His Sensible Taste (SPG)

Chapter 4

"Hello. This is Denny from Sensible Taste's main office. Am I speaking to Ms. Cheska Samaniego?" The caller started.

"Yes, I am Cheska," she answered.

"We're calling to inform you that you've been chosen to be in a special project with the CEO of Sensible Taste. I will send you the details in your email," she said.

"W-wait. What?!"

“I will just send the invitation shortly. Hold on…” The caller made a long silence. Not long enough, Cheska heard a melody as she was put on hold for about a minute.

She kept on tapping her fingernails to her glass of beer and waited patiently.

“Hello, Cheska?” the caller came back.

“Y-yes?”

“I will transfer this call to the office of the CEO. You will be talking to Mr. Ricky Villaverde on the other line very shortly. But before that, please tell me if you are able to answer his questions tonight?” she asked.

Cheska’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “I’m going to talk to him like… today? At this hour? Spare me!”

“Hold on. I’ll be transferring your call right now. Please stay on the line…” she dismissed, and the melody earlier came again.

“Hey, wait! I didn’t say I’d like— ugh! Never mind!” Cheska rolled her eyes heavenwards and drank the rest of her beer, bottom’s up. Her jaw tensed and violently put down the glass back to the table.

She could feel how surprised were the people around her, drinking beers and eating nachos at her nearby table. Even the waitresses were shocked to witness her transformation as an angered red dragon.

The alcohol is already taking over her senses. She’s really pissed off. She wanted to burst and vent out her frustrations. She’s tired of Toni’s drama and now she’s been controlled by a bogus CEO! She didn’t sign up for some activity other than cooking for Sensible Taste Makati. This must be a scam. She had heard a lot of scamming activities around the country and this one might be it. She should find a way on how to get out of it fast.

Finally, the melody on the other line went off and a dialling tone came. She heard a few beeps and then she heard a cool voice. She may have been at shock to hear such an angelic and cool voice, but she didn’t forget her anger.

“Hello. Is this Cheska Samaniego?” the caller asked. The voice is manly and… well… sexy. “This is Ricky Villaverde, from Sensible Taste main office. I have a great opportunity for you—”

“Hey, you, scammer!” she vehemently said. The people inside the bar suddenly looked at Cheska in disbelief. They became alert and gasping in surprise. Whispers came in but she didn’t mind. She wanted to vent out.

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t excuse yourself! I’m not in the mood to entertain your modus operandi. Will you please stop calling me? I’m in the middle of drinking a bottle of cold beer in freakin’ lonely cafe and crying because my boyfriend is so sensitive he always pushes me away, and now you’re telling me that I’m going to sign up for something I don’t want to do? Stop pestering me with your scams!”

“Hey, miss. I’m not fooling you.” The caller sighed in frustration, obviously out of words to calm Cheska’s mood. “Hold on. Where are you right now? I’ll be discussing everything to you to tell you that this project is authentic.”

She scoffed. Her angst and rude voice echoed inside the bar as the people around just watched her shout. “Nice try, psycho! I’m not going to give you my whereabouts. If you’re the real CEO of ST, prove it to me! I’m done talking to you. I’m hanging up!” she said with finality. Her hands were shaking in too much anger as she ended the call and returned her phone inside her pocket. “Ugh! I hate this day!” she shouted again.

This time, she’s really aware that the guys are really looking at her indifferently. She just rolled her eyes and hit the table so hard with cold cash and left the bar without a word.

As she was on her way to their house, her walk seemed not getting straight. Her head is starting to spin. She must be so drunk. She had never been this drunk before. How many bottles did she drink earlier? She must’ve lost the count. She’s too busy venting out her anger towards the scammer guy over the phone. She just wanted to ease her heartaches. Was she really that disappointed about Toni?

She wouldn’t deny that. She loved him so much. She looks up to him as a role model, a true boss. But she doesn’t seem to understand him as days passed by. He’s more sensitive than before. It’s not normal anymore. Is he having an affair?

Cheska laughed all by herself. Her feet were making her a zigzag walk that she almost stumbled to the ground. She seldom shook her head but it’s no use. She’s really dizzy. As soon as she was about to take her step, her left foot was out of balance. She was about to stumble into the ground, when a mighty hand suddenly caught her in mid-air.

She moaned, feeling the pang on her head. She squinted. Her eyes were giving her a blurry vision.

“Miss, are you okay?” The stranger asked her, the one who caught her by the arm.

As Cheska was trying to regain her sight, she saw his blurry face. He seemed to be handsome, but that’s probably because she couldn’t see clearly. She laughed afterwards. “What are you looking at? Aren’t you going to kiss me?” she suddenly asked.

“Hmm?”

She giggled again. “Isn’t this the part where the guy kisses the girl? I’ve seen it in many Korean Dramas. I hope I get one, too. Could you do that for me?” She must be so crazy for blurting out such a horrible request. This must be a dream or maybe she’s in a Korean Drama. Maybe… just maybe… she will have a happy ending inside this dream. She doesn’t really care who she would be with, as long as he’s humble and understanding… and most importantly, not an insecure person like Toni.

