Pieces Of You

Chapter 5

Patricia

I woke up because of the vibration of my cellphone beneath my pillow.

Still half-asleep, I reached for it and squinted at the bright screen.

A message from Jez waited in my inbox.

I opened it immediately.

Jez: Are you free tonight? Nagyaya kasi sina Bianca.

My eyes lit up almost instantly.

It had been a while since the last time I saw everyone.

Lately, between meetings, project issues, and deadlines, most of our conversations had been limited to group chats and random memes.

Me: Oo, pero sunduin n'yo na lang ako.

A few seconds later, another message appeared.

Jez: Okay. We'll pick you up around nine.

A small smile tugged at my lips before I placed the phone back on the mattress.

Since I had officially been forced into taking a leave, I figured there was no reason to start my day by staring at emails.

Papa had insisted on it,and Mama agreed far too quickly.

According to both of them, I needed rest.

Apparently spending most of my

time working wasn't considered a healthy lifestyle.

Personally, I thought they were exaggerating.A little.

Fine,maybe not.

Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.The bed felt suspiciously comfortable.

Which explained why I closed my eyes again.The next thing I knew, I was waking up for the second time.

This time, the sunlight was brighter.

I grabbed my phone from the bedside table.Twelve o'clock.well

There went my morning.

A soft laugh escaped me as I pushed myself out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.

Pinuno ko ang bathtub at nilagyan ng bubble bath.Nang mahubad ko ang damit ay napatingin ako sa malaking salamin.Kitang kita ko ang hubog ng aking katawan. Bumaba ang mata ko sa malulusog kong dibdib.

Umupo na ako at unti unting pinatong ang ulo sa bath pillow.

Hinayaan ko lang ang buhok kong lumubog.Nagtagal pa ako saglit dahil nag eenjoy akong paglaruan ang mga bula.

Afterward, I changed into cotton shorts and a plain white shirt before reaching for the hair dryer.

Drying my hair always took longer than expected.

One of the many disadvantages of having hair that reached my waist.

Several minutes later, I finally switched off the dryer and ran my fingers through the dark strands.

A few stubborn locks immediately slipped over my shoulders.

I left the bedroom and wandered toward the living area.

Ginagala ko ang paningin ko kung may malilinis ako kaso wala kunsabay kada tatlong araw kasi ay nag papadala si Mama ng katulong para maglinis dito.

Sunlight streamed through the glass walls.

From this height, the buildings below seemed smaller and the roads looked less chaotic than they probably were.

For a moment, everything appeared calm.Peaceful, even.

I slid open the terrace door and stepped outside.

A gentle breeze immediately greeted me.The air felt fresher than inside the condo.

Sumandal ako sa railing at pinag masdan ang mga ibon na lumilipad.

Clouds drifted lazily above the city.

Naninibago ako dahil wala akong ginagawa.

No meeting waiting for me.

No Vanessa reminding me about schedules.No investor expecting a report.

I chuckled after remembering Vanessa.Para kasi siyang si Mama minsan lalo na kapag nakakalimutan kong mag lunch.

My stomach suddenly growled,loudly.

I glanced down.

"Okay, okay. Narinig kita."

Looks like someone was unhappy about skipping breakfast.

I returned inside, grabbed my phone from the coffee table, and opened a food delivery app.

After spending several minutes debating with myself, I finally ordered chicken adobo, rice, and fresh fruit juice.

Healthy enough that Mama would approve.

The moment I placed the order, another notification appeared.

I opened the message.

Bianca:Buhay ka pa?

I grinned then type my reply.

Me:Unfortunately.

At ang babae ang bilis mag reply.

Bianca:Akala namin bumalik ka na sa trabaho.

Me:Leave nga ako.

Bianca: Hindi kasi kapanipaniwala.

Kung sabagay ako nga mismo hindi makapaniwalang kaya kong iwan saglit ang trabaho.

The rest of the afternoon passed surprisingly fast.

After lunch, I ended up spending nearly an hour talking to Bianca through a video call.

Mostly because she refused to believe I was actually resting.

Yeah,nobody trusted me.

Not even my closest friends.

A little offensive, honestly.

Okay lang as long as they love me.Ganon talaga ang love language nila.char

Padilim na nang maalala kong wala pa pala akong hapunan kaya ang ending nag order nalang ako ulit sa parehong app.

From the terrace, I watched the buildings catch the last light of the afternoon while cars crawled through the roads below like tiny moving dots.

Around seven-thirty, I finally dragged myself away from the terrace sakto namang dumating ang ni order kong pagkain.

