Bakit 'Di Na Lang Totohanin? (ALDUB-inspired)

Twenty-Three

DISCLAIMER: — see first chapter —

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know, I know, I'm too late for Valentine's Day, but I didn't get any inspiration to write about it until after it happened. I wasn't even planning on including any major 'holiday' celebration in this story, but I need to get the ball rolling on Ike wooing Maine, so Valentine's Day kinda gave me that excuse to get it started...

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XXIII.

Omnipresent POV

THINGS ARE BACK TO NORMAL AT WORK once again. Maine and Alden obviously patched whatever rift it was that happened to their relationship ever since Maine received that promotion to a different department. Also, Maine finally worked up the courage to tell Ike 'no' whenever he brings the subject of overtime up after regular office hours. She told him she'd only agree to one or two OTs a month and that was that; she specifically requested to not be called in to work on her weekends off unless it was a matter of life or death situation.

Valentine's Day was just around the corner. Everyone at work was excited and busy at the same time. February 14th was one of the firm's busiest times of the year, mainly because quite a lot of corporations are cashing in on the Valentine's Day hoopla so a lot of businesses wanted to advertise their products to lure potential consumers to snagging their wares.

Valentine's Day also marked the start of countless 'Secret Admirers' trying to win the hearts of the ones their hearts desire.

Maine watched the usual lovelorn assistants leaving candies, cards and flowers on their loved one's desk thinking they were the stealthiest being out there. And the sad part was in as much as they wanted to remain anonymous, sometimes the person they were leaving secrets to already knew who the sender was but chose not to confront their so-called 'admirer' kesyo ayaw nilang masaktan ang feelings nung tao o 'di kaya eh pahiyain sa harap ng mga fellow co-workers nila.

Maine was busy typing up a memorandum when Ryzza from the Mail Room stopped by her desk and dropped a large package covered in shiny red wrapper complete with a red and gold bow tie with a matching card. On the envelope her name was written in an impressive calligraphy.

"Kanino galing 'to?" Maine asked after she picked up and examined the box.

"Malay ko," shrugged Ryzza. "I just found it in my cart after I finished sorting today's mails to be handed out," she answered.

"Madalas bang meron na lang nag-iiwan sa cart mo ng package to be delivered?"

"If it's a gift and it's around this time of the year? Yeah, maraming mga 'Secret Admirers' dito sa building na ayaw magpa-huli kung sino ang type nila so they just casually drop their gift to whoever they want to be their Valentine sa mga setup na mail carts," Ryzza explained.

"I see, well, thanks for this," Maine smiled and set the gift aside.

Ryzza was intrigued by her reaction to the gift. She has delivered a lot of gifts to people around the office who came from their secret admirers and Maine's reaction was by far the oddest one she has encountered.

"Hindi mo man lang babasahin yung card?"

"What for? The person who sent it most likely didn't leave his or her name so why bother?"