Bargain with the Rebel Heartbreaker (Published under ABSCBN Books)

6. Einstein Nerdy

  Your Rebel Heart breaker is up for the hottest role play of your life! 

The next morning I went to work like nothing happened. Maagang dumating si Cole at sinabing pupuntahan namin ang bahay ng kliyente saka didiretso na sa location para personal kong mapag aralan ang lugar. He wore the same bad boy outfit like yesterday but this time he had a different icy and stoic aura around him. Ice-cold and professional.

He didn't mention about the kiss at mas lalong hindi siya nag sorry para doon. Pinabayaan ko nalang, mas gusto ko nga ang ganoon eh. Mag umpisa kaming muli bilang magkatrabaho, walang grudge sa isa't isa at walang anumang isyu maliban sa trabaho.

I worked on my papers alone. Cherry handed me the information about Mrs. Mira Ramirez. Naroon ang lahat ng kailangan ko para makapalagayang loob siya. Kung pagbabasehan ang mga nakasulat sa folder, isang totoong regal blooded socialite ang ginang. Ang mga salon, spa at restaurant na pinupuntahan nito ay talaga namang ekslusibo para lang sa mayayaman. Her car was the latest Aston Martin, her bags were limited edition luxury brands, even the hair dressing she wore worth an arm and leg for a normal working class citizen like myself.

I need to study all these para naman kapag magsimula na siyang magkwento tungkol sa mga bagay na ito ay may matino akong maisagot. Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto, sinilip ko si Cole mula sa blinds ng office ko. His face from afar was like a dream come true. Nakangiti na naman ito at parang ang gaan ng pakiramdam na nakikipaghuntahan sa mga babaeng empleyado sa labas. Ako lang ba, o totoong iba ang pakitungo niya sa akin kumpara sa mga iba naming kaopisina? Nasaktan ko ba ang ego niya sa mga sinabi ko, o dahil naapakan ko ang cellphone niya at nasira iyon?

Umiling-iling ako. Wala akong pakialam. Mas gusto kong hindi niya ako kinakausap o nginingitian ng kagaya ng ngiting pinupukol niya sa mga babaeng kausap niya. Inabot ko ang cellphone ko. I emailed Nathan about my schedule for the day. Sumagot ito ng tawag.

"Hi hon, how's your morning so far?" tanong nito.

"Got loads in my table as always. Pero mamaya pupunta kami sa site kasama ng bagong engineer na kapartner ko sa project na 'to."

"Bagong engineer?"

"Yeah. Engr. Nicholas Ramirez-"

"Wait, tell me he's not The Nicholas Ramirez we both knew."

Madalas kong ikwento si Nicholas Ramirez kay Nathan kaya kilala niya.

"He's The Nicholas Ramirez, Nathan. Crazy, right. I've never imagined this in this lifetime." totoo naman.

"Whoa! That's great! You working with the legend? Your idol. So what was he like?"

"Nothing like what I've expected."

I heard him talk to his secretary. The day has just started for him, I knew he was busy. Pero ni minsan hindi siya nawalan ng panahon sa akin. "So no Albert Einstein hair, no eyeglasses and no bloating stomach?"

"He's not old. He wrote his books during college and he's..he's only a year older than me."

Natahimik si Nathan ng ilang sandali. "We didn't expect that. Hm, what does he look like? Nerdy, I guess?"

"Ahm. Pretty normal. Nothing special." Just 6 foot and 2 inch of pure delectable dark chocolate and caramel perfection. I knew I was cheating on him with those dirty thoughts popped out of nowhere. In my defense, normal lang naman dahil base sa reaksyon ng halos lahat ng babae sa opisina kasama na si Cherry, ang nararamdaman ko was nothing but uncontrollable normal female biological composition and tainted hormones.

The door flew open and Engr. Ramirez in his dazzling form came in. "I'm sorry, I knocked, you were not answering so I thought I'd-"

"Nathan, hon. I need to go. Take care baby, I love you." I said quickly then hang up.

