Programmed Wife

Chapter 8

The silence in the entire office room was deafening. Rui failed to process what was happening and he just watched her new secretary clean up the mess that he made. He stood still, following Leyla's movements. From her hands wiping on his suit, to her squatting down to clean up the spilled water on the floor.

"Sir, what happened? Were you shocked by the cold water?"

It's almost comical, how Leyla is genuinely concerned. Hindi niya iniisip ang ibang maaaring dahilan ng pagbuga niya ng tubig.

"Huh?"

"Maybe your teeth are very sensitive? Should I schedule a dentist appointment?"

Again, focusing on his possible problems she asked. Hindi naman talaga 'yon ang dahilan. Kahit nga si Rui, hindi rin alam kung ano ang nangyari at kung bakit nagin ganoon ang reaksyon niya.

"A what appointment?"

"Dentist?" Leyla's big doll eyes looked up at him. She looked at him with so much judgement that even Rui started to doubt himself.

"Sir, you don't know what a dentist is?" She asked in pure horror, parang maypagdadalawang isip pa kung totoo ba ang naririnig niya. This misunderstanding is getting her even more confused.

"Ms. Leyla, tumayo ka na nga riyan. How would I not know what a dentist is?" he asked her.

Parang nakahinga naman nang maluwag si Leyla dahil dito. Akala kasi talaga niya ay hindi pa nito alam ang dentista.

"Well, it took you so long to answer, I assumed that you don't."

Leyla pouted while gathering the tissues that she used.

"Sorry Mr. Rui, I'll be at my desk now, please just call me if you need anything else." she apologized before heading out.

There she left Rui still standing up, deeply absorbed with his thoughts. Naninibago pa siya sa presensya ni Leyla, hindi talaga siya sanay na may nakakasalamuha siyang babae na hindi parang walang epekto sa kan'ya. She doesn't seem to pose threat to him.

"She touched me," he whispered. "What the f*ck?"

Sa kalagitnaan ng pag- iisip niya, tumunog ang kan'yang telepono, tumatawag ang pinakamatalik niyang kaibigan, si Shawn. After three rings, Rui excitedly picked it up and started to almost rap at his friend.

"F*cker, she f*cking touched me! What the f*ck. I don't f*cking understand a f*cking thing right now!"

"What? She f*cked you? What the heck are you saying? Are having an attack?"

"What? She f*cked me?" naguguluhan niyang tanong pabalik.

"Who the f*ck did? Is Albert there?"

"Shut up, now I'm confused."

Sa kabilang linya, narinig niya ang kakaibang ingay. Shawn did his best to make his voice clear for him and shouted, "Rui! Who f*cked you?!"

"Shut your f*cking mouth! Nasaan ka? Bakit ang ingay ba kasi riyan?"

"Ah, I'm in the shooting of my variety show guesting. Napatawag lang ako kasi-ay teka nga. Ano 'yong sinasabi mo kanina?"

Rui took a deep breath before starting his brief story for his friend to catch up.

"Albert forced me to test out having a female secretary, and today she got close to me but nothing happened!"

"Are you for real?"

"Yes! Just now, she wiped the spilled water on my suit. Still, nothing!" instead of being happy for having this situation, Rui sounded as if he was complaining.

"What? How did that happen? Was it because you did not have a skin to skin contact?"

"No, I tried to touch her hand, nothing!"

Muntik na maihagis ni Rui ang cellphone dahil sa biglaang pagtili ni Shawn sa kabilang linya. Parang isang dalaga na nanonood ng mga paboritong kpop idols.

"What the heck is wrong with you? Stop ruining my ears, will you?" he scolded Shawn.

"Alam mo, gago ka ewan ko sa' yo. Ngayon ka palang walang reaksyon sa gan' yan. Anong gusto mo? Wala akong imik? Sayang naman 'yong pagiging best dramatic actor ko!"

"You talk too much-"

"Ennk! Okay, so sino 'yong babae?"

"Shut up, tsaka na natin pag- usapan pa, I want to confirm this first. 'Wag na 'wag mong sasabihin kay Mama."

"Tss, boring. Oo na sige," Shawn sighed loudly, letting Rui hear his disappointment.

"So why did you call?"

"I heard from someone here that Kira will be meeting you today? " sumeryoso ang boses ng lalaki. Ngayon ay maririnig na ang tunay na pag-aalala sa kaibigan.

"Yes, she's forcing me to meet her in person. Even threatening us to not sign the new contract if I don't."

"She's starting to act up again. She's still here, shooting with us. I can delay her. If she reschedules, just be unavailable and send someone else. Do you understand?" the actor already piece up a very plausible plan.

"It wont work, she will bother me still. I just know, even after that, she might even rush here straight to the office, that's worse."

"Just don't sign her then, find someone else!"

"She's huge nowadays," Rui softly responded with despair in his voice. "I'm bringing my secretary and Albert, you don't have to worry that much."

Ang kanina ay parang tatay kung magsalita, ngayon ay bigla na namang napapatili na parang kinikilig pa.

"You trust her already?"

"Trust is a very strong word to use."

"Well, you're risking yourself from exposing your body. That' s a very strong act too, isn't it? Ooooh, I guess not. That's not trust then hmm."

