Dopamine // MIKHAIAH

Chapter 2: Admirer

Play: Huwag muna tayo umuwi by BINI

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Aiah's pov

3:00 am

Dahil sa maaga ako nakatulog kagabi, I also woke up early. I checked my phone but still no signs of Mikha. Nag browse browse nalang ako sa Tiktok. Then after a while, bumangon na ako. I decided to jog.

I saw Jho sleeping sa sofa sa sala. Nakaiwan pang nakabukas yung laptop niya. I assume kakatulog lang nito kasi siya mostly ang busy sa preparation namin for the grand event dito sa Manila, kasi siya ang madaming connections dito. Kinumutan ko lang siya ng ayos and I left the condo.

Grabe sobrang dilim pa. Pero I prefer to jog ng ganitong oras kasi wala pang masyadong gising na tao plus I will have the chance to watch the sunrise.

After a while, since I felt medyo umaangat na si haring araw, I bought water and sat on one of the benches.

Huwag muna tayong umuwi

Mundo'y tahimik sa iyong tabi

Dito muna, muna..

Maaga pang hatinggabi

Naglalaho ang dilim sa iyong ngiti

Napapikit ako while the song played sa headphones ko, naisip ko na naman si Mikha.  I tried to shake off the thought of her and the sun was rising as I opened my eyes. Sobrang ganda. I still see... her.

My phone suddenly rang, unknown number. I answered it quickly, hoping for someone else.

But.. it was a guy's voice...

"Good morning Ms. Aiah"

"Hello, yes?"

"Ma'am, kami po yung nag aapply for Barista, sabi po ni Ms Jhoanna, i meet po namin siya today, kaso hindi po siya sumasagot." hay nako Jhoanna Robles. For sure she had left my contact number as well.

"Ay okay sige, saan daw kayo mag meet?"

"Sabi po niya dito po sa Starbucks sa Avida tower"

"Oh alright pasensya na ha" i tried calling Jo's personal number and sumagot naman siya agad.

"OMGGGGGGG WHY YOU DIDNT WAKE ME UP" sigaw niya

"Kilos kana, they are waiting."

"Please can you meet them nalang muna, ill be ready give me 5 mins"

So I went to SB and saw agad yung two guys. Sila lang yung guys na naka formal kaya I figured sila yung mag iinterview. Na conscious ako kasi i just went for the jog and pawis pawis pa.

"Hi good morning! Aiah here." they both stood & I shook their hands.

"Ms. Jho will be here in 5 minutes ha. Pasensya na ang aga ata nya kayo pinapunta. Ayon tulog pa siya" natawa sila pareho.

So, Jho and I always make sure na sa interview palang maging comfortable na rin sila sa amin. We want our team to feel like business partners and friends, not just employees.

Na experience namin to be employees as well and we know the feeling pag trato ka ng maayos.

"Order ko kayo ng drinks ha? anong gusto ninyo?"

"Maam wag na po kumain na po kmi kanina"

"Ay bakit kumain na kayo?? Di ba kayo nainform ni Jho na with free breakfast 'to"

"Wala naman maam... Sayang nga maam dapat sinabi niyo" ang kulit. Haha. So mejo linibang ko lang si Kuya Ronald and Kuya Jay, they are nice, feel ko magugustuhan naman sila ni Jho.

Sa ilang years namin in the industry, nakuha na rin namin yung technique kung pano mag hire ng tao. We consider their experiences, but of course we still base our evaluation on their actual performance..

After few minutes, Jho came all smile mukhang nag make up pa ang loka loka... Tumayo yung dalawa kong kasama and greeted her. Pero there's this person outside the cafe that caught my attention, she was wearing a cap pero her vibrant red hair is always something you wouldn't miss. For sure I wouldn't be imagining things right? Or am I?

"Hi, Ma'am Jhoanna!" the two guys greeted...

"Sobrang sorry mga kuya! Natraffic ako" nagkatinginan kami ng mga kuya tapos natawa kami... I checked the girl again pero she was out of sight. My God. Minumulto na ata ako ni Mikha.

"Okay Jho, okay!" loko ko sa kanya.

So nag start si Jho sa formal interview. Mostly sa work conditions nung cafe and she asked them if okay sila such as sa timings, salary, and all that.

"Ma'am okay na okay kami jan!"

Nakakatuwa kasi talagang kilala nila yung cafe namin, and kami as owners since may mga friends na rin sila who worked with us years ago kaya talagang eager sila.

"So let's wrap it up, is it ok if we start the orientation today, we'll show you the cafe na rin." they both agreed naman kaya we all went.

Ngayon ko lang nakita yung cafe and Wow.. I never expected na magiging ganito yung finished product. I'm so in love. When we came sakto kinakabit nila yung logo. Nag re branding kami and we made the logo simpler pero catchy.

"Bakit dopamine, Ma'am?" tanong ni Kuya Ronald as we were standing outside.

"Good question kuya. Dopamine is actually the 'feel good hormone'. Goal natin na when customers come and taste our coffee, ma bo-boost yung dopamine levels nila...

..for short maging happy sila"

"Ohhhh lahat naman ng customers niyo ma'am laging satisfied."

"Naks! Still we need to work harder, lalo dumadami competitors dito sa area"

So most of the day we spent with the last minute preparations, so far all set na, ready for the big day tomorrow.

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Epilogue

Mikhas POV
6:30am

I don't know why I woke up early kaya bumangon nalang ako to go for a jog.

Naka 3 laps na rin ako around the vicinity when I saw this familiar...beautiful.. face....

I was about to walk towards her but my feet stopped me.

'One move, you fall in love with her, and you're dead Mikha Lim' my dear brother's voice echoing in my mind.

Next thing I knew, I was about to dial her number... I haven't called her yet since we met and I just wanna be nice cause I told I'd call her.

But, as I was about to, she received another call, picked it up and... left.

As I watched her leave, I saw her enter Starbucks and my feet led me to walk the same way.

Mikha pwedeng pwede ka nang stalker.

Stalker? Hindi ba pwedeng admirer. Wag ka magulo jan...

I saw her sitting with two guys....

I wanted to enter the cafe.

'Tama hindi pa ko nag breakfast' i told myself

But my feet were stuck to where I stood, my hand stuck on the door handle.

"Miss, excuse me..." A girl wants to enter the cafe. Miks humarang kapa.

"Oh, sorry" I let go of the door.. As I checked on Aiah I saw her looking towards my direction. Nagulat ako pero pasimple akong umiwas ng tingin and left. My God did she see me?

Yan talagang napapala ng mga stalker, Mikha.