Taming Miss Complicated

Chapter 3

Zylie's POV

"Oh, buhay ka pa pala.." I mentally count from one to ten bago ko hinarap ang nakaupong si Steffi. Kung b***h ako, mas b***h 'tong babaeng 'to. Mas magaling nga lang siyang magtago ng ugali niya kesa sa akin. She's more discreet, and manipulative. And God, I hate her.

As you can see, mas straight-forward akong tao. I'm what-Zylie-wants-Zylie-gets kind of b***h.

"Why, of course dear. Masamang damo ata ako." Nakangiting sagot ko. Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay kaya itinaas ko din yung kilay ko. She may be older than me but, oh well, hindi ako magpapatalo sa kanya. "Anyway, what are you doing in my humble office?"

"I need fresh faces." Tipid niyang sagot bago siya naka cross legs na naupo sa harapan ng table ko. "Hot, rugged looking , eligible bachelors."

Biglang pumasok sa isip ko yung antipatikong lalaki kagabe. He's.. okay, above average kind of guy. Hindi bagay sa kanya yung salitang gwapo kase, urg.. mahihiya sila James Reed, Paulo Avelino at Marco Jose sa hotness n'ya. What was his name again? Esteban? Eww. Gross. Ang gwapo-gwapo pero ang bantot naman ng pangalan.

Wait a minute.

I so did not just said he's handsome. No. Not even close. Erase. Erase.

"Hoy, natutulala ka d'yan!" She slap my cheek kaya napatingin ako sa kanya ng wala sa oras.

"How dare you?"

"You're zoning out, Zy. Ganyan ba ang epekto ng muntik na makidnap o epekto 'yan nung gwapong lalaking tumulong sa'yo?" She said teasingly. Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya. This is what I hate most. I had lived my adult life without asking for help from anyone. I don't need help. From anyone. Ever. Now someone saw my vulnerability.

"Please lang. He's not that handsome. At hindi niya ako tinulungan kagaya ng press release niya. I don't need help."

"If you say so." Kibit-balikat niyang sabi. "So ano, are you gonna help me or what?"

"I need more details, saan mo ba sila gagamitin? Any other qualifications aside from being hot, rugged looking, antipatiko, pakealamero, eligible bachelors?" Naiinip kong sabi kahit pumapasok na naman sa isip ko yung mukha nung lalaking 'yun kasabay ng pagbibilang ko ng mga araw kung kailan ko ulit siya makikita.

"I never said I needed antipatiko and pakealamero. You know ayoko ng may attitude problems." Nakangising sabi niya. Gusto kong magsalita. Gusto kong isalba ang sarili ko sa kahihiyang magiging bunga ng mga sinabi ko but i'm all out of words, damn it! "Hmm, gusto ko single. Ayoko nung bigla na lang may susugod sa opisina ko para lang mag-eskandalo."

"Wala ka naman sigurong plano na isali sa orgy party yung mga modelo ko, 'di ba?"

"What?! No! Eww. Kadiri ka Zy. Daddy asked me to held another audition since yung mga naunang nag-audition e hindi pumatok sa taste niya."

"Ah. So I get it, this isn't about you looking for fresh, new faces, this is about you pleasing Tito Stephen." Pang asar na sabi ko. This Is another thing Steffi and I have in common. Pareho kaming may Daddy issues. She thinks no matter what she do, she'll never be good enough for her Dad.

"At least ako, gumagawa ako ng paraan para mapansin ng Daddy ko yung worth ko. Unlike you-" She stops talking as if she hit something. Kahit naman b***h friends kami, kay Steffi ko lang nasabi yung mga sentiments ko tungkol sa Daddy ko. "Sorry."

I shrugged my shoulders as if it meant nothing to me kahit sa totoo lang may tinamaan talaga siya. "I don't care."

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"Ma'am Zylie, remind ko lang po yung lunch meeting n'yo with Mr. Ong sa Hyatt mamaya." Pabuntong-hininga akong sumandal sa swivel chair ko. I have a meeting with Mr. Ong pero hanggang ngayon wala pa rin akong magandang balitang sasabihin sa kanya. I still haven't got Sonja Valle to agree with me.

