All day while I was doing my job, hindi maalis ang kaba ko dahil baka mamaya, pumunta sa department namin si Sir Hunter at pag-initan ako. My first job after graduating really left a big scar on my life that I always feel anxious in everything.

I never thought back then that I'd be bullied for looking seductive just because I loved wearing red lipstick. Kaya tuloy simula nang mag-resign ako ro'n, hindi na ako gumamit pa ng gano'n sa sumunod kong mga trabaho. That's why whenever we went to a bar, palagi kong ginagawa ang best to make myself look the way I want kasi alam kong walang hierarchy sa lugar na 'yon.

In other words, pare-pareho kaming malalandi.

Sabi nga ng colleagues ko dito sa RES Telecommunications, I have two different personalities--the personality at work and at the party.

I was so reluctant to go to that company's welcome party for the new CEO pero bakit ba ako matatakot? It's not like I asked for it. He was begging to have sex with me!

Well, 'wag lang sanang malalaman ng colleagues ko ang nangyari sa amin or else, masisira ang image na ang tagal kong binuo. I established a peaceful workplace for myself and I won't let anyone ruin that, kahit na siya pang CEO!

"Let's go, Areeya."

Nagbuntonghininga ako bago kinuha ang bag at sumunod sa kanila palabas ng company. Since dala ko ang sasakyan, some of my colleagues will ride with me on our way to the restaurant.

"Hindi ho ako magtatagal. I might eat dinner then leave immediately," I told the accounting supervisor that I was not really close with but kind to everyone.

Umiling siya. "No. Stay for the party. All of us have to be there. Kahit sa first hour lang, then you can leave."

Ngumiti ako at tumango bilang tugon. Niyaya ko na ang ibang employees na walang masasakyan since hindi naman lahat kami, may sariling kotse. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko naman talaga afford at the moment to buy a car dahil naghuhulog pa ako ng condo unit.

Leo only helped me to get one via loan simula noong na-hire ako dito because he's worried about my being. Hindi na niya raw ako maihahatid because of his work na malayo sa RES Telecommunications and super busy na niya rin sa cases, unlike noon na nasa law school or review center pa lang siya and may time kahit papaano.

He paid for the downpayment and told me to pay him whenever I can. Kaya tuloy hindi ako makaipon dahil napakarami kong utang, nagbabayad pa akong utang ng magulang ko.

Nang makarating sa restaurant, almost everyone was there na. Every long table was designated to every department. Mabuti na lang because even though I am almost friends with everyone, there's no more comfortable place than where the people you see every minute are.

Nadaanan pa ng paningin ko ang bagong CEO na nakaupo sa mas maliit na table, kasama sina Chairman at ang asawa nito--basically, the family, together with their secretaries.

Nang ibinalik niya ang tingin sa akin, nagpanggap na lang ako na walang nakita at dumeretso sa table namin saka naupo.

"Kompleto na ba ang lahat?" tanong ng babaeng secretary ni Sir Hunter.

"Yes!"

"Okay, then. We shall start the dinner! Once again, let's give a big round of applause to our new CEO, Mr. Hunter Santiago!"

Nagpalakpakan ang lahat habang nakatingin sa kan'ya. Nag-angat ito ng wine glass bago tumayo at nagsalita.

"Let's eat!"

The food were immediately served to every employee inside the restaurant. Everyone was enjoying the very expensive steak that's on our plate, hindi rin talaga mawawala ang mahabang kwentuhan! After kumain, the next thing that was served were the alcoholic beverages. Natuwa na naman ang lahat dahil do'n.

"Thank you so much, Sir Hunter!!!" masayang sabi ng halos lahat.

Tumawa ang lalaki. "We will do this often now that I'm your new CEO," he said before drinking his tequila and glancing at me secretly.

Naghiyawan ang mga tao dahil sa sinabi niya. He must be really good in handling a business, I know he knows what he's doing. He looked like he has experienced in this field.

Well, sabagay, he won't inherit the company kung hindi niya kayang alagaan ito. Chairman must've trained him so hard abroad kaya malaki na ang tiwala niya rito ngayon.

Halos isang oras na ang nagdaan nang magsimula ang party. Nakabukas na rin ang kabilang parte ng restaurant na kanina ay sarado for everyone who wanted to dance. May bar counter din doon para sa mga gusto pang uminom pero wala nang alak sa table.

Ang galing. I imagined a restobar na nasa itaas ang bar pero ito, hindi. Everything is on the ground floor kaya maganda rin. Maybe this was set solely for this very occassion.

I checked the time on my phone and saw that it's already 10:30 p.m. Sabi ko pa naman, one hour lang ako dito sa party pero almost two hours na pala akong nag-stay. Hindi pa naman ako lasing. I'm still perfectly sober pero gusto ko nang umuwi.

