THE RED JAGUAR

She just recently finished taking the most hurdled exam in their country; the Lawyer's Bar Examination. For a year, she focused on reviewing, oblivious of everything around her.

It's time to celebrate with Jethross, his boyfriend for almost three years already. She has so many lapses in their relationship during the time that she was reviewing for this BAR Examination.

While sitting now at the driver's seat of her old Toyota corolla, she heard the ringing of her mobile phone. It is her friend Sarah.

"Hey friend, what's up? I just finished the exam now. I want to jump! I am free at last hahaha. I will be going to Jethross to invite him for a celebration. You know, I need to make up things for him." Happily Yhera blurted out to her friend, who just kept her silence on the other phone.

"Yher, can we see each other first before you meet Jethross? It is quite urgent." Sarah's voice faltered.

"Sarah, are you crying? Hey, hey, where are you, I will be there, alright? Hang-on." Immediately, she started her car's ignition upon knowing where Sarah is.

She directly went to Sarah's house, per her instruction. Sarah's maid told her that Sarah is sitting at their pool side.

When Sarah saw her, she suddenly she runs and hugs her tightly.

Yhera was so surprised. "What's going on friend?"

"Yhera, please take this lightly. I need to tell you something."Sarah scrolled something in her mobile phone and then showed it to Yhera.

Yhera's eyes narrowed upon seeing some pictures. She could not fathom yet, what these pictures are all about. She looked at Sarah with confusion.

"Yhera, Jethross got married three days ago. I learned about it 2 days ago. I am sorry, I did not tell you right away because I want you to focus on your review and exam." Sarah gets hold of Yhera's hands and looked at her with full of sadness in her eyes.

"No, no, that is not true Sarah. He just called days ago to tell me good luck on my exam and that he loves me." Yhera's tears are now flowing like rivulets. How could it be? Jethross loves her so much and she loves him too in return.

Sarah hugged her bestfriend tightly hoping to ease the pain she is feeling right now.

"Sarah, how can Jethross do this to me? He lied to me! He cheated me! Damn him! Damn him." And Yhera's cries can be heard all throughout the premises of Sarah's house. Slowly, she slumped on the ground together with Sarah who is crying too.

Yhera's heart is so painful. Her whole mind is numb and she felt her world crumbling down.

I

Yhera blink her eyes and tears slowly roll down. She could not contain herself from crying every time he hears that song of John Denver. It is an old song. A song offered to her by a man who wounded her heart deep. The song of John Denver... For You...

Yhera could still remember how this song touched her soul that made her fall in love with Jethross...

The song goes on... for you, for the rest of my life, for you, for the best of my life... for you alone... only for you...

It was a promise that Jethross failed to keep.

Yhera wipe her tears and started the ignition of her new black Montero. Four years ago, of the same month and day, she was totally devastated when she found out that Jethross cheated her. He got married to his long time flame leaving her totally confused and torn. They were just so happy, totally in love with each other, all of a sudden she heard the news of Jethross' wedding.

What went wrong? Yhera cannot fathom until now... Jethross never showed his face again after she found out the truth. Yhera from then on feared to love again. She became distant to many men who showed interest. She focused on her dreams and never dare let go of it. She is now a full pledge lawyer, an inspirational book author and one of the most after sought inspirational speakers.

Four years, Yhera sigh and started to drive her way out of the mall parking.

"Ouch!" Yhera almost bumped her head in her Montero's steering wheel. She automatically stopped her car and glanced at her car's side view mirror. She saw a red jaguar. She opened her car and walked near the red jaguar car, with anger plastered in her face.

The door at the driver's side slowly opened and an almost six feet tall man came out, with a smirk on his face.

Yhera with hands on her hips, speaks with sparkle of irritation in her tone, "Mister didn't you see my big Montero in front of your one hell of a kind red jaguar?"

Amazed with such question, the man's eyes have been fixed to Yhera's face. Like he was studying the raised eyebrow of Yhera, her heart shape face, nose bridge and small supple red lips; all without any traces of make-up except for a thin face powder.

"What a sweet angel in her outbursts of anger," the man whispered, eyes now raking at Yhera's slender figure, covered with a white sleeveless lacy blouse and tight fitting maong jeans. His eyes travel at Yhera's perfectly shape arms, hips and toes in stiletto. Her fair, perfect skin with thin cat hairs, top it most.

