NARRATIVE
MILLY

Milly sees them first through the glass windows.

They're seated at the second table, the one closest to the counter six tables away from where she stood. Kuya Evan is typing away at his laptop, forehead creased in concentration, his mouth opening to say something that Milly can't hear.

Sitting across from him and listening to him talk is his friend and business partner. The engineer. The one that furrowed his brows and ran his eyes over her from head to toe on the first night she saw him, like he's evaluating her and she didn't pass his test.

Hearing him insult her straight to her face had come as a surprise. It's not the first time someone had insulted her because that's pretty usual in the industry she thrives in, but it's actually the first time someone had dared to do so point blank. Eye to eye. Without hesitation.

At first, she was pissed.

Because how dare he look down on her when he knew jack squat about her?

Later on, when she's calmer and got more time to play their first meeting in her mind, she slowly became interested.

No one had ever had the gall to look at her straight in the eye and say what they really feel. No one until him.

Everyone else was always dancing around her - scared to hurt her, scared to offend her - as if she was some kind of a fickle, fragile doll who'd snap and break at the slightest provocation.

There were Neve and Ran, of course. Her lifelong best friends. Two people who never held back or mince their words. Called things for what they were. Always so honest and upfront with her.

But they were different. A special find. They didn't belong to the world she normally lived in, and thus shouldn't be lumped in with everyone else she knew in the same breath.

But this guy...

This guy is from here, but he doesn't orbit around her like the rest of them do.

To say she's piqued is an understatement. When she told Malee that she was looking forward to seeing him again, she's not lying.

She is. Why, who knows?

Milly doesn't think that far ahead. She's always been spontaneous - a doer, a go-with-the-flow, ride-in-the-moment kind of girl.

And this one is one of those situations where she'd rather wait and see than calculate her actions.

Kairos cuts a striking figure even as she walks in and makes her way closer to them. Taller than her, his toned built is visible to her through the white v-necked shirt he's wearing, his biceps packed with muscles that almost made her grin when she remembered how Monday had described him before.

No wonder the girls were fawning.

Kuya Evan is the first to notice her approach. Immediately, he stops typing and gets to his feet to greet her with a half hug.

Milly can feel the burn of a stare pricking her neck when she returns it, and when she turns, her eyes connect with his.

Kairos. Engineer Aviado.

She smiles at him as a greeting, but he slowly diverts his attention back to the lady that delivered their coffee, looking as disinterested in her as the first and second time she met him. He thanks the waitress and sips his coffee without saying another word.

"Sorry, was I late?" Milly asks Kuya Evan. He's pulling back the chair beside the one he's occupying to give her room. Milly thanks him and takes a seat. She also makes sure to thank the lady when she slides the iced americano closer to her.

"'Maaga ka pa nga." Kuya Evan sits beside her and moves the mouse to close the document he's typing on. "Nauna lang kami dahil sinabay na namin ang inventory."

Milly nods, eyes flicking to the laptop screen where an excel sheet is indeed pulled up.

"Si Kai nga pala, Milly."

At the prompt, her attention flickers over to the man sitting across from them. His eyes were back on her face, and she notes how his brows were drawn together and his lips were pressed tight, like there's a permanent frown set on his face.

Up close, in day light, his jet black hair and eyes are more accentuated, complemented by his tan skin. A sharp contrast to Kuya Evan's soft brown hair and eyes, and fair complexion - features that her friend Malee shares as well.

Aquila was right.

He is attractive. More so now that she can see it clearly, if she'd be honest. If only he doesn't hate her... she can try to see if...

She stops her train of thoughts. No. She can't go there. Business is business.

"You're an engineer, right?" Milly asks him to break the ice.

He responds to her by lifting a brow in question

"I heard from Malee. Was I wrong?"

It's Kuya Evan who answers her. Bless him. "Oo. Civil engineer nga 'yang si Kai. Pero more on office work. Design engineer yata tawag sa kanila."

Another smile flits across her lips as she tilts her head to the side and an image of him working behind a desk flashes through her mind.

Heavens forbid. Monday is starting to rub off on her.

"Right," she says. "Nice to see you again, Engineer. Shall we begin our meeting then?"

Like the first time, he doesn't take his eyes off of hers. The only response she gets from him as he leans back and crosses his arms is a nod, like he's evaluating her again - and then Kuya Evan is leading the conversation, eventually steering them to the condition she set to him nights before.

After Kuya Evan finishes discussing their goals for WYLD, Kairos then cuts to the chase and goes straight to the point, prodding her to share her plans, point by point.

Another perfectionist, obviously. Just like her.

