CHAPTER 35
1866 Words
Chapter 35
"Where are you?" I heard Ryker ask the person on his phone. We were at a restaurant owned by the Clark Family. The place was about thirty minutes away from our condo unit.
Since his guest wasn't here yet, I busied myself with making a list of things to buy here in Cebu for the kids, mama and papa, and my friends. I laughed at Donna's request, she wanted me to buy a t-back. She's crazy, there are so many in Divisoria, she still wanted one made in Cebu.
"I'll just cancel the meeting if you're still late–fuck! What the?-"
"What cancel are you talking about? I'll have Dark kill you there." I didn't know why I suddenly smiled when I saw Ms. Cole behind Ryker, she signaled me not to speak because that was her plan. She actually smacked the back of my boss's head, which I knew he deserved.
"What took you so long, we've been waiting here since earlier, one hour waiting for you, it's really boring, then you said you'd be here in ten minutes." Ryker said, I immediately furrowed my brows and checked my watch.
What is he saying, we haven't even been here for thirty minutes.
"Ows, are you sure? Maybe your wristwatch is backwards again, sweetie." Sweety, really? "But anyway, at least you came, right? How are you?" she said in a sweet voice and Miss Cole hugged Ryker and kissed him on the cheek.
"Doing great! Thanks for asking." Ryker replied, making Miss Cole smile widely.
"That's good news then… and you are?" The newcomer turned her attention to me, so I immediately stood up to introduce myself because when I saw her earlier, she immediately went into Ryker's office.
"Aubree Lynn Corpez, M-Miss Cole." I said, still stammering.
"And who is she?" she asked Ryker, she could have asked me, I'm not going to steal her boyfriend.
"My- my secretary. Miss Aubree Lynn Corpez, meet Shanna Cole, a model and one of the best architects here in the Philippines. Miss Cole, this is Aubree." I smiled at Shanna, who also had a mischievous smile while looking back and forth between Ryker and me.
"Nice meeting you, dear."
"Uhmm.. likewise Miss Cole." I was surprised when she approached me to hug me. Ryker's girlfriend is so nice, I just hope she's serious this time. She's nice and beautiful, a model and an architect. They're both professionals, they suit each other.
"Alright, let's order the food first before we proceed with our meeting because I feel like I'm really hungry and sleepy, so I need coffee." She said sweetly to Ryker.
I kept myself busy looking at my texts from my children and didn't pay attention to them anymore.
I'm okay.
"What's your order?" My insides twisted because of Ryker's sudden whisper near my ear.
"Me?"
"Yep, they have here, uhm longsilog, tapsilog, bangusilog? What do you want to eat for breakfast?" He pointed to the items listed on the menu for breakfast. I held back a deep breath because he was so close to me. I could smell his perfume even more, and now his breath smelled like mint. He even put his right arm behind the chair I was sitting on.
"Uhmm, what.. I'll just have this pancake and coffee." I said.
"Are you sure?"
"Hmm, y-yeah," I said to him, still looking at the menu.
"How about me?" I heard Miss Cole complain. "You're so unfair, why didn't you ask me, what I want to eat?" she asked while crossing her arms.
"You're so slow choosing, then you change your mind when you've already chosen, so I didn't ask you." My boss said, so I suddenly felt embarrassed because he prioritized his ex over his legal girlfriend.
"You're so unfair babe, pssh." I don't know, she's so cute when she's sulking.
"Just ask her, boss." I nudged Ryker to entertain his girlfriend, what if they fight just because of me.
"Alright… alright… what is your order madam?" Ryker teased Miss Shanna. This man is really crazy.
"I want this all. You're paying for everything on the menu." Ryker and I's eyes widened because of what Miss Cole said.
"Wow! Seriously?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Yep, Miss Corpez." She said, winking at me. I just shook my head. Does she eat that much? It's a lot.
I turned to Ryker, who didn't complain, he immediately stood up and went to the counter to order, even though he could have just told the waiter who was in front of us earlier, who is now gone.
My last glance at him was when he was on the phone while walking outside the restaurant.
"So, how long have you been working for Ryker, Miss?" I turned my attention back to Miss Cole to answer her question, she was also busy with her phone while waiting for our food.
"Uhmm, less than a year, Miss."
"Oh, really? How is it? Isn't that man a pain in the neck?" I didn't know whether to shake my head or nod because of her question, I'm not sure what my answer would be.
"Just right, Miss!" Ma'am laughed out loud. Why?
"Sorry, I just laughed at your answer."
"Excuse me ma'am!" We turned our attention to the waitress serving our food.
