Everglow

September 3, 2016: And you know, for you I'd bleed myself dry

"Rj, I swear, its no big deal."

"Three weeks din yun, Meng. Sure ka ba?"

"Yes. Relax, okay! Dog sitting him for three weeks won't be a problem." Maine chuckles over the phone--Richard was never comfortable asking her to do things for him. "Besides, I love Globie to bits!"

She finally hears him laugh lightly, "Okay, okay. Bawi ako sayo, I promise. You know I wouldn't ask you this favor if I had anyone else right?"

"Oo naman, Rj."

"Three weeks lang naman yung arbitration seminar sa Singapore. The managing partner handpicked those of us who should go, and I couldn't say no. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know. Okay lang talaga, I promise."

"Thank you, Meng. I owe you." she hears him sigh, "Oh, by the way, I left something with Winona before I went to the airport this morning."

"What is it?"

"Check mo na lang, malapit ka na naman ata sa office? You know I always, always make good on the promises I make, di ba?"

"Yes, you do." She smiles sweetly in agreement. He always come through for her, always. "But what has that got to do with anything?"

"Basta, just go get it from your secretary." He replies excitedly, "I'm sure you're going to love it though. Anyway, I have to go, I'm boarding in a few minutes. Thank you again, Menggay."

****************

Maine finds herself walking quicker than her usual pace, her heels clucking against the marble floors of their building lobby. When she reached her area, she immediately called out for secretary.

"Winona, may dinaan daw si Atty. Faulkerson dito this morning?"

"Yes Ma'am." Winona smiles as she hands over a medium sized envelope to her boss, "Aba Ma'am parang pumupuso yang mata niyo ah. Excited kayo? Ano ba yan?"

"Hindi ko nga rin alam eh, surprise daw?"

Winona playfully slumps in the chair in front Maine and props her elbows unto the hardwood table sighs heavily, "Iba rin talaga tong si Atty. Faulkerson pagdating sanyo noh? I still can't believe single pa rin sya, Ma'am. Bakit wala ba syang nagugustuhang babae? Kung ako yun, oo agad ang sagot ko!"

Maine laughs at her secretary's antics, "Hindi ko nga rin alam dian kay Richard. Ang choosy! We've all tried to set him up with someone at least once, pero wala talaga."

"Totoo, Ma'am? Pati ikaw? Yung tataa?"

"Oo naman! Why would you think otherwise?"

Winona laughed heartily at Maine's reaction. "Wala po, wala po. Pero sa tingin ko Ma'am, hindi naman choosy si Sir Richard, baka may hinihintay lang, nagaabang, ganon?" Winona looks at her slyly, brows wiggling at her.

"Hay nako Winona! Ikaw talaga, kung ano ano naiisip mo." Maine laughs uncomfortably as she picks on the corners of the envelope still unopened in her hands.

Well, that used to be true.

Can it be true still?

"Nako Ma'am, sinasabi ko sayo, kapag nagkajowa ng iba yang si Sir Richard, magluluksa ka rin!"

"Oo naman."

Shit. What did I just say.

Maine widens her eyes in shock, immediately covering her mouth with her hands. She looks at her secretary and found her looking the same way--hans covering her own mouth, but now she was standing and squealing excitedly. "Ma'am!!! Paki-ulit nga anong sinasabi niyo? Isa pa, please! I-rerecord ko tapos papadala ko kay Sir Richard!"