The Encounter

Desperate to prove that I’m still unattached, I spilled to my colleagues and boss as well who my crush in the office is. Remember Guy #2? Unfortunately, the secret that is supposed to be kept within the 4 corners of the technical room leaked out. The last thing I remembered, my boss’ boss was confirming to me the gossip and because I’m such a poor liar, I just smiled about it. Actually, ditch the excuse I just can’t help smiling whenever his name is being mentioned. Gosh, what a fiasco!

Last Thursday she came into our room and gave me a special assignment prior the launch of our 5 MP phone later: training for the participants. The PM is out and someone needs to cover for her and Guy # 2 will be there overseeing it. For some seconds during the conversation, I was speechless studying her face if she was just teasing me about it. But no, it’s really real. My stomach gave a lurch of horror as Guy # 2 briefed me on the agenda. My audience? Professional photographers. Location: G Hotel from 2-8 PM. I accepted the task adamantly with my head telling me “Connivance ito!” So ok yeah I will be spending time with him but there’s no need to make a song and dance about it. The fact that I’m handling pros without any idea on how to go about the material is one thing to fret about and his presence is another. I swear if there’s a legal case against connivance I’ll sue them for it. =P

I was still “praning” about it until I finally finished the material Saturday morning and well, rehearse for my speech. I love conducting trainings and I don’t think there’s any other person in the technical group capable of handling this but me. So my source of motivation for doing it is: Yes, the event’s success depends on me. Wahaha! I feel overexcitement rushing through me most specially when he came to our room and offered a ride to the event. I almost wanna punch the air when he left “This is it! Woohoo! Time for us to know each other better.” Stories about him from his schoolmate Tytana made me anticipate even more. According to her, he’s “makuwento” and I’ll make sure to pry out of him.

He set the 1230 PM departure time from the office but it’s already 1 and he’s not yet arrived from a lunch-out perhaps. I’m trying so hard not to believe that this is just his delaying tactic so I will go there ahead myself. Thankfully, around 1:15 he came hurrying and signaled we’ll be off. He was walking at least 2-3 steps ahead from me and I swear that wasn’t a good sign of having a nice conversation with him. In fairness after some seconds he turned around and offered to carry my laptop bag and I politely refused his help. For some 2.5 years back @ Intel I was waiting for that guy who would do this to me. It gave me such a twisted view on men I swear I’ll never think of them that way again. So welcome, lopsided shoulders! When he turned around, I smiled telling myself “How sweet.” Wahaha!

Anyways, as I settle myself inside his CRV I fixed my things and kept the two phones I was holding in my hands. I did some exaggeration in my movements enough to give him the signal “See? I kept my phones. I’m not texting anyone. I’m all ears on whatever it is you want to talk about.” I was expecting some “Ready?” or “Let’s go” when we took off but instead he mumbled something like “Seatbelt please.” “Hmmp! Suplado!” was all I can think of.

Honestly, I found his being snobbish quite amusing I had to suppress a giggle. Mukha akong tanga. Then he took out his mp3 player and thought it was my chance. Maybe we’ll jive when it comes to music. He can’t seem to choose what to play as he keeps on toggling between songs. But among those I heard, I swear I can’t recognize one. He settled with this “so-unheard-of” song to which he was singing softly. My choices on songs are generally eclectic but here I am unable to decipher even the name of that rock band. I usually ride a jeepney singing out all the radio stations could blare but here I can’t. Not even hum a song.

Until later I noticed we’ve gone to Edsa reaching Guadalupe and he hasn’t spoken to me yet. Oh god, oh god! What is he thinking? Is he upset, livid or just disdainful? Ok, something has to be clearly done here. This has been the moment I’ve been waiting for and well, I don’t have rehearsed words because I believe this has to be spontaneous. Where do I begin? Actually, there’s this one question I’ve been itching to ask him that morning I just couldn’t muster up courage to ask him in the office. Ok, tameme when he’s around is the exact word.

“Uhmm **, ilan ung attendees na photographers?”

Aware of how nervous I was before, he answered my query and went on explaining on how I should go about the training. I was expecting he would sustain the conversation the moment he finished but NO!!

Another flabbergasted silence is starting to fill the car. What next? I racked my brain. Come on KC, I ordered myself. I need to get this conversation going. When we turned right along Buendia, I found something that involves his work and mine: a wrong spec printed on a Samsung phone streamer along the street. After responding to what I said, history repeated itself.

There, ladies and gents. Our 2 lengthy topics during the 20-mins I think ride from Greenhills to Roxas Boulevard. Oh and have I mentioned he offered a mentos in between those two subjects? Ang saya saya!

Well, we talked “business” during the event and honestly I don’t know how to play fun with it anymore. The highlight of the training for me is the attack of the media and press just when I started the training I felt like I’m being chased by paparazzi. Seryoso!

When I left, I each made a 30-min bitchfest with my girlfriends Lisa and Tytana over the phone. The prior thinks it’s his “defect” while the latter said “I lacked skills.” I don’t know what to think anymore. All I know is that my chances are already scuppered on my least objective of us getting friendly with each other.

And the worst is, due to insistent public demand here I am writing it all here in my blog. Fine! Let this blog be an account of my glories and pitfalls for the whole world to gape at.

Wait I don’t think I’ve told you the worst part is. Thing is, I kept on imagining this little scene in my head later on our event. Him approaching me in his ever usual conio-tic speech:

Him: Hey KC! I would like to apologize for how I acted last Saturday. It’s just that you caught me in a bad mood.
Me (matching his konyo-tic ways also): Oh I don’t think you have to be sorry. You were just doing me a favor by hitching in your car.
Him: No, I’m really sorry. It was supposed to be a friendly conversation with you. And I want to know you better. Can I make it up to you by asking you out for lunch? Say tomorrow?

What a completely deluded moron! Can somebody pull the trigger and shoot me in the head? Please!!!!!!