A contented sigh left Sabina's slightly-parted mouth, the warmness enveloping her was extremely homey. I could stay in this little heaven forever, the half-awake woman thought.
The woman burrowed deeper to the source of the heat but her eyes sprang open when she felt a strong pair of arms pulled her closer. They locked her into a tight but comfortable embrace.
Slowly, she turned her head to the owner of the arms and her eyes widened when she saw her boss. He was SPOONING her! Heat rushed to her face when she noticed their proximity but it didn't stop there. The heat rushed not only in her face but more so in the lower region of her belly.
The woman's thought started to wander. She stared at Timothy and couldn't help the fierce, raw emotion that rose from inside her.
Her boss was sleeping peacefully, his mouth was slightly open and his arm was around her torso. She could smell his wonderful manly scent and could almost feel the beating of his heart.
Somehow, she had closed her eyes and relished the feeling of being in his arms. She let out another sigh, which sounded more like an enticing moan.
For some time, she remained immobile although the inside of her head were filled with images of her and her boss that were worthy of romantic love stories. Then there was her heart which was hammering like mad.
Everything was foreign to the biologist. This was her first time to encounter these kinds of feelings, raw and untamed. These unguarded moments were making her deliriously happy that it was making her quite scared, too.
"Getting comfortable, are we?" Timothy's voice rumbled, mimicking her tone from their last night's bantering.
The cool voice wasn't able to penetrate her foggy and delirious mind. "Hmmm?" She hummed in response. She heard a raspy chuckle and this what brought her back to reality.
In a flash, she was out of the bed. "Good morning, Architect Sebastian." She stuttered while blushing profusely.
This earned another chuckle. "Sab?" The man on her bed replied while blinking his sleepiness away.
"Oh right, good morning Tim." She repeated sheepishly.
"Had a good night sleep?" She muttered and winced when she realized what she just asked.
"Yes but I'm sure not as good as yours." He responded meaningfully as he flashed her a teasing smile, this was extremely unexpected from the always-brooding man.
Due to shame and desperation, Sabina turned abruptly and headed out of the door. "I'll prepare breakfast." She half shouted as she raced to the nearby guest room to hide while calming her heightened senses.
She had finished preparing breakfast when she decided to go back to her bedroom. Heat slowly crept into her face when she thought of the man in her personal chamber. She literally slept with her boss. She spent the night with a man, in her own room and on the same bed.
What the fuck is going on with you Sabina? She scolded herself mentally. Her boldness nowadays was still a puzzle to her.
The woman stood motionless at the back of the white couch in the living room. Her fingers were busy drumming the backrest of the sofa. This is crazy, Sab! She screamed mentally.
Sabina padded noiselessly towards her bedroom and found the man standing near her bed, his back was turned and was talking to someone on his smart phone.
"I can't, maybe later, say 6 or 7. Ma!" She heard him saying crossly.
"I really can't, I'm not her driver! Tell her to go alone or ask somebody else." His voice sounded irked and angry.
Timothy twisted and saw Sabina's reflection on the nearby mirror. "Ma, I have to go. Bye." Without waiting for his mother's reply, he tapped the end call icon and gave the woman a half smile.
Sensing his boss' dilemma, the woman opened her mouth. "Tim, you can go. I'm perfectly fine." She raised both her arms and even pulled her shirt upward to expose her taut stomach.
"See? No more hives, no more red patches." She stated, assuring him that she was really all right.
But the stubborn man just shook his head and went out of the room, totally ignoring his phone that was ringing loudly again.
After changing to a white baby tee and gray cotton drawstring running shorts, Sabina sauntered towards the breakfast nook and found her boss already seated.
The man motioned the chair beside him but Sabina chose to sit across him. She gazed at him, carefully constructing the words she wanted to say. But the scene before her eyes stole her hard-earned concentration, the man in front of her was a picture of a carefree young adult, the just-woke-up hair, the white shirt and the way he easily sat on her nook's white stool.
"What?" Timothy asked, noticing that Sabina was staring at him.
