EASY, I CALL THE SHOTS!

Lupe sighed.

"When do they want it?" She asked.

Enrique was tapping his fingers on the desk giving Lupe a winning look. No matter what, the interview had to be done.

"That I don't know..."

"What? I have a schedule to plan. Didn't you ask them?" Lupe asked.

"I did. Pfft. I know my work. I'm not that incompetent...'

" And so what I'm...."

"...You will have dinner with Young Xander," Enrique said nonchalantly.

Lupe touched her forehead. She could feel a headache coming in.

"Lupe, are you okay?" her assistant, Jackie asked.

"Yes. I'm okay. I'm perfectly okay." she said with a dull look on her face.

"With that, call the Xander Inc and confirm the dinner, when and where. I need that interview Lupe. Don't play Miss Smartie Pants again," Enrique said as he went out.

A deafening silence engulfed the office. The only thing that could be heard was the hyperventilation breathing of Lupe. Her cheeks and earlobes were red of anger.

Jackie clearly felt the odd atmosphere. Without talking, she went and brought a glass of water for Lupe. Quickly, Lupe took half a glass of water in a gulp. She felt the ice cold water stinging through her throat to her guts and she felt better.

Feeling her calmness, Jackie asked, "What will you do?"

"I'll do the interview."

"With Sir Young Xander?"

"Nope. With the Minister of course!"

"You know what I mean Lu"

When Jackie called her Lu, her eyes turned dark and icy. Her eyebrows knitted together. She could feel her anger rising and blood boiling. It took a lot of effort to control it.

"Don't call me Lu again. I'm Lupe."

"I've been calling you Lu ever since...."

"Well, stop it from now," Lupe said as she went to the cabinet to look for a file.

Startled, Jackie could tell that her immediate boss who was her friend was not okay. Knowing her temperament, she avoided to ask a lot of questions. She will talk. Some day. She thought.

It was not rocket science to tell that her current mood was triggered by the CEO of Xander Inc. Could they have met before? Is there something more than business between them? What did Young Xander do to Lu....all these were questions running in her mind.

She was curious. She was a journalist after all. But above that, they were friends. Their relationship was more of sisters than a senior and her assistant. Lupe treated her well. Always at her beck and call. Tarnishing that relationship was a no.

"So what are you going to do about that dinner and interview with Xander Inc?" Jackie asked cautiously.

This time Lupe looked at her and bit her lips.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes. Nothing. If they desperately need to launch it and really want an interview, they can

get another person." Lupe said nonchalantly.

"Enrique will skin you alive!"

Lupe went to her desk carrying a file and started looking at it.

"Maybe he will. Maybe he won't,"

"Lupe, I'm too young to die and my family depend on me,"

Lupe laughed and sipped her water.

"That won't happen,"

"How do you know that?"

"Easy. I call the shots! "

Jackie was stupefied by Lupe's courage. Her aura was contagious. It was domineering and Jackie loved it.

Jackie smiled and gave Lupe a wink.