Allen Lopez's Love For Passion

A new world for the Allen who had only knew the corporate world, the world of cuisine and dining. This was the start of Allen inviting Secretary Andrew to various meals with the intention of fulfilling his curiosity. His secretary also noticed the increasing meals they had shared together.

Allen would sometimes receive restaurant recommendations in his phone. He would look up from his desk, across the glass window. And see Secretary Andrew wave his phone with a pleading expression. Of course, Allen would indulge his secretary by scheduling business calls in restaurants they had planned.

"This is so good," Secretary Andrew would usually squeal in delight from one bite of their meal. While Allen would examine his food, the methods used, breaking down its recipe in his mind. This interest of his...cooking, has been growing and growing in his mind. This voice in his heart had gotten louder, as his interest in it grew. Sometimes this voice becomes so prominent he couldn't think straight, the word Lopez Co., became a shackle and the work he performed became more crippling, pointless, useless. Fear swallowed his heart and—

"Sir Allen?"

A singular voice penetrated his clouded mind. He looked up from his desk and faced his secretary. Secretary Andrew placed a folder on his desk, flipped the cover, and read the title out loud. 'Pursuing Your Passion – A vocational arts scholarship for adults who cannot afford their dreams. Proposal.'

"Passion?" Allen asked, confused.

"Don't you have something your passionate about, Sir Andrew? Something that makes you happy yet allows you provide for your family?"

Cooking.

Secretary Andrew's eyes were hopeful and strong. He flipped another page of his proposal.

"It's a scholarship for adults who knows where their passion lies, but because of their circumstance, financial or otherwise, could not pursue it. Like tricycle drivers or jeepney drivers. Wouldn't it be great if we gave deserving people a fighting chance to make a living from their passions? You might wonder about the benefits it holds for Lopez Co., aside from helping the needy—which is the right thing to do," he mumbled the later part, before resuming in a normal volume.

"This would fulfill our requirement of corporate social responsibility, create good publicity, and in some way address our growing concern of employee loyalty."

Allen took the business proposal and devoured its content. Secretary Andrew stood by his side, answering Allen's questions with patience.

"This is going to be difficult to get approved by the board," said Allen, setting down the proposal. "I hope you knew this before you came to me."

"I know," Secretary Andrew nodded. "But we've handled far more difficult projects than this, haven't we?"

Yes, we have Allen wanted to say, but couldn't. Allen found this interesting on a personal level. Passion, huh? The idea itself took root in Allen's soul which would later bloom into a choice that would define him, regardless of the time it took. He wanted to thank his secretary. The notes and meals would not suffice.

But one day, as he pressed his ear on the door. He caught snippets of the conversation between Sonna, Claire, and Secretary Andrew. Please don't misunderstand, Allen was not stalking nor snooping, it was field investigation.

"Oh, this one guy was so hot and so rich I could just eat him alive."

"Ms. Sonna!" Claire exclaimed.

"Sonna, please stop drooling over men and focus on our travel plans."

"Secretary Andrew, what places have you travelled to?"

After a pause, "I've only been around the cities. I couldn't travel much when I was young and now, I'm kind 'a too busy to travel."

"Mr. Allen should really give you more vacation time. After all you're the first secretary to win an excellence award.

"Claire, shush. Everybody already knows how our perfect secretary is mistreated. Going back to our travel plans, this is perfect. Not the part where you couldn't travel because you were in an orphanage and all, but because you're practically a travel virgin."

"Ms. Sonna were still in the office!

"Claire be quiet. I want to be the one to take Secretary Andrew's travel virginity—"

Allen's hands balled into fists.

"We're going to finish off your travel list one-by-one. And we're going to make sure we all have hot men as dates until we finally reach the pinnacle of travelling.

"Which is?" Secretary Andrew drawled.

"Booking hotel rooms as a couple—" Sonna couldn't finish, because Allen burst through the doors equipped with a glare. Sonna and Claire curled up, greeted him in a hurry, then left.

