Programmed Wife

Chapter 24

It's ten in the morning, the sun is shining brightly through the glass windows of the high rising Phoenix entertainment Company. People have been busy doing their daily tasks. Cramming to prepare the unfinished reports and contracts. But the ever so workaholic secretary Leyla was still in her head, staring at nothing, doing completely none.

Mukha siyang sinakluban ng langit at lupa, wala nang magawa sa buhay at mukhang hindi na makakaya na kumilos ngayong buong araw. Sino nga ba naman ang kayang maka- recover nang ganoon kabilis doon sa pinagdaanan niya kaninang umaga.

Imagine a very hot man who literally looks like the embodiment of handsome just casually flirt with you at six in the morning. Without a shirt on. With no plan of backing out even though she's trying to turn it around and make the mood all "funny". She tried her best to joke around and not fall for it even more but she couldn't sway him

The whole morning, Rui has been testing her, pushing her to the limit. From the really questionable breakfast kung saan hindi man lang siya nakakain ng maayos, hanggang sa noong maliligo na si Rui.

"How could he forget his towel?" bulong niya sa sarili. Naalala na naman niya, at wala na siyang magawa kung hindi ang umiling nang paulit- ulit, pilit na binubura ang nasa isipan niya na larawan ni Rui habang nakadungaw mula sa CR niya para humingi ng tuwalya kay Leyla.

"Bakit bigla nalang nagbago si Mr. Rui?" her mind started to wonder. "Simula noong gabi na nagpahinga siya sa unit ko, nagbago ang mga kilos at pakikitungo niya sa akin. Nagsimula sa simpleng pagsagot niya sa mga katanungan ko nang maayos, hanggang sa pakikipagbiruan niya sa akin. Tapos naging kampante na siya na maging malapit sa akin. Ngayon... sobrang lapit naman na yata? Parang ito na 'yong tinatawag ni Roca na landian?"

"Miss Leyla?" muntik na mapatalon si Leyla dahil sa biglaang tawag sa kan'ya ng katrabaho. It was Kieth, the strangest man that she ever knew. Paano ba naman kasi, sa tuwing magkikita sila wala nang ibang ginawa ang lalaki kung hindi kagatin ang labi niya sabay hawi sa buhok at tuloy-tuloy na pagkindat.

"Sir Kieth? Ano po 'yon?" at ayon na nga, pagkasabi lang ni Leyla no'n, nagsimula na siyang kumindat.

"I love your dress, it fits you perfectly. Bagay talaga sa'yo ang black, nangingibabaw ang kagandahan mo."

Leyla confusedly looked at him, "Ha?" she asked. "'Yon na 'yon? Wala kang ibang kailangan?"

Umiling- iling ang lalaki at ipinaypay ang hawak na folder sa kan'yang mukha.

"Hindi 'no, ano ang tingin mo sa akin? Nandito lang para magpapogi sa'yo?" he meant to say it as a joke but he did not expect the gorgeous lady to confidently nod with a straight face. "Well, not always," he tried to defend himself.

"For Mr. Rui? Akin na, ako na ang bahala." Akmang aabutin na ni Leyla ang mga papeles pero binawi ito ni Keith at biglaan siyang lumapit para itukod ang siko sa kan'yang lamesa.

"Lunch later?" he asked, giving her yet another cheeky wink.

"Ha?"

"Sabay tayo mamaya? Lunch?"

"Kasabay ko si Roca."

"Ditch her for once? We can eat together, my treat. Baka sakali na magustuhan mo, willing ako na manlibre everyday. Basta ikaw," said Keith. Sounding really proud that he acted so cool at the moment. But Leyla is not that girl, she's not someone that would easily fall for his words.

"No, I can actually buy for myself. But thanks I guess?" she reached out to take the file again but he immediately pulled it away once again.

"Think of it this way, kung araw-araw sasabay ka kumain sa akin tuwing lunch, imagine kung gaano kadami ang maiipon mo mula doon 'di ba? It's practical! At isa pa, mag- eenjoy tayong dalawa everyday!"

"Keith, she drives a Porsche," Roca said in the distance. Her hands are crossed while staring at them intently.

Hearing what she just revealed, Keith's mouth fell wide open. Nobody told him that she's loaded. If he only knew earlier, he wouldn't try to reason out with her that way, he realized that he must have sounded so dumb in Leyla's perspective. And he got it all right. Just based on how Leyla is looking at him, he can already tell.

"Anong ginagawa mo na naman dito Roca? Kulang nalang maging secretary ka na ni Miss Leyla. Shouldn't you stay in front? Anong ginagawa ng receptionist dito?"

"Keith, kung nahihiya ka sabihin mo nalang nang diretso. Hindi 'yong gan'yan na ang dami mo pang echos!"

The poor guy had no choice but to sigh and pretend as if nothing happened, "So... Lunch later?"

Leyla was quick to shake her head, "No."

"No?" hindi siya natuwa sa narinig. "Why not?"

"Just no, " she calmly said. "No is enough, no reasons needed."

"Sh*t ang cool mo ro'n bestie," said Roca as she flips her hair.

Walang nagawa si Keith kung hindi ang malamyang i-abot ang folder. Mukhang wala na siyang pag-asa talaga na maimbita ang dalaga.

"Hindi pa rin ba tumitigil si Keith?"

Umiling si Leyla, "Mukhang sa tingin talaga niya gusto ko siyang maging kaibigan. How will I politely tell him that I don't appreciate him trying so hard to be friendly with me?"

