times that it created a huge crack from the impact and his knuckles bled.
But he stopped punching the wall when someone grabbed his hand. Then all of a sudden, his anger faded away when he caught a glimpse Mia carrying his bleeding hand, caressing it ever so lightly.
All of the fury he felt has melted away by her touch.
He looked at her and a pang of guilt and sadness filled his chest when he saw the tears flowing down her eyes creating a puddle in the rim of her glasses. She wiped her own tears with the back of her hand, while her other hand still holding his, but more tears still kept coming out.
"Mia..." He called for her.
"Are you calm now sir?" She said while sobbing as she caressed the part of his hand that's not bleeding.
He said nothing, but he unconsciously grabbed her head and pulled her head to his chest. He wrapped one arm around her waist while his other hand gently fisted her hair.
He dipped his nose in her hair and inhaled her scent. He missed her vanilla strawberry scent so much. He badly needed this...her...
They stayed in that position for a few minutes 'till he released her but he did not let her go.
He gently wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs and kissed her lips real hard.
'What is this woman doing to me?... How can her presence uplift my anger this easily?'
A lot of questions kept bugging his mind, but he ignored all of them.
He released her lips and stared into her shocked watery eyes.
"S-sir, it's better if we take care of your wounds, I'll call someone to clean your office." she said, stuttering.
She led him to his bedroom inside the office and made him sit on the edge of his king sized bed.
She stood up to go somewhere but Mateo grabbed her arm. He didn't want her to leave him alone.
He doesn't know why, but he's afraid of letting her go.
He kept his head low. He doesn't want her to look at his face right now.
"Don't go...Stay." He pleaded with a hoarse voice..."Please..."
She smiled at him. "I'll just go and get some first aid kit to treat those wounds sir."
It's really irritating when she calls him sir...He doesn't like it. At all...
"I don't care about this stupid wound. " He stared into her dark brown eyes.
"But Sir, what about your ---."
"Please, Mia..." He begged.
He has totally lost it. He never begged in his life. But this woman actually made him do it.
SHE SIGHED. This boss of hers is really stubborn. Good thing she's also stubborn herself.
"No sir, we need to tend that wound." She touched his left cheek. "But I'll be back soon, okay?" She assured him. "I'll just get the first aid."
He finally gave in and sighed as he lets go of her hand. Then she proceeded to the bathroom to get the first aid.
WHEN SHE closed the door, she held her chest. She could feel her heart beat really loud and fast.
He kissed her...again...for no reason at all.
She can't still understand the reason why he did that.
She was just really worried when he seemed off earlier. After working for him for three years, she knows that he would be like that when his episodes are taking over. So when she discovered that he had locked himself inside his office, she immediately went to search for the duplicate card key he had given her.
And went she opened the door, she was welcomed by a completely disarranged room with Mateo punching the wall.
Worry consumed her being when she saw the blood staining the wall, coming from his knuckles that continuously punching the wall.
Normally, he can still control his anger 'till he reach his penthouse and throw all his frustrations inside his private gym. But it seems that he couldn't hold it this time. He must have been really stressed out from all the work he did in Singapore because of the visible dark circles under his eyes.
Mia took a deep breath to at least calm her racing heart and took the first aid as well as his anti-depressants from the cabinet of her boss's ginormous bathroom.
She went out of the bathroom and she saw her beloved boss spread across his bed while his unwounded arm covers his eyes.
She sat on the edge of the bed and took his bleeding hand to dab some antiseptic to it while Mateo stayed silent in his position.
She finished tending his wound by wrapping a long fresh clean bandage around his hand. She carefully placed it to his side, but he did not let go and held her hand tight. She stared at Mateo, watching his chest go up and down as he slowly breathes. But she knows he is awake.
"Sir Mateo? Do you want to call it a day? Do you want to go home in your penthouse?" She asked.
But he didn't reply.
She tried again."Sir?"
Still no answer.
"Sir Mateo?"
Still no reaction. 'What's wrong with him?' She's starting to get worried...
"Boss? Sir? Sir Mateo~?" She made her voice sound sweet. But he still didn't react.
She sighed and was about to give up and just call Fernando, his personal driver, to take him home when she heard him groan.
"Mateo..." He said.
"Huh?"
"I won't get up unless you call me by my name." He said, still not removing his arm from his eyes.
"Why? You're my boss, so I need to call you sir or boss..."
"But you call that idiot 'Tsukki'."
Oh...she laughed inside. 'So he's being like this again.'
One of the aftermaths of Mateo's episodes is him...acting like a spoiled kid. And when he's like this, all she can do is to follow all his orders.
"All right... Mateo..."
And at last, he finally removed his arms from covering his handsome face but she yelped and was caught off guard when he pulled her to him to make her lie beside him and he wrapped his arms around her waist to cage her.
'Oh no...' They're this close again. Her heart is pounding extra fast and she doesn't want to know where this is going to. 'Cause every time their faces are inches apart...something happens.
"Uh... Sir---"
"Mateo." He corrected her.
"Mateo, what are you doing?"
"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you...today." He whispered the last word so she did not catch it. "I just badly want some sleep. So please, just stay still."
Remembering how exhausted he must have been, she obeyed him and laid there still, wrapped around his muscled arms, and still wearing their office clothes.
She sighed to herself,'Bipolars, you can never understand them.'
She felt him burry his nose in her hair, smelling it. And his breathing tickles her head and his manly scent is churning her insides, but at the same time, it's calming her and making her sleepy. Maybe because she was just as tire as him, her eyes became drowsy and made her fell asleep that she wasn't able to hear what he said.
"I've missed you, Sweetie..."