"Are you not wearing formal clothes when you go to work?" tanong ko kay Kev.
He's wearing a casual attire with a coat that doesn't reach his wrist, like a ¾ sleeve?
It's not that it's not appropriate, I was just curious why. Nevertheless, he looks hot in his outfit and I like it. The man I know who can wear a garbage bag at work and still look ridiculously hot, my boyfriend.
"Nope. Mas komportable ako nang ganito." Simpleng sagot niya lang.
Lumapit naman ako sa kanya sa walk-in closet niya at inayos yung blazer niya.
"You're the son of the company's owner, Kev." I smiled.
"Technically, yes but in his company? No, I'm not."
Napakunot naman yung noo ko sa sagot niya.
"What do you mean?"
"Walang nakakaalam na anak niya ako. Isa 'yun sa mga kondisyon ko nung pumayag akong magtrabaho sa kanya." He explains to me.
"Why?"
"Dahil ayoko. Reena, pwede bang wag na nating pagusapan pa 'to?" he annoyingly said.
Gusto ko pa sanang magsalita but I just let it go. I won't ruin the mood.
"Okay. I'll wait for you in the kitchen." I smiled and kiss the corner of his mouth which made him smile.
God, how I love to see that smile every morning?
With that, umalis na ako at inayos yung mga hinanda ko kanina for breakfast.
I just made an omelette for the two of us and sliced a Spanish bread. I made him two cups of coffee.
After a few minutes, lumabas na siya ng kwarto and went to the kitchen.
"Smells nice." He comments as he sat down.
"Should be. Here." I smiled and gave him his omelette and sat down beside him.
He took a bite and nodded his head in agreement that my cooking is good.
"It's nice to eat breakfast at home." Sabi niya sa akin.
"Why? Where do you eat breakfast?" tanong ko at nagiba yung expression ng mukha niya.
Did I say something wrong? Parang wala naman?
And again, realization hits me.
Andy's cooking for him.
Ayokong pansinin na lang at iniba yung usapan. I don't want to talk about her and my insecurities.
"Will you drop me on my condo before you go to work? I have to check my mails." I smiled at him.
"Sure," sagot niya naman. Maybe he's thankful that I changed the topic.
We just ate breakfast, talked and I laughed when he told me about his "stupid" secretary. Sabi niya, pinapadala niya daw yung laptop niya sa secretary niya sa board room dahil nakalimutan niya sa office niya but what she brought was the whole desktop computer at pinabuhat niya pa sa ibang empleyado. There's a whole lot difference between a laptop and a desktop. Paano yun nakagraduate at nakapasa? What he did was, he fired that secretary and hired a new one. I can't blame him for that.
"Tatawagan na lang kita pagkatapos kong magtrabaho. Ayos lang ba sa'yo yun?" he asks me bago ako bumaba ng kotse niya.
"Oo naman, bakit naman hindi? I have all the time in the world." I smiled at him.
"Good thing you're not working yet."
"Maybe I will. Soon." I tell him, "You have works to do. You should probably go. Ayokong ma-late ka ng dahil sakin." I dismiss him.
"Ayos lang kung dahil sayo," pagbibiro niya pa sakin nung biglang magring yung phone niya.
He answered it immediately at kumunot yung noo niya sa sinabi nung nasa kabilang linya.
"Yeah. I'm on my way." Sagot niya sa tawag.
"See? I'll go first. Drive safely." Pagpapaalam ko sa kanya.
"Okay, bye." He kisses me and I got out of his car after a passionate kiss from him.
I wave him goodbye and went inside the building to my unit.
Pagkapasok ko pa lang ng pinto ko, may mga mails na dun na nakatambay.
Pinulot ko naman and went directly in the living room.
There are exactly three mails. Two are billings for my unit and the other one is from SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers) here in the Philippines.
Dumating na yung inaantay ko. I applied for the position of a Senior SDC dahil wala naman akong pinagkakaabalahan naboboring na ako.
Binuksan ko na. Hindi ko alam pero kinakabahan ako. Maybe there's a part of me that wants to work here in the Philippines after all? Nakaplano na ako noon that I would work on New York but no luck. Maybe this is what is for me dahil hindi ko alam kung babalik pa ako ng New York.
I smiled when I read it. I was admitted to be a Senior SDC.
The mail says that I have to report and that I still have to go through an interview. When I looked at the date, it's set tomorrow at 9 in the morning.
I'll see them then.
