Chapter 1
The Beginning
The first time Joey saw Julie, nothing extraordinary happened.
There was no dramatic music, no sudden gust of wind, no cinematic moment that made the world stop turning.
She simply walked into the room.
Joey barely looked up from the stack of documents on his desk.
It was a humid Monday morning in Manila. Outside the office windows, jeepneys crawled through traffic while vendors shouted over one another on the sidewalks. Inside, the air-conditioning struggled against the tropical heat, filling the office with its familiar hum.
Someone from Human Resources led a young woman toward the accounting department.
“This is Julie,” the HR officer announced with a smile. “She’s joining us today.”
A few employees greeted her politely.
“Good morning.”
“Welcome.”
Julie smiled, her expression warm but reserved.
“Good morning.”
Joey nodded briefly before returning to his paperwork.
He wasn’t unfriendly.
He simply wasn’t the kind of person who immediately started conversations with strangers.
At twenty-seven, Joey had already developed the habits of someone much older. He preferred routine over excitement, quiet lunches over office gossip, and finishing today’s work before worrying about tomorrow’s.
Julie, twenty-four, was different.
She observed people before speaking.
She listened more than she talked.
Her calmness wasn’t shyness; it was thoughtfulness.
By lunchtime, several coworkers had already invited her to join them.
She politely accepted.
Joey, as usual, carried his lunchbox to a corner table.
Halfway through his meal, he realized someone had taken the seat across from him.
He looked up.
Julie.
“Is this seat taken?” she asked.
Joey blinked.
“No.”
She smiled.
“Thanks.”
For a minute, neither of them spoke.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
It simply existed.
Finally, Julie looked at his lunch.
“Your adobo smells good.”
Joey chuckled softly.
“My mother made it.”
“You’re lucky.”
“I still live with my parents.”
Julie nodded.
“I miss my mother’s cooking.”
“You don’t live with your family?”
“I moved here for work.”
Joey nodded again.
That explained it.
Another silence settled between them.
Some people would have considered it awkward.
Neither of them did.
Before leaving, Julie smiled.
“It was nice having lunch with someone who doesn’t feel the need to fill every silence.”
Joey looked slightly surprised.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
She laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Not loud.
Not forced.
Just enough to brighten an ordinary Monday.
As she walked back toward the office, Joey found himself watching her for a second longer than he intended.
Not because she was the prettiest woman he had ever seen.
Not because he believed in love at first sight.
But because, for reasons he couldn’t explain, talking to her had felt... easy.
Comfortable.
Natural.
He shook his head and returned to work.
It was just lunch.
Nothing more.
Or so he thought.
End of Chapter 1
