Programmed Wife

Chapter 7

Leyla is absolutely very confused as to what just happened, sat back on her desk. When she was applying for a job in this company, she never thought that it is going to be this eventful. Hindi pa nga nangangalahati ang araw niya, sobrang dami na ng nangyari.

From Shiela and her unreasonable drama to her weird boss and Albert, the other secretary. Kahit gaano katagal pa niya na isipin, hindi niya pa rin maintindihan kung bakit ganoon ang itsura ng dalawa. Mukhang hindi naman gaanon ang mga pangyayari sa opisina, hindi ganoon ang alam niya.

"Are they drunk?" she asked herself. Thinking to herself, she placed her hand on her chin and started to ponder while nodding. "There wasn't a sign of alcohol in the office, it's too early as well. But they acted drunk, were they high?"

"Miss Leyla," someone called her. Napatayo siya sa gulat, hindi niya napansin and tao na lumapit, her mouth slightly opened, surprised to see someone handing her a mug of coffee.

"Uhm? Yes?"

"I made you coffee, my name is Keith from the managing department."

Keith smiled, his deep dimples greeted her. He is tall, fit and very friendly looking. When some people passed them, Leyla can already tell that this guy is famous in the office, dahil pinagbubulungan na sila kaagad. He's extremely attractive, there's no way of hiding that. Pero kahit na gaano pa kaamo ang guwapo niyang mukha, hindi parin siya papasa kay Leyla.

She's trying very hard to adjust to her new job, but as of the moment only mean and weird people came up to her. Now she's on guard, she hates to associate with toxic people. She wanted to stay as far as she could possibly go.

"How did you know my name?" she asked in a straight, emotionless voice. This smells like another drama that she is not interested in. Parang kinikilig na ngumiti naman si Keith habang patagong kumikindat-kindat.

Leyla raised her brow, "Your eye, is it okay?" She's totally not getting it, all that he's doing right now is just confusing her.

"What?"

"Your eye is closing involuntarily? Blinking? Uh?" lumapit si Leyla sa mukha ng lalaki. Sinusubukan niyang intindihin ang nangyayari sa mga mata ni Kieth.

Keith, noticing how the beautiful woman leaned in, he gulped. Parang huminto ang lahat, ni hindi man lang siya makahinga nang maayos. He managed to awkwardly blink and kept his eyes wide open when he realized that Leyla didn't get his flirting.

"Wow, she's interesting," he thought to himself. He combed his hair with his fingers and smirked.

"Wala, napuwing lang. It's okay!"

"Oh, okay. About the coffee, I wanna thank you for the thought. But I'm sorry I can't take it. I already drank one and another one may induce palpitations."

"Papipetension?" he confusedly said.

Leyla forced her mouth to stay shut. Muntik na siyang matawa nang malakas dahil sa narinig niyang sinabi ng lalaki.

"Good looking, a bit weird and slow, Keith," she noted in her head.

"Mr. Keith, thank you," Leyla tried to cut the conversation. Sa utak niya, nakahinga na siya nang maluwag. Mabuti na lang at umubra, naglakad na palayo ang lalaki habang iniinom ng kape na dapat ay para sa kan'ya.

"Who offers coffee at ten in the morning, in the office where the work starts at eight? That's too late huh?" she asked herself. "I don't understand, what would be the logic behind that?"

"Logic of what?" Albert who just walked pass her table asked upon hearing her.

"Ah, sorry Mr. Albert, may iniisip lang po ako. May kailangan po ba kayo?"

"Yes, can you by chance go with Mr. Rui on a meeting?"

"I don't see any problem with that Sir, 'di ba po tuturuan niyo naman ako for this week?"

"Yes, I will be there as well. Pero ikaw ang magiging main secretary ni Mr. Andrews para masanay ka na."

It may be the glimpse of amusement in Albert's eyes or the funny tone of his voice, Leyla felt weird about the task. But she has no other reason to say no.

"Sige po, I will do my best. Sir, you can count on me."

Albert smirked and nodded, "I know. By the way, tinatawag ka pala ni Mr. Andrews."

"Po? Bakit hindi ko po narinig na-"

"Miss Leyla please come in," she heard his loud deep voice cutting her off, he impatiently called her through the phone.

As soon as she entered the room, he studied her whole presence, from head to toe. Mukhang pati bawat hibla ng buhok niya ay tinitignan nito nang mabuti.

"Miss Leyla Ayasya Cruz,"

"Woah, why did he just call me in my full name? It feels like I am in trouble or something," she's overthinking his every move.

"Miss Leyla?"

"Ay, Sir! Ano po 'yon?" muntik na siyang matapilok sa paglakad dahil sa pagkagulat. Bahagyang napangiti si Rui dahil sa naging reaksyon niya pero mabilis niya itong nabura.

"Read this whole file, familiarize yourself."

