"Wh-what are y-you doing here... Drake Lustre?" her voice shook kahit pa anong pilit niyang patatagin iyon.
This is so not happening!!! What the hell is Drake doing here?!? Tila nahuhulaan na niya ang kasagutan sa tanong ng kanyang isip ngunit pilit niya iyong inignora.
A satisfied smile crossed Drake's lips. Inilahad nito ang mga braso paunat sa magkabilang tagiliran na para bang mag-ooffer ng isang yakap "welcome to my office!"
Halos malaglag ang panga ng kaibigan niyang si Mat sa narinig, tinignan siya nito na nanlalaki ang mga mata bagaman hindi nagsalita. Mat has never seen Drake, kahit pa sinubukan nito noong hanapin sa facebook si Drake ay hindi nito iyon nakita. Her friend only knows the man by his name.
"This is a joke right?!" Sa wakas ay nasabi niya. She gave the man in front of her an incredulous look na sinabayan ng hindi makapaniwalang tawa.
Umangat ang isa sa mga kilay ng binata at umikot ito paupo sa executive chair na nasa likuran ng malaking desk. Pabagsak itong naupo sa upuan at tila tinatamad na muli silang tinignan.
"Shall we get down to business now?" Iminostra nito ang dalawang leather na upuan sa harap nito, signalling them to sit down.
Mat looked at her uncertain bago humakbang palapit sa upuan. Cali didn't move an inch. Daig pa rin ang tinatambol ang puso niya sa kaba, galit at pagkamanghang halo halo niyang nararamdaman.
"Are you just going to stand there, Ms. Rodriguez or are we going to discuss business?" Tanong ni Drake na sinabayan pa ng nakakalokong ngiti sa kanya.
Cali clenched her jaws. "If this is some kind of prank, Mr. Lustre, it's not funny" she said in between gritting her teeth.
"No one is joking around here, Cali. I am really the CEO of Ambassador's. Have you forgotten how my family has always been influential in the real estate business?"
Lalong tila nagsiklab ang damdamin ni Calista sa sinabi ni Drake. How could she ever forget his family? Lalo na ang matapobreng ina nito na si Doña Evelyn?
Huminga ng malalim si Cali " I'm sorry. This must be a misunderstanding. I refuse to work with you, Mr. Lustre...so if you'll excuse me" tinalikuran niya ito at handa nang lumabas ng silid ng magsalitang muli ang binata.
"I sure hope both of you read the terms and conditions of our contract?"
Napahinto si Cali sa paglakad. Shit! The devil holds the ace! If they back out of the contract, they will be fined heftily. Sapat na ang danyos na iyon para magsara ang maliit na kumpanya nila.
"Cali... Can we please talk about this?" Ani Mat sa kauna unahang pagkakataon. She immediately sensed the panic in his voice. Alam niyang nag-aalala ito sa penalty na kanilang kakaharapin kung maging pasaway siya na makatrabaho si Drake. Mat knows her history with the man at kung bakit isinusumpa niyang nakilala niya ito.
She exhaled and tried to calm herself. She needs to think logical. This is business at hindi niya maaaring pairalin ang emosyon lamang.
She turned around and slowly walked towards the desk at maingat na naupo sa upuang katabi ng kay Mat.
Ngumisi si Drake "that's better" anitong nasisiyahan. "Now shall we start the meeting?"
Isang matalim na tingin ang naging sagot niya sa binata na hindi naman nito binigyang pansin.
Buong dalawang oras ng meeting na iyon ay tila lumilipad lamang ang isip ni Calista. She wanted to focus on the discussion but she is getting uncomfortable and couldn't concentrate because the bastard kept looking at her with those piercing set of eyes! Tila wala itong pakialam kung mapansin man iyon ni Mat. To make it worse, hindi niya alam kung bakit tila nag-iinit yata ang pisngi niya sa mga tinging ipinupukol nito sa kanya! And there she was thinking that she's prepared herself to never let him affect her ever again matapos ng mapait nilang nakaraan.
It was 5 years ago when she last saw him, well apart from their encounter at the bar a couple of months back. Ang araw na huli niya itong nakita ay ang araw na nagtapos ang uganayan nilang dalawa, the day she ceased to be Mrs. Calista R. Lustre.
"Do you have any questions?" Ani Drake in a businesslike tone "Cali?" untag nito sa kanya.
Noon lamang siya tila nakabalik sa diwa "huh?"
"I said do you have any questions for me?" Pag uulit nito sa tanong.
"What if I don't want to work with you?"
"Cali..." saway ni Mat.
Sumandal si Drake sa kinauupuan nito with a bored look on his face, "well then I guess I have no choice but to ask my legal department to press charges and ask for the breach of contract payment"
"Mr. Lustre, I assure you we will push through with this project. Right Cali?" Si Mat na binigyang diin ang sinabi na sinamahan ng disimuladong panlalaki ng mata sa kanya.
