The Truth 6

The closet opened to a line of business suits hanging neatly on the rod according to colors. On the lower compartments, I also caught a glimpse of folded clothes. Ever since Sean showed it to me the first time we came here, I had not placed a single item there yet. I wondered if I got into the wrong room, so I let my eyes roam across the place. Yet, everything around showed feminine touches, including the floral prints of the bedsheets.

I continued to watch him changing into his trouser and slipping into a white undershirt. When he turned around to discard his bathrobe, he caught me staring at him, and his lips twisted into a smile.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked, walking back to the bedside.

"No," I replied, covering my mouth as I broke into a yawn.

"Why not sleep still?" He sat down beside me and brushed his fingers on my hair. Those sweet and tender eyes sent a warm wave into my heart, making it pump a little faster.

I sat up and pulled my knees, leaning my head on top of my knees for a moment. He moved closer and trapped me inside his long arms that coiled around me.

"Finish your interview today and make a final decision on your staffing because I'll be taking you away for a short vacation."

"Really?" I gasped in surprise, giving him a pair of wide eyes.

"Yes. Just you and me, away from the world."

"I love that," I exclaimed, having realized that Eric never offered me the luxury of his time.

"I love you," he responded, pressing his lips on my temple.

My eyes darted open, sticking on his face for a moment. It seemed that my world stopped spinning at that very second. He understood the expression on my face because he elaborated on what he said.

"I'd been thinking about you for so long already. Do you believe in the power of the mind?"

"No. You are blowing my mind, instead." I rolled my eyes, and he chuckled.

"I'm willing to wait, Red."

He hugged me tightly for who knew how long, allowing me to feel his sincerity through that simple gesture. He showed no signs of sexual desire, just a pure warmth of his touch. He didn't even kiss me on the lips that would have kindled a fire between us at that moment. Tears stung my eyes, wishing I had experienced this treatment a long time ago.

All my doubts vanished after that. I lay down on the bed with my eyes on the ceiling, feeling the bliss of his confession. Sean had long gone ahead to his office while I stayed an hour longer. I remembered the clothes in my closet, so I stood up to inspect it. And I realized that Sean's stuff was also on the pull-out trays and some drawers on the cabinet.

I recalled his messy appearance and his disheveled hair. Was it because he was simultaneously cooking and moving his things to my room? I felt guilty. His things in my room were proof that he wanted to move in with me.

I snapped out of my reverie when my phone sang the tune of my favorite song. It was Dr. Mimi calling. I answered her call, and she informed me that she was on her way. In less than ten minutes, I was already sitting behind the desk of my office. Dr. Mimi also arrived a few minutes after.

"Wow! What a beautiful contrast to our everyday environment." Dr. Mimi commented after her eyes scanned the whole surroundings. "And it looks so peaceful here."

"Hopefully," I smiled, not wanting to give her a false assurance since Laminae was a huge company, and there were hundreds of workers to cater to.

"I understand," she chuckled, having perhaps seen my point. She sat down comfortably across my desk, and I began orienting her on the scope of her job and responsibilities. I also gave her a rundown of the company's profile and the nature of the business.

"Does it mean I am already hired?" she said, laughing. Perhaps, she could not believe how easy she got into the job.

"Of course. I am given the task to decide, so what would you expect?" I also laughed.

Dr. Mimi's stayed her eyes on me as I laughed, and all of a sudden, her expression changed into a concerned look.

"Red, how are you? You know, I got so worried about you, but I was also hesitant to ask. You might not want to talk about it. Is this the reason why you accepted this job?"

My lips stretched across my face in a pursed smile. "It's over between Eric and me."

She nodded, giving me a sympathetic look. "I'm glad you are able to let go."

"You know it hurts like hell, but I'm moving on."

"That's good. I regret I took my leave after that day." Dr. Mimi meant the day Eric and Shirley got confined due to sexual disengagement. If not for her thoughtfulness, dealing with them would be much more painful.

"My heart is already anesthetized," I joked, drawing out a smile of pity from my friend.

"Don't look at me that way," I added. "I'm truly fine." I giggled.

"If you said so," she shrank and leaned her back on the chair.

Before I could speak, the door opened, and Dr. Leila, my OB-Gyne friend, stuck her head inside.

"Come in," I called out excitedly, a wide grin sprawling across my face.

She closed the door and strode faster to my desk. Dr. Mimi pointed out to Leila the chair across her.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Dr. Yrna requested me to take over as she was on maternity leave." Dr. Yrna was one of our senior OB-Gyne consultants.

"You had a meeting?" I asked, watching her stretching out her blouse, trying to compose herself.

"Yes, for an endorsement," she sighed.

"You look stressed," Dr. Mimi commented.

Dr. Leila sighed before she answered. Then in a split of a second, her eyes widened as she looked at me.

"Red, do you remember that woman who insisted on going home against medical advice?"