Miss Perfectly Imperfect

CONFERENCE ROOM

“Alright, let’s run through this one last time.”

Gavin leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers drumming lightly against the edge of the long conference table. Calm. Controlled. Every word measured — classic Gavin when he wanted perfection.

On the large screen, the site development plan glowed softly under the dim boardroom lights. Across the table, Shane sat straight-backed, tablet resting on her lap, posture precise and composed. Hindi mabasa ang mukha niya, pero bawat galaw ay kontrolado — parang sinasanay ang sarili na huwag magpakita ng kahit anong emosyon.

Nakakunot ang noo ni Miss Agnes habang nagfa-flip ng notes, bago nagsalita. “Local contractors will meet us at the airport, nine sharp. Sila 'yong makakatulong natin sa pagde-develope ng ground area, since mas kabisado nila ang lugar. From there ay sabay-sabay tayong pupunta sa site. I’ve already coordinated with the mayor’s office regarding the permits. So may representative din silang papupuntahin doon.”

“Good, Tita.” Gavin gave a short nod, his gaze shifting smoothly across the table. “Josh, how’s the updated layout?”

Architect Josh cleared his throat, looking slightly nervous under Gavin’s sharp attention. “Done po, boss. I’ve also added the drainage adjustments. I’ll email the final copy tonight.”

“Tonight?” Gavin raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. “Can we get it sooner? Mas gusto ko ma-review bago tayo umalis bukas.”

As soon as he said it, his gaze landed briefly — but deliberately — on Shane.

“Miss De Castro, can you assist him?”

Shane paused for a split second, hiding the slight hitch in her breath. Ramdam niya ang bigat ng tingin ni Gavin — diretso, steady, at parang tumatagal nang kaunti kaysa kinakailangan.

“You know,” Gavin added carefully, his voice even but firm, “check mo lang kung na-execute ni Architect nang maayos. Familiar ka naman sa site, di ba? I want it done in an hour.” He glanced at his watch, casual on the surface, pero malinaw ang utos.

Josh shifted uncomfortably, clearly unsure kung kaya nila. Napansin iyon ni Shane at siya na ang sumalo.

"Sure, Boss. We'll send it in an hour,” she said, keeping her tone steady despite the faint tremor beneath.

For a fleeting moment, Gavin’s expression softened. His lips curved in the smallest, almost imperceptible smile. “Thanks.”

Shane gave a quick nod, pretending not to notice the subtle shift in his tone — or the sudden pounding of her chest.

From the other end of the table, Engr. Ruiz cleared his throat. “Boss, tungkol po doon sa retaining walls sa east side…”

Gavin turned his gaze on him, sharp but patient. “What about it, Engineer?”

“Medyo loose po ‘yung soil condition doon kaysa initial assessment,” Ruiz explained, glancing at Engr. Torralba for support. “Kailangan po nating magdagdag ng sheet piling para safe.”

“Pero... wala po siya sa original budget,” dagdag ni Torralba.

Gavin leaned forward slightly, lacing his fingers together. “How much are we talking about?”

“Mga five to seven percent po sa materials,” sagot ni Torralba. “Pero kung hindi natin gagawin, possible po ang erosion pagdating ng tag-ulan.”

Tahimik ang mesa.

Then Shane spoke up, almost instinctively. “Madali ho talagang bumaha doon kapag umuulan,” she said softly, without looking up from her tablet. “May natural runoff kasi mula sa northern ridge. Kung hindi natin i-reinforce ngayon, maaapektuhan ang foundation later.”

For a brief moment, silence blanketed the room.

Gavin glanced at her, and something flickered in his gaze — not quite surprise, not quite admiration. Hindi nagsalita si Gavin, pero ramdam ni Shane ang bigat ng tingin. When he finally turned back to the engineers, his voice was calm but decisive.

“Okay. Re-run the calculations, and give me an updated cost projection tonight. Also, coordinate with the finance department. I want everything on my desk before we head home.”

“Yes, boss G,” Ruiz replied quickly, already scribbling notes. Torralba nodded in agreement.

From her seat, Tita Agnes raised an eyebrow at Shane, shooting her a meaningful glance — short, sharp, full of unspoken approval.

Shane, on the other hand, lowered her eyes to the tablet, pretending to be busy. Pero kahit anong pilit niya maging composed, ramdam niya ang mabilis na t***k ng puso niya — and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the discussion or because of Gavin.

“Alright,” Agnes continued briskly, shifting the topic, “back to the site visit. We’ll take three cars tomorrow. The large van will carry the company team. I’ll be with the local contractors in one vehicle.” Then she turned to Shane. “And since hindi na muna sasama si Lexi, you’ll ride with Gavin. You’ll be working closely with him, since you know this project too well."

Shane’s head shot up. “I—”

Gavin’s eyes flicked to her, sharp but unreadable. “Problem?”

There was a beat of silence. Shane forced a thin smile, her grip tightening slightly on the tablet. “Wala po, boss. Itatanong ko lang po sana… kung sino ang mag-a-assist kay Miss Agnes, kung sasama po ako sa inyo?”

