Programmed Wife

Chapter 12

"Mr. Rui, here are the reports that you asked for..." Leyla slowly walked to the table to hand out the folders in his hand. She's looking very stressed and it is immediately noticed by her Boss.

"Is there any problems?" he asked, looking directly at her while pretending to hold up his phone, acting like he's texting someone.

"Uhm, nothing Sir. I just met someone really interesting."

"Who?" Nabigla si Leyla sa madiin na tanong ni Rui, maging ang lalaki ay nagulat din sa pagkakabitaw ng mga salita.

"It's actually nothing Sir, if you need anything else, I'll be at my desk."

Kitang-kita sa mukha ni Rui ang pag-iisip sa kung ano ang nangyari kay Leyla. Parang nanghihinayang pa siya na hindi niya nalaman kung sino ang nakasalamuha ng babae.

"Weird, did I scare her off again?"

"Akala ko ba mas gusto mo siya na mapalitan? Bakit ngayon iniisip mo pa kung bakit siya mukhang umiiwas sa'yo?"

"Exactly, I don't know- What the hell Albert! Ngayon ka pa talaga biglaan na susulpot. Have where have you been?"

"Nag- almusal, bakit?" Albert walked towards the sofa and sat down comfortably. If he wasn't wearing a full on suit and tie, he looked like he's chilling at home, getting ready to sleep through an entire movie.

"You left, alam mo na may meeting-"

"Hindi na ako ang secretary mo Rui," he said in a very taunting way.

"I get it, we're friends. But don't joke with me like this!"

"I got three days left. Come on man, let me chill for a bit. Ngayon na nga lang ako nakahinga nang maluwag." He even went to remove his tie.

"Nandito nalang ako para masigurado na alam na ni Leyla ang lahat ng dapat niyang gawin. Pero alam mo ba, tuturuan ko palang siya kanina sa pag-aayos ng mga schedule mo at pagtanggap sa mga call na gustong magka-appointment, alam na niya. In fact, siya nga ang nag-ayos ng meeting mo with Kira."

"I almost forgot about that," Rui let out a deep sigh. His long fingers brushed through his hair while he clenched his well defined jaw.

"Kira was asking for you to have lunch with her for the meeting, pero matibay si Leyla. Hindi niya hinayaan na makalabas ka sa office ng kasama si Kira."

Albert proudly started to tell him the details while reaching for the bowl of candy on the table, still comfortably plopped on the couch.

"Ang sabi niya no'ng narinig ko, sila na raw ang hindi nakapunta noong unang meeting na naka-set. Bakit daw ikaw pa rin ang maga-adjust. Kaya 'yon, ang ending si Kira ang pupunta sa office para sa meeting at lunch time. Malay ko kung paano kayo lalamon, mukhang walang panaman kay Leyla 'yong babae, hindi na naka-hindi eh."

Amazed at what he just heard, Rui smiled and shook his head.

"Seems like she genuinely has a strong personality, she's not easily tricked or swayed by people."

"Naka-smile ka no? Kahit hindi kita nakikita, feeling ko naka ngiti ka, nakakakilig naman! Mukhang may crush ka na talaga sa kan' ya!"

"Okay, you took it a little too far once again, f*ck off-"

"Sir! Sir! Mamaya na po kayo magdaldalan ni Sir Rui, Mr. Albert! Hindi ko po alam kung bakit ang Nandito na si Miss Kira kahit na eleven palang!" Leyla rushed to the office, hindi na niya nagawa na kumatok dahil sa problema na ibabalita niya.

She clearly saw fear in Rui's eyes, kaagad na nabalisa ang binata.

"He's doing it again," she thought to herself while scanning his whole posture. "He's tapping his foot again, non-stop. Very troubled."

"Bakit naman ang aga? Akala ko ba by lunch time pa ang usapan? She's expected at around 12:30!" it was Albert who jumped up, fixing his suit and tie to face the problem outside. But he was confused to see Leyla watching Rui, pinapanood ng dalaga kung paano dahan-dahan na mabalot si Rui ng pangamba.

He was not prepared to face her, the sudden news somehow triggered his fear and he has no way of calming down.

Maya-maya pa, napansin ni Albert na dahan-dahang lumapit si Leyla sa lamesa. Hindi siya tinitignan ng Boss, pero tumuloy pa rin siya.

She pulled out a small thing from her pocket, a cute avocado shaped container for her hand cream that she custom made herself.

Albert watched her slowly open the container, and put a little amount of the wonderful smelling stuff on her hands. Sa lapit niya kay Rui, naamoy na ng lalaki ang kaninang amoy na napansin niya galing kay Leyla.

"Lavenders..." Rui whispered. Albert could not believe what he saw next. Rui grabbed Leyla's hand and pulled it a bit closer to catch the scent better.

"Ang bango po no Sir?" Leyla asked, pasimple niyang sinusubukan na pakalmahin ang lalaki na hanggang ngayon ay nanginginig pa rin ang mga kamay.

