Down On Your Knees

BACKUP PLAN

CHAPTER 5

“Oh, my legs and feet are killing me!" Samira's face grimaced in pain, "Why do I need to walk the entire footage of this 10-floor edifice in one damned day?” Samira mumbled, kicking off her four inches heeled shoes below her desk. Her feet were sore, and there were blisters on her balls and pinky toes. Those were red like ripe cherry tomatoes. 

The pain she was experiencing was enough to bring out the worst in her.

Andi reminded her earlier about the change of shoes if she preferred; however, she declined with reliance on her comfortable Italian shoes. She thought it could hold the pressure of the long walk, but she wasn’t expecting the stretch —about a mile long, and it took her 2,000 steps or more before her ruthless, all-knowing, and cold mentor finally decided she had seen enough.

"Damn, Andi, for making me do this facility inspection all in one day" Her statement came out like a hiss.

Samira seethed while imagining Andi was laughing at her at the moment for her stubbornness. She wished to knock his pretty face down on the floor. However, at the moment, she couldn't cross him. Andi was still a part of her master plan.

Just as she was about to press the button to ask Noel to come inside her office with an ointment or something and a hot compress for her aching insteps and soles, a soft knock on the door stopped her finger from landing on the button. 

“Who is it?” She snarled. 

 The doorknob turned, and the door opened. Noel's head peeped on the slightly opened door.

“Hi miss, may I come in?” Noel was carrying a tray in his hands 

“Sure,” Samira muttered irritatedly. Her eyebrows formed a straight line. She wasn't mad at Noel but she couldn't stop being grumpy since her feet were painful.

“Miss, Mr. Mendez asked me to bring you these,” Noel showed her the ointment, pain medicine, and the hot compress bags.

The hell… Andi knew?! She exhaled hard. 

Samira suffered mid-way the stretch. She didn't complain a bit while walking even if she was dying from the pain in her legs and feet. “s**t, that sexy watchdog!” she cursed Andi silently. "I would bury him alive if he was not part of my plan and he was not as sexy as hell." 

She hesitated to complain earlier because Andi and some managers were walking beside her comfortably, none of them appeared bothered by the long walk... Even if Samira wanted to beg for them to stop, she didn't dare to do it. She could still remember Andi's words, "Make a good impression on your first day." 

Samira took the pain medicine in Noel's hand. Her face had evidence of smoldering rage inside her.

Noel hesitated when he saw how upset she was.

“M-miss...W-would you like me to m-massage your feet and apply the ointment?” Noel stuttered. 

Samira scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Fine!”

“Okay, ma’am!” Her effeminate secretary gladly took a stool, sat on it, raised her legs, and slowly applied pressure massage on her feet. 

Samira leaned back to her chair comfortably and closed her eyes. She relished the soothing strokes of Noel’s hand on her legs and feet, calming her tired legs and easing her anger.

After several minutes of massage on her feet and while Noel was placing the hot compress bag on her insteps, the door suddenly opened. Stunned, Samira and Noel's heads turned towards the direction of the door.

Andi moved his way towards them. His eyes were fixed on Noel. His bottomless black eyes were focused on Noel’s hands-on Samira’s legs, although his expression changed a few seconds after it appeared. He masked his emotions as fast as a gust of wind. His face settled in the end with a blank expression.

Did Andi just think, Noel and herself were doing something naughty or he didn't like Noel touching her? Samira was amused. She could definitely do the naughty thing but not with Noel. Andi would be her target!

"Oh well, you are not immune to my charm, sexy watchdog!" She silently rejoiced. 

Why would Andi have a say on whoever was touching her? Samira's annoyance was replaced by glee. 

She might have a chance even if Andi was too formal and cold.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” 

Andi didn't bother to answer her question; instead, he said, “You may rest. I’ve canceled your appointment for 4:30. I have arranged for the chauffeur to bring you home,” Andi informed her. His deep voice sounded in the room.

“That’s lovely!” she sighed.

Noel was frozen on the spot with his hands still on her legs, his eyes not blinking a bit. He was not able to recover from the rage he saw in Andi’s eyes a while ago.

“Noel, I'm alright now," He moved and applied the ointment on her pinky toes. 

"Email me the officers' names and their positions and scope of work. I will study them at home. Also, kindly order me a few boxes of business cards,” Samira requested.

Before Noel could respond, Andi uttered first, “The list is in your mailbox, and the business cards will be here tomorrow.”

Very efficient! Samira muttered silently. She wondered what could be the services Andi provided for his other client? Andi appeared all-seeing. He knew everything.

Samira felt Noel had brought her feet on the ground, which he had placed on his knees while massaging them. 

Andi gave a small paper bag from a known boutique to Noel, "Let her wear this." he ordered coldly.

Noel pulled out a pair of two inches high, nude color slip-on sandals. 

Samira was just watching the two men.

He chuckled silently, realizing she was so right. Andi knew how to handle everything, including providing her with more comfortable shoes. Would he also order a replacement for her torn underwear if the situation calls for it? Samira's face lit up, followed by a naughty smirk. "Damn my thoughts over this man."

But no matter how amused she was, Samira was still mad at Andi for making her walk a mile-long stretch.

