AN:
Hi guys, thank you so much for reading Broken Sky until this part :) I love you all so much.
Probably most of you (especially if you've read Deeper) might be wondering why I put my characters in the Oil & Gas sector. It's easier for me to write something that I'm familiar with (what I studied, my day-to-day environment, etc), so I hope that you're not fed up with it. I just feel that I should warn you because we're entering the working environment now, so you'll find bits of it.
Anyways, on with the story ;)
***
My pulse quickens as I step out of the elevator, arriving at the designated floor of the department that has just recruited me as an intern.
CPL Oil & Gas headquarter is huge -- it feels intimidating. I still can't believe that they chose me to help them here, but there must be something good that they saw in my track records, so I should be optimistic.
Keep fighting, Lais.
Once I reach the department lobby, a pretty lady with tanned skin and short hair greets me. "Good morning! You must be Lais," she chirps.
"Good morning." I smile. "Yes, I'm the new intern here." I extend my hand to shake hands with her.
"I'm Sarah." She smiles, shaking hands with me. She seems like a friendly person. "Finally. I have lovely juniors!" She squeals, making the receptionist behind her muffle his laughter.
Well, she seems like a fun person too. From her appearance, I'm guessing that she might be a few years older than me.
We push through the door and enter the department.
I've expected that there will be curious heads turning toward me, but I'm wrong. Many people are gathered at the far corner of the floor, in front of an office room.
"That's your friend. He's a new intern too and just greeted our Division Head," Sarah says as we keep walking between the cubicles. "I'll bring you there in no time. But first of all, I'm gonna show you your desk. You might want to put your bag first before you can mingle with them and have some chit chats with the rest of us."
My eyebrows raise, curiosity filling my mind. Wow. The other intern already attracts much attention. I guess that I'll get to know him soon.
We stop at my desk. It's quite spacious. My new laptop already sits on it, along with a pile of documents.
If I turn my chair around, I'll come face to face with another desk. It's like our workplaces are connected, but still big enough for the two of us.
I'm guessing that my new cubicle friend is that new intern guy.
My gaze darts on the name board on my desk. Lais Hernandez.
Oh my, I can't be more proud of myself. A happy smile creeps on my lips.
Mommy, your daughter is doing really good. In fact, she's so happy now that she feels like flying to the clouds.
I turn to the other desk and read the name on it.
Then my eyes widen in shock -- I even wonder if they can bulge out of their sockets. There, on the other name board, I read a familiar name.
Jacob Spencer.
J-Jacob? Spencer?
Jake?
My heart seems to stop.
I read the name over and over again, hoping that there's something wrong with my sight.
I freeze on the spot, my lips parted. My heart thumps hard inside my chest.
No. No. No.
I've promised myself that I'd start a new life. This is the new me -- I don't need to be reminded of my past.
My painful past.
Calm down, heart. Maybe there's exactly another person named Jake Spencer who's in his third year of college, doing his internship. Right.
"Come on, I'll introduce you to the others," Sarah says, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I follow her as we head to where everybody else is gathering, toward the Division Head's office. I can't even feel my legs walking on the ground.
When we finally reach the crowd to greet my boss, I feel like everything is happening in slow motion. They finally notice me coming up, and then the circle of people breaks apart to give me access, revealing my nightmare.
There standing in the middle of the crowd is Jake Spencer.
And suddenly, I forget how to breathe. It's been so long since the last time I saw him.
I still remember his blonde hair that used to be messier back then in high school, only to be more properly styled now that he's dressed formally.
He definitely looks more groomed in his office attire but still looks as masculine as he was on the football field back then.
He's taller than before, while his dark blue eyes are just as piercing as I remember them.
He is Jake.
I definitely catch his attention as he turns his head toward me, but before I can react, a voice interrupts us.
"So is this Lais?"
I snap my head toward the source of the voice, only to find a man who seems to be in his 40s staring at me.
From the way he carries himself and the way it slightly intimidates me, I don't have to ask someone to know that he's the big boss. The division head.
"Yes, Sir," I say, and we shake hands. His grip is firm, just like I expected.
"Please, call me George." He smiles. "Welcome to CPL. Don't hesitate to learn as much as you can here. We're thrilled to share what we have here with you, and I hope that you are too. You and Jake have become a part of our family now."
I nod, returning his smile. I've promised myself that I'd do my best.
It's just that my new partner here is unexpected.
Jake looks at me, and I automatically avoid his eyes.
The next moments are spent with me greeting the other senior colleagues there. It's a relief that they're all fun and friendly.
When it's about time for me to face Jake, I pray to God that I can just disappear from Earth.
I turn to him and come face to face with his smile.
"Hi, Lais," he says.
I remember his voice that used to make my heart melt -- it's now even deeper than it used to be.
"I'm Jake. Jake Spencer. It's a pleasure to meet you." He extends his hand to shake mine.
He obviously doesn't recognize me, talking and acting like this is the first time we meet.
No, Jake. We've met before.
But I've long accepted the fate that it's only me who would remember everything about us.
My mind is spinning. With all that has happened, the last thing I'd want is for him to touch me again.
However, in these circumstances, I don't have any other options.
"Hi, Jake." I smile nonetheless. "I'm Lais. It's nice to meet you too."
Slowly, I extend my hand, and when we shake hands, I feel like electricity has just surged through my skin.
This is going to be a long journey.