Tamed By You

Chapter 9

I was fidgeting in my seat trying to focus on the basic questions that the interviewer is asking. I lost count on how many times I did lip-biting in this session. This isn't my first time doing a job interview but I don't know why this makes me fret. Is it because of the AC?

 Aivon was in the corner, boredly looking at us. I wasn't aware that he is allowed in here. I get that he's the son of the owner, and he's the future CEO of this station but isn't he is overusing his power? An interviewer is a man in his 30s and even with his age, Aivon's presence makes him nervous. 

"So, uhm... what's your uhm... weakness?" I notice how he glance at Aivon while spitting questions. 

"I've been into multiple part-time jobs before. I think one of the weaknesses that I observed to myself is my short patience..." I paused as I look at him. I saw Aivon shifted on his seat but still looked uninterested. "Toxic customers are one of my weaknesses since I have little to no patience for them. I hate people who think they are powerful than others and don't know what basic human decency is."

"And how do you work on that? Your job here is to assist an artist. If it happens that a "toxic" artist was assigned to you, how will you handle your temper?" He asked imitating how I stressed the word "toxic". 

I didn't even contemplate what I'll answer. I smiled before answering, "Whenever I feel like I want to slap the s**t out of them—" My eyes went wider when I realize what I just said. I heard Aivon snickered. I look at him and saw that he changed his seating position. Legs wide apart, elbows on his knees, he leans inwardly as his fingers from both hands intertwined. He's smirking and his eyes were directed into me.

Suddenly, I heard a beat coming from my chest. Slow but loud. Like a wild knock on the door, waiting for me to open and welcome it inside. I hear the interviewer cleared his throat.

"I-I mean..." I started, trying to calm myself. "Whenever I get to interact with toxic customers, I always try to remember that I need this job and goes along with the temper of the customer won't do any good to me." I always stick in my mind that if I'll lose this job, I'll also lose my opportunity to finish my study and to reach my goals."

I looked straight to the interviewer and saw him blink. He turns to Aivon who is now leaning on the backrest of the sofa. I didn't look at him and continue my lip-biting mannerism whenever I feel nervous. 

The interviewer stands in his seat and lends a hand to me, "You're hired! Congratulations!" 

I didn't receive his hands. His words haven't sunk in yet. I was staring at him, my mind is playing with me and asking my ears if I heard it correctly. When I realized that I am hired, I jump out in my seat and hugged him. 

"Yay! Thank you!" I am clinging my arms to him until I realize what I was doing. My smile faded and like a barehand that accidentally holds a hot object, I let go of him. "I'Im s-sorry, sir!" Once again, I go back to my lip-biting habit.

"I-It's okay, S-Sheina. You can start t-tomorrow," he answered while stuttering and gave me a hesitant smile.

"So, she's already hired, right? Let's go." I haven't had a chance to bid goodbye and tell him how grateful I was to be hired when Aivon dragged me out of the interview room. He sounded so pissed.

"Why do you have to drag me like that?" I annoyingly said when we left the room. I shake my hands so he could let go of me.

"Do you hug your employer on every job interview that you got hired?

My dolled-looking eyes turned into a chinky one and my brows wanted to meet each other. When I comprehended what he was talking about, I gave him an eye roll.

"Why do you care? What's wrong with hugging a person that made you happy?"

I heard him hissed. He didn't answer me, instead, he walks past through me and went straight to the glass door. I stared for a second on his back. What's wrong with this guy? 

I followed him to the exit door. I walk faster than usual so I can pass him. I saw the elevator door closing so I jogged towards it. 

"Wait, wait, wait!" I shout as I'm trying to get in into the elevator. Just when I stopped right in front of the elevator door, it closed already. I even hit it with my hand because of annoyance.

I have no other choice but to wait. I don't want to waste my energy going down by the stairs from the fifth floor to the ground floor. I crossed my arms and impatiently stand right in front of the elevator. I saw Aivon's reflection on the glass glued on the sides of the door. Both of his hands are on his pockets, and his eyes staring boredly at the door in front of us.