"Finished doing your physical survey, Mister?" Yhera with irritation asked the man.

"Uhuh, yes! I am Seigfred by the way." He extended his right hand to Yhera with a confident smile.

Yhera looked at Seigfred's extended hand then slowly fixed her eyes on the man's dark brown, a bit chinky and mysterious eyes, a well sculptured nose and lips, and a ruggedly, handsome face. Yhera's heart skips to beat.

"Well, Ma'am did I pass your physical survey?" The tone of Seigfred seemed so amused.

Yhera's sweet face turned to cherry red, "Err, alright can we check our cars' damages now?" she stammered a little. She ignored the man's intent to handshake.

"Alright, as you said so Ms. Gorgeous." Seigfred's voice is seemingly on a teasing mode.

Both their cars have little scratches, nothing much to worry; yet, Seigfred offered his calling card and asked Yhera to call him in case she wanted to be reimbursed of the repair expenses.

Yhera look at the name stated in the business card; the name reflected therein is Seigfred Yee. Looking at the position stated, Yhera was no longer surprised when she learned that he is the CEO/President of SYS, Inc., a well known construction and architectural firm not only in the Philippines but also in other Asian Countries. SYS, Inc. is the builder of almost all of high rise condominiums and other types of buildings in the Philippines, China, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.

"Can I have your business card too Madam?" Seigfred's voice is somewhat pleading. Did she heard it right? The man's voice is somewhat pleading!

Yhera looked at the man's smiling face but contains herself from smiling back when she handed him her business card.

Seigfred's little Chinky eyes widened after reading her business card. "So you are a lawyer? Wow! Nice meeting you Atty. Yhera Kareel Munzana." Again Seigfred offered her a handshake. Out of professionalism, Yhera accepted the same. As their hands clasped, Yhera was astonished; she felt a voltage that no man made her feel before, not even Jethross.

Seigfred eyes were locked at Yhera's astonished eyes. The man is blatantly showing his admiration to the lady lawyer in front of him.

Yhera abruptly disengaged her hand with Seigfred and hurriedly climbed her Montero. She drove furiously, leaving a shocked Seigfred.

Seigfred's narrowed eyes turned into a mystical smile. "Whoahh! What a woman! Fierce! he murmured.

While driving, Atty. Yhera is too furious. "No man will ever let her feel dumb again, no one! Ever!" she hissed.

II

When Seigfred arrived in his office, he automatically opened his computer and searched for the name of Atty. Yhera Khareel Munzana. He was stunned to see how really fierce the woman is. She placed 8th when she took the examination for lawyers, won a number of sensationalized cases and is known to be a motivational writer and speaker aside from being an author of some legal books.

The young CEO made a deep breath and put his legs over his elegant desk while sitting on his executive chair. He reached for his landline phone and called his executive assistant.

"Rolly, I will be giving you a name. I want you to know everything about this person. Her name is Atty. Yhera Kareel Munzana. I want the details by tomorrow morning." He then hanged up the phone, without even waiting for his executive assistant to reply.

After some thought, he got his mobile phone and dialled the number of Atty. Yhera as written in her business card.

"Hello? Who is this please?" Seigfred could hear Atty. Yhera's voice in the other line, which is too pleasing to listen to.

Seigfred made a deep breath, smiled and said. "The man with one hell of car red jaguar."

I

Yhera vividly saw it, she is standing at the middle of a bridge, seems like she's lost, alone and the sky is beginning to get dark; then from nowhere a red jaguar is in its full speed, coming nearer and nearer until it almost hit her! Yhera shouts so loud, she's so afraid for her life. She automatically covered her eyes and sob endlessly, until strong arms hug her tightly. Yher tries to wrestle to free herself but she can't move, the arms around her are too strong, "Ahhhhhh!"

"Yher, Yher wake up," her Mom's worried face was the first thing she saw. She was awakened from such nightmare.

"Are you ok Yher? Would you want me to stay beside you?" her Mom's worries are evident.

Yhera embraced her Mom and whispered, "I'm ok Mom but would be more at peace if you will stay beside me 'til morning."

Her Mom caressed her head gently then smiled and nodded. After a while her youngest and only sister Yhesa came and found her place beside her until all of them fall asleep again.

Such dream never left Yhera's mind until she sits in her office's executive chair. She have this feeling that such dream is telling her something, which she would not want to entertain yet in her mind. Her thoughts are suddenly disrupted by a knock in her office's door.

