"Ballsie, nice to meet you. I'm Dylan." Dylan extended his hand and introduced himself.
"Ahem, Ballsie. Introduce yourself," Manang Susan cleared her throat and elbowed Ballsie so she can come back to her senses.
"I-I am sorry po. Ah, nice to meet you, Dylan. I mean, Sir Dylan. M-mm-my name is Barbara, but you can just call me Ballsie." She extended her hand in return and Dylan grasped her soft hand firmly.
Dylan felt her uneasiness; her nerves were palpable, and he couldn't fault her for feeling anxious because he felt the same way to a certain degree. Even though she was related to Nanay Sue, he still felt nervous to meet her. In fact, he had butterflies in his stomach for days although he did not show it. As she stood in front of him, he looked at her with child-like curiosity, coyly evaluating her from her head to toe.
She was wearing a white button-down linen shirt, acid washed denim jeans, and white tennis shoes that definitely had seen better days. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and you could tell from her face that she was tired from the long hours of her travel. It was also not lost on him that she was checking him out too. He caught her quickly glancing on what he was wearing and saw the little smirk she made once their eyes met. Her stare was piercing, and it felt inexplicably good to receive such a gaze.
"Nice to meet you, Ballsie. Well, I won't beat around the bush. I like certain things to be done around here. I am very particular, and I don't like people getting into my business and personal space. I am fair and just, but if you slack off, I won't hesitate to let you go. I don't care if you are related to Nanay Sue, if you don't carry your own weight around here, then I will fire you," Dylan managed to say authoritatively.
"Aaahh, o-ok po, Sir Dylan. Noted po." Ballsie bowed her head and nervously replied as she held her fingers together.
"Nanay Sue will show you around, so you better take notes. I don't like incompetence and I don't like unnecessary and stupid questions, you understand? Now, if you ladies would excuse me, I have other things that I need to do. Nay, show her the ropes, ok?" Dylan ordered as he walked away from the conversation.
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As Dylan went to his room, he let out a breath he did not realize he was holding. He took off his suit jacket, loosened and removed his tie, and unbuttoned his dress shirt. He did not drink his usual afternoon coffee, but his heart is palpitating.
"Phew, breathe in, breathe out. Dylan, what is wrong with you? I might've gone overboard with giving her instructions." He quietly reflected as he sat down on his bedroom couch and massaged his neck.
"Hmm, Ballsie. What an interesting name," Dylan pondered as he completely took off his shirt. He couldn't pinpoint what it was with her that he found intriguing. All he knew was that she felt familiar.
"Dylan, get a grip! Of course, she would feel familiar since she is Nanay Sue's niece. Don't think too much of it."
He shook his head, stood up, and removed his pants. Wearing just his boxers, Dylan went straight to his ensuite bathroom and took a cold shower.
