Night Life in Tokyo

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I seated properly like a nursery student while waiting for him. Paulit-ulit ko namang pinipigilan ang pagkuyakoy ng binti ko. Sumasabay din ang malalalim kong paghugot ng hininga na hindi ko naman maiwasan matapos ang engkwentro namin kanina ng aking boss. That's so weird for me to think about it. I should only be the boss of my life but this is different... but I can still make that happen.

A Mercondia always finds a way.

Hindi nagtagal ay naririnig ko na ang mabibigat na yabag ng paa niya. Though the floor is carpeted and the sound might not be that loud, maririnig ko pa rin ang yabag gayong malaking tao ang lalaking ito. Ibang malaking bagay din ang tumatambay sa isip ko.

When I finally saw him na balot na balot this time, he looks very formal this time. He's only wearing a plain white polo shirt and a pair of denim jeans. Bakat ang hulma ng dibdib niya. Mukhang matigas-tigas. Maayos din ang pagkakaayos ng buhok nito. He took his time brushing it up. Makintab din at kahit ilang distansya pa ang meron kaming dalawa ay amoy ko na iyong gamit niyang hair gel product. He's a very sophisticated man.

Sinundan ko siya ng tingin mula nang makalabas siya ng hallway at saka naglakad siya sa harapan ko. He has this lazy, tiger look that freaks me out inside. Hindi ko ma-gets kung happy ba siya or galit. I can't read his face... so indistinguishable.

Pinatong niya ang kamay niya sa backrest ng couch at tinitigan ako. Nginitian ko naman siya at agad niyang iniwas ang tingin niya at saka tumungo sa table kung saan nakapatong ang bote ng whiskey and wine. Nanlaki pa ang mga mata ko ng makaligtaan ko ang baso ko ro'n. He stared at it like something happened. Mga ilang segundo rin iyon ng kinuha niya 'yong nakataob na baso at nagsalin ng whiskey sa kanyang baso.

"What's your name again?" he questioned, turning his head back to me. Uminom siya ng kaunti at nilasap niya iyon sa kanyang labi.

"Seilaverne Mercondia," pagpapakilala ko. "But you can call me Lav."

"Love?" he raised his brow.

Umiling naman ako. "No, sir. It's L with an A and V. Not L, O, V, and E. But if you'd like to call me love, there's no problem with that. Everyone loves me, I can assure you that." Muntik pa akong mapahagikgik. Mabuti na lang ay naagapan ko pa ang sarili ko. He can't fire me or else babalik ako sa Pinas.

"I guess I'll still with Lav," he said then nodded his head. Tumungo na siya sa direksyon ko at umupo sa swing couch na nasa tapat ko. Tinungga niya ang laman ng baso at pinatong iyon sa center table. "I would like to know you Lav."

"I do, too," ngiti ko pa. "I would also like to know who will I be working for."

"Great," he said.

Napakunot-noo naman ako. He sounds so fluent in English that I'm already questioning him in my head. But maybe they really had a good education here in Japan kaya nakakapagsalita siya ng English. And that's okay na siya ang mag-adjust sa akin. I have the advantage here at mukhang hindi naman talaga required para sa kanya.

"So where do I start?" I asked.

"Whatever you want," he said then rest his back on the couch then extends his arms sideways kasabay ng pag-cross ng legs nito. 

Is he inviting me for something? Or he's just being bossy to me?

I cleared my throat at hinawi ko patalikod ang buhok. I flaunt a smile, not in a seducing way. Pormal lang. Gandang pambudol ika nga. 

"People called me Seila but prefer to be called Lav so you should, too. I'm 22, perfect, and young. There's nothing special about me but I graduated Cum Laude from a prestigious school in the Philippines. I'm smart so you don't have to worry about me on other things. I could be dumb rarely but that's just normal for some people, right? And... yes, this would be my first job."