Chapter Text
Aiah shifts her weight from one foot to another, feeling relief from the dull ache on her calves. She goes out from behind one of the shelves and sighs before putting a smile on her face again.
Customers walk past her, a lot of them glancing and unable to ignore the karaoke system blasting next to her. So many songs, yet their manager insists on playing the same five OPM songs. Orders from the company, he tells them.
A guy browses the selection of CDs within her “area of responsibility” and keeps glancing at Aiah, clearly waiting for her to help him. Not that he needed any help. She notes that he doesn’t notice he’s looking at the music learning selection for toddlers.
But it is within her area and she is on the clock. Begrudgingly, she takes a step towards the guy and he tries not to look too excited.
“Can I help you pick out something for your kid, sir?” Aiah asks.
The guy looked bewildered, “What?” Aiah points to the section he’s in, “Oh, no. May hinahanap akong iba.”
With more confidence than one should have before they do something embarrassing, the guy tries to hand his phone to her.
“Number mo.” he says, smirking.
Aiah smiles to placate him, “Naku, sir. We’re not allowed to do that.”
She plays her answer back in her mind, judging that it’s a good enough answer to not cause a scene. But the guy is pushy and Aiah’s training can only go so far.
“Sige na, miss. I’ll keep it a secret. Okaya kahit name mo nalang para ma-add kita sa FB.”
Creep. Aiah immediately thinks.
She switches tactic and tries to look grave, “Sir, di po pwede talaga. May kailangan pa po ba kayong iba?”
Her refusal triggers the irritation of the customer, “Sinabi ko naman diba? Wala naman makakaal–”
“Marie!” someone shouts from behind her. It was loud enough to draw both their attention.
There’s Jhoanna, pointedly looking at her, an older lady next to her. Is she supposed to be Marie?
Seeing how confused she is, Jhoanna beckons her over, “Marie, may itatanong dito si ma’am tungkol sa karaoke machine. Sabi ko ikaw makakatulong.” she presses even more.
And it clicks. Jhoanna is saving her from the creep and she must’ve heard him badgering her about personal details.
Aiah more than happily turns back to the guy and gestures to another sales person, “Sorry sir, I need to go. Kung may tanong pa po kayo, pwede po kayo iassist nung lalaki na iyon. Thank you”
She smiles at Jhoanna while she walks towards her. And Jhoanna grins, basking in the success of her ploy.
“Ma’am, eto po si Ai- si Marie. Pwede niyo po siyang i-ask tungkol sa kailangan niyong karaoke system. Magaling po yan.” Jhoanna boasts to the customer, giggling at the way Aiah narrows her eyes at her.
____
The whole time Aiah walks the customer through the details and specifications of the karaoke system, Jhoanna stays. Although dutiful most of the time, she tends to bend some rules when it involves being near Aiah longer. Their managers barely notice anymore, not really as concerned at the last hour of mall hours.
To be helpful, Jhoanna assists Aiah with testing the product that the lady wanted to purchase and loads it into her cart. She thanks them and happily lines up at the counter.
Jhoanna starts to scan the songbook intently, the test karaoke machine ready for the next song. She feels Aiah touch her elbow, asking for her attention.
“Thank you…for saving me kanina.”
Jhoanna looks at her softly, “Anything for you.”
She wants to do more, to touch Aiah’s cheek and lightly drag her thumb across it. Maybe later, she ponders. Surely when they’re home.
Jhoanna shakes off the urge with an exhale and pretends to busy herself again with the songbook, “Tsaka, bawi ka nalang mamaya.”
It earns her a pinch from Aiah, “Ah so hindi bukal sa loob mong i-save ako? Yumayabang ka na Robles.”
She can’t resist the smile that breaks out when Jhoanna loudly laughs despite the flinching from the pinch.
“Joke lang! Baka lang maka isa ako.”
“Maka isang ano?” Aiah asks her sternly, poised to give her another pinch.
It makes Jhoanna pout and turn back to looking for a song, “Kiss. Sungit mo naman, mahal.”
Aiah feels like she should be more sorry for jumping to conclusions that her girlfriend would want anything other than something that cements her clinginess, but Jhoanna is too cute with her pout. And so she chuckles and tells her she’ll get all the kisses she wants later.
“Sige na,” she coaxes, “kanta ka na para ganahan ang mga tao dito habang closing.”
She hands Jhoanna one of the microphones and waits for her to key in the song number. It comes to life a moment later, heard across isles and counters.
Jhoanna’s voice follows, then takes control. It evokes an overwhelming feeling for Aiah.
This is her favorite time of the day.
Scratch that, her third favorite time.
First is waking up next to her in the morning.
Second would be coming home together.
So this would be third.
Having Jhoanna silently dedicate love songs to her at the end of the day, softening the edge of their tiredness, while she stares at her with a stupidly in love smile that she couldn’t wipe off if she tried.