ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH?

Chapter Seventeen

NAPAPADALAS YATA ang pag-anyaya sa kanya ni Beta na sumabay ng lunch. Lily got out of her gray Volvo, wearing a pair of red peep-toes and a matching pink pencil skirt and suit blazer. Her short hair clipped on both sides to make her sweet face stand-out in its refreshing subtle touch of pink on the lips, lid and cheeks.

She never stopped walking even when she already got inside the restaurant. Nang mahanap ang table kung nasaan si Beta, dumiretso siya ng upo sa kabila ng mesa. Lily placed her shoulder bag on the vacant space of a black, vinyl restaurant booth where she sat.

Beta looked at her, wearing a strong woman appeal in her high ponytail, white maxi skirt and red, collared blouse.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Lily picked up the menu card, quickly scanning the list.

“Did Basil roast you again?”

“Sinisi na naman ako,” iling niya habang nasa menu card pa rin ang tingin.

“Sinisi for what?” salubong ng mga kilay nito.

“That damn beast,” she could not help muttering while keeping a straight face, “nag back-out na siya sa gagawing assessment something para sa results ng activities sa team building namin sa December.”

“Lily, look at me,” the tigress demanded firmly but she wasn’t fazed by that. Not ever. “Hindi ko ma-gets kung tungkol saan ang mga sinasabi mo, at kung sino—”

“Jared, the beast,” she sighed, placing a hand on top of the menu card on the table. She bravely met her friend’s shocked eyes. “Si Jared lang naman.”

“What about Jared na naman?”

Kinuwento ni Lily na nagkataong si Jared ang napipisil na clinical psychologist ng Variant para i-evaluate ang mga empleyado nito.

“I can’t believe Variant will go that far!”

“Para sa mental well-being daw ng mga employees,” Lily raised a hand to call a waiter’s attention. “But I bet, it’s to secure their precious image.”

“Dahil ba ‘yan sa nag-viral na post sa Facebook?” Beta seemed to relax a bit, recovered from her shock earlier. “An anonymous post na sinisiraan ang Variant?”

“Variant denied that, of course. Pero sa loob-loob, alam nilang totoo ‘yong post kasi tamang-tama ang pagdedetalye sa kalakaran sa company namin.”

“The pressure at work. Unrealistic deadlines. Sucking up to the superiors…” Beta enumerated. “I bet, Jared can help with that.”

“Iyon na nga ‘yon, eh. Umatras siya sa usapan nila ni Ma’am Jackie. Hindi na siya tutuloy.”

Mabilis na napagkone-konekta ni Beta ang lahat. Nanlaki ang mga mata nito. “At ikaw ang sinisisi ni Basil?” She gasped. “So, alam niyang magkakilala kayo? Alam niyang pumupunta ka sa The Org?”

“Girllll, hindi!” Damn, she sounded so defensive. “Kuya Basil knows nothing! He’s just blaming me kasi baka kung anu-ano raw ang paninira sa Variant na sinabi ko kay Jared nung nagpa-appointment ako sa kanya.”

“Nagpa-appointment ka? For what? For talk therapy?”

Lily sighed. “You see, akala ni Kuya Basil makakatulong sa akin na mag-usap kami ni Jared.” Then, she smirked naughtily. “As if I will let anyone convince me na tigilan ko ang pang-aasar kina Kuya sa company.”

Beta wore a cringe on her face. “Yikes. He really has no idea what he started.”

“I told him that I won’t go to that extent para lang inisin sila,” patuloy niya. “But so far, Kuya Basil is not buying it.”