A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: FLUFF, WAFF
Chapter 2: Of Nerds and Brats
"What?" she asked.
Serph shrunk in his chair as he heard her question.
He lightly coughed and there responded, "Erm…Nothing."
Argilla blinked in disbelief; she wasn't deaf. She had heard him. She wanted to burst out laughing though.
She was…the first girl that he had asked out in the country…?
'Ugh…He…is a nerd.' she thought with a laugh.
But still, nerd or nerd, it was dear of him to say that.
Serph's eyes darted left and right, eyeing the exit behind his colleague.
"No, no…" Argilla insisted, "I'm the first girl?" she asked, blinking, "Really?"
Serph cast his face down, hiding the small blush on his face, "Yea…"
His eyes then immediately flew up to hers as he heard her giggle. What the heck was so funny about that?!
"But this isn't even considered as 'going-out' out!" she countered having recovered for her giggle fit.
Serph made a face, "But it still is going out!" he defended, "I asked you to have lunch, right?"
"True but-"
"Then I rest my case." he responded, "You're the first girl that I asked out." he declared once more.
"Why?" came her question, her curiosity mounting.
Serph looked at her and blinked, "Because I have work." he responded automatically.
Argilla's jaw dropped, "That's it…? Because you have work?" she asked bank in incredulity. "Come on Serph; don't make that as an excuse! Even if you work, there's always time afterwards! Besides, you're not working for twenty-four hours you know?"
Serph shook his head, "You don't understand…My job is very demanding…I just have no time. When I get home, I just…" he trailed off.
Argilla raised an eyebrow, "Just what? What do you do?"
"Have my dinner, shower, and then watch T.V. for a few minutes before going to sleep." Serph answered truthfully.
Argilla's jaw continued to hang, gaping uncouthly as she found it difficult to process the man's words within her ears, "My God…" she trailed off, leaning on her chair, "Serph…That's just…sad." she said, the final word being deadpanned, her lips as flat as a line, nodding her head childishly.
At that, the man laughed, "Yea well…maybe. But, it's the truth. I just don't have the time…And when I do get time, I feel exhausted; I just want to rest."
Argilla frowned as she listened to him, "Serph… Don't let your youth pass you by."
At that notion, the silver-haired young man looked at his trainee with confusion, "Excuse me?"
Argilla crossed her arms, "How old are you now Serph? Twenty-four?"
He nodded.
She smiled ruefully, "Working as hard as you can is fine…But don't let it rule your life. You're not going to be young forever. Before you know it, you would wake up one day and stare at yourself in the mirror and find out that you're…old." She hardened her face and continued, "Working so hard and for what…? You didn't even get to taste an ounce of the success…or even a small bite of the fruits of your labor…"
Serph was taken aback by her words. No one had ever said that to him before…And never in that fashion…
He smiled, "Thank you for the advice. I'll keep that in mind."
She snorted.
"No you won't."
He said nothing but continued to hold his smile.
xxxx
"What's that?" asked a female voice.
Serph froze at the sound of the voice… And that wasn't all. The fact that the voice seemed close in proximity added to the tension. He immediately whipped around only to be met by rich pink hair.
He blushed as he noticed that his trainee had finally arrived and was right beside him, leaning forward with her eyes glued to his screen; leaning forward intensely and was standing way too close for what he would consider comfortable…
'Erm…in their culture, proximity like this is probably…considered normal.'
Yes; although they had had a good and deep rapport as colleagues…and maybe as friends, he still can't rule out the fact that there would be other discrepancies between their behaviors as they both had different cultures…and religions.
But he didn't mind all that.
He had a certain comfort level with the girl and it was purely because he viewed and appreciated her for simply being her; her as being a person…and not because she belonged to a particular culture or religion.
She was funny and fun to be with. She had a sense of humor that he rarely ever saw from women from his own country.
And the fact that she was easy on the eyes didn't hurt either.
'She's got a nice pair of…' he mentally trailed off before completely freezing right there. His silver eyes widened, 'Get a grip idiot! What the heck are you thinking…?! And it's about Argilla too!'
He then brought himself back to present time and there saw that she was still standing as close to him as possible with her pink eyes glued to the screen…
And again, he felt a bit unsure…and strange.
Although he had experienced that from her from the previous days that she had been training under him, there was still a part of him that felt mildly surprised and uncomfortable whenever she would do that.
He would always feel…deprived of his personal space. And being the gentleman that he was, he truly felt uncomfortable. And it wasn't that she was being a flirt either.
No.
He knew that she wasn't that sort…
What she was…was a child.