* * *

"Gusto mong hawakan yung marketing. Ikaw bahala sa mga gimik linggo-linggo. May isasali kang mga bagong DJ sa roster. Bubuksan mo yung bar sa mga corporate businesses dahil gusto mo ng corporate packages. Balak mong baguhin yung menu. At magdagdag ng mga imported na alak. Ano pa? Baka gusto mo na ring palitan yung pangalan?" Kairos asks her tonelessly after she lays down all her plans, arms still crossed, an unreadable expression masking his face.

He doesn't look annoyed or offended as far as she can tell, but the sarcasm doesn't elude her.

Milly raises a brow. "I thought that's what you want - to change? Spice things up? Isn't that why you're trying to get me? 'Cause you think there are areas to improve in your business?"

Before Kairos can retort, Kuya Evan immediately beats him into it, "What he's trying to say is... 'di ba biglaan yung mga changes? Kailangan ba natin huminto ng operations kung papalitan din ang menu? Parang big changes kasi 'yon, Milly. Lalo na yung plano mong mag-offer ng corporate packages."

Milly smiles. Kuya Evan is really like Malee. Both are so nice.

She can sense his nerves even from where she sits. She's not dumb. It's obvious to anyone who has ears that he's trying hard to compensate for his friend's sharp tongue.

She shakes her head.

"No naman. We'll introduce the changes slowly since we also need to build out the packages pa after checking the costs." She adds, "Plus, if we want to be competitive and take the lead in the market, isn't it normal that we revisit what's working and what's not? Kung nagwo-work naman, I don't see why we should remove or make any changes. But for food and drinks that are barely sellable, isn't it a more sound decision to replace them to what we think will sell better? You said it yourself. Some of your custom mixes are not as good as the others."

"Paano 'yon? Mag-market research ulit tayo?"

"Yes... we can also take time to experiment and wait for the results. Consolidate our feedback. Gano'n naman in all businesses, right? Learning and adjustments never stop. Risks are always part of the long game."

Kairos is quiet for a while, his fingers drumming against the surface of the table. Then, he says,

"Let's say we do everything you suggested. Who's going to monitor all that?" he asks. "May trabaho ako. Gano'n din si Evander. Busy ka ring tao. Kahit gustuhin nating gawin 'yan, sigurado ba kayong kakayanin ng oras n'yo na tutukan lahat 'yan?"

"I have flexible time," Milly says. "I can work with your manager basta free ako. I can't guarantee I'll be free all the time but I can move some sched around and prioritize this. Besides, like I said, this isn't urgent work. We'll have time to build it out."

Both of them don't answer, seemingly absorbing what she said. She can almost see the gears in their head turning and whirring with every word she says.

"It's still collaboration, if that's what you're so worried about," Milly adds after a while. "I'm not gonna be the final decision here. If something is not working, we can stop it anytime. You can be assured I'm not here to pull your business down. After all, I'm also investing here. Sino bang gustong matalo?"

Kuya Evan places a hand over his mouth, nodding slowly. "Sorry, 'di naman sa ayoko. Napapaisip lang ako sa mga mangyayari. Okay ako sa mga sinabi mo, Milly. Sa totoo lang, gusto ko nga. Tingin ko magaganda naman at may punto. Subukan natin. Gano'n din naman. Matagal ko nang iniisip na kailangan din mag-introduce ng bago dito para maka-attract din ng bagong customers. Kahit kasi malakas pa rin naman, dumarami na competitors sa paligid at mas nahahatak na sila ng kabila. Okay din sa 'kin na may plano tayo para sa mga off-days at off-season." He darts to his friend. "Ikaw ba, Kai? Anong tingin mo?"

"Sige," is what Kairos only says. That surprises her. She didn't expect him to agree so easily.

"Anong sige?" Kuya Evan asks to clarify.

"Sige, subukan natin. Wala kong problema sa plano basta 'di bibiglain." Then he grabs two brown envelopes sitting from the chair beside him and hands them over. "Kung magkakasundo-sundo naman na tayo at wala nang iba pang dapat pag-usapan, basahin n'yo na 'yan. Bagong kontrata. Maganda nang sigurado."

Milly takes the envelope he gives to her and pulls out the white document from within. Printed in black and white are the terms and conditions of their partnership. He came prepared, is all that she gathers from that.

"Ano? Okay na ba tayo? Nagkakasundo na tayo?" Kuya Evan cuts his eyes between the two of them. "Daanan natin yung kontrata?"

Eyes still on the document, Milly nods her assent.

* * *

They agree to go over the terms of the contract together, but they're cut short in the middle of the discussion when Kuya Evan suddenly excuses himself for a quick run to the rest room.

