The Business Rivalry

Chapter 1

🦪

Rayni

"Miss Fuentes, you currently have a total of thirty-seven unread emails waiting for you in your inbox." My friend/sister/secretary/executive assistant said.

"Okay, I'll check it later."

"Earlier today, I received a call from Mr. Lance Palma, who informed me that Miss Remi had expressed interest in scheduling a meeting to discuss the upcoming fundraising event." Minsan lang akong tawagan ni Remi regarding work so I'm intrigued.

"I'll give him a call at this moment to address the matter, thank you."

I reach for my phone and dial his number without delay, na agad niya din namang sinagot after the third ring.

"Good day, this is Lance speaking."

"Good day, Lance. This is Rayni."

"Hey, I'm glad to have finally reached you. Remi here." Sounds like nasa sasakyan sila, malamang on the way sa sched ni Remi.

"Great, so just to confirm, you would like to schedule an appointment with me, is that correct?" I need to know the details as soon as possible, as I am currently short on time and cannot engage in casual conversation.

"Always straight to the point." Remi chuckled. "Do you have any availability scheduled for this Friday at eight a.m.?"

"I'm sorry, but I currently have a lot on my plate. But, I may be able to accommodate you for a brief period of around twenty minutes. Would that work for you?" Knowing her, twenty minutes is too much. Napaka busy din naman nitong babaeng 'to, e.

Remi is a highly acclaimed musician who's widely recognized for her exceptional talent and contribution to the music industry.

Sa sobrang famous, hindi mo mareach. Char lang. Mabait naman siya hindi katulad ng ibang sikat na personalities na feeling entitled.

"Okay, I know I can count on you. And one more thing..." She stopped for a second. "The meeting will involve three individuals, including yourself and my, uh, she's my close friend who happens to be a CEO."

She, huh? I want to ask the name but I remember hindi ko pala naaalala mga pangalan ng mga ano. I'll just find out this Friday kung sino siya. 

"As long as she doesn't stare at me the whole meeting then, it's fine." Pero kung maganda naman siya, edi gora lang. HAHAHAH.

"You can rest assured that everything will be handled smoothly." She made a clicking sound with her tongue, which was followed by a deep sigh. "So, my place?" 

"I prefer not to have my name associated with yours and become the topic of discussion throughout the day. It would be better if we could arrange a meeting at my office." I've been inundated with a myriad of rumors at ayoko nang dagdagan pa. At least kapag dito siya pumunta iisipin nilang business ang pag-uusapan namin.

Dito pa naman sa Pinas kapag public figure ka at may nakakita sa 'yo sa labas with someone, Ili-link ka kaagad. Eh, may pagkaclingy pa naman 'to si Remi na hindi alam ng publiko. Though the public has knowledge that Remi and I know each other.

I acknowledge that my name carries a certain 'playgirl' reputation, which can make it challenging for anyone to be associated with me, particularly for individuals with a reputation to maintain like Remi, who is known for their impressive achievements and status in their field.

"Okay, fine. Thank you so much, Rayni."

"Don't mention it. It was the least I could do." After a conversation, we disconnected the call from each other's line.