I could not sleep well that night, my mind was bombarded with scary thoughts at isama pa na ako lang mag-isa sa tinutuluyan kong penthouse.
Kararating ko lang sa opisina ko at agad nag-utos ng kape, I'm on my wayfarers and I know it looks crazy wearing this inside kaya ibinaba ko ito at inilapag sa lamesa kasabay ng pagsulyap ko sa labas ng workplace. There is nothing but an ocean of trees, and I love it whenever I'm feeling down, I just have to look at here and then I'm fine alone. Wala ng mas gaganda pa sa isang workplace na may ganitong view sa labas, it's very refreshing and somewhat it gives me benefit to become functional- not that I'm not.
John went inside with the coffee I ordered. Nakasmile ito nang lumapit, abot-abot hanggang tenga.
"Why are you smiling like that? You looked creepy." usal ko at tinanggap ang kape mula sa kanya.
"Good morning, Ms. Ari." aniya, kaya sinimangutan ko ito. What's good in the morning when I did not have enough sleep last night?
"Nagawa mo na ba iyong inutos ko sa'yo?" tanong ko sa kanya, tumango naman ito saka itinuro ang folder sa aking lamesa. "It's done, and I hope you won't throw it like what you did the last time I presented it to you." aniya, I smirked.
"Because it was not formally proofread, you expect me to accept it and show it to the boards?" humalakhak naman siya, "I'm sorry I'm not really a proofreader, Ms. Ari." aniya sa sarkastikong boses, umirap nalang ako at pinalabas na siya. Inilapag ko ang tasa ng kape saka kinuha iyong folder, binuksan ko ito saka sinuring maigi. It's a business plan actually, it is a real estate firm and talaga nga namang isang malaking negosyo ito. Isang oras ata ang naigugol ko para roon nang biglang tumawag ang structural engineer sa site ng pinapagawang building.
"Yes, hello?" bati ko sa kabilang linya. I wonder what the matter is? "Hello, Ms. Aria? This is Engr. Rolly from the site. Kailangan ka po naming makausap dito if you'd give this a favor. We hope we did not disturb you." aniya sa isang mahinahon at mababang boses.
"Why? What's the matter? Is it urgent?" tanong ko agad. Narinig kong may umagaw sa telepono nang sasagot na sana iyong engineer. "Yes it is. Come here now, this instant." an authoritative voice came out and I bet it's Donovan. I rolled my eyes, ngayon talaga? kasisimula ko palang sa susunod kong gagawin! I heaved a sigh at saka sumagot, "Okay, I'll hang this off now." saka ko pinatay ang tawag.
It really is disturbing for me when someone calls whilst I'm in the middle of doing my job. I just hope it's important though.
Bago ako lumabas ay nag-ayos muna ako. I will seriously meet Hannah there and the thought of me being annoyed about her annoys me more. I sighed. Paniguradong magtataray na naman iyon pag nakita ako. Inayos ko ang blazer saka nagpasyang umalis.
It was just 5 blocks away bago makarating sa site. I wore my wayfarers nang makababa na sa sasakyan at agad inalalayan ng aking driver. Natanaw ko kaagad sa malayong bukana si Engr. Rolly at iyong iba pa niyang kasamahan, including Donovan.
I went there slowly and carefully, lubak-lubak pa kasi ang daanan and I'm wearing an open-toe high heels. I'm struggling, you know, lalo na at lumingon silang lahat sa direksyon ko.
What! You better make sure it's important!
Mapapangag ang heels ko nito!
"Our apologies, Ma'am Aria." sunggab agad sa akin ni Engr. Dean. Ngumiti ako at tumango.
"Ayos lang." sagot ko.
Iginiya ko ang paningin sa lahat, isa-isa silang nagsitanguan sa akin, ganun na rin ako. Saka kami nagpasyang pumasok sa office ni Engr. Rolly.
Lahat ay nagsiupo, maliban nga lang kay Donovan na nanatiling nakatayo, he caught my stares kaya agad akong bumaling sa nasa unahan.
