Kelvin's POV
I went into the employees' restroom to fix my face. We had just finished setting up for today's wedding event, and I was sweating like hell from hauling round tables and IBM tables since morning.
Our manager on duty, Sir Janno, had called for an event briefing, so I needed to look presentable before facing him. You can't afford to look messy here—five-star hotels have high grooming standards. You have to look neat, tidy, and professional so the guests see you as part of that "five-star" image.
Most of our guests are rich anyway. Makes sense—it costs a fortune to book a wedding here, so yeah, they're loaded.
As I stepped out of the restroom, I froze when I ran into Jillian.
Shit. She's stunning.
Not gonna lie—I really am attracted to her. She's gorgeous and sexy, and everyone in the banquet team likes her.
But that doesn't mean I plan to court her.
Girlfriends mean expenses. Commitment means hassle.
But damn, why do I always want to change that belief whenever I see her?
"Jillian!" I called out. She flinched, like always. She's such a jumpy girl. I slung my arm over her shoulder and walked beside her toward the briefing area. She didn't bother to shrug me off since I do this all the time anyway.
"It's a miracle you actually showed up for work," she said irritably, which made me laugh. She's so done with me always asking her to ask someone to take my shift.
"Come on, Ma'am Jillian, thanks for fixing my schedule. I'll treat you sometime, promise," I teased.
I didn't even know if I was just messing with her or if I actually craved her attention.
"Yeah right, you can't even pitch in for drinks. Treat me? As if." She brushed my arm off her shoulder as we arrived at the briefing area.
I scratched my head, grinning. She got me there.
What can I do? Being on-call means I rarely get scheduled shifts. We're only really packed during the -ber months. Lately, I've been busy anyway because my childhood friend, David, came home from Canada. He's been inviting me to hang out—and he pays for everything. Who would say no to that?
I stood next to Elijah while waiting for Sir Janno.
I couldn't help but watch Jillian while she talked with the other female staff in front of the whiteboard. The way she smiled could literally brighten your entire day.
Everyone went quiet as soon as Sir Janno arrived, and the briefing started.
Most of the staff are terrified of him because he's strict during events. He reminded us about the VIP guests, food sequence, and that we should avoid frowning during service.
"Kelvin," he called out. "You're assigned to Table 3. VIP section."
I quickly looked at the list.
There it was.
Table 3: Partner – Jillian Ward.
Nice one.
"Copy, Sir," I said, glancing at Jillian, who rolled her eyes at me. Sometimes I swear she has a crush on me too.
After the briefing, we headed to our assigned tables.
"Do your job properly, okay? You're my food runner. Don't be slow or disappear again. You and Elijah keep sneaking out to smoke during events," she nagged.
I looked straight into her eyes as she spoke, then let my gaze drop to her lips before meeting her eyes again.
I chuckled when she suddenly turned away, pretending to fix the centerpieces and name cards that were already perfectly arranged.
"You're impossible, Kelvin!" she said, clearly flustered, her cheeks turning red.
"I'm just listening to you. I'm not even doing anything wrong," I said with a teasing grin. I knew she got flustered whenever I paid attention to her.
But I couldn't really make a move. Deep down, I knew I wasn't ready for a relationship.
I've been single for three years. My last girlfriend was from Bacolod—it was an online thing because I didn't want the responsibilities that came with a real relationship.
But it really annoys me when people treat me like just an "idea" of love. Like something to show off online. They want to tag you, post you, make it public. I don't get girls sometimes.
We broke up eventually, but we still talk occasionally. Flirt, sometimes. Just to kill the boredom.
"Help me out here," Jillian said without even looking at me. She probably didn't want to make eye contact anymore.
"Why won't you look at me, Ma'am Jillian?" I teased again.
She sighed. "Kelvin, stop it, or I'll hit you with this centerpiece."
I laughed. She's just so fun to mess with. I didn't even know if I wanted her to notice me—or if I just wanted to hear her say my name again.
While I was helping her arrange the VIP section, Janella came up to me.
Janella's been a good friend of mine for a while now. We're pretty close—so close that people sometimes assume we're a thing. But we're not. She's married, and I don't do affairs.
"Let's drink later," she said. She always invites me to drink whenever she's stressed about her husband.
"Your treat?" I joked.
"Please. Since when do you ever pay when I'm around? I already invited Myrtle and Xyriel—they're in." She glanced at Jillian, who was busy checking the utensils. "Jillian! Come with us, we're drinking later!"
"Sure! But we have to go home early, okay? We still have work tomorrow," Jillian replied, still focused on the setup.
That's one of the things I like about her—she's such a workaholic. That's why, even after just four months, she was promoted to banquet admin, replacing Ma'am Jennica who had to take leave due to pregnancy.
"Drunk but still reporting for duty—that's our motto!" Janella said with a laugh before heading back to her table.
Soon the event started. Jillian was such a great partner to work with—attentive to guests, quick on her feet. Whenever I handed out guest comment cards, I was sure she'd get perfect feedback.