That unexpectedly leaves her alone with Kairos, whose attention is still trained on the contract. There's a tensed silence that's been hanging over them since they started and not even the soft acoustics playing in the background can break it now that they're left on their own.

Milly decides to jump the gun and break it herself.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

Kairos lifts his gaze up to meet hers, tentatively putting the document down on the table. He stares at her for a full second before he answers. "I don't hate you."

"But you don't like me either."

He doesn't answer, but his flat stare is a dead giveaway. Yes.

She leans back in the chair. "Because of Seth, isn't it?"

"Buti alam mo."

Milly opens her mouth and would've asked more if Kuya Evan didn't come rushing back so fast to their table, his face almost sheet white.

"That's fast," she comments, taken by surprise. "Tapos ka na kagad?"

He hurriedly sits again. "Mamaya na lang pala. Bawal ko nga pala kayong iwanan. Malalagot ako kay Malee."

Milly blinks at what he said- and then laughs. "I never realized you can be this cute, Kuya." Kairos' mouth twitches into a frown at what she said, so she smiles at him, too. "Don't worry, Engineer. You're just as cute."

She knows she shouldn't be teasing him, but she can't help it. That's one of her toxic traits: the more people would tell her no, the more she'd want to do it herself.

As expected, his frown deepens.

"Kung gusto n'yong maayos tayong makapagtrabaho, ngayon pa lang sinasabi ko na sa inyo. I won't tolerate flirting at work, Miss. Basta oras ng trabaho, trabaho lang."

"Kai...." Kuya Evan warns.

Milly places a hand on Kuya Evan's arm to stop him. To Kairos, she says, "Fine with me. Won't be a problem. I know how to separate work from leisure."

He doesn't seem to buy that but then he backs down and says, "Good."

Kuya Evan narrows his eyes at him. "'Yan ka na naman. Wala namang masamang sinabi si Milly."

"Those are my terms, Evander. She has hers. I have mine."

"Thoroughly noted, Engineer," Milly answers him, and she notes how his frown twitches again at her use of his title.

He doesn't seem to like the way she calls him like that, but he says nothing else.

Kuya Evan scratches his head, his eyes cutting between them back and forth, and he's starting to look like he's already forming the biggest headache to date.

"Sigurado ba kayong dalawa na magkakasundo kayo? Pano kung wala ako? Pano na lang? Baka magbangayan lang kayo."

"Don't worry, Kuya. I can work professionally," Milly says. Because she really can. She's dealt with so many people from all sorts of industries by now that she knows how to set apart her work from her affairs.

"Tutal napag-usapan na rin naman... Baka gusto mong mag-sorry sa sinabi mo no'ng nakaraan, Kai," Kuya Evan tells his friend.

Kairos' flat expression doesn't waver. "No."

"Kai naman," Kuya Evan rasps, exasperated.

"'Wag na, Kuya," Milly cuts in. "An insincere apology is not an apology anyway. Besides, I'm sure it will come naturally once we get to know each other more... right?" She emphasizes the last part on purpose, part of her still trying to tease him, still.

Kairos ignores her quip. She almost grins.

Kuya Evan looks at her apologetically. "Pasensya na talaga, Milly. Sensya ka na. Bugnutin talaga 'yan kahit kailan."

Kairos seems miffed at the term he used but doesn't bother to correct him. Suplado talaga.

The type of guy she normally doesn't go for only because she doesn't like the hassle of dealing with anybody's shifting moods.

"No need for apologies - it's okay. I've seen worse temperament before," Milly says with a silent chuckle and picks up the contract with her fingers. She taps the screen of her phone to check the time. "Do we need to finish this today? I have somewhere to be at three-thirty and I need to get going now if I wanna make it in time."

"Kahit sa inyo mo na basahin 'yan. Magsabi ka na lang kung may ipapabago ka ha. Kung wala naman, ipadala mo na lang 'pag napirmahan mo na," Kuya Evan says in the same brotherly tone he uses to everyone.

Milly nods, neatly sliding the documents back into the envelope.

"Alright, thanks! See you, Kuya. I'll keep in touch." She stands and looks back again at Kairos, offering a hand. "And nice to formally meet you, Engineer Aviado. Looking forward to starting business with you."

She's not expecting anything, so her brows shot up when he reaches out and takes hers.

Warm, she thinks right away, a smile curving her lips as his palm touches her own. Hot. She shakes his hand, noting how rough and firm it feels against her skin.

And then she's walking away, one hand holding the envelope, the other holding her Hermes handbag, the heat of his palm against her own still engraved on her skin even hours after the fact.