CHAPTER 6

Stephanie expected to see caviar and truffles in the table but the food being served was far from her expectations. There’s only rice, pork sinigang, and grilled pork chop. When she glanced across the table, she caught Jacob staring at her, and it made her uncomfortable. The way he gazed at her seemed like he was in the middle of a serious meeting with the board of directors and she wondered what's inside his head at the moment. Nevertheless, he looked good on simple clothes.

            “Do you love sinigang? It’s my grandmother’s favorite and we have it at least once a week, “Jenny informed Stefan.

            Stephanie cleared her throat before she opened her mouth to speak. Since she became Jacob’s secretary, she had always been careful with her voice. She may not sound like a real man, but her adjusted voice would pass as a teenage boy. “I love it, Jenny.” She answered.

            Jenny filled Stefan’s bowl with the sinigang soup and also helped him with the grilled pork chop. Then, she moved closer to him. “Enjoy,” she said.

            For Stephanie, the dinner with Jacob’s family was the most uncomfortable meal she had all through her life. Jacob’s eyes were always on her, and except for his grandmother who was so focused on her food, everyone scrutinized her. She was supposed to leave right after dinner but Jenny insisted that they should have coffee at the pavilion.

            The pavilion was situated in their garden and it was furnished with comfortable items for seating and a coffee table. She concluded that the family must have used the pavilion quite often.

            “I like you,” Jenny expressed her interests to Stefan. “I think its love at first sight,” she added.

            Before she met Jenny Gordon in person, she didn’t believe any of the rumors about her, but after getting to know her for a few hours, she suspected that the write-ups about her pregnancy was also true. “That’s nonsense,” she replied.

            Jenny chuckled at Stefan’s reaction. “Whoa, aren’t you cute?” She couldn’t help but giggle at the way Stefan glared at her earlier, and then she pinched his cheeks with her with fingers.

            “Stop it, please,” Stephanie begged Jenny to stop flirting with her because she was already uncomfortable. After the woman let go of her cheeks, she looked around, and she was glad to see Jacob coming to the pavilion.

            “I like to have you, Stefan.” Jenny tried her charms to persuade the man who was the CEO of self- control. Other men from her past wouldn’t be able to say no to her, but with Stefan Cuizon, he made her feel unattractive.

            Jacob heard his cousin’s recent remark and a line was formed between his brows. Jenny Gordon was a natural-born flirt and she always got what she wanted. “I have to take Stefan home now because we still have to work tomorrow morning,” Jacob said.

            Jenny checked her wristwatch and complained that it was only nine in the evening. “Let him stay for another hour please,” she begged Jacob. Since the scandal about her pregnancy hit the headlines, she had lost her interest with men, and Stefan was the first to make her heart fluttered once again.

            “She lived outside the city, Jen.” Jacob lied to make his cousin stopped and he groaned when Jenny casually placed her hand on Stefan’s thighs. He wasn’t supposed to notice it but his nostrils flared as he grabbed Stefan from his seat. “Let’s go now,” he said.

            “Jacob please!” Jenny called.

            Stephanie felt bad for Jenny but she was glad that Jacob came to rescue her from his cousin. Jenny Gordon was openly flirting with her and if it would drag on for another minute, she wouldn’t know how to deal with it.

            It wasn’t his style to brag but Jacob thought to let Stefan experienced the feeling of being in a luxury car. After his cousins’ unfortunate accident, his grandmother prohibited him from driving fast cars around the city. Sometimes, he would take his babies outside when the night was late and the road was empty.

            Jacob intended to impress his secretary but it didn’t happen. Stefan didn’t even spend more than a minute to look at his car, and he didn’t comment on it. He wanted to ask Stefan but it would make him look bad.

            “It seems that Jenny likes you,” he said.

            Stephanie glanced at the man who sat behind the wheel and lifted an eyebrow for his nosiness. “Yes, she told me about it, but I’m not interested.” She replied.

            Jacob grinned widely, but after a few seconds, he scolded himself. “Can you manage to take a cab from the highway?” He changed his mind about driving him to his home.

            Stephanie bit her lower lip at the sudden changes but she’s fine with it. Who was she to complain? “Of course. Why won’t I be?” She asked.

            “Good,” Jacob replied as he maneuvered the car. He felt like an idiot for taking a fast car to the highway which was only a few hundred meters away from his home. Before Stefan entered his life, he was sure of his gender, but lately, he suspected that something has changed within him. He suspected himself to be gay because he was greatly interested in his tattooed secretary, and he was even jealous of Jenny earlier.

            An hour later, Stephanie cursed heavily as she opened the rustic gate to her apartment. Jacob said that he would take her to the highway where she could take a cab, but once again, her difficult boss changed his mind and dropped her off a few meters from his home. He lied about eating something not good for his stomach! Without a choice, she had to walk at least five hundred meters to the highway!

            The apartment was dark when she got home and assumed that Tracy wasn’t home yet. She slumped at the tattered sofa upon getting inside and turned on the television to catch on with her favorite show. Her television was old and she couldn’t afford to buy a new one…well, not just yet! She planned to subscribe to a cable service too!

            A few minutes later, she heard Tracy entered the main door, and she grinned when she noticed the plastic bag on Tracy’s hand. It has a label of the convenience store located one block away from her home, and she knew it contained her favorite drinks.

            “Hey! How’s your day?” She greeted her tenant who looked more pissed than her.

            “I quit,” Tray announced.

        “What did you say?” She moved closer to her friend to probe some more but tears suddenly welled up in Tracy’s eyes, and she became speechless.

            “I broke up with him,” Tracy said between sobbing but instead of gaining sympathy from Stephanie, the woman slapped her arm.