SWEET CALMING VOICE

I noticed that my cell phone was ringing so I answered the call immediately, I didn't pay much attention to the caller's name on the screen of my cell phone.

"Hello," I first observe and examine the voice of the caller owner on the other line.

"Hello, Ms. Maricar, don't worry it's Mr. Steven Sarrosa, have you received my gift to you?" Steven's voice on the other line is soft, cool, very charming, and seductive, like a DJ on the radio.

My heart rumbled with extreme nervousness and I almost froze with extreme trembling.

"Yes, wait, are you sure you gave me the expensive imported gown? Maybe the delivery rider of the house was mistaken and he deliver the package to the wrong address." I was actually on my bed as I savored Steven's voice.

"It's really for you because you're special to me," Steven replied.

"Wait, is this legit? Or maybe later you'll be asking me for money because it's a scam." I raised my voice a bit and I could no longer control myself.

I heard Steven giggle on the other line and I was almost infected with his overjoy. His laughter was infectious and his voice was very calm.

"Of course not. What do you think of me as a fake guy? A liar? So when I say you're beautiful, I'm telling you the truth."

"You're just balling me," I said.

"No, I'm just telling you the truth. No matter what color you are, it doesn't matter because a woman's beauty is not seen in the complexion if not in the purity of her heart and kindness to other people." He explained to me.

I gasped and almost covered my mouth, I am blushing at what he said. I'm starting to admire and inspire Steven, his personality is very different than John Paolo who has done nothing but insult and not appreciates other people's kindness to him.

"If you need anything else don't be shy to tell me. Okay?" he says.

My cheeks were already blushing and I was really in control of my trance which exploded with sheer pleasure and excitement.

"Oh, I am flattered but I am okay by the way, isn't it embarrassing to attend your party? I mean, of course, we haven't met yet but it seems like I'm a very important person in your life and you even gave me expensive clothes as a gift. "What will be the first impression of your guests and family regarding me when they saw me at your birthday party?." I was a little hesitant in those moments, I didn't want to be hypocritical and ambitious, maybe he thought I was also abusing his kindness to me.

"No, don't be. You don't have to be ashamed, just be yourself and you don't need to prove something. The important thing is that you can attend my birthday party and I'll introduce you to my friends and family. I'm sure you will love them. I want to get to know you better and be friends because I am sure you are an amazing girl, "I feel his longing to meet me personally and I even want to meet him as well.

"Okay go ahead, thank you huh. Let's talk next time and maybe I'll be disturbed by what you're doing. Goodbye." I said softly to him.

"Ok, I'll talk to you some other day before my birthday. Goodbye Ms. Maricar, it's nice to hear your cute little voice." I felt like the ice was about to melt as I heard his cool yet soothing voice, I felt like I was being lullabied over the clouds.

After we talked I jumped on the bed and I really couldn't help but scream at the same time I sang a lively song as I made the pillows look like pompoms on the bed.

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy

But here's my number, so call me, maybe

It's hard to look right at you, baby

But here's my number, so call me, maybe

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy

But here's my number, so call me, maybe

And all the other boys try to chase me

But here's my number, so call me, maybe

After I sang I was rolling on the bed until the door suddenly opened again and John Paolo appeared in front of me holding a megaphone.

"HEY, MARICAR WHAT A TROUBLE YOU ARE MAKING WITH THAT KIND O NOISE? AS PUNISHMENT FOR LEAVING ME AT UNIVERSITY YOU NEED TO COOK."

I was almost deafened by the sheer volume of his voice on the megaphone, I grabbed two pillows and aimed at throwing him a pillow.

"Hey, man, for your information I didn't leave you at university because I let you know that I'm going home and you're still able to go home alone aren't you? You often leave me alone after class, especially since my voice isn't so loud as to distract the whole housemate because my door to this room is closed so you have no right to punish me." I quickly got up and stood in front of John Paolo, thinking that this man could startle me by using a megaphone.

He looked at me carefully then he turned to look at the imported gown lying on the bed as well as the big box.

"And you even ordered from the Shopee and where are you going to wear it? You're wasting what you earn here just to buy an expensive gown."

I raised an eyebrow at John Paolo and my head began to heat up because of what he said.

"Mr. John Paolo, male interrogator I didn't order from the Shopee, that's a gift from Mr. Steven and I'll wear the expensive gown on the day of his birthday party." I scorned John Paolo hard at the same time I glared at him.

But when I thought he would be scared I was disappointed because I just found that he was laughing and he even made fun of everything I said. I will never really win this man's gloats and tease.

"Oh, what's funny?" I pinched him and the hole of my nostrils almost enlarged.

He laughed even harder.

"You are not just a frog you look like Pinocchio too, look at your nose, it's getting longer while you are telling lies. Haha."

