Her sneakers squeaked against the marble floor as Kendra entered the opulent lobby of The Orchid. Everything about the hotel was grand, the crystal chandeliers, the elegant, whitewashed French provincial furniture with their cabriole legs and comfortable cushions, the carpeted double staircase, the potted plants and even the fragrance diffusing from the air vents which was a mixture of wild grasses, jasmine petals and white orchid scents that emanated a sense of security that wafted through the lobby.

She was obviously out of place with her oversized hoodie and ripped jeans which contrasted with the other guests' branded, more formal apparel but she ignored the stares and walked up to the front desk.

Tila magtatanong na kung nawawala siya ang nais iparating ng nakataas na mga kilay ng receptionist pero nakangiti nitong binati si Ken. "Welcome to The Orchid. How may I help you?" Though subtle, the condescension in her tone did not escape Ken's ears.

"I don't have a reservation but shouldn't this work like one?" mahinahong sagot ng dalaga. Inabot niya sa receptionist ang isang itim na card na may logo ng hotel.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ng receptionist nang makita ang VVIP card na iyon. "The Orchid is honored to have you. May I borrow an ID for a quick verification on our end?" Her response to the card was immediate and her tone was suddenly a lot more courteous.

"Sure," maikling sagot ni Ken at saka niya inabot sa babae ang Japanese passport niya.

"We'll prepare your suite, Ma'am," mabilis na sagot ng receptionist bago nito sinuri ang passport at ang VVIP card. She rang a call bell and a young man with a clean cut in a stylish black jacket with a band collar approached her. "Please let Ivan assist you with your bags. While we're preparing your suite, I recommend that you try our signature matcha cake at Cafe Bloom. It's on the house," she added politely, gesturing to the direction of the hotel's coffee shop and returning the card to her.

"Don't I need to fill out anything?" The sudden change in the receptionist's attitude surprised Kendra.

"We'll be taking care of that for you," the receptionist replied with a sweet smile as she returned her passport and VVIP card after scanning them. "We hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thank you," Ken said. Tumalikod siya at iaabot na sana ang bag sa porter pero narinig niya ang receptionist na kinausap ang katabi nitong empleyado.

"Sino kaya 'yon? Parang 'di naman VVIP. Akala ko nagkamali ng pasok. Nakakahiya sa guests kanina, pinagtitinginan pa siya," the receptionist said disdainfully. Hindi naman malakas ang pagkasabi nito pero narinig iyon ni Kendra.

Ken cleared her throat and turned back to the rude lady. She glanced at her name tag and crossed her arms. "Sana naman hinintay mong makalayo pa ako ng kaunti, Miss Karen. Now, if I'm not welcomed in this hotel then I might as well leave, right?"

Color drained from the receptionist's face. "I-I-I did-dn't know—" she stuttered.

"You didn't know that I understood Filipino? Either way, what you did was rude. 'Wag mo na lang ulitin, okay?"

"I was in the wrong, my deepest apologies, ma'am. This will not happen again, please continue your stay at The Orchid." The receptionist lowered her head and bit her lip.

Ngumiti lang si Ken sa babaeng nakayuko. "Good. I'll just wait over there." She proceeded to take a seat at one of the comfy armchairs in the hotel lobby.

Makalipas ang limang minuto, nilapitan siya ni Ivan at napansin ni Ken ang panginginig ng mga kamay ng bellboy. "Pasensya na po sa inasal ni Karen."

"Don't worry. 'Di ko naman siya ire-report. I just called her out so that she won't make the same mistake again. Also, wala ka namang kasalanan, 'di mo kailangan mag-sorry. Masyado bang harsh 'yong ginawa ko?" Medyo na-guilty si Kendra at napakagat siya ng labi.

"Hindi po, marami pang mas masungit na guest pero gusto ko lang po talagang humingi ng pasensya sa inyo kasi kasalanan talaga namin 'yong kanina," he replied, shaking his head.

"I see but as I said, it's all good. 'Wag ka nang ma-stress." She gave him a reassuring smile and watched as his features relaxed.

"Thank you, ma'am. Ready na po pala ang room n'yo. Please follow me," Ivan replied.

Ken followed the hotel porter who carried her duffel bag. Sumakay sila sa isang maluwag na elevator at bumaba sa eighteenth floor. They walked through the carpeted hallway and stopped in front of a white wooden door with a gold plated handle. The number 1803 was embossed in a serif font on it, just above the peephole.

Ivan opened the door for Ken by tapping a plastic card on the sensor near the door handle. "Here is your key card," he said as he handed the RFID key card over to her with a charming smile.

The lights and air conditioning unit turned on as soon as Ken walked through the doorway. "Please use the tablet on the coffee table to maximize your hotel experience here at The Orchid. If you need anything, the concierge will be at your service at all times. We hope you enjoy your stay," the bellboy said.

"Thank you, Ivan," Kendra said while taking her bag. She slipped a fifty dollar bill in his hand. "Here, take this."

