Hot for the Boss

Chapter 3

The next morning, Noah arrived early, five minutes before call time. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to boost his confidence. Inilapag niya ang dalang bag sa kan’yang desk at inirolyo ang kan’yang sleeves hanggang siko, ang mga mata’y nakamasid sa paligid. Nang natapos ay umupo siya sa kan’yang swivel chair at binuksan ang email.

Task Reminder: ER Audit Cluster – Events + Representation Claims

His first audit task. He clicked the link and was greeted by a monstrous Excel sheet—codes, account numbers, descriptions, scanned receipts, and internal memos.

“Let’s do this,” he muttered, taking one last sip of his lukewarm coffee. He started scanning, highlighting inconsistencies, his brain quickly adjusting to the rhythm.

Lumipas ang ilang minuto ay dumating din sa Paolo na parang walang maayos na tulog dahil sa eyebags nitong nangingitim.

“Pare,” Paolo groaned, dropping into the chair beside Noah, “I had a dream last night na sinasaksak ako ng mga resibo.”

Noah chuckled, not looking away from his screen. “Maybe it's a sign. Mag-leave ka muna. Full body massage, charge sa company.”

Marahang tumawa si Paolo at inilapit ang mukha sa kan’ya. “Speaking of expenses,” Paolo said, peeking at Noah’s screen, “Chavez ulit?”

Noah nodded. “Yup. Two flights. One person. Same day. Different airlines.”

Umiling-iling si Paolo. “May pinagdadaanan talaga ‘yan.”

Before Noah could reply, Cara slid into the chair across from them, dropping a couple of stapled printouts.

“Less chika, more trabaho,” she said, handing them both printouts. “Ms. Ventura wants a full summary by Friday. Hindi ‘yong pang-group project na crammed.”

Noah gave a quick nod. “On it.”

Tatlo silang nagtuloy sa trabaho. Noah flipped through the sheets, double-checking receipts, verifying totals against reimbursements. The ache behind his eyes started to form, pero hindi niya maipagkailang may kakaibang satisfaction sa pag-flag ng inconsistencies.

“March 6. Event sa Cebu,” he mumbled, highlighting another suspicious entry. “Chavez again.”

“Gusto ko na talaga siyang interview-hin personally,” Paolo joked. “Legit ba ‘tong events niya or side hustle ng imaginary friends?”

Noah laughed and stood. He stretched his neck from side to side and looked at Paolo. “Break muna ako. Americano?”

“Yes, please. No sugar,” Paolo replied.

He looked at Cara, who didn’t even glance up. “Bring me silence,” she muttered, making him chuckle.

The pantry smelled of burnt toast and overused coffee grounds. Noah approached the coffee machine, still rubbing the side of his neck. Tumigil siya sandali at sinipat ang sarili sa microwave reflection. Messy hair and his visible eyebags were waving, the usual rookie glow.

Ilang sandali lang ang lumipas ay may narinig siyang pagtama ng takong sa sahig.

He didn’t even need to turn.

“Ms. Ventura,” he greeted without looking.

“Mr. Del Rosario,” Adeline replied, her voice as calm and cold as ever.

She didn’t go for coffee. She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms to her chest, her eyes assessing Noah with that same analytical coolness he was starting to expect.

“You’re unusually talkative in audit notes,” she commented.

Noah blinked, then turned toward her with a grin. “Spreadsheets are better listeners than people, Ma’am. They don’t interrupt.”

She didn’t laugh, but there was the tiniest twitch on her cheek. “Don’t get too comfortable inserting side comments, Mr. Del Rosario. This isn’t a group chat.”

Bahagyang napatikhim si Noah sa sinabi ng boss niya. “I’ll tone it down,” he replied, handing her the mug she didn’t ask for. “But I like leaving traces of myself. You know, just in case someone’s watching.”

Adeline met his eyes. Long enough for it to feel like something passed between them.

For a brief moment, her eyes flickered with something. Humor? Curiosity? Before returning to neutral.

