Office Diaries

"Who has a pervy mind?" Yanee hissed as she glared at him. 

"What? Does this mean you don't like my body?" Tohru James asked worriedly as he stood up straight. 

Yanee had a good view of his n.a.k.e.d upper torso and his long, long legs— and that big bulk in the middle that would give her nosebleed if she glanced at it again. 

"I don't want to talk to you anymore," Yanee harrumphed as she quickly placed the ceramic cup back on the rock and then ran away back into her room. 

Tohru James' laughter rang before she slid back the screen door shut and she ran towards the bed. 

"Stupid potato," she murmured, but she was not really angry. 

In fact, she was red on the face and it had nothing to do with the alcohol. She had umeshu but Yanee's tolerance was ten shots of tequila so this was nothing. She glanced at her phone and realized it was already three in the morning. 

Eh?

She spent three hours with the potato in the hot spring. The thought of an overly cooked potato made her laugh in spite of her frustration. She was still smiling when the phone in her hand vibrated. When she opened it, it was a message from the cooked potato. 

[Potato: Sweet dreams honey…] 

HUH? 

"Who's your honey?" she grumbled, but the corner of her lips twitched into a smile. 

Of course, she didn't reply. She couldn't. As soon as she read the message, aside from feeling shy, she had also remembered something important. She still hadn't given him a reply. She felt a little guilty when she realized it. But then again she remembered how he mercilessly teased her, she kicked her sympathy goodbye. 

Oh well. Serves him right! 

She would give him a chance though. She wouldn't run away from him. With this decision, she was finally able to sleep. When she opened her eyes again, it was already half past seven in the morning.

She had forgotten she'd set her the alarm on her phone but nonetheless, she forced herself to rise since she's aware she's not in her house. But whose house? She was still not awake enough to remember. 

Huh?

Yanee looked at her surroundings; her eyes noted the beautiful delicate interior of the traditional room and wondered which hotel she stayed last night. 

"Young Miss?" a soft voice called from behind the screen and Yanee finally remembered where she was that she sat up hurriedly. 

"Y-Yes?"

The screen door to her room opened slightly, revealing an elderly servant who was sitting on the floor and bowed respectfully towards her. 

"Will the Young Miss join the family for breakfast in thirty minutes? Or would the Young Miss prefer to have her meal here?" the servant respectfully asked and Yanee felt embarrassed. 

"I-I'm sorry. I will prepare now and go to have breakfast with them," she said as she hurriedly went to the screen to change her clothes. 

But as she went, she noticed that the servant still didn't move and was looking at her with concern. 

"Young Miss…"

She really needed to have a talk with the servants in this house. She's not their employer so she felt embarrassed to be called Young Miss. Even at home, she made their helpers call her by her name. 

"Ah, please call me Yanee. I don't feel comfortable with the formal address. I-Is there something wrong?" she asked. 

The servant hesitated at her request and Yanee gave up. This seemed to be a traditional house and the servants were trained to follow rules. 

"The Young Master informed us that Young Miss was not feeling well. So if the Young Miss is still under the weather, the Young Master told us to tell you to rest more and just have breakfast here."

Er… Young Master? Tohru James? 

"Young Master? You mean, my boss?" Yanee asked. But as soon as she mentioned the word boss, memories from last night came flooding back and she felt her face heating up. 

The servant seemed to notice her sudden embarrassment that a ghost of a smile curved her lips and her eyes brightened. Yanee felt she's involved in some kind of a joke that she was not privy to. 

"Yes, Miss Yanee," the servant answered half-compromising with her request. 

So, it really was the potato. Sure enough, she was a bit tired since she didn't sleep enough. But she's no longer sleepy so she smiled and assured the helper. 

"I'm already up maám. I'll be joining them for breakfast. Also I'm working on office hours," she told the servant who blushed when she called her maám. 

"I will inform them then, Miss," the servant said and she excused herself and closed the screen door. 

Yanee hurriedly went to the bathroom to have a quick shower and change. She was glad that even with the traditional façade the personal toilet in the room was very modern. Soon she slipped on her white shirt and jeans, and stepped out of the room. She was not sure where to go though. However, there was no need to look for someone as someone was already outside the room waiting for her. 

"Good morning, honey," the sweet baritone rang in the hallway and Yanee looked up and stepped back. 

A few feet away from her, Tohru James leaned against the wall with his arms crossed on his c.h.e.s.t. He looked at her with a lazy abandon akin to a lounging cat on a hot day. 

"Good morning Boss. Who's your honey?" she countered sounding stern. 

This potato was up to mischief first thing in the morning, and she was in the mood to bully him back. 

"You, of course," he retorted with a smug smile. 

Yanee beamed. "I don't know what you're talking about boss."

"Of course you know— and you already agreed to call me by my name," he said.

"I can't remember any agreement, boss. It must be the alcohol." 

Tohru James laughed. "Oh. Someone's playing amnesiac, huh," he commented but Yanee ignored him.

"How about having breakfast, boss? I think you're hungry." Take that! Yanee was giggling inside. It's her revenge for the KOs she got the night before. 

"Alright," he relented, but took her hand out of the blue and dragged her towards the dining hall. 

"Good morning Yanee!" Marian giggled as soon as they stepped in the hall. Then her eyes caught their holding hands and they sparkled as she smiled knowingly. "Oooooh, very, very good morning to you little bro."

Realizing the teasing tone and look, Yanee tried to take her hand from his hold, but the potato didn't let her go. She had no choice but to walk towards the table still holding hands with him. The elderly couple was already there and they too beamed at them as they greeted. 

"Ooooh, my little Tohru's having a great morning," the madam commented and looked inclined to tease them more, but the elderly man patted her hand and she behaved. 

Yanee smiled gratefully at Marian's dad and the family started having breakfast. 

"What's your plan for the day?" the madam asked after a while. "I heard Yanee already interviewed Marian last night."

"Yes, it was convenient to talk last night so we already did," Yanee said. 

The madam looked worried. "Oh no. I thought you will have to do the interview today so I made the appointment with the kimono shops tomorrow. Also I accepted an invitation for lunch with the ladies from the Ikebana Association so I cannot go and accompany you. If I knew I would have freed my schedule today."

The way the old lady talked was mournful. It was as if she was truly regretting having something to do today and Yanee held out her hand to assure her that it was alright. But when the lady still didn't look appeased, she turned to Tohru with pleading eyes. 

"It's fine mama. I will be going out with Yanee later for lunch," he said and everyone at the table was quiet, including Yanee. 

We're going out? Yanee had no idea about it. 

"Oh, you are?" Everyone's eyes were on Tohru as they waited for him to give more information as if it was something very important. 

Yanee, on the other hand, was ready to be upset. If this potato said something off she'd really hit him. 

"Yeah. I made an appointment with the authors who had trouble recently. They requested for a meeting to give them developmental guidance so Yanee and I will have lunch with them today."

Oh. It's work. She nearly forgot about that. Yanee felt happy. 

"Yanee have you done developmental editing before?" Marian asked, looking excited. 

Yanee nodded. "It's not much though. I just did one project and it's during my on the job training years ago. I chose to do more magazine work than literary so I have no other experience aside from that."

"That's more than enough. As long as you know the process it'll come naturally," Marian told her assuredly. 

"You sound so confident with that. Yanee's so assured now," Tohru James teased Marian who grinned back mischievously. 

"Of course, I'm the sister of the best editor in the country, after all," she said proudly, and Yanee looked at her in confusion. 

"Best editor?" Yanee looked at the potato. But wasn't the best editor… Tohru James?