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THIRD PERSON POV
It was another long day at the office. Heather sat in the boardroom, tapping her pen impatiently as she waited for the others to arrive. They had another meeting with Stacey's family to finalize some details for the upcoming merger.
Stacey sauntered in, her presence immediately commanding attention. She was all smiles and confidence, and Heather already felt her annoyance building up.
"Late ka na naman, Heather," Stacey teased, sliding into the seat beside her. "Baka naman nagpaganda ka pa para sa akin?"
Heather scoffed, rolling her eyes. "As if, Stacey. Hindi lahat ng tao, tulad mo, puro pa-cute lang ang ginagawa."
Stacey's eyes gleamed with amusement as she leaned closer, her voice dropping a notch. "Oh, so napapansin mo pala 'yung pagiging cute ko?"
Heather turned to face her, irritation flaring. "Kung puro kalokohan lang naman ang sasabihin mo, huwag na tayong mag-usap."
"Ugh, will you stop that?" Heather groaned, crossing her arms. "Why do you always have to flirt with me when we're supposed to be working?"
"Eh, paano ba naman, ang hirap mag-focus kapag katabi kita," Stacey said, her tone light but her gaze intense. "Kailangan ko 'ata ng distraction para hindi ka lang ang iniisip ko."
Heather's eyes narrowed. "You're impossible."
Stacey just grinned wider. "And yet, here you are, still sitting beside me. Gusto mo rin naman akong kasama, admit it."
Before Heather could retort, their parents entered the room, and the meeting began. But throughout the discussion, she could feel Stacey's gaze on her, a playful glint in her eyes that made it hard to concentrate.
Scene:
After the meeting, they were left alone to go over some last-minute details. Heather was busy organizing her notes when she felt Stacey's presence beside her.
"You know, Heather," Stacey started, her tone teasing as usual, "you look really cute when you're all serious and focused."
"Stacey, kung wala kang matino na sasabihin, please lang, umalis ka na," Heather snapped, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach.
"Matino naman 'to," Stacey replied, leaning against the table with a smirk. "I'm just being honest. Hindi mo ba gusto kapag sinasabihan ka ng totoo?"
Heather shot her a glare. "Bakit, Stacey? Para ano? Para i-distract mo ako habang nagtatrabaho tayo?"
Stacey's smirk softened into a more genuine smile. "Hindi naman sa ganun. Gusto ko lang makita ka na ngumiti, kasi parang hindi ko na natatandaan 'yung last time na nakita kitang hindi galit sa akin."
Heather felt a pang of surprise at Stacey's words, and for a moment, she was lost for a response. Then she quickly shook it off, scoffing again. "Well, maybe if you stopped being such a pain, magagawa mo 'yun."
Stacey laughed softly, the sound surprisingly warm. "You know, gusto ko nga 'yung ganito, Heather."
Heather raised an eyebrow. "Anong gusto mo?"
"'Yung parang magka-away tayo," Stacey said, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Kasi at least, nakakausap kita. Nakikita kita."
Heather's breath caught in her throat at the unexpected confession, but she quickly masked it with another scoff. "Stop messing around, Stacey."
"Who says I'm messing around?" Stacey murmured, leaning in closer until Heather could feel her breath against her ear. "Baka naman seryoso ako."
Heather's heart pounded as she turned to meet Stacey's gaze, so close that she could see every detail of her eyes. She wanted to say something sharp, to put Stacey in her place, but the words died on her lips.
"Wala akong oras para sa kalokohan mo," she managed to say, her voice not as steady as she'd like.
Stacey's grin widened, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Okay, Heather. Kung 'yan ang gusto mo. Pero 'wag mong kakalimutan na, kahit magalit ka pa, gusto ko pa ring makita ang cute na pagalit mo."
Heather huffed in exasperation, grabbing her things and standing up. "I'm leaving. Good luck with the rest of the work, Miss Flirt."
As she walked away, she could still hear Stacey's soft laughter, and it annoyed her that despite everything, there was a tiny part of her that enjoyed their little exchanges. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Stacey than the teasing and flirting. But for now, Heather wasn't about to let her guard down. Not yet.
-
The office was buzzing with the usual activity, but Stacey couldn't focus. Her gaze kept drifting to Heather, who was deep in conversation with Maloi. The two of them were laughing, and Maloi had her hand resting casually on Heather's shoulder. Something stirred inside Stacey, an irritation that she couldn't shake off.
"Ugh, ano ba 'yan," she muttered to herself, crossing her arms. She hated how close they seemed, and it annoyed her that she couldn't understand why it bothered her so much.
Just as Maloi stood up to leave, Stacey seized the opportunity. She sauntered over to Heather, putting on her best teasing smile. "Well, well, well. Look who's all chummy with Maloi."
Heather glanced up, rolling her eyes. "Ano nanaman gusto mo, Stacey?"
Stacey leaned closer, a playful glint in her eyes. "Ikaw, cutie."
Heather's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment, but she quickly composed herself. "Seriously, stop it."
Stacey smirked and gently patted Heather's head, her fingers brushing through her hair. "Ang cute mo kasi kapag nagagalit. Sayang naman."
Heather nudged Stacey's hand away, trying to maintain her annoyance. "Bolero ka talaga. Why can't you just be serious for once?"
"Bakit, wala namang masama sa pagiging cute at flirty," Stacey replied, crossing her arms playfully as she leaned against the table. "At saka, I'm just appreciating your beauty."
"Appreciating? More like annoying," Heather shot back, trying to suppress a smile that was creeping onto her face.
Stacey laughed, the sound bright and teasing. "Come on, Heather. Just admit it, you like the attention. Maloi won't give you this kind of fun."
Heather narrowed her eyes but couldn't hide the hint of a smile. "Fun? This is not fun, Stacey. This is just you being...you."
"Exactly! And you love it," Stacey said, winking at her.
Heather shook her head, pretending to be annoyed. "I don't know why I even bother talking to you."
Stacey took a step closer, her gaze playful yet intense. "Because deep down, you know that you can't resist me. Admit it."
"Fine, maybe I don't completely hate your flirting," Heather replied, trying to sound firm. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to fall for your games."
Stacey raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "Oh, I'm counting on it."
As they continued their playful banter, Heather couldn't help but feel a warmth blooming in her chest. Despite her irritation, there was something about Stacey's relentless teasing that made her heart race in a way she couldn't quite explain. And maybe, just maybe, it was starting to become more than just a game for both of them.