I don't want to be in the same place with someone I had a one-night stand with. It's really fucking uncomfortable.

From the dance floor, pumunta ako sa table namin para kuhanin ang bag. Napatigil naman ako nang makitang makakasalubong ko si Sir Hunter na may hawak na glass, may alak pang laman. Tumikhim ako bago idineretso ang mukha saka ngumiti sa kan'ya bago siya nilampasan.

Dumeretso ako sa table at kinuha ang bag. Napalingon ang lahat ng katrabaho ko sa akin.

"Where are you going?!" lasing na tanong ni Queenie.

Nagkibit-balikat ako bago isinabit sa kanang balikat ang handbag. "I'm going home."

Umiling-iling si Queenie bago ako hinawakan sa braso. "No, Areeya! Later na! Why are you rushing to go home? Are you meeting with that guy you recently had sex na malaki lang ang tite pero bad ang bed performance?!" dere-deretsong sabi ni Queenie.

Nanlamig ako. Pakiramdam ko, nawala lahat ng dugo mula sa mukha ko, bago nag-angat ng tingin sa lalaking nasa likod niya, nakatingin sa akin nang matalim.

Humagalpak ng tawa sina France at ang accounting manager ko na si Rowena dahil do'n. Pati si Dian na gusto lang namang uminom, halos masamid na dahil sa sinabi niya!

"W-What are you saying? H-Hindi na kami nagkita ever, okay? That's just a one-night stand, nothing more."

Nagbuntonghininga siya bago ako binitiwan. "Okay! But stay for another hour, we haven't drink much yet."

Napakamot ako ng leeg bago lihim na tumingin kay Sir Hinter. Nakatitig pa rin siya nang matalim sa akin, hawak pa rin ang baso na may lamang alak, nakapamulsa ang isang kamay.

"O-Okay, then. I-I'll go home at 11:30 p.m."

Bumalik na ako sa pagkakaupo at inialis na ang atensyon sa boss kong tsismoso. Kinuha ko ang shot glass na gamit kanina saka sinalinan ito. Ininom ko kaagad 'yon saka muling sinalinan.

I was about to drink that one shot again when Sir Hunter walked and stopped behind me, bumping me slightly.

"Can you move a bit?"

"Sure, sir!" masiglang sabi ni Queenie bago ako hinila palayo, binibigyan ng space ang boss na ngayon ay umuupo na sa tabi ko.

Fucking hell.

"So, tell me about this guy with big dick but bad performance, Miss Queenie," may mapang-asar na tonong sabi ni Sir Hunter. Bahagya siyang ngumisi sa akin bago ibinalik ang tingin dito. "I'm curious."

Oh, fuck. Ito na ba ang kinatatakutan ko?

Pilit na tumawa si Queenie bago ininom ang laman ng shot glass.

"Naku, sir! J-Joke lang po 'yon! Pero hindi ko po alam saan napulot ni Areeya ang lalaking 'yon, mukhang dinaan sa laki. She told me that she faked her moans, hindi nga naman mahirap 'yon." Humagalpak siya pagkatapos.

Wala akong ibang magawa kung hindi mapahilamos sa hiya. This is why I don't want to go to this party! Ramdam kong may mangyayaring hindi maganda! And Queenie is such a snitch everytime she's starting to get drunk. Napakadaldal! Bakit ba kasi sinabi ko 'yon?!

Argh! Fine, hindi ko naman alam na boss ko pala ang ka-sex ko noon. Wala akong idea! As much as I don't care about what he'll think of me after hearing everything, I can't stop worrying because he's my boss and I'm working under him! He'll be the one to pay me from now on and I'll be seeing him often now that he's working at my fucking workplace.

Argh! Napakamalas mo, Areeya. Napakaraming gwapong lalaki doon, bakit sa boss mo pa ikaw nagpauwi?!

"Faked her moans, huh?" He smirked. "I didn't know women have great talents like that. I've never had women faking their moans for me before." Lumingon siya sa akin, nakangisi pa rin. "Ngayon lang," he whispered, only for me to hear.

"Po?!" malakas na tanong ni Queenie.

Tinulak ko ang mukha niya. "Masyado ka na raw maraming sinasabi, sisisantihin ka na niya kapag hindi ka pa tumigil."

"Hala, sorry! I'll shut up na!"

I heard him laugh after that and Queenie didn't talk about that thing anymore. Kumanta na lang siya nang kumanta kasabay ng ibang katrabaho namin sa table.

Kinakausap-kausap din sila ni Sir Hinter about their work, the places they went home to, kaya hindi naman namin nasolo ni Queenie ang table pati ang atensyon niya.

Mabuti na lang nga, nawala na sa akin ang atensyon.