May iprinisent itong folder sa amin, agad ko naman iyong binuksan at nakitang iyong exterior design pala ito ng building.
"Mr. Donovan informed us about the change of plan, Ms. Aria, with regards to the interiority of the building." panimula ni Engr. Rolly, tumango naman ako.
"We agreed, since it's your father's choice and we're just doing the best we can service." dugtong niya pa.
"Yes, what about it, Engr.?" I politely asked.
"We just want to inform you that if we will gonna change the designs, there might be some changes with the exteriors, too. Though not that huge to operate, but might affect the whole structure of the building." aniya na sinang-ayunan naman ng lahat. Donovan stayed mute and standing, hindi ba siya nangangawit dyan? Mukha tuloy siyang guard dyan when in fact he's the team leader. I smirked at the thought.
"May magagawa naman siguro ta'yo riyan, Engr...", sa totoo lang, wala naman talaga akong magagawa kung may changes na mangyayari, perhaps all I can do is to approve the things they will suggest, wala akong alam sa field na ito, kung meron man, interior & exterior designing lang ang alam ko, wala ng iba, though I'm an architect, pero designing talaga iyong pinagkaka-abalahan ko.
"We all planned to renew the blue print, Ms. Aria, ganuon pa rin naman ang kabuoan pero may konting pagbabago. So we thought you need to be informed, since wala iyong papa mo rito."
I nodded again and smiled. "Okay lang, gawin niyo kung iyon ang dapat gawin, as long as my father's choices will be emphasized, walang problema, Engr."
The meeting continued habang nakikinig ako ng maigi, my phone vibrated kaya dali-dali ko itong kinuha mula sa bag. I excused myself and went outside, kinabahan pa nang pinagbuksan ako ni Donovan at sumunod sa akin pero hindi naman lumapit.
"Yes, papa?" I answered his call.
"Ari, how's the meeting?" he sounds depressed. I sighed. Alam niya pala?
"Ayos lang, po. Nagmemeeting pa kami nang tumawag ka."
"I was informed by Donovan about the changes, wala namang problema sa akin," aniya.
"Good to hear that, papa. Anyway, it's late, you need to sleep already." I remind him when I checked the time, magkaiba naman kasi ang oras dito at doon.
"Alright. Ikaw na muna ang bahala dyan. Kamusta nga pala ang kompanya, anak?"
I sighed slowly at saka ibinaba ang phone, nilingon ko ang office, mukhang hindi pa tapos ang pag-uusap.
"It's okay, papa. I have to go, Bye." saka ibinaba ang tawag.
The rays of the sun reflected the glass wall of the building. Sa bandang ito pa kasi ang natapos, napansin kong walang nagtatrabaho sa labas and it's unusual since it's Monday.
Dahil sa init, hinubad ko iyong blazer ko. Muntik pa akong matalisod nang biglang may humawak sa akin sa baywang.
"What the ef!" I swore lightly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"What are you doing?!" singhal ko sa kaniya. My eyes went to his hands on my waist. Binitiwan niya ito kaya hinubad ko nang tuluyan ang blazer.
"Bakit mo yan hinubad?" aniya kaya napabaling ako sa kaniya.
"Ang init init kaya!"
natawa siya sa sagot ko, then he paused, he scanned my clothes saka umigting ang kaniyang panga.
"What are you wearing? Is that a racerback?" natawa ako roon.
What?
Racerback? Seriously?
Feeling offended, inirapan ko nalang siya saka iniwan siya roon. I scanned myself, racerback? My poor strawberry spaghetti strapped plunging neckline bodysuit!
I'm too cheap to wear racerback as an office attire! Damn you, Donovan!
Bumalik ako sa office na parang walang nangyari, although I'm really offended and pissed, ganun pa rin, tuloy pa rin iyong pag-uusap.
I sat back to where my seat is, just when I'm about to lay my white blazer sa aking upuan, Donovan went in, nakakalokong ngiti ang iginawad niya sa akin, I rolled my eyes hard at saka nakinig nalang ng maayos sa pinag-uusapan.
---
MyTinkerbella
