Saving Harper

Pulling a Killian Roxas

"Good morning, Harper. Legal sent this for review. They already revised it based from your email last night." Xavier greeted me with his usual smile pag dating ko sa office and handed me a folder. Wow, nauna pa sya saakin.

"Good morning. Thanks." I tried saying without smiling pero nakakahawa yung ngiti nya. I think I just bared my teeth. 

Ang aga aga ang awkward ko na agad. E tangina mukha kasing alam nya na nakatulog ako kagabi sa opisina ko and I called out his name dahil for some reason napanaginipan ko sya. Well shet talaga. I tried to forget about that. I needed to bury that memory somewhere else para di ko paulit-ulit maalala every time na kaharap ko sya.

Ngumiti ka nalang tthe next time Harper para di awkward. Di naman porket gwapo sya pipigilan mo ng ngumiti. It's like first time mong makakita ng gwapo. My subconscious sarcastically told me. I wonder if mabango din sya? I haven't had the chance to sit or stand near him enough to find out. At talagang gusto ko pang malaman yon? Sobrang distracted na nga ako sa itsura nya dadagdagan ko pa.

I reviewed the contract immediately since I want to finally have Andrei and his agent sign this. Xavier went in to give me coffee without me asking for one. He smiled at me again and I smiled a little. Pigil na pigil lang Harper???

"Xavier, please tell Legal na okay na tong contract and have someone from their team be present later if ever I can get a schedule with the agent for contract signing." I told him. He just nodded and lumabas na.

I called Jeremy Angeles and ang swerte ko nanaman that they can swing by ni Andrei this afternoon to do the contract signing which I asked Xavier to remind me baka makalimutan ko lang.

I went on my usual morning, meaning meeting nanaman. By lunch time bumalik nako sa office ko and I was surprised to find my lunch waiting for me on my desk, again without asking for it. I think safe na masanay ako sa ganito?

I opened the paper bag and took out the contents. What?? Xavier bought me salad??? Don't get me wrong I do eat salad from time to time. Was he lowkey telling me I'm getting fat? Ganon yon diba pag pinakain ka ng boyfriend mo ng salad lang? Ay boyfriend talaga? Any guy. Any guy, Harper!

Isa ako sa mga swerteng nilalang na hindi tumataba kahit nabubuhay ako sa junk food. But how can I live through this day na salad at ilang mug ng kape lang yung laman ng tiyan?

True enough, bago pa mag simula yung 2pm meeting ko with Marketing, gutom nako. Uminit tuloy agad yung ulo ko and I ended up going through the meeting ng nakasimangot lang. Akala nila walang magandang idea para sakin.

"Xavier. May nickname ka ba?" I asked him nung nadaanan ko sya sa area nya pabalik galing sa meeting. Pumasok ako sa kwarto ko hoping na nagets nyang sumunod sya sakin. "Wala. Ikaw?" He returned my question pag dating nya sa office ko.

Napasimangot ako sa pag balik nya ng tanong ko saakin as if I was doing it to make small talk. Wala akong nickname, though my friends used to call me "H" nung college pero nairita ako kasi my older sister Holly was also called "H" by her friends. 

"Wala." I finally answered him. "Maganda na yung Harper. I like your name." He said with a smile. Was I asking for his opinion on my name? Or dahil lang I was the first one who asked him about his?