"Anong friendly ka d'yan? Flirty kamo! Dapat doon diretsahan mo nang sabihan. Biglain mo, "Jowa ko si Boss" ganoon lang kadali!"

Leyla glared at her, and it immediately made her stop talking, "Wala nga kaming relas-"

Roca was surprised to hear her stop in the middle of her sentence, "Walang ano? Bakit ka huminto? Walang... hmm?" she teased.

"Relasyon, wala kaming relasyon."

"Right, right," Roca cheekily said. Pero hindi siya huminto sa pang-aasar sa kaibigan. Sensing the change in her voice, there is no way she'll stop digging deeper. "Why do you sound so confused and not that confident with your words? "

"Wha- I- I do?"

"Parang hindi ko kayang maniwala ngayon sa sinasabi mo. Anong nagbago? Parang kahapon lang sobrang sigurado ka na wala kayong relasyon. Tapos ngayon parang imbis na mag-deny ka doon sa pagbibiro ko, parang pilit mo na kinukumbinsi ang sarili mo!" Roca talked so fast. She couldn't contain her excitement in dissecting her expression and words.

"You're crazy, there's nothing. What could have changed overnight?"

"Oh my gosh! Overnight!" Roca screamed. "Anong nangyari sa inyo kagabi? Nag-overnight ka!"

"Anong nangyari?"

"Ewan ko nga Sir Rui, hindi pa umaamin itong loka na 'to! Tinatanong ko lang naman kung anong nangyari sa inyong dalawa kagabi, pilit pa kasi na nag- de- deny sa relasyon nin'yo kahit na halata namang bet na bet niyo ang isa't-isa, ang hilig pa na-"

"Roca!"

Leyla was too late. She was a tad bit late, dahil sa biglaang paglabas ni Rui, hindi na yata narinig ni Roca kung sino ang nagsalita sa may likuran nila.

Rui was shocked with what he just heard. Leyla could feel his presence right at the door beside her. He is amused at how the two girls suddenly turned into stones, they did not event bother to blink. Thinking that if they don't move or say anything, Rui would just let it go and forget about it.

"Well that was interesting," said Rui. Maririnig sa boses niya ang pigil na pag ngiti. His hands are crossed as he was leaning at the doorway. Both of his eyes are glued to the back of Leyla's head. He did not expect to hear something like this, specially not in this way.

His whole day started with him directly teasing and making Leyla blush so hard and then now, they caught her in a really weird situation.

"He-he-he Sir," Roca did her best to fake a laugh. "Sir kung ano man 'yong narinig mo, mali 'yon he-he."

"Hmm?" Leyla could clearly tell from how he's sounding, he's about to pull all the tricks at her again.

"Sir may-"

"Yes Leyla?" putol nito sa sasabihin niya. "Mind explaining what the conversation was about?"

"Haha," she copied how Roca faked her laugh but her's turned out a bit less convincing. She's frowning while smiling and looking at him, she looked like she's begging for him to forget it all at once. "Sir, may files."

"So, ano nga ulit 'yong tanong mo Miss Roca?" he purposely chose to not listen to any of her excuses and decided to head straight to Roca's explanation.

Even though she wanted to escape, the Receptionist has no other choice but to sit back down and stay where she was. She took a deep breath, trying to collect all her brain cells to make up a plausible excuse. Finally she made up her mind, "Sir! Nagbibiro lang po ako. Kasi marami na po ang mga chismis dito na may relasyon daw po kayo ni Leyla."

"'Yon lang ba?" Rui asked. "Sinasabi rin ba nila na may nangyari sa amin kagabi?"

"Ay 'yon ba Sir? Naku hindi po, tinanong ko lang 'yon kasi biglang nagbago 'yong sagot ni Leyla kaysa kahapon. Biglang parang may kilig tapos hindi na niya alam kung wala ba talaga kayong relasyo- Ay! Sir, wala, erase! Nadadala lang po ako ng kadaldalan!"

"Ehem, so what else?" Rui is currently at the clouds, keeping his composure. Ayaw naman niya na ipahalatang natutuwa siya sa hiyang-hiyang ekspresyon ni Leyla na halos magtago na sa ilalim ng kan'yang lamesa. Hindi na nga ito nag angat ng ulo mula sa pagkakalugmok.

Rui felt like a teenager, this is his first time experience being teased to a girl. He grew up avoiding women, fearing them, kaya naman ngayon na nabigyan siya ng pagkakataon na matukso kay Leyla, hindi niya inaasahan na magiging ganito ito ka- exciting para sa kan'ya. He felt so happy, free and thrilled.

"Sir, puwede po ba na pass? Baka kasi kapag nadulas pa ako hindi na ako kausapin nitong bestie ko. Mukhang lalamunin na ng lamesa," pagmamakaawa ni Roca.

"Leyla," he called out. "Next time kapag may nagtanong sa'yo kung may relasyon tayo maging honest ka lang." Leyla smiled hearing his words, she anticipated the end of it all.

"Just tell them that you come to my house and cooks breakfast for me. You can also tell them that you have seen me half naked, that would be a solid tell," obviously Rui wasn't lying, but Leyla could not let Roca believe that. Kaya naman mabilis siyang tumayo para ipagtulakan ang lalaki sa kan'yang office.

"'Wag kang makikinig kay Sir! Nagbibiro lang siya."

Roca was still in shock with her eyes and mouth wide open.

"No I'm not lying, it just happened! Why are you pushing me away! Leyla I'm still your Boss!"