"Yes, come in."

Her secretary's head pop up, "Ma'am, a man by the name of Seigfred Yee called a while ago, with a note that he wants to meet you by lunch time at Shangrila Makati. Will I confirm?"

Yhera's heart jumped upon hearing such name, "No! Tell him I can't, I have a hearing at 10:00 a.m. today at Quezon City remember?"

"Ahh yes, but it is only until 11:00 a.m. Ma'am," her secretary, Mila's smile is contagious.

Yhera smiled back and shrug her shoulder, "Just tell him maybe next time but not now, okay Mila?"

Mila nodded, "Alright, got it Attorney".

While wondering whether to directly go back to the office or have a break and go to a fine dining restaurant for lunch, Yher's phone suddenly beeped. She sits first in her car's driver seat before checking her message. It's Seigfred.

"I'm just near; I know you don't have your lunch yet", Seigfred's message that tumbled Yher's heart. She rolled down her car's window trying to search for Seigfred's presence.

He is walking in a manly stride coming near her car. Yher have no choice but to get out of her car. She's in Quezon City Hall's open parking, near the RTC where she attended a hearing.

Siegred's smile is contagious. He seems so vibrant and confident about himself.

II

Yhera found herself in an Italian fine dining restaurant in BGC or everybody called "The Fort" with Seigfred, who is sitting confidently in front of her.

"Thinking of something special in the past?" the gentlemanly voice of Mr. CEO/President broke the silence that was enveloping Atty. Yhera.

Yhera hesitantly smiled, "Nope, just wondering how on earth you persuade me to have lunch with you today."

"Well that's one of my talents, I call it a Gentleman's charm," Seigfred replied with a twist of amused smile on his lips.

Undoubtedly, Yhera is starting to feel light having Seigfred around. Yet, her heart is still guarded, locked that only the bravest could soften and open.

Going back to his office, Seigfred is somewhat in a deep solitary thinking. He is wondering what made Atty. Yher's heart grow like a hard wall; difficult to penetrate and hard to fathom. Her eyes are so magnetic that caught his breath at the onset it met his, yet something in such eyes are mystical. It seems like Yher's eyes have that loneliness, pain that no one could comprehend. Sometimes, such pair of eyes would twinkle a bit, would smile but would immediately turn to bluntness; unreadable. Sometimes, those eyes would sparkle with rage; hurt, that is not open to forgive.

Seigfred became insistent to know what's behind those mystical eyes of Atty. Yhera. He is determined to discover it. He doesn't know but something is telling him, he needs to know. He is a man who never retreats so easily. He will always be around for Atty. Yhera even if she gets pissed-off. He smiled from ears to ears.

Yhera is confused. She is aware of the attraction she has for Seigfred and she can detect fully well the interest he has for her. Seigfred seems a vocal man. He pursues what he wants without hesitation. No wonder he is a successful businessman in his young age. Yet Yher is hesitant. She would not let her feelings overwhelm her head again. Not this time. She was hurt twice so badly, she will not exposed herself to such similar pain again. A lot said, she has everything a man would chase for, yet Yhera never even bother now nor excited about that chasing thing. Men are the same; they will chase you, let you believe that they are into you that deep; they will even treat you like a queen to the extent of almost worshiping you, but what's next? They will cheat you and leave you like you have no commitment with each other; like you have not loved each other after all.

Ahhhh, she would not dare put herself again in that same scenario. The pain was so excruciating; it was like a blade slowly slitting every core of her heart; it put her to a state of total dissolution; she was not herself; she felt like the weakest, the most stupid woman on earth.

Her world is serene now, so why would she dare again to make it complicated by loving and committing into a relationship that would never last anyway?" Atty. Yhera shook her head and murmured, "No. Not again."

Atty. Yhera's phone suddenly beeped. She opened it and checked who sent her a message. Her eyes narrowed. "How can this man be so persistent?" she whispered.

For Atty. Yhera, it is not actually a good sign. Jethross before was like that. Almost every hour, sometimes every minute, he would either sent her a message or call her.

"Gosh, the signs are glaring at me. So, No Mr. Seigfred Yee." She turned off her phone and slammed it inside her bag.

Seigfred dialled again but Atty. Yhera's phone could not be reached already.

"Wow, she did not want to answer me and seemed like she turned off her phone." He shook his head in disbelief. No one dared do that to him.

Seigfred's eyes narrowed.