"Should we go to the management office?" I asked Aya. She was speechless. I can see that I got on her nerves this time. She looks like a teenage girl trying to sneak out at night, the one who got caught by her parents. 

12 Hours Ago

"Where have you been, Ciddy? I didn't know you were into packed meals, huh?!" 

Rick asked me, looking at the two packed meals I was holding. I had just returned from the garden and the employees' parking lot and searched everywhere.

Where did you go, My Aya? 

30 Minutes Ago

"Rick, please do this for me, asking no questions, okay? I promise to obey whatever you ask me here in W." 

"Okay! Let me check the work schedule." Rick agreed and checked the work schedule on the computer in his office at W supermarket. Then he pressed the intercom. 

"HR? Yes, this is Rick Will- Waldon. Good morning. I can't find the list of the cashiers scheduled to work today. How many are there? Okay. So the rest is off today. Where is she right now? Thank you." Rick winked at me and announced, "She is on her way to the garden right now."

"Thanks, man!" I gave him a big hug as I rushed out to the garden. I left Rick frozen in his chair, and his eyes popped in disbelief.

***

I was about to enter the garden, but I saw Aya silently taking the flowers she had arranged last night from the table. The same cashier who replaced her the previous night gave her a wink. They talked in signs, and Aya signaled her way to the garden exit. I immediately run to the exit. I was planning to greet her good morning, but a plan came to me. As she walked out of the garden, looking inside her bag, I stood before her. 

"Oops! What do we have in your hand, My Aya?"

I surprised her like hell. She paused and couldn't speak, opposite the Aya cursing me last night. I can see her face turned red. The fast heaving of her chest was noticeable. 

"I, ah... bought flowers," she stuttered. 

"Really, huh? Where is your receipt, then? They assigned me to check the ins and outs of the garden today," I said in a soft, teasing tone.

Her lower lip trembled. I was sure as hell she had gotten nervous. Although her face looked confused, fear covered it immediately.

I got you! The victory caused my whole body to shiver. Therefore, I declare Cid Waldon the winner of this round!

"So, no receipt, huh? Your face is telling me now that this has been an ongoing practice. Who else does it? Let me guess, or should we go to the management office?" 

She was speechless. I cornered her, and she had nowhere to go. Then Rick came marching with the HR officer beside him. I'm freaking loving this scenario right now! 

There's no denying that the guy deserved my praise this time. He came at the right time in the right place, and I wanted to hug and kiss him!

"Mr. Williams, Miss Smith, good morning to you two." Rick and I were talking with our eyes. A skill we mastered when we were young boys. Whenever I do something that surely deserves my father's scolding, Rick is the trusted witness that my father never doubts. And, as always, Rick never throws me under the bus. 

"Miss Smith and Mr. Williams, I am sorry, but we must talk in my office." The HR officer was giving Aya a sad face. And we all went to the HR office. We were quiet on our way as Rick and the HR officer guided us. I can see Aya's chest pounding and her hands shaking. 

Silently, I took the flower arrangement from her hand. She looked at me, confused. I signaled for her to be quiet. I told her in hand gestures that I would take care of everything. Inside the office, the HR officer did the talking.

"We want to hear your side of the story, Miss Smith. While Mr. Waldon was checking our CCTV room, he witnessed this on the camera."

 The video showed Aya getting the flower arrangement from the table and talking in signs with the garden cashier. It also showed the scenes when I stopped Aya at the garden exit. 

Aya was about to say something, but I held her hand to stop her. Then I explained what made Aya drop her jaw.

"I'm sorry, Mr. HR. It is not what you are thinking. I asked Miss Smith to take the flower from the garden and to give it to me. Knowing that she made it from last night's discarded flowers, it is useless to W anymore. She insisted I shouldn't be taking it. But I stopped her and begged that she give it to me. You should blame and punish me, not anyone else." My declaration was with conviction.

"Well, since this is the first time, and we discarded these flowers from last night anyway, we can consider warning both of you," said the HR officer. I smiled and nodded. Expecting that everything was going as planned at the last moment, Joy filled my body. However, out of the blue, Rick butted in.

"No! Mr. Williams is a trainee, and I should teach him a lesson. Mr. Williams, you are fired!" shouted Rick. 

I wanted to smack him in the face. I wanted him to look at me and tell me he was taking it too far. But Rick's face was so enjoying the scenario. He acted on the scene of his life like he was in the run for the Oscars. Before I could say anything, my favorite person reacted.

"Oh, please, Mr. Waldon, no. If you will fire Mr. Williams here, you should also fire me. Please give him another chance!" Aya was begging Rick. My Aya was begging Rick for me!

"Give me a reason I should keep him, Miss Smith. What is my assurance that he won't do the same thing again?" Rick's voice was powerful.

"He is just new, and probably no one has explained the rules here yet. I promise to watch over him, Mr. Waldon. I can check on him every day. Please don't fire him!" Aya was insistent. 

"I will think about it. But, for now, both of you go. I don't want to see your faces here today," yelled Rick. He looked at me, telling me with his eyes that I owed him big time. 

"Thank you, Rick. I mean Mr. Waldon, and thank you, Mr. HR." I secretly smiled at Rick. Before we left the office, I took the flowers from the vase. 

Aya waited for me outside the HR office. Her eyebrows waggled, and she seemed surprised I still had the flowers.

"What? They won't sell this anyway, and keeping it as a consolation to what we experienced today is better." I told Aya, my face grinning.

"Why did you do that? It would be best if you hadn't taken the blame. I was wrong. I should have just bought flowers." 

"Don't worry about it. You arranged this, so you should keep it," I said.

"How did you know I arranged this?" her eyes scrutinizing me.

"Um, I just guessed. By the way, for whom are the flowers?" I tried changing the subject of our conversation.

"I am visiting someone today, and the flowers are for him," she replied.

"Boyfriend? Husband?" face frowned, I asked.

Aya just looked at me like she was searching for something on my face. Then, finally, she sighed and asked an unexpected question.

"Do you want to go with me? I feel so guilty that they kicked you out from W today because of me."

I giggled. "Are you sure? Do you want me to come with you?"

"Yes, let us go!" she said. 

***