Gavin glanced briefly at Agnes, a subtle gesture for her to explain. “Tita…”

Agnes smiled warmly, tapping her pen lightly. “It’s okay, dear. I can manage. Besides, Gavin needs you more than I do tomorrow. You will not be my assistant for now. At malay natin, baka hindi na nga talaga, after this.”

Gavin turned back to Shane, gaze steady. “You’re okay with that, Miss De Castro?”

Shane hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded quickly. “Okay po, Boss. Got it.”

But it wasn’t true.

Inside, her chest tightened. Riding with Gavin tomorrow meant no buffer, no distractions, no escape. And silence — silence was far more dangerous than words.

Gavin straightened in his chair, his tone cool and serious. “We need to make a strong impression tomorrow. Sentimental ang mga tao roon tungkol sa lupa. There are still occupants na di pa umaalis. Any misstep could ruin the negotiations.”

Then his gaze landed on Shane again, steady, almost searching. “You ready for this?”

Her grip on the tablet tightened slightly. “I… am,” she managed, her voice calm even if her pulse wasn’t.

Gavin held her eyes for a moment longer, as if reading what she wasn’t saying, before giving a short nod and returning his attention to the screen.

But Shane felt it — he’d noticed more than he let on.

Suddenly, Agnes tapped her pen on the table, breaking the tension. “Isa pa pala,” she said, looking at Shane. “The mayor wants someone to give a short overview of the project’s vision tomorrow. Hindi kailangan mahaba, pero dapat malinaw at nakaka-convince.”

Before Shane could look away, Agnes smiled faintly. “I was thinking… ikaw na lang.”

The air went cold. “Me?”

“You know the history of the land better than anyone, napag-aralan mo 'yon ng maigi.” Agnes reasoned. “Mas makaka-connect ka sa kanila.”

Silence.

Shane could feel Gavin’s gaze on her — heavy, unreadable, but steady. She didn’t object, though the subtle clench of her fingers around her tablet betrayed her unease.

“I… I’ll prepare something,” she said softly, forcing a polite, almost fake smile.

Before Agnes could respond, Gavin’s voice cut through, smooth but cool. “I’ll do it, Tita.”

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes still on Shane. “Besides,” he added, tone dropping lower, carrying weight only she seemed to catch, “I represent this company. So, nararapat lang na akong gumawa non.”

For a moment, their gazes locked — brief, silent, but heavy.

Shane swallowed hard and looked away, pretending to scroll through her tablet.

Agnes smiled, either oblivious or choosing to ignore the tension. “It’s settled, then.”

Gavin rose from his chair, straightening his coat, and cleared his throat lightly to regain the room’s attention.

“Alright, that’s it for today’s meeting,” his voice calm yet commanding. “Balik na tayo sa kani-kaniyang trabaho. And as I’ve said, I want all pending revisions done before we leave tonight.”

The engineers began packing up their things.

“Oh, by the way,” Gavin added, glancing at Agnes, “I’ll have dinner delivered for everyone. I want you all focused on work — no excuses.”

Across the table, Ruiz leaned toward Torralba, lowering his voice so Gavin wouldn’t hear. “Libre na naman ang pagkain. Sana ganito araw-araw.”

Torralba smirked, whispering back, “Sssh, baka marinig ka ni Boss G. Ma cancel pa 'yong dinner.”

Josh chuckled quietly, careful to hide it behind his laptop.

Meanwhile, Shane kept her head down, organizing her tablet, ready to leave quietly — until Gavin’s voice stopped her.

“Miss De Castro,” he called, calm but firm.

She froze for a second before looking up. “Po, boss?”

“Stay after this. Let’s go over the site plan together.”

For a moment, Shane forgot how to breathe. She blinked rapidly, forcing her voice to stay even. “Akala ko po ba… I’ll be working with Architect Josh for the final lay out?”

Gavin’s gaze remained fixed on her — calm, steady, but carrying a weight she couldn’t quite read. “Then have him stay, too. Gawin niyo na dito.”

He leaned back slightly, gave a short, clipped nod, and turned his attention to the rest of the team. “Alright, back to work.”

Chairs scraped softly against the polished floor as the engineers began to gather their things. But the air felt heavier than before, charged with something unspoken.

At the far end of the table, Engineer Ruiz leaned toward Architect Josh, voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. “Good luck Architect,” he murmured, barely moving his lips.

Josh stifled a grin, pretending to shuffle his papers. “Shut up,” he whispered back.

Torralba, who caught the exchange, only smirked and shook his head slightly, muttering under his breath, “Swerte naman…Galingan mo, dude.”

Tita Agnes, ever perceptive, shot them all a sharp, knowing look. The subtle chatter died instantly.

Shane kept her head down, pretending to busy herself with her tablet, but she could feel it — the lingering stares, the quiet curiosity, the silent weight of expectation hanging in the room.

And Gavin… Gavin didn’t have to say another word. His presence alone was enough to keep everyone in line.