Đọc truyện Love - All

Mission statement: To participate in the warm, friendly and positive spirit of the Christmas season; To make memories between family and friends that last

Agenda/schedule attached

Confirm attendance within this day

[Attachment: 1 PDF file]

Best regards

Holder Gueco

CEO of all things Gueco

Replies:

Marge Gueco <[email protected]>
to All
pam call me may chika ako

Azriel Tanjangco <[email protected]>
to All
Confirming attendance, Tito.

Richard Frank Tanjangco
<[email protected]>
to All
petmalu ng schedule pare haha

Pamela Tanjangco <[email protected]>
to All
Attendance check
Marge wait lang 5 mins

Kaf Gueco <[email protected]>
to All
OMG Dad, lahat to, work email namin.
Anyway, including Patrick in this thread!
@Lovi, isama mo boyfriend mo dito.

Holder Gueco <[email protected]>
to All
oo nga pala nakalimutan ko asawa mo

Patrick Ilagan <[email protected]>
to All
Okay lang po Tito 😅
Confirming attendance with Baby Bailey po

Daniel Jett Tanjangco <[email protected]>
to All
dad wala na gumagamit ng petmalu ano ba
tsaka confirming attendance

Mikee Gueco <[email protected]>
to All
👍

Francis Gabriel Tanjangco
<[email protected]>
to All
Confirming attendance, Tito
Thank you po

George Gueco <[email protected]>
to All
Coming late lang po. :)
Thank you for the effort, Tito! So excited!

Best regards,
George

"Script mo."

Kinuha ni Gabriel 'yong inabot ni Lovi. "Ano 'yan? Gingerbread latte? 'Yong favorite mo 'pag December na?"

"Basta." Lovi puts her coffee out of his reach. "Read through it. If there's anything you don't like, pwede natin ibahin."

He only glances once at the words. Then he sets it aside and looks at her. "Kayo pa pala ng boyfriend mo?"

Lovi wants to pinch her nose. Itong Ate Kaf niya talaga, kailangan pang i-announce sa buong angkan?! "None of your business."

"Ga'no katagal na 'yan ulit?"

"Four months."

He pauses. Then, "For the first time, may daldalhin ka sa Anderdal?"

Tinaasan ito ng kilay ni Lovi. "Bakit? Ano naman kung mayro'n?"

Gabriel's jaw twitches. Then he gives her a smile. "Sagutin mo nga si Tito, nakakahiya ka. Ikaw na lang 'di nag-co-confirm."

"Mamaya. Marami akong trabaho—"

"Good afternoon, Sir Tan, Ma'am Lovi," sabi ni Victor, 'yong videographer nila, lugging in his equipment. "Ang aga n'yo po, Sir. Set up lang ako."

"Basahin mo 'yan," utos ni Lovi kay Gabriel, setting her coffee down. "Victor, thanks for coming..."

Tinulungan niya ito sa mga lights at cords. Nang malapit na matapos ang setup niya, Lovi bends over the table with a marker to put slash pauses in between the cue cards of the script.

Tumayo sa likod ni Lovi si Gabriel, sa gitna nila ni Victor.

"What are you doing?" she asks him, furrowing her eyebrows. "Umusog ka nga."

"Quiet, nagbabasa ako," he says absentmindedly, holding up his own copy of the script in his hand.

Tinitigan ni Lovi si Gabriel.

She doesn't like looking at him for too long because then she would have to admit a truth universally acknowledged—he is beautiful. Gabriel Tanjangco carries a big name and it shows in his appearance—he's always a strong, staggering presence in the room that he's hard to miss.

Dark, gelled hair with a strand falling on his forehead. Strong jaw and sharp cheekbones. Long legs. Broad shoulders. Prominent veins in his arms and slender fingers. Beautiful skin. Full lips with a perfect cupid's bow.

She blinks and finally looks away, focusing on the task at hand.

"Ready na po, Sir Tan," Victor calls.

Gabriel takes his place in front of the camera once Lovi is done with the cue cards. She stands behind Victor and holds the cards in her hand.

"'Wag mo na hawakan 'yan," sabi ni Gabriel, adjusting his tie. "Mangangawit ka pa. I memorized the script already."

Lovi fights the urge to sigh in frustration. "E 'di sana hindi na 'ko nagsayang ng oras para sa pagpi-print at pagma-mark nito."

"Tumayo ka na lang diyan sa bago mong damit," sagot ni Gabriel, staring at her. "Nasabi ko na ba na maganda?"

Then he mouths, "Ka?"

Oh, this infuriating—

"Sir Tan," Lovi says sweetly. "Let's proceed with the shoot."

He grins at her. When the camera starts rolling, he starts, in his deep and clear voice, "For 60 years, the Tanjangco Group's purpose and unrelenting commitment is to invigorate the economy and uplift lives..."

There's no doubt about it—Gabriel's authority and place as the heir and president of the biggest conglomerate in the country is of no question when it comes to work. He's dedicated, forward-thinking, and incredibly driven. It's impossible not to respect him.

Kung hindi lang sila matagal nang magkakilala ni Lovi, she wouldn't even imagine him having a side that he only shows with her.

Lovi can credit that to the history between their families. Ang nanay niya at ang nanay ni Gabriel ay best friends noong college pa, kaya no'ng bata pa lang ang mga anak nila, taon-taon silang nagsasama-sama sa Anderdal Manor tuwing Pasko.

