My Dominant Boss

Chapter 7

SERENE was about to speak but Evo doesn’t want to hear any words coming from her lips because he wanted to keep that lips touching his. She felt the man’s eagerness to own her. His tongue thrust her mouth, wanting to engulf the taste of her. At that moment, they heard shrieking of the door. Someone was coming.

“Babe, are you here?”

Dumating si Stella kaya kaagad nilang binawi ang sarili sa mainit na damdamin. Inayos ni Serene ang blouse niya at palda na kanina lang ay halos hubarin ni Evo. Mabilis namang isinuot ni Evo ang long-sleeve niya at inayos ang sarili.

Napansin naman ni Serene na namumula ang mukha niya sa salamin ng closet kung saan sila naroroon. Mabuti na lamang at nasa bulsa niya ang foundation kit niya kaya mabilis niyang ni-retouch ang sarili.

“Stella, what are you doing here?”

Yes, he intentionally called Stella by her own name and not by the endearment that she wanted. Iyon ang naging salubong niya kay Stella na halatang nagulat. Medyo nainis si Evo dahil sa biglaan nitong pagdating ngunit wala siyang magagawa. Stella would always be Stella. Most of the time, bumibisita ito sa kanya nang walang paaalam. Kung hindi sa bahay ay sa opisina niya.

She’s now wearing her tight lavender dress and red stiletto shoes. She sophisticatedly walked towards Evo and kissed her. “I just missed you kaya nagpunta ako rito,” she said.

Napansin naman ni Stella si Serene na nakatayo lang sa may indoor closet. Hindi niya kaagad ito napansin dahil pagpasok pa lang sa opisina ni Evo ay pader ng indoor closet ang sasalubong sa iyo at hindi ang pinto nito.

“Who is she?”

Napayuko naman si Serene dahil tila nailang siya sa bisita ni Evo. Kilala ni Serene ang babaeng ’yon. Iyon ang babaeng naka-s*x ni Evo nang gabing aksidente niyang makita sila sa kuwarto nito. Tiningnan siya ni Stella mula ulo hanggang paa na parang sinusuri.

“Stella, she is Serene my personal assistant. Serene, this is Stella,” pakilala naman ni Evo sa dalawa. The tension inside Stella started to trigger but she needed to be in her modest by that time. That was the first time that she saw Evo with someone inside his office and the most she hated was; it was a girl. She wandered her eyes to Serene from top to toe.

“Hi, I’m Stella. Evo’s soon to be girlfriend,” she said widening her voice to emphasize her last words to inform Serene that Evo was only for her. As if Serene cared about it. No one cared because everybody knew—not only Serene—that Evo was not dating someone.

“H-Hello, ma’am. Ako po pala si Serene.”

“Babe? Are you busy? Gusto ko sanang kumain tayo roon sa bagong restaurant na favorite ko, eh,” wika ni Stella nang ibaling nito ang atensyon kay Evo.

But Evo didn’t have the audacity to make it up to her because he was too busy into something important.

“Can we make it next time? I am too busy. Marami kasing business proposal na kailangan kong i-check at i-approve. You know . . .” pagtanggi ni Evo.

But the truth was, he was enough with Stella. He was now losing his interest with Stella because he wanted to taste his new flavor of the month. Typical routine of him, as one of the hottest CEO, was to own every girl that he wanted. Now, he realized that Stella was out of the list.

“Okay, I understand. But let me know if you’re free so I can catch you up,” tugon naman ni Stella.

All he knew, Stella was just using him to make an impressive image for everybody. Ipinagkalat nga nito na siya ang fianceè ni Evo but Evo made the damage controlled. Hindi naman siya papayag na si Stella ang sisira sa imahe niya. Aside from being CEO, he also wanted to play his role as a Casanova: a man who could break every girl’s heart without any regrets.

Umalis na lang si Stella na parang wala lang habang ang dalawa naman ay naiwan sa loob. Umupo si Evo sa swivel chair niya na parang walang nangyari. Ipinagpatuloy niya ang pagbabasa ng mga papeles sa kanyang mesa at pinirmahan ang dapat pirmahan. Habang si Serene naman ay nakatayo lang sa gilid.

“Sir, may iuutos pa po ba kayo?”

“Please, cancel my lunch meeting. May pupuntahan tayo,” utos ni Evo na kaagad namang ginawa ni Serene. Tinawagan niya ang sekretarya ng Media Alliance para ipa-cancel ang meeting ni Evo sa kanila. But she had no idea where were they going after she called for a cancel.

***

“SIR? Bakit po tayo nandito?” usisa ni Serene.

They were at the mall right now, kaya ganoon na lamang ang pagtataka ni Serene, nagpa-cancel si Evo ng meeting dahil gusto nito mag-mall? All she thought was Evo was the man of full responsibilities that’s why he couldn’t imagine that he canceled his important meeting with Media Alliance just because he wanted to shop. But that’s what she all know, his intention was to bring her inside a boutique that was owned by someone he knew.

“Mamili ka na,” utos ni Evo nang makarating sila sa isang kilalang botique sa buong mundo.

“Sir?” nagtatakang tugon ni Serene dahil sa sinabi ni Evo. Nasa harap kasi sila ng isang closet ng botique ng mall kung saan sila naroroon at pinapapili siya ni Evo ng damit. Halos lahat ng damit doon ay hindi bababa sa sampung libong piso ang presyo. Hindi magawang makapamili ni Serene kaya si Evo ang kumuha ng damit para sa kanya.