Nang mapansin niya na may panginginig pa rin sa kamay nito, hindi na nag dalawang isip si Leyla na hablutin ang mga kamay ni Rui. At siya na mismo ang nagpahid ng mabangong hand cream para sa kan' ya.

Rui was too shocked to process things, hindi na niya napigilan ang babae. Lalo pa at alam niyang nakakatulong ito ngayon para kumalma siya. This is the scent that he loves, the same scent that his mother uses for their humidifier back when he was little.

"Mr. Albert, puwede po ba na pakikausap si Miss Kira? Pakisabi po na by 12:30 pa ang appointment niya, siya ang maaga, mag hintay siya."

"Mr. Rui, kaya mo ba na-"

"Mr. Albert, sige na please. Baka biglang pumasok pa rito 'yong babae."

Sakto sa pagkakasabi ni Leyla, biglang bumukas ang pintuan at iniluwa nito ang isang babae na napakaganda.

Mula sa bihis, tindig at ayos, walang duda na siya ay isa sa mga pinakakilalang model sa panahon ngayon.

"Kuya Rui!" she walked that short distance from the door to the table as if she is walking down the runway, it was intense. Her eyes exudes a fierce aura.

"She's glaring at me?" Leyla noticed how Kira has been eyeing her and her hand holding Rui's while she stood tall beside her.

"Miss Kira, it is not yet the time of your appointment," madiin na sagot ni Leyla sa babae para saluhin si Rui na hanggang ngayon ay nababato sa kinauupuan niya.

"Whoever you are, get me and Kuya Rui some juice."

Leyla blinked for a few times before understanding what she just heard. Lalapit na sana ang babae para humalik sa pisngi ni Rui pero mabilis na humarang si Leyla.

"Uh Miss? Excuse me?" mataray na sabi ng babae sa kan' ya. "Leave us alone. Duh, Albert sino ba 'to? Take her away!"

"Is this the definition of a brat? Yeah I think so." Isip ng sekretarya.

"Miss Kira, I am the new secretary of Mr. Rui and I'm sorry, if there's someone here that should leave... it's you."

"What a b***h!" sa tinis ng boses niya sa pagsigaw, naramdaman ni Leyla ang paghigpit ng hawak sa kan'ya ni Rui.

Leyla sensed the tension from his eyes. It is the very first time that she had seen him like this, but based on what she can tell, for some reason... he's extremely terrified of her. The dominating and intimidating CEO that she knew was gone. He couldn't even say a word.

"What's with people calling me like that today?" bulong niya kay Rui. Pinilit niya na ipakita ang kan'yang ngiti kay Rui.

While he is sitting on the chair, Leyla is holding his hand under the table while leaning down a bit.

"Did he smile back?" from her forced smile, Leyla smiled brightly. She realized that Rui is slowly responding to what she's trying to do.

This is something that her father has thought to her before. Signs of anxiety, it maybe because of trauma just as how he said before. His tips of how to calm down someone, luckily she remembered it all clearly.

"Aren't you leaving?" Kira pushed her, making her break her hand off of Rui's.

"Can you please stop Ma'am?" kahit na mas maliit si Leyla sa matangkad na modelo, she stood with confidence. She's even more intimidating than the crazy girl that was trying to fight her.

"Your appointment is at 12:30, we've cleared this up on the phone. And now is not your time, Mr. Rui has other things to tend to, please wait."

"Appointment for what? Flirting with you? b***h you must be crazy!"

"Flirting? First of all, can't you see Mr. Albert over there? And second, you are a personality. Although you don't have the best reputation out there, you should not destroy it even more. "

Kira rolled her eyes. She was getting ready to throw hands but Leyla stopped her by just raising her hand.

"Miss Kira, you better leave and wait for your appointment time, fix your make up while your at it. I can see your blemishes, not good for your image. It will bring us problems."

Walang naisagot si Kira. Hearing how she was called out for having a bad make up, she instantly covered her face with her hair and turned around.

"Kuya Rui! You better fire this b*tch! She's very rude, did you see that! Having someone this rude will only do bad to the company. Fire her or I will never sign-"

"Then don't."

Natigilan ang lahat sa malalim na boses ni Rui. Albert dramatically gasped on the side.

"Wha-what?" Kira said in a very soft, fake 'nice' voice.

"You don't want to sign? Then don't," he said with authority. Hindi ito inasahan ng lahat. Kaya naman napanganga nalang talaga sila.

"Boss, 'wag ka masyadong mataray. Malaki ang magiging problema ng company," Leyla whispered to him. Making sure that no one else would hear.

"I don't care, I don't want to house rude people. That would be very bad for the company."

"Kuya Rui, 'wag ka naman magbiro ng gan' yan. Alam mo naman na hindi tayo puwedeng maghiwalay." Lalapit na naman sana si Kira para kumapit sa kamay ni Rui pero pasimpleng humarang si Leyla para hilahin siya palayo.

"Please wait for your appointment. And please call me by my name, Leyla. Hindi ko kasi nagugustuhan 'yong nickname na binibigay mo."