Retrofit

Chapter 1

PRESENT

"Engineer, nandito na po 'yung revised set of plans para sa condominium project. Need na lang po signature niyo."

Lea looks up from her computer as her secretary drops the plans on her desk.

"Thanks, Lisa." She smiles at the younger woman. "Wala pa bang update about sa bagong project na gusto makuha ni Martin?"

"Wala pa po ma'am eh. Pero pabalik na rin daw si Engr. Zamora dito from her meeting with the potential client."

"Hello!" As if on cue, Engr. Martin Zamora steps into the room and immediately slumps himself on Lea's visitor chair.

"You seem to be in a good mood." She asks the newcomer.

"Of course.” He grins tossing the thick file he was holding into Lea's desk.

Lea looks at it, confused for moment before it finally sinks in. She turns back to him. “Did we win the bidding for New Horizons?”

Martin nods excitedly, accepting the hug from Lea who got up for her seat. "Martin, that's great!"

"Thank you. Couldn’t have done it without you." Her friend pulls away, running his hands down Lea's arms to give them a squeeze.

The New Horizons Complex is going to be their biggest project ever since she became part of the company. It is a 115-hectare multi-purpose system of facilities like malls, condominiums, hotels  and office buildings. Hundreds of prestigious construction firms in and out the country are vying to be a part of the project and their company have been negotiating with the owners and working on the plans for one of its buildings.

Yesterday, Martin, their project engineer, attended the bidding. As branch manager in the Philippines for Arke Construction Corporation, Engr. Azalea Mendoza is overlooking the plans and negotiations.

"This calls for a celebration! Dinner later?" She's bouncing on her seat in elation.

"Sure! Your treat?" Martin teases, getting up from his seat.

Lea scrunches up her nose, pretending to think it over but eventually nods her head. "Siyempre 'no! Tell Regina na lang and I'll take care of everything."

"Cool! I'll go tell our staff to look over the final plans. See you later." Martin gives her a wink before leaving to go back to his own office.

Lea turns to her assistant who is still standing by the side with a huge smile on her face.

"Congrats po, ma'am."

"Thank you." She grins going back to sit behind her desk. "Please set up a reservation for me and my friends at Theo's for later."

Her secretary nods, turning to get out the door but, before she can open it, Lea calls out to her one more time.

"Order some pizza for everyone in the office." She instructs, which makes Lisa's smile grow wider as she walks out of the room.

---

Her day is swamped. Lea spends most of it on her desk rechecking the details on the condominium plans they have, meticulously, before signing them. She also catches herself up on the paperwork they need for their other projects.  Before she knows it, it's already half past six and her friends are barging through the door of her office.

"Madam!" Regina, their materials engineer who also became one of her closest friends ever since she joined the firm five years ago, calls out to her as she walks in along with Martin. "Tama na muna trabaho."