ASHBOO Drabbles

Impressive!

"Hey Sarah, still working this late?"

"Ay, good evening Mr. Montemayor, yes po," she smiled to her boss.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Po?" Her forehead creased. As far as she knows, she was able to complete all her tasks for today. She is in fact reviewing in advance some of the cases assigned to her.

"Wala naman po?" She's not certain if she has forgotten something.

"My God Sarah!" Her boss tapped her desk acting as if she has committed a grave crime. "You're still young, and yet you're overworking your self. Get a life and have some fun hija!"

"Hindi naman po sa ganun.." She started defending herself but her boss cut her.

"See, you even forgot that today is my wife's birthday and we invited you!"

"Po?!" She was surprised, and yes she remembered that last month Mrs. Montemayor mentioned this to her. She said yes not really interested in going but she confirmed that she'll be going to her boss' wife's birthday party. She was debating within herself if she would go or just reason out that she still has a lot of things to do.

"You already said yes and don't ever think of changing your answer, c'mon young lady, regalo mo na kay misis, you know how much she loves you like a real daughter, alam ko namang nakalimutan mo din siyang bilhan ng regalo," Mr. Montemayor said knowingly.

'Ooops, guilty as charged,' she said in her mind.

Sighing in defeat, "Ok po, susunod po ako," she smiled.

"Make sure hija, ok? I'll go ahead, I need to check on the birthday celebrator getting dolled up for her party."

Sarah just nodded. Guilty that the invitation really slipped her mind.

She fixed her table then retouched her makeup a little bit. 'It's a good thing my get up would pass as a formal slash party attire' she thought. She's wearing a black knee-length sleeveless pencil cut dress, hugging her curves in the right places.

——-

She arrived at the venue a little late due to the rush hour traffic. She searched for the birthday celebrator who is very busy entertaining her guests.

"Sarah, hija!" Mrs. Montemayor gave her a tight hug and a kiss on both her cheeks. "I'm glad you're able to make it dear. Enjoy the night ok?"

"I will po and happy birthday po! Uhmn bukas nalang po yung gift nyo ha," she whispered that made the old woman smile.

"Hija, your presence is more than a gift to me. I just want you to enjoy the rest of the night and just chill. Now, go find your table."

Searching for her table, she was greeted with hi's and hello's from her fellow lawyers as well as their seniors. Dinner was served and now everyone's just enjoying the night with some drinks and conversations. She was looking for the perfect timing to escape when a loud cheer from the crowd erupted. Curious as she is, she examined why the crowd suddenly went wild.

She was shocked to see Bamboo on the stage. Ok, so now it came to her knowledge that it's not only her tita Lea who is going gaga over this rockstar but lots of her colleagues are. Arms crossed and smiling to herself, 'My Ghaad, how can they be so serious in the court room during trials, and yet turn out to be super fanboys and fangirls like this' she thought, smiling to herself. When she raised her eyes to look at Bamboo, she was surprised that he was looking intently at her direction. She's feeling a little conscious that she tried to avoid his gaze.

Her plan to leave the birthday party early changed the moment Bamboo stepped on that stage. It's as if she was glued from where she was sitting. She stayed and watched him. She was impressed by him. In all fairness, she must admit that his voice in live performances and from the records that her aunt plays are the same. 'Impressive!' she thought.

He is now singing one of his not so famous songs, if she recalls it correctly from the records that her aunt has been playing, it's Morning Rose. She saw him get down from the stage and walk to her direction. She felt a rush of unexplainable feeling, her palms were sweating and there's that tingling feeling in her stomach. She was shocked when he knelt in front of her.

"Ma'am, may I have this dance?" he asked in his deep, husky tone.

She felt her cheeks turn red, looking around, everyone was applauding for them. She got no choice but to standup and join him on stage. She felt like a statue standing on stage, smiling shyly while the man in front of her was singing passionately, his right hand intertwined with hers while his left hand holding his mic.

After the song, he escorted her back to her chair still holding her hands and before letting go, he kissed her hands. She was taken aback. He smiled sweetly at her. In a moment, it's as if the world stopped and it's only the two of them who are in the venue. Looking eye to eye, her in shock and in wonder, him gently smiling at her. The noise and clap from the crowd made her realize that they were still holding hands, she quickly removed her hands from his.

The gesture did not escape the prying eyes of the people at the event, after all, majority of them are lawyers.

——-

He was not supposed to accept this gig but now that he is here standing and looking at her crossed arms, he's glad he did.

This is his chance. 'Now it's time to show you who really I am. Fans won't go crazy over me for no reason at all.' He smiled to himself while looking at her direction.

So he performed. As he does, his command, his energy, his presence, making it known to the crowd especially to her. He's always looking at her direction occassionally locking eyes with her but she always looks away but he does not have a plan of letting her go out of his sight.

It's not in his lineup to sing Morning Rose tonight but he felt like he needed to sing the song and address it to her.

"Happy birthday to the beautiful Atty. Montemayor, before I sing my last song which is her favorite song, would it be ok for me to sing one more song?"

"Of course hijo, go ahead" Mrs. Montemayor answered gladly.

And so he sang. And he did what was on his mind. He went to her and asked her for a dance. He was smiling the whole time he was singing to her. He won't let the evening pass without making a good impression to her.

—-

The party's over and Bamboo has been meaning to talk to Sarah.

He does not want to be in denial. He likes her. And somehow he knows that she feels the same way too. There is that mutual understanding that both of them feel towards each other.

He was waiting for a chance to get to talk to her and get her number but luck was not on his side. He didn't notice when she left. But one thing is for sure, she is a lawyer, a snob lawyer to be exact.

He needs to use his connections to get to know her and to get to her. 

———-

A/N: 2/3 of a three part story. I've drawn inspiration from one of coach Bamboo's gig last February at Shangrila where I read a tweet of a lawyer appreciating coach Bamboo's command, energy and presence, so that is how I came up with this! What if, Bamboo who is his rockstar self is able to swoon the serious and focused Atty. Geronimo? So I made Sarah here a lawyer, haha!