She felt no malice whenever she would do that. To her, her behavior was normal and didn't warrant odd responses from him…which he undoubtedly felt.
But all that aside, he knew he was right.
She was just…immature.
'Uh huh.' he thought, 'A daddy's little girl who wanted a taste of what it feels like to work.' he thought with certainty.
"Erm…" he said, leaning back slightly and turning to the screen, "That's the window for the Post Delivery…"
"Post Delivery eh…?" she repeated, now settling down on the chair beside his, now turning her gaze to him, "Well, how are you, mentor?"
He frowned slightly, "Don't call me that."
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, I'll still call you that. So, there really isn't any point in asking me to do otherwise, correct?"
He sighed and looked at the screen once more, "Alright, alright."
She grinned, "Okay then! Now where were we…? PDV right?"
He grinned and looked at her evilly, "What does that stand for again…?"
She blushed, "Erm…Post Delivery…erm…ehhh…"
He chuckled, "You ought to study more."
Annoyed, she stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms, "Hmph! Mr. Know-It-All!!"
His grin widened.
xxxx
Argilla bit her lip. She sighed and paced around the room restlessly. It was her tenth day in training…
And her last day with him.
She frowned.
She knew that her time with him was brief… This wasn't the job that she had applied for anyway. She had applied for a sales executive's position…not a processor's. And that was what Serph was; a processor. He was only to teach her the IT systems, deal proposals and documentation.
That was it.
Nothing more.
She sighed.
She had learned all that.
'It went soooo fast…!' she internally whined as she felt the traitorous feeling of nervousness creep under her skin.
'That's not all and you know it…' a truthful voice snidely piped in.
Argilla frowned as she settled onto the chair that she had been sitting on for the last ten days within the office. No; the voice was right. It wasn't just the change of place and face that was bothering her…
It was…
Him.
She sighed. The time that she had spent with Serph was undoubtedly short…but what they lacked in time they had made up for in deep rapport.
She smiled ruefully.
He had been her first friend at the bank. He had said hello and asked her for lunch even during the hours that he had no responsibility towards her…
And from there, they had begun to talk; little by little.
She smiled as she remembered the silly little things that they used to share.
'Yea…like making fun of our clients by looking at their passport pictures…' she thought childishly.
Flashback
Argilla looked at the mountain pile of documents and files that lay before her. She looked at the files with a bored look on her face.
'I have to check…all these files…?' she asked herself.
"Of course you do."
She froze. He heard that?
She groaned, "Why…?!" she asked, giving him that wounded-puppy look on her face.
He looked at her with disbelief for but a moment before laughing softly, "You don't want discrepancies…Do you?"
She groaned even louder at that.
"Sshh!" the silver-haired man scolded, "Don't be so loud!"
She blushed; was she being loud…? Her parents would always reprimand her on her loud voice…but she never really paid any attention to that; the reason being that she really didn't believe them. Was she really being loud? She didn't think so!
But then again, now she had no choice but to acquiesce and accept that fact that yes, she was being loud; acting like a possessed banshee.
Her palm flew to her mouth, and there, she giggled softly, leaning in towards him with an apologetic yet childish smile, "Whoops…Sorry!"
Serph then cleared his throat, "Ahem! Anyway, yes. You have to check those files." He heard her groan in protest but then he wouldn't let her speak and cut her off, "Otherwise Mortimer would come and shout at us for discrepancies!"
She then froze and bolted upright at hearing the name. Yup; that guy.
The guy who hired her. The guy who was both funny and fun but at the same time sarcastic and naughty.
"Oh okay…" she finally said, opening up one file.
"Hm…Lessee…" she trailed off.
She then scratched the back of her head as she saw the first page of the document.
'Erm, what was this called again…?'
"That's the checklist…And then…?"
She froze; damn! She spoke out loud again!?
"Erm, no." Serph answered, "You didn't speak out loud. I just saw that you were…lost." he replied with a sweat-drop.
"Then how'd-?"
He chuckled and cut her off, "But…you did speak out loud when you asked whether or not you spoke out loud."
Argilla's head spun.
"Whatever…" she grumbled.
She ignored the irritated feeling that she got as she heard him chuckle and there just focus on what she was doing…
"That's the LPO…CRAA…" he told her. She then slammed the file shut and looked at him with a frown, "Hey! I know that okay!?"
He smiled and turned to his screen, "If you say so…"
She then bit her lip, knowing that what she had just claimed was a complete farce, "Erm…yea."