After the service, we stood at the side while the couple's same-day edit video played.
Jillian was smiling at the big LED screen, and without realizing it, I was smiling too—because of her.
I shook my head. Damn it. Stop. You can't fall for her, man. You're broke.
"Wouldn't it be nice," she said softly, eyes still on the screen, "if all the couples we see here never separate?"
"Yeah," I agreed. "Especially since they spend millions just to get married here. Would be such a waste if they end up divorced."
And she was right—millions, literally. The venue alone costs a fortune, plus the events team that makes these fairytale weddings happen. The place was all white, filled with white roses everywhere.
When the event ended, we started packing up. Guests were taking home flowers as souvenirs.
I grabbed one from a centerpiece and walked over to Jillian, who was busy collecting table napkins.
"Jillian. This is for you," I said, tucking the rose behind her ear. "You're beautiful…" Her cheeks turned pink again.
"…Marimar," I added, grinning. She smacked my arm.
"You're ridiculous, Kelvin!"
"What? Didn't Marimar always have a flower on her ear?" I teased. She really did look as pretty as Marimar.
She turned away but didn't remove the flower.
I grinned as I stacked another round table when Xyriel shouted, "Hurry up so we can drink already!"
"You all look like alcoholics," Sir Janno suddenly barked from behind her. Xyriel jumped and moved away quickly. "We have another event tomorrow, so don't waste all your energy," he added before leaving the ballroom.
"That's your fault," Myrtle whispered to Xyriel.
"Alright, less talking, more packing so we can drink!" I said, dragging another round table toward the storage room.
Working in banquets is exhausting. You do the service, then you do the cleanup too. What's the point of a graveyard shift if they only set up and never help?
Sometimes I really don't feel like going to work, but I need the hotel experience—it's a requirement if I want to work on a cruise ship.
The only problem is money. Applying for cruise jobs costs a lot, but once you're onboard, it's all worth it.
If only the people who promised to help me hadn't disappeared.
After we finished cleaning up, we all went down to the basement to change.
One perk of working in a five-star hotel is the uniform—it's provided fresh every shift. No need to do laundry; just drop the used one in the dirty bins.
Meals are also free at the employees' dining area during your break time even though you're already full from sneaking bites during the event which is not allowed, of course.
I stepped out of the hotel and went straight to the smoking area to wait for the gang. I knew it'd take forever for the girls to finish changing. Typical.
Our little group started when Jillian joined the banquet team. She and Myrtle had already worked together before, so they were close even before moving to Imperial Crown Hotel.
Like me, Myrtle was saving up experience so she could apply for cruise work too.
Xyriel was usually paired with Janella in the team, aside from me. I heard the four of them once went bar-hopping in Makati, then it just became a habit—and they eventually started dragging me along.
I sat on the bench, spinning my lighter between my fingers, breathing in the cool night air. It felt peaceful, like my brain was finally getting a break after all the ballroom noise.
"Girls take forever," I muttered to myself, shaking my head. Good thing I had a cigarette.
A moment later, I heard Myrtle's heels clicking down the hall, followed by Janella's laughter and Xyriel's chatter. And then Jillian appeared, walking gracefully. She looked gorgeous in her crop top and shorts—her skin so fair and smooth it made my brain short-circuit.
Calm down, Kelvin.
"Finally," I said, standing up, trying to push away the dirty thoughts. "Ready for our drinking night?"
Jillian chuckled. "Sure, as long as we're not late tomorrow."
"Promise," I said, raising my hand. But inside, I couldn't help feeling excited—not just about the drinks, but because she'd be there.
We started walking toward our usual hangout when a car pulled up in front of the hotel. We recognized it right away—it was Janella's husband's car.
Her face dropped when she saw it, but she still went up to him.
From where we stood, we could see them arguing.
"Well, that's dramatic," I said. The others looked worried, guessing it might be another fight about her going out to drink.
I've known Janella long enough to know she's always stressed because of her husband. They argue a lot, but I never ask why. Not my business.
"She's not coming," I said as they both got into the car. I sighed. Looks like no free drinks tonight.
"So what now?" Xyriel asked.
My phone buzzed—it was a message from Janella.
Janella: Bad trip. He didn't let me go. You guys enjoy.
"She said she can't come," I told them, showing the message.
"So… we're still going?" Myrtle asked.
"I'm down. I need a drink," Xyriel said.
We all looked at Jillian, who seemed hesitant. If she didn't come, I wouldn't either.
"Fine, I'll come," Jillian said at last, and I couldn't help but smile.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "Let's go, ladies. Tonight, we drink!"
As we walked toward our usual spot, I couldn't stop glancing at Jillian. She looked beautiful even without makeup.
I forced myself to look away and focus on the road ahead.
Control yourself, Kelvin. She's your friend. It's better to stay that way.
I kept repeating that to myself, even though deep down I knew—I really liked her.
What if I invited her to come with me later tonight?
Would she?
I'd never tried that whole "friends with benefits" thing before.
But if she doesn't come, that's fine.
If she does… even better.