Leyla walked over to get the file on her table, it was about a model named Kira Mendez. One of the top female models in the Philippines.

"Understood Sir, I will go back to my-"

"Seat on the couch," he stopped her from finishing her sentence. Looking at him, she watched Rui eye the couch. "Read it here, in case you have any questions, ask me."

There was a moment of silence right after Rui said that. Deep inside of him, he was a bit curious if he could stand extended time of exposure with her. He watched her facial expressions, mukhang napaisip din ang dalaga sa naging utos niya.

She looked at the ceiling for a quick second and slightly pouting, she followed and walked to the couch.

A little giggle escaped his lips when he saw her adorable confused face.

Kung totoo nga na dahil sa ganda ng dalaga and kawalan niya ng reaksyon, dapat ay wala ring epekto sa kan'ya ang mga babaeng artista na lagi niyang nakakasalamuha. Hindi tugma, mukhang hindi ito dahil sa kan'yang itsura.

"Mr. Andrews," he heard a soft shy voice from the distance. It took him everything to stop himself from smiling so big. She acts so cute, she looks so cute, it's too much for him.

"Yes?" he answered in his usual deep, monotone voice.

"Why does Miss Kira's contract have a five percent allotment that's for her assistant?"

Rui raised his brow at her question. Leyla slightly pouted while raising a piece of paper in her hand.

"There's a five percent on her contract that's being sent as payment to her assistant ," said Leyla. She flipped through the pages once again, checking.

"What's the problem with it?"

"The assistant is being payed by the company, five percent of her over all salary?" napailing ang dalaga. "On her information here, he signed with us and Miss Kira did not ask for a professional assistant from our company, she has her cousin to help her. Why are we paying someone else?"

In less than five minutes, Leyla easily spotted a very important error in the contract. Rui spun his chair to face the glass window that shows a clear view of the sky outside the 8th floor where his office is. He knows about that mistake. It is something that he saw after reading the whole file in about fifteen minutes, he shook his head in disbelief.

"Good job, the contract was presented to Miss Kira. I have no idea how this error was never checked. Luckily I noticed it before I sign."

Nanliit ang mga mata ni Leyla habang tinitignan ang upuan ng lalaki na nakatalikod sa kan'ya. She can't see his face, but she can clearly tell that he's smirking.

"He just tested me,"she thought to herself. "Mabuti nalang at nakita ko, I hope I passed the test."

She tapped her shoulder for the good job.

"Do you have any other questions?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"What is it?"

"Mr. Andrews, I assume that the meeting would be about this error on the contract, am I right?"

"Yes, it is."

Bahagyang napailing si Leyla dahil sa nalaman, dumating na naman sa utak niya ang napakaraming idea at assumptions. She forcefully shrugged to brush it all off.

"Freak, you're thinking too much again," she stopped her own.

Leyla took a deep breath,

"But why are you going to meet with Miss Kira? As I've heard from Mr. Albert, you often do meetings via online video calls," she whispered.

Hindi pa siya doon natapos, habang nakatingin sa papeles, tuloy lang siyang bumubulong.

"Bakit hindi nalang ang head ng Legal department, or head ng management? Sounds very unusual."

Mula sa desk niya, napataas ang kilay ni Rui. Kahit na sa akala ni Leyla ay bumubulong lamang siya, malinaw siyang naririnig nito.

"She is forcing me to meet her to talk about this, or she will not sign with us."

"Oh gosh!" she exclaimed.

"All this time he can hear me!" isip niya.

Natahimik ang dalaga sa upuan. Ayaw na niyang madagdagan ang kahihiyan dahil sa mga nasabi.

Pero ilang sandali lang ulit, hindi na naman niya napigilan ang bibig.

"It is her problem, she signed without reading the whole thing, we were offering to send her a revised one," hindi niya talaga makuha kung ano ang iniisip nitong Kira na ito. She has a thing for analyzing people, for figuring out the way of how they think and why they act that way. But to her, this situation doesn't add up and she's curious.

As she thought of it deeper, she only came up with one clear reason.

"I got it, she did not care about the contract at all, she just wants to meet you. That might be it, the only logical reason."

Rui heard her thinking out loud once again, he was impressed on her train of thought. She got it all correct but after knowing all that himself, he got no choice and he hates it.

"You think so? Why would that be?" he asked, for he wanted to know more. As per what her reasoning might point out. Rui turned around to grab and drink his water from the table.

"Maybe because you're handsome-Oh my God! Sir, are you okay?"

Leyla immediately ran to Rui who chocked on his cold water. It spilled all over his nice black suit. Shocked, he stood up. And Leyla wiped his wet suit while he's towering over her.

He unconsciously held his breath as he watched her pale hand rush to dry his clothes.

"Sir sorry po, pero hindi po ganoon uminom ng tubig."