The Art of Persuasion

Challenge Me

Challenge Me

I'm not into surprises, it's a love and hate relationship. I love the feeling of being surprised but I hate the tension it's giving me. Speaking of surprises, my lunch with Caleb was a complete surprise. I never thought he could be that needy and at the same time controlling. After what he said ay sumama narin ako sa kaniya dahil nagugutom narin naman ako and during the whole lunch thing was just pure professionalism. The begging eyes I saw when he pleaded me to have lunch with him was gone. Bumalik siya sa pagiging dictator. Puro trabaho lang pinag-usapan namin kaya nakakapunyeta. For a second there, I thought that was already a huge step on whatever I'm doing. I thought I finally made him bend even just a bit. Well, marami nga naman namamatay sa maling akala.

The day ended up being as mainstream as possible. Bukod sa nangyari between Johan and Caleb sa elevator, I still consider it as a typical day. I explained everything to Portia since ayokong dakdakan na naman niya ako. I filed a leave for tomorrow until Sunday dahil tapos ko na namang ayusin lahat ng schedules ni Caleb. I deserve a break and Caleb's going out of town on Friday hanggang Sunday to discuss the Cebu project kaya magandang mag-file na lang muna ako ng leave to atleast get Caleb out of my system-not just him but also his pesky little brother.

The Fuegos are older than me. Even Johannes himself considering he's Caleb's little brother. Caleb's twenty five while Johannes is twenty-three. Becoming twenty-one sucks because it kind of made me feel like I'm just a newbie even if I'm not. My dad already exposed me to the business field at the age of eighteen since I'll graduate a year after. I had no vacation after I graduated, by the age of nineteen I started working at Crescendo for so many reasons. Kahit pa inaabsorb na ako ng pinag-OJT-han ko nang mga oras na 'yon, I still chose Crescendo.

I have so many reasons not to work here but one person made it all happen. I worked here to get Caleb back-my Caleb back. If only I could turn back time and never really did the things I regret doing, we could have been happy by now. I'm not stopping until I get what I want and knowing myself, I always get it.

"Maybe Caleb's just-overreacting?" Portia suggested. I invited her over to my unit since we're both on a break. I think it's probably time for us to be pampered and just leave all our paperwork and stuffs.

I sipped my espresso as I signaled her to continue her sentence. Nakababad ang paa naman sa maligamgam na tubig dahil nagpa-home service kami for foot scrub and nail polishing. Very standard girls night I guess, more like a slumber party for two.

"I mean, look. It was three years ago, Cil! Fucking three years ago pero heto siya bitter parin." She said at nagkibit-balikat. I can't blame Caleb kung bitter man siya hanggang ngayon but Portia's got a point. It was just a childish act, it was very immature of me pero I never thought it would affect Caleb that much.

"I broke his heart when he thought I wouldn't even break it." I explained. She rolled her eyes, Portia's been with us ever since forever. She watched how me and Caleb grew up as a couple to a total tragedy. She have seen literally every side of me. Kaya kahit siya, minsan naiinis narin kay Caleb.

"C'mon Cil, everybody knows he is The Caleb Ignatius! Kayang-kaya niyang makakuha ng babae niya more likely mga babae niya. Why would he mope around dahil lang sa isang babae? We both know you're both just playing each other back when we were senior college." The thought of Caleb being with someone other than me made me want to rip Portia's throat. I can't help imagining him being with someone kung hindi rin naman ako 'yon. I've always pictured us together, for two years of chasing a human iceberg I've never doubted my feelings for him. He's still the one who owns me even if he doesn't want me near him.