AMA-Con: The Compilation

Can I Call You Mine

Written by: @maichardjpg

Prompt: Barista RJ + Customer Maine

Prompt by: @gfmaine

***

 Maine was having a really bad day. She pulled an all-nighter, cramming four plates she needed to submit first thing in the morning. She only had two classes for the day, one at 9 AM and the next at 2:30 PM. Thanks to the system that gave out slots randomly to the students, she has a pretty nice schedule. A really nice one. Really.

She stayed in school only to find out that her last class was canceled without the professor notifying the students early on. She basically could have just gotten home as early as 12 noon. They were supposed to have a long exam for that class so she spent her break time reviewing instead of getting her other requirements done.

She managed to call her driver, Kuya Erning, who picked up on the third ring.

"Good afternoon po, ma'am."

"Kuya, please pick me up na. Thanks."

"Ang aga niyo po ata umuwi ngayon?" He said politely.

"Free cut." She simply responded.

Maine is usually nice to their employees at home, especially to her driver who brings her to school and picks her up everyday. Kuya Erning has three children, all of them girls, so it's no wonder that he gives the best advice when Maine finds herself confiding with him her problems when they're stuck in traffic. She treats him like her own dad since her own ran away to a place she would never know back when she was a kid. However, this time, she just had no energy to talk to anyone.

"Ah, ganun ba? Sige po. Paalis na ako."

"Thanks po." She said and hung up her phone.

It was so hot and there were just too many people around her. She screamed mentally. She was just so stressed, she needed to go somewhere to chill. A familiar place came to her mind and she made her way.

***

 It was RJ's first day at work. He is currently a third year Business Administration Major but after school hours, he'll work as a barista at a coffee shop owned by his family near his school. His family owns a chain of coffee shops around Metro Manila. Even though they own the business, his parents want him to work starting from the bottom, until eventually, he makes his way up. They want him to work hard for everything, just like what they did themselves, even when they can provide him the luxury life has to offer. Also, this would serve as a training ground for him since he will inherit the family business once his parents retire. RJ was not complaining though. He was raised by his parents well enough for him to be responsible. As a kid, he would sometimes come with his parents to what was then their first and only coffee shop and he always found himself fascinated by the work going on. Besides, he grew up experiencing a comfortable life. He promised to give back to his parents and thought, "Hey, why not start now?"

He has always been a responsible student but his happy-go-lucky demeanor suggests otherwise. He always has this snobbish look on his face even when he's not. He's the type to start their barkada antics and kalokohan, but when it's time for studying, he transforms into this quiet and responsible student.

He laughed at the thought. His friends would be surprised when they find out he's already working.

RJ was getting his things ready at the employees' area since his shift was about to end when he received a text from his mom asking him to be home at 5 PM for their family dinner. He looked at the time and it read 3:15. It takes 45 minutes up to an hour to get home from their shop. He still had minutes to spare.