Programmed Wife

Chapter 21

"Mr. Andrews, Chloe Carlos is trying to get a schedule with you at three in the afternoon tomorrow. What do you think? Are you going to permit it?" Leyla asked as she puts down a hot cup of mocha on his desk. She watched him massage his temples while his eyes are shut close. 

"Chloe Carlos? Who the heck?"

"She is an actress gaining so much recognition as of the moment because of her booming social media posts. Her manager is trying to get a contract with us I guess since she's not under anything right now."

Hindi kumibo si Rui, imbis ay ininom niya ang inumin na nasa harapan niya. Umiiling- iling pa ito habang tinignan ng masama ang dalaga. Leyla laughed as soon as she saw him take it. 

"Sir, come on. Hanggang ngayon ba magkukunwari pa tayo na gusto mo ang black coffee?" she teased. 

After almost two months of being his assistant, hindi na natatakot si Leyla sa patingin- tingin niya na gan'yan. Hindi na 'yan uubra sa kan'ya. Alam na alam na niya ang bawat kahulugan ng expression nito. Wala na ngang ibang nagawa si Rui kung hindi ang magpalabas ng buntong hininga. 

"Are there anyone else-"

"None, none, chill ka lang Mr. Bossing CEO," she teased him once again. "Ang sabi ko doon kay Peachie, akin 'yan."

"Napapadalas na naman 'yong pagsama mo kay Roca, pati pananalita niya nakukuha mo na. Kailan mo pa ako naging Mr. Bossing CEO?"

"Anong gusto mo? Tawagin kita doon sa isa pa na tawag niya sayo? Baka mas lalong mainis ka lang?" 

"Hmm?"

"Mr. Papidad," she casually said. 

"What the f-"

"Okay tama na, baka hindi ka na naman huminto sa kakamura d'yan."

Overtime, Rui has learned to be more comfortable with his new secretary. Mabuti na nga lang at nakuha rin ni Leyla na maging mas kaswal. Dahil na rin sa pagiging malapit niya sa isang makulit na kaibigan, hindi maiiwasan ni Rui ang pabugso- bugsong pag atake ng kan'yang kalokohan minsan. 

"Leyla, what do I have at ten?" he asked on the intercom. Leyla quickly pushed a button before talking.

"Sir, the schedule is clear from ten to one. You haven't gave me a decision yet about Miss Chloe's appointment. Are we entertaining that Sir?" she asked back.

The line from her desk to his turned quiet. Nahahalata ni Leyla ang ginagawa ni Rui. Lagi nalang siyang ganito kapag mayroon siyang kailangan na puntahan na meeting lalo na kung involved ay mga babae. He's uncomfortable and against the idea always. 

"I will be with you if ever you want to. Puwede rin na ako nalang ang pumunta kung gusto mo?"

After a few minutes, Leyla heard his deep voice, "Leyla can you come in here?"

Mabilis na tumayo ang dalaga mula sa pagkakaupo para pumasok sa opisina ng lalaki. 

"Sir?" she called. Nilapitan niya ang lalaki na ngayon ay lugmok na nakapatong ang ulo sa lamesa. "What happened?" asked Leyla, with confusion and concern in her voice. 

"Nothing, my head just hurts like sh*t," said Rui. "Do you have the information of this Chloe?"

Umiling- iling si Leyla, "I just have her social media accounts. I checked it, she has about two million followers on IG and a million on t****k where she posts... POV videos?" 

"What videos?"

"POV? I don't really know how to explain it Sir, but it was a very questionable type of entertainment. It's the first time that I have those kinds of videos, Roca made me watch about three before I almost gagged."

Napahalakhak ang lalaki dahil sa nakakatawang lukot na mukha ng dalaga. Hindi niya kasi inaasahan na magiging ganito ang expression niya. Diring- diri kasi ito na parang nakakita ng multo habang sinasariwa ang mga napanood. 

"You have to see it!" she suddenly exclaimed. Now Rui's face turned pale. 

