Chapter 1
Oopps, wrong send

Maya heard the commotion while she was busy editing and rewriting one of the company’s press releases that one of the writers had sent to her for approval. She continued with what she was doing, ignoring the sudden buzzing outside her office, thinking it was just her staff getting overexcited again about something or about someone! She allows this to a certain degree as it is a way for them to let out steam from time to time, a breaker from their load.

“Good morning, Maya, you want to see me?” Richard Lim, the new Chief Legal Counsel of Lim Corporation, greeted Maya from the door of her office, a big lopsided and mischievous smile on his face. He walked towards Maya, and put a Starbucks tumbler on her desk. “And here’s your coffee!”

Maya was so surprised to see Richard Lim, son of their big boss, one of Manila’s most eligible bachelors, and the object of her daydreams standing just inside her office, some of her staff were looking in, trying to be inconspicuous, but they were failing, big time! Most of them had heard of their handsome new chief lawyer, but they haven’t seen him in person. They were very curious on what he is doing on their floor, especially in their Ms. Maya’s office!

“S-s-sir Richard, what are you doing here?” Maya blurted out before she could really think of a better way to ask what he was doing in her office. They don’t have a meeting scheduled, and besides, if they do, it is probably be her who will go to the executive offices, not him going here.

Richard smiled, enjoying this, seeing their beautiful, intelligent and very, very poise Corporate Communications Manager flustered, blushing a bit.

“Well, I just am here as per your request.”  He replied.

“But Sir, what request po?” Maya said confused.

“You sent me a text message saying I should see you.” Richard answered, a mischievous smile still playing on his lips.

“Ha!” Maya dove for her phone which got buried under the papers on her desk, finding it, she checked her messages, and she felt like sinking to the floor in her embarrassment! She had indeed sent a message to Richard Lim!

Punta ka sa office ko please. I need you to do some stuffs for me. And please bring me a tall caffe americano from Starbucks. Pakibilisan. Thanks a lot.

“Oh, oh, oh! OMG. I’m so sorry, Sir Richard.” Maya was beside herself in embarrassment, her face red. “The message was not for you, but for Richard Lazaro, our messenger!”

Richard grinned. He knew that the message was not for him, but an imp seemed to have possessed him when he saw the message. He just can’t resist doing this. He wanted to see her, actually, and this is the perfect excuse, and a fun one too.

He is drawn to Maya ever since they got introduced last week when he came on board LC. They chatted a bit and aside from her beauty, he was attracted to her intellect and her grace. She looked him in the eyes and gave intelligent insights when she was asked on her opinion about some company matters that they were discussing that time.

Maya seemed to possess a good sense of humor, judging by the banter between her and some of the other officers, and well-liked, judging by the number of people who gravitated towards her in that small party  the company had thrown to welcome him to LC after years of living and working in the States. Before they parted, he gave Maya his business card and it seemed she had saved his mobile number promptly, not realizing that there are now two ‘Richards’ in her phone book.

“Be careful, next time, Maya.” He said in mock seriousness, but actually, he was fishing shamelessly, and teasing her. “Hindi naman siguro ‘R’ ang start ng pangalan ng boyfriend mo, at baka sa susunod message for him na ang ma-send mo sa akin.”

‘Naku Sir, wala pa po akong boyfriend. Hindi pa nga ako nagkaka-boyfriend!” Maya blurted out again. Then realized that she just admitted to her boss in a way, a guy she has been crushing on terribly that she is loveless! Floor, swallow me now! I’m dying of embarrassment, she muttered, feeling like her face is turning to be like the color of a boiled lobster!

The day just got better and better, Richard thought to himself. Not only he got to see Maya, he also found out what he had been dying to know since last week, that is, if she is still unattached. He dared not ask around as it would surely become fodder for the office gossip, him taking an interest in someone, before he even can make headway with it.

Richard felt he had teased Maya enough for the day. He just gave her another of his lopsided smile, which unknown to him, makes Maya’s heart jumps, then decided to leave her in peace, for now.

“Okay, if it is not me pala you want to see. I will get going. Have a nice day. Enjoy your coffee. Oh and the barista has already put three sachets of brown sugar in that after finding out that it’s for you.”

Then, just like that, before Maya even managed to thank him, he was gone from her office. Maya blinked, trying to absorb what had just happened.

“What was that, sis? Di ba, si Atty. Richard Lim iyon? You know him personally? May dala pang coffee for you?” Emman, her friend and ever curious senior writer asked Maya rapidly. “Hindi ba he just got on board? Magkakilala na kayo before?”

“Emmannnnn, halos mamatay na ako sa hiya kanina.” Maya told her friend, covering her face. “OMG! And hindi ko siya kilala before. Last week ko lang siya na-meet.”

“Bakit, ano ba ang nangyari?” Emman asked, very very curious, as it was uncharacteristic of Maya to be flustered. Normally, she takes things in stride and she does not panic, even if there is a crisis she needs to deal with.