Vigorously, Sabina shook her head. These past few days, staring at Timothy makes her lose her concentration. It was calming and confusing at the same time. "Nothing." She said timidly, forgetting the entire spiel she was about to give him.
Timothy started to eat, savoring every bite of the food in the counter. Sabina prepared fried rice, salted egg with tomato, fried boneless Bangus and garlicky longganisa. He loved Filipino breakfast and it's been awhile since he last ate this kind of breakfast.
"I didn't know that you could cook." The young heir raised his eyes and caught his petite assistant still staring at him. He let go of his spoon and waved his hand in front of the woman.
"Sab!"
The woman blinked. "Yes?" she asked still high with Timothy's just-woke-up look.
"I said, I didn't know that you can cook." He stated, repeating his previous comment for the woman's benefit.
To hide her plight, the woman started to eat. In between chewing she responded. "I have to learn since I live on my own since I was 15. I'm not into fast food and I hate going out plus I love cooking, it helps me relax." She mumbled.
The woman stood up and went to get a carton of milk from the fridge. She drank
straight from it before she remembered that she wasn't alone.
She looked at her boss, embarrassed. "I'm sorry." She apologized while making a peace sign with her fingers.
Timothy smirked. "It's okay, I used to do that too. Can I?" He asked, gesturing at the milk carton in front of Sabina.
"Sure." Sabina was about to get up again to get a glass when she saw her boss mimicked her earlier action. He too, drank straight from the carton.
She felt her face getting hot and she wasn't sure why but thinking that they shared the same milk container invoked an intimate feeling in her. Deliberately, she ignored what he had done and pretended that it was normal for them to share.
This was another side of Tim, the side she rarely see. Since yesterday, she could almost feel the warmth and tenderness in him.
To divert her attention she ventured to a different topic. "I think your mom needs you, Tim. You can go now and besides, we will see each other tomorrow at the office." She suggested.
"Sab, listen. With everything that had happened, I think we need to talk. There's so much in my mind that I have to tell you." He said solemnly, no trace of arrogance or sarcasm could be found in his voice or tone.
A fluttering invaded Sabina's stomach again, just like yesterday morning. She fought the blush that was threatening to appear so she coaxed herself to act casually.
"What about?" She queried, hoping that Timothy would buy her I'm-all-normal-and-cool façade.
"Finish your food first, you need a big breakfast after your allergic attack yesterday." Timothy ignored her question. He wanted her full attention so he will not discuss his agenda over breakfast.
The woman in front of him rolled her eyes. "Food and Mr. Frustrating." He heard her murmured.
"Sab!" He muttered in a warning tone.
"Fine! Fine grumps." She tried to tease him to cover the maddening beating of her heart and the hopeful thoughts flashing in her head.
"Sab!" He scolded although one could clearly see that he was trying his best not to laugh.
∞∞∞
After doing the dishes, Timothy discovered Sabina sitting on the white couch in the living room, in her hand was a science magazine.
"Nerd!" He coughed but the woman remained engross on what she was reading.
"Geek!" He coughed again.
"I heard that! If nerd means reading interesting and fascinating magazines that could enrich your intelligence and raise awareness about your surroundings, then be it. I am proud to be one. Not all girls are obsessed with the latest fashion or with juicy celebrity issues, you know. Although I must admit, I try to read fashion related reading materials from time to time." She said without glancing at her boss.
She smirked. "Just so you know, Architect Sebastian, our world doesn't revolve around shopping, skin care and accessories, we are more than that. Some women love books and dorky type of boys." She continued to browse her magazine.
A small smile emerged from Timothy's mouth. She's really one of a kind, nerdy but hot, geeky but still gorgeous. He thought.
He gave her a discreet once-over and felt something stirring inside him. She was wearing gray cotton shorts exposing her toned and shapely legs and her white baby tee clung to her body like a second skin. His throat felt cottony all of a sudden. Even the simplest clothes looked hot on her.
