Ms. Writer and the Billionaire Playboy

Chapter 11

Chelsie

SHE WAS DEEP IN THOUGHTS slouched in chair, book in her hand, her body towards the beautiful glass view of the beach from afar. She was in that way when she heard soft knocks in her door, nasa office na ipinagawa para sa kaniya, nakatayo si Matt, in his normal gray shirt and shorts, like a kid waiting to enter.

“Can I come in?” he has a stash of papers in his hand.

He seemed to have already filled up her questionnaire.

Napatango siya. “Come in, Matt.” Ugh, the Matt thing is really awkward no matter what.

He handed her over some papers. He seemed content, like he has passed some assignment.

“Do you need anything else?” anito.

Napaisip siya. She has read somewhere that she could have some reference people. Will Matt allow it.

“Naisip ko lang, kung puwede, puwede kong makausap yung iilan sa mga kakilala mo? Like interview them too? Do you like something like that?”

She saw the sudden shift of coldness in his face. A sudden jolt, as if he was took by surprise.

“I don’t think so, maybe they will give another wired view of me, filled with other motives? Who knows? Baka maiba pa ang storya.”

“Just a suggestion,” singhap at bawi niya. From the looks of it, he was so against it. Maybe, he doesn’t have good relations with his family?

Medyo nalungkot siya ng maisip iyon. She was close with her family and if may gagawa ng kuwento ng buhay niya, gusto niyang interviewhin ang pamilya niya dahil may trust naman siya na pangangalagaan siya ng pamilya niya. But maybe for Matt, it was a different story? Or maybe she should have read the papers he handed before speaking about her suggestion? God, she was so dumb.

“I gotta go,” napa-atras ito, reviewing her.

“Thank you,” napalabi siya.

“I’ll leave you to it, I might be away tonight, but I’ll be back again, maybe tomorrow?”

Napatango-tango siya. Maybe that question has really has an effect on him, that he wanted to immediately unwind somewhere else?

She was left alone again, with the papers in her hand. She has to do some deep reading.

Nakasulat doon ang iilan sa kasaysayan ng buhay ni Matt. It was well written, his words were short but concise, just the right punch for any reader to be glued in his world.

She started to write notes in her notebook, extracted from the things he has written in the paper. From his childhood and how he rose through the family circumstances that they have dealth with. His fathers death. How he has lost an un-named loved one, a woman he loved at the same time he lost his father. He didn’t elaborate why that loved one left him, and she didn’t know wether this is a route she can dig into. Should she?

Binasa niya ang kabanata kung saan halos palubog na ang Vallejo Lines, kung saan aagawin na sana ito ng tiyuhin ng pamilya. But Matt recalled how he fought for it, kung paano sya nagpagod para maitaguyod ang kompanya habang pinapaaral ang dalawang nakakabatang kapatid.

Matt became the bread winner, more or so… that was what the paper poured into, how he was able to push through the top, with the guidance of some few people around him. He mentioned as well the pure love of his mother, who has stayed with them despite the grief of losing her husband.

Medyo napaluha siya ng mabasa ang parte na namatay ang papa nito. Parang sa childhood section kasi nito ay malapit ito sa ama, malimit na dalhin ng ama si Matt noon sa golf, o di kaya’y sa tennis at equestrian games nito. He recalls his father very fondly through his words. Nalaman din niya na sa mga kapatid nito, si Carter itong mabiro, at si Logan naman na bunso ang genius at seryoso. They must have been a very happy family until his father was swindled, and there was a looming bankruptcy and followed by a death.

Maybe it was all too heavy to take, and maybe, she was starting to think, that how Matt is acting might just be an effect of his hard and traumatic experience from before. He was trying to compensate his lost young adult life, and now that he has things settled for, he is enjoying his time with women. O baka nga na-traumatised din ito sa pag-ibig.

Matapos ng ilang oras na pag te-take note sa laptop at sa notebook niya ay naisipan niyang pagpahingain muna ang mata niya. She didn’t notice it was already time for dinner, and Ate Heidi eventually softly called on her to join in with the dinner served.

Napansin niyang wala si Matt. Totoo ang sinabi nitong bukas na ito babalik. Nagkuwentuhan sila ni Heidi, tungkol sa pamilya nito at sa pamilya rin niya. Hindi pa rin niya nahahalata na mukhang may nakita itong kakaiba sa salas.

Pagkatapos ng hapunan ay nagpasiya siyang magpahangin muna sa porch entrance ng beach house. Naka-upo siya doon dala ang mainit na tsaa. Gussto niyang tapusin ang libro na binabasa niya. May ilang minuto rin silang nagtawagan ng pamilya niya…

Muntik na niyang makalimutan ang presensiya ni Apollo ng bigla siyang mapatili, may biglang lumundag at parang tinapik ang likuran niya sa bench na inu-upuan niya.

It was Apollo’s paws, who appeared magically from nowhere, his white paws softly padded against her, nudging her to pay attention. Itinaliwalas niya ang tingin, pinatong ang libro sa gilid at tiningnan niya sa mata si Apollo. She smiled.

“Oh, how are you?” napalingon-lingon siya sa paligid, no one is around. Surely, Matt has left Apollo’s care to Heidi.

Apollo’s eyes shined, na para bang naintindihan siya nito. He made some sounds, as if talking to her. She laughed at his cuteness, Apollo huddled around her legs, like waiting for her to stroke his fur. And she did. He seemed to like it, he was a jolly and good dog.

“Saan na kaya ang daddy mo?” she was referring to Matt. “Saan ka nga pala natutulog?”

As if understanding her question, ay napatalon-talon si Apollo sa sahig, wiggling his tail and his white thick fur danced around the air.

He circled around and then jumped back at her, he was smiling.

And he tugged the hem of her shirt, as if wanting to signal for her to stand.

Napatayo siya, Apollo wiggled his tail again, as if he was getting excited. Something is up with this dog, she smiled.

Iginiya siya ng aso sa loob ng beach house, leading her to a pathway in which seemed to be leading to Matt’s room. Nasa magkabilang dulo ang mga kuwarto nila, so she didn’t have a chance to really walk around this pathway towards Matt room. The corridor was lined with bluish abstract paintings. The pathway was filled with his scent, his manly and engaging scent…that she can still remember upon waking up the other day. Bigla siyang nagblush at tinampal ang sarili niya.

Apollo barked, leading her more to the pathway and towards the door of a room, just opposite Matt’s supposed door. Did Apollo want something inside the room? Baka may naiwan ito na toy or something. Baka gutom, baka gusto nito ng dog food? Baka nalimutang pakainin ni Ate Heidi. She sighed. Apollo barked again and lifted its paw in the air, gently pawing at her legs, and then back to the door of the room.

Patawarin mo ako, Matt. Bulong niya sa sarili ng buksan ang pinto. Sa loob-loob niya, si Apollo ang may kagagawan noon. Ni-lead lang siya ng aso, swear.

Ang bumungad sa kaniya, parang isang mini storage room. May mga gym items, maliit lang siya na square room, at nasa sahig ang dog pillow ni Apollo. May mga dog food cans din. May cabinet at drawers din. She picked up the dog can and container. Baka gutom lang talaga ang aso.

In her side eye, something caught her attention, a reflective glow from a picture frame. It was just there, along some stash of photos. Hindi niya maiwasan na maglakad saglit, upang makita ang kung ano ang nasa litrato.

When her eyes glinted, it was a photo of what seemed to be a younger Matt, in his younger twenties, nakayakap ito sa isang magandang babae. Her jaw dropped ng mamukhaan kung sino ito.