The CEO smirked then bit her lower lip, the sarcasm in Shawn's voice triggers him.

"Just f*ck off," he grinned his teeth and ended the call.

Leyla was blankly staring at her laptop screen when she heard a familiar masculine voice talk beside her.

"Come on, it's time to go."

Rui said without looking, she sprung up so fast that Rui was almost surprised. She moved a bit backwards to let him walk in front.

The two confidently walk all the way to the elevator. And everyone on that floor witnessed it all. From the second that he stepped out of the door, eyes were on them. Like wolves, the women almost salivated while watching the handsome and young CEO. When they look at Leyla, they can't help but sigh, she's too gorgeous.

"Bagay sila," a female employee whispered in awe as she was mesmerized by the perfect visuals of the two. Sa isang iglap, lahat ng mga mata na kanina ay tutok kay Rui, ngayon ay umuusok at masama ang tingin sa kan' ya.

"Kilabutan ka nga Tessa, " sita ng isang babae.

"Haha, nakakatawa talaga kayo," kaswal na sabi ni Shiela mula sa desk niya. Hindi pa rin bumibigay sa pilit niyang binubuo na kuwento sa utak nito.

"Leyla are you ready?" Albert asked when he joined them in to the elevator. Pagsara ng pinto nito, bumuga ng hangin ang dalaga.

"Mr. Albert, nakakatakot pala kapag lumalakad na kasama si Mr. Andrews, lahat naka-abang sa bawat galaw namin. Muntik ko nang makalimutan kung paano maglakad!"

Albert laughed at the honest thoughts of the new girl. She's very natural and true to herself, maging si Rui pansin din na walang kahit anong filter sa ugali niya. Really, she's a breath of fresh air in this office.

"You can resign if you can't take it," biglang singit ni Rui sa usapan nilang dalawa. Kaagad siyang siniko ni Albert at tumawa nang bahagya.

"Sir, nasabi na rin po pala sa akin ni Mr. Albert na sasabihan nin' yo ako na mag- resign," she started. Rui looked at her from his peripheral. "Kaya po, hindi ako magre- resign."

"What?"

"It's a test. I will not resign," she smiled so widely.

Masama ang tingin ni Rui na tumama kay Albert. Hindi niya na naitago ang pagtawa dahil sa sagot ni Leyla. He's acting very proud, because of how his trainee answered. Sinigurado talaga ni Albert na hindi mapatalsik si Leyla. Maybe it was out of pure curiousness of how Rui would become.

"Albert, I ordered you to train her, not teach her how to fight me."

"Mr. Rui, I did not fight you." Mabilis na lumingon si Rui para titigan ang nakangiting mukha ni Leyla.

"I would never dare to fight you Mr. Rui, I'll be crushed," she even giggled with Albert. Triggering Rui even more.

Leyla watched how Rui slowly lost his mind at her wise, wonderful words. Kasabay ng malakas na halakhak ni Albert ay ang panggigigil nito. Ilang sandali lamang ay tumunog ang telepono ng lalaki.

"Yeah!" inis niyang sagot sa kung sino man ang tumawag.

"I managed to stop Kira Mendez for now. Kung pwede mag-isip ka na ng magandang dahilan para maiwasan siya sa susunod."

Napangiti si Rui sa narinig niyang balita ni Shawn para sa kan'ya. Talagang hindi hahayaan ng matalik na kaibigan ang mapabayaan at mamroblema si Rui dahil sa babaeng 'yon.

"And how did you manage to do that?"

"Don't f*cking ask me why, I have no idea why she needs to retake multiple shots, I don't know how her parts got deleted."

With that, Rui understood it pretty well, wala na siyang ibang tinanong at pinatay ang tawag. Kalmado nalang siyang naglakad patungo sa sasakyan habang nakasunod ang dalawang sekretarya.

"Kira Mendez will cancel the meeting," he said calmly. Wala pang limang segundo ang nakalipas at tumunog na ang work phone ni Leyla. She picked it up after a couple of rings.

"Yes hello, this is Leyl- uh yes- uhm- hello?" magkakasunod niyang sabi habang naguguluhan sa pangyayari.

Nanlaki ang mga mata niya dahil sa tawag. Manghang-mangha siya na humarap kay Rui para ibalita ang nangyari.

"It was Miss Kira's assistant, they canceled."

"What happened?" Albert asked.

"Nothing, Shawn just did things to stop her."

Pure confusion was written all over Leyla's face. From what she can assess, this is not a first for the two. She can't understand them most of the time but she tries to. Now, her only question was...

"So, are we going back to the office?"

"Do we have any other things scheduled?" Rui's deep voice asked.

"None Sir."

"Then go home. We can all rest for now."

Isang sandali pa ay narinig nalang ni Leyla ang pagbukas at sara ng pinto dahil sumakay ang dalawa.

"Miss Leyla, go home and rest well. Bukas mas marami pa ang ituturo ko sa'yo." Albert cheerfully said.

"Let's go," Rui ordered. The loud roaring of the engine cut off his next words but she could clearly read his lips and it instantly made her whole day worth it.

"He said I did great."