There were so many things they've managed to talk and laugh about all throughout the whole drive. Instead of eating somewhere fancy, Lissa opted and suggested they eat at Denny's instead since the place is open 24/7, saying it taste much better than WacDonalds.
And Anthony noted as he takes a bite of the nachos and Sta. Clarita meal that it was indeed delicious. For sure, he'll come back for more.
Lissa asked Anthony to stop the car when they've reached Palmetto street. "This is my stop." She placed her hand on top of Anthony's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, a gesture she usually does when she's thankful. "Thank you for the company." She said with a smile.
"You know... if only you're not such a prude, I think you just took me on a rather exclusive date. You should've just asked you know, maybe you'll even get lucky and I'll let you have some of this..." She said as she gestures at her whole being with a wink after.
Anthony could only laugh at Lissa's unbelievable statement. "You really need to have your head checked. I've told you so many times, you're not exactly my type." Was his answer with a menacing smile.
"Whatever! You don't have to say it over and over like a broken record, Jeez!" Was Lissa's irritated answer, rolling her eyes right after. "How irritating, Jesus..."
Anthony can't help but laugh at how much he can push Lissa's buttons. It's always fun to see whenever the woman gets worked up from such small things. He hates to admit it, but one of his guilty pleasures is teasing the hell out of her. "Take care. Bye" He unlocked the car doors and almost on cue, Lissa slipped out of the car.
"Bye, boss!" She yelled before closing the door on him.
They were in front of Lissa's simple but comfortable looking home. A two storey house that is painted with brown and a light tint of flesh.
"You take care as well." She waved goodbye with a smile from ear to ear, and with that she turned and began to walk to the door.
As she was open to unlock it with her key on her front pocket, that's when she noticed that her boss had not drove off yet. She simply shrugged her shoulders and did not think much of it.
She unlocked the door and gave the knob a twist. "Mama..." Was her initial greeting as she opens the door cautiously. It was still early but she did not want to take the risk of being scolded to the bone again. "...I'm home..."
She heard the familiar sound of loud footsteps going down the stairs. "Maria Lissa!" The familiar sound of her mother's loud screech made her face contort. An indication that she's about to hear another one of those lectures that she had heard so many times, she's close to memorizing it.
"Why are you home this late, you naughty girl! You did not even text nor sent an email that you'll be this late, I was worried sick! What if you got raped on the way home and then you got killed, eyy?! Who do you think will pay for your funeral services, then it'll be this family! Dios Mio! You're really so careless, little girl!"
'My goodness, when will this end?!' Lissa placed two of her fingers against her temple and massaged it gently, her mother is just beginning to talk and her head is already hurting. "Mama, my god... I just got home... can you do this later?"
"Oh, and you're reasoning right now, eh?! You really are a ruthless and evil child!" Her mother even pulled a slipper off her foot and was ready to slap Lissa on her behind as if the grown woman was still a little girl.
But then Lolita spotted an unfamiliar car that's parked in front of her house. Her eyes narrowed and stared at the car. Her eyes widened when the plate number doesn't ring a bell, and never saw it across their streets. This is the first time she's seeing it and it made her blood boil.
"Who is that?!" She asked through gritted teeth while she points at the vehicle using the slipper on her hand. "Who own that car, eyy? Is it one of your friends, huh?! One of your friends who became such a bad example to you?! They're the one behind the wheels, huh?! I knew it, I knew it! Tell that person whoever it is to drive away now! Or else, I'm going there myself and pop the fucking wheels of that car!"
Lissa's eyes widened at her mother's statement. 'Car?' She asked herself. 'What car?' She asked herself again and again. The only car that went this way to take her home is the car of her boss. Her eyes widened in the realization.
She turned to the pavement's direction and her mouth dropped when she saw that it was Anthony's black car. "Mama!" She screamed then reached out to her mother. "No--- that's the car of my---"
"Shut up, you locca!" Her mother wouldn't even listen to her as the middle aged woman marched towards the car, a slipper still in her hand.
Lissa simply looked away in shame as her mother knocked at the window of the car aggressively. From afar her mother looked like a demoness in rage.
"Open the window, damnit!" Lolita screamed as she banged her slipper against the tainted window a couple of times. And as she waits for the windows to completely roll down, her nose flared in irritation.
She's ready for whoever is on that driver's seat. For sure, they'll receive one heck of a lecturing that they would need to check if their ears are bleeding after she's done.
Instead, she was taken by the deep and cool voice. "Yes, what can I do for you?" The gentleman lowered the window to smile widely at the middle aged woman, showing his beautiful rows of teeth. "You must be the mother of Lissa." He removed the seat-belt, and he leaned forward and stretched out his hand. "Nice to meet you ma'am... I'm her supervisor from work... And I'm a friend of hers."
"Ah...eh... Uhm..." Lolita was flustered when she saw the man. She stared at him with lips gaped and her eyes were glistening as if she saw an angel. She fanned herself with a slipper, the surroundings was getting a bit hot, realizing it was her own body heat later. "Are... are you the one who took my daughter home?"
Lissa closed her eyes and mentally slapped herself at the view of her mother practically drooling at the site of her boss. Her ears and cheeks were so red, she looked much like a blushing school girl than a middle aged woman.
Looks like now it's proven to be true where she gets her ideal type from.
================
Anthony sighed in relief after he lets go of the thick brown folder. He was reading and skimming it for hours that he was starting to get light headed. The words were already jumbling on his feeling like he's about to get a migraine.