At dahil siguro minsan hindi ako nakakain ng maayos para akong dragon ngayon kong kumain.

Inayos ko muna ang mga pinagkainan ko bago ako pumasok sa kuwarto.

If I was going out, I should probably start getting ready.

Otherwise Bianca would find a way to complain about it.

And somehow make it my fault.

The moment I opened my closet, I immediately regretted every life decision that led me there.

A navy-blue dress hung neatly beside a black one.

Two blouses waited on their hangers.

A jumpsuit occupied the far corner.

And suddenly, I couldn't decide on anything.amazing

I could review multi-million peso proposals without hesitation.

But choosing an outfit?

I sighed.

My phone buzzed.

Bianca: Please tell me hindi ka pa rin nakatayo sa harap ng closet.

I stared at the message.

Then slowly looked around my room.

The woman was becoming suspiciously good at predicting my behavior.

Me: Mind your business.

Bianca: So yes.

Me: Ayoko na ngang sumama.

Bianca: Too late.

Another notification appeared.

Jez: Nasa group chat na naman ba kayo?

Bianca: She's fighting for her life against a dress.

Marco: Akala ko ba CEO ka?

Adrian: Multi-million deals? Easy.

Adrian: Outfit selection? Impossible.

Me: I hate all of you.

Unfortunately, nobody took me seriously.

Alas otso na nang matapos akong pumili.Na para bang dito na nakasasalay ang buhay ko sa pag pili lang ng damit.

Well,nakalimutan ko rin naman silang tanungin kong saan ang punta namin kaya okay na to.Kaysa naman mag suot ako ng pang office.

The navy-blue dress won.

Mostly because half the group voted for it.

Democracy had failed me once again.

The fitted dress hugged my figure without feeling overly formal, the hem ending just above my knees.simple

Exactly what I wanted.

A pair of nude stiletto heels completed the look.Comfortable wasn't the word I'd use. Presentable?,definitely.

My makeup remained light.A soft layer of foundation,a touch of blush,mascara and a hint of eyeliner.

Just enough to highlight my features without looking like I'd spent three hours preparing.

Which was good,because I hadn't.

After one last glance in the mirror, I adjusted the small gold earrings Mama had given me years ago.

My dark hair fell in loose waves over my shoulders and down my back.For a moment, I studied my reflection.

I looked at my naturally pink lips.

Nang makontento ay umupo muna ako sa kama at nilagay sa pursed ang cellphone at wallet.

I grabbed my purse and headed for the door.

A few minutes later, I stepped into the lobby of the building.

The evening air felt cooler than it had that afternoon.

Several residents were coming and going while the concierge greeted guests near the entrance.

I spotted Jez's SUV parked near the curb.

The moment I stepped outside, Bianca rolled down the passenger window.

"There she is!"

"Kung alam kong ganito ka kaingay, naglakad na lang sana ako."

Bianca clutched her chest dramatically.

"Grabe. Kakakita pa lang natin."

"Exactly. Sinasaktan mo na agad tenga ko."

Laughter erupted from inside the vehicle.

I shook my head and walked toward the vehicle.

Jez occupied the driver's seat while Bianca was already settled comfortably in the passenger seat beside him.The woman treated every car ride like she was the co-pilot.

Through the tinted windows, I could see Marco and Adrian in the back row.

Sophie sat between them, looking remarkably patient considering the company she was keeping.

Until I noticed someone sitting in the middle row.

Vanessa looked up from her phone and smiled.

I stopped walking.

"Van?"

She lifted one hand in greeting.

"Surprise."

Bianca leaned forward from the passenger seat.

"I invited her."

"Obviously."

"Because somebody needed backup."

Vanessa nodded.

"Tama."

I pointed between the two of them.

"Hindi ko gusto iyong teamwork na 'yan."

"Too bad."

This time, everyone laughed.

Including me.

Vanessa slipped her phone into her bag.

"I heard somebody was finally taking a break from work."

I narrowed my eyes.

"And that required supervision?"

"Absolutely."

The worst part was that everyone immediately agreed.Okay... it looks like they're all ganging up on me.

"You're all lucky I like you."

Marco leaned forward from the back.

"That's still up for debate."

"Marco."

"I'm just saying."

Natawa na lang ako at binuksan ang pinto.

The empty seat beside Vanessa was obviously meant for me.

I slid into the vehicle and closed the door.

"Seatbelts," sabi ni Jez habang pinaandar ang sasakyan.

"Ang controlling mo naman," reklamo ni Marco.

"Ang tawag doon responsible driving."

"Pareho lang iyon."

"It really isn't."

Laughter filled the vehicle as we pulled away from the curb.