"If you said that it is that bad, why are you making me watch it?"

"Shush," she signaled a finger on her lips and went near him to show what she's talking about. She pulled out her phone to show him the exact videos that Roca just showed her. 

"POV: You saw your girlfriend smiling while looking at you." Rui read out loud. It immediately made him glare at Leyla who's holding the phone with her eyes completely shut. Ayaw na kasi niyang mapanood ito.

"Jesus Christ! Who watches this?" sa tono ng pananalita nito, mukhang nakuha rin niya ang punto ni Leyla. He just witnessed the beautiful girl smile and act cute while slowly flipping her hair. 

"All her videos are like this, then some of it just her acting some sort of roles or something," she said. 

"This is so bad. Do you expect me to entertain her just because of this?"

"Well she's pretty famous online because of these. Don't you think it's worth giving a shot? Baka naman malay mo maging sikat pa siya sa susunod tapos makakatulong rin siya sa kumpanya natin."

Rui turned at her with a very prominent look of dismay on his face, "This is not my type of talent Leyla, don't ever give her a chance to waste my time, lalo lang sumasakit ang ulo ko dahil d'yan."

Her instincts kicked in once she heard her boss say how his head hurts. Hindi pa nga pala niya naasikaso ito.

"Do you want to rest first? Tutal wala naman tayong meeting, puwede ka rin naman na matulog muna. Wala pa namang due na papers hindi ba?"

"If I sleep-"

"'Wag ka ng mag alala muna, ako na ang bahala sa lahat kung may mangyari man na kailangan ka, gigisingin nalang kita. Hindi ka naman siguro susugurin ng mga papeles para hindi ka makatulog 'di ba?"

If anyone could see them bickering right now, nobody would suspect them as co- workers. For sure everyone would have guessed that they are at least three years in their married life. They compliment each other's energy so well that they always clash but they learned to laugh it off. Mostly Leyla, she just laughs at anything that annoys Rui and he can't do anything about it. He can only admit defeat and watch her giggle her cute little heart out.

"Tayo ka na d'yan hoy, hindi kit mabubuhat papunta doon sa kuwarto mo." 

Utos ni Leyla sa boss niya na ngayon ay masama na naman ang tingin sa kan'ya. Kung nakakamatay lang talaga ang titig nito, ilang beses na siguro siyang na-murder dahil dito.

"Akala ko ba masakit 'yong ulo mo? Bakit ang sama mo nanamang tumingin d'yan? Gusto lang kita magpahinga ng maayos. Sige na, kukuha ako ng gamot."

Leyla stood closer to pull him off his swivel chair. Sa laki ng lalaki, parang himala nalang kung magawa niya nga talaga ang binabalak. Kahit ibigay na niya ang buong lakas, hindi man lang gumalaw kahit kaunti ang lalaki mula sa kinauupuan. Parang wala na siyang ibang balak kung hindi ang panoorin si Leyla na ibigay ang buong puwersa niya. 

"Come on Sir, may meeting ka mamayang one. Kailangan bago 'yon makapagpahinga ka na kahit kaunti."

"Ayaw ko nga," parang batang nakikipagbiruan si Rui habang bumabawi ito sa dalaga at hinihila rin siya pabigla- bigla. Muntik na nga itong mapaupo sa mga binti niya dahil hindi niya inaasahan ang mga pangyayari. 

"Hala Sir, 'wag niyo na po akong pahirapan at baka kung ano pa ang mangyari. Ayaw ko na machismis," natawa na naman ng malakas si Rui dahil sa narinig. 

Sino ba naman ang makakalimot doon. Unang linggo pa lang niya sa trabaho, napag-initan na siya no'ng mga babae na matagal ng may gusto dito sa napakaguwapong lalaki. Nobody can blame them. He actually looks like a living Greek sculpture. He's very good looking and toned.  

"Hindi ka pa rin ba tinitigilan ng mga fans mo?" pang-aasar pa nito. 

