10

"And you know how she always annoys me, right? I don't know why she does that but I told her like a million times to stop doing that because it makes me uncomfortable," he says, totally irritated and follows it with a growl and a rolling of his eyes.

I chuckle, eyes still on the papers I am currently reading but still listening to every word he says. "Then, I guess you should ignore her. Or talk to her again, make her understand, knock some sense into the girl."

He shrugs. "I'm almost on the verge of pulling my hair out!"

And that's when I cackle. Because he looks and sounds so stressed talking about it. Apparently, Red ribbon has been pining on him for a couple of years now. He says he turned her down very kindly but she just keeps on pushing herself to him.

"Then I guess it's time for you to ignore her. I mean if it's too much for you, just stop entertaining her." I shrug. Well, I haven't noticed but I wasn't holding papers anymore for a moment. My mind and attention was completely on him.

He grimaces. "I try! But sometimes I feel guilty, you know." He puts his head down and nibs on his lip. "I feel bad for it. I feel like I've done something so terrible."

I chuckle as I reach for the paper I was previously holding. He's too good for this world, really. Who would feel guilty about ignoring someone who's been annoying you when you've clearly told them no. And as much as I want to meddle with this, his situation, I know my boundaries and where I stand. So, I'll back him up when he really needs one. When he asks for one.

"Theo," I say his name like it naturally rolls on my tongue, the familiar feeling totally feeling good. And he whips his head at me, eyes going straight to mine. Talking under his gaze was sure hella pressuring, but I still managed to talk with a cough coming before. "It's 5 minutes before the break ends. We'll talk later?"

He shoots up from his seat, palm straightly going to his forehead to give it a loud slap. I guess he did forget about the time. "Oh, shit! Omygod, I need to go!" He turns to either side, as if he was finding something but he didn't really have anything with him earlier so I was wondering what he was finding. He fwips his head again and again, his body doing so too.

"Theo, go. You didn't bring anything with you earlier except for the coffee. Go or you'll be late." I chuckle and try to threaten him saying that the one supervising them is kinda strict. But I guess he panics more. Or not. I don't really know but he's fidgety and clumsy and that kinda makes me giggle inside.

He slaps his forehead once again, louder and harder than the last time. "Fuck. What the hell is wrong with me?" He awkwardly laughs, his hand going up his nape as he was embarrassed with the way he was acting. Slowly, he walks toward the door and just before he goes out, he looks back at me. "I'll call you later, yeah?"

I put the paper down that has been on my hold for so long to look at him with a sincere smile on my face. "Yeah."

—

I would say that the whole afternoon was rather boring, quiet. It was quiet without Theo's babbling mouth to entertain me while I spent the whole remaining hours of my duty solely for the paperworks that have been piling up on my table as my mother does not have any time to do so anymore. It has been passed on— more like was added to my workload just a few months back. And naturally, who am I to say no?

It doesn't even occur to me that I've been heaving out a loud sigh when I accidentally hear myself when everything is damn quiet inside the office. With my eyes wide, I raise my hand to cover my mouth and it just

triggered me to yawn.

I suddenly felt sleepy and dazed from all the words I've read today. But I can't really stop, so I just page Geleen for a cup of coffee, wishing that it will somehow help me keep my eyes open.

Minutes had passed when I told Geleen about bringing me coffee but it still hasn't arrived so I just wait for it, patiently, when my phone suddenly chimes and I absent-mindedly pick it up thinking that it was an update from one of the employees, but I break into a smile when I see the name of the sender.

/From: Theo

Heeey! How're the papers doing?/

I can almost hear his voice from the message. I tilt my head, don't notice a grin escaping.

/To: Theo

It's okay. Rather quiet without you rambling here./

I slowly put my phone down without taking my eyes away from it, in case he replies fast, you know.

"Ma'am, am I interrupting something? Should I come back later or would you want your warm cup of coffee right now?" The voice of Geleen suddenly made me conscious of how I ridiculously look right now.

A huge smile, all teeth shown, was plastered on my face. I didn't even notice my chin that was already leaning on my hand, for goodness sake. And I thought— I thought if the aircon was on full blast because I was finding it hot inside the office. My face was flushed, up until my ears and neck.