Napanganga si Ivan nang makita ang perang binigay ni Ken. "Nagkamali po yata kayo ng bigay, ma'am"

"Ay, sorry, hindi ko alam 'yong conversion. 'Yan lang talaga 'yong nabunot kong bill. Kulang ba?" Ken replied, embarrassed.

"Hala, hindi po! Actually, masyadong marami 'to," Ivan replied.

"Wala akong smaller bill eh. Suklian mo na lang ako."

"Huh?" Ivan stared at her, confused. Who could blame him? Sino ba namang namimigay ng tip ang nanghihingi ng sukli?

Ken grinned. She was going to make her tip work like a bribe. "Suklian mo 'ko ng info. Is there a way I can meet your CEO?"

"Ah. Hmm. Isa ka pala sa kanila..." He looked down at his fidgeting feet while the fingers on his right hand began to tap on his chin.

Ken's eyes narrowed at his statement. Her head tilted slightly as her curiosity spiked. "Isa saan?"

"Ay, sorry, ma'am. I didn't expect you to be the type pero susubukan ko po kayong tulungan ma-meet si Sir. Kaibigan ko 'yong isa niyang assistant at saka may VVIP card ka naman so baka pumayag siyang makipagkita sa 'yo."

"What do you mean? Anong type? Did I say something wrong? So hindi ba siya nakikipagkita sa mga guest?" Ken's curiosity doubled at his reply and she just fired away with her questions.

"Wait, let me explain." Ivan held up his palms towards Ken, clearly overwhelmed by her line of questioning. "Kasi po, sa totoo lang, maraming babaeng guest ang nag-che-check-in sa hotel para subukang makipagkita kay Sir Sage kahit no'ng hindi pa siya CEO. Lalo na po no'ng frontline employee pa siya, sobrang mabenta siya sa mga babaeng guest kaya minsan, na-ha-harass siya."

"Y-you got it wrong! I'm not interested in him in that manner," Ken said in a slightly higher pitch, making her defensiveness apparent. "Let's just say na meron kaming unfinished business."

"Ah, gano'n pala," sagot ni Ivan habang tumatango. "Akala ko umaasa kayo kay sir."

"Huh? Ba't ako aasa? Wait, bawal umasa?" Her insides began to swirl. Did Sage have someone?

"Mukhang 'di n'yo po alam ang bali-balita."

Ken's ears perked up. As much as she wanted to keep the image of being uninterested in juicy gossip about an attractive CEO she had feelings for, her self-control wasn't enough to keep her from asking more from the hotel porter. "Ano namang sinasabi nila tungkol sa CEO n'yo?"

Ivan paused and bit his lip. To lower his hesitation, panandaliang nilipat ni Ken ang tingin niya sa fifty-dollar na bill hawak pa rin ng bellboy at saka ibinalik ang tingin sa mga mata nito nang may kasamang matamis ngiti.

It was effective. Ivan took a deep breath and spilled the beans. "Lalaki daw po ang gusto niya."

Tumaas ang isang kilay ni Ken at tumagilid nang kaunti ang ulo niya. Bumuka ang bibig niya ngunit sinara niya rin ito matapos ang ilang segundo. Bumuka ulit ang bibig niya pero wala pa ring lumabas na tunog mula rito kaya muli niya itong sinara. Hindi siya makabuo ng mga salita para iparating ang kanyang pagkagulat.

"What? Pa'no mo nasabi?" She finally managed to get some words out on the third try.

"Sa apat na taon niya raw dito sa Singapore, wala siyang naging girlfriend. Halos ligawan na siya ng ibang mga babae dito eh pero 'di talaga nagpapatinag si Sir. 'Yong isang beses lang na nalaman naming nakipag-date siya, iniwan niya pa 'yong babae habang kumakain sila."

"Well, hindi naman sapat na ebidensya 'yon para masabing lalaki ang gusto niya. Pwedeng ayaw niya lang talagang makipagrelasyon or wala siyang time," mabilis na sagot ni Ken. Of course, she knew for sure that Sage wasn't gay but what surprised her about herself was that she had automatically defended him from false assumptions even though it was none of her business.

"Ay, Ma'am, na-confrim po namin kamakailan lang," Ivan said in a hushed tone. He was standing at the doorway so he looked to his left and to his right to make sure that there were no other people in the hallway. Lumapit siya nang kaunti kay Ken bago ituloy ang sinasabi. "Last month, bigla siyang nagpuntang Australia tapos may pinigilan daw siyang kasal pero 'yong groom ang pinigilan niya."

The hotel porter watched her and tried to gauge her reaction. He was clearly shocked when Kendra started laughing. It started with a chuckle that she tried to suppress. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to contain it and a few seconds later, she was already clutching her stomach while her shoulders shaked uncontrollably as she laughed.

