Jillian's POV
"Finally!" I almost screamed as I crashed onto the sofa. "After a long day at work, I can finally rest."
Seriously, I felt like I could sleep even if someone blasted rock music beside me.
"Too bad Janella's not here," Myrtle said while fixing her hair in the mirror. "Her husband picked her up. She's been grumpy all day."
"Then it's just us," Xyriel replied, busy ordering drinks from the waiter.
"It would've been more fun if she was here, but family first, right? Anyway, we'll make it fun ourselves," Kelvin added with a wink at me.
I looked away and leaned against the sofa's headrest. Closed my eyes for a second. There he goes again—Kelvin and his random flirty comments that I never know if he means seriously or just as a joke.
There were usually five of us in the group, all hotel staff. And now that it's the ber months, we were practically competing over who had the bigger eye bags from all the events. So this little karaoke night of ours was like a reward system.
Myrtle sang first—a heartbreaking song. You'd think she was heartbroken, but her love life's actually great. Must be nice.
"Your turn, Xyriel!" I said, laughing. "I haven't heard you sing yet!"
"If you don't want your night ruined, let me just drink," she said with a laugh. She really was tone-deaf.
Then Kelvin took the mic. He picked Synesthesia by Mayonnaise.
"Thank you, Araneta!" he shouted before starting, making all of us laugh.
"This one's for you, Jillian."
"Ha? Me?" I almost choked on my drink. I pointed at myself while Myrtle started giggling.
"Don't get all fluttery, it's just me," he said with that teasing grin of his.
"You're so full of yourself," I rolled my eyes, but the stupid smile on my face betrayed me.
As he started singing, I couldn't take my eyes off him. Myrtle and Xyriel were already giving me those teasing looks.
It was my first time hearing that song, though I knew the band. It was beautiful—and it suited his voice.
Our eyes met, and he smiled. Damn it, this guy's going to make me fall for him.
The way he looked at me while singing—steady, warm, and a little too personal—it felt like every line was meant for me. His eyes even smiled, like he knew I was falling, and he wanted me to let it happen.
That smile wasn't forced; it was soft, slowly curling at the corners of his lips as if to say, "You're the reason I'm singing this."
And at that moment, it felt like no one else existed in that room but him.
Then I suddenly snapped out of it when Myrtle pretended to cry as Kelvin leaned his face close to mine. "Hey, you're too close," I whispered when he moved nearer, mic in hand.
"What? I rarely go to these hangouts, and you won't even let me get close?" he murmured back, teasing.
He was so annoying. And way too good-looking.
We all clapped when he finished.
"Alright, enough flirting before that turns into something else," Xyriel said, pouring more drinks and raising her glass.
"Cheers?"
"Cheers!" we shouted in unison, glasses clinking before we drank.
Myrtle slid next to me afterward. "You and Kelvin got something going on, huh?" she whispered after I downed my drink.
"What something?" I played dumb, but I could feel my face heating up.
"Oh please. Don't tell me you two are secretly a thing?" she teased.
"Idiot. He's just messing with you," I said, but even I wasn't sure anymore.
He's been texting me a lot lately, but it's always about work—so I can't tell if it means anything.
As the night went on, Kelvin kept moving closer to me. Every time there was a joke, he'd touch my arm or lean on me while laughing.
It was irritating—and also a little thrilling.
I kept thinking maybe he liked me, but I tried to shut it down because maybe I was just being delusional.
Still, the way he smiled, laughed, looked at me—it was hard to believe it meant nothing.
By the time it was nearly 7 a.m., I was completely drunk. The world was spinning, my body heavy.
We still had work at three.
I couldn't afford to skip.
But God, the laughter earlier was so worth it.
"Kelvin," I said as we walked to the jeepney stop. "I feel so heavy. We still have work later, right?"
"I know," he said, smiling sleepily. "Maybe we should check in somewhere nearby, just to rest a bit. So we won't be late later."
I looked at him. Check in?
That didn't sound like a great idea.
"Stop it, Kelvin," I said, frowning. Myrtle and Xyriel already left earlier. It was just us now.
"Come on, Jill," he whispered, playfully tugging my hand. His fingers were warm against my skin. "Promise, just rest. Nothing else. You'll probably fall asleep on the ride home anyway. There's a motel nearby… we'll just sleep, then wake up for work."
I stared at him. At those eyes I could never read. At that smile that made it hard not to trust him.
I sighed.
"I'm scared that after this, we'll stop talking," I said quietly, pulling my hand away.
"What are you thinking? We'll just sleep!" he said, hugging my arm.
God, what was wrong with me? Did I want this because I was drunk—or because I wanted him?
"Fine," I said finally. "But promise—just sleep."
"Just sleep," he said with a wink that made my stomach flip.
When we got to the motel—it was close to our hotel, only one ride away from work—he went straight to the bathroom while I collapsed on the bed. I wrapped myself in the blanket, trying not to think too much.