Then she stepped closer. Not enough to be inappropriate, but enough for him to feel the faint warmth of her perfume. Leather and citrus and something sharper beneath.

“You think I don’t notice you, Mr. Del Rosario?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper.

Noah’s breath caught slightly, but he held his gaze steady. “I was hoping you did.”

The tension was palpable, like the moment before thunder cracks.

Then Adeline leaned just a little closer, her lips a breath away from his ear.

“Careful,” she whispered. “Some traces leave permanent marks.”

She didn’t even wait for him to react. Tahimik na lamang na tumalikod si Adeline at dumiretso sa microwave. She didn’t look back. She didn’t need to. She knew Noah was still watching.

Binuksan niys ang microwave at kinuha ang cinnamon roll na kanina pa niya iniinit. Mainit pa rin, at halos natutunaw na ang frosting sa ibabaw. Her fingers were delicate and deliberate as she picked up the cinnamon roll, as if handling something more fragile than pastry.

She then took a bite, slow and casual, like she had all the time in the world. The icing clung to her lower lip. She didn’t wipe it away. Hindi rin siya tumingin kay Noah. Pero si Noah? Tumigil na yata ang mundo at bigla yatang naging yelo sa kinatatayuan.

The f**k! Mariin siyang napalunok. Halos tawagin niya ang lahat ng santong kilala dahil sa nakita. He almost dropped the cup of coffee he was also trying to hand to Adeline earlier.

It was really like Adeline was trying to seduce him with the way she bit that cinnamon. And he couldn’t deny na muntikan na siyang mahulog sa bitag nito kung hindi lang niya agad nasampal ang sarili sa isipan niya.

Pagkatapos ng ilang sandali ay tumalikod si Adeline sa kan’ya at nag-martsa palabas ng pantry. Bago pa man mawala si Adeline sa paningin ni Noah, muli itong nagsalita.

“Keep the coffee, by the way,” she said. “Looks like you’ll need it more.”

Noah raised an eyebrow. “Long night ahead?”

“No,” she said, pausing at the doorway. “But something tells me you’re the type who likes to overthink until 2 a.m.”

And just like that, she walked off.

Iniwan siyang tulala, tahimik, hawak ang kape na dapat kay Adeline. For once, Noah had no comeback.

He just smiled to himself, shaking his head.

Tangina, he thought, sipping the coffee she refused. Ano’ng laban ko doon?

NOAH was hunching over his desk again. He had reorganized the flagged items, color-coded the anomalies, and added notes.

“Bro,” Paolo whispered, leaning over, “Pantry scene ba ulit?” tanong nito, tinutukoy siya at ang boss nila. Nakita yata sila kanina.

“Chill lang,” Noah replied, not looking up.

“Grabe. May sparks kahit may hawak lang na mug.” Tahimik itong humalakhak pagkatapos.

Cara cleared her throat. “If you two are done gossiping, we need to review the resort entries. May discrepancy.”

Noah scooted closer. “Ano’ng anomaly?”

“The resort receipt shows 45 guests. Pero sa HR list, 37 lang ang attendees. So, who were the extra eight?”

“Ghost guests,” Noah muttered. “Or somebody inflated the numbers.”

He opened the shared HR folder, scrolling through names, eyes narrowing.

LATER AFTERNOON came, and the golden sunlight spilled through the office windows. The usual end-of-day slump was starting to settle, pero hindi kay Adeline.

She stepped out of her glass office, her heels soft but assertive. She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t have to. Presence pa lang, tumahimik na ang buong pod.

She stopped by Noah’s desk.

“How’s the ER audit cluster?” she asked.

Noah minimized the game tab he wasn’t supposed to open and sat straighter. “Ten percent clean. Thirteen entries flagged. Two suspicious, five for revalidation.”

Adeline raised an eyebrow. “Efficient.”

“Or OC,” he joked lightly.

A faint smirk touched the corner of her mouth. “We welcome healthy obsession.” She then paused. “Send me the latest summary before 6:00.”

“Yes, Ms. Ventura.”

She turned and walked away, and Noah couldn’t stop his eyes from following her every step.