"Thank you!" After we said that, the waitress left, but I was just surprised that this was the only food on our table. Salad for her, pancake for me, and tapsilog for Ryker.
"Let's eat!" Ryker said immediately when he returned to his seat. I was about to complain that the waiter didn't give Shanna enough food, but ma'am didn't complain to Ryker and she started eating, even enjoying the salad that was for her.
What a waste, I thought I could eat too if they shared some food with me.
After we finished eating, I excused myself to go to the bathroom.
I don't know how many sighs I let out when I entered the women's bathroom. I don't know why. I'm okay, right?
Hays, I'll call the kids later, maybe they're what I need to calm down.
After using the bathroom, I immediately went out and went to our table where I left them. As I walked towards them, I couldn't help but see them laughing while talking. They must be having a fun conversation.
When I sat down, they started their meeting, it was about the project they were going to do, a mini museum for Miss Shanna's sister for her next birthday. Since Ryker is a real estate CEO, Miss Shanna talked to him about it. I, on the other hand, wrote down the important details about their projects, maybe I'll get another million in anger from my boss.
They finished their meeting around twelve, and before they left, we had lunch. I was sitting all morning, then I'll eat lunch, for sure I'll get fat again. It's okay, I'll just use the treadmill in the unit.
After lunch, we ordered dessert, and since there was halo-halo on the menu, the three of us ordered a small serving.
Miss Cole went to the bathroom for a few minutes and the halo-halo arrived. So it wouldn't melt right away, Ryker and I started eating the halo-halo and didn't wait for Miss Cole because Ryker said Miss Shanna's halo-halo usually melts faster.
"Do you like it?" Ryker asked me while I ate the ice cream first. I smiled and nodded at him, and didn't pay attention to him anymore. When I mixed the halo-halo, I was disappointed to see beans in it, I forgot to say not to put any, but if I leave it here in the container, it would be a waste of money that my boss paid for. It's expensive according to the menu list.
So, without thinking, I took the beans, and since Ryker was close to where I was sitting, I put them in his glass like I did before.
"What is this?" He asked, even though he could see with his two eyes what it was.
"Beans, right? You like beans?" I said while making puppy eyes. It's too late for me to realize that I'm being cute, which doesn't work on him.
"I like b-beans?" He shook his head. "No Miss Corpez. I don't like beans." He said, so I was hurt by what he said.
"Okay, I'll just have it!" I said in a sulky tone, maybe because I was embarrassed and I was proud to tell him. Does he eat it before, maybe since he hurt me, he's removed even eating beans from his life. This jerk is really something.
"No… no… I will eat that." He said, frowning at me.
"You said you don't like it or you don't eat it!" I said in a slightly angry voice now. Just because of the beans, we're going back to the past. Cannot be.
I tried to grab the halo-halo container from him to get the beans I put in, "I'll eat it, you.. you don't like it, right?"
"I will eat it now, see ooh… ahh. I ate it, right?" He said with difficulty. I calmed down, because I saw him eat the beans, I felt better.
"Thank God I'm back. There were people in the restroom so I took a while." Miss Shanna said when she arrived at our table and immediately sat down to eat her halo-halo, which she had covered first so no dirt would get in.
"Excuse me, ladies!" Ryker said goodbye. We continued eating the halo-halo while talking.
A few minutes later, Shanna and I were wondering why Ryker hadn't come back to our table yet, and then we heard an ambulance.
"Poor guy earlier in the boys restroom, he fainted because of his allergy. That's why there's an ambulance." We heard an old man near our table say.
"Oh, who is it, poor thing, where's Ryker, that guy's taking so long, is he still in the bathroom? Maybe one of us turned him on because he's with two ladies, you know," Miss Cole said laughing.
I don't know why I'm nervous.
"Miss, are you the one who was with the guy in the white polo, tall and handsome, right? I saw him there earlier, in your area."
"Yes, why?" Shanna asked, I was sweating profusely for no reason. "Oh no! Don't tell me he left and left us to pay for our food? Gosh that jerk," she said with a frown.
"No ma'am, he's the one who was taken to the hospital-" the female customer said.
"Hospital?" Shanna and I said at the same time, and we both stood up.
"Yes ma'am, he must have eaten something, so he had an allergy and fainted."
"Huh? What? Wait!" Shanna grabbed the halo-halo, "wait, didn't he tell the person who made the halo-halo that he doesn't eat beans because he's allergic, damn him. He's so stubborn! Thank you, Miss." I could hardly move where I was standing when I heard what Shanna said.
What?
Ryker?
Allergic to beans?
Since when?
And now, he's fighting for his life?
"The hell! What did I do?"
- Writer
