"1"

Ever since nagtrabaho Si Lissa dito sa JD&A she was never the type of person to be so detached. She was always bubbly with a crude smile on her face, sometimes pilosopo, most days talandi---aminado naman sya at mahilig mang-asar. Masipag. Always the early bird at the office, at never ever pa syang nag-AWOL. That's one of the reasons why ang dali nyang na-promote from a business clerk, to an advertising assistant. She doesn't need to sleep her way to the top, but if she could, she would.

Until a certain someone came and disrupted the hell out of her life.

"Bes." Tawag ni Judy sa kanya. Based on the annoying smirk sa labi ng dalaga, alam na nya kung ano ang sunod nitong sasabihin. "Tawag ka ni Chrome." Then kumindat ito.

Again with the annoying code name. Tangina naman. Napamura si Lissa sabay tumayo mula sa kanyang cubicle. "Ano na naman ang gusto ni Bakla?" She asked with much disinterest.

"Aba, malay ko sa inyo." Judy answered nonchalantly. "AD assistant ka, Supervisor siya. Malamang kailangan ka niya."

Without even answering nagsimula ng lumakad papunta si Lissa sa office ng kanilang bagong Boss-to-be. Napatigil syang maglakad ng marinig nya ang nang-iinis na sinasabi ni Judy na "Pasabi sa Chrome-y mo na pahiram naman ng gel-liner!" Tsaka niya narinig ang malakas na halakhak ng kaibigan.

Peste talaga na buhay na to. Since when did her office life become this boring? No more thrill. No more hot boss to flirt and fuck around. She actually preferred their former AD-head, Miguel. He wasn't as tall as Le-Gay but boy, was he handsome. Of course, there was Christian. And dating head ng marketing department na kayang-kayang i-fulfil ang kanyang masochistic fantasy.

Ngayong ang kanyang 9-5 working hours ay nandyan lang para bigyan siya ng makakain sa araw-araw at gumimik paminsan-minsan. It keeps a roof over her head at isa ring paraan para madagdagan ang never ending collection nya ng handcuffs, blindfolds at iba pa.

Nagbuntong hininga ang dalaga ng nasa tapat na sya ng pintuan ng kaisa-isang Supervisor na sobra kung mag-kilay goals. Anthony Lee. She knocked on the door three times, abruptly opening the door afterwards.

"Tawag nyo daw po ako, Sir."

"I told you to stop calling me 'Sir', Diba?" Nakangiting bati ni Anthony sa kanya. "Call me Anthony na lang."

"Uhm, Anthony?" Nahihiya niyang tawag dito. "May kailangan po ba kayo?"

Tumayo si Anthony mula sa kanyang revolving chair sabay may kinuha syang brown-envelope muna sa pinaka-ilalim ng bunton-bunton na paperworks na nakapatong sa table nya.

Inabot niya ito kay Lissa, for a moment their hands touched and it made the lust inside her spark. Kung hindi lang talaga sya bakla.

"Please make three copies of these for me please." Nakangiting pakisuyo nito sa kanya. "I need it in an hour."

Tumango si Lissa at mabilis na tinalikuran ito. Mabilisan niyang tiningnan ang kanyang orasan. 3:41.

Perfect. May oras pa sya para bumili ng siopao.

Nang-nagmulat ang mata nya kaninang umaga, akala nya this will start like any other days since she met Anthony--- Tony pala. Everything seems perfectly normal, well, laging boring at wala naman nangyayari na out of place.

Pero ng makinig niyang nag-chichismisan ang Secretary ng supervisor nila at ng babae na halos labas masok sa canteen---ang isang lugar kung saan laging unli ang chikahan nila, dun na nagsimulang mabago ang lahat para sa kanya.

Nung una hindi muna niya pinakinggan ang pinapag-usapan ng dalawang ito, hanggang sa may narinig syang nang-akit sa kanyang tenga at napahakbang sya pabalik. It's then when she noticed na namumula ang pisngi nung secretary ng bagong Supervisor at ng kanyang ka-trabaho ng mapangiti sya. At ng marinig niya ulit itong pinapag-usapan nila, parang nagbukas ang langit at inulanan sya ng biyaya.

This is her day. Sa wakas, babalik na ang mga araw na hindi na niya ulit kailangang gamitin si Jimmy. And she thinks, she'll make this rumor the national anthem of her silly and sexually frustrated mind.