“Impressive! Thank you.” She complimented him with a hint of sarcasm. 

“My pleasure,” Andi commented with a face so hard to read.

“In that case, I will leave now! Ask the driver to wait for me at the lobby driveway,” Sami ordered Noel. A small smile arched her lips. Going home early would give her more time to prepare for later. Andi didn't know about her plan for the night.

“I hope you will rest early as we have a supplier meeting tomorrow. I will come to pick you up at the same time as today,” Andi informed her.

The slight arch on Samira’s lips faded.

“Why so early?” She complained. 

Samira had yet to adjust to the Philippine time zone. Her body was craving New York time; being up and awake at 6 a.m. was hard for her. It was the end of her day if she was in New York. The 12-hour difference made it difficult for her to sleep at night in Manila. “Damn,” she screeched silently.

“Do I need to explain again, miss?” Andi muttered with furrowed brows.

The intensity in his eyes told her not to press on the issue further.

“s**t, this watchdog! So difficult to assess what's inside his head."

“Fine!” She agreed, her lips went in one direction.

Andi accompanied her to the elevator and down to her car. After assuring that she was alright, he let the chauffeur bring her home. He didn’t have the slightest idea of what was in Samira’s mind, but he was bothered by the curved on her lips and the twinkle in her eyes that he saw earlier. 

His war mission against the naughty and bitchy lady had to render him in full alert all the time. Andi took his phone and sent a message to her bodyguards, tailing her car at the moment. “Code YELLOW tonight!” was the content of Andi's message. Code yellow was the second to code red.

At the same time, Samira sent a message to her friend, "See you later!"

Samira had just completed her third-year college education when she went to New York. She didn’t graduate in the Philippines, but she finished a business course in New York. Subconsciously, she ended up with a business major without thinking about the family business.

It took her some time to finish her studies. Most of the units she took in college in Manila weren't credited, but just the same, she completed the entire four-year course, using the money left by her parents. Not a cent she took from her grandfather. Samira also had several part-time jobs to make ends meet while she studied.

Samira's life abroad was decent but not the life she was accustomed to. It was no comparison to her life in her home country, living like a princess, a senorita. Whereas abroad, she learned how to watch over kids, clean houses, do transcriptions for medical professionals, and a lot more. Samira did anything that could earn her decent money.

Her wealthy friends were kind enough to give her work to do. Although, Samira knew that behind her back, they were talking about her stupid decisions in life. A senorita like her, heir to a multi-million business empire, yet she settled to live away from home and do mundane work. 

With all the hardships she went through, she remained firm in her decision never to return home. Samira liked her simple life. She wasn't dreamy about relationships or thinking that every relationship was based on love, but she wouldn’t be obligated to marry someone she wasn't attracted to.

Until her grandfather had a heart attack. It changed her decision not to see him, but she remained adamant about the issue of marriage. Although she knew that the wedding preparation was in full swing, she knew that she would find a way to get out of the foolish traditional matchmaking.

One of her schemes was partying all night and drinking lots and lots of liquor until she crawled to come home. Samina was aware it was foolish and insane, but at least this way, she has full control of her life. She wouldn't stand in one corner and watch other people ruin her life for her. 

Marrying someone she never met was absurd. What if that person was a s*x-addict? She shivered when she thought of sleeping with a man she couldn’t stomach. The thought also brought her back to the awkward experience seven years ago.

“At least I know that the man was sexy and good-looking enough,”  she recalled jargoned images of their one-night s****l exploits, although she still couldn’t recall his facial features. Her mind was telling her she was attracted to him at least to offer him s*x.

Goosebumps crawled on her skin instantly. She still couldn't believe that she was the one who initiated intimacy.

“Where the hell was that man? Our paths didn’t cross again after that night—“

While engrossed in her thoughts, her phone buzzed. 

Pressing the green button, she heard a friend bellowing, “Samirrrra!”

“Gosh! That was so loud, Trina!” She complained

Laughing, Trina whispered, “I am so sorry! I was just so thrilled to see you again,”

“We just saw each other three months ago,” when Trina went to New York for her annual splurging, draining the limits of Trina's cards while inside New York's finest boutiques. The wealthy lady was entitled to a yearly shopping spree as a daughter of a rich politician. She enjoyed privileges like shopping, traveling to the best places, and even reserving entire resorts or flying a jet exclusive for her friends. She was revoltingly rich, just like most of Samira’s friends.

“Fine, snobby heir, we will see you tonight. Timothy will bring us to the best exclusive bar in town. He’s a member. Let's paint the town red!” Trina excitedly informed her.

Another wealthy heir was their friend Timothy, handsome and sexy, with a body of a Greek God; however, he preferred his kind. No way Samira would get horny with him, even if he told her a long time ago that if Samira would sleep with him, he might find himself bisexual. It was a long-time joke between them.

Samira told him they better remain as friends, and they did. No matter how good and sensual the both of them appeared on any bar's dance floor, nothing s****l happened to them. 

“Cool! I will see you later. Send me the directions.” Samira smirked.

In her thoughts, it was time to experience the life that she was accustomed to and most of all…for her backup plan.

If Andi would be difficult to handle...she would find another man. Samira was pressed for time and she was desperate.