Loving Aria

Chapter 24

Corrine

Ilang araw na kaming nakabalik mula sa outing. Ganun pa din si Aria. Cold and distant pag madaming tao. Sweet and attentive pag kami lang dalawa.

Pero mula ng araw na iyon na nagkausap sila ng maayos ni Grant, something has changed. Hindi ko lang matukoy kung ano pero sigurado ako na mayroong nagbago sa kanya.

"Hey!"

Awtomatiko akong napangiti ng makita ko si Aria na naglapag ng pagkain sa harap ko. We're still eating lunch together kasama sina Shia at ang buong accounting team.

"How was your vacation?" Tanong ni Aria kay Shia na katabi nito habang abala sa pagbubukas ng food container. She has ceasar salad and boiled chicken strips.

"Wag ako ang tanungin mo. Ikaw nga itong parang nahiyang sa paggagala aa. Bakit ang fresh mo ngayon tingnan?" Balik tanong dito ni Shia.

Tinaasan lang ito ng kilay ng dalaga at saka sinimulan kumain. Dahil nga walang nakuhang sagot kay Aria ay ako naman ang binalingan ni Shia.

"Hindi ba nagpasaway itong babaeng ito habang wala ako?"

Mabilis naman kaming umiling lahat. In fairness naman sa working ethics ni Aria, all is according to the schedules. Never pa yata kaming nasita ng audit na nagkamali mula ng umalis si Shia at siya ang pansamantalang pumalit.

"Ikaw Corrine, kumusta?"

Napaubo ako bigla ng tinanong ako ni Shia nang may bahid ng sarkasmong ngiti.

"Uhm, Okay naman po. Medyo magaan naman ang trabaho at tinutulungan ako ng team to work it all out in meeting the deadlines."

"Oh?" She said in a casual tone. "I am really glad that the team is very accommodating while I'm on my leave."

"Of course." Sagot ni Aria pagkaraan. Marahil alam niya din na may double meaning iyong sinabing iyon ni Shia.

"What happened to mind their own work?"

She shrugged. "I just realized that we are all working as a team and mas mahihirapan ako pag ako lang ng ako ang tumrabaho ng lahat. Besides my team is not that bad in doing their own tasks. It all counts as team effort. Di ba Corrine?"

Mabilis naman akong napatango.

I clearly notice the small smile pasted on Shia's lips.

Siguro kasi in.expect niya that Aria and the team won't work. Paano naman kasi nasanay na sila na sinosolo lahat ni Aria ang trabaho. Because that's what she is, an independent person na akala mo naman ikamamatay ang umasa sa ibang tao. Pati sa personal life nya siguro ay ganun.

"So how was Corinne's training?"

Napalingon ako kay Aria ng bahagya siyang masamid. Shia eyed her suspiciously.

"You're not doing anything to sabotage her training right?" She asked.

"Of course not!" Mariing tanggi ng dalaga at saka itinuro ako. "Why don't you ask her?"

Pasimpleng ibinaba ni Shia ang kubyertos.

"I've heard the Marketing and Accounting team incident. What was that all about? Nakikipag away na kayo habang wala ako?"

"Defending themselves is different in starting a fight."

"Really, Aria?" She feigned surprised. "And when did you start supporting violence?"

"Violence is when you use physical force to hurt someone while defense is when you try to stop someone in using that violence behavior towards you. That's what the team did." Aria defended us. Napayuko na lang kami nila Astrid.