"Okay." Taking another deep breath, pinilit ko na lang yung sarili kong tumayo. If I can't get her to agree with me, then I guess I have to deliver Mr. Ong the bad news. Bye-bye multi-million peso deal.

I checked my Louis Vuitton watch, a custom-made watch just for me, still have an hour to spare at kahit naman kase anong pilit pa ang gawin ko, hindi ko na makukuha si Sonja, so I'll just have my nails done na lang. Stress reliever na rin. I should really stop hiring incompetent people para mas gumaan ang buhay ko.

I took a ride on the elevetor which was full of people, kanina, until they saw me and well, lumabas silang lahat. I never asked them to, maybe it's just my mere presence that scares them away. And I don't care. I don't care if people refers me as a monster, they can call me b***h for all I care. They can call me anything but I'm still above them. In other words, i maybe a b***h but im the Queen.

Tumunog yung iphone 7 ko, tumatawag na naman si Steffi. Sometimes I want to throw my phone para lang walang makaistorbo sa 'kin but then, I can't live without my phone.

"Ahoj," I said hello in Czech. It took her a couple of minutes bago nakapag-react. Good. Napagmukha ko siyang tanga.

"Nag-e-alien ka na naman. Gutom ka?" Aniya.

"Of course not. I just said hello in Czech. But since, ang pagkilatis lang sa itinatagong saging ni Rylie lang ang nakakakuha ng Interest mo, hindi mo alam 'yon." Nakangisi pang sabi ko. I told yah, I'm a b***h. Pinaninindigan ko lang.

"f**k you."

"Why, I love you too, couz." Technically, she's not my cousin. All of them, but we adopt the word, given na mas malagkit pa sa biko yung closeness ng mga magulang namin. "Napatawag ka? Kausap pa lang kita the other day ah? Missed me that much?" Kahit mag-isa lang ako sa elevator at nakatingin ako sa reflection ko sa wall, I'm grinning like an idiot. Nothing makes me feel better than ruining someone else's day.

"Oh my Steffi, h'wag mong sabihing nato-tomboy ka na sa'kin!" Exaggerated kong sabi. The elevator dinged at nasa lobby na ako so inayos ko na 'yung sarili ko. Walang sinuman ang pwedeng makakita ng ngiti ko. No one is worthy of seeing that side of me. My vulnerability and my smiles. Aside from that guy. Whom for some unknown reason, has become the subject of my dreams. More like a nightmare, i mean.

"I just call to let you know that I'm cancelling the audition-" Natigilan ako sa tangkang paglabas ng elevator dahil sa sinabi ni Steffi. Great. f*****g great. Another f*****g great reason to celebrate. f*****g great day!

"What? Why?!" Nakatayo lang ako dun habang may mga naghihintay na makalabas ako para makasakay naman sila. Manigas kayo d'yan.

"Well, my team- apparently more competent than your team- came up with a brilliant project that doesn't require a bunch of new macho looking guys-"

"So ano? Puro babae na lang ang Ipe-feature ng show mo? How feminist." I snorted in disgust habang ang sasama na ng tingin sa akin nung mga tao. One of them even held the elevator door open while the other one kept on pushing the button. Wala akong pakialam. Kahit lunuha pa sila ng dugo d'yan, for all I care.

"Nope. It's a reality show actually, but with a twist. I can't discuss it over the phone Zy, mamaya na lang siguro, I'll drop by at your office-"

"No need. I have a lunch meeting e, wala na naman akong balak bumalik sa office. How about we meet up na lang for coffee?"

"Sure.. sa Shapes ba?" Napairap ako ng wala sa oras kahit hindi niya nakikita.

"Does stupidity really runs in your blood? Kailan pa naging coffee shop ang Shapes?!" I said while tapping my foot on the floor. Isa pa, biglang pumasok sa Isip ko yung nangyari sa akin sa parking lot ng shapes last week. Not that I'm scared or something. Parang ayaw ko lang muna talagang magpunta d'on.

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