I called my mom to tell her the news and she's happy about it. She'll tell Kuya na lang daw for me.
I have nothing to do now... I wanna work out though. I'll go to the gym.
Nagshower na ako at nagbihis in my sports bra and leggings with my work out shoes. My gym bag is set with extra clothes and I'm off.
Nagdrive lang ako until I saw a gym called Fit stop dahil yan naman yung pinakauna kong nakita, it's just a few minutes away from my unit. I climbed the staircases. It's on the second floor of the building. The ambiance is nice, white and black walls. Dumb bells, bar baells and everything. There are only few working out because it's working hours.
"Hi," bati ko sa lalaking nakaupo sa reception area.
"Oh, hi." He smiles down at me.
"Uhm, bago lang kasi ako dito. How do things work here?" I ask him.
"Oh, yeah. Wait a second." He smiled bago niya kinuha yung form sa ilalim ng table at inabot sa akin.
This guy is good looking, it's like may lahi siyang Brazilian.
"Here. If you can just fill in the form and pay for a membership fee if you'd like. Pero kung hindi, it's fine. You can just pay for a session. It would be nice if you sign in for a membership because you can have discounts." He tells me professionally.
Since I'll be staying here, might as well sign for a membership.
"I'll go for a membership." I smile at him.
"Good,"
I sign it, paid for it and started working out.
Kevin's POV
"It's good to be working with you, Mr. Lim." -Mr. Rodriguez
"Thank you," tumango lang ako at inabot yung inalok niyang kamay.
Nasa field kami at fina-finalize yung mga plano para sa project sa isang village.
"Mauna na ako dahil may dadaanan pa ako." Paalam niya.
"Sure," I nodded at umalis na siya.
Kinuha ko naman yung cellphone sa kotse and called my assistant.
"Maris, tuloy ba yung meeting ng mga team leaders mamaya?" tanong ko. Nung tingnan ko yung relo ko, 5:00 na.
"Yes sir. Last meeting niyo na po yun today at 6 pm. And sir, Mr. Villarama wants to talk to you after the team leaders' meeting. He just called to tell me that I should tell you." sagot niya naman sa akin.
"Sinabi niya bang importante yun?" Iritableng tanong ko.
"Yes, sir."
"Okay. Thanks." I hang up.
Villarama is my father. Ken Villarama. Ano namang gusto niyang sabihin ngayon? Hindi kami gaanong nag-uusap. Bakit? Ayoko lang. Nakikita ko lang siya pag may meeting yung team leaders kasama yung board.
Pumasok na ako ng kotse at bumalik ng office. Medyo malayo yung location ng site. It's a good thing I still have an hour to drive.
Exactly 7:30 pm, natapos yung meeting. Pagkapasok ko sa office ko, nandun yung tatay ko.
Tss, naghintay na lang sana siya sa office niya. At para makasiguradong walang makakakita sa amin, sumilip ako sa labas. Walang tao.
"What do you need?" I rudely ask him.
"That's a very nice greeting for your father." He says and I scoff.
"I didn't have a father for the half of my life." Sagot ko naman.
Napayuko naman siya sa sinabi ko but he stayed composed.
"How's the project for a village going?"
"Doing well. Dapat maging masaya ka dahil sa akin napunta yung project at hindi sa anak mo."
Alam na niyan kung sinong tinutukoy ko. Si Caloy.
"Ikaw ang anak ko, Kevin. Why are you refusing to use my name?"
Hindi ko ginagamit yung apelyido niya. Sa nanay ko yung gamit ko. Ano bang dahilan para gamitin ko apelyido niya?
"Dahil hindi naman kita kinilalang tatay kahit na kailan. You were never a father to me."
"I want to be a father to you pero bakit pinipigilan mo ako?" he asks me and I scoffed.
"I'm perfectly fine without a father." Pagdidiin ko at hindi niya maitatago yung pagkunot ng noo niya kaya napayuko na lang siya ulit.
"Now if you'll excuse me, sir. I have works to do." I dismiss him at nagpunta sa CR ng opisina ko.
Fuck it! Shit! Tang ina! Gusto kong magdabog sa harapan niya. Sino siyang nagsasabi sa akin na gusto niyang maging tatay sa akin ngayon? Pagkatapos nung ilang taong nakita ko yung nanay kong sirain yung buhay niya ng dahil sa kanya. Hindi nga nila naisip na may anak sila na dapat ikonsidera tapos sasabihin niya sa akin yang mga yan ngayon? Fuck off!