My stone cold hearted boss

I can't be the old me

Janine’s P.O.V. 

Maaga akong gumising para hindi ako malate sa trabaho, dumating ako sa office ng maaga. Lumapit ako sa receptionist, “Hi! Good morning!”, ‘good morning can I help you?’ morena siya at maganda, mukha naman siyang mabait.

“yes ahm, I’m looking for Mat—I mean Sir Matteo”, tumingin siya sakin at nagtataka. ‘Do you have an appointment?’, “oh no I don’t have but I am here because it’s my first day today”. ‘Oh you could have told me’ sabay pagtawa niya. 

“sorry” then I smiled at her, ‘it’s okay, I’m Kendra’ “I’m Janine” nagkamayan kaming dalawa, ‘Janine? Come with me’ bigla kong narinig ang boses ni Matteo. 

Sumenyas sakin si Kendra na sumunod kay Matteo. 

‘here is where your table will be, this is Jadea she is my assistant, she will be showing you what are the things that you need to do, and also everytime that I have meeting I want you to join me’, “noted sir”. 

Tinignan niya ko mula hanggang paa. “can I help you sir?”, umiling lang siya at pumasok sa office niya.

Lumipas ang oras at lunch break na, ‘Hi! New here? ‘ tanong ng isang lalake, “yes, Janine”

MATTEO’S P.O.V. 

Nakita ko siya sa may reception, biglang may kung anong kabog sa dibdib ko, hindi ko alam kung bakit sa kada makikita ko siya ganto nararamdaman ko  “here is where your table will be, this is Jadea she is my assistant, she will be showing you what are the things that you need to do, and also everytime that I have meeting I want you to join me”, ‘noted sir’.

I did not notice that I was staring at her from head to toe. ‘can I help you sir?’, napailing lang ako at dumeretso sa office ko. “f**k what is happening to me?”

Someone knocked on my office door. “come in!”, ‘sir, I just want to give you this papers that Ma’am Jadea asked me to give it to you’. Inabot niya sakin ang folder na hawak niya. “Thanks!”, tumango siya at tumalikod na. ‘ahm sir?’, “yes?” ‘would you like a cup of coffee?’. Napatingin ako sa kanya at nawala ang focus ko sa binabasa kong presentation namin sa client. “sure” then she nodded. 

2 in the afternoon, handa na lahat sa board room para sa presentation namin s client isa tong malaking project para sa company, masyadong tago at unpredictable ang client namin so hindi 100% ang assurance na makukuha namin ang project.

Papunta ako ng board room ng makita ko si Janine na kausap ang isa sa mga employee ko si Alex, may kung anong hindi ko maintindihan at nagagalit ako sa nakita ko, nagtatawanan silang dalawa at para bang sobrang close na nila. “s**t! What is happening to me?!”

‘Mr. Santillan, you understand that this is a big project right?’, “yes Mr. Reyes” ‘then give me something that we will like, I will give you a second chance to present me a better designs’. 

JANINE’S P.O.V. 

‘come in’, “Sir, your coffee” ‘thanks’, seryoso siya na nakatuon sa laptop niya, hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari. “ahm sir?”, ‘hmm?’, “is everything okay?” nagbuntong hininga siya ng malalim. ‘yeah I’m fine’, “if there is something I can help just please don’t hesi—“, ‘I don’t need a help okay? So please get out, and next time if I did not say that you do things do not do it, you are just my secretary not my assistant or business partner’. Na istatwa ako sa mga sinabi niya, naramdaman ko nalang na tumulo ang luha ko sa aking mukha. 

Tinignan niya ako “so?”, ‘lalabas na po sir pasensya na po’. Tumalikod ako at lumabas sa office niya. I tried putting up a fake smile sa aking mukha. 

MATTEO’S P.O.V.

“I was frustrated because of what happen, I need to get the project, I can’t fail”

7pm na ng lumabas ako ng opisina ko. Nagulat ako na nasa lamesa parin niya si Janine. “it’s 7pm and you are still here?”, ‘ahm yes sir because I thought that you might need anything’. “how many times do I have to tell you that don’t do things that I dif not ask you to do?!”.

Yumuko lang siya at kinuha ang bag niya. ‘sorry sir alis na po ako’.

Tumalikod siya at umalis “f**k!”, nadaanan ko si Janine na nagaabang ng masasakyan sa labas ng office, “sakay!”, ‘hindi na po sir magaantay nalang po ako dito ng taxi’. “I said hop in!”. Sumakay siya sa front seat, “seatbelt please”.

Tahimik ang buong byahe namin. ‘jan nalang po sir’. “ihahatid na kita hanggang sainyo” pinahinto niya ako sa gate ng subdivision nila. ‘hindi na po sir, ok napo ako dito maglalakad nalang po ako papasok, salamat po’.

“why?”, ‘po?’ “why you don’t want me to drop you off at your house?”. ‘sa totoo lang po sir, itong pag sabay ko sainyo? Ay mali na, ayoko po ng issue’. Napatigil ako sa sinabi niya “and bakit magkakaissue?”. ‘believe me sir been there than that’ tipid ang ngiti niya sakin.

‘ahm sir sorry nga po pala, don’t worry po I’ll do only the task that I need to do, ingat po’

Then she slammed three door and walked away. Did I really offended her? This is not right, I can’t be the same guy I was before.