She felt that the guy in front of her was still and not talking.

She stomped her feet and frowned, acting like a kid in front of a stranger. She didn’t care at all. This is all just a dream. This is just a dream. That’s all she could say to herself. “Oh, come on! Just one quick kiss…” she pleaded.

She heard him sigh sharply. She could see in her blurry sight how the man’s face slowly looked at her in his serious face. “Are you sure? Because, you know… I’m not really in the mood with this stuff. I have something to do but I can’t just leave you here. Where’s your address? I’ll just take you home safely,” he reasoned out, trying to be as gentle as he could.

She pouted in dismay. “Aww… fine. Just take me home,” she finally agreed and closed her eyes. Her eyes were a little watery due to the blurriness of her sight. She’s pressuring herself in adjusting her sight but that didn’t help. Her head is still spinning and she’s blurting out stupid words.

After that, she felt that the guy was pulling her up to the sidewalk. “Taxi!” he called up.

Cheska laughed again. “Oh! I know this part… are you going to take a different cab? Just a suggestion. I would really like to take a cab with you, mister. You see… I’m quite drunk and all… haha! The cab driver might rape me. I know you have respect for girls so I trust you today. Please take me home safely!” she pleaded with her hands placed together like praying.

She heard him sigh again and did as she said.

****

They were inside the cab as they moved away from the spot where Rico had spotted the drunk lady in the street about to stumble without anyone with her. He didn’t know why he is acting too gentlemanly lately. Well, he’s always like this with his two best friends. He was always the chaperone, the nurse, and the adviser to Lyka. But this time, it’s completely different.

He’s looking at a stranger and is helping her to get home. Maybe, he’s just concerned about her well-being, that’s all. He should be because he’s like that to his two best friends.

But why is he so embarrassed when the girl suddenly asked him for a quick kiss?

Of course! You should be embarrassed. Or even puking because she’s not your type! You like someone like Levi, a man, his mind interrupted him. He frustratedly sighed and scratched his head.

He must be insane for thinking this way.

He waited for the road trip to pass. While on the road, he heard the cab driver turning on the radio. Suddenly, Rico was sulked into the vibe of Right Before Your Eyes by America. He couldn’t help himself but to smile.

As the music stopped, so as the cab driver came to a halt. He looked at Rico and gave him a probing look. “Here we are…” he announced.

Rico nodded and dug his hand into his pocket then gave the driver a 1000 peso bill which made the old man bulge his eyes in disbelief. “Keep the change,” he told the guy as he was trying to wake up the girl.

She doesn’t seem to respond right away, even pushing his hand violently as if she was sleeping and dreaming of a fight scene. “Get away!” she muttered under her breath, nonchalantly.

“We’re already here at your address. Can you walk?”

“Do I look like I can?” She was serious when she asked that. A moment of silence came before she burst into laughter. “Kidding! Just help me because the whole earth seems spinning too fast—woah!” She laughed again. She was trying to get out of the car while Rico was lending her a hand.

As she received his hand and was pulled out of the car, the girl suddenly was thrown to his chest. Both of them were in shock. Their faces were too near to each other.

Rico couldn’t help but to gulp in nervousness. This is the first time in so many years that he’s this close to a girl who isn’t his best friend.

This must be just pure indifference, not attraction, he convinced himself.

The girl smiled in front of him. Her angelic smile seemed to be very familiar. He’s just having a hard time recalling it for some reason. He’s too engrossed with his special meeting tonight with a sous chef. To add more factors, he really sucks at recalling people by their faces. He has to correct this before investors would be disappointed.

“I don’t know how to thank you, but even if my eyes are blurry, I could tell that this is where I live,” she started, laughing. “What a shame… I don’t know your name. I wanna thank you for helping me out today, but I know this wouldn’t be the case the next time. Anyways, thank you!” She waved her hand to him while trying to stand on her own. When she was about to take a step backwards, her knees failed to stay still.

Rico was too fast to catch her again. This time, their faces were too close to each other. No one was smiling nor moving at that moment.

In a moment, everything was slowing down until their lips met. Rico didn’t even know if it was the girl who did the first move. It was so stupid of him to let this strange girl kiss his lips.

He felt a sudden bolt of ions trying to make his spine shiver at that moment. The girl’s lips moved and softly kissed him. It was the softest and the kindest kiss he has ever tasted. Every taste bud in his mouth reacted to this extraordinary sensation. It’s beginning to convince him in shifting a 180-degree personality.

His childish days came to remind him in his thoughts. The day he let himself be a man. It suddenly stopped when the image of Levi suddenly stormed in. His hand automatically pushed the girl away. Good thing, he’s still sane. He immediately supported her shoulders for her not to fall entirely into the ground.

His heart pounded really hard. His eyes widened in shock at what had happened, but his worries were all gone away when he saw how lovely her smile was.

“Thank you for that kiss. It’s the sweetest.” Then, the girl blacked out.

-to-be-continued-