Good thing he's almost done. He signed the last page and finally closed it. What a relief. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples then sighed in relief.
He was working on the documents for such a long time that he skipped lunch.
He checked the time. 1:45PM.
'Well, there goes my lunch.' He frowned at the grumbling feeling on his stomach, inwardly scolding himself for not being able to take his break on time. He breathed in deeply and tried his best to ignore the hunger he was feeling instead of going to the cafeteria.
He immediately grabbed the next papers that needs his approval and signature and begins to read it. There were tons of reports from the accountancy department, along with another file sent by their general manager. It was hell week for all of them.
The owners, stockholders of their small but growing company is about to have the monthly site visit. Everything needs to he checked and re-checked before they pass it along to the assistant director for final approval. He was about to sign another set of papers when he heard three consecutive knocks on the door.
"Come in." He said without looking up from the folder.
The door opened and it revealed a familiar head full of curly---long hair, eyes defined with thick gel-liner that was borrowed from Nina and the familiar deep rose color na lipstick on her plump lips.
"Good afternoon, boss." Was Lissa's loud and cheery greeting that Anthony almost threw the paper's he's holding onto from sheer fright and shock.
"Lissa!" Was Anthony's loud reply. He was clearly on the edge and stress was getting the best of him. His hand were tightly clutching against his chest, trying to calm his raging heartbeat. "My god, I thought you were a ghost or something. Can't you try to tone it down while I work?"
"Well, I did knock and you said come in so I went inside." Was Lissa's unapologetic reasoning which was not far from the truth. She entered the room and sat down on the right chair that was right across Anthony, it was her favorite spot in his small but neat office. "Did you take your lunch?" Was her immediate question when she noticed how haggard Anthony look.
His face was dark and his cheeks were hallowed. From the looks of it, he looks like he hasn't rested properly for days.
Anthony shook his head then looked at Lissa for a quick second then immediately diverted his attention back to the documents he was reading. "No, not yet." Was his honest reply. "I'm really hungry but I need to finish all of this first."
A wide and shameless smile showed on Lissa's face when she practically slammed a plastic bag on Anthony's table. And inside it was a Tupperware with Disney princesses on it as a design. Her lunchbox, from when she was still in grade school.
"Then the timing is perfect!" Was what she said when she removed the Tupperware from the plastic, revealing Snow white, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
Anthony stared at the Tupperware and was left stupefied as he stared down. "What is this?" He asked as he points his finger at the fair sized Tupperware, he specifically stared down at Snow White. The Tupperware was so old that Snow White's nose faded, she looked like a troll who overdosed with Glutathione.
"Oh hush! Don't be picky." Lissa warned as she pulls out the spoon and fork from the plastic. She opened the Tupperware, revealing the familiar Mexican dishes cooked and meticulously prepared by her mother.
There was rice cooked with tomato sauce and chicken broth, beans, chicken meat and chickpeas. And on a separate section, there was six delicious pieces of churros coated with sugar and cinnamon.
Anthony stared down at the food, absolutely speechless. "Seriously? This is mine?" He said in a meek voice. Almost too soft and a bit shy. "I---I can't accept this. Your mother wouldn't do this for me. I bet this is yours."
"Nah, this is yours. She said you're so handsome she fell in love with you the first sight! Who knew you could charm her to the bones, eyy..." Lissa said with a wink.
Anthony's brows raised at the memory. Lissa's mother did give him those weird longing looks, almost similar to her daughter. He can't help but laugh at the memory. But still... "I still have my doubts." He said as he taps against the cute logo of the Tupperware. "I bet this Tupperware was yours, even has your name on it. Though it's faded." Anthony paused and then pursed his lips before saying "Or maybe, this has some sort of poison..."
"It's highly likely that I'll put some sort of Aphrodisiac rather than poison. Or maybe a date rape drug. Or maybe even Viagra, perhaps?" Was Lissa's honest confession, earning a series of laughter from Anthony.
"And who said I need those things?" Was his arrogant reply, raising one of his brows from sheer amusement. "Just admit it, this is yours... you just forgot and you don't want it and now you want to give it to me."
Lissa's mouth gaped and she gasped hard, as if it was the most offensive thing she heard. She placed her hand against her chest and gave him a look. "How hurtful!" She whined. "I said numerous times that this is for you. I swear." She said with such intensity that the veins on her neck showed.
"And my Mother even told me to give you this at my soonest and most available free time so you can taste her cooking. She even said that there's no need for you to return the Tupperware, you can even keep it. Take it home."
Anthony snorted ungracefully and scratched his non-itchy nose. He was actually touched by the thoughtful gesture. He simply cannot admit it to either himself or Lissa because he was too shy. "Really?"
Lissa lifts one of her hand, showing the palm as if she's pledging allegiance to the country. "Promise. I solemnly swear, may the virginity of my ass disappear if I lie."
Anthony laughed. "You're really fucked in the head."
Lissa watch with Eagle eyes as Anthony took the Tupperware to place it on top of the brown envelope. He picked up the spoon and fork and begin to eat, picking the ones that looks the most delicious.
His mouth was full of food when he lifted his head up to look at Lissa with a bright expression on his face. His eyes were practically shining. "Wow, this is absolutely amazing!"
"But of course..." Lissa answered with a sinister smile. "She said she mixed that with a love potion from the local bruja residing in our community." Was her joke before leaving Anthony with his mouth hanging, still full of food. She winked before leaving and laughed when Anthony didn't mind the joke and continued to eat.