The Bossy Intruder (English)

Chapter 2

But he was wrong. She was also a cheat. It was not him whom she loved but her best friend. And the only reason she said yes to him was because she wanted to make the man, she secretly loved for so long, jealous. She never expected he would actually propose to her and would arrange the wedding so soon.

"If you don't like that those kind of girls, would you like me to call on one of your ex-girlfriends instead?" Steele asked him then took out his cellphone.

He stopped him. "I said stop it! This is not my idea of fun. I just want to rest." If only he could find a peaceful place, anywhere away from the noise. No women. They only bring him trouble anyway. Trouble and heartaches.

"Micah, it's not the end of the world just because Belle left you. She's not worth it! Are you just going to let yourself be defeated by your misery? Stop making yourself pitiful." Cougar nagged at him. "There are still a lot of fishes in the ocean."

"What fish? Like the ones you find in this place?" he mocked as he shook his head.

"If you're not interested in getting a love life, you could get a s*x life for starters or better yet, become a priest and take the honor of baptizing our babies." Steele said while dancing to the music. "You choose."

"I said I am not interested in any women." He insisted.

His friends glanced at each other and looked at him worriedly. "You prefer to go to a Gay bar?" Arice asked. "Please don't, man! We rather send you to a convent or if you want, be a monk in Tibet. I'll cover for your transportation fees."

He grimaced. He would never change his gender preference. All he wanted was peace of mind. He had not found it yet. As much as he missed his friends and family, he was not yet ready to go back to his old life.

In the last year, he had left his company in his cousin Tracy's hands together with a few trusted personnel. It took him some years to build Zest Foods. It was doing well now.

Well he considered being a monk or a priest. He just hadn't tried yet. But he was sure he won't find what he was looking for in this night club. Not in the loud music and flirty women.

He would find peace in his bed. He wanted to sleep.

But he knew how much effort his friends had put into this just so they can be with him and he couldn't deny he missed them too.

"Let's just go to another place. Somewhere private."

Steele whistled. "See? You're not so difficult to persuade. I knew you would eventually give in. Say, they have private rooms upstairs or do you want a hotel room?"

"Just us. No women. Just like the old times. Let's drink and share stories. I really don't want any woman, bro." he said while clutching his forehead.

He really was feeling dizzy. It had been so long since he had any alcohol on his belly. He stopped drinking when he started courting Bella because she never liked it. He only had his eyes on her. There were so many other things that he used to do but stopped doing because of her. Only to realize that she had molded him into an image of the man she truly loved.

"That's boring dude. Get over Bella. That's the bottom point of all your problems anyway. So if the cause is a girl then the only solution is a girl." Cougar insisted.

"Do you want us to give you a surprise? Do you prefer one that comes out of a gift box or from a giant cake?"

He stood and took out three thousand pesos from his wallet. "I'll just take my leave. I told you, I don't have any interest in women. I don't think I'm a good company tonight. I still have a jet lag."

He started walking out of the night club. It would be better if he can get away from this place. If he could be alone again.

He was met by seducing looks from some women. He knew that look. Since he was sixteen, women offered their bodies to him for free. Now it doesn't even affect him. Maybe he really should consider being a monk or a priest.

"Micah, where are you going?" Steele asked while running after him.

He immediately hailed a taxi. He looked back just as he was about to get in, he saw his other friends already behind him. "Anywhere. I'll just phone you when I feel better. Thanks for the birthday celebration."

He gave them a salute, closed the taxi's door and told the driver to drive. "To the Robinson's Tower in Padre Faura please."

"Mom I'll take Alondra home now because she still had to go to work tomorrow." He said as he nodded to Alondra.

"I'll be going home now Nana Bertha." She said and kisses her cheeks.

"I will really pray to God that you two end up together."

She giggled when she was out of the house. "What are you laughing at?" Marlowe shouted at her.

"Your mom was praying for you to become a man."

"I'm contradicting her prayers with my own. If I have to enter every church and join every religion I would just as long as I keep my womanhood!"

She laughed because no matter how he looked at him, no one would think that he bears a woman's heart. Even the way he speak and move was manly.

