Chapter 3: Chapter 2: Mine
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Chapter 2
Mine
"The starting point of all achievement is desire."
"You can sit down, Mr. Villagomez." And the man obliged. Hindi nito inaalis ang pagkakatitig sa babaeng nasa harapan niya at pinag-aaralan ang kanyang resumé.
"So.." panimula ni Dabi at sinabayan ng pagtikhim para kahit papaano ay maayos ang sarili.
Inangat niya ang mukha at walang emosyon niya itong tinitigan sa mata. Malayo sa uri ng tingin ng magkatitigan sila ng lalaki kani-kanina lang.
"Please introduce yourself, Mr. Villagomez," she commanded while reviewing her interviewee's resume.
The man obliged.
"Good afternoon, Miss Caso. I am Darios Coronado Villagomez. I'm 29 years old."
"Please tell me more about yourself." She added.
"I am good at what I do and I am a very trustworthy person."
Napatango-tango siya sa sagot nito.
"Are you a morning person?" Tanong niya sa binata. Malamig pa rin ang pinupukol na tingin sa lalaking kaharap.
Amusement filled the man's face. Parang hindi ito makapaniwalang ito ang tanong niya. At the same time, parang naaaliw din ito.
"Yes, I am, Miss Caso. I usually wake up at 4:30 in the morning. It's a one constant thing in my life." Pormal ang pagsagot nito gamit ang napakalalim nitong boses.
He has that deep sexy baritone kind of voice you can hear after a morning sex. Husky and scandalous. The kind of voice that can make all women swoon and drool over him.
But not her. Not now, not ever.
Napatango-tango ulit siya nang dahil sa sagot nito.
"If ever I hire you, will you quit if I shout at you?"
Tumaas ang kilay nito. Parang inaanalisa ang tanong niya kung dapat bang sagutin o hindi.
Stupid. Of course, he has to. He's in an interview with me.
"No." Matigas na agap nito. Nakatingin sa kanya nang matiim.
"If I humiliate you, will you quit? If I happen to degrade you, will you quit as well? Let's say, if I deduct your salary because you made a mistake, will you quit and leave?" Sunod-sunod at mabilisang tanong ni Dabi.
Hindi naman ganito ang mga itinanong niya sa mga aplikanteng sinundan lang ng lalaki pero hindi niya alam kung bakit lumabas lang ang mga walang kwentang tanong na iyon sa mga labi niya.
"No, no and no, Miss Caso. I won't quit and I won't leave you."
Napatitig siya dito. There's something wrong with her question and his answer to that.
As usual, she shrugged it all off again like everything is normal.
"Because?..." She wants an additional explanation to his answers.
"Because... Being your employee requires loyalty. Be loyal to those who had your back when you had nothing is a gratitude, Miss Caso. And I choose to be loyal if ever you will hire me,"anang binatang seryosong tumitig sa mga mata niya.
Tumitig din siya rito pabalik.
"What makes you different from all the applicants for this position?" She grimly asked.
Malalim ang pagkakatitig ng raven-black nitong mga mata. Parang nanghihigop ng kaluluwa at nanghihikayat na magpaalipin dito. Ngunit alam niyang hindi siya maaapektuhan sa ganitong klase ng titig. Lalo pa at nagmumula ito sa isang lalaki.
She's not just a woman. She's extraordinary.
"I have an extreme desire for this position, Miss Caso. And I believe that the starting point of all achievement is desire. This desire makes me want to possessed it.." Sadyang binitin nito ang sasabihin.
"And make it mine." He continued.
Nanindig ang balahibo niya sa naging tono ng boses nito.
Bakit mas naging kaakit-akit ang boses ng lalaki?
Sinuway ang sarili at tumikhim.
Something was off with him.
The way he answered her question confidently and the way he sit there in front of her.
He's not the man who will be affecting her in this lifetime. He's just a man. He's nothing.
Napahugot siya nang malalim na hininga bago nakabawi mula sa pagkaka-distract dito.
Pinanatili ang blangkong ekspresyon.
After a few more questions, their interview session ended well.
"Good job, Mr. Villagomez. We'll be contacting you right away if ever you passed this interview." She stood up and offered her hand for a handshake.
The man also stood up from his seat and reached for her hand.
Nakipagkamay siya pero agad ding binawi nang may maramdaman siyang kuryente na pumasok sa sistema niya.
Why the electricity? What did just happen?
She shrugged it off. Nevermind. Maaring guni-guni niya lamang iyon.
"You may go now, Mr. Villagomez. Thank you for your cooperation."
The man nodded and Dabi just caught herself breathless the whole time she was talking to that man.
Nakahinga lang siya nang maluwag nang makalabas na ito nang tuluyan sa kanyang opisina.
____
It's midnight and she's still can't fall asleep. She can't sleep at all. Natapos niya nang basahin ang Harry Potter series book version ni J.K. Rowling pero hatinggabi na at mulat na mulat pa rin ang kaluluwa niya.
And the reason?
That man. The one with hypnotizing and beautiful raven-black eyes.
Darios Coronado Villagomez.
It's so trivial and it makes her want to laugh at herself.
Trivial reason, huh? How come?
She wanted to beat herself to pulp because of struggling with thinking too much about that raven-black eyed man.
