Second Time Around

Simula

Meeting

Piling up of papers, encoding numerical data, and answering phone calls, I was doing it for several times habang inaasikaso rin ang iba pang utos from the boss above. Tinanggal ko ang aking salamin sa mata at dahan dahan kong minasahe ang aking sentido, trying to relax may mind. Isinandal ko ang aking katawan sa silya and tinignan ang tambak na papers sa aking lamesa that I need to finish within this week. Napapagod agad ako, iniisip ko palang.

After resting for a minute, I look at my watch checking if it's already 5 o'clock ng hapon. I was listening to the tickling of my watch as it reached 12, when suddenly Sandra called me. I look at her with bored eyes as she walked towards me. She looks gorgeous in her outfit, conservative black dress that flaunts her natural whitish skin and perfect curves then di ko tuloy naiwasan na tignan ang sarili ko.

"Plain", as plain as canvas na drawingan kaya napabuntong hininga na lang ako.

"Addie, Addie, Sabay na tayong umalis". Walang kakurap kurap na sabi niya then, she smiled showing her perfect teeth and glowing face. I look back at her and nod.

We were at the office where I work as analyst while Sandra is our team leader. We work under the Olympus Airlines Corp., a well known airline company in the Asia and even in Europe.

Kaya, nagsimula na akong ayusin ang aking gamit since our tapos na ang working hours. I start piling up the paper na nakakalat sa desk ko when George put something on my desk. It was two small boxes, wrapped in a white paper, a gift maybe.

I looked at him, and then ask.

"What is it again, George? You know, I hate spoiling them."

Well, I knew ipipilit niya na naman na tanggapin ko ito. Lagi na lang siyang may binibigay and I hate it since, baka masanay sila. But still, tinanggap ko ito and put it in inside my bag dahil ayoko ng makipagtalo sa kanya

"Just a small gift"

Sabay ngiti nito sa akin. Then he sits again to his chair next to me, and then told us.

"Take care Addie and Sandra and please tell them that I want to play with them again". Waiving his hand

"I will and thanks by the way. And please no next time".

Mariing bigkas ko sa kanya then Sandra went back to me with a grinned in her face kaya di ko tuloy napigilan na simangutan siya. Siraulo talaga itong babaeng to kahit kailan. I stand up holding my shoulder and hand bag and sinalubong ko na rin siya palabas.

Nagpaalam na kami sa mga kasamahan namin at nagsimulang maglakad. We went inside the elevator and bigla niyang pinakawalan ang mapaang-asar na ngiti at tanong that made me rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"Ayieeee! Ano na naman binigay niya? Sagutin mo na kasi." Bulong niya sakin while giggling like a child because she knew that George has been courting me for months.

I just looked at her and laughed. Mukha kasi siyang timang habang tinutulak tulak niya ako. Nakakaloka siya, mas kinilig pa sakin and bruha kaya kinurot ko nga sa tagiliran.

“Loka loka ka talaga!, kamusta pala kayo ni Gil?"

I asked, changing the topic since ayokong pag-usapan ang tungkol sa sarili kong buhay.

"huy huy huy, Iniiba ang usapan, hahahahahaha Pero yun nga Addie..."

Naghihimutok na sabi niya but then, she started talking about what happened to her and Gil, her boyfriend. I sighed dahil buti na lang nakalimutan niya na ang topic about me and George. I am delighted dahil uto uto rin to minsan.