Chapter 11
1062 Words
Chapter 11
REUBEN POV
"What was that? You'll need to speak up," Elise said irritably, and pulled her hand back.
I had no intention of revealing myself to them. I was content observing from my hidden spot just a few steps away. But when Elise was about to feed Hermosa, my possessiveness flared up. In response, I swiftly approached, grabbed her wrist, and pulled it towards me.
"Hey, man, are you not going to speak up?" Elise asked, clearly annoyed.
"I'm just shooing away the trespasser who's hovering around my property, Elise," I said in a serious tone.
"Wait, wait, what are you talking about, what trespasser are you referring to in this public area?" I asked, feeling dumbfounded.
"Yes, this is a public area, but you're an exception because you're my private property, so no one else can touch or claim you except me," he said.
She was momentarily stunned but then composed herself. "You know what, I think you're sick, clear your mind, you might be losing it," she said. "Your subordinates will pity you." With that, she turned away from me.
What the hell is she thinking? Am I insane? Damn you, woman! I was about to speak, but I noticed she had moved away from me.
I was about to leave when I saw a backpack on the bench where Elise had been sitting earlier. I smiled. "What luck," I said as I picked it up. But before I left, I signaled a nearby councilor to come closer.
"Why, Mayor?" the councilor asked as he approached.
"Clean that mess," I said, pointing to the food on the table.
"But Mayor, it still looks clean; we can use it as a snack. It would be a waste to throw it away," he said to me.
"Okay, here's something to add to your snacks," I said, handing him some money.
"Thank you very much, Mayor," he said gratefully.
"You're welcome. By the way, if a woman comes looking for this," I said, pointing to the backpack and describing Elise, "Tell her to come back for it tomorrow at my office," I added.
"Alright, Mayor," he replied.
Elise POV
I practically speed-walked away from the man. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't attempt to follow me.
"Why, are you asking to be chased?" my mind taunted me. "Arrrg, shut up, mind!" I hissed to myself.
My hair almost stood on end when he referred to me as his private property. That lunatic. But I stopped in my tracks when I remembered. I had left my laptop in the park. I slapped my forehead.
"I must be the one who's losing it," I muttered to myself. Hays! I had no choice but to return to where I came from.
But to my surprise, the table was clean, and my backpack was no longer on the bench. PANIC ALERT ON! "I only left it here," I said to myself as I looked around, hoping to find someone I could ask. I noticed a man in white heading towards me. "Manong, did you see a black bag here earlier?" I asked him as he approached.
"Mayor took it, ma'am, he said to tell you to come back for it tomorrow at his office," the man replied.
"Alright, Manong, thank you," I said to him.
I sat back down on the bench where I had been sitting earlier. "My bad luck just never seems to end today," I said to myself. I took out my cellphone and checked the time. It was past 5 in the afternoon.
Where could they be? I thought of Sir Alex and Greg. I let out a sigh and then composed a message and sent it to both of them.
A decision made in my mind... I'll start my work tomorrow immediately to finish it quickly.
I was waiting for a ride when I spotted a Silver Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, a 4-Wheel Drive SUV perfectly suited for our mountainous terrain and mountain passages, honked behind me. I moved aside a bit to give way, but it stopped in front of me. The passenger's door opened. "Hop in," the driver said. I was surprised to see that it was Mayor Agapito. Initially, I hesitated to get in. But when I remembered my laptop and the need to retrieve it, I had no choice but to join him. Getting in was a bit difficult due to the high step, but once inside, there was plenty of headroom and legroom, ensuring that I wouldn't feel cramped.
"Where's my laptop?" I asked as I settled in and neatly placed my belongings.
"At my office," he replied.
I sighed. What else could I do but retrieve it there tomorrow?
"By the way, why did you terminate the contact suddenly?" I couldn't help but ask.
"You know what, I don't negotiate without a proper proposal," he said. "But like I said earlier, you're an exception." he continued. "My answer is simple; I don't believe in data alone," he said as he started to maneuver his car.
"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.
"I'm not only a mayor, Elise, I'm a businessman, and above all, I'm a farmer too," he replied. "All I want for my farmers is a good yield, good quality rice." He paused. "Since I'm a farmer and rice trader, I want to ensure I have a good harvest," he explained.
"So, what are you getting at now?" I asked.
"Save that question for tomorrow," he said instead.
I was about to ask more when I noticed his attention was focused on the road. So, I did nothing but look for something to occupy myself with to avoid getting bored.
"Look outside and enjoy the beauty of nature," he said. Automatically, my attention turned to the outside. I noticed many changes in the area. What used to be a single lane with potholes and rough roads was now a two-lane concrete road with streetlights on both sides and warning signs scattered around. Despite the changes and progress in the area, the preservation of the natural beauty of nature was evident. One proof was the lush green surroundings and the growing trees. A while ago, we even passed a sign that read "OTW TO BIRD SANCTUARY." Surely, she'll visit that soon.
"HOLD ON, ELISE," he said a moment later.
_TAGAIloCosNak
- Writer
