EPISODE 2 – PART 1: “Coffee, Chaos, and Collision”

EPISODE 2 – PART 1: “Coffee, Chaos, and Collision”

Clara

It was another early morning at Steele Global Enterprises, and honestly, I was still trying to convince myself na this wasn’t a recurring nightmare.

“Clara, ikaw na ulit!” sigaw ni Mara habang hawak-hawak ang coffee cup niya. “Good morning sa CEO natin!”

“Good morning po,” sagot ko, bahagyang nanginginig ang boses. Okay, deep breath. Breathe in… breathe out…

Pero deep down, alam ko na, sa isang iglap, puwede na naman akong mapasama sa kanyang listahan ng ‘first day disasters.’

Habang papasok kami sa elevator, nabanggit ni Mara, “Sabi nila, si Mr. Steele kasi may bagong proyekto today. Iba daw ang mood niya ngayon.”

“Great,” hininga ko nang malalim. “Parang araw-araw lang na may pressure.”

Hindi ko alam kung excited ako o takot.

⸻

Alexander

Alexander Steele stepped into the executive floor, his coat neatly over his shoulders, coffee in hand—black, no sugar, no distractions.

He hated mornings like this. Not because of the work, but because of the unpredictability of people.

Especially new people.

He saw her almost immediately—Clara Villanueva, the assistant who had survived her first week without completely failing. She was carrying a tray of coffee… dangerously close to his path.

He groaned internally.

“Why does she have to be so… clumsy?” he muttered to himself.

⸻

Clara

It was my turn to carry the morning coffee for the executive floor. I swear, in the brief moment na hawak ko yung tray, I felt like a professional juggler.

One wrong step, and—boom. Disaster.

“Okay… don’t spill this time, Clara,” bulong ko sa sarili ko.

And then… naturally, fate loves irony.

CRASH!

Hindi ako makapaniwala.

The tray tilted. Coffee cups teetered. And yes, my absolute nightmare happened again.

Mr. Steele, walking exactly where I was heading, narrowly avoided a hot splash—but I wasn’t so lucky. A cup tipped, and steam hit my face.

“AHHHHH!” sabay hagulgol ko habang nagtatakbuhan para i-save ang ibang cups.

⸻

Alexander

He stopped mid-step, eyes narrowing.

Not again.

He grabbed one of the trays just in time, saving his tailored suit from disaster. “Ms. Villanueva!” his voice, calm but sharp, echoed across the floor.

“Sir! I’m so sorry! I—”

“Step aside!” He maneuvered around me expertly, but there was something… almost human in the way he blinked at me.

I wanted to apologize. To explain. To disappear.

Instead, he just said, “Sit. Before you burn down the building.”

⸻

Clara

I froze. “Po?!”

He gestured toward the nearest chair. “Sit. And stop panicking. You look ridiculous.”

Ridiculous. Oo, tama siya. Pero somehow, the way he said it didn’t make me want to run—it made me want to… prove him wrong.

So I sat. Heart pounding, hands shaking, coffee still dangerously close to spilling.

He glanced at me briefly. “You know, if you keep doing this, you’ll end up on every gossip thread in this city.”

I forced a laugh. “Then maybe… I’ll be famous?”

“Fame is useless if your job is destroyed,” he replied, deadpan.

⸻

Alexander

As he looked at her, he noticed something he hadn’t expected: Clara wasn’t cowering. Not entirely.

Yes, she was flustered, but there was a spark in her eyes. Something that said: I may be small, but I will not break.

He straightened, sighing. “Alright. Let’s fix this.”

Her gaze widened. “Fix… what, sir?”

“You. Or at least, your coffee-handling skills.”

⸻

Clara

I nearly choked on my own breath. “Sir…?”

He picked up a cup and handed it to me. “Here. Watch.”

And there he went—careful, precise, placing the cup perfectly on the tray. Not a drop spilled. Not a misstep.

It was magical.

I stared. “Wow… po, ang galing po ninyo!”

He didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at me. And for a brief second, his usual icy gaze softened.

“You’re paying attention, right? Memorize it.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, but inside, I was grinning like a fool.

⸻

Clara (First-person)

Para bang ang buong mundo sa moment na ‘yon ay tumigil lang.

Ako. Si Mr. Steele. At isang tray ng kape.

Parang hindi biro, pero may kung anong kilig sa puso ko.

Okay, Clara. Calm. Focus. He’s still the CEO. Still scary. Still… unreachable.

Pero habang tinitingnan ko siya, naiisip ko: Maybe, just maybe… he’s not that untouchable.

⸻

Alexander

He returned to his office, but couldn’t stop thinking about her little blush, her nervous hands, and how her laugh—though awkward—was genuine.

She’s distracting me, he thought, and I hate that.

But then he paused.

No. He didn’t hate it.

He allowed himself a fraction of a smile before shaking his head.

Focus, Alexander. You’re the CEO. She’s… just a new assistant.

⸻

Clara

The rest of the morning was a blur. I was assigned to organize files, assist the finance department, and—most importantly—avoid another “coffee incident.”

But I couldn’t.

Every glance I stole at him, every time our eyes met accidentally through the glass walls, made my stomach flutter.

Okay, Clara. Calm.

But my heart refused to obey.

⸻

Lunch Break

“Clara, tara, coffee!” Mara dragged me to the cafeteria. “Gusto mong malaman kung sino ang na-frustrate today?”

“Hindi ako sure I want to know,” sabi ko.

“Si Mr. Steele!” she whispered, giggling. “Pero wait… you’re making him… smile?”

Napalingon ako. “Huh?!”

Mara grinned. “Yes! Don’t deny it. I saw it! You’re… dangerous, girl.”

Dangerous? I laughed nervously. “Hindi po. I mean… maybe.”

⸻

Alexander

Back in his office, Alexander checked his email, but his thoughts kept drifting.

Clara Villanueva.

The girl with messy hair, trembling hands, but the courage to meet his gaze.

He scowled slightly. Focus.

But he knew the rules of his world were changing. She was different. And the thought both frustrated and intrigued him.

For the first time in a long while, the CEO realized: maybe some distractions weren’t to be avoided.

Maybe… they were exactly what he needed.