cuatro

Have you ever had an embarrassing moment? How did you recover from it? What did you do to relieve the shame?

It's Monday. And my entire weekend was an endless sleepless night.

We never get the chance to continue the make-out session we've had.

As it turns out, Melai got so drunk that we had no choice but to all go home.

Iba na kasi nung siya na ang nalasing. She was lashing out on everyone she sees and started cursing.

Stacy and Sari had to take her home.

So, I was caught in my own frustrated and horny self.

So that Monday, alas siyete pa lang ay nasa training room na ako. Feeling giddy and excited about seeing her again.

I opened a PC and keyed in my username and password. I opened a knowledge base portal and decided to take some reading habang nagpapalipas ng oras.

After about thirty minutes, people started coming in.

Bawat isa ay agad na nagkukumpulan kasama ang mga usual na kausap nila.

Maya-maya lang ay nagmamaktol na Travis ang bumungad sa akin sa oras na naupo ito sa tabi ko.

"Oh, ba't parang hitsurang kamyas ka diyan? Ang asim-asim ng mukha mo."

"Tang ina pre, di ako pinapansin ni Melai. Kainis." para itong batang nagmamaktol.

"Eh baka busy lang."

"Busy? Eh kami lang dalawa nagkasalubong sa hallway nung binati ko, tapos ni hindi man lang ako pinansin. Busy ba yun?"

Napangiti ako sa hitsura nitong tila agrabyadong-agrabyado.

"Ano ka ba. Huwag mo munang isipin yan. Ang isipin mo kung paano ka papasa sa linggong 'to. Ngayon na tayo sesentinsyahan. Yun muna ang isipin mo bago yang paglalandi mo."

"Eh kainis ka rin eh. Hindi mo ako sinusuportahan."

"Gago ka din eh. Pabayaan mo muna. Magpa-hard to get ka naman. Wag masyadong pahalata na atat ka."

"Aba atat na talaga. Binitin ako nung weekend. Ikaw ba di ka ba nabitin?"

Natigilan ako sa tanong niya.

"Nabitin saan?" pa-inosente kong tanong.

He slowly smirked, and that got me nervous. May narinig ba ito o nakita?

"Sa inuman! Eto naman kinabahan agad." bigla itong bumunghalit ng tawa, "My God! You should see yourself. Hahaha."

Biglang nawalan ng kulay ang mukha mo. Para kang hihimatayin bigla sa tanong ko. Ano ka ba? Binibiro lang kita." sabay payak nitong pagtapik sa braso ko.

"Hindi naman eh. Akala ko naman kung anong bitin na ang tinutukoy mo. Wala."

"Seriously? Wala talaga? Akala ko pa naman nakapuntos ka kay Sari nung nag-inuman tayo. Bigla kayong nawala eh."

"Wala no. Nag-usap lang kami."

"Wow ha, gaano kahaba ang pjnag-usapan ninyo."

"Basta."

Just in time na pumatak ang alas nuwebe ay bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa si Jeremiah. He was smiling from ear to ear.

The door remained open and then came her, Sari.

Though this time, she wasn't wearing her usual hoodie. Instead, she was in a charcoal pantsuit while her hair was tied up in a messy bun. May iilang pinong buhok na bumabagsak sa palibot ng mukha niya.

She was also wearing a little bit of make-up. Matte pink lipstick na lalong nagpapusyaw sa kulay niya.

Her hands were inside her side pockets, and she was wearing heels. Six inches I guessed, and my mind is totally blown with the fact that I suddenly know all these things.

Kailan pa ako natuto tungkol sa messy bun?

Payak akong napangiti nang bumaling siya sa akin. But all I got was a dead face.

Jeremiah and she proceeded into the middle of the training room.

"Happy Monday Everyone!" bungad ni Jeremiah.

We chorused towards our greeting to him, and all settled as he gathered our attention.

"I have good news for everyone today. Sari here, as you may know, has just been recently promoted to the Team Leader post. And today is officially her first day as your TL. Everyone let's congratulate Sari!"

Everyone gave out a huge applause. Lahat halos ay natuwa dahil sa balita.

"Dude, wala ka na talagang pag-asa."

I sat there confused at what was going on.

She's no longer just my subject matter expert. She's now my boss.

And that just changes everything.

I clapped along with the rest of the folks as I tried my best to be calm about what was going on.

Literally, my heart dropped.

Maybe Travis was right.

Wala na nga yata akong pag-asa.

I stared at her as she started to give way for Jeremiah to talk about the next topic bago pa man kami magsimula sa live calls namin. I wanted so bad to concentrate on the current discussion. But every time I try to concentrate, mas umiigting ang kagustuhan kong tingnan siya.

