Accrued Interest

Chapter Four

SHOWING TRUST is equivalent to a display of vulnerability. It is about keeping the confidence of feeling physically and emotionally safe around someone. Trust is frail and fragile and giving it easily is not Lea's cup of tea.

Ironic as it may sound but she actually works in a company that seeks and values people's trust for 10 years now. From being CPA, advancing to being a manager, and now she's in the Top Management. She did all that by trusting no one but herself. She wouldn't have made it to the top of the ladder if she believed the flowery and sugar-coated words of her colleagues, saying they want to be friends or they want to be close to her. She wasn't born yesterday not to know that their intentions are only to pull her down to the bottom. She's always been cautious, serious, professional, and matured. Her number one rule in life- above her four NO rules- is "Trust no one".

So why on earth is she sitting inside the car of the top lister in her "do not trust list"?: STRANGER!

Aga- yes his name is Aga- pressed the horn five times, irritated at the car in front of them which drives super slow as if it is being driven by a sick old woman.

"So fvcking slow!" He muttered.

Lea winced and gasped slightly. No to bad words, please. She badly wants to say that out loud but she chose to remain silent.

"You're so quiet. So silent. Are you always like that?" He said.

She didn't answer, still not looking at the man beside her. Her eyes on the road in front of them. They've been driving in silence for about five minutes now and she just can't believe she's letting this happen. She can't believe she let the shock and surprise get the better of her when he was dragging her to the car. She did not resist.

"Stop the car. Pullover. Bababa ako!" She heard herself say quietly. Her voice is not as solid as it was before. It's like all the courage and strength have left her body. This is the first time she has ever attempted to speak. She's definitely not acting normally.

"You know, we have to talk." He said calmly and quite smugly.

She looked at him. For the first time, she really looked at him. Very handsome profile with his hair a bit tousled and messy because of the rain. His white wet long-sleeve shirt is sticking to his Adonis-type body. He's like a model that came fresh out of a Cosmopolitan magazine- it's not like she reads those.

"Not today. Not in the car." Lea finally replied after checking him out.

"We're just going to talk, Miss Ocampo. What's wrong with talking in the car?" He said, glancing at Lea for a second then fixing his eyes on the road.

Aga turned the car heater on. It was like a flash, quick as thought, Lea didn't even have the chance to blink twice when Aga removed his wet shirt from his body. He has taken off his shirt!!! Why is he topless???

Lea might have broken her neck when she quickly tried to divert her gaze from him. She did her best to return her eyes from their normal size after widening in a way they have never done before. She looked straight on the road as well and pretended not to care.

"Can you please be proper and put some shirt on to cover your body?" Lea said, quite shakily.

"My shirt is wet. I don't want to get sick. What's the problem with that? It's not like you have never seen a naked man before." He said, raising a brow.

Lea gulped. Hindi pa nga. Lea thought. Well, of course, she has already seen some in prints and on-screen. Hindi naman mapipigilan yun but never in person at lalo nang ganito kalapit. But she will never let this man know so she faced him fully. Trying her best not to bat an eye and resisting herself and her eyes not to travel down his naked body no matter how curious she is.