05: Trust-based hiring?!

✤

With all my interactions with Luki, Ara lang talaga ang tawag niya sa akin. I am used to it. Of course, I like it that he likes me as well.

“Ano'ng sinabi mo?”

He pointed urgently toward the cup.

“Ma!”

I glanced at Damian.

Then Luki.

Then the coffee.

“Hindi ako sure kung tinawag mo akong Mama o gusto mo lang magkape, pero parehong no.”

Then, his ower lip came out.

"Aba, kailan ka pa natutong magpacute?" Puna ko pero mas lalong ngumuso ang bata.

“Luki, alam kong cute ka na. At mas may iku-cute ka pa pala. Okay, information overload."

Those already-round cheeks puffed slightly.

His dark eyes started becoming suspiciously teary.

I looked at Damian.

“Your nephew is threatening litigation, sir”

"He wants your coffee.”

“I know! But nope, a big no, Luki.”

Damian folded his arms.

“You're negotiating with a one-year-old.”

“I am establishing boundaries.”

“He's one.”

“Never too early, Sir.”

Luki reached for it again.

“Ah!"

I moved the coffee farther away.

“No caffeine. Final decision.” A frustrated little whine came from his mouth.

“Ay, huwag mo akong ganunin.”

Lower lip with a lethal face. Jusko, pag-laki mo, mag-ingat kang gwapo. Napailing ako.

“Appeal denied.”

“Elara.”

"What? I'm teaching him governance.”

Damian walked toward us.

“Lucas.”

One word.

Not loud.

Not harsh.

Pero agad napalingon ang bata.

Interesting.

Damian pointed toward the sippy cup Teresa was holding.

“Yours.”

Luki looked at the cup.

Then my coffee.

Then his cup.

Then my coffee.

I watched the entire internal debate happen on his face.

“Grabe.” Natatawa kong sabi.

I looked at Damian.

“May deliberation period.”

Damian completely ignored me.

“Cup.”

Finally, Luki reached for it.

Teresa handed it to him.

“Ayan,” sabi ko. “Good choice. Approved.”

He immediately started drinking.

Problem solved. Or so I thought.

Damian glanced down.

“Where's your other sock?”

Luki then followed his gaze.

Napatingin din siya sa sariling paa.

Mukha pa siyang nagulat na isa na lang ang suot niya.

“Don't look surprised. Ikaw gumawa niyan.” Sabi ko, kahit hindi ko maiwasang matawa.

He kicked the bare foot.

“Da!” Parang nagsusumbong na sabi nito.

"Aba, haha. Parang ikaw pa ang naargabyado.

Damian sighed.

“That doesn't answer the question.”

“Da!” Ulit ni Luki at may kung ano pang sinasabi bago uli itaas ang paa niyang walang medyas.

I looked at Damian.

“Clearly may defense siya.” Mahinang tumawa si Teresa as she reached inside the small baby bag.

Of course may spare socks. Mukhang standard Villareal emergency equipment.

Damian took the pair.

“Give him to me.”

I adjusted Luki against me. Immediately, his gaze shifted to Damian.

Then he leaned.

No hesitation.

“Da.”

Iniabot ko siya.

Hindi pa nga tuluyang nakakalipat, nakaabot na agad iyong maliit na braso sa leeg ni Damian.

“Da-da.”

“Yes.”

There was no adjustment period between them.

Walang awkward na paghahanap kung saan ilalagay ang kamay.

Damian automatically supported Luki's weight with one arm while the other steadied his back.

And Luki?

Comfortable.

Parang normal lang na doon siya nakasabit. Probably because it was their norm.

Doon ko mas napansin iyong resemblance.

Same dark eyes.

Same slightly serious expression habang may inoobserbahan.

Even the tiny furrow between their brows looked similar.

Magkaiba lang ng height at tax bracket.

At least si Luki, marunong ngumiti nang libre.

Damian sat him on the sofa.

"Da.”

“I know.”

His voice had changed. Softer. Calmer.

Luki grabbed his tie.

Damian looked down.

“No."

Well, of course, a kid is a kid. He still pulled it again.

“Lucas.” Damian said, no irritated tune. More like, nakikisabay a bata? Is that it? I look at his face and there's a little smile looming over him.

I covered my mouth.

Damian immediately looked at me.

“Don't."

“Wala akong ginagawa.”

“You're laughing."

“Internally.”

“I can see your face.”

Fair. CEO sa umaga, tatay sa gabi, slash Damian Villareal. Charot.

Eventually, he freed his tie and started replacing Luki's socks.

No awkward billionaire-with-a-baby moment.

He knew exactly how to keep Luki from wriggling away.

Muscle memory.

I found myself watching more closely.

Hindi dahil akala ko incapable si Damian.

Pero this wasn't a version of him I normally got to see.

Sock number two went on.

Immediately—

kick.

Damian caught the tiny foot.

“No.”

Luki giggled. Then proceed to do another kick.

“No.”

Mas malakas na tawa. His refreshing giggles filled the room. I feel like my heart and mind relaxed instantly.

Napasandal ako sa edge ng desk.

What a sight.

Sa boardroom, executives twice Damian's age stopped talking when he used that tone.

Luki? Apparently, comedy material.

Third attempt. Damian caught the foot again.