He cleared his throat to hide the quivering of his voice before speaking. The man knew that this is it. For the first time in his existence, he was about to confess a genuine romantic feeling towards someone.
Sabina raised her head from her science mag, she quirked her brows, silently asking if he was all right. The man standing across her nodded.
The woman schooled her features. She patted the space beside her and put down the thick magazine on the side table. Subtly saying that she was ready for the "talk".
Obediently, Tim sat beside her. He studied her angelic face and drew a long breath. "Sab, I am no expert on this but I think I'm in love with you." He confessed wholeheartedly as he continued to stare at her.
The woman wasn't ready with what she heard, his words left her tongue-tied and immobile. She gawked at him as if he had grown another head.
He's in love with me.
He's in love with me.
He's in love with me.
Her insides chanted, she was expecting something like this but not this forward and not this serious. For her anything with the word love in it was serious. She was expecting more likely of, "I like you" or "Will you go out with me?" but this? This is too serious, too intimate.
When the dumbstruck woman got her wits back, she raised her hands in defense.
"Wait! Wait! Are you sure about this, Tim? You barely know me. We have known each other for what? One month? Two months?" She said panicking without reasons.
"Sixteen weeks Sab since the bathroom incident." He said in as a matter of fact tone. Timothy reached for the petite lady's hands and found them shaking and icy. It was evident that she too, was anxious. This gave him an encouraging feeling.
Sabina looked at their tangled hands. "But it's not enough Tim, you don't know me." She stated hesitantly.
"Honestly, I don't think it is love. It could be admiration, attraction or maybe lust but definitely not love." She argued, not really sure if she was saying the right thing.
Timothy almost choked with Sabina's choice of words. Everything she said was true except for the love. As a grown man, he was sure that he loves her. Yes, he admired her, he was attracted to her since that very early Saturday morning and yes, he must admit that he was lusting after her but who would not?
She is the most gorgeous woman he had ever met, she may be short and slightly bow legged but her looks, curves and personality were above and beyond. Over the top, in fact.
The man gripped Sabina's hand tightly. "I know what I feel. Maybe it's too soon but what can I do? I'm just being honest here. We are both of age and I think we should face this like an adult that we both are." He declared truthfully.
The woman in front of him was now scarlet red. "Tim, are you sure? Am I supposed to give you an answer right now? Because honestly, I don't know what to say. This is freaking me out but in a good way. Do you get my drift?" She asked candidly. Sabina was really confused.
The man half smiled. "Yes, I get you and no, you don't have to give me an answer right now. I just wanted you to know how I feel about you." He tried to explain.
This felt odd for him since this was a first for him. His past relationships were all flings and drunk make outs. He never mentioned the L word even once, even to Darcy.
"Alright then." Sabina sighed in relief. A huge chunk of worries readily left her chest. "Thank you, Tim." She added shyly.
The man's face dropped. Sabina's words were like ice, cold and hard. He was expecting more than just a thank you.
Timothy's expression alarmed Sabina. She knew something was not right so she went with her instinct and chose to be honest. Her boss had been nothing but truthful so the woman thought that it wouldn't be fair if she held back.
"Tim." She began.
"Honestly, I never had any romantic relationship before so this is all new to me. The only relationship I had with the opposite sex was being friends like my relationship with Kenneth and Jerome, all platonic. I meant friends, pals and buddies. In fact, one of my best friends is a man. You met James, right?" She asked, totally lost on what to say.
The man nodded his head sadly. He too, was lost. He didn't know where this conversation is going.
"But I like you, not the same way I like James or Kenneth or Jerome. It's different, totally different. Oh crap! Am I making sense here?" She asked again.
Instantly, after hearing her words, Timothy raised his head. A smile blossomed from his lips. "That's enough for now. I am truly thrilled to know that you like me." He lifted her hands and planted a kiss on the back of each palm.
∞∞∞
The rest of the morning was spent watching TV, they had Friends and X-Files marathon. When lunch came, Sabina cooked Pinakbet, an Ilocano dish and fried boneless Bangus just like the ones they had for breakfast.