I rushed to John Paolo when suddenly my cellphone rang. The two of us looked at each other until both of us caught our attention on the cellphone. It didn't seem like a good idea was forming in my mind as I was already guessing what John Paolo was going to do.

I didn't make a mistake, we ran fast but he quickly got my cellphone, he immediately answered the call while I fell on the bed.

"Hello? Who is this?" John Paolo asked on the other line as his eyes narrowed.

He waited for the person on the other line to answer, I still tried to snatch the cellphone from him but he wouldn't let me get close to him.

"This is Steven G. Sarrosa and who are you?" Steven's soft and calm voice on the other line.

At that point, John Paolo seemed surprised and that's when I was happy because I finally got my revenge on him, he found out I wasn't imagining and just making up a story.

"Hello, nice to meet you by the way I am John Paolo Araneta." John Paolo's voice became kind and friendly, obviously pretending just to show good manners to Steven.

"Nice to meet you too. Wait doesn't Ms. Maricar live in your house? Where is she?"

John Paolo turned to me for a moment and I could guess why he was staring at me like that.

"Give me my phone!" I raised my voice so that Steven could hear me on the other line but John Paolo continued to interfere.

"Dude, you know, she's busy cooking for our dinner so if you don't mind call her later okay GOODBYE!" John Paolo didn't even wait for Steven to speak on the other line, he turned off the call and then he returned my cellphone to me. I was indignant at the evil he had done to me again.

"Oh, what now? Do you believe I'm not deluded? That everything I'm saying about Steven Sarrosa is true?" I glared at him but I still didn't see any panic in him, he glared at my eyes even more.

"Because you did flirting with Steven, I won't pay you for a month's salary." And after that, he then left the room.

I protested and followed him out of my room.

"Hey! And when did you become the boss to give me a monthly salary? For your information, your daddy pays me, it's not you so don't assume." I scolded him.

"Icay, maybe you forgot, daddy gives me the allowance for the two of us weekly, and he also allows me to give you a salary so it's up to me to decide whether to give you a salary or not. Is it clear? So if you want to keep your monthly salary, start cooking dinner today. " John Paolo's cold and hard command.

I especially did not give in to his pressure on me.

"Wow! You're great at ordering, and why are you insisting to me that I need to cook for dinner when you knew that I'm not holding the frying pan and rice cooker?"

John Paolo was about to speak when Mrs. Aurea suddenly shouted in the distance. She seemed disgusted and angry with the two of us.

"What are you two? Won't you stop fighting? I'm deafened by your high voices. Are you going to cook or not?"

John Paolo and I looked at each other and in an unexpected event our stomachs suddenly churned, our intestines almost swelled and that's when we stopped fighting because of the embarrassment we both created.

John Paolo looked away because I noticed that he was also embarrassed by the awkward situation while I was thinking of what I could answer to Mrs. Aurea to alleviate her annoyance with us.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Aurea for the noise and distraction we created, I'll be the one to cook because John Paolo and I are equally hungry." My weak and shy response to Mrs. Aurea.

"It's even better because I'm sure our boss and Sofia are hungry." She said before walking away towards the living room.

John Paolo and I were left standing to one side.

I averted my eyes and started walking towards the kitchen when I was suddenly startled when I heard John Paolo's voice.

"Please fix the cooking and make the food delicious because the whole family can taste your cooking. Please?"

It was as if something shone in my mind that I was completely shocked by. I turned to John Paolo and was sure of what I had heard.

"What? Is what I heard true or am I just deaf?" I asked him.

"I said please," John Paolo replied calmly, weakly.

I felt like I was about to fall to the floor as if a miracle had happened. For the first time I heard John Paolo calm down and not raise his voice, I was even more impressed with him when I heard the word 'please' which I never expect to hear from him. I like to think I'm mimicking and deaf because maybe later it's all just a dream but it's not. John Paolo was read in asking me to cook a delicious dish for dinner. My heart began to pound and my whole body trembled with great pleasure, I seemed to be floating in the air with the great lightness of my will to hear the gentle voice of John Paolo. He would no longer be a monster if he had not become a true prince with a heart and feelings.

I smiled at him.

"Thank you and now you know how to say please and talk in a calm soothing voice, you're not a monster." I was happy to talk to him.

Assuming that he would answer me in a smooth and calm voice, my happy moments were shattered again when I noticed that he raised an eyebrow at me.

"All right, you cook and I'm hungry."

"Hey, why is your habit back to normal? What did you show me earlier?" I asked him.

"Icay, if I don't let you go through tenderness and flattery you won't cook so do you want to be eaten alive? Remember I'm a monster." And then he turned his back on me.

In that case, he just deceived me, he is still a monster with a hard heart, as hard as a rock and even if I use a bulldozer, I will never be able to break the hardness and roughness of his character.