Umalis din si Sir Hunter makalipas ang sampung minutong pag-stay niya sa table namin. Nakailang inom ako ng tequila dahil hindi ko magawa kanina noong nasa tabi ko siya at paunti-unting tumatama ang suot niya sa akin. Even his leg, feeling ko, idinidikit niya talaga!

Feeling niya naman. Kahit gwapo siya, at boss ko siya, hindi na ulit siya makakaisa sa akin! It's called a one-night stand for a fucking reason!

Nang sumapit ang oras na uuwi na, nagpaalam na ulit ako. France promised me that he'll drive Queenie home since ayaw pang umuwi ni gaga, gusto pa raw makasama ang gwapo niyang boss. Masyado na siyang lasing para pansinin pa ang pagpapaalam ko kaya naman lumabas na ako ng restaurant at dumeretso sa parking space to get my car.

Mabagal akong nag-drive pauwi dahil medyo tipsy na ako. Mabuti na lang, wala nang sasakyan masyado sa highway kaya alam kong makakauwi ako nang safe.

Nang makarating sa condominium building, nag-park ako sa underground parking lot bago lumabas ng kotse. I made sure it was locked properly before I headed to the elevator.

"Faked your moans, huh?"

"Ay, putang ina!"

Napalingon ako sa nagsalita sa likod, dahilan ng gulat ko na muntik ko nang ibato ang bag sa kung saan. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makita si Sir Hunter na naglalakad papalapit sa akin habang hawak nang mahigpit ang car keys.

"W-What are you doing here, s-sir?" I asked.

He smirked before stopping a feet away from me. "Big dick but bad performance in bed? Faked your moans? Really? That's what I'll hear after you left me without a word?"

Napakunot-noo ako bago tumawa. "Ano ba dapat? Should we exchange contacts, or names--at least--before I left?"

"That's called respecting someone you shared your body with."

Humagalpak ako ng tawa. "Excuse me, I never shared anything with you! I never gave it to you--I lent it to you just for a night, thus called one-night stand!"

Nakita ko ang paggalaw ng dila niya papunta sa gilid ng loob ng pisngi na para bang nainis siya sa sinabi ko. Good!

"Are you really that kiss and tell? You tell your friends everything about what happens to your sex life?"

Tumawa ulit ako. "Why? Ashamed after hearing all that?"

He laughed before shifting from his position. "No, because it wasn't true at all. I know how good I made you feel that night and you never faked your moans for me. You lied just to boost your ego."

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. "If that's the truth, why did I leave you without a word?" He didn't answer. "I never had any plans on meeting you again. I never wanted to meet any guy I had a one-night stand with. Sinwerte ka lang na boss kita kaya palagi tayong magkikita kahit na ayaw ko."

His lip twitched, eyebrows furrowed. "How good do you need from a man to satisfy you?"

Nagkibit-balikat ako. "If a man finally makes me made love to him, he's that good in bed." Umayos ako ng tayo bago nag-bow nang bahagya. "Good night, sir. Have a safe drive to your penthouse."

I started walking away from him when he held my wrist, stopping me.

"How did you get home that night?"

Napakunot-noo ako. "What?"

"You left your torn dress at my place. What did you wear when you left?"

Napalunok ako nang maalala na ninakaw ko nga pala ang isa sa mga long sleeve niya! At nasa condo 'yon ni Daisy!

Fuck, wait! Itinapon ko na!

"Uhh . . . I--"

"Did you steal one of my clothes?"

Napaawang ang bibig ko. "Steal?! Excuse me, may pambili ako! Hiniram ko lang 'yon!"

He grinned, satisfied with my answer. "So you gave plans on returning something from someone you don't plan on meeting anymore?"

Napalunok ako't hindi makapagsalita. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. "Um . . . I . . ." I gulped before looking straight in his eyes once again. "Ibabalik ko! 'Wag kang mag-alala! Now that we met, I can finally give it back! I'll bring it on Monday!"

He chuckled. "I'm amused you're not intimidated even after you found out that I'm your new CEO."

Umirap ako. "Why would I? When I told you before that, lahat ng lalaki pare-pareho, I meant it. Oo boss kita, pero lalaki ka lang. There's no reason for me to be intimidated by you especially outside my workplace kaya 'wag kang umasang magiging sunud-sunuran ako sa 'yo ngayon, sir." I smiled sarcastically. "Good night."

Tuluyan na akong umalis ng parking lot at dumeretso sa elevator. Nagmadali ako sa pagpindot ng close dahil baka mamaya, humabol pa ang isang 'yon.

Pero sa itsura niya bago ako umalis, sigurado akong hindi makaka-move on 'yon sa review na nakuha niya sa akin about our one-night stand.

You crushed another man's ego once again! Way to go, Areeya!