He got a white long dress for Serene. “Try this.”

“Pero, sir—” She was about to speak but Evo neglected it with another command.

“Suotin mo na ’yan bago pa ako magalit,” wika nito.

“R-right away, sir,” nanginginig na wika ni Serene at kaagad nagtungo sa fitting room.

Ilang minuto lang ang lumipas matapos maisuot ni Serene ang white fitted long dress ay lumabas na siya mula sa fitting room. Lumapit siya kay Evo na kasalukuyang nakatalikod sa kanya at may kausap sa cell phone.

“Sir?”

He was mesmerized when he turned to see her. Serene’s beautiful face bloomed wearing that dress. Napatulala si Evo sa nakita.

“Troy, I will call you back,” he said turning to lift the call on his phone. “Cool, you look gorgeous,” he added pinning himself to control enormous feeling by her beauty.

“Para saan po ba ito?” Nagtataka si Serene dahil sa pinagawa sa kanya ni Evo.

“We’re going to attend a dinner party later, right? You will be with me and I want you to dress like them,” paliwanag ni Evo.

“Pero, sir, nakakahiya po yata? Hindi ako sanay sa ganoong party,” pagtanggi ni Serene.

“No, you don’t have to be shy. Kasama mo naman ako,” he exclaimed.

Hindi pa natapos roon ang kanilang pamimili. He also bought her shoes just to make her more elegant in the eyes of those who were in the dinner party. Of course, he wanted the attention of the mob. Kaya naman hindi ito papayag na basta na lang dadating sila roon na wala man lang kaayos-ayos si Serene.

Dumating na nga ang gabi na pinakahihintay ng lahat. Isa-isang nagdatingan ang mga bisita sa hotel kung saan gaganapin ang dinner party ng pinakamalalaking kompanya sa bansa. The reason for that event was to catch the biggest fishes in the world of business. They needed to get some investors kaya naman ang lahat ay nagpapaligsahan at nagpapayamanan. Their elegant dresses were their symbol status. Kaya kung galing lang sa ukay-ukay ang damit na isusuot mo . . . hindi ka nila papansinin.

“Sir. kinakabahan po ako,” wika ni Serene kay Evo pagkababa nila ng kotse papasok sa hallway ng hotel.

“Just hold my hand,” wika naman niya ngunit sa halip na sa kamay niya kumapit ay sa braso na lang niya nito napiling humawak. Panay ang click ng mga camera sa tuwing may dumadating na kilalang tao sa larangan ng negosyo. Ngunit hindi lang ’yon. Naroroon din ang mga kilalang personalidad tulad ng mga artista at politiko.

Mas lalong nailang si Serene nang tapatan na sila ng mga media, panay kasi ang kuha sa kanya ng litrato. Ngunit ang utos ni Evo ay ngumiti lang at huwag ipahalatang kinakabahan.

Nang pumasok naman sila sa loob ng lounge kung saan ginaganap ang pagtitipon ay mas lalong kumabog ang dibdib ni Serene. Nagtinginan kasi sa kanila ang mga tao sa loob ng lounge na tila kinikilala siya at nagtataka. Ang iba ay nagbubulungan habang ang iba naman ay matalim ang tingin sa kanya na tila naiinis dahil siya ang kasama ni Evo.

“Huwag kang kabahan. Everything will be okay,” pagpapakalma ni Evo sa kanya.

Umupo sila sa isang table na sila lang dalawa. Sinisipat ni Evo ang mga tao sa paligid niya. Naghahanap siya malaking isdang mabibingwit. Ilang saglit lang ay isang pamilyar na mukha ang nakita niya hindi kalayuan sa kinauupuan nila.

“Serene. I have a game for you. If you will win I’ll give you Ten Thousand Pesos,” wika ni Evo kay Serene.

“Sir, ten thousand talaga?”

“Yes,” he said. “Nakikita mo ba ’yong matandang wala nang buhok sa bumbunan? He is Mister Cojuangco, one of the biggest investors here. Kapag nagawa mo siyang makuha to invest in our company, I’ll give you your prize right away,” Evo added describing the old man on another table.

Napalagok naman si Serene ng alak na nasa baso sa mesa niya. Napangiti siya at halatang handa sa gagawin. “Watch and see, sir.”

Kaagad siyang tumayo. Sanay si Serene sa salestalk kaya naman malakas ang loob niyang gawin ang pinapagawa ni Evo. Natuwa naman si Evo sa attitude na ipinapakita ni Serene. Tiningnan lang nito si Serene na tila nakikipagkuwentuhan lang sa isang kaibigan matapos lapitan si Mister Cojuangco. Maya-maya lamang ay lumapit na si Serene habang nakataas ang dalawang daliri at nakakipit sa pagitan noon ang isang card.

“Here’s the fish. Call him and give me my prize,” sarkastikong wika ni Serene sa kanyang boss. Tila nagbago ang ugali nito matapos makainom ng kaunting alak. He was impressed by what she did. Mukhang may magandang naidulot kay Serene ang pagkakataong ’yon. It was a great night for both of them. He actually knew that he made the right decision to hire Serene.