Secretary Andrew stood from his table and asked Allen, "Do you need anything, Sir Allen?"

"I—"

And that's how Allen tricked Secretary Andrew into travelling to far-away places with him in guise of business meetings. It wasn't all fake, but Allen greatly exaggerated the volume of the work and need to go to a mountain resort with a scenic view of Taal Volcano just to clear his mind.

Allen didn't regret it, even though Secretary Andrew would throw him the occasional naughty glare. He didn't mind. They've been doing this for so long that Allen had already forgotten why he always insisted on travelling. Just that if Secretary Andrew was happy, then Allen was happy.

Allen gazed upon his secretary whose eyes were fixated at the perfect cone of the Mayon Volcano. They stood side-by-side in an overlooking edge.

"It's amazing," he whispered.

One of the staff approached, "Would you like to take a photo?" she asked. "Many couples take their photos here as it's quite romantic."

Secretary Andrew had motioned to reject, but Allen had already handed him his phone and a small bill of money.

"Sir Allen why did you agree?"

Allen edged closer to Secretary Andrew, "Weren't you always the one nagging that we should support small businesses? Come on, smile. I'll allow it.

Allen received a curled lip and a sneer instead.

"Alright, say cheese."

Allen wrapped his arm around his stiff secretary and grinned.

Later in the evening, in the privacy of his own room, he would open his phone and comb through the photos he had collected until he stumbled upon the first photo he took with his secretary, marking the 1st year he had worked under Allen. Then swiped, to the latest photo they had taken with the Mayon behind them, which Secretary Andrew had found so impressive.

But Allen was more amazed by the young man by his side. This was the kid everyone called a waste of employment while Allen's reputation took a hit. But in the end, he proved everyone wrong by being the most admired employee in the whole building. Everyone recognizes him wherever they go. And he's headhunted by every major corporation. But he chose to stay with Allen.

He recalled one of his presentations to the board. He was up in stage in front of dozens of cameras. The nerves got to him and he forgot his words. Then Secretary Andrew did what he does best: save the day. He hijacked the control booth, which was usually ignored by the general populace, and raised huge individual flashcards with his speech written on it. He wrote his whole damn speech in dozens of flashcards because he knew Allen was a mess the night before.

During the grand opening of their project, someone messed up the media's location. There was no media coverage and no journalist in sight. But at the last-minute, Secretary Andrew appeared with the media behind him. And there he went again, guiding him through the forgotten words of his speech.

When Allen's parents told him that he would be the next CEO, it had felt like he was locked into a path he did not want to pursue. A life he would regret. That night, the first person he wanted to be with was Secretary Andrew.

He entered the club, terrified. But when he saw Secretary Andrew, atop the table chugging a pitcher of alcohol with everybody's adoring eyes directed at him, under the bright strobing lights. Allen's heart calmed down.

He knew that night he would cross the line between boss and secretary, and he did. He crossed it—no he leaped through it. And secretary Andrew had shown him a side Allen could only see snippets of but had desperately wanted to see throughout the years.

They had spent so much time together as never before. Moments that had his heartbeat rapidly, his face flushed, his hands clammy in sweat. It was all so marvelous that he had wanted everything to be done, they could be together without the context of fake dating.

He thought with Secretary Andrew by his side, he was going to be alright. And he really thought it would be that way forever

I endured every minute of torture I've spent with you in that office.

So, I'm letting you go, Allen thought to himself. And with the time he has left with Andrew. He's going to be selfish but kind. He made a promise that night in the hospital that he would be better.

Still, Allen is afraid of the day that when he looks up from his desk. Looks through the glass window beside his door. He won't see Secretary Andrew's smile. But nevertheless, thank you. Secretary Andrew.

For teaching this unexperienced guy what love is. Love for his family, for his passion, for those in need, and for his beloved secretary. When they had taken that photo of Secretary Andrew in his baggy suit and Allen's signature glare. If he had recognized the feelings he felt for the young secretary, he would have shouted from the top of his lungs:

"Andrew, I can't not have you by my side. So, never leave me."