A Secret Love : Unveiling Desires, Igniting Souls

[Mon's apartment]

It's 4 a.m. in the morning, Moneeka Montague woke up to the sound of her alarm. This has been her routine since she left home to become independent. She started working at a young age due to her family's strict upbringing. She is smart, logical, and stubborn. If she knows she's right, she'll fight for it.

"Ugh, it's already morning? It feels like I didn't even sleep. Why did they assign me to handle the newbies?" Mon grumbled. She was recently promoted as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), but the work she's doing is more suited for a supervisor.

She quickly got up and prepared herself. She skipped breakfast because she didn't have time to cook. She immediately left and drove her old sedan to work. The commute was quite far, especially during rush hour in the morning. She arrived at the office around 5 a.m., just in time to buy coffee and prepare her station.

[Locker area]

"Hey, you're early today. Let's grab coffee!" Kath said. Kath has been a long-time support on the account and a part of Wave 1. She became close with Mon since she got promoted because she was the one guiding her on what she needed to do.

"Good morning, ate Kath! Yeah, I didn't have a choice. They assigned me to handle the newbies. Perfect timing, I haven't had coffee yet, G!" Mon replied.

[Pantry]

"Ate, can I buy one Kopiko Black and one Bear Brand for me?" Mon liked strong coffee but also wanted it milky. "Ate, I'll have Kopiko Brown," Kath told the vendor. The newbies were about to come in since they still had some time before their shift started. They seemed excited, chatting loudly. Mon noticed a cute yet sophisticated and serious-looking girl who was quietly observing and using her cellphone at the corner. She wasn't talking to anyone, and her facial expression was very serious.

"I heard we have two batches of newbies today," Kath said.

"Yeah, half of them are under me. The other batch is assigned to Vane because they said they have an attitude problem, and she's good at handling that," Mon said while preparing her coffee in her tumbler.

"Yeah, she's more tenured than you, and you know how Vane is. If they have an attitude, she has an even bigger one, hahaha!" Kath said, busy blowing on her coffee.

Mon looked at her watch and realized there was only 15 minutes left until 6 a.m.

"Oh no, it's already that late! Let's go, ate Kath. I have a meeting with the people I'll be handling," Mon said. Kath nodded, and they quickly entered the production floor.

[Production Floor]

"Good morning, team! I'm Moneeka Montague, you can call me Mon, and I'll be handling all of you for the next 2 weeks until you are all ready to start production. If you have any questions, please message me first, and if I haven't responded within 2 minutes, come and approach me. I'll be your sole support for the next few days. Let's work on this," Mon said, smiling.

Everyone introduced themselves and started setting up their tools. It was a busy day for Mon as she handled all 22 newbies by herself. Talk about being a superwoman or just being used and abused. She couldn't complain since she had just been promoted by management.

Everyone introduced themselves and started setting up their tools. It was a busy day for Mon as she handled all 22 newbies by herself. Talk about being a superwoman, or just plain used and abused. She couldn't complain though, considering she had just been promoted by management.

After 2 hours, it was break time. "Everyone! Please go on break and don't leave your PCs open." Mon shouted. She finally got a chance to breathe. Mon scanned the floor and noticed that most people had already taken their breaks, with only a few remaining. She decided to organize her files, unaware that someone was trying to get her attention.

"Excuse me! Can you help me?" Samantha Sinclair said. She was a bit annoyed since Mon wasn't acknowledging her. She has been standing beside her and had puckered her tongue on her cheek from waiting so long. Mon was startled and looked at her.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there. How can I help?" Mon smiled, but Sam remained expressionless. Mon also noticed what Sam was doing with her tongue and couldn't decide if it was cute or weird.

"My customer wants to talk to a supervisor, and I'm not sure if I provided the right resolution." Sam said. She couldn't return Mon's smile because she was already stressed with her customer.

"What is the issue about?" Mon asked, a bit disappointed that Sam seemed grumpy and didn't even smile back.

"Can you check at my station? I'm not sure how to explain it to you." Sam said without enthusiasm. Mon fell silent and gestured for Sam to lead the way to her station.

Sam sat down and explained the customer's issue. Mon quietly read and reached for Sam's mouse. Since Mon was standing behind Sam, she slightly leaned forward to read Sam's screen more clearly.

"Here's what you should do." Mon explained what Sam should do.

(She smells so good, I wonder what's her name, she's pretty but so grumpy. She could've asked without frowning. Well, I didn't notice that she was beside me earlier.) Mon thought to herself as she leaned in a bit closer to Sam.

Mon has always been attracted to girls, though she doesn't talk about it except with Kath, her best friend. She doesn't feel any attraction to men. She considers them all as friends, even though many have expressed interest in her, she only sees them as bros.

Sam was surprised by Mon's proximity and her touch on the mouse. Their hands brushed briefly, and Sam quickly removed her hand to allow Mon to navigate on her PC.

(She's really close, but at least she explained better than during the training.) Sam observed Mon's features-smooth and fair skin, brown eyes, long silky brown hair. She looked too young to be working. That's what Sam thought as Mon continued typing busily.

"That should do it. Next time, you'll know what to do, right?" Mon said to Sam.

"Thanks, I didn't fully understand this during training. By the way, I'm Sam. Thank you again for your help." Sam said modestly to Mon.

"No problem, Sam. I'm Mon, it's nice to meet you. If you need help, just let me know. Looks like you got left behind and haven't taken your break yet. Do you want to go on a break together?" Mon said to Sam.