"Thanks sa ab workout, but you should really stop gossiping about your CEO." Nagawang kumalma ni Ken matapos ang ilang sandali pero hinihingal pa rin siya habang nagsasalita. "He isn't gay."

"Parang sure na sure ka, ma'am." Pilyo ang ngiti ni Ivan. "Ikaw po ba ang type no'n?"

"Hindi ah!" mariing tanggi ni Ken pero namula ang kanyang mga pisngi. "Basta alam ko lang. So will I be able to meet him?"

"Umiiwas 'yon sa stalkers pero mukhang hindi ka naman po gano'n. I'll see what I can do and I think Karen will be very willing to help you out after the incident at the reception area. Babalikan ko na lang po kayo mamaya para ibalita kung pumayag si Sir Sage. Salamat po ulit sa tip." Ivan gave her one last smile before leaving.

Ken closed the door and turned around to explore the suite. A short hallway led to a spacious, fully furnished living room. The neutral colors that dominated the space and its contemporary interior design looked homey yet elegant. Picking up the aforementioned tablet from the wooden coffee table, she sat on the velvet sofa, leaning back and crossing her legs.

Naaliw ang dalaga sa pag-scroll dahil lahat na yata ng pwedeng i-customize sa kuwartong iyon ay magagawa gamit ang tablet. Ang room temperature, background music, mood lighting, control sa appliances, kahit 'yong pagbukas ng mga kurtina, pwede.

Nang makutento sa adjustments na ginawa niya sa living room, pumasok si Ken sa bedroom. Contemporary rin ang interior design sa loob ng kwarto at nanaig pa rin ang neutral color scheme dito. Tumalon siya at bumagsak patalikod sa malambot na king size bed. Pumikit siya at bumalik ang isang alaala.

She just lost a mini wrestling match on a queen size bed. Sage stared into her eyes as he pinned her arms above her head and her legs between his knees. All she could hear was her crazy heartbeat and the faint pitter-patter of the rain hitting the roof.

Averting her gaze from his mesmerizing stare, her eyes traveled to his lips but she didn't want to stare at that too so she ended up looking at his throat and noticed how he was swallowing more often than needed. Perhaps he was also feeling the almost palpable tension between them which intensified the awkwardness from their compromising position.

Ken had always denied the attraction but at that moment, her mind seemed to agree with her heart. She wanted him to close that gap between their lips.

Binuksan ni Ken ang kanyang mga mata. Mahigit apat na taon na ang nakaraan ngunit sariwang-sariwa pa rin ang alaalang iyon. She remembered it so vividly that it made her heart race just like it did before.

"Kuso," she cussed in her mother tongue. "Bakit ba mahal ko pa rin?"

The girl groaned and rolled over, burying her head under a pillow. She muttered a string of curse words in three different languages under her breath, condemning her love towards Sage. "Hindi pwede 'to!"

Nag-practice na siya pero mukhang kulang pa kaya tumayo si Ken at naglakad papunta sa banyo. Binuksan niya ang ilaw at saka humarap sa salamin sa ibabaw ng lababo. "Hindi kita mahal."

Huminga siya nang malamim. "Hindi kita mahal," ulit niya. She repeated the sentence over and over just like how she did the night before, varying her facial expressions and trying to decide how to make it as convincing as possible. Iyon naman kasi talaga ang pakay niya kaya niya gustong makipagkita sa CEO, para ubusin ang natitirang pag-asa, para tuluyan nang palayain ito.

Naantala ang rehearsal niya ng lines nang tumunog ang doorbell. Nagulat si Ken. Hindi niya inasahang mabilis na makakabalik si Ivan para balitaan siya. Wala pa kasing thirty minutes ang nakakalipas. She didn't bother looking through the peephole before opening the door.

A dashing young man in a stylish suit was holding a glass vase with pink and white tulips surrounded by baby's-breath. His head was slightly bowed and he instantly started speaking as soon as the door opened. "I sincerely and deeply apologize for my employee's unacceptable behavior. Please take this—" Napahinto si Sage sa pagsasalita nang maiangat nito ang kanyang ulo at magtama ang mga mata nila.

Sabay na nanlaki ang mga mata at napanganga ang dalawa. Mahirap sabihin kung sinong mas nagulat pero naunang magsalita si Sage. "Miss Yumi?"

The plan was to tell him the sentence she had been practicing immediately so that she can be done with it and they could just both move on with their lives. But unexpectedly seeing him caught Ken off guard. Katatapos lang kumalma ng puso niya pero ito na naman at bumibilis ang pagtibok nito, sinabayan pa ng mga paruparo sa tiyan niya.

"Hindi..." Ken was able to get the first word out of her mouth but she hesitated after noticing that he was a bit pale. It bothered her.

Nagtaas si Sage ng mga kilay, interesado sa sasabihin niya. Lumunok ang dalaga at sinubukang magsalita ulit. "Hindi..."

Hindi niya pa rin kayang sabihin. Lying to someone she loved was just too damn hard.