THE FIRST ENCOUNTER

MAYAH'S POV 

“Mayah! You’re going to be late for work!” I heard my mom shouting from downstairs. I’m starting my part-time job as a receptionist at the Delta Hotel in the City today. The work day began at six in the morning and ended at two in the afternoon. It will be three o’clock before my first subject starts. Despite my busy schedule, I could maintain a balance between work and schooling. 

“I’m coming, mom!” This was the response I gave to her. The best person I ever knew was my mother. Throughout her life, she has been thoughtful and caring. It was time to bathe, so I got up and headed to the bathroom. It was five fifteen in the morning when I checked the time on my phone. As soon as I had fixed myself, I took my backpack and headed downstairs to get my other things. Today will be a very productive first day at work. I am crossing my fingers for a positive outcome. With a beautiful smile, she handed me my lunch, which she had packed earlier. The blessing of having a mother as wonderful as mine was one of the greatest things in my life.

“Mayah be careful, okay? Just let me know when you’re at work.” There is something so wonderful about my sweet mother that never ceases to amaze me. I was able to make my allowance a lot easier thanks to my part-time employment. The work I do has enabled me to support myself and maintain my quality of life.

“Yes, mom!” I responded sweetly. How could I not think that she was one of the most extraordinary people I have ever met? I am the youngest member of my family. My sister Amelia has been modeling for years and has become one of the biggest stars in the showbiz industry. This is not just because of her beauty but also because of her seductive body. It is no secret that she is adored by everyone. As far as popularity is concerned, she loves it, and I wouldn’t say I like it either. I am a simple girl with a simple dream that I would like to achieve one day. To care for the sick and my parents when they become old.

“Mayah, let’s go! “What took you so long?” The question was posed to my brother Michael while he was waiting for me. There was an obvious annoyance on his face as he put my helmet on and took my backpack away from me.

Then I started rolling my eyes and giving him a smirk as I said, “Okay! Okay!”. He shook his head in disbelief. It takes him a moment to turn on his motorcycle. 

 “Hop on, Mayah, quickly” I want to complain, but now is not the time to do it. I hop in and encircle my arms around my brother’s waistline. 

“Thanks, big bro!” I placed my face on his back and hugged him tightly. I darted my eyes to the window. As I watched my sister Amelia raise her eyebrows in surprise, I could not help but smile. In spite of this, she turned her back on me and snubbed me. I did not pay any attention to the way she was treating me. As long as I can remember, she has been like that since we were young. There was no reason for her hatred of me at all. As a result, she dropped out of school. She decided to follow her dream of becoming a model. After a few minutes, my brother arrived at the employee entrance, where he parked his motorcycle. 

The smile on my lips was as wide as my shoulders when I stepped inside. As I was preparing for my first day on the job, I was so excited. Despite being nervous, I am also overwhelmed at the same time. I proceeded directly to the Bundy clock to verify my time. Afterward, I walked to the comfort room to check my face in the mirror. I change into my Chinese uniform, and my name tag is attached to my upper chest. In order to maintain a perfect lip color, I reapply my lip tint. My lashes looked dark and long because I used more mascara to make them darker. To make my lips look even, I pop them a few times.  

In response to my greeting, our manager greeted me warmly and welcomed me to the company. I am sweating profusely, and my hands are clammy. The backpack I was carrying was placed under the counter. We are three members of the team that works at the restaurant. There are two servers on our team. It was my responsibility to work at the counter and as a cashier. We expected to see a large crowd during breakfast because the hotel was fully booked.

Guests arrived one by one as we waited for them. I saw a couple who had just arrived at the restaurant, and one of the servers assisted them on the balcony where the romantic scenery was located. Oh, how sweet. While I was busily encoding their orders, I also assisted our chef in dispatching the orders as fast as possible. Our breakfast menu is divided into three categories, Filipino, American, and Intercontinental. 

It is already ten in the morning, and the time has passed too quickly. Our guests number nearly fifty, and we cater to them today. Our servers ate breakfast, and I was alone in the restaurant. A few minutes later, one guest arrived, and I greeted him.