A minute had passed and I saw the elevator door open. The reason why I chase the door earlier is that I don't want to be with Aivon! The vigorousness of his presence makes me uncomfortable. His energy is so rough, something that doesn't compliment my tranquility.

We wait for people to go out and we both enter the elevator. Floor by floor, there are one or two persons who step out until we are the only ones left. A 5'11 boy and a 5'5 girl should be comfortably fit inside this four-cornered wall, however, I feel like it is too crowded... too small. I have no idea why my heart's running wildly and my breathing becomes deep and slow.

I stayed quiet since I have nothing to say. 

Silence...

Silence...

Silence...

Silen—Finally! The door slide open. I let out a loud and refreshing sigh. I walk straight to the exit and was welcomed by the hot blazing sun. I was born and grew up here in the Philippines, I should be used to it by now. Yet, it is extremely sultry and scorching, to the point that I wish to have a cold bath right after I stepped into our apartment.

My feet were about to bring me to the bus stop when I felt someone hold my wrist. I looked up only to see him staring at me. I raised my eyebrow.

"Let's eat. I'm hungry," he said without even showing any emotion.

" And since when have we ever been close?" I asked, not lowering down the arch of my eyebrow. "Eat by yourself. It's not that you can't eat without me."

He let go of me. That's it? THAT EASY?! I'm kind of annoyed. If he wants to eat with me, then he should persuade me, right? 

 I walk away from him while stomping my feet on every step. Is he bored? Why does he want to eat with me? And why did he helped me earlier? What's with him that he always pops up whenever I need help? I look back. My eyes search for him. I saw him slowly walking in the opposite direction. His hands are in his pocket, and his head is slightly in an upward position-- facing the sky.

Fine! I think being rejected isn't a big deal to him right? It's a good thing tho, I won't need to be guilty. He easily walks away. Maybe he doesn't really want to eat with me and just ask me out of courtesy. I don't care about what had gotten into his mind to ask me just a minute ago, I don't care if he just pities me that's why he always showed up whenever I'm in a bad position, I don't care if he helped me get this job.

"Would you like to eat with me? Is that so? Fine! My treat!" Before I knew it, I've already run back to him. I quickly turned on my back as I saw his shocked and amused face. "L-let's go. Before I change my mind!"

Why the H did I stuttered?!

*******************

"Eat it," I said as I give him an egg that is wrapped in an orange buttered which I pierced with a stick.

"What is that?" He asked while staring at it with a mix of curiosity and disgust. "Is this even edible—" I cut him off by forcing it into his mouth.

I looked at the street vendor and gave her a hesitant smile. "Sorry about that, this is the first time he eats 'kwek-kwek'." The old lady just gave me a light-hearted laugh, saying that it is okay and it's not a big deal.

When I asked him to eat with me, I thought of treating him with my favorite snacks. From their company, we went to the nearest park. There are a lot of street vendors who offer 'kikiam', 'seafood balls', 'kwek-kwek', 'chicken balls', and other popular Filipino street foods.

I saw him get a stick and a plastic cup. He jabs some kwek-kwek and puts it in his plastic cup. "It's good..." He was about to eat another one but I stop him. I reached out to the bottle of sauce and squeeze some into his cup. 

"That's kwek-kwek," he just gave me a nod and started eating. "Seriously? You haven't tried that? Where were you all this time?" He surely is a Filipino. What kind of Filipino haven't try eating Filipino snacks?!

"I grew up in states." My lips formed in an "o" shape, and I nod my head in slow motion. So that explains it.

"Try it with the sauce. It's better." I assured him and gave him a wink. "Try this too..." I jab into the newly cooked seafood and chicken balls to his cup.

I watch him eat it and I smiled when I saw his satisfied face.

"This is considered as a payment for helping me get that job!" I said as I chew my food.

"You don't need to do that. I didn't help you get that job. You did it yourself." He is still busy eating that he didn't even look at me when he answered.

