From Hearts... (Part Un)

It started as a harmless crush- Ricky (a name my bestfriend and I came up with), standing by the testing booth while I was applying for a position within the company. Our first interaction was me borrowing a pen from him, and him sternly reminding me to return the pen after. His first impression of me- cute, my first impression of him- closeted fag. He wasn't that hot, no, he wasn't hot at all, but he was funny and charming. and nice.

I remember coordinating directly with him for the first six months of work. We reported directly to one boss, and would interact daily. I remember my heart jumping giddily every time he would talk to me, every time he would smile at me, every time he would ask me to call someone. I remember saving his text messages, albeit me being with O. It was mild flirtation at best, nothing more, nothing less.

Almost a year passed. I planned to resign, he tried to stop me. He called me the Heart of the Company, and pleaded me to stay. So I did.

We grew closer, spending time doing overtime, laughing. Until one day, months after O left for Dubai, months of longing and missing having a lover, I opened up to him. We were exchanging text messages for hours, until we came up with this:

Me: I'm lonely. I miss O.
Him: Let's watch a movie tomorrow. Muah.
Me: Muah?
Him: Oo (yes), muah.
Me: Muah :)
Him: Wag mo na lang sabihin sa iba ha. (Don't tell anyone, okay?)

We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks.

And thus began our office romance, one year and a half in the making.

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