When it comes to Christmas, the Guecos and the Tanjangcos don't mess around, so much so that they've conditioned their kids growing up to look forward to the annual family holiday. Even if it's chaos.

Or especially if it's chaos.

Lovi's phone pings with an email notification. She expects that it's one of her crazy family members or one of the Tanjangcos again, but what greets her in her inbox is a made-up meeting notification from Gabriel at 3:00.

Lovi fumes.

"Bakit mo pa 'ko pinag-adjust ng schedule?!" she snaps at him pagkatapos ng shoot. Pabalik na sila sa mga opisina nila. "Marami akong trabaho, Gabriel, ha."

"Aside sa gusto kitang kinukulit?"

"Wala akong oras para sa kulitan mo, Gabriel. Ano ba? Hindi biro 'yong trabaho ko rito."

"I know it's not."

"Stop making it one."

"Honestly, Lov—"

AGH!

Isa pa 'yan.

Isa pa 'yang lecheng tawag niya na 'yan kay Lovi.

When Gabriel says it, it's not a hard Lov sound. His accent makes it sound like—

Like Lohv. Like Lov with the E.

"Lovi nga!" she barks, gripping his arm. "Hindi ka ba nakakaintindi?"

Nginitian lang siya ni Gabriel. Mas lalong nainis si Lovi.

"Magki-quit na 'ko," sabi niya.

Nawala ang ngiti ni Gabriel. "Hindi magandang biro 'yan. 'Wag mo 'kong gaganyanin. And honestly, Lov, it's because you're the only one I trust."

She scoffs. "Or because it's me lang na kaya mong ganituhin."

Gabriel raises one eyebrow and steps closer to her. "Alin? Ganito?"

Lovi's back hits the wall. Her chin raises so she can meet his eyes straight-on.

"Hoy," she mutters, heart pounding. "Gabriel."

He leans down, and his breath is skittering on her cheek when he whispers, a slow smile playing on his lips, "Yeah, it's you lang. Arte mo, tangina mo. Mag-confirm ka na ng attendance."

With her suitcase open and waiting on her bedroom floor, Lovi pops open a root beer can and tells her sister on the phone, "Nag-break na kami. Two weeks ago pa."

"Ha?!" sigaw ni Kaf. "Bakit?! Akala ko may madadala ka na sa Anderdal this year!"

"Wala naman akong balak dalhin si Carlo do'n," sagot ni Lovi, scrunching her nose. "I'm only bringing the love of my life—kung darating man siya, baka na-delay lang—to Anderdal Manor."

Kaf sighs in resignation. "Well, hindi naman kailangan 'yong love of your life, e. I just thought that since this was going well..."

"It wasn't."

"So ano? You're going alone? Again?"

Lovi's eyebrows raise. "Ate, we weren't even officially together. Dating lang. Then I got bored, he got bored. You know how it is. It just didn't work out."

"It didn't work out o hindi ka nag-effort?"

Okay, her sister knows her too well.

"Hindi rin naman siya nag-e-effort para kitain ako," Lovi defends herself. "If he wanted to see me, he would. Kahit marami kaming trabaho pareho, gagawan niya ng paraan."

"You have a tendency for nonchalance, Lovi. You don't want to show the guy you're seeing that you're more into him than he is to you."

"Naniniwala ako that the only relationships that work are when he loves her more. Look at our parents. Sina Tita Pam at Tito Rich."

"I'm sure the love is equal. Besides, hindi rin measurable 'yan. Pa'no kami ni Patrick?" bato sa kanya ng kapatid niya.

"Fine. When I've found someone whose love I want to reciprocate, do'n ako mag-uuwi sa Anderdal," Lovi concedes tightly. "And no one has earned that privilege yet."

Ate Kaf sighs. "Ayaw lang kitang maging lonely sa holidays, Lovi."

Gustong niyang sumigaw, but she remembers that her sister comes from a place of love, not condemnation.

Deep breaths.

"I won't be lonely," she says. "Anyway, I'm not dating para hindi ako mag-isa sa Anderdal. Ano naman kung single ako ulit do'n? Everyone else din, wala namang nagsabi na magdadala sila ng partner. 'Tsaka family time 'yon, not to show off."

Her sister pauses on the other line. Then, sighing, she says, "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry."

Lovi rubs her forehead. "It's okay, Ate. Tanggapin na natin na not everyone has a happy family like you do yet."

Her older sister snorts. "Nakailang heartbreak ako bago si Patrick, alam mo 'yan."

Oo, alam niya. She's witnessed all the aftermaths of her sister's breakups.

Gan'to kasi 'yan: it takes a lot for Kaf to be single. She has never been single for too long. She's always going to be a lover, she's always going to find someone to pour her love into because that's just who she is.

Wala itong shortage of love. Swerte na lang din ito si Ate Kaf may nakilalang 'di na aabusuhin ang pagmamahal nito, and Lovi is happy for her. Really.

It's just that she's the opposite.

Anyway, ang kailangan niya ngayon ay family time. She powers up her laptop after the phone call and gets to sending her Out of Office automatic reply.

Then she finishes her root beer and starts packing.

#LoveAllWP

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Tags: #-friendship #christmas #friendship #friendstolovers #romance #romance-friendship