THE GOV. & I

Area Of Assignment

"Joaquin Nikolas S. Lagdameo" Public Servant. Golden letters carved into a dark wood.

"Hmmnnnn... Public Servant...Tsssss, pa humble!" Ayen mumbled a few more string of curses while walking around the polished office of the Governor. She was told that she and her team might have to wait for a while due to an occasion the Governor had to attend to na nataon naman sa kanilang appointment.

She looked around and saw members of her team waiting at the veranda of the office with their coffee and smoke, she opted to stay seated at the sofa trying to rest her head and her aching limbs, sobrang haba ng biniyahe nila just to get here and all she wanted was a long warm bath and sleep.

"So, are you accepting the challenge?" Angeline, whom they fondly call Angge, their Program Director glared at her with a lopsided smile.

"I think I could no longer say no Madam, you've pulled me out of another critical project, surprisingly pulled all strings you could just to get me to this." Ayen glared back with a defeated smile.

Angeline turned serious. "Ayen, this is very personal to me and I needed you to handle this. I know, what I did was terrible and I know how much you've already poured in to your current project. I'm really sorry for not being able to get your team with you but I have provided you the best I could assemble. I owe you this Ayen."

Ayen just stared at the documents on the table and nodded, "Please let me meet the team."

Angge gave her a grateful look and buzzed her secretary via the intercom, "Jean, please advise the team to come in, thank you!"

Jean ushered a total of 7 persons in the room.

Ayen's eyes rested on each of them... "God! They are all young!" Her mind panicked.

"Everyone, I know you've heard of her but still I want you guys to personally meet Director Adrienne Dominguez, she will handle Project Astra." Angeline's cheerful voice encouraged the 7 faces to smile with their admiring gaze fixed at Ayen.

"Hello everyone, just as the Madam has mentioned, I will be with you through this project. I know you've heard more lies than truth about me so I guess we'll just get to know each other as we go along. I need you to be prepared of things you needed for three months since I will not be allowing anyone to be on vacation for the first three months we are in the area. After that, you can do anything you wanted."Ayen rose to her seat and addressed everybody. "For all your other questions, we'll deal with them during the briefing which will be done on our second night at the project area, so please get my numbers from Jean and we will see each other tomorrow for the trip."

"Angge, who is our driver pala?" Ayen turned to Angge whom she caught moving her head from side to side.

"Oh, that! Manong Max volunteered when she heard you'll be involved!" She replied with a smile.

"That's a nice one Madam!" Ayen smiled warmly and then left the room with a wave.

Angeline looked at the 7 faces in front of her, "You never thought that she is that pretty, right?

All of them nodded in unison, seemingly unable to process how quick the meet up was.

Quin's forehead creases as he flickered through his phone screen. Someone, obviously agitated is walking around inside his office and even made a face while reading his name on his desk. His phone is connected to the CCTV inside his office and he just accidentally opened the app while browsing. He just got into his car after the Inauguration Ceremony of a building in one of the municipality in the province.

"Risa, sino etong nasa office ko at the moment?" Quin asked his PA showing her his screen.

"Ay Gob, yung team po yan galing sa Regional Office para po doon sa Project Astra. Yung itinawag po ni Madam Angge sa inyo nung last week. Schedule ng courtesy call po nila kanina pa pong 1 PM pero natagalan po tayo" Risa answered.

Quin nodded quietly.

Risa was right, Project Astra has been Angge's subject of calls since last month convincing him to take it as it would help their province a lot. Infrastructures, trainings, medical aid and a lot more through a very hefty amount of grant. Quin was hesitant knowing that it might be questioned due to his ties with Angge being the Program Director but still he went through the tedious selection and validation process discreetly, and just last week he got the official acceptance letter.

"Sige, Manong Dan, sa opisina po muna tayo." He instructed his driver.

"Okay Gob, sabi pala ni Angge nung tumawag kanina, huwag ka daw magsusungit kasi maganda daw yung pinapunta niya dito at hindi daw basta basta, director din lang daw Gob." Manong Dan was all smiles.

Quin chuckled. "Manong, lahat naman ng babae kay tita Angge maganda."

"Gob, maganda po talaga, nautal utal nga po ako kanina nung kinakausap ko." Risa inserted.

"You've met her na?" Quin glanced at Risa.

"Yes po Gob, kase ako po nagpapasok sa kanila bago ko po kayo pinuntahan. Napaka warm po niyang kausap, nakakatulala." Risa smiled.

Quin rested his head back, he replayed in his mind what he saw in the CCTV app. That girl was obviously cursing. "There's nothing warm with that!"

Ayen fixed herself on her seat when all her team members were ushered in from the veranda. The girl she talked to earlier is back, she learned her name is Risa, the Governor's Personal Assistant.

"Ma'am, sorry po sa matagal na pag hihintay.Pero nandito na po si Gob in 2 minutes." Risa smiled at everyone.

Ayen was nodding with a smile when a guy walked in, His eyes into her, walked past them and straight to the Governor's table.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting but I think Risa has already explained the reason why I had to ask you to wait. I tried to rush back here the soonest I could." Juaquin averted his gaze to those beautiful eyes and addressed everyone in the room with a smile.

Ayen tilted her chin and moved closer to the table. "It is fine po Governor, masarap naman po yung kape." She smiled and lifted her hand, "Adrienne Domiguez po Governor, ako po ang in charge sa project Astra."

Joaquin took her hand into his and was jolted by seemingly small needles pricking into his skin.

"Welcome to our humble province Ma'am!"

Ayen took back her hand hiding her surprise. "What the fudge was that?" That little voice in her head was screaming at her. She felt tingling sensation from her fingertips to her shoulders when their hands touched.

Joaquin took his time shaking hands with the rest of Ayen's team, joking with them.

"Akala niyo po siguro matanda ang Gobernador ano po? Sa pangalan pa lang baka naisip niyo na mga edad sisenta na." Joaquin joked while sitting himself back to his chair.

Marianne, the team's doctor responded with a laugh. "Napakabata niyo po tapos super good looking pa, single pa po ba kayo Gob?"

"Yes doc, Single po. Walang labis, walang kulang!" Joaquin smiled, fixing his gaze to Ayen.

"Si Director Dominguez po ba Doc, single din?"

Andrew, the team's Engineer answered. "Naku Gob, labis labis po ang pag kasingle ni Madam!"

The joke made everyone laughed. Ayen just managed to move her head from side to side with a smile.

"Governor, as much as I wanted to brief you on the project today, may I request that we do it tomorrow? I would like to request if I and my team could rest for today sana. Medyo mahaba po yung byahe coming here."

"Of course Ma'am, ahhmmm Risa has already arranged the guest house that you'll be occupying for the rest of your stay here. She will be showing you there. The food and the rest of the things you will be needing will be attended to by Manang Emma and Manong Berting. I have another meeting by 4 PM so I am sorry if I could not be joining you for your welcome dinner. The Vice Governor will be there in my behalf." Joaquin explained not cutting his gaze to her.

Ayen felt her cheeks burning with his cold stare.

"It is okay po Governor, we thank you very much for your time po." Ayen stood and absentmindedly ran her hands through her hair, as she ushered her team to the door.

"What the fuck was that Joaquin Nikolas?!" Joaquin cursed under his breath while looking at the door where Ayen disappeared.