"Are you okay, Ms. Gem? You seem red. You don't have a fever, do you?" She looks at me very worriedly and I just chuckle in response, waving my hand in dismissal.

I fan my face with my hand to somehow ease the hotness I am feeling on my face while she places the cup in front of me, avoiding the papers that have been clattered on the table. "You know fevers don't work on me, right? Don't worry about me."

She tilts her head, totally curious and doubting me. "Huh, then why is your face red?"

I placed the hand that had been fanning on my face on my cheeks and I almost hiss when I felt how hot it was. "Weather or something." I was trying to avoid any more questions, okay. "Anyway, thank you for the coffee. I'll be leaving in a while as well."

She just scoffs, cheekily smiling as if she knows something that I don't. "Right, weather," she whispers. "I'll go back out now. Just page me if you need something or someone." She then ends with a laugh causing me to distort my face.

I just simply shake my head while she walks towards the door but I hear her say something before she finally fades away from my sight. It was barely comprehensible but I think I got enough to know what she meant.

"Didn't know weathers can be texted."

Is what she says before closing the door behind her and I just chuckle with her reaction. Speaking of, I checked my phone again to see if he sent a reply. Was just checking if he did reply, I'm not waiting for one or something. Just… checking.

And just like how I stiffen whenever the parents are around, I naturally smile when I see his name on the screen of my cell phone.

/From: Theo

Huh… Just say you miss me and go :p/

/To: Theo

Bold of you to assume that I do. That emoji sure does look like you. And how are you texting right now, Mr. Villa?/

And again, it doesn't take a full minute for him to reply. /Really, how can he text while he's on duty?/

/From: Theo

Uhh it's kinda basic knowledge but I'm willing to teach you how???/

I chuckle softly while trying to think of a reply that can spar with how childish his answers are.

/ To: Theo

I'll write a report about this. Tsk someone's not doing their job./

I sigh to myself, shaking my head while finally putting the phone down. That's enough burning of my brain cells for now. I need to really, really finish all of these or just somehow finish most of it. Truthfully, I get drowsy doing all the readings and everything that I don't want to read about but I can't do anything.

And fortunately, before my duty finishes, I have read and signed most of the papers that were on my table. It was now stacked on Geleen's table which made me laugh. It looked ridiculous, really. Not that her table's messy but there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of papers waiting to be sent to the main office for finalizations and the preparations.

It was a hectic day for everyone. The internship, the delays and malfunctions of the deliveries, the papers. One might even say that I'm practically not living life at this point, but this is really me living life. This is how I live life. And maybe before I wasn't really enjoying life, but with a new person to lean on, even if it's just temporary, I find something to look forward to in life.

—

"Mhm, yeah. And what did she say again?" I was rummaging through my stuff, finding my goddamn phone.

"She… she— oh my god I cannot even begin to tell you how annoying the whole conversation was!" I cracked a smile when I heard how annoyed he was. It was cute, okay. Bet he's even rolling his eyes while saying that.

"Fuck," I say under my breath. I can't seem to find where my phone is. "Sorry, sorry. What did she even say that made you /this/ stressed about it?"

I feel eyes. There are eyes looking at me and when I look at the rearview mirror, I see Daniel stealing glances at me with a weird expression on his face.

"What?" I mouth at him. Though I was talking to Daniel and busy with finding my phone, I was still listening to Theo talking nonstop.

"You do know that your phone is in your ear, right?" He looks at me with a distorted face and a tone that mocks me in a way.

"— looked at me with—" Theo doesn't even finish what he was talking about when I burst into laughter, holding my phone in front of me and laughing at how ridiculous this is.

Seriously, I've been ransacking my bag for almost a quarter of the ride, almost groaning because it was stressing me out, only to find out that all this time it was just in my ear. I cannot even stop myself from laughing, tears—happy tears slowly coming out of my eyes.

"Hazel? Is something wrong with you?" He asks as I was almost done laughing but cannot help but crack up once again.

I was heaving while trying to answer him back. And I see Daniel shaking his head while trying to suppress a laugh, as well. "No, no. It's— something funny happened, I'm sorry for cutting you off, Theo."

