Maybe this time [Completed]

Chapter 22

PAUL

Elisse ignored my question and went back to reviewing our footage as if nothing happened. I wanted to be the bigger person and act as if I didn't mind, but I was burning with jealousy.

It took me literally years to get to this level of friendship with her! Who the hell is that guy that she's already friendly with him when it looks like they'd just met?

I stared at her, willing her to look at me.

"What?" She finally blurted out.

"You haven't answered my question."

"There's nothing to tell. It's just a pen, I wasn't even expecting to get it back."

"Why did he have your pen in the first place?"

"I lent it to him the other day. I saw him in the lobby, he looked like he needed one, so I lent him mine. End of story."

She said it so casually as if it was nothing but I knew there's more to it than that. She never approaches strangers first.

"You know him?" I prodded further, eyeing her carefully.

"I know of him," she clarified. "I've heard about him, they say he's a rising star on the evening broadcast. I've watched him go live once too. He's good."

It felt like a fist was clenching tighter and tighter around my heart as I listened to her talk about him. She never paid attention to anybody, ever, unless it was someone she already cared about, like a relative or friend.

This is the first time I heard her talk about someone she barely knew.  I was scared.

"What's so impressive about it? They just read the news in the safety of the studio."

"He's very good at interviews. I was in the studio that day when he interviewed Rep. Briggs and got him to reveal the corruption in the bidding for the housing project."

I scoffed. "What's so impressive about that? They're just sitting on their chairs, asking questions. It's the reporters on field who face dangers head on just to deliver the news to them."

"Like you, you mean?" She turned to face me, obviously stifling her laughter.

I frowned. Is she making fun of my work?

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

She let out a full-bodied belly laugh, tears coming out of the corner of her eyes as she tried to catch her breath.

"Sorry... Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," she choked out in between giggles. "It's just that you looked like a boy who had gotten his candy snatched away. I was waiting for the pout to appear for the final touch."

I scowled and she put up both hands in the air in mock surrender.

"Sorry. I'll stop now," she promised.

I stayed silent, still irritated at hearing her praise that guy when he hasn't even done anything remotely praise-worthy. I have gone through hoops in my line of work and I haven't heard a single word of acknowledgment from her.

"Paul," she called out softly, her voice now serious. "You know you're a great reporter, right? You don't need me to tell you."

"Am I? You haven't said anything," I replied bitterly.

"Because I don't need to. You have all those awards to prove it. Everybody knows how good you are, they always talk about your work even when you're not here."

"How about you? Do you think I'm any good?"

"Of course! If you weren't, I wouldn't have agreed to stay on your team you know. Even when I was still in lifestyle, I had already been hearing people talk about you."

"Yeah?" I perked up at her words, already forgetting the incident a while ago. "You like my work?"

"Of course! Haven't I told you yet? I rewatch some of your materials when I have free time. I learn a lot."

My chest puffed up with pride. She likes what I do. She says I'm good.

"Which one is your favorite?"

"Oh, there's so many! Wait let me choose one."

Her nose scrunched up as she got lost in her thoughts again, probably rewinding all my videos in her head.

I watched her silently, enjoying the way her eyes glaze over whenever she gets inside her head like this, her lips moving softly as she debated with herself.

"I got it!" She suddenly declared.

"So which one is it?"

"Your coverage of the supertyphoon last year. Especially that part when you had to tie yourself to a tree so the floods won't carry you away, and you reported right in the middle of the storm. Oh my god, that was awesome! I think that will earn you another award again this year."

She beamed at me and I returned her smile.

"You think so?"

She nodded briskly, grabbing my arm in excitement.

"See? You're a great newsman, Paul, and one of the hardest working people I know. Don't let anybody make you feel otherwise, okay?"

I nodded, placing my hand over hers and squeezing lightly. At this point I will probably agree to anything she'd ask of me.