Hindi naman ang lalaking yun talaga ang iniisip niya. Iniisip niya kung dapat niya bang tanggapin at i-hire ang lalaki. Basi naman sa interview at sa resumé nito ay maasahan at responsable. At isa pa, dahil sa mga katangiang 'yon, dapat lang na tanggapin niya ito bilang empleyado sa kompanya niya.
May iba sa kanya na wala sa ibang aplikante.
Mayroon din namang qualified para sa posisyon but she doesn't want to settle for less.
Iniisip niya lang kung beneficial ito sa kompanya niya.
Para ba talaga sa kompanya o para sa sarili mo? Ayaw mong i-hire ang tao dahil naaapektuhan ka niya, di ba?
Kinastigo niya ang kabilang bahagi ng isip sa mapanuya nitong turan sa kanya.
Para sa kompanya. Para sa kompanya niya ang gagawin. Kailangan niya palaging isipin ang makakabuti para sa kompanya niya dahil maraming umaasang mga empleyado rito. Kailangan pag-isipan niya muna nang maigi ang mga gagawing hakbang bago magdesisyon. Kung babagsak ang kompanya niya dahil sa pagpapadalos-dalos niya sa kanyang mga desisyon, maraming maaapektuhan.
And she doesn't want that to happen. And no matter what, she will never let that to happen to her company and her people.
Para naman pala sa kompanya tapos sasabihin mong trivial reason? In what aspect it became a trivial thing?
Hirit pa ulit ng isang bahagi ng isip niya.
Bago pa siya mabaliw nang tuluyan dahil sa pag-iisip ng kung ano-ano, nagdesisyon na siyang pilitin pa ang sarili na matulog na para hindi siya mukhang tigre bukas dahil lang sa kulang siya sa tulog.
_____
"Good morning, Ms. Dabi."
"Good morning, Miss."
Bati ng mga empleyadong nadadaanan niya. She's late though. Usually, seven o'clock in the morning is her arrival time but she was late for one hour because she overslept because of a petty reason.
Tsk.
She didn't even bother to greet her employees back. She's not in mood. At baka kung mag-abala pa siya, mailabas niya na naman ang pagiging tigre niya.
Everyone knows she doesn't want that. Pang-ilang araw na 'to na palagi siyang wala sa mood simula ng kapalpakan ng dating sekretarya, this needs to stop now or else, she and her company would explode in no time. And she doesn't bluff, it will literally explode.
Nang makarating sa pinakahuling palapag ng gusali kung nasaan ang opisina ay kaagad niyang pinindot ang intercom na nakakonekta sa HR department at hinanap si Mrs. Helado.
"Erlinda Helado, speaking. Good morning, Miss Dabi, what can I do for you?"
"Good morning. I just want to inform you about the job hiring for the secretary post, can you please pass the qualified applicants to me this afternoon? I want to see the list and make my final judgement about it."
"Yes, Miss Dabi. Noted," agarang sagot naman nito.
Isinandal ni Dabi ang ulo sa sandalan ng kanyang upuan at ipinikit ang mga mata.
Gusto niya uling matulog. Pagod na pagod siya, tingin niya ay magbibreak down na siya anytime.
Pero hindi pwede.
Marami pa siyang trabaho. She got up again from leaning on her chair, reached her reading glasses and started to scan all her paper works for the day.
She didn't even notice that it was already lunch time, until a knock from her door got her attention. Inayos niya ang reading glasses at tuwid na umupo.
It's lunch time and she haven't eat anything yet!
"Come in."
It was a male employee who entered. And base on his ID lace, he's from HR department. She's just staring at the employee over her thick eyelashes and through her eyeglasses.
He walked towards her and stopped in front of her table with a folder and a food cart on his hands.
"Uhh.. Good afternoon, Miss Dabi. I'm Mark Jude Cruz from Human Resource Department. Mrs. Helado instructed me to give this file to you. It contains information about the qualified applicants for your sercretary post. A-And also, this is your lunch. I suppose you're hungry. That was from the head chef of the company's cafeteria, Miss Dabi." Tinanguan niya ito.
Inilapag nito ang folder sa lamesa niya.
"Ilalapag ko p-po ba ito sa dining table niyo, Miss Dabi?" Turo nito sa dining area niya sa loob ng kanyang opisina.
"How nice of you, Mark. Yes, please. Thank you." Puri niya sa empleyadong kanina niya pa napapansing nauutal habang kausap siya.
"Anything, Miss Dabi. Have a nice lunch." Pagkatapos nitong inayos ang lunch niya ay lumabas na rin ito ng kanyang opisina.
She washed her hands first and uttered a bounty prayer before she finally digs in. It was a great lunch alone with herself.
After lunch, she continued what she was doing earlier. Then, her eyes landed on the folder Mark handed her.
Kinuha niya ito at ini-scan. She saw the man's profile on the list.
Binaliwala niya muna ito at binasa ang lahat ng profile na qualified para sa posisyon, nagbabakasakaling may mas magaling pa kaysa sa pinakita ng lalaki.
But in the end, she didn't find someone better.
Napabuntong hininga siya.
Ano bang problema kung ang lalaking iyon ang kwalipikado para sa posisyon?
If he can be a great secretary and an asset to her company, then why not?
It's not like I'm being unfair right now, right?
So, she finally decided.
She'll hire him.
Darios Coronado Villagomez.
He'll be her secretary from now on.
_
uncrushyou🦋
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