04

After seeing Levi with different girls in three consecutive days — Andra and Clarissa aren't the last girls we saw him with — and I thought Dara would have given up pairing him with me, but I was wrong. Hell! She isn't giving up.

"I'm really going to pull your hair," I told her when she started talking about Levi, on how smart he is.

“You're so violent. I'm just telling you the truth, admit it, it's really true, ”she answered and I just rolled my eyes.

We just came out from a meeting, and usually, we were all grumpy whenever out department had one; because it was either we have a new bidding to join or we were scolded for not working competently — I still wonder how the bosses could say that without seeing what's really happening inside the office.

But today's different, we were scolded, yes, but hell! Levi did something left in awe. I mean, in years of being part of this department, no one has ever done what he did, not even Sir Albert.

The meeting was held by the vice president, it was about how we messed up in our last bidding and he was blaming us, the technical team, for not checking all the requirements needed before submitting the bid.

But Levi, a newcomer, did one thing that we have never done in front of the vice president. He reasoned out. He spoke on behalf of the technical team, he told the vice president that it was not our fault that the owner didn't send the complete list of the requirements, that they only asked for that certain document days after checking our submitted bid documents.

And of course, the vice president didn't buy his reason at first, not until he showed the thread of emails we received from the owner, showing that they didn't really require the documents they were asking for.

So, in the end, the president told us to work overtime just to finish the document needed and submit it first thing in the morning tomorrow.

"He's just smart in the part where he was able to think immediately even though the VP is very angry in front of us," Dara added.

In that, I will not disagree. Well, I'm not disagreeing on the part that Levi is indeed smart because he really is. Although, it kind of annoyed me sometimes because the more he speaks, the more I go to prove myself that I was really dumb.

Like, how could he be so smart that it was already annoying?

“You know, it's okay if you just shut your mouth and stop your fantasy. I'm really excited for you, ”I said and she just laughed, not commenting anymore and started working on the document we need to submit.

Our day went like that, us rushing to finish the document, we wouldn't want to be disqualified just because of one document.

“Shit! My back hurts like hell, ”Dara said.

It was already twelve midnight and we were only half through the document. This will probably take us a few more hours.

“This is why you should check on the requirements thoroughly,” Ma’am Jessie said.

Dara pouted immediately. This was her project. “I checked it, Ma’am. It's just that the BOQ is really not on the list of requirements, ”she reasoned out.

Ma’am Jessie nodded and said, “From now on, keep in your mind that in every bid, BOQ is a must. We can't propose a bid without it. I just hope we all learned from today. ”

We all nodded to that.

Ma'am Jessie then called for a fifteen-minute break.

I immediately stood from my seat holding my cup and headed straight to the panty. Entering, I was startled to see Levi and Mike, our CADD operator, there, cooking something on the rice cooker.

My brow arched. “What are you cooking?” I asked, walking towards them. I stood beside Mike.

"Soup," Levi answered.

I glanced at him and nodded. "I see." I walked behind them and went to the sink. I washed my cup and went to the coffee maker after.

"Is it almost over?" Mike asked.

I shrugged. "Halfway through," I answered.

Mike snorted. "Looks like it will take us another morning here, ah?" He said.

Well, it was already normal for us to work overnight. Our earliest out whenever we have submission is one in the morning, but most of the time, we took until four.

I just shrugged and didn't say anything further. I just busied myself on making my coffee then left after to go back to my desk to continue my work.

It was around twelve-thirty when Levi and Mike went into the office, Mike was holding the casserole of what they cook, while Levi's holding a plastic loaf of bread.

"Have a midnight snack there, guys," Mike announced and like a kid, everyone stopped from what they were doing. I did too, but I didn't stand to join them and remained on my seat.

I'm just giving my eyes a break from the radiation.

"Engr., your bowl?" Levi asked me as he stood beside me.

"Huh?" I asked but he stretched out his arm, asking me to give what he was asking me.

"Your bowl for the soup, Engr., You might run out," he said again, pointing at the scene behind us. I turned to see it and I almost face palmed seeing what they were doing; they flocked on the food like they weren't fed for centuries.

Shaking my head, I took out a ceramic bowl from my desk's drawer. I was supposed to stand and do it myself but Levi's hand was so fast that he got it from me immediately.

"I'll get yours," he said before turning his back from me and joined our officemates.

It also came out immediately, holding my container that was full of meat and there was more bread on top.

"Here you go, Engr." He said, putting scratch paper on my table before putting the bowl on it.

Awkwardly, I nodded to him and said my thank you.

“No worries. There are many more, just tell me if you want more, ”he again and I just nodded, flashing an awkward smile for him.

He had already left in front of me when I looked at Dara, she had a teasing grin at me. And that's when I knew it would only further push his fantasy.