"Ano 'yon? Aalis na ba tayo?"

"Mom gave me a last minute notice. Aalis siya papuntang France ngayong umaga kaya hindi na tayo makakadaan sa bahay."

"I need to personally talk to her though."

"You can talk to me. She said she trusted you. Tayo nalang daw ang bahala. She's gonna stay in France for the next six months."

Kinabahan ako. Ito ang unang project na hindi ako sigurado sa gusto ng kliyente ko. Paano pala kung nagkamali ako ng pagkakabasa sa kanya base sa iilang papel na hawak ko? Napakamot ako sa noo.

"Is there a problem?"

"No."

He gave me a short nod then left. Do I have to say sorry for punching him in the face? He's perfect face was a little bruised it made him look a little less of a Spartan god. Nagmukha siyang normal na tao.

*******

Few hours after R&R made a short announcement that The Engr. Nicholas Ramirez was in town media swarmed up like bees to a honey in the tower's main lobby. It was little annoying, he had to cover his face and used the back door just to sneak out. Kaya lang may ilang mas matatalinong reporter ang nasa parking at naghihintay ng paglitaw niya.

Nagtagbuhan ang mga ito kay Cole, kung hindi ako humakbang palayo baka nadurog ako. He flashed his usual coccainated smile in front of the camera. Ito ang unang beses na makikilala ng mundo ang tunay na mukha sa likod ng matayog nitong pangalan.

"Wow! Engr. Ramirez, I never imagined you to be so....so....so-" a lady reporter out of words.

"Magnificent," I absentmindedly supplied. Which was dumb because they knew me and they had to question me as well because of that. I could see myself now as The Nicholas Ramirez newest character reference. Congratulations to me.

Nagsimula silang magtanong kung ano ang connection ko kay Cole, I simply answered the truth. I was his partner. Damn I couldn't even roll my eyes because their cameras right in front of my freaking face and I was never fond of local gossips. Real blue blooded socialite wouldn't be caught dead being the star of some supermarket magazines.

Mas lalong naging awkward nang isa sa mga reporter ang masyadong maraming alam, sinaulo yata ang speech ko no'ng huling pinarangalan ako, naalala nitong patay na patay ako sa engineer na may gawa ng paborito kong libro. Nag-joke pa nga ako na kung bata lang at gwapo si Nicholas ay hihiwalayan ko ang boyfriend kong si Nathan para dito. That was a joke, really. We all thought Nicholas was old. Wala sinuman ang nag-imagine na halos kaedad ko lang ito at nuknukan ng gwapo. Wala sa loob na napasulyap ako kay Cole, inangatan niya ako ng kilay parang sinasabing pinagnanasaan mo ako? Walang kasing pula ang mukha ko.

"Ahh," peke ang tawa ko. Naiirita na ako nagmumukha akong tanga sa harap ng mga taong ito at sa buong mundo kapag pinalabas na. "I was just kidding, I honestly thought he was old, with Albert Einstein hair, grayed mustache and bloating stomach-"

"Do you find Albert Einstein's hair and mustache sexy? Coz I can always role play, honey."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Nagtawanan ang mga press. Nakalimutan niya bang naka-ere ang lahat ng ito? Bwesit. Here I thought he was a changed man now. Damn! He changed his color like a girl changed her clothes. Ok,. That sounded like a freakin Katy Perry song but he's hot n cold for real. Akala ko paninindigan na niya ang professional stoic ice cold treatment. BUt it looked like once a douche always a douche.

"Yeah, baby. And I'll spank you in the head like a freakin librarian coz you owed a lot of books in a school library. Nerdy." I couldn't believe I just said that!

"Opps." napaayos ng tayo si Cole. "The lady was joking."

"Damn, right I am." siya ang sisira ng career ko, ng relasyon ko at lahat ng pangarap ko sa buhay! Peste!