“Good morning, sir!” I greeted him with a sweet smile. He is handsome, and he turns his gaze on me. He smiles genuinely.

“Good morning!” He said softly in his baritone voice. He decided to sit near the glass window in the middle of the room so that he could take advantage of the view as much as possible. I prepare the plate and the goblet and arrange them on the table. I headed back to the counter to get the menu. The door opened, and someone came in. The girl in my peripheral vision appeared to have long hair, and I thought I could see her without looking at her. 

“Good morning Ma’am!” After saying that, she stopped and turned to face me. It was at this point that I raised my eyes to her. There was a shock in my heart. My eyes were wide open, and my mouth was covered with my hands. There is no doubt that he is not a girl. The man has long, straight hair down to the ends. He was wearing a bonnet on top of his head. Something was frightening about his black eyes.

“I did not know I was a woman until this day!” Suddenly, my breathing stopped. I am experiencing a rapid heartbeat in my body. I immediately hid, but unfortunately, I hit my forehead on the countertop due to unforeseen circumstances.

“Ouch! Sh*t!” The guy hurriedly came to my aid and checked my forehead. I felt his hand caress my swollen forehead, and an electric charge coursed throughout my body.

“You’re such a careless woman, aren’t you?” his voice was irritated. Why did he seem to be the angry one? The fact that I behaved like that on my first day on the job made me feel ashamed. Looking into his eyes, I frowned and looked away from him. As far as I can see, it appears to be nothing but a concern.

“It wasn’t intentional at all!” With that, I hissed at him. 

“There is no doubt about it! It was a stupid move to get my attention if that is what you intend to do. You have already called me Ma’am, haven’t you?” I cursed inside my head. There is no doubt in my mind that this deadly handsome guy in front of me deserves to be spanked.

“My sincere apologies to you, sir, for making a mistake. I wasn’t paying attention. I thought you were, because of your long shiny hair!” I nervously answered. As he smirks and turns his back, he heads toward the one guest at the table near him. So, they know each other then. I was forced to take the servers’ orders while eating, so I had no option but to act as their server. The pain and swelling on my forehead became more apparent when I touched it. I decided to ignore it and take the menu from the shelves instead. My eyes were drawn to the two handsome men sitting opposite us as I walked toward them.

“Hello again, here’s our menu,” I greeted him with a smile as I ignored the other guy. But I know he looked at me because he didn’t even touch the menu.

“Mayah, could you tell me what’s the most popular dish on your breakfast menu right now?” I couldn’t believe it! How did this man get to know my name?

“Uhm, how did you know my name?” I asked curiously as his eyes looked at my chest, and I followed his gaze. Oh, shook! That’s right, and I put it on my freaking name tag. I heard a loud burst of laughter coming from the guy on my right side. It wasn’t very pleasant, but I turned my gaze to his side and hid my annoyance with him as much as possible.

Would you mind if I took your order, sir?” I asked him firmly in a serious tone, but he looked at me with a smirk on his face. The whole thing irritated me a lot.

“I would like to order bacon, scrambled eggs, garlic rice, and banana. What would be the best beverage to drink for me, Ms. Mayah?” The man sarcastically asked me.  What on earth do you think I should know about his drinks?  A voice in my head teases me.

“I can make you some hot chocolate, sir,’ I replied bluntly to finish the ordering and leave their table immediately.

“Oh yeah? Then hot chocolate it is.” He agreed and smiled broadly. However, I ignored his behavior as best as I could. It was my heart that betrayed me, however. There was an abnormal rhythm in the heart. As if I was going to have a heart attack, I felt like I would die.

“I would like to have the American breakfast Mayah, bacon, a sunny-side-up egg, a watermelon, and coffee for my drinks.” I jotted the order down on my order slip and excused myself from the table. As soon as I received the order slip, I passed it on to the kitchen staff. Then I made the coffee and hot chocolate for our two handsome guests and served them both.

“Hello again, sirs; here is your coffee, and for you, sir, is your hot chocolate. Could you please let me know if there is anything I can help you with?” I can feel my lips trembling as I speak. I am sweating, but I still manage to overcome my nervousness despite my hands sweating. 