I had to stop myself every now and then.

Nang umabot ang lunch time, I dragged Travis into the chimney. Gusto kong ilabas ang frustration ko sa kanya. Maybe I need someone who would listen.

But the moment we reached the place, naroroon na sina Jeremiah kasama sina Stacy, Melai and of course her.

Natigilan kaming pareho nang makaharap na naming ang apat na magkakaibigan. Tila natigagal pa ang mga ito nang mabungaran kami. In an instant, Stacy smiled and called both of us.

"Dali na. Para naming di tayo nagsama over the weekend." Tila nanglalambing pa ito habang pinapalapit kami.

Travis was just too eager at sadya pang tumabi kay Melai while I was fully hesitant. I stood right across Jeremiah, trying not to meet her stare.

Nagpatuloy sila sa pinag-uusapan, somehow, I wanted to turn my mind somewhere else, simply because most of the things that they talk about are confidential. But something about what they were talking that time gathered my attention.

"Well, if that's the reason why you were promoted, what do you plan to do about it?" Stacy questioned her.

"I have no freaking clue. Kung alam ko lang, sana hindi ko na tinanggap. I don't want to become everyone's buzz every day."

"Ayaw mo ba nun? You're gaining attention?"

"Who would want that Stace?" pinatay na niya ang sariling sigarilyo.

"Look, don't get frustrated. All I'm saying is, you can use it to your advantage. Just because they're talking, doesn't mean it's all going to be bad for you. It's actually the best time for payback."

"As if I can do that."

"Of course, you can. Wala ka bang bilib sa sarili mo? You're not called a silent killer for nothing. Iilang trainees na ba ang minsan mong kinatay pailalim kaya hindi pumapasa sa training? Most especially the one's who are too air-headed and over-confident pero wala naman palang binatbat. This my friend is the best time to do the same to everyone who has wronged you. Higit lalo sa mga taong nag-iisip that you're selling yourself just to get a position."

"You know, she has a point." Jeremiah chimed in.

"Whatever." Napatingin siya sa sariling relo at mabilis na inagaw ang sigarilyo ng mga kaibigan at mabilis iyong pinatay.

"Let's go."

"I was sill smoking that." Jeremiah protested.

I did the same and walked along with them. I wanted to stand beside her on that elevator, gaya nung unang pagkakataon na nagkasabay kami.

At tila naman may nakarinig sa akin. All of a sudden, dumami ang sumakay sa elevator that it was now full. We didn't realize na may ibang team pa palang nakasabay naming mag-lunch. We were pushed into the very back of the elevator.

Just when she was shoved even further, I stepped backwards and made sure that she would be kept in a comfortable position. Ni hindi na napansin nina Jeremiah na nasa pinakalikod na kami ng elevator habang sila ay nasa unahan. Kalimitan pa sa mga pumasok ay pawang mga lalaki. My instinct started to function, and I suddenly became protective of her.

Napa-angat ang tingin niya sa akin as I shield my back against the rest of those who were inside the elevator, habang kaharap siya.

"What are you doing?" she whispered. Wala halos namutawing boses mula sa bibig niya.

"Nothing." I whispered back.

I could smell her breath

That went on until we were on the 10th floor where people started getting off and there were just about seven of us left inside the elevator.

She slowly pushed me back, just enough for her to move well.

I leaned back still staying so close to her. Tiyempo naming lumingon si Jeremiah sa banda namin.

"You guys okay?" he teasingly asked.

Napalunok tuloy ako sa tindi ng kaba ko.

Bigla ay napatingin ito sa ibabang bahagi ng katawan ko. Sinundan ko ang tinitingnan niya. At that time, Stacy and Melai along with Travis were also now looking at their direction. At halos sabay silang impit na nagtawanan.

As soon as I looked down, I understood why they were laughing. A massive hard on was trying to escape my pants.

I turned my back against all of them, acting like a kid. Nang lingunin ko si Sari ay tila nalilito ito kung matutuwa, matatawa o magagalit.

"Why are you smiling?"

"I'm not."

"Stop it."

As soon as the door opened on the fifteenth floor, everyone got off but Sari stayed. She motioned for the rest of them to go on.

"This is so embarrassing."

"Why?" she asked.

"You're my boss. I should not be having this kind of feeling."

"What feeling? An erection?" she was stopping humor to take over.

"Please, just leave me alone. You've done enough."

Tila naman nagbago ang ekspresyon ng mukha niya.

"Right."

And then she pushed the open button of the elevator and left without any words.

"Fuck, Sari."