Maginoong Medyo Bastos

Chapter Five

TRIGGER WARNING:  sexual harassment

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"I don't want to work with him!" Vannessa said the moment Lee walked into the pantry to follow her. Halos padabog niyang isinalin ang kanyang baso sa coffee maker bago nagbuntonghininga.

Nakita niyang napaikot ng mga mata ang kaibigan bago kumuha ng isang tasa ng kape. "Parang nagpakilala lang 'yong tao, Van," tugon nito, bakas ang pagkairita sa boses.

She breathed deeply before looking at him. "I saw him in the bar last night."

Kaagad naman siyang pinagtaasan ng kilay nito. "Then?"

She pursed her lips before opening her mouth again. Her brows were already furrowed as she recalled everything that she saw last time. "Dancing with that Janica Gutierrez Villareal," she added.

"So what?" Magkasalubong na rin ang mga kilay ni Lee nang binalingan siya nito ng tingin. "What's wrong with that? We do that everytime we go in the bar, Vannessa, but that doesn't make us awful people."

Nag-iwas ng tingin si Vannessa bago napanguso. She could feel the hard thudding of her heart against her chest, remembering what she had seen in the bar, weighing her immense feelings and what had happened. She hated that Lee was right. She was being unfair, and she couldn't help but continue acting unfair.

She let out a sigh before staring at her coffee, nibbling on her lip. She could feel her heart pounding hard, and her cheeks heating up as she thought of the words to say, words to defend herself. Out of dismay, she found nothing. She knew she was wrong, and she hated to admit it.

There could be a huge chance that she was just overreacting with all the Jax thing. After all, Jax Dela Fuerte had no controversial issues under his sleeves, at least according to what Venice sent her. Nonetheless, Vannessa wasn't the kind of person who would change her mind just like that. She needed to see for herself. She just couldn't trust that easily.

Tumabi sa kanya si Lee bago sumandal sa counter, nakatingin sa kanya. "I understand your frustrations, Van. I also don't want anything bad to happen to you. Ayokong mangyari iyong nangyari noon, but please just give him a chance to prove himself? If he turns out to be someone we don't want, then ako mismo ang mauunang susuntok sa kanya, I promise you."

Natawa siya sa sinabi nito tsaka pinagtaasan ng kilay ang kaibigan. "Naks, susuntukin mo talaga?" nakangising tanong niya rito. "I bet you find him attractive. Kaya mo kaya?"

Lee grinned before looking at his long nails, his lips forming into a long pout. "Kaka-mani ko lang. Sipa na lang pala," natatawa nitong tugon bago sinipa-sipa nang marahan ang hangin. "Hindi siya maliligtas ng gwapo niyang mukha, kahit ang cute-cute niya tingnan nang nakasalamin. And remember, marami kaming back-up mo. Gulpi siya sa 'min."

Vannessa grinned, shaking her head. She reached for her coffee mug before enjoying her cup of coffee, thinking.

Now that she was feeling a lot better, she was able to think more clearly about Jax. She would admit that she was rude a moment ago, and that she allowed her emotions to get the better off her. Yet, she still couldn't let it slip, especially when she remembered Brian Ting, her supposed-to-be model last time.

Hindi niya alam kung may pagkakamali rin ba siyang ginawa dahil may kaonting pagtitiwala ang ibinigay niya rito sa pagkakataong iyon. Hindi siya nagpa-background check at nagtiwala lang na matino itong lalaki. Afterall, as funny as it sounded, he looked harmless. That was the thing. People who could inflict the much harm could look the least harmful. Looks were deceiving, and Vannessa had learned her lesson.