“I’d really appreciate it if you could share your phone number with me.” Cat got my tongue. I could not speak. A smile spread across my face, and I excused myself again. I ignored his question, asking for my number. I didn’t want to give it to him, as I thought it would be unprofessional. Our two servers finished their breakfast very quickly.

It was a busy morning for me on the counter, since I was busy with utensils, glasses, goblets, and plates after breakfast. I was standing at the counter in front of one of our guests who had ordered hot chocolate.

“I love the taste of your hot chocolate!” This statement stunned me to the core. As I blushed, my knees turned like jelly, and my face turned red.

“Uhm, thank you, sir, and come again! Thank you for your kind words,” I replied respectfully. Even I felt uncomfortable. A chuckle escaped his lips, and he walked away. My breath slowly escaped; I wasn’t aware that I had been holding it for so long. After some time, everything returned to normal, my heart, the intense environment.

The only thing I am afraid of is asking his name or introducing myself to him. As far as I know, he already knows my name. My attention is immediately drawn to the phone when I hear it ring.

“Hello, I am Mayah. How may I be of assistance to you today?” I was waiting for the other line to answer, but all I heard were breathing sounds coming from the other end. Instantly, I felt my heart beat incredibly fast, and my hand began to tremble. There was silence on the other end of the line. I felt a bit nervous at that moment.

“He—hello?” I have been waiting for quite some time, but still no answer. I decided to end the call. The phone rang moments again later. Because I was assisting our servers in dispatching orders, I couldn’t respond right away. The ringing stopped. I heard another ring a minute later.

“Hello, I am Mayah. How may I assist you today?” I heard a breathing sound again. It irritates me, and I’m not fond of it at all. I was busy assisting our guests and our servers. It seems that someone is making fun of me.  

 “Hello, Sir/Ma’am; please let me know how I can help you. Please stop making fun of me. We are fully booked, and I am busy right now.” I sounded irritated for wasting my time. 

“Uhm, sorry, can I please order room service, Mayah?” I abruptly covered my mouth. It was the arrogant guy a while ago. 

“Sure, sir, what can I get you? May I know your room number and name, please?” Isn’t that obvious? I wanted to know his name. “Flirty move, Mayah,” a voice in my head was yelling. I heard him chortle and order the menu for his lunch. 

“Can I have Kare-kare, fish fillet, Steam Lapu-Lapu, four cups of rice, and pineapple juice? Room 408 and Kalex is my name.” I hold my breath. The pen in my hand was shaking. I repeated his order, and he confirmed it. 

“Thank you, Sir Kalex. Your order will take twenty to twenty-five minutes. That would be okay to you, sir?” I want to ensure that I am clear about the waiting time for their order. It was a precaution, just in case. I’m about to end the call when. 

“Wait! Can I have your number, please?” this guy was determined to get my number. But I respectfully decline. 

“I am sorry, sir but giving my number is against the hotel policy.” I ended the call without waiting for a reply. It was indeed against the rules. This is normal behavior of the guest. We were warned during our orientation. 

I finished my shift just like that. I had my turnover to Jackie’s shift. I proceed to the Bundy clock for time out. Then I headed to the comfort room to change uniform to my school uniform. 

From the second floor, I went to the exit for the employee. I have enough time for my first subject and eat my lunch. I was on the last steps, and the guard greeted me and waved his goodbye. I did the same to him.

“Bye, Ms. Mayah! See you tomorrow.” I smile at him. 

“Bye, brother, see you! I answered him warmly. 

I am about to call a pedicab for my ride to school. When someone grabs my elbow. A foreign sensation traveling my entire system made me shiver. I turned my gaze to that person. Our eyes locked. My world stops, and my heart beats faster than normal. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride. 

“Mayah, can we talk?” a baritone voice of Kalex brought back my reverie. My mouth opened a little bit, but no words came out. I just stared at his hand on my elbow again. He swiftly removed his hand. 

“I am sorry, I will be late for school!” I turned around, and I didn’t wait for his reply. I hopped in, in the pedicab waiting for me. I never gave even a single glance at him. But I know he just stood there until my ride disappeared into his eyes. I heaved out…