SECOND CHANCES(A Lesbian Story)

Chapter 1

"Mrs. Ravena, if you'll follow me, Miss Fajardo will see you now..."

Mika Aereen Reyes-Ravena got to her feet, unperturbed by the interview which was about to take place. She had met Miss Kim Fajardo several times during the past three years and she had always found her to be pleasant. True that she is a well- known lesbian playgirl in the provincial branch where she came from. But she was never rude to her nor did she feel any advances from the said player. Why should she be nervous when she really doesn't care whether she'll get this job or not.

The woman from the Personnel smiled as Mika stepped into the carpeted lift, on the back wall of which was a floor to ceiling mirror, slightly tinted. The head offices of Galang and Galang Limited were certainly smart.

Although she had worked for the company for three years now, Mika had never actually been here before. Situated in the heart of Makati, the head offices occupied a building comprising 20 floors of luxuriously appointed suites. The carefully tended plants in the corridors, the plush carpeting and the immaculate décor did not impress her because it was only what she had expected. Galang and Galang Limited is a well established company... well known and well recognized not just in the country but the entire Asian region. They have been in business for more than 5 decades already. The company designs, manufactures and installs air-conditioning systems. During the past 10 years, under the managing directorship of a certain Vic Galang, the company's expansion had been described as rapid. As a matter of fact, they are on the verge of penetrating the European and American market. It was said that Vic Galang started to manage the business at age 18 and did wonders for the company. Mika has yet to meet the genius Galang.

"You've met Miss Fajardo, of course?" The woman from the Personnel gave her a reassuring smile as the door of the lift opened on the 18th floor, where the director's offices were presumably.

"Several times, briefly, on her visits to my boss at the regional office in Baguio. Mika's hand went automatically to touch her hair which she had swept into a softly styled chignon. Stray wisps of curls framed her flawless face. She had dressed for this interview as she dressed for every ordinary working day, with smart simplicity.

Though she did not care about the outcome of the interview, her beautiful eyes with an unusual grayish hue, were busily absorbing everything around her. She followed the woman down a corridor carpeted in dark green. There were framed photographs of the company's products and factories in Batangas and Singapore.

They stopped at a door marked "Kim A. Fajardo, Sales Director". They were greeted by a girl probably of Mika's age, extremely pretty and bubbly.

"Good morning. I'm Desiree Cheng, Miss Fajardo's secretary. She is on an overseas phone call at the moment. Please have a seat for a while." As she guided them to the nearby sofa.

"Thank you."

"I'll leave you to Miss Des, Miss Mika." The woman from Personnel handed a folder to Desiree and then retreated, having completed her job of escorting Mika to the director's offices. "Good luck, Mrs. Ravena."

"Thank you", Mika said, this time to her well-wisher. The half-hour she had spent with the personnel manager had gone well, and if her interview with Kim Fajardo would go well, maybe she would soon be taking over from her present secretary.

But did she really want this job? Did she really want to become the secretary to the Sales Director of the Company? Did she want to work in Manila, away from her family and friends? Did she want to leave her comfort zone?

There was no doubt her parents want this for her. She sighed inwardly... a little sigh of resignation. She was here more for her parent's desire than her own. Much as they love her, her parents want her to leave Baguio, a city where she had lived all her life.