Timothy was fascinated with the way Sabina moves around her kitchen. The place was well organized from the pots and pans to the smallest eating utensil. The place was spotless and she had this gigantic vent to suck out the smoke and odor from the cooker.
They ate lunch at the dining table, Sabina sat beside Timothy while the latter catered to her every needs. He put food in her plate, poured water into her glass and he even did the dishes after eating.
"For someone from the South, you cooked Pinakbet really good. It's an Ilocano dish, right?" He asked.
Sabina answered him with a big smile. "Someone close to me taught me how to cook it. Patricia and James loved it so it became a mainstay in my menu." She stated proudly.
A loud ringing sounded. Hurriedly, Timothy ran towards her bedroom to answer his phone. After a few minutes, he came back with his smart phone in his ears. "Yes ma, I'll be home in time for dinner. Okay, bye." He spoke in a brief irritated tone.
"Go Timothy, its Sunday. You should be with your family. Your mom misses you, obviously. Go." She urged him.
"Are you sure?" He asked doubtfully.
She smiled and nodded her head but her chest suddenly felt heavier. Timothy went back in her room and emerged in his ripped jeans, black shirt and black Vans.
She tossed her car keys to his direction. "Use it, I'll just take a cab tomorrow." She said softly, trying to hide the shaking of her voice.
"This is silly Sabina, in just two days you became dependent on him." She scolded herself.
The tall man caught the keys but returned it on her key holder near her door. "No I'll just take a cab. I'll see you tomorrow. Okay?"
Silently, Sabina walked him out of her home. A few steps from the main door, the woman halted. Timothy stopped and looked at her.
Bravely, Sabina stood on tiptoe and kissed Timothy on the side of his mouth. "Thank you, Tim!" She whispered shyly, her face turning deep scarlet.
"You're always welcome, Sab!" He replied with a dazzling smile on his face. "And please don't look at me like that, I might change my mind in going home." He joked, but the petite lady just pouted.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He finished.
"Say hi to Maggie for me, okay?" She said. The tall man nodded his head as he walked out of the place.
∞∞∞
Upon entering the massive house, Timothy was instantly greeted by his livid mother. She was obviously waiting for him. He tried to peck her cheek but she twisted her head away to show him how disappointed she was.
"Where have you been, Theo?" She inquired irritably, looking at the duffel bag in his hand.
Timothy knew that telling the truth would just add fire to the present situation. "I was with a friend, we watched a football game last night and got drunk so I decided to spend the night at his place." He lied smoothly, surprisingly himself. He grew up close to her mother and this was the first time he lied to her.
The older woman was not convinced with his alibi. She studied his appearance, he didn't looked hung over and it looked like he got a good night sleep. "Where have you been, Theo?" She asked again, this time her tone was icy and hard.
Feeling trapped and cornered, Timothy was forced to tell the truth. "I was with Miss De la Vega." He said, holding his ground.
"What?" The matriarch roared.
"What is it this time? Out of town meeting? Deadlines? Proposals? Theo used your head. The woman is doing everything to get your attention. To get you." She started pacing rapidly to pacify her fury.
"You asked one of the drivers to pick up you vehicle in the port of Batangas, what were you doing there? It's the weekend, you should be with us, with Darcy." She ranted continuously.
The young man shook his head. "Ma, Sabina was sick." He simply said. Suddenly, he was tired and he missed his assistant's presence.
His mother looked at him. "And so? She's not your responsibility Theo. Yes, she's your employee but it ends there. You don't have to stay with her. Let me guess, she asked you to pick her up somewhere, right? Theo, wake up! You don't have to do that for her." The woman was now shouting.
"But I wanted to!" Timothy was not able to hold back his anger.
"I want to, ma. She didn't ask me for anything, okay?" His voice was loud and frustrated.
"Why is this a big deal, ma?" He asked.
"This is a big deal because you're forgetting all about Darcy. She came here looking for you. She told me that you promised last Thursday that you'll go with her at a friend's party." The older woman explained.
