Shin's Diary

Chapter 6: Clash Of Unknown

On their way to Ian’s car, Shin was shocked about what she saw. Her eyes wide opened. She didn’t expect that Gab is coming over… with flowers! Too much of her surprise, she can serve that there’s a powerful lightning connecting between their eyes. A clash of unknown. There was a certain something --- and she’s not quite sure if it’s rage.

She clutches her throat. “Ah Gab, you didn’t tell me you’ll come here,” she said.

“This is for you,” he said as he handed her a bouquet of roses and daises.

“Those are daisies, she’s allergic,” Ian finally speaks up. Shin’s eyebrows met and her mouth hanged open. “You should throw it, dude.”

But Shin willingly received the flowers. “Thanks for this,” she thanked Gab.

Gab scratched her head and grinned like an innocent child. “Maybe, I should go. I’ll just go to your house later, okay? Nice meeting you, dude.”

An intense rivalry is arising and Shin can feel it everytime she stares at the both of them. Gab, then, ran away from them. She looked at Ian, curious. He’s just too secretive. It felt like he knows everything about her.

Before they got into the car, he stopped. “Don’t smell the flowers and throw it.”

“But his efforts…”

“I said throw it,” he demanded. The fire in his eyes seemed to send her a furious message and she can’t explain why. She automatically followed his words. She felt hypnotized. She went back at him, totally intimidated.

“Don’t trust him,” he added.

“I-Ian --- how did you know I was allergic to daisies?” she asked, trying to change the topic.

“The way you look at it. You know, you’re face seemed to be so easy to read,” he replied. He noticed her sweat falling to the ground. “Listen to me, I can sense that he’s hiding a mask behind that innocent face and I am pretty sure that he’ll make your life miserable if you’re going to continue this craziness of yours. I don’t like it.”

“HOW DID YOU KNOW?!” she cried out loud with eyes flaring in anger. “Uhh…” she clears her throat, mustering a fake cough. She’s trying to remain calm and not to scream. She closed her eyes as if it was causing her great pain. “I’m just confused.”

Confused? You’re friggin’ confused, she thought.

“Get in the car,” he commanded. When he was commanding anything, she felt herself flicking and the next thing she knew, she was following his every word. It’s not because he was her boss.

Ian Bautista is tidy. His car is immaculate on the inside, nothing but a small box of Kleenex on the seat and a notebook for recording his business deals.

“MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER?” the waitress asked Ian and grinned.

She’s flirting, Shin thought. Ian is the hottest guy in the office and he always had pretty recruits throwing themselves to him. He is totally unaware of how attractive he is.

He handed her the menu from a Chinese restaurant and insisted that she can make all the choices. Then, the waitress hurriedly left them after getting the orders. Shin stared at him teasingly.

“She likes it,” Shin lowered her voice in an intriguing tone. “Maybe I have to tolerate those women trying to pick you up.”

He laughed and threw his head back and his face reddened. She can’t help but feel that he’s the most adorable guy on earth when she frankly told him about the waitress.

“Never mind about the waitress, she’s not gonna work it,” he said.

“What it?”

“You know.”

She nods but still, she doesn’t know it. She doesn’t know how to insist to tell it, or maybe she was just pathetically dimwitted. She was nervous --- of course! She’s having lunch with her boss and the feeling is awkward. After all, she doesn’t know how to talk to him. The feeling is totally mental! Being with David? She’s not crazy, she with him.”

“Why, are you jealous?” he asked which surprised her much. She cracked one shy laugh.

“Know what? You are a jerk,” she joked and luckily, he buys that. “No, you’re not. You were friendly at your employees, are you aware of that? And yeah, generous too. The supervisor thingy seemed to be a giveaway to you for you.”

“Because I’m the boss?” his statement ended up to be a question mark to him. It sounded perfectly cute for a guy. “Yeah… because I’m the boss.”

“What does it feel to be the boss in a large company? I am pretty sure it’s a very hard task for you. You were the only heir of the company. Wasn’t that much pressuring?” she asked.

“It can be pressuring but I am enjoying it. Oh well again, because I’m the boss,” he said. He emphasized his phrase ‘because I’m the boss.’ It sounded funny than boasting. “The disadvantage is people are mostly faking around me that’s why I never trusted anyone until you. You’re different --- good different.”

Silence filled the air and they exchanged meaningful glances. No one dared to talk first. Just pure silence. Silent words. Silent beats of their hearts. Silent stares.

After a couple of minutes, their lunch was set in the table. She didn’t order much --- this is way too expensive.

“I saw you looking at the price while ordering,” Ian broke the silence.

“Yes, I was conscious,” she told him truthfully. “And well, I don’t eat a lot, you know.”

“It’s not like I’ll make you pay for this,” he said. “Oh well, enjoy yourself then. Well?

“Thank you, Ian… for everything. And well, I love the ambience of this place,” she said. “And I noticed some of the girls were staring at you. I felt invisible”

“Which brought me back to the whole jealous thing,” he snapped.

“And also brings me back that you are a jerk,” she quickly replied. They both laughed.

After they finished kung pao and mu shu, the waitress just a while came in the scene and gave him the bill and Ian paid it. Ian Bautista is generous. He left the waitress a big tip and barely managed to smile at the waitress as she leaves. He flipped the bill and found a note behind the bill. The waitress left her phone number. It was a note reading, ‘If you’re single again, call me.’ Shin felt disgusted but how come he felt worse? Shouldn’t it be a compliment to a coveted catch like him?

“See… I told ‘ya,” she said in a face of dismay… and jealousy. Her heart was the worst; it’s heating up and beating a million times. His aura burns through her chest and into her arms and legs. She felt numb and giddy.

He was sitting still and watched Shin instead whose eyes were glaring at the waitress and lips were twitching like she wants to eat the flirty waitress. He just watched her perfect lips, which he finds very alluring.

She caught her staring at her lips and she moved away. She can’t look directly at him but she clears her throat to fully-gain her confidence again. “What if I panic at work? What if I end up hyper-ventilating because I can’t breathe and speak to the investors?” she questioned him.

“Don’t think about it. It doesn’t make any sense at all. You’re not going to be like that if you’re not thinking about it,” he said. “But congratulations Shin.”
“But what if?” she asked again. “You’re answering me some fail-safe things that I don’t even want to know”

“Uhmm… what to? Maybe, I’ll have you replaced? And that would be me because I will be having no choice at all but to actually fix the fiasco that you’ve caused to the company. If there’ll be one person to fix your dirt in the company, it would be me,” he replied. “Because you’re my employee.”

“Thank you Sir, I mean, Ian.”

She owed her success to him. The supervisor spot means a lot to her and she can’t imagine herself being in that position in a single blink. She smiled shyly, her face slightly pink.