I smiled... a genuine smile. The first real smile that I made while he is around. 

"Obviously, I was about to get rejected but you meddled, stormed inside the interview room without even knocking, tossed my resume at the interviewer's desk, and blatantly said that I am there for an interview," I said as a matter of fact.

 He gave me a smirk. His lips are reddish and a bit wet because of the sauce from his food. "I don't want my employees to be unjust. It is not fair that our company rejected you without even giving you a chance."

"So it is fair that you sat inside the interview room, making the interviewer nervous of your presence?"

"I was there to make sure that it will be handled fairly," he said in a defensive tone.

"Then why did you save me from drowning?" I asked when I remembered what he did.

"If there's someone drowning in front of you, will you not help?" He rhetorically asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I won't. I don't know how to swim." He looked at me with his judgmental eyes. "But of course, I will ask someone to help," I added, just to make the smell of judgment from him disappear. 

"How did you even pass 9th grade when you don't know how to swim," He once again asked. This time, I ignored it.

"Why did you meddle in our girl business way back there in the library?" I remembered the library scene with a slender girl.

"I was sleeping. I don't want to hear any noise."

"The shelf where I was was far from the tables. It is impossible that you got distracted at that distance."

"I have a very good hearing."

This guy would do everything just to build up his defense. "Whatever would make you sleep at night," I shrugged and let out a light laugh. My laugh faded quickly and it shifted to a genuine smile."Thank you..." I said as I turned to him with seriousness on my face. I gave him a warm smile to show my gratitude.

"I told you, you don't have to thank me." And there goes his cold aura again. But this time, I just answered him with a chuckle. Maybe I get used to his coldness that it doesn't bother me anymore.

"You're not that bad huh..." I whispered, but the afternoon wind and the silence of the place didn't help in maintaining it as a whisper. 

He just hissed on my comment. He went to the nearest trash bins and segregated his trash. I saw him pull something into his pocket. It is a small box, which is very familiar to me since I always saw it from my aunt. He taps out a stick of cigarette and lit it with his lighter. I saw him puff out a cloud of smoke.

I pay for our food and walk towards where he is. Just like him, I segregate my trash. He turned his head on me and he slightly moves backward. He stretches his hand that holds a cigar away from me. Trying to not let me inhale the smoke. As if that would make any difference.

"You smoke?" I regret asking that stupid question. Isn't it obvious, Sheina?

"I don't smoke often. Just when I'm... stress," he said as he puffs another smoke. Is eating street foods make you stressed?

"I don't like boys that smoke." Did I say it out loud? No, right? I only said it in my head.

Suddenly, I saw him extinguish the small fire on his stick and threw it straight into the bin. Oh, I did say it out loud.

"It's okay. I didn't intend to say it loudly. It just happened..." I explained.

"I remember that I have a meeting with my dad and the investors later. It would be inappropriate if I smell like a cigar. I didn't throw it because of you."

"Right..." I said, a bit embarrassed. Why would I think that he did it because of me? First, he helped me with all the bullying because it made him uncomfortable. He didn't do it because he cared about me.

"Let's go?"

I turned to him and made a confusing look. "Go where?  I already need to go home."

"That's where we're heading."

"What? I thought you need to attend a meeting?"

"Our meeting will be held early this evening. It's only four in the afternoon. I still got time," He said as he started walking to his car, assuming that I would follow.

"Then why did you throw your cigar?! It's not that it would smell after a couple of hours!" I shout just enough for him to hear it at this distance.

I saw him boredly turned his gaze on me. Without removing his eyes on mine, he pressed his car key and opened the door, ignoring what I said.

He tilts his head, motioning me to hop into his car. I hissed, even though he won't hear it. I jog towards where he is standing and stopped right in front of him. I didn't get inside. I'm waiting for him to answer me. If this would be our second staring contest, then be it. This time, I would assure him that there's no phone ringing that would distract me.

But before I can even start with my subjectively announced contest, he holds my small head like a ball with his huge hand, exerting enough force to pin my head down, allowing me to forcibly get in his car.