Akala ko nung una nasisiraan lang ng bait yung dating secretary ni Sir Anthony, kaya siguro hindi tumagal ng isang linggo yun--- sa kapal ba naman ng lipstick at eyeshadow nya aakalaan mo yun. Nakita kong may nakaluhod na babae sa ilalim ng desk nya, yun na pala si Tessa, Diyos ko po! Sarap na sarap si Girl, kinig ko pa yung pagsipsip nya. Hindi ko na ata kayang makita si Sir ng hindi ko naiisip yung mga pinag-gagawa nila, lalo na't nakita ko na yung talong na tinatago nya!

*****

Konti lang ang may alam ng sikreto ni Lissa. Sya, ang diary nya, si Judy at si Niña; that secret is how much she's utterly and completely in lust with the man. Sawang-sawa na sya na lagi na lang si Jimmy ang nagpapaligaya sa malamig nyang gabi. At tiyak naman na konting gamit na lang eh kailangan ng mag-retire ni Jimmy, at sinong iniimagine nya? Walang iba kung hindi yung poging bakla na yun.

It's only in her wildest fantasies na nakikita nya ang mahabang binti nito, how he touches and kisses her skin in ways imaginable, and tastes the musk to fulfill her needs.

Now that she knows that Anthony isn't a hundred percent gay, she's become more desperate than before. Which is why it only took her a matter of days for her to do something... a little out of the ordinary.

In her mind, it's time to unleash her inner beast.

*****

The secretary let's Lissa in the office without a word, it's past six in the afternoon na rin kasi at masyado ng excited ang secretaryang umuwi at magpahinga. Ng pumasok siya sa loob ng opisina ng binata saglit na sulyap lang ang binigay nito sa kanya. Halos lahat kasi ng tao ngayon ay umalis dahil oras na para bumalik sa kani-kanilang buhay, only people like Jose Marie--- overachievers at mga janitor ang natitira. The perfect opportunity, ika-nga.

"Oh, it's late. And you're still here?" Anthony observes her, tsaka lang nagka-tagpo ang kanilang mata at nagkatinginan. Mas lumaki naman ang ngiti ni Lissa ng pinalapit sya ng binata at pinaupo ito. She leaned over the table, ang kanyang baba ay nakapatong sa kanyang braso na nakatukod sa mesa.

Then with a sneer, she said. "You know, you're really unpredictable."

"Well, yes." Sagot ni Anthony as he tries his best to indulge in the conversation. "If I wasn't, hindi ako mahihire sa company na ito."

Lissa laughed on cue then she stood up from her seat, she loves how amusing the situation is, and how vulnerable Anthony is. "I'm not talking about that."

Anthony gave her a flat and uninterested look. "Eh ano? Damit ko, pangalan ko, kasarian ko---"

"Siguro. Baka. Possible." Lissa interrupts him as she plays with her nails, again she gives him a smile. "Sabihin nga natin na related ito sa kabaklaan mo."

Kung kanina halata na nawawalan na ng gana si Anthony na kausapin si Lissa, Now his interest suddenly spiked up. Eyes and ears opened, his quick question was: "What of my Sexuality?" He tilted his head a little, a sign of arrogance. "May problema ba?"

Lissa shook her hands in front of Anthony as she swayed her head from left to right. "No. No. No." She laughed as she explained. "I'm not talking about that..." Sambit nya dito. "Just let me put it this way, no. Sabihin natin na a little birdie saw you... Like... A few days ago with our pretty secretary on her knees for you. Kaya pala nag-resign sya agad ng ikaw ang pumalit sa dating Supervisor. How scandalous is that?"

Magaling mag-patay malisya ang binata, his poker face was on but it was far from perfect. Lissa could tell that he's guilty from his slightly frowned lips, and it gave her all the confidence that she needs. Kung Siguro siya pa rin yung dating Maria Clara na kinagisnan ng mga kaibigan nya, for sure, hindi niya ito magagawa.

"Hindi ako hi-nire ng company na ito para makipag-landian at makipag-lokohan. This is a place of business, and each and every one of us know that." Malalim ang boses ng binata at halata ang pagka-seryoso nya. Mas nanginig naman ang excitement Ni Lissa. She's already imagining how Anthony will take her when he's in rage and angry. "Are you accusing me of doing vulgar things with my fellow employees, which is exclusively prohibited in this company?" Patuloy na pagtatanggol ng binata sa kanyang sarili.

"Accusing you isn't the word that I'd associate with you, Sir." Tumayo si Lissa as she leans on the desk. A gesture that implies one of them is in control and has power over the situation. And that's her. While Anthony is too helpless to deny her anything that she wants. "Hindi naman kita aakusahan kung alam ko na hindi mo ginawa, diba? I'm not that stupid. And... "

It's blackmail at its best.