15、The proposal
**Lisa’s POV**
We came home as per time agreed. Upon opening the door to our house, I saw my father waiting for me in the living room. So, I let William enter the house to greet my father and at the same time bid goodbye. My father offers a handshake to thank him for sending me home as agreed and also William bid goodbye at the same time. I send William to the gate and also thank him for the wonderful night.
“I just hope this will not be the last time that I can invite you out.” He told me before he got into his car.
“I just hope not, we will see.” I’m not giving him much hope for another time like this. I’m afraid to get entangled and get hurt again. He’s a playboy, what do I expect?
After that night I attended their performance at the hotel, it was already a couple months ago. Every day he picks me up after office hours. It seems that we were already a couple, though he doesn’t say anything. I was about to ask him something when he first talked.
“Lisa?” I just looked at him to see what was the purpose of his question. Then he looked at me. “Can you be my girlfriend? I don’t want to pressure you to answer me right now, but I wanted to ask you anyway.”
I don’t know how to answer him because I don’t know how I feel. “Just give me more time, please. I don’t want to make another mistake and get hurt all over again.” I just told him.
Though I feel he’s hurt. I can’t be hurt again. And I am not sure of what I feel for him.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
To get more information about him, I told Sheena that William was proposing to me to be his girlfriend. To be more accurate, she has the idea of what William really is because she was living in William’s apartment. She looked at me as if I had grown two heads. I don’t know if she was angry or surprised. She just never answered and avoided me since then. I just really don’t know what was wrong.
After this incident, Sheena avoided me and even work related, she doesn’t want to accept the job that I directly assigned to her. That was plain insubordination. I am her boss and she should follow what I instructed her to do even though she was senior to me, but I am the supervisor and she is just an operator.
I was fed up with her attitude, so I reported her to our manager. She was called to the manager’s office and I don’t know what really transpired at their meeting.
When she came out of the manager’s office, she stormed to me and said she wanted to talk to me in private. We went to the lady’s room and she went ballistic.
“Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t own this company and I have all the right to reject work from you.” She yelled.
“Yes, maybe I don’t own the company but we were paid to do what we were asked to do and I am your supervisor, so I can designate work to you anytime I want.” I countered.
“Do you think you impress everybody with your brain and beauty? Not everyone is praising you!” She shouted.
“Oh, I guess it is more than the work we are talking about here. Why don’t you clarify yourself and spill it out. I don’t want to get the wrong notion that you are jealous. I know there was something about you that you were hiding since you introduced William to me. Is he the reason you changed when you learned that he wanted me to be his girlfriend? Why introduce William to me since you want him for yourself?” I surprised her.
To my shock she admitted. “Yes, I never thought that he would be interested in you. And since the time he knew you, he was always asking for information about you, which makes me jealous. Though I am in a relationship with his friend, I was hoping that he would give me some attention more than a friend. He has been my crush since I started renting into his apartment and it was developed to love, but he just treated me as a friend. I never loved his friend but it was just a façade of my relationship. Hoping that he would get jealous of his friend, but I was wrong. Knowing that his friend is my boyfriend, I cannot show how much I love him.” This woman is really despicable. No shame at all.
“Then you shouldn’t introduce William to me since you are in love with him. How was that my fault? I never flirted with him nor wanted him to be there almost every day. You should have control over him since you have known him more than I did. You’re so unreasonable. You can have him too if you want. Anyway, I have nothing to do with him. He’s not even my boyfriend yet. That’s why I am asking you how you know him so I can make my own decision on him. And since you admittedly you loved him, you can have him. Bear this in your mind that as long as I am your supervisor, you will do the work as I tell you. This is just work and has nothing to do with your relationship to William, or anyone for that matter.” I was furious at her for making me feel that I took William from her. I stormed out of the lady’s room and went straight to my office.
That afternoon, William was already there waiting for me. I asked him if we could talk at the snack bar in the lobby. Though confused he agreed and we went straight there. As we sat and took our order.
“What is your relationship to Sheena?” I directly asked him. “What was with Sheena? She is just a friend, because she’s the girl of my best friend.” With a questioning look in his eyes.
I told him everything that Sheena told me about his feelings for him. He can’t even fathom the problem of Sheena’s revelation. I myself was shocked by how a woman can make a façade of hiding what she really feels. I don’t know how to break this to William, but I am sure of myself that I cannot stand to be with someone that could create havoc to my work and my life.
“Sheena has been arrogant at work and she disregards my order. And I can’t tolerate her attitude towards me as her supervisor. But she has different reasons for doing so. She loves you and I cannot change that. I want peace of mind, William. And you are the root cause of her shenanigans. I can’t avoid her, but I can avoid you. So, please stop whatever you are proposing to me. It is never too late to stop whatever we have or whatever feelings we have right now. We can never even say a break up because we are not yet in a relationship. I just wanted you to stop seeing me.” I told him.
He just kept silent. I don’t know what he is thinking, but I don’t want to enter into a messy relationship especially when your rival is your co-worker and his friend. There will always be conflict. He just stood up and walked, but suddenly he stopped without looking back. “I’m sorry if my relationship with my friend creates confusion for you as well as for Sheena. But please understand that I don’t love her and it is you that I am interested in. Nevertheless, I will do as you requested.” He just left.
He was true to what he said. He never came back. After a week, Sheena had filed a resignation. I don’t know if she and William had talked. All I care about is that they stop messing up my life.