"What the— wai—" He closed the door of his Ford Mustang, and turned into the driver's seat to get in.

After he adjusted his seat, he buckled his seatbelt and finally turned his eyes on me— who is currently giving him dreadful glares. He just answered it with a boring look. He stared at me for a second and then he sighed. Like I'm the most troublesome person he ever met.

My breath hitched when he leaned closer to mine. I gulped my own saliva. From this gap, I can smell his manly perfume and his fresh shower gel. His neck almost touched my face while I'm trying hard to press myself on his car seat. He reached out for my belt and buckled it for me. He went back to his seat, start the car, and drove.

I think that was the longest 30 seconds of my life.

*******************

"I told you that you can drop me at the bus stop." I'm still annoyed at how he stubbornly asked my home address when I constantly told him that I will just take the bus.

"We're already here in front of your apartment yet, you still nags," he coldly replied.

"Fine, thanks!" I snorted and stepped out of his car. 

It's already a quarter to six. The glorious red-orange sun is slowly being covered with fluffy clouds. The sky is now on the verge of being swallowed by the dark. I closed my eyes as the refreshing wind brushed my face.

"Sheina!" My thoughts were cut off by a high-pitched voice that called my name. 

Wearing beige pumps, denim shorts, and a white shirt that was helped tucked in by the belt, aunt Magenta gracefully walks down and went straight to me.

I looked behind me and Aivon's car is still there. He hasn't left yet. 

Magenta hooked her arms on mine and gave me her sweetest smile. Ohh no. I don't really like what happens next when she gave me that smile.

"Who was that?" She whispered at me. She probably saw me stepping out of Aivon's car.

"Where are you going at this hour? Isn't it too early to leave for your work?" I asked, trying to divert her attention.

But, she's Magenta Guevara. None can steal her attention, especially that a white shiny Ford Mustang is parking in front of our apartment's building. 

Before I can even stop her, she already walks towards Aivon with her hips shifting side by side and her hands swaying with it with her every step.

Aivon gets off of his car when he saw my aunt on the sides of his window. I mentally slap my palm on my forehead. What am I gonna do?

"Hi, may I know who you are?" My aunt says without even trying to hide the excitement in her voice.

"Hi, I'm Aivon," he respectfully lends his hand, and my aunt lends hers. Aivon holds my aunt's hand as he slightly bowed his head and guided the back of my aunt's palm in his forehead. 

I thought he grew up in the states? So, he still knew about Filipino culture huh. He even does the honoring-gesture of "pagmamano". It is a Filipino culture conducted as a sign of respect to the elders. It is similar to hand-kissing. Only that, you don't kiss the hand rather, you pressed your forehead on the back of the hand.

"What a gentleman! You will surely be a great boyfriend of my niece." I almost choked on what I heard.

I looked at Aivon's expression and he just gave my aunt a lighthearted laugh. He's different in front of my aunt. Or maybe that's how he acts in front of the elders? Is his cold behavior only for people our age?

"Aunt, stop it! We're just... schoolmates," I answered hesitatingly. It would be awkward if I choose the term acquaintance because we are not. And we're definitely NOT friends. Then, schoolmates would be the right term.

"You know what, we should invite your schoolmate inside. I'll cook!" My eyes widened at her suggestion.

No way! No no no no!

I can't imagine the sight of our small apartment with Aivon seating on our five-year-old worn-out sofa with the smell of my aunt's cigarette. Even he does smoke, so the smell of cigarettes won't be a big deal to him still, I won't let him went inside our apartment! Plus, what would my aunt cook?! Our fridge was better plugged off because it rarely has food to store!

Okay Sheina, calm the F down. You don't need to worry too much because Aivon would definitely turn down my aunt's offer. He has a meeting to attend! I'm sure he won't forget about that.

"That sounds good! Rejecting the food offered is not my thing," he said as he gave me side glances and smiled boyishly at my aunt.

WHAT?!

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Tamed by You

by: Joanne Cristel

©2021