4
After their lunch he gave her a ride to somewhere.
He got piled things to do. After the drop off, he drive himself back to the office.
He got nothing to do but to finish the reports or else things will get piled up.
The whole day was boring. It was nothing special. He got calls from his sister and told him that she entered a new academy. She wanted to study more about business and stuff. He bet when she's done there, she'll transfer to a new academy for new learnings.
"Do you have any plans on coming back here?" he asked Angel.
[I do have plans but I just got here in the Philippines and you're already asking my plans on going home?] He could bet his life on her sister rolling her eyes. He chuckled with the thought of her doing that.
"I miss you. I just hope you stay here with me." He sounded like a pathetic brother.
[It's just four months since I left. What are you talking about?] She doesn't sound irritated at all.
"Don't you miss me?" He said, sounding like a lost puppy.
[Are you mad? Of course I miss you. But you know I've got things to do here.] This time, Inigo sighed. He just know how important the thing that her sister has to do but still...
"Can't you let Leo handle the business there? You're just 19." He suggested, hoping she would agree..
[I can't. Don't worry I'll go home soon, probably next month. I have free time by then.]
"Don't change the topic. Can't you let Leo handle the business there? He's good in handling things." Leo is like a friend to Inigo. Just like Anton, Inigo trusts Leo as well. Leo is not just trustworthy but competent as well.
[As much as I want let Leo to handle the business here, I just can't. The underground needs me. Plus Red personally asked me here.]
Oh! That's alarming. Red Swansea never called for anything other than war.
"What did he say?" The thought of her sister going home just puff like a bubble. There's something that had to be done.
[He needs help. Apparently, they've got enemy and unfortunately Red said they aren't capable of defeating them without losing too much.]
He massaged his temple with the sudden frustration he felt. He wanted his sister back home but he didn't want to lose his cousin whom he loved as his own brother.
"So you've been in war as soon as you got there?" He asked upon realization to which his sister just laughed at.
[Yeah, sort of. You see, they needed my help. Yes, they are assassins but they are under my protection. You know that brother.]
Inigo knows that he is not the only person who has this kind of burden. He exactly knows that his sister shares the same burden as he has. As much as he wants he wants to shoulder them all, he just knew what he's capable and his limitations.
Shouldering everything means losing everyone's life. And he's not dumb to do that.
"That's why I don't want you there. Be home next month. Please!" Is that even right? He's pleading for her to get home?
[I will. I'll just make sure that everything's alright fine here before I leave.]
"Okay. Be home. I'll be expecting you. I miss you."
[Yes brother. Love you got to go]
"I love you. Be hom--- Darn this woman. She hung up." He sounded frustrated that he almost threw his phone out of the window but stop in the middle of it when he noticed Claudia standing in the door way.
"How long have you been standing there?" He immediately stood up and went closer to her.
"I don't know? 5 minutes?"
Am I right? Does she sounds annoyed?
He leaned forward to kiss her cheek but she avoided it.
"Is there any problem?" He asked curiously. He lightly held her arms on both side, trying to catch her eyes.
"Yes! Are you married?" she suddenly asked. He almost choke by the question.
"No. What are you saying?" He keeps catching her glace and when he finally did, she looks away again.
"I don't want to sound like a nagging girl friend but who was that?"
What the fuck? His eyes squint, thinking of what Claudia was talking about. Then he realized.
"Oh! You mean the call? That was my sister." He admitted
When he said that, she looked at him automatically.
"Your sister?" There's a doubt on her tone.
"Yes. She's in the Philippines right now. I'm asking her to be home by the next month." Claudia looked away. She couldn't believe she was jealous of his sister. "Were you jealous?"
She scoffed.
"No, I'm not. It's just awful." She denied. "You were saying I miss you's and I love you's while you're with me. I just felt bad." She confessed.
Inigo smirked with the thought of her jealous of his sister.
"It's fine to be jealous." He hugged her tight.
This woman. She doesn't want to act like a nagging girl friend and she did but she forgot to act like a not-jealous-girlfriend.
"Are we okay now?" she nodded but still couldn't look at him out of guilt.
He chuckled and drag her on his lap as he sat back on his swivel chair.
"What are we doing?" she asked.
"Hmmm nothing?" He questioned himself as he let himself hugged her and sniff on her shoulder.
Sometimes it's good to have a woman in life.
She smells fresh and cool. He can't describe but she smells good. He doesn't want to admit but it's kind of an addicting smell.
"Why are you so clingy?" she leaned backwards and looked at him. She started playing on his hair while waiting for the answer.
"Why? Am I not allowed to cuddle with my girl friend?" her cheeks suddenly turned red. Did she just blushed?
He was shocked when she suddenly hugged him. Claudia buried her face on his neck that he can feel her breathing. He didn't say a word and tightened the hug even more.
"I miss you." she said. Instead of saying it back, he just hug her tight.
How could she say that? They just got together yet she's saying things like this.
He just had her the whole afternoon. They cuddled while he do some work. She sometimes go around the office then go back to him and cling on him like a koala.
When they got off, he gave her a ride to her home.
"Hey, my dad wants to meet you."
"He's here?" he asked, curiously.
"No, not yet. But when he got here. Probably next month."
Oh great!
"Sure. I'll have my sister to come with us. So you could also meet her." He said, really interested.
"Your sister? How old is she?" She asked. He glanced at her and she looks pale.
"She's 19 and turning 20. 3 years younger than me." He explains.
"Why is she living in the Philippines? She's still young." Does she also need information about his sister?
"She needs to manage some businesses there." He simply answered. Not really giving away the answer
"At that young age?" He just nodded and says
"Yeah! I started managing the business as soon as I turned 18. I see no reason why my sister wouldn't." He knew what his sister is capable off.
"You do?" Is she amazed?
Well he needs his sister to pull off the plan. He needs her brain.
As soon as he dropped Claudia off he called his sister.
"Hey!" after a few ring she answered
[What's up brother?]
"I need you to come home as early as possible. I have things for you to see and tell me your interpretations. Got that?"
[Can't you do that alone?] She asked nonchalantly. They both know what each other is capable of.
"I can. But I need a second opinion I'm having a doubt."
[Am I a doctor? Kidding. Anyways, I just need to fix some papers here and I'm good to go. It's just the process here is too slow.]
"Okay. You better come home. I'll be meeting her father next month. Oh! We'll be meeting her father." He chuckled when he heard her groaned.
[That fast? and why with me?]
"You should know him."
[Are you getting married? Did you get her pregnant?]
Sigh! What did he ever do to have an overreacting sister?
"No. Why would I marry and get her pregnant?
[I don't know. Maybe you had too much sex with her.]
Darn this woman. She's blunt.
"Are you nuts?"
[Ohh brother! Don't tell me you hadn't had sex with her?] Then she laughed, obviously teasing him
"Stop that. Why are we talking about my sex life?"
[Oh!! So she didn't allowed you to have sex with her? What happened to your charms and sex appeal you were boasting about? ]
This woman definitely knows when to hit some spot.
"Excuse me! I had sex with her the first time we met."
[I was just kidding brother. Anyway, I should go.]
"Yeah yeah. Don't forget to come home."
[Yes I know.]
and then she dropped the call.
He sighed alone. He stood up from his couch and went to his cellar. A good wine is perfect for that very moment.