DARK CHOCOLATE SERIES 1 - Sweet Deceptions, Love in Disguise

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A friggin' idiot, that's what he is!

Pilit nilulunok ni Jaye ang kanyang inis habang nasa board meeting. Hindi siya makapaniwalang ganoon katindi ang kanyang naging paghahanda sa presentasyon para lang sa Maximo Santuario na ito, ang bagong CEO ng kompanya.

Nakita niya ito noong nakaraang linggo, at saglit na saglit lang. He just came to reschedule the board meeting. Na-paranoid si Jaye nang sabihin nitong, "I'm expecting an excellent presentation from you, being one of the candidates for the big promotion." Naitanong niya sa sarili kung inoobserbahan ba siya nito. May nakikita ba itong plus point ng ibang kandidato para sa promosyon? Did his father put in a good word for her and he was doubtful she can prove that she was worth it? She had never worked that hard on a presentation before. Halos hindi na siya natulog! Gabi-gabi siyang hindi mapakali sa kama, pinaplantsa sa isip ang kabuuan ng presentasyon. Her nerves were shot.

Ngayon, pakiramdam niya ay isang buwan siyang naghanda para sa isang formal dinner kasama ang hari—bumili ng bagong dress, nagpa-hair and makeup sa isang propesyonal, nag-train ng proper etiquette, para lang malaman na kahit pala nag-tsinelas siya at pajamas ay puwede na. Nasa board room siya ngayon, kaharap ang board, kasama ang kanyang sekretarya na napaluha na sa stress mula sa kanya noong isang araw. She wanted to impress Maximo. She wanted to make a statement—that she was the best employee of the company.

She did not believe that there was shame in admitting that she was a brilliant employee. She knew what she was capable of doing. Nagsimula siya sa ibaba. Now she knew the company and the market better than she knew herself! Saglit na panahon na lang, makakakuha na siya ng master black belt certification sa Six Sigma. Alam niyang lahat ng criteria ng isang mahusay na empleyado ay nasa kanya. She was not over herself thinking she was the best candidate for the promotion because she worked hard for the company.

Sa loob ng isang dekada, naging buhay na niya ang kompanya. Marami siyang ipinagpalibang bagay para sa trabaho. Kung mayroong deserving sa promotion ay siya iyon, kahit pa nga marami na siyang naungusan na lang sa seniority. Iyon ang gusto niyang makita ni Maximo. She wanted that promotion.

Pagkapasok na pagkapasok pa lang ng lalaki sa boardroom ay nahulaan na niyang wala itong binatbat. He was wearing a coat, all right, but he did not have a tie. The first three buttons of his shirt were open. Para bang hindi man lang nito binigyan ng importansiya ang unang mahalagang meeting ng kompanya.

And based on the look on his face while she was delivering her power speech, complete with her power presentation tools, she could very well say the man was a moron. Hindi na nawala ang nakakainis na ngiti sa mukha nito. Hindi niya alam kung ngiti ba iyon o ngisi. Kahit anong isip niya, wala siyang makitang bagay na dapat nitong ikangiti o ikangisi. Nakadekuwatro ito, nakatagilid, ang isang siko ay nakapatong sa armrest habang hinihimas ang baba. All the while that stupid expression was on his face. Ni hindi niya malaman kung nakikinig ba itong talaga sa sinasabi niya, pero nagpatuloy siya sa pagsasalita.

Sanay na sa kanya ang ibang mga naroon sa silid. Everyone knew her presentations were always exceptional. She knew they all looked forward to her presentations for they were never able to be as good and they always learned something. She had already impressed these people. Ang nag-iisang gusto niyang ma-impress sa kanya, parang ni hindi naa-absorb ang sinasabi niya.

Sa tagal niya sa kompanya, may alam na rin siya tungkol kay Maximo. Maganda ang mga narinig niya tungkol dito, mostly his educational background and business experience in the States. Wala siyang narinig na kung anong masama tungkol dito. Pero mukhang talagang walang tunay na nakakilala rito. She can only guess why he chose to manage his own business abroad when he can manage his father's company, a bigger more interesting one.