"What? What was it? Did Daniel do something again?" I can literally see him looking like a puppy with sparkling eyes, wagging tail, and cute big ears.

I look at Daniel and point at the phone, telling him that Theo's talking about him.

"It wasn't me! Apparently, your /friend/ here was searching for her phone but she was talking to you with it the whole time!" He also joins in the conversation. (I've put it in speakerphone)

After a few days, weeks rather, with Theo, it kind of has been a natural thing for us to call each other, talk, spend time. Things like that. We've grown quite close after spending time together, Daniel is also kinda part of it, too. And he's the only one who knows about it.

"Oh, come on, Hazel!" He breaks into a laugh as well. I have a gut feeling that he'll be teasing me all day about this, nonstop. Not that he really stops talking when we're together.

"What? A lot of things have been on my mind lately, you know?" I shrug, not minding the teasing of both men.

"Huh… Too much for you to forget about answering your phone and talking to me with it?"

I roll my eyes and I see Daniel gasp at me mockingly.

"She rolled her eyes, Theo!"

"Oh my god, letting you both talk with each other was the biggest mistake of my life!" They're both so annoyingly a pain in the ass. Too similar with each other, too compatible with each other, that it feels like I am the one invading their friendship. And all of their teasing goes to me!

"Sure, sure. We know you don't mean that!"

After minutes of bantering and more teasing, I finally stopped putting it on speaker phone. It's just a few more minutes before we arrive at the company so I also had to say goodbye. Good for him since he was an early bird, probably opened with the guards, too. (Kidding aside. But he really arrives early)

"I'll see you later. And you better finish what you were telling me earlier."

"Mhmm," he elongated. "See you, Hazel."

—

I spring up when a sudden phone call erupts in the midst of a quiet day inside of my office. It was an unknown number, not one I am familiar with nor a blocked one. So, I answer it with an erratically beating heart.

"Good Afternoon. Who is this?" I furrow my eyebrows.

It took a while before someone finally answered me. "Pleasant Afternoon! Is this Gem Lenz?" A high pitched voice answered me back, sounding really enthusiastic that you can probably see her smile so wide, gums and all, while you're both talking over the phone.

"Yes, this is her. What can I do for you?" And as this conversation got achingly slow to progress, all sorts of things and ideas came inside my head.

"Oh, this is the company that has sent you an email about a possible contract with you. I was calling to ask if your draft is ready or have you sent it already?"

My eyebrows furrow more than it did earlier. It wasn't really processing to me, to my system. /Who am I talking to again? Ah, the company, the publishing company./ And as it slowly comes to me, my eyes also slowly go wide, hairs on my face and arm standing, heart almost coming out of my chest, and somehow, butterflies in my stomach.

"Oh my god," I gasp, making my reactions as trivial as possible. My hand slowly comes up to my open mouth. "Uh, yes. I've sent the draft already to Christian? Am I right?"

And she, again, doesn't answer instantly. Before an answer, she gives me a breathy laugh. "Oh, yes. So you already sent it to the Director."

/Huh? Director? You're telling me I sent it to the Director himself??/

"Then that's all I need to know. Just wanted to check up on you. Don't worry, I'll call you later to finally give you a date for the meeting."

"Oh—uh, yes, yes. Thank you very much!" I nervously chuckle. "I'm sorry. This is just too shocking for me right now. I wasn't expecting a call, let alone a meeting."

She just simply chuckles ever so softly that it almost melted me. "It's alright. I'll call you later then?"

As I put my phone down, I could barely keep myself from shrieking in pure bliss of what just happened. My hands were slightly shaking and I felt the adrenaline coursing through my body.

And as if it's something so natural, I dial Theo's number with a wide damn smile on my face, legs nonstop tapping, face painted in pink.

"Theo!" I exclaim. I— I don't know how to even react, what I should do. But I just really wanted to tell him about it.

"Yeah? Is something wrong?"

I shake my head as if he's going to see it. "No. It's just uhm— I received a call."

"Wait," he says, and I do follow. I hear noises in the background. Chattering, papers, phone calls. "Wait, alright? I'll go there."