Toto and the Boys I: Jackie

Chapter 16

It was not that Dean Gamboa would give her a daily dose of his arrogant attitude in the office, but it was not always, or rather never had he shown her any kind of kindness or friendliness. Never. As a matter of fact, no one in the office, apart from Joseph, ever experienced this side of Dean Gamboa.

And now everyone knew that he gave her a Coke and then smiled at her a few hours ago. It was not for long before rumor would start spreading in their office and travel up and down the building of Collins Corporations.

Jackie thought it would boost up her story of being his girlfriend and would help her finally get rid of Brian. But she was also well aware that people would start acting on their curiosity. They would stalk her Facebook account. And they would look for Dean Gamboa.

The only consolation she had was the fact that she made Dean Gamboa’s fake FB account private it wouldn’t show up when searched.

But they better not look through Brian’s Facebook friends. Or better yet, they wouldn’t ask him because if they did, God knows what that sick bastard could say? She had never heard from Brian today and she wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. It could be that he was just waiting for the right moment to act on his crazy impulses. Or it could be that he was starting to give up.

She crossed her fingers that her boss would continue being nice to her for as long as necessary. But she had to be careful. Eyes would eventually follow her and her boss around. She was sure of that.

  *****

By lunch time, Dean Gamboa proved everyone wrong.

They thought he could only give Jackie a Coke--or exchange drinks with her--and smile at her?

Oh, no. He did more than that.

Everyone was so full of curiosity by the time they went back behind their desks because downstairs, at the cafeteria, they witnessed the most uncommon sight.

What was it?

Going back an hour earlier, when Jackie and Karen were just preparing to go down for lunch, Karen’s phone rang. Her mother was rushed to the hospital.

Jackie went with her to Dean Gamboa’s office so she could ask permission to take the rest of the day off.

“Of course,” Dean immediately said when he learned of the emergency.

“Thank you, sir!” Karen cried out and turned to Jackie.

“Please text me once you get there,” Jackie told her, worried.

“Of course. ‘Bye.”

And then her friend was off. Jackie finally realized that she was still inside Dean Gamboa’s office.

“Uh, uh…guess I’ll go get my lunch,” she said, stammering, when she saw him looking at her. He still looked like Dean Gamboa, the boss, but there was something in the way he was looking at her that made her wonder again. What happened last night?

“Jackie,” she heard him say behind her when she started for the door.

She stopped. He was calling her Jackie. She kind of liked it. “Yes, sir?” she asked, turning around.

He was already standing and walking around his desk. “I know you take your lunch with Karen so I guess you don’t have anyone to share it with today?”

Her heart started to beat faster. Was he thinking what she was thinking? “Yeah.”

“Then, let’s go.”

She kept rooted in her spot as he walked past her and to the door.

“Jackie,” he called.

She closed her mouth, which had been hanging open since he said ‘let’s go’. “What?”