Dirty Little Secret (GxG)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Lia's POV

The next day sa office was super busy. One day na lang ang meron before the annual ball, so the pressure was on. Lahat ng tao, kasama ako, ay sobrang occupied, juggling final preparations at siguradong everything was falling into place.

I was reviewing the seating arrangements nung nag-vibrate yung phone ko sa desk. It was a message from Candice, asking me to check yung flower arrangements na kakarating lang.

"On it," mabilis akong nag-reply, kinuha ko ang tablet ko at pumunta sa conference room kung saan nag-aayos na yung mga florists.

Habang naglalakad ako sa corridors, ramdam ko yung energy ng office—halong excitement at konting anxiety. Lahat ng tao, ang ball ang pinag-uusapan, at alam ko na yung success ng event ay magre-reflect din sa akin.

Pagpasok ko sa conference room, sinalubong ako ng explosion ng kulay. Yung mga florists, inaayos na yung pinakamagandang mga bulaklak—roses, lilies, at peonies in rich, vibrant shades. Exactly what we envisioned for the ball.

"Wow, ang gaganda nito," sabi ko habang lumalapit sa head florist. "You've really outdone yourselves."

"Thank you, Ms. Marquez," she replied with a smile. "Gusto namin siguraduhin na everything is perfect for the event."

I spent a few minutes na tinitignan ang mga details with them, making sure na everything was on track. Nang makita kong nakuha naman lahat ng gusto ko and I felt satisfied, nagpasalamat ako at bumalik na sa desk ko.

Habang dumadaan ako sa office ni Sandra, napansin kong slightly open yung door niya. Nag-hesitate ako for a moment, thinking kung magche-check ba ako sa kanya, pero nag-decide ako na huwag na lang. Baka busy rin siya sa sarili niyang preparations, and I didn't want to disturb her.

Imbes, dumiretso ako pabalik sa desk ko, kung saan naghihintay si Candice. May hawak siyang stack of papers at halatang nagpapanic ng kaunti.

"Lia, we need to finalize the menu for the ball. The caterer needs confirmation by noon," she said in a rush.

I took the papers from her and quickly scanned through them. "Alright, let's go over it now."

We spent the next half hour reviewing the menu, making some adjustments here and there, and finally sending the confirmation sa caterer. Pagkatapos namin, parang nakahinga na ako nang maluwag.

Candice let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, one more thing off the list."

I nodded, leaning back sa chair. "Yeah, pero ang dami pang kailangan gawin."

"I know, pero we're getting there," she said, giving me an encouraging smile. "You're doing great, Lia."

"Thanks," I replied, feeling a bit more at ease. "Gusto ko lang talaga na everything goes smoothly."

Candice was about to say something nang mag-vibrate ulit yung phone ko. This time, it was a message from Luna.

Luna: "Hey, how's everything going? Need any help?"

I smiled at the message, appreciating her offer.
Lia: "We're managing, but thanks. Just trying to survive these last two days."

Luna: "You'll be fine. Don't forget to breathe. See you at the ball!"

Lia: "Definitely. Can't wait to see what you're wearing."

Luna: "It's a surprise. 😉"

I chuckled, tucking my phone away. Moments like these reminded me na hindi ako mag-isa sa lahat ng ito. I had people who supported me, and that made all the difference.