Not wanting to lose face though, she stuck with her statement. Again, she turned the pages in the file when she had caught sight of the client's passport page.
It was then that she couldn't help but snicker.
Sticking to her childish behavior, she giggled and there nudged Serph on his side.
"What?" he asked; confused.
"Discrepancy?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes; man this guy was too serious in his job! She had seen him the previous days and there…she felt sorry for him. He did nothing but work. He hardly ever left his chair! He didn't eat or drink…
'Or go to the washroom…' she thought with a face.
Well, that was why she had been determined to change that.
And she will.
She would bring a bit of fun into his work.
"No! Just look at this!" she exclaimed excitedly.
He blinked, confused all the more and peeked at the file, "Surname…Given name…Valid Passport…Valid DoB…What's so funny…?" he asked as he continued to hear her heartfelt giggle.
His gaze met hers and there she smiled, "Looks like your ex-girlfriend when you were younger, ne?" she asked.
He blinked and there looked at the passport photo and there made a face as he discovered that the client was male; an older male. Way older.
Argilla saw him smile a bit and there she was glad. She was glad that he was smiling more…
He then looked at her evilly, "Oh you'd know that wouldn't you?" he asked, "Considering that you were born on the same year and the came from the same country, right?" he finished with a dog's grin on his face.
She considered hitting him at that point as she saw that the client had a dark complexion; letting her know that he had come from the country of Vishudha. And the fact that he was nearing his fifties strengthened her inner desires to slap her mentor. But she didn't. She merely laughed at that.
"Serphy! You do have a sense of humor after all!" she piped in happily.
He tilted his head to the side, "I do…?"
She then slapped his arm, "Of course you do!"
End Flashback
She smiled at the memory…
Ah yes…That had been the start of it all. After that, their comfort level with each other had increased… And she was happy.
They always made it a point to eat lunch together, trying out different restaurants and make fun of their clients and all the while imitating and impersonating their sarcastic yet naughty boss!
She lightly laughed at that.
But then again… Oh well. It was over. Now, she would be moving to the car showroom and meet her new mentor.
She frowned; no. There would only be one mentor for her; and that was Serph.
'Serph…' she thought, 'I wonder…' she thought wistfully.
Yes; she wondered. She wondered if he felt even an ounce of what she felt towards him. Did he feel the air of friendship…? Did he feel for her the connection that she felt towards him…?
Did he think of her the way she thought of him…? If he did at all?
'Will…will he miss me…?' she thought sadly.
She then shook her head; she was being a kid again! Can't she get over it!? College life was over! She didn't have time to think of petty things like being worried about friends in a workplace! She had duties to fulfill and mullah to earn darn it!
The young woman frowned further. No matter how much she said that to herself…she just couldn't seem to believe it…
"Hey there!" greeted a soft male voice.
She turned to the direction of the voice and met silver eyes, "Hey Serph! Good morning!"
He chuckled, "Good morning to you too! So, this is your last day!" he said, smiling, "Good luck!"
She couldn't help but let her bright smile shake and wane as she heard his words.
'He doesn't seem the least bit sad or upset that I'm leaving…' She then sighed internally, 'Maybe he just couldn't wait to get rid of an annoying brat like me…'
Serph blinked as he saw the immediately drainage of color from her face. He smiled tightly at her and looked deeply into her eyes, "Don't worry Argilla. The showroom would be great."
She blinked but said nothing.
He widened his smile, "Don't you worry about a thing. Your new trainer is the best RBE in our team. He'd guide you accordingly."
'Only professional thoughts huh…?' she thought sadly, 'No kind and reassuring words from a friend…Nothing but firm words of a colleague…'
Again, at that, Serph's smile faded. Perhaps those were…the wrong words to say…
Seeing that the situation warranted it, he placed a warm hand on the girl's shoulder. Pink met silver. And again, his genuine smile was on his lips, "I'll be there with you Argilla. If you get stuck anywhere, you can call me. Don't forget that."
She blinked, "But I thought you hated it when RBEs called you…?"
He laughed lightly, "I do. But…You're an exception. You're not just an RBE to me Argilla. You're my friend."
At hearing his words, she felt her heart fortify itself…
She was ready for the showroom after all.
xxxx
A/N:
Heh; more banking terms. Again, I DO NOT OWN THEM!!
PDV/ Post Delivery Verification: Verification of documents involved after a vehicle has been registered in the traffic department that comprise of the registration card, insurance policy and vehicle invoice.
LPO: Local Purchase Order
CRAA: Credit Review and Approval
Discrepancy: Any mistake in the documents filed by the RBE.