"I'll give you guys 3 days to talk about it. You can let me know your decision" Pinal na wika ni Drake bago tumayo sa kinauupuan, senyales na tapos na ang meeting na iyon.
Tumayo na rin si Mat mula sa kinauupuan but she remained seated.
"I assure you Mr. Lustre that we don't need to discuss anything aside from how to deliver outstanding services" paninigurong muli ni Mat sa kausap.
Palabas na sana ng opisina si Drake ng magsalita si Calista.
"Can I talk to you for a minute..." aniyang tila wala sa loob. She looked at Mat "...in private please".
"Cali!" Mat hissed.
She only mouthed the word "please" to her friend as she remained glued to her seat. She heard Mat give a resigned sigh bago ito nagpaalam kay Drake at lumabas ng opisina.
Drake walked towards the mini bar from across the room at nagsalin ng inumin sa isang baso. Cali took the opportunity to observe the man kahit pa nakatalikod ito.
He changed in the past 5 years. Physically, he looked a little taller than she remembered, his shoulders look even broader too. Wala na rin ang boyish look ng binata, instead, standing before her is a full grown man who's twice as sinfully attractive as he was before.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" said Drake. Pumihit ito upang humarap sa kanya and Cali had to quickly divert her eyes somewhere else, kung hindi ay muntikan pang makita ng binata ang panunuri niya rito.
She cleared her throat "I...I'm sure there is a way for us to settle this amicably..."
Sumimsim si Drake ng alak mula sa hawak na kopita. He lazily set his back against the wall at direkta siyang tinignan "This is business, Cali. You signed the contract that was presented to you"
"I know. But I didn't know that you own this hotel and-"
"And that is a problem because?"
"Because I don't want to ever work with you or for you, Drake Lustre!" napatayo siya sa kinauupuan. Her chest heaving up and down dahil sa pinipigil na pag alpas ng tintimping galit. "What is your reason for granting us the contract? I'm sure you know I was the co-owner of Perfect Space!"
Drake smirked at muling humigop ng iniinom. "C'mon Cali, don't flatter yourself too much, sweetheart" humakbang itong palapit sa kanya hanggang sa isang talampakan na lamang ang layo nito mula sa kintatayuan niya.
He gazed at her from head to foot "Yes, it's true that you're still as pretty as ever but..." he inched closer to her that Cali fought all the urge to step back dahil sa kaba mula sa paglapit nito. She wanted to show him that she is no longer affected by his presence.
"...but this is business sweetheart" bulong nito sa kanyang tainga. His warm breath against her ear sent delicious shivers down her spine.
"Okay. Then Mat and another associate will handle everything on my stead" simpleng tugon niya. Gusto niyang palakpakan ang sarili sa matagumpay na pagtatago ng panginginig ng tinig. Kung alam lamang ng kaharap na malapit na yatang lumabas ang puso niya sa kanyang lalamunan sa lakas ng tibok niyon.
Umunat ng pagkakatayo ang binata, towering over her. "I don't think I can let that happen, Calista. I awarded the project to Perfect Space for your expertise in designing and I want you, no, in fact I need you to be the one to personally handle all aspects of this project... from start to finish" Drake declared ruthlessly.
Calista stared at the man with disbelief on her face. How dare this bastard blackmail her! Had he forgotten what he did to her years ago?!
Drake met her gaze intently, ang titig nito ay tila gustong tumagos sa kanyang pagkatao.
Cali opened her mouth to say something but she was lost for words. Nanatili lamang siyang parang isang tangang nakatingin sa binata, her lips still slightly parted.
She heard Drake draw in a breath "For fuck's sake Cali! Are you trying to seduce me?"
It took Calista a few seconds to process what Drake said. Nag-init ang mga pisngi niya sa sinabi ng binata. "Wh-what did you say?!" she retorded angrily.
Hindi niya inaasahan ang pagtaas ng isang kamay ni Drake at marahan siyang hinimas sa pisngi. It was so sudden that she didn't have time to react.
"I've missed you sweetheart... perhaps, if you be my girl again, maybe I can let you off the hook".
Nanlaki ang mga mata niya sa tinuran ng lalaki. Agad niyang tinabig ang kamay nito "To hell with you Drake! Kahit mamatay ako at ipanganak pa ulit, I will never, ever, want to do anything with you!" gigil niyang sagot.
Drake softly laughed "I see you're still like a tigress when you're mad" nakakaloko itong ngumiti "what about in bed? Are you still a tigress, babe?"
"Bastos!" she fumed as she grabbed her bag ang stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.
*******
Naiiling na natawa si Drake. He made her mad, mabilis pa rin itong inisin. Sinundan niya ng tingin ang pintuang nilabasan ng dalaga at muling dinala ang baso sa bibig.
This will be an exciting project, he thougt. Isang pilyong ngiti ang gumitaw sa mga labi.