Timothy smiled bitterly. "Ma, Darcy is not my responsibility, she's not even my girlfriend." He looked at his mother, waiting for her reaction.
"What?" His mother paled as she covered her mouth in shock.
"When did you two broke up? Fix this at once, Theo. Darcy loves you. I'm sure she'll take you back. Is this about Miss De..."
He cut her out. "She was never my girlfriend, she was just a friend, a family. So please stop feeding her illusions ma, I don't love her that way." Bravely, he cleared the misconception about Darcy and him.
As his mother, the woman was shocked with his son's confession. All this time she speculated that the two were serious. "No! You will go now and seek Darcy's forgiveness. You will fix this, Theo! Do you understand?" She shouted.
Another voice joined the heated confrontation. "That's enough, Bianca!" Diego Sebastian yelled from the top of the grand stairway.
"Theo will not do such thing. You heard him. He has no feelings for the woman. Learn to respect you son's decision." The older male Sebastian added.
In total confusion, Timothy stood with his mouth hanging open. This was the first time his father took his side. For the first time in ten years, he wanted to say thank you to him but his distress left him speechless.
"You may go now, Theo. I know you're tired." His father dismissed him without asking any questions.
With head bowed, Timothy left the foyer and proceeded in his room. He collapsed on his bed and closed his eyes. Automatically, his vision was flooded with the images of a short beautiful girl, moving around in a white spotless kitchen, ladle and spatula in her hand.
∞∞∞
Around dinnertime, Timothy dialed Sabina's number. He stood alone on his room's veranda, facing the mansion's garden. The sky was now dark and the stars were all visible.
He smiled inwardly, the stars always reminded her of Sabina and the night when he saw her, in her long dress and flower crown. It was the night when he first saw how fierce and strong-willed she was.
He heard a ring and a panting voice answered from the other side. "Hello Tim?" There was a sound of labored breathing that made him worry.
"Are you alright, Sab? Do you want me to come over? What happened? Are you having another panic attack? Did the allergies come back?" He began to panic.
Suddenly, he was worried and scared again. Her allergies might have attacked again. "Sab? Are you alright?" He asked again.
The woman on the other side giggled. "You're over reacting, Tim. No, just got out from the treadmill so chill. I'm perfectly fine and all the red patches were gone now." She assured him.
The man let out the breath he was holding. He was ready to bolt and go straight to her then suddenly, going to her was a brilliant idea. A picture flashed into the forefront of his mind, one with a sweaty Sabina. He blinked the image away but could not.
"Are you sure?" He choked.
"Yes! Stop worrying. I have been taking care of myself for almost a decade now." She reminded him. "Have you eaten?" His assistant asked.
"Not yet, you?" He returned the question to her. He knew Sabina needed reminding when it comes to eating. The woman tends to forget meal times especially if she's busy or pre-occupied.
The man heard the sound of a long deep breath before he heard her voice. "Just about to, I'll just take a shower then I'll eat dinner." Another image crossed Timothy's head. This time, one with a very wet and naked Sabina under the shower.
A long pause followed. "Hey Tim, are you still there?" The woman on the other line asked.
"Yeah." Came his throaty reply.
He heard a door closing. "Tim I have to go, I'll see you at the office. All right? Bye." Sabina's voice echoed on the other side, obviously she was already inside her spacious bathroom.
Timothy swallowed before replying. "Okay. Good night Sab! Bye." The other line went out before he could touch the end icon.
∞∞∞
The young president was on his way to the dining hall when his smart phone sounded. Excitedly, he checked his messages, thinking that it was from his assistant but his face fell when he saw the name. It was from his best friend, Terrence.
[Man, I have news for you. I'll drop by your house tomorrow morning. See you.]
It was brief and simple but it brought so much thought on Timothy's mind. He was sure that Terrence was talking about the family they been looking for, from the North.
He drew a deep breath and continued to trudge towards the mansion's dining hall. The first face he saw made him curse.
