I LOVE YOU GIRL.....

Chapter 1

​Jacqueline took off her raincoat as she reached the security guard's desk. The rain had suddenly poured down so hard that the path she took flooded instantly, soaking her shoes in rainwater. She could feel the hem of her skirt dripping wet.

​"You look soaked," noted the elderly security guard of the company where the young woman worked. "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

​"I didn't know it was going to rain, sir. I have a raincoat, but it’s a bit short, so my skirt still got wet. Can I leave this raincoat with you? It's dripping, and I don't want it to ruin the office carpet."

​"Of course, just give it here and I’ll put it with mine. Just pick it up later."

​"Thank you, sir. Are they in yet?" Jackie was asking about her two bosses at Afable Construction and Development Corporation: Architect Sandino Afable and his elder stepbrother, Engineer Jeslie Afable.

​"The Architect has arrived, but Engineer Afable isn't here yet," the security guard replied.

​Jackie breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she said. She was almost an hour late, but that didn't matter much to Architect Sandino Afable, her original boss. However, if Engineer Jeslie Afable were there, he would surely check his watch and scold her. This annoyed Jackie because, technically, Engineer Afable wasn't even her boss. He had only recently joined his stepbrother's company and was currently sharing Sandino's secretary while he waited to hire his own.

​Usually, Jackie wouldn't mind the extra work since they had increased her salary when her workload doubled. What irritated her was that Jeslie was far too bossy, strict, and had a very short fuse. He didn't seem to know how to smile.

​He was the complete opposite of Sandino, who was always cheerful and smiling. Sandino was a jokester, so Jackie always felt relaxed in his company. This was likely why the young woman had a secret crush on the handsome architect. She kept it hidden, so she was sure Sandino hadn't noticed a thing. Besides, how could he ever notice her when his heart belonged to a "beauty product" named Viola Valdez? Tall, willowy, lovely, and graceful, Viola possessed a charm that captivated any man. Heads turned whenever she passed by.

​The only head that didn't turn, of course, was Jeslie's.

​The engineer seemed numb to the beauty of the women he saw, even though he had a reputation for being a womanizer. According to the gossip columns, Jeslie Afable was a gigolo, linked to this woman and that woman. But not once had Jeslie allowed any of these women to visit him at the office.

​Unlike Sandino, who frequently had visits from beautiful young women—friends, he claimed. Some were from charitable organizations visiting Sandi for his financial contributions to their cause.

​Jackie hurried toward the elevators to reach her desk before Engineer Jeslie Afable arrived. She didn't want him to find out she was late.

​She took off her shoes and stood barefoot on the thick carpet to dry her wet feet. The hem of her skirt was no longer dripping, but the office air conditioning suddenly made her feel chilled.

​Her hair was a mess, and Jackie felt like she looked horrible. She was sure her eyeshadow was washed away and her mascara had smeared onto her cheeks. Even without looking in the mirror, she felt like her appearance belonged in a horror movie.

​That was likely what Sandino Afable was thinking when he stepped out of his private office and saw her. The architect’s eyebrows shot up. He scanned her from head to toe with an amused look, clearly holding back a laugh.

​"Don't hold it in," Jackie said irritably. "Go ahead and laugh. It’s okay."

​"You know I'm a gentleman and I wouldn't do that," Sandi said. "But you're soaking wet; you might catch a cold. And what will I do without you?"

​That would have been wonderful to hear, Jackie thought to herself, if it wasn't just about her job as his secretary.

​She waited for Sandi to notice her new dress, which she had painstakingly picked out from her friend's thrift store. It was imported and looked brand new, matching the latest fashion trends of the time.

​Fashion trends always cycle back, which is why she had chosen something stylish: a below-the-knee skirt and a blouse with small butterfly sleeves, a closed neck, and a very tiny baby collar.

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