Two

It was a thirty minute drive, from her mom's house to the Anderson Company.  She made it just in time and have five minutes to freshen up.

The building has this serious feel – nakakakaba at parang gusto na niyang umuwi. The main hall was brightly lit and everything looks so fragile. It was so quiet, that if a pin would drop on the floor, maririnig mo ang pagbagsak nito. Mas kinabahan pa siya nang mapansin niya na halos parehas ang suot ng mga tao dito. Feeling niya tuloy, out of place siya sa suot na little red dress and stilettos.

"Are you Anna Miller?" said a woman in black overalls, sexy and chic.

"Yes, ako nga 'yun." Pinilit niya na maging professional ang sagot.

"Nice to meet you," she offered her hand to a handshake and Anna did the same. "Sunod ka na lang sa akin. Mr. Anderson is waiting for you in his office."

Habang naglalakad sila, she was amazed by how simple yet elegant the decorations are. Every lamp, every painting gives a different statement. Medyo naaaliw na siya, pero bigla niyang naalala na hindi siya nagpunta doon para mag-enjoy. She's there to find out "WHO SENT HER RESUME".

She was in deep thought, nakita niya na lang na nasa 11th floor na sila. They stepped out of the elevator, itinuro na lang sa kanya ang pintuan sa dulo ng lobby.

"There," sabi n'ya, tapos bumalik na sa loob ng elevator.

Kinakabahan siya."Paano kung modus lang 'to? Paano kung may masamang balak lang pala sa akin ang Gabriel Anderson na 'yon? Hay. Bahala na nga."

At the end of the barely lit hall, there was a glass door, flat and shiny. She's guessing that it was one of those one-way mirror doors, you can see who's outside but you can't see who's inside. She walked towards the door, staring at her reflection. Her little red dress seems to stand out. She's the only one with real colors on. (Black and white are not real colors. They just represent light and dark/shadow.)

"Wow! Automatic door," She whispered.

"Hi. You must be Anna Miller?" said the gorgeous man behind the table.

He does not look like a CEO of the company. Mas mukha pa siyang manginginom, yung tipong sa beerhouse na tumitira pero masyado siyang malinis para sa ganon. Siguro sa gentleman's club na lang.

"That's me," she said in a little voice, sounding a little bit sarcastic.

"And you are?" I gave him a quizzical look.

"Well, I'm going to be your boss if you'll accept my offer." he chuckled a little.

I smiled back and said nothing.

"So, you didn't send the application?" He asked

"No. I did not. Can I see them?"

He took out one drawer and slid it across his table, as in yung isang buong drawer. "You might want to take a sit."

"Oh my gosh. This will take forever." There's a pile of application letters and resumes. Maybe hundreds of them.

"And when you're done with this drawer, have fun looking through those boxes." Tumayo siya mula sa swivel chair at kinuha ang dalawang box.

"Are those?" trying to stop myself from laughing.

"Yes. These too."

"I thought you really need this job. So I fired my five year assistant/secretariat to let you in the job. And then I found out na hindi ikaw ang nagpadala ng libo-libong kopya ng application letter at resume." he sounded a little pissed off.

"I'm sorry for all your troubles sir." I said laughing.

"So? Are you going to accept the job or am I going to demand you to talk to my ex-assistant/secretariat and make her come back?" he sounded sarcastic but looked serious.

"How much salary are we talking about here anyway?" Biro ko sa kanya.

"That depends if you're married or single." he answered.

"Mukhang mapapalaban ako sa lalakeng 'to." Sabi ko sa sarili ko.

"I'm single. And it has been three years now."Seryosong sagot ko sa kanya.

"Good. I hate working with married women."  he declared. "They always end up in my bathroom." He gave me a naughty smile.

"Really? Maybe I'll end up in bed with you. " I started to flirt with him, yun din naman ang gusto niya.

"Whoah! Feisty!" he shouted and I panicked. "Don't worry no one can hear us. The walls are sound proof. You can scream and curse all you want and no one will ever know." he lauhed devilishly.

"So I can kill you right now and no one will know? I can walk away like nothing happened? And your blood on my dress will be like an intricate design."I said with a poker face.

"I like you Miss Anna Miller." he sat back in his big swivel chair.

Mas gumanda pa ang ngiti niya, parang na-impress pa siya sa mga sinasabi ko sa kanya.

"I'm offering you the best job here in the company. Well, except my job is better than the best." he boasted. "You'll be given thirty thousand dollars a month, for salary, no deductions. All insurance is paid by the company. A company phone, all expenses paid by the company. A company car with or without a driver, maintenance will be paid by the company. And if you want to move to a closer home, I will take you there personally."

"Whoah! Am I in a realty show? Is this those shows where you prank someone and make them believe that they are being offered with this kind of shit?!" I asked sarcastically.

"No. This is real Miss Anna Miller, but only if you accept the job." he explained. "Naipagawa ko na ang kontrata mo. The only thing missing is you, I mean your signature." He smiled, parang bata na nahihiya sa mga nasabi.

I took the envelope and started reading. "Are you really, really sure that this is real?"

"Yes." he nodded. "I understand that this is all surreal for you but this is the real deal. You can take your contract home. Read it. I'm giving you until tomorrow afternoon to decide."

I stood up and thanked him.

"Will I accept it or just decline?"

--

Mom calling…

"Hello?" I answered.

"Anna, asan ka na? Nakauwi ka na?

"Not yet mom. I'm just on my way."

"I have lots of left-over chicken pastel, pita bread, lettuce and tomatoes. And I don't know what to do with them. Can you help me think of something Anna?"

"I am on my way. Wait for me. I love you."

"I love you too Anna. Bye." As mom hung up, I took a turn and drove my way to mom's house.