Dei was holding her breath the whole time Alden took her to his office. Nang makapasok na sila sa magarang opisina, binitawan siya nito at nagtungo sa loob ng banyo. Paglabas nito, may dala na itong folded towel and a dress shirt.
"Here, take a bath and change into this. I have a steam press iron to dry your wet clothes later. Rain can make you sick base on my own experience so we better make you dry first."
"Hindi naman po mahina itong immune system ko. Okay na itong towel pampatuyo."
She took the towel from him but Alden pushed the shirt to her hands too.
"I trusted my immune system once too. Pero isinugod ako sa ospital. I don't want to risk you with that. Sumunod ka nalang, Dei."
Hindi na lang pina-iral ni Dei ang katigasan ng ulo at sumunod na lang dito dahil ito ang nakakataas. Infact, she suddenly remembered what he told her before, "We go by my rules"...
"Okay po, Mr. A," sabi na lang niya at naglakad papuntang banyo.
"Alden," he insisted.
"Someday," she replied.
*****
Alden watched her close the door, and locked it. Then she twisted the knob noisily to make sure her privacy is secured.
"Hindi kita bubusuhan. I'm not a pervert." Then he added in a not so discreet manner. "Ano naman ang makikita ko sayo..."
"Excuse me, Mr. A, but I have a good amount of bust, and a perfect S-line. Huwag niyong maliitin ang katawang lupa ko."
He could visualize her huffed behind the bathroom door. Her annoyance was justified naman. Infact, the first time he actually laid his eyes on her, it was her curvy figure that woke up his attention.
"Are you trying to seduce me?"
"Dinedepensahan ko lang ang sarili ko kasi wala naman gagawa nun para sakin kundi ako lang. It's not that I just stated a lie. I am proud of my beauty... po."
He scoffed. "Now that there's a wall between us, you're starting to get brazen."
"Hindi ko po kasi kayo makita kaya hindi na ako na-iintimidate."
He pulled out the steam press iron from the drawer near the office door and placed it on the coffee table of his sofa. "I am not a bad person, Dei. I only have a strong character. Don't be terrified."
"Eh boss ko kayo..."
"So is Jhake and yet you two are so close."
"Iba naman iyon. May pinagsamahan na kami ni boss Jhake."
"Well then..." he paused from settling the press iron on the table and looked at the bathroom door. "I'm your fiance."
"Yun na nga!" she almost yelled inside the bathroom. "You are my boss and my fiance. I don't know how to handle that. Hindi pa nga nagsi-sink sakin na nagawa kong magpropose sayo."
He cocked his head and his lips quivered to a smile. "Kailan ka ba maliligo? I need to bath too."
"Maliligo na po. Putak kasi kayo ng putak," inis na sagot agad nito. Only to regret a second later. "Sorry po, Mr. A."
"Ligo ka na. Ang init ng ulo mo..."
He heard her grumble some words before she turned on the shower.