"I just feel like it's such a waste." She said

"Don't feel sorry for me. There are a lot of men out there. You're just so picky."

"I don't even have a house to live in, for me to even think of guys. I want to fix my life first, before I start w*****g myself to the male population." She brushed her palms together. "I really hope I receive my pay soon so I can start looking for a decent house."

"You don't like your boss' penthouse? You really look rich in it."

"I feel itchy. I'm not used to living in a rich man's house." She didn't even want to sleep in the bed. She stayed in the living room and slept on a comforter on the floor.

"I don't get you. But hey, the moment you meet a handsome, rich man, grab him, sleep with him then force him to marry you so you will instantly become rich, sister."

It was only after she arrived at the penthouse in Robinson's Tower, did Alondra finally felt tired. That's where her boss, Tracy, sent her to stay. She was the executive assistant and cousin of the owner of Zest Snacks where Alondra worked as her assistant. When she heard of what had happened to her boardinghouse, she offered this condo.

According to her, no one lived there because the owner was outside of the country. At first, she declined Tracy's offer. Isn't it too presumptuous of her if she lived in her boss' condo. But Tracy said she didn't want to leave the condo unoccupied in fear of it being inhabited by ghosts. That's what people believed in. An abandoned place gets inhabited by ghost. She didn't really know if she was serious or not with her offer but who is she to say no? The owner of the condo is currently wandering around the world and no one knew when he'll be back.

She was met with silence and darkness. She pressed the dim-light switch and the living room partially lightened up. She preferred the darkness, but she didn't want to feel alone. She missed the boardinghouse and her board-mates. They all have different personalities, some even argue but it was fun. She was an only child and she dreamed of having a lot of siblings. If only Nana Bertha's house would be rebuilt, she would want to go back there. But while she still haven't gotten her pay and had nowhere to go, she would have to settle with the silence and loneliness of that condo for the meantime.

According to Tracy, the president of the Zest Ads, Micah Bergonia himself, was the owner of that penthouse condominium unit. He was supposed to live there with his wife but unfortunately, the wedding was cancelled because the bride eloped with another man. Maybe that's why this house was reeking with loneliness. It was filled with the aura of unfulfilled love.

She inhaled deeply, "As for me, I don't have time for love. All I want is to rest, sleep, and have beautiful dreams."

She went inside the guest room and throw herself on the bed. She was dozing off to sleep when she felt something waking her up. That's when she heard the sound of running water from the other room.

She inhaled sharply. The sound was coming from the Master's bedroom. She never went to that room and it was impossible that the house keeper left it open. The house keeper went to the condo yesterday and according to Tracy, she won't be back until next week. That means it was really impossible that it was her who left it open. She remembered it was not open earlier either and she had not gone to the master's bedroom since she toured the house yesterday. So what was the sound she's hearing now, mean?

She tried to ignore it by whistling. "It's nothing. It's probably just my imagination. There's no such thing as ghost." Even if they do exist she begged they won't appear in front of her. She's not afraid of ghosts, as long as they don't show up in front of her. "I might not get any sleep. I still have to go to work tomorrow. I beg you. I won't bother you. I'm just staying here for a while."

The sound of the running water stopped and she felt relieved. But not for long because next she heard a lonely sound of a man's voice, singing.

"All by myself... don't want to live. All by myself..."

She felt her skin shiver. The sound of water stopped but was replaced by the sound of a man's singing voice. A voice full of misery... of loneliness. There really was a ghost in that place!

It could only be a ghost. If someone would go to that penthouse to steal something they won't stay to take a bath of course. It really is a ghost.

But why would he choose to appear there? And why, instead of an image of a skeleton under the shower or a thin and scary man in barong (a traditional Filipino formal wear for men), did she the imagine a n***d body of a hunk man for a ghost.

She shook her head. It was a ghost, haunting that place, not a gorgeous hot man. He had a beautiful voice but a lonely one. Like he had been through so much pain. Could it be that ghost can relate to the owner's feelings? Was he left alone by his lover for another man too?