“Eh kasi naman, na-send ko sa kanya iyong message ko for Richard, iyong messenger natin na nagpapabili ako ng kape! Saka doon sa message, pinapapunta ko rin sana rito si Richard after kasi ipapa-route ko itong hard copies ng newsletter natin sa mga excutive na ayaw ng online version!”

“Ha, ha, ha, ha, you mean to say, ‘Richard Lim’ ang napindot mo sa halip na ‘Lazaro’. Eh una naman ang Lazaro sa Lim ah.” Emman said, then smiled. “Uy, laman ng isip mo. Crush mo ‘no?”

“Emman!!!!  Baka may makarinig sa iyo.” Maya protested, then thought of not telling him anymore her second embarrassing moment of the day, when she admitted to Richard that she does not have a boyfriend yet.

“Hmmm, sige na nga. Titigil na ako.” Emman said, then can’t resist playing cupid. “By the way, according to the secretarial pool, he is very much single at the moment, as in walang girlfriend. Though, come to think it, paano kaya nila nalaman, misteryo talaga sa akin since he just got back from the States. Malay ba naman nila na may naiwan pala siya doon. Sa guwapo pa namang iyan ni Mr. Lim, rich pa and mukhang ang bango-bango!”

“Emman, enough na, baka may makarinig pa sa atin na nag-speculate sa lovelife ni Mr. Lim. Hala, back to your cubicle na. Mag-e-edit pa ako ng entries sa phone book ko.” Maya shooed out Emman good-naturedly.

“O saang kategorya na mapupunta si Handsome Atty. Lim, under “Crush” ba?”  Emman said cheekily before he quickly escaped Maya’s office, laughing. In fairness, bagay na bagay sila, he thought.

Maya laughed at that, seeing the humor of the situation. She must really edit his name in her phone para hindi na siya magkamali ulit. She was about to do so, when it beeped and out came a message from Richard Lim.

Just use Ricky Lim for me in your phone book! 😉 

Maya’s heart skipped a beat. She grinned.

Thank you for that suggestion, Sir.

Maya did just that, and to be super safe, put the word Messenger before Richard Lazaro’s name. She went back to work happily. She saw the coffee Richard brought her, took a sip, looked at the tumbler then remarked, “Bakit mas masarap ka ngayong umaga!”

Richard reached his floor several minutes after he left Maya’s office, which was actually two  floors down than the executive offices where he has a window office, just across his father’s. When he got Maya’s message earlier, he told his secretary he will just be away for a couple of minutes. Before she can react, he went down to Starbucks, bought the coffee and went to Maya’s office.

“Did someone look for me, Liza?” Richard asked when he reached his secretary’s desk, still feeling chirpy.

“Wala naman Sir Richard, but I put all the contracts for your review on your desk.” Liza said, noticing that her boss was very happy. Nawala lang sandali, nawala na ang kunot ng ulo, she muttered. Earlier, Richard was annoyed with one of the junior lawyers who made a huge mistake in one of the contracts he drafted.

“Okay, I will give it back those back to you in 15 minutes or so, I will be finished by then.” He said then, asked her something suddenly, sheepishly, smiling. “Errr, Liza, I know I can trust you on this. Would you please find out what is Maya Dela Rosa’s favorite flower? Discreetly please, Liza at baka hindi pa man, mapagtsismisan na kami.”

He had decided to trust Liza on this. He had known her for years, even before he left for the States several years ago. She was actually his father’s old secretary. She stopped working to take care of the kids. Now that the kids are older, he persuaded her to work for him when he knew he was going back to the Philippines and work for LC.

“Oh!” Liza said with a big smile. So, that is where the wind is blowing, she thought. “I will take care of that for you, Sir.”

Richard went to his office whistling, plowed through the contracts. He was about to call Liza to pick up the papers after he was finished but before he was able to do so, there was a knock on the door, and it was her with a big smile on her face.

“Oh, good timing. I’m done with these.” He said as he handed Liza the contracts.

“Mission accomplished, Sir. Her favorite flower is sunflower.” Liza said smiling.

“Thanks Liza, ang bilis mo ah.” Richard said happily.

“I have my sources, Sir, and I have been discreet. Hindi nahalata ng pinagtanungan ko.” Liza replied. “Would you like me to order those for you? I know a florist who makes beautiful arrangements.”

“Just give me please the name and the address of the florist and I will take care of everything.” Richard said.

“Okay, I will just get it for you, then.” Liza got out of the room and returned with the florist’s name and address.

Richard smiled happily after his secretary left, a plan forming in his head.

Note: My new story, I hope you will like it just like the others I have written. I just thought of posting something new para maaliw tayo. I’ll finish Only Love pa rin, of course, lapit na ang proposal ni Ricky doon. Good vibes pa rin sa kabila ng lahat! 🙂