6.
1210 Words
Cassie found herself waiting in Café Viaje Del Cielo. The agent that she talked with over the phone said to meet there at 11 AM.
She arrived earlier than expected so she just sat in a corner while her mind drifted off.
***PLAYING RINGTONE***
Her phone rang a couple of times before she was pulled out of her thoughts. When she saw the name she did not bother to answer and instead let it be.
“Cassandra?” A baritone voice spoke her name like it was a delicate glass in need of special care.
“May I know who is asking?” she looked around and stopped in her tracks when no one was there. When she brought back her vision in front of her seat, that was when she saw a man standing in front of her. He was towering her view actually.
She slowly raised her eyes to see his face. Unfortunately, she could only reach his lips and cheeks as he was very tall.
“Hi, I am the person that was sent here by the agent you spoke with. Pedro Batumbakal at your service po Ms. Cassandra.”
“Hi, I am Cassandra Lopez. I am pleased to meet you. Have a seat Mr. Batumbakal.” She invited him to join her at the table. She then looked at him from head to the middle body as far as the eye can see and not covered by the table. She scrutinized mainly, his face and hair. A few nods here and there as well as a slight smile as she was satisfied with what was in front of her.
The guy in front of her wasn’t eye-catching but there was something in him that draws her attention. Overall, he passed her taste for guys. Not bad for RnJ Services. She was skeptical at first if they would be able to provide her ideal man. And here she was praising the man in front of her. They did deliver on their tagline.
“Good morning, Cassandra. May get you a drink?” there it was again that smooth baritone voice. Quite different from the previous statement.
“Good morning Pedro. No need, I already ordered a cappuccino. Please call me Cassie. I like how you speak English. Are you a DJ or radio host?” she asked again. It had this cool tone that could be heard from radio hosts.
“Shucks, thanks, Ms. Cassie.” He tried to sound like a person who was coming from an average family. His tone was more controlled. “I am just a fishball vendor who sells on the streets. Before that, I did a gig as a call center agent.” He explained to her in a silly and flattered tone.
“Really, not bad eh for a fishball vendor. You have such a class that I could usually see from professionals. No offense but did RnJ train you to be like this?” She was curious. At the same time, she was glad he could act as a professional with the English voice of a DJ. It made her task easier, to begin with. After all, her dad wanted only the best for her before these recent events.
Cassie caught him staring at her intently like he was trying to commit to memory her image. It was odd even for her.
“Thank you, Ms. Cassie. Have you decided already about the proposed contract of RnJ?” he directly asked her without a doubt in his demeanor.
She even saw the slight change in his aura, like he was in a hurry to get her approval. It was something she never liked. She wanted to do everything at her own pace.
“Where is the agent I have talked to? Why are you confirming the contract? I thought she/he will discuss it with me.” She replied to him with a snobbish tone.
Luis just placed his head above his arms. He was depressed suddenly from her answer.
“Ms. Cassie calm down. She/he will be calling you any minute to discuss the contract. I am here on behalf of RnJ as a facilitator/husbando.” Pedro clarified with her. She then sighed.
A waiter came by to check on the new customer for an order. Pedro knew it was another employee of RnJ spying on them.
“Hi good day, may I take your order, sir?” He had that mixed-voice a person who was still in puberty. Pedro chuckled at his squeaky voice.
“I will have what the lady here ordered. Thank you.” Pedro pointed her out. Cassie raised her eyebrows at him.
“Are you copying my taste?” an irritated Cassie asked him.
“Ms. Cassie I am just warming up to you. Aren’t we going to get married?” He sweetly smiled at her.
Her irritation completely vanished and her cold demeanor melted away as she looked into his eyes.
“Fine.” Her stern look turned into a smile and her voice became sweet and innocent.
“Would you like anything else, sir?” The waiter beside them interrupted their moment. “That is all. Thank you.” Pedro kept staring at her while he dismissed the waiter. All his attention was with her. She liked the feeling.
The waiter just left them alone and continued to do his job. Cassie then saw him call on his phone which was odd considering he was still working.
***Playing Ringtone***
RnJ Agent
The name that showed in her caller ID was no other than the agent she expected to meet.
“Good day Ms. Cassandra Lopez. I am Patrick Yu. I spoke to you earlier. Just a quick question before we continue. Are you satisfied with the husbando we have sent over?” She kept silent while Patrick on the other end stopped talking.
“Yes, he fits the description I gave. So how do we proceed with the contract? I thought today will be the contract signing.” An irritated Cassie answered him. She was very particular about agreements and timelines even though she hasn’t work in a company. It was something her dad taught her before.
“Thank you for that response. Moving on, you may call me Pat. To answer your concern, I am currently sending to your email a copy of the contract. Kindly check and send me a message if you are ready to sign.” Silence overtook the conversation and the only sound coming from her phone was the click and clack of the keyboard against the fingers.
She stared in front of her. Pedro was chillin' with the cappuccino on his hand and slowly sipping it with poise. She was taken aback as she saw his pinky stick out.
“Thank you. I will check it right away. Nice to hear from you, Pat Yu.” She answered her phone and then as she heard nothing, she quickly ended the call.
She wanted to agree with him right away but given he delayed the contract signing. She would drag this first for a while to teach the agent a lesson. She smiled as she was satisfied with her plan.
- Writer
