Chapter 3
Chapter Three
December
Alonzo
F or the first time in my life, I swore I’d flunked an exam.
The realization clung to my thoughts throughout my shift at Kada Kape.
The metallic tang of failure coated my tongue, its bitterness beating out the worst espresso shot I’d ever pulled in my four years of working at the coffee shop.
My smiles felt heavier than usual, my motions mechanical as I served coffee and snacks to students who were powering through the last of finals week.
I’d already completed my requirements for the semester, but instead of relief, all I felt was frustration.
Everyone had warned me that law school was hard.
I just didn’t expect it would be that hard for me .
Studying had always come naturally to me, and I’d been accelerated in elementary so that I was in the same level as my middle sister Luna.
I had even been invited to the debate team in college.
Now here I was, one semester in and already flailing.
After finishing my shift, I gathered my things from my locker and tried to psych myself up for my date with Dani.
Between my classes and part-time job and her work and family duties, we were lucky to see each other once a week—a stark change after four years of being together practically every day.
I wasn’t going to let my inadequacy ruin what time we did have.
Dani’s car was waiting outside as I walked out of the coffee shop. Blowing out a deep breath, I fixed my smile and reached for the back door.
Dani looked up from her phone, a tight frown on her face.
“Hey,” I said as I slid in. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Her expression cleared. She put her phone down and replied, “Z, hi! Don’t worry about it—we just got here a minute ago.”
“Good. Hi, Mang Berto,” I greeted her driver, who nodded at me in the rearview mirror.
“Sir Alonzo.”
He always addressed me that way, never mind that I didn’t deserve that honorific. I had no fortune, no extraordinary achievements to my name. I didn’t even have my own car.
My girlfriend, however, belonged to a clan that owned multiple successful businesses in the metro.
As the sole direct heir to the Lim empire, it had only been a matter of time until she joined the fold.
Her parents had given her the ultimatum after she passed the LSAT, and there went her ambition to be a lawyer.
I kissed Dani’s cheek as the car started moving. “Is everything alright? How was your day?”
“Oh, you know.” She sighed. “We’re still down on year-over-year sales, so we’re figuring out how to optimize our Christmas campaign and ad spend.”
Those terms hadn’t always been part of my lingo, but since she started working, I’d quickly learned about marketing. “Is Aaron giving you a hard time?”
The son of her parents’ long-time partners, Aaron was two years older than us and had gotten a head start managing their electronics distribution company. He’d been helping Dani get up to speed with the business since she officially signed on.
“Kind of.” The frown returned to Dani’s face. “But it’s mostly my parents. You know how they are.”
I hummed, not wanting to say anything bad about them in front of Mang Berto. Her parents already disapproved of me. If they heard that I’d criticized them, they’d probably ban Dani from ever seeing me again.
Trying to comfort her, I put my hand above her knee.
She flinched at the touch before her thigh relaxed.
I wondered about her reaction but chalked it up to her stress over work.
“You’re doing amazing, Dani,” I reassured her.
“This is only your first campaign. Also, you have another week to go, right?”
“Five days.” She gave me a small smile. “But you’re right. My parents are just going to have to chill.”
I chuckled, doubting they knew the meaning of the word.
“Anyway, how were your exams?”
That killed my humor real quick. “Bad. I think I flunked crim law 1.”
Her brows drew together. “No way. You always get great grades.”
“Not recently,” I muttered. “And trust me, it was bad.”
She giggled. “It’s so weird to hear that coming from you. Now you know how the rest of us feel.”
I could only shake my head. It sucked, but I couldn’t argue her point. I never used to have trouble studying and retaining information.
Until now.
“It’s just your first semester,” Dani said. “There’s an adjustment period.”
I couldn’t afford to have one because my scholarship hinged on my performance.
She put her hand on mine. “Don’t worry about it, Z. At least you’re on vacation now. God, I miss having a sem break. We have meetings scheduled until Christmas Eve.”
I swallowed down my concerns, which seemed insignificant compared to her work issues. Immature, even. “I’m sorry. You’re still joining us for dinner on Saturday, right?”
Luna was coming home for the holidays, and for the first time, her partner Gabe was coming with her. I was looking forward to finally introducing Dani to both of them in person.
Dani’s eyes widened. “Shit. There’s a shareholders’ event my dad insisted I go to. I’m sorry—I forgot to tell you about it.”
“Oh.” Resentment lodged in my throat. Here were her parents ruining our plans again.
“I promise I’ll catch up with you guys as soon as I can,” Dani hurried to say. “I’ll leave right after dinner so I can make it for drinks.”