"Ay manahimik. Alam mo naman na mga fan girls mo lang ang ayaw ako patahimikin. Baka after three years, doon palang nila ako matatanggap dito. Lalo na si Shiela! Diyos ko po! Hindi ko pa nga natatapak ang paa ko sa pantry, mukhang balak na niya akong sapakin mula doon sa office niya kapag dadaan ako. Inaano ka ba 'yon? Nakakainis na rin."

Rui silently shook his head, "Not gonna lie, she's a bit crazy. I don't even know if I accidentally gave her a reason to think that she's in some sort of relationship with her. "

"Let's not think about that right now. Maybe sleep- "

"Hello Sir!" 

"Ah of course," Rui expressed his frustration by squeezing Leyla's hand that he's still holding on to. Of course Shiela would enter the office unannounced especially at the exact time that they are talking about her. 

With her quick eyes, she instantly saw how Rui is holding Leyla's hand while she's standing suspiciously close to him. Sa tagal na niyang nagtatrabaho sa kumpanyang ito, ngayon palang niya nakita ang boss niya na maging ganito kalapit sa babae. At hindi pa sa kan'ya! 

Shiela has been playing this imaginary role, being Rui's secret girlfriend. She's committed too much on it that she made almost every girl in the office that he's just making their relationship this secret because they couldn't afford the media outlets feasting all over it. 

Binakuran niya ang lalaki na imposible niya namang makuha. At ngayon na nakikita niyang ganito lang kadali para kay Leyla ang kahit kailan ay hindi niya man lang maabot, lalo siyang nanggigigil! Parang gusto niya nalang biglaang hablutin ang buhok ni Leyla. 

Sa isip niya ay napaka- unfair ng mga nangyayari. 

"Maganda rin naman ako ha? Kulang pa ba ako sa pagbibigay motibo?" she asked herself. 

Pinilit niya na ngumiti nang matamis habang pinapanood na hilahing pilit ng babae ang kamay niya na para bang ayaw pakawalan ni Rui. 

"Miss Shiela, ano 'yon?" Leyla asked. 

Imbis na sumagot ay lumakad si Shiela papalapit sa lamesa. Ang maikli niyang palda at napakababang damit pang itaas ay naging malaking pala-isipan para kay Leyla. Iniisip niya tuloy kung ano ba ang matatakpan nito? 

"Shiela?" she called her once again. 

She's sensing threat as Shiela did not respond and just inched closer to Rui's table. Leyla already knows how Rui hates it when people come near him. And she witnessed first hand how Shiela made him uncomfortable. Hindi niya talaga hahayaan na mapalapit ito sa kan'ya, lalo pa at nababaliw ang babae sa imahinasyon niyang may relasyon sila. 

"Uhm, Sir..." Shiela lowered herself a bit, holding on the edge of the table. 

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Leyla sa nasasaksihan, "Jusko Shiela," she whispered. "Halika nga dito at sabihin mo na sa akin kung ano ang kailangan mo bago mo pa ipahiya ang sarili mo lalo!" Leyla was quick to grab her and pull her a step farther. 

"Nakakahiya ka, litaw na yata ang lahat sa'yo."

"Akala mo ba ikaw lang ang may kakayahan manlandi? Ha Leyla?" madiin na tugon nito. 

"I am not doing anything and I will never-"

"Shiela is it?" putol ni Rui sa pagsasagutan nila nang pabulong. 

"Si-Sir! Yes po Sir?" matinis at pa-sweet ang boses ni Shiela. Nakakairita sa sobrang pilit niyang mag tunong malambing. 

"Stop screaming at Leyla," utos ng lalaki na kaagad na ikinalaki ng mata ni Shiela. "Leyla please let her out, kunin mo nalang 'yang papeles na hawak niya. I really have a headache, I can't deal with this bullsh*t right now."

Leyla nodded and bowed down to him before turning to face at Shiela, "Bullsh*t ka daw, saya no?"