The Captain's Only Sea (Cavanaugh #4)

Simula

Simula

Dive

"I-I. . . I like you, Kalei. I don't know how it happened. I know that you're female. I just can't stop my feelings. You're so beautiful and. . . handsome at the same time. Straight naman ako noon pero hindi ko na alam ngayon."

Pang-sampung beses na itong may umamin sa'kin, sa loob ng isang taon. Lahat ay kapwa ko babae. Gusto ako ng mga babae. Kinakatakutan naman ako ng mga lalaki.

Hindi ko mapigilang mag-isip. Straight ako. Hindi pa ako nagkagusto sa ibang babae. Kahit isang babae ay hindi pa ako nagkagusto sa kakaibang paraan. Lahat ay hanggang kaibigan lang ang tanging nararadaman ko. Nagkagusto ako sa isang lalaki pero noon pa 'yon, at hindi na ako ulit nagkagusto pa sa kahit nino.

Simula pagkabata ay ganito na lang talaga lagi ang eksena. Napagkakamalan akong magandang lalaki, o guwapong babae. Dahil din kasi ito sa buhok ko na pinapanatili kong maiksi at hindi lalagpas o hanggang balikat lamang. Lagi ko rin itong tinatali.

"Camille. . . I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way. I can't return the same feelings you have for me," nahihirapang pag-amin ko habang diretso ang tingin sa ka-trabaho.

I was inches taller than her. Hanggang tainga ko lang siya. One reason why people had always mistaken me as a man. It was because I was way taller than most women who has the average or standard height of a female. Well, women were usually short.

Additionally, I was not really that tall to the point that my height would outreach those tall men. No. Some men were on level to me, mostly were taller.

Pinanood kong naglalakad papalayo ang nasaktan kong kaibigan. Naging kaibigan ko siya dahil madalas kaming magkasama sa mga excavation. Alam niya ang ugali ko sa ilang buwan ng pagsasama namin. Ugali ko ang hindi magpaliwanag o magsalita ng marami.

"Kalei, magsisimula na ang meeting."

Ni hindi ko nilingon si Aleshien at patuloy na pinanood ang naglalakad na lumiliit na pigura ni Camille.

As expected, I felt Aleshien's presence beside me. I did not have to look at her because I knew that she was following my gaze.

"She told me that she won't accept the project if ever you'll going to reject her," Aleshien said in a sad tone. "I understand if she'll leave. . ." was her last says.

Nang nawala na sa paningin namin si Camille na kakapasok lang ng elevator ay napagpasyahan na naming pumasok sa loob ng Conference Room.

We were in the building company of a certain private consulting firm. Here for a significant conference meeting.

As we walked inside, everything was already set up. Important people sitting on their seats around a modern marble long conference table that consisted of twenty seats.

I took the seat for us, divers. Magkatabi kami ni Aleshien.

"This is the final meeting after months of planning and organizing the Costa da Morte Project in Spain. We have already discussed about our ideal weather conditions forecasted, and the months duration," anunsyo ng Project Manager sa harap ng malaking conference table.

Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang paligid. Halos lahat ng upuan ay may nakaupo na, may isa namang bakante pa. Tinignan kong maigi ang mukha ng mga narito. Those faces of very important professional men and women that were involved in this project, their looks were steely and flat. Whilst mine was blank and unaffected.

Why did they seem like they were trying so hard to look scary? How stupid. They must stop that business-like serious stares. It was not cool.

Hinanap ng mga mata ko ang pinaka-importante'ng mga tao sa kompanyang ito.