Chapter 40 Chapter 20 (ii)
I suddenly felt that arguing with him wasn’t important anymore. I was tired of fighting him over something I felt I also wanted. "Okay," I said instead. "Babe. Baby. Is that okay?"
He stared at me intently. "Say that again."
"Baby…" I obeyed, and I heard the tenderness in my own voice. I really liked calling him that. I felt so in love. It might just be a trip, that I wanted to love someone so much and he fit the bill so it became him. But that was how it felt like in the moment. Like I was truly in love with him.
"And you want this, too? Us?"
I nodded. "If it’s really okay with you."
"Call me that again."
"Baby…" I repeated, and I kissed him on his cheek. I was depressed just a few minutes ago, and here he managed to pull me out of it.
"God, that’s such a turn-on…"
And he rolled over me, pinning me down again. But a different kind of tickling was on his mind. Kisses. Kisses and caresses and his sweet nothings full of wooing and affection. I hugged him tightly to me. And this was simply what I wanted. I didn’t need to fight it anymore. I wanted all of this with him.
And I basked in his attention, thinking again how lucky I was that this person considered me and him an ‘us.’
Jigo was the first to rouse to carry me to the bathroom. I didn’t know why he loved carrying me all the time. It was silly, but I wouldn’t stop him. Maybe it was also because I felt special due to the attentiveness and sweetness he poured on me. After we showered, he pulled me to the kitchen and cooked me an omelet for breakfast.
Unlike in bed, we had a more serious conversation while eating.
“So what do you plan to do now after you’ve resigned from your work?” he asked cautiously after a moment’s glance. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
I looked at him. One of his family’s law teams was something I had considered applying to before all this happened. “I don’t mind you asking,” I said.
“I’d like to see you at my workplace every day once, you know, you accept our proposal to join us and start working there.”
“Huh. What?”
He put down his utensils and picked up the coffee mug but didn’t drink. “I know you’ve considered applying to our firm. You’re hired.” He smiled. “We’d like to have you on our team very much.”
I lowered my gaze to my plate.
“What is it, babe?” he asked immediately. “Is there a problem?”
I thought for a moment about how to tell him what I had decided yesterday. “It’s just… I want to make my own way now. I don’t want to work in any firm or legal team where I’ll interact with my dad’s old crowd all the time.”
He was silent, and I peeked at his face.
He took a deep breath. “Damn… Grandma Leah wouldn’t like to hear that.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to see you—”
“Babe, it’s not about that. You are one of the youngest and most brilliant members of Carl’s family’s firm. Do you remember that trick you did with the Almira case because of a small bit of data you found on a case precedent and applied it with the Conrado case twist?”
I nodded. “It’s a simple thing my senior didn’t see right away. I was in the right place to see the perspective, that’s all.”
“What about how meticulous and careful you are with contracts? Complex contracts. You are so good, Atty. Estanislao brought you into the review committee the third month of your apprenticeship so you can train right away. A year later, you became a legitimate team member. Carl was delighted and was very proud of you during the time, you know.”
“Like he would a younger sister,” I said after a small snort. “C’mon, I was trained well. I really was lucky. In so many ways.”
“Happened too many times that luck as an excuse isn’t valid anymore. Or you could bring that luck to us. We wanted you with us. The offer wasn’t a pity offer, you know. Carl is going to be in trouble with his grandparents because of your resignation.”
I stared at him. When that didn’t work, I pouted. Jigo was working over this too much. He wasn’t going to overwhelm me with the praises. Yes, I had a few lucky breaks in the year I worked at Carl’s firm. So did others. So would others again. But I didn’t like that just because we had become ‘us,’ he could plan my future for me.
His shoulders slumped, and he closed his eyes for a moment. “Okay. Just… stop pouting like that. You’re so cute.”
I smiled at him sweetly.
His eyes watched my face fondly for a moment. Then he said in a gentle voice. “We’ll do what you want… I’ll support you if this is what you really want.”