“Great. Luna’s excited to see you.” Dani had been in Europe with her family during Luna’s last visit so they’d missed each other, although they’d already met on video call.
With several of us living in different countries the past couple of years, this was the first time our family would all be together with me and my sisters’ partners too. That was a huge reason to celebrate, and I wished Dani could be there for the whole thing.
Dani squeezed my hand and smiled. “I can’t wait.”
Cam
“Finally.”
Jumping up from my seat, I stretched for the first time in hours. I couldn’t remember when I last went up for air, but now that the coding fog was receding from my brain, I grew aware of two things that needed immediate attention: my bladder and my stomach.
I hurried out to the bathroom and relieved myself.
Was there anything more satisfying than that first bathroom break after hours of working at your desk?
Actually, yes—grabbing your first meal after said session.
As a freelance web developer, my work hours ranged from four hours to over twenty-four when I hit my groove or was on a deadline.
This time, I’d pulled three consecutive all-nighters, only napping when my eyes grew too bleary to focus on my screen.
All my meals—aka pandesal and instant noodles—had been consumed at my desk.
Was it healthy? No.
Did I get the job done? Hell, yes.
Now I needed to switch back into normal human mode, starting with real food. And because I’d just submitted a major project, I figured I deserved to treat myself.
Hitting the first number in my speed dial, I put the call on speaker as I changed out of yesterday’s clothes and into a bikini set.
“Look who’s still alive,” Nikki drawled.
I snorted. “Barely. Need food.”
“Your usual?”
“I just finished a project.”
“Bagnet coming right up,” she said, making me smile with how well she knew me.
“Can you make that two servings with garlic rice? Plus my shake.” Buttoning my denim shorts, I pulled out a sando top from my closet and slipped it on.
Nikki let out a whistle. “Ooh, it’s a celebration.”
“I beat my deadline by—” I glanced at the time on my still-open laptop. “Three hours and nine minutes.”
“Yes, girl. I’ll add extra buko strips.”
My mouth watered at the thought. “You’re the best. Be there in a few.”
“See ya.”
Pocketing my phone, I checked my laptop again, ensuring I’d submitted the invoice for my balance. Everything looked accounted for. Fingers crossed, my client would approve the submission and issue my payment right away.
Then I’d have to wait at least seven working days for the money to land in my bank account. After buying Christmas gifts and paying for rent and my share of the utilities, my savings were running low. It didn’t help that I had no new clients lined up.
Freelancing was great for flexibility, but it wasn’t the most stable career option.
I could decide how much work to take on, but each project I completed opened a gap to fill.
Even with my recurring clients, I only ever seemed to have just enough to live on for the next month or so.
I needed another gig, or I’d have a tough time covering my living expenses come February.
I took a quick peek at the project listings.
With the freelance market booming, competition was at an all-time high.
It was no longer enough to have the skills and experience.
I had to stand out, and more often than not, that boiled down to pricing.
One glance confirmed that the going rate for the services I offered was well below my hourly rate.
Call me proud, but I hated pricing myself like I was chump change.
If only pride could pay the bills.
My mood plummeted faster than a burst balloon. Closing my laptop, I grabbed my canvas bag and headed out.
My landlady was sitting at the small dining table, her head bent as she studied a sheet of paper.
“Hi, Inang.” I raised my voice so she could hear me. “Everything okay?”
“Electricity bills are going up.”
“Again?” They’d just increased prices three months ago, and it hadn’t been a minor change either.
Inang sighed. “Do you know anyone who might want to rent the spare room?”
“I can ask around. How much do you need for now?” Giving her extra money would mean having to cut back on spending, but I should be able to make up for it once I landed new projects.
Shaking her head, she frowned at me. “You already pay more than your share. Just see if you can find a tenant for the spare room. I prefer someone who can stay for at least a year, but I’m open to short-term guests too.”
“Got it. I’ll check.” I decided to add a cash envelope to the groceries I’d planned to gift her for Christmas. “I’m meeting Nikki. Do you want me to get you anything?”
“No, thanks. Have fun.”
Despite the smile she gave me, worry lines remained etched on her forehead. I wondered if there was more she wasn’t telling me, but I didn’t want to press. I could only focus on one problem at a time. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t try to help.
I’d planned to go straight to Cuppa Jo, but I’d missed out on three days of water time. And with money issues creeping up on me, I needed an escape—temporary though it was. Besides, Nikki needed time to cook. I could take a quick dip and get to her with minutes to spare.
Mind made up, I headed out to my favorite place in the world.