I felt him come out and lie beside me.
"Hey, don't be selfish," he whispered, tugging at my blanket.
"Kelvin, just sleep," I said softly, turning my back to him.
"I'm cold too," he said, laughing.
I sighed and turned to face him, pulling the blanket open a bit so we could share. Our eyes met.
He looked at me in a way that made my chest tighten. His gaze moved from my eyes to my lips. What was I supposed to do—pull away or let it happen?
He brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch gentle.
My heart was racing. When he cupped my cheek, I trembled. Heat spread through me, growing stronger every second.
When he leaned in, his warm breath brushed my lips. Then he kissed me—soft at first, then deeper, hungrier.
Every touch, every breath made me dizzy. His hands explored my body, igniting fire wherever they went. When his hand slipped under my top, unhooking my bra, I gasped.
"Kelvin…" I moaned softly.
"God, that sounds so good," he whispered, his eyes locking on mine before pulling off my top.
"You're beautiful…" he murmured, kissing my neck, my jawline, then my chest.
Desire took over. I stopped thinking. I let it happen.
When I woke up, it was already 4 p.m.
Oh my God.
I turned to him—he was still asleep beside me. My chest felt heavy.
Did I just ruin our friendship?
My phone buzzed. A message from our staff group chat.
Sir Janno: Everyone absent today. Don't bother coming back.
I sat up fast.
"Kelvin! We're screwed! Sir Janno's furious!"
He scratched his head, laughing, and pulled me into his arms. "At least we got to rest, right?"
"This isn't funny!" I said, though a tiny smile crept up anyway.
"I'm still sleepy, Jillian… you wore me out last night," he murmured before dozing off again.
"You're unbelievable, Kelvin!" I shoved him lightly, but he just pulled me back.
I wanted to be mad, but I couldn't stop thinking about what happened. Was this the start of us?
"Stop overthinking," he said softly, kissing my forehead. "You're not getting fired."
That kiss made my heart flutter and ache at the same time.
I texted an apology in our work GC, hoping Sir Janno wouldn't fire me.
Then I went to take a shower, staring at my reflection. "What am I even doing with my life?" I muttered, scratching my head.
When I got dressed and went out, Kelvin was still asleep—totally unbothered. Must be nice to not worry.
He didn't care much about attendance anyway. He said he just wanted experience before applying to work on a cruise ship. I, on the other hand, had only been there four months but already got promoted as banquet admin assistant. I couldn't afford mistakes like this.
I was so screwed.
The next day I went straight to the banquet foyer to see Ma'am Jennica. She'd called me in early. There wasn't supposed to be an event today.
The Grand Ballroom looked stunning as always—elegant, polished, glowing under the chandeliers.
Working here was my dream. I'd started as an on-call waitress, but because of my hard work, I was promoted to assistant banquet admin. It was exhausting, but I loved it.
That's why Sir Janno's anger made sense. He relied on me, especially since Ma'am Jennica was pregnant and had her check-up yesterday.
I was still looking for Ma'am Jennica, but I only saw Rey busy with the setup team.
"Sir Janno was really mad," Rey said as he walk towards me.
"I can imagine," I replied. "Where's Ma'am Jennica?"
"There," he said, pointing to the other function room.
When I entered, she immediately gestured for me to follow her to the office. My heart pounded. I knew what was coming.
As soon as I stepped inside, Sir Janno turned around. His glare was enough to make me want to vanish.
"Good morning, Sir Janno, I'm so—"
"What are you doing here?! You're useless!" he barked, his voice echoing through the office. "You didn't come in yesterday! You knew there was a big event! Especially you—you're Jennica's assistant!"
I stayed silent. My hands trembled. I tried not to cry.
Everything from last night replayed in my head—the drinks, the laughter, and Kelvin's voice telling me not to worry.
And here I was, facing the consequences alone.
"Sir, I'm really sorry… it won't happen again," I said softly.
"Sorry won't fix anything!" he snapped. "If that's your attitude, maybe you should just find another job!"
My chest tightened. I didn't want to lose this job.
"Sir Janno," Ma'am Jennica interrupted calmly. "Let's not fire her yet. I'm about to give birth soon. It'll be hard to find a replacement now. She's already trained."
Sir Janno paused, still fuming. "Fine. But one more mistake and you're out. Take this seriously, Jillian."
He stormed out. I finally exhaled.
"Thank you, Ma'am Jennica," I whispered.
She looked at me kindly. "You know better, Jillian. Kelvin can afford to skip work because he's not full-time. But you—you need this job. That's why you were chosen as my assistant."
All I could say was a quiet, "Yes, Ma'am."
"Next time, choose your company wisely," she added. "Not all fun is worth it."
I nodded, cheeks burning with shame.
"Now, look for the printed table numbers up to sixty. I think some are missing," she instructed.
"Yes, Ma'am."
As I stepped into the elevator, I couldn't help but smile in relief.
Thank you, Lord. I still have my job.