Workmates

“Navarro, get in here now!" His stern voice called over the intercom.

"Shit! What is it this time?" I grunted under my breath as I got up then picked up my pen and notebook.

Everyone in the desks around me jumped back to typing, reading reports or whatever it was that made them look busy at work, then stayed still, so still that you can hear a pin drop on the floor. Some were even holding their breaths as if breathing was a sin that he would reprimand them for.

Everyone feared him except me. "Am I the only one here who can stand up to that nut case?"

I fixed my skirt and pulled the hem down or else he would give another snarky comment about its length. "You work in a real estate corporation, not a strip club. You are not the property we're trying to sell, Navarro," would be his usual comment whenever he thought my shirt was too tight, my hemline was too high or my neckline was too low.

Funny thing was that I always made sure that I dressed modestly, close to looking like a throwback from the Philippines’s Spanish Colonial era.

"Tsk! Looks like your boss is on his period again.” My friend Diane from another department chuckled. “I told you, you should give him some torrid kissing so he’s not too thirsty for you." She naughtily quipped when she overheard the VP for Treasury snarl at me again.

That had been the tenth time he’d irately called me into his office this morning and it was not even 9am.

"You’re out of your mind!” I gasped. “Besides, I’m not his type. It’s more likely for him to throw me out of the window instead. Or worse, fire me.” I said.

“You should really get your priorities right, girl.” She giggled.

"They are right. I need this job. Now, go on. Get out of here. Here are all the papers you need. RFJ already signed all of them. Your boss is probably looking for those now." I told her then gave her the budget approved by my boss Raiden that was requested by the VP for Operations.

That’s right. My boss’s name is Raiden as in Raiden-sama, the Japanese god of thunder, lightning and storms. His father who shares the same name as him is a kind and chivalrous man. Little did he know that when he decided that it would be cool to name his only son after himself and the deity, Raiden Jr will literally have a temper as loud as thunder, as intimidating as lightning and as destructive as a storm.

"Don’t worry about her. Ma'am Ina’s cool.” My friend’s comment snapped me out of my thoughts. “She’s busy talking to her boyfriend now. But, girl, I’m telling you, the reason why your boss is always hot-headed is because he has the hots for you." Diane laughed as she sashayed out of my office.

I shook my head and wondered how we're even friends. We are polar opposites.

"Navarro! What the hell?! Get in here now!” The devil… I meant, my boss yelled yet again.

"Yes, Boss. Be right there."

I rushed to his door and took a deep calming breath before turning the doorknob.

"Yes, Sir?" I asked with a sweet smile as soon as I got inside.

I stood waiting.

Huh! You see how sweetly I’m smiling? That’s me killing you with kindness, jerk!

He eyed me from head to toe with that darned stomach-churning glare of his. It was always that way when he called me in: the stare-down, the cold shrug, the focus-on-the-paper-I'm-holding move and the head shake. All done to intimidate me but I am not one to be easily fazed. I stood there with my chin held high and met his stare.

He signaled for me to come closer so I did. He then pushed the folder and the usb flash drive I gave him just half an hour ago across the table towards me.

"I need the revisions done in an hour. Change the shared file too." He said firmly without even having the courtesy of looking at me.

"Sir? I thought you said the last revisions you had me do was final? Did I get it wrong? This is our fifth revision. I don’t recall any new figures that would affect our report."

"Are you complaining?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yes! God damn it! YES!!! This presentation is perfect! You’re the one who said that thirty minutes ago. Asshole!

I was furious but I masked my anger with an even wider smile. I will not give him the privilege of seeing me lose my cool.

"That’s not what I meant, Sir." I said sweetly.

"I was just wondering what happened, Sir, because you said that our report is already complete and ready for the presentation. Now, you're telling me that I need to make some changes just two hours before the meeting." I explained calmly although the undertone of irritation in my voice was getting harder to disguise.

He shrugged then smirked as he turned a page on the document I knew he was just pretending to read because his eyes did not move down the page at all.

What the fuck?! Be grateful for your good looks that made me think twice about wiping that smirk off your face with my fist.

My patience was wearing thin.

"Miss Navarro, you should’ve asked me instead about what I specifically wanted you to change about the report. It’s not the figures or any content. Those are fine.” He said with a sly smile, still not lifting his eyes from the file he was pretend-reading.

I stood there, puzzled and speechless, staring at him.

“Change the font."

Font?! Are you fucking kidding me?! You, unbelievably obnoxious piece of shi...

"Change the font?" I asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Yes. Change the font. Use Arial and remove the Italics on the titles on each page."

On each fucking page?! Didn't he ask for those in the first place? Lord, please grant me patience and strength. I am THIS close to choking this bastard to death!

I took a deep breath behind a wide smile, beauty queen style. Grace under hellish pressure. I am not Miss Santa Maria and three-time Flores de Mayo Queen for nothing.

Whatever game you've been trying to play with me for the last six months, I am not about to lose it.

"Okay. Anything else, Sir? So I can finalize the report for your meeting, Sir." I spoke in a singsong manner even though I was already screaming at him in my head.

"Hmmm... The colors of the bars in the Expense Projection graph, change them to yellows and oranges." He said.

Seriously? Ugh... Fine.

"Okay, Sir. I'll have the presentation ready for you in an hour." I answered.

"40 minutes."

"Sir?"

"I needed the revisions in an hour, 20 minutes ago. With all your complaints, you just wasted 20 minutes." He smirked and raised his coffee cup to his lips to take a sip.

WHAT! THE! FFFFFU...

"Okay, Sir." I said with a smile then I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.

I got to my desk in record time and started pounding on the keyboard as soon as my butt touched the chair.

"You’re such an annoying bastard. Jerk! You’re so fussy." I muttered under my breath as I made the corrections the devil ordered. "I hope you choke on that coffee that you had me change three times today. I hate you!" I continued to curse him in my head as I worked.

"I will have this presentation ready for you alright because this is the last thing I will ever do for you. I am out of here!”