"Shit!" He murmured.
"Hi Tim." Darcy greeted him with a big smile on her face while Margaret looked on and smirked.
The young man witnessed how his sister's demeanor lit up and she smiled like a cat who just ate a canary. She skipped towards his brother and pecked the young man's cheek.
"Hey Tim." She greeted him merrily.
Timothy was busy thinking on how to deal with Darcy and Margaret, when his parents stepped into the dining hall. Darcy shot out of her seat and pecked the couple's cheeks, Bianca Sebastian looked delighted while her husband remained expressionless.
"Wow Darcy! You beat me again." Margaret exclaimed sarcastically as she kissed her mother and her father. Darcy paled with Margaret's biting remarks.
Mrs. Sebastian threw her daughter a dark look while the latter just stared back at her mother with clear defiance.
"What?" The model asked innocently. "She acts like she's the daughter." She murmured a little loud.
"Maggie!" The older woman warned while Timothy sat silently on his place, he never dared to interfere with his sister's outburst because he knew that Margaret was always right.
The Sebastians and Darcy began to eat. All was quiet until Margaret opened her mouth. "How's your weekend Tim?" She asked meaningfully. She quirked one of her brows, silently telling her brother to just go with the flow.
Timothy immediately caught on with what's happening. He wanted Margaret to zip her mouth but he knew that it would be impossible, seeing that Darcy was here. The two never got along well, Margaret didn't like Darcy's clingy personality one bit and at some point, the youngest Sebastian was really jealous of her eldest brother's best friend.
"It was good, great actually except for some allergic attack." He replied cryptically.
The young man was stunned when his father joined in the conversation. "Why? What happened? Who caught an allergy?" Diego Sebastian asked while reaching for the Seafood Paella.
Margaret's mouth twitched into a triumphant smile as she waited for her brother's response.
"Ms. De la Vega, pa." Timothy replied timidly as he watched Darcy's expression turned sour.
Bianca Sebastian cleared her throat loudly but his husband ignored her. "So you're with her yesterday? What happened to your assistant?" He inquired again.
"Is she alright?" A hint of concern was apparent in his tone.
"She's fine pa, she carries an Epinephrine pen with her all the time but I brought her to the hospital just to make sure. She was at the diving school when it happened." He explained for his father and sister's benefit.
Timothy saw his father nodded. "And why were you at the diving school?" Margaret asked although the young man was quite sure that she, herself already knew the answer.
He shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted a change of scenery so I decided to spent the weekend at the beach." He reasoned out.
"How nice! Of all the resorts in Mindoro you ended on the resort where the diving school was located. Wow! What a coincidence." Darcy commented heatedly.
"Actually no, it's not a coincident. I really wanted to spend the weekend with my assistant so I followed her there. Satisfied?" He turned to Darcy, shutting her up immediately.
The young man's confession ignited his mother's temper. "That's enough, Theo! Darcy dear, don't mind him he's just tired." She tried to console the older woman.
A snort bubbled from Margaret's throat. "No ma, Tim is not tired, he's happy. No! He's ecstatic. Can't you tell?" She challenged her mother. She was really tired of seeing how her mother feed Darcy's whims.
"Shut up, Maggie!" Darcy yelled angrily, all manners forgotten.
"No! You shut up, the people in this house may have treated you as a family but just to remind you, I am still the daughter here." She retaliated.
The Sebastian matriarch stood up. "Maggie!" She roared, she shot her daughter an angry look.
But Margaret ignored her. "You have no right to speak to me that way. You're in my father's house and we are not even friends so you shut up!" She looked at her brother and father.
"Excuse me but I think I lost my appetite." She exited from the hall without looking at her mother.
As soon as Margaret left the table, Timothy spoke. "I'm finished. Please excuse me." He saw his father nodded his head so he stood up and headed out.
Mrs. Sebastian and Darcy were left tongue-tied and both were drained of color from fury while Diego Sebastian continued to eat like nothing happened.