This time, no words. Tiningnan lang niya si Luki.

Luki stared back.

One-year-old versus billionaire CEO. I crossed my arms.

“Five hundred kay Luki.” Damian looked at me.

“You're betting against me?” Amusement evident from his eyes.

“Look at him. Wala siyang mortgage. Wala siyang responsibilities. Nothing to lose.

Lucas lasted approximately three seconds before squealing. Then he threw himself against Damian's chest.

Damian caught him automatically. Then giggles uncontrollably, the kid really just love laughing.

I stopped. Internally saving this scene in my mind.

Tatlong taon akong nagtatrabaho sa lalaking iyon. I'd seen the polite executive smile. The sarcastic almost-smirk. Iyong maliit na galaw sa sulok ng labi kapag natutuwa siya but refuses to admit it.

But this?

Different.

Walang boardroom.

Walang clients.

Walang kailangan i-impress.

Just Damian.

Sitting on a sofa.

Holding a thirteen-month-old who had declared war against socks.

Luki slapped one tiny hand against his cheek.

“Da!”

“Yes.”

“Da-da-da.”

“Yes, I'm here.”

Softer again. Not CEO Damian. Not billionaire Damian. Not the man who'd offered me fifty million pesos like he was proposing a merger.

Just...

Damian.

With Luki.

And for some stupid reason?

That version of him was harder to look away from.

...

Oh.

No.

Inconvenient information.

“What?”

Napakurap ako.

Damian was staring at me now.

“Ano?”

“You're staring.”

“I wasn't.”

“You were.”

“Observation."

“For?”

“Research.”

His eyebrow rose.

Wrong word. I immediately looked away.

“Anyway.” When I looked back, Luki had twisted toward me.

“Ara.” Both little arms reached.

“Ara.”

Damian looked at him.

Then me.

“He wants you.”

“I gathered.” Sabi ko agad, obvious naman kasi.

“So take him.” Sagot ni boss.

“Ang bossy talaga." Mahinang bulong ko.

“Elara."

“Yes, sir. I happily oblige." Sabi ko habang naglalakad palapit.

The second Luki transferred back into my arms, dumiretso ang ulo niya sa balikat ko.

No negotiation. No kicking. No coffee-related litigation.

Parang iyon talaga ang pwesto niya.

I adjusted his weight. One arm beneath him. The other supporting his back. His round cheek was warm against my neck. Soft hair brushed beneath my chin.

Thirty seconds ago, ready siyang makipaglaban para sa kape.

Now his small body was getting heavier against mine.

“Wow,” bulong ko.

“Ginawa mo lang akong second venue.”

“Ara…” Mas mahina nitong bulong. Inaantok na ang bata.

One tiny fist curled around a strand of my hair.

“Ow. Gentle.” He didn't answer.

Napababa ang tingin ko.

His eyelids were already starting to fall.

“Luki?”

Nothing.

“You were causing corporate disruption thirty seconds ago.” His eyes closed further.

“He's tired,” Damian said.

“I noticed.” I kept my voice lower now.

Apparently automatic.

“He does that.” I looked at Damian.

“What?”

“Looks for you when he's tired.” Napahinto ako. For once, walang joke na agad pumasok sa isip ko.

I looked down.

Luki's cheek was pressed against my shoulder. One hand still holding my hair.

“Why?”

“He's comfortable with you.”

Simple answer.

Logical.

Baby siya.

Familiar ako sa kanya. So dapat ganoon lang kadali.

Except there was something strange about being that trusted completely by a child.

Luki didn't understand contracts.

He didn't know fifty million pesos.

Hindi niya alam ang Villareal Group.

Or guardianship.

Miski public image.

Pati kasal.

He only knew who he wanted to reach for.

Apparently...

isa ko doon.

His fist tightened suddenly.

“Ow.” Before I could free the strand of hair, Damian reached over.

“Wait.”

I stayed still.

His fingers worked carefully around Luki's little fist, separating one strand at a time.

For a second, sobrang lapit niya.

Close enough for me to smell his coffee on him.

And underneath—

that cologne.

Clean. Woody. Subtle.

Sakto sa—

No.

Pang-amoy, Elara.

Focus.

The last strand came free.

Damian's fingers finally moved away. Para akong nakahinga.

Except apparently my brain had recorded the entire interaction. I sighed.

Luki shifted.

“Mm…” Then he pressed deeper against my shoulder.

“Ma.” He whispered. A tiny, innocent like voice of a kid.

I froze. Damian's hand stopped too.

“Ara,” mahina kong correction.

Luki didn't even open his eyes...

Malamang, tulog na siya pagkatapos nun.

“He trusts you.” Basag ni Damian sa katahimikan.

Simple lang ang pagkakasabi niya.

No negotiation voice. No attempt to sell the contract. His eyes weren't even on me anymore.

They were on Luki.

I looked down too.

Trust.

Strange word para sa thirteen-month-old.

But maybe Damian was right.

Page seven wasn't just an ink anymore.

It was this.

Warm cheek against my shoulder. Messy hair. And the two socks na pinag-awayan muna bago manatili sa paa. Plus the small fist resting against my blouse.

I swallowed.

“That's your reason?”

Damian's gaze moved back to mine.

He didn't answer immediately.

After a while, he said.

“One of them.”

There it was again.

One.

✤