IT WAS already 6PM when Noah finished his daily-task. He closed his laptop with a long breath, eyes were tired from long exposure to the screen. His spine cracked, and his neck protested the long hours. Pero fulfilled siya sa nagawa niya sa araw na iyon.

Another productive day, nasa isip niya.

He leaned back in his chair, trying to stretch his body.

Cara passed by and gave him a tight nod. “Good work today.”

“Thanks, ikaw rin,” he said.

Paolo raised his water bottle in a silent toast.

He chuckled and packed up slowly, still feeling the warmth of earlier—the kind of heat that wasn’t from coffee or deadlines.

Paglabas ni Noah sa building, naabutan niya ang kalmadong gabi sa parking lot. The air was thick with humidity, and the distant buzz of the city was softened by the stillness of the hour. Papunta na sana siya sa kanyang motor, handa nang umuwi, nang mapansin niyang may pamilyar na kotse na naka-hazard.

Naka-park ito malapit sa security booth. Bukas ang hood at parang may kakaiba.

He slowed his steps, squinting in the dim light.

And there she was. Adeline. Crouched beside the front bumper, ang takong ay wala na sa paa’t nakatabi lang sa gilid, stockings lang ang suot habang nakaluhod sa gravel. There was a streak of grease on her fingers, her perfectly composed aura cracked just a little by the frustration on her face.

She looked like a woman out of place—but determined to take control anyway.

Noah hesitated for a second, then walked over.

“Need help?” tanong niya, kaswal lang ang boses pero alert.

Adeline glanced at him, her expression was unreadable. “I can handle it.”

He nodded, not taking offense. “I know you can, but maybe I can save you ten minutes. Or at least give you a clean rag?”

She sighed, wiping her hands on a thin tissue that did little to help. “It won’t start. Battery, probably. Or alternator.”

“May jumper cables ako sa motor,” Noah offered. “Wait here.”

Without waiting for approval, he jogged back to his bike. The sound of his footsteps echoed against concrete, steady and sure. In less than a minute, bumalik siya na may dala nang maliit na toolkit at jumper cables, the sleeves of his shirt now rolled up, revealing forearms dusted with a sheen of sweat and faint ink from old pens or older scars.

They worked in silence at first. Noah focused on the task, clamping the cables and checking the terminals. While Adeline stood a few feet away, her arms crossed, watching his every move. Her gaze lingered a little too long when he tightened one of the clamps, veins flexing just beneath his skin.

“You’ve done this before,” she finally said.

“Too many times,” he replied, eyes still on the engine. “Old bike, long commutes.”

She didn’t respond right away. Her silence wasn’t cold—it was curious, measured. Parang sinusuri siya. Like he was a puzzle she couldn’t decide whether to solve or keep intact.

The silence broke as the engine came to life.

Adeline straightened, brushing her hands off on another tissue. This time more for form than function.

“Not bad,” she muttered.

Isang ngisi ang bumuo sa labi ni Noah. “I'll take that as high praise.”

She stepped a little closer. The space between them shrank, charged with something unspoken. The scent of hot metal, engine grease, and her perfume—that same expensive floral tone from earlier—hung in the air, now tinged with sweat and asphalt.

“I don’t usually thank people,” she said.

He tilted his head, lips quirking. “Then don’t. Just owe me.”

A smirk. “That’s dangerous.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Lumapit siya sa pinto ng kan’yang kotse ngunit huminto rin sa balak na gawin. Her fingers hovered above the handle, then dropped slightly as she turned her head just enough to speak.

“You know, you’re too curious for your own good.”

“And you’re too intriguing to ignore.”

She studied him. Really studied him. Eyes were sharp but soft around the edges. Then, without another word, she opened the door. But before stepping in, she murmured—almost like a confession, yet without turning. “Next time, don’t wear that cologne. It’s... distracting.”

The door shut with a clean click.

And the sound of her engine pulling away was almost drowned out by the pounding in Noah’s chest.

He laughed to himself, quiet and breathless. “Well,” he said softly, “she noticed.”