Sam shook her head and said, "Ah, I won't take a break anymore. I'm not going to eat, I'll do it later."

"Are you sure? You should go outside to reduce your stress," Mon said with a smile.

Sam thought for a moment and eventually decided to join Mon, saying, "Okay, sure, let's go."

Mon was happy and gently held Sam's hand. Sam was surprised but didn't show any expression on her face. They left the production floor together and went to aisle 2 of the locker area. It turns out their lockers were next to each other.

(What are the chances that my locker is next to Sam's? This is getting interesting; it looks like I have a new crush.) Mon was lost in thought while looking at her phone.

"Mon, are you going to eat in the pantry?" Sam asked. Sam wondered why Mon was staring at her phone for so long, even though it was closed.

"Oh, I don't like the food there, maybe I'll eat downstairs. I'll buy siopao from 7/11," Mon said, surprised to realize that Sam has been staring at her for a while. Mon smiled slightly and invited Sam to go downstairs. They went down, and the elevator was quite crowded, causing Sam to move back to Mon.

"Sorry!" Sam whispered. Mon simply nodded and blocked the crowd because they were being squeezed together. She faced Sam, holding both of her hands on the sides of the elevator rail. They made eye contact for a moment, but Mon quickly looked away as the elevator doors opened.

"Let's go, what do you want? It's on me since you accompanied me," Mon said with a sweet smile.

"Ah, no need. It's fine for me, because of you I was able to take a break," Sam protested. She wasn't used to being treated, and Sam didn't usually go out since this was her first job after returning to the Philippines from abroad.

"I insist. Or maybe you want candy to keep you awake when you're sleepy? It's cold in your station." Mon bought tic tacs for Sam and handed them over.

Sam nodded and said thank you. Break time passed quickly, so they went back upstairs. As they entered the production floor, they ran into Kath. Kath noticed that Mon and Sam were together.

"Hey, I've been looking for you. You left me!" Kath complained to Mon.

"Oh, sorry, Ate Kath, I didn't see you earlier, I didn't even have a chance to invite you," Mon explained.

"By the way, Ate Kath, this is Sam. Sam, this is Ate Kath, one of our QAs. So, you guys better get along. Hahaha," Mon introduced them to each other.

"Hello," Sam greeted politely.

"Hello! How's your first day? It's tough at first, but you'll get used to it," Kath smiled but looked at Mon with a sharp gaze.

After sitting at their stations, Kath pulled Mon aside.

"Hey, you! Who's that? Are you already fooling around with the newbies?" Kath whispered loudly.

"You're exaggerating, Ate Kath. The person just asked for help, she was left behind in Vane's batch. I couldn't just leave her alone, and she even approached my station," Mon explained.

"Oh my goodness, I know you, Mon. I'm sure you're attracted to her, are you planning to replace Nicole already?"

"Is 'replacement' the term? We don't even talk anymore, right? Otherwise, Vane might slap me. Hahaha!" Mon said with a laugh. It's not official, but Vane and Nicole have always been together after they drifted apart.

"Oh well, I'm telling you, she's a newbie, and you're supporting her. You know that's not allowed here in the office," Kath reminded her.

"Yes, ate Kath, and I don't directly handle her, right? I don't have a crush on her, I just met her, and she doesn't even show any facial expression. I don't know what she's thinking."

"Alright, go back there, your kids are crying." Mon immediately returned to her seat, and people kept seeking her help. She got busy until the end of her shift. She didn't realize it was already 3:45 PM. She was left alone as almost everyone had gone home. The employees scheduled for the 5 PM shift started arriving. She was about to leave when she saw Sam still busy assisting a customer.

"Sam? Why are you still here? Didn't you finish your shift at 3 PM?" Mon approached, puzzled.

Sam was surprised, realizing she shouldn't bother Mon because of how busy she was.

"Sorry, I didn't know how to finish this. Vane already went home, seeming in a rush earlier. I thought it would be quick."

"Give it to me." Mon reached for the mouse and resolved the issue.

"There, it's okay now. Next time, don't hesitate to ask for help. You're still new here. I'm here, and you can also ask other support staff if Vane or I aren't available."

"Okay, thank you." Sam smiled gratefully at Mon.

"Where do you live? Let's go home together." Mon invited Sam.

(I told ate Kath I won't mess with this girl, but it seems like the universe is bringing us closer.) Sam agreed to go with Mon. She thought they would just commute, but it turned out Mon had a car.

"Is this your car? You can drive?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Yes, it's really old, not much, but it can get me to places. Is it okay for you, even if it's like this?" Mon asked her.

"Of course! I'm not picky. I really appreciate you," Sam said, pausing and reflecting on what she just said. They just recently met, but it felt like they had been together for a long time.

"Great! Let's go. Show me on the maps where your place is. I'll drop you off. It's rush hour, and you won't find any transportation right away."

[Sam's house]

"Wow, you have a big house. Do you live here alone?" Mon asked.

"Yes, my parents live in their farm house. I'm the only one living here."

"Aren't you scared? It's so quiet here in your area." Mon asked. She had a hard time finding Sam's house. The houses were far apart, and the people living here were all wealthy.

"No, I'm used to it. It's a bit far, that's why I always wake up early. There are no Grab rides that can come in here, so I have to walk."

"Wait, you walk here in the early morning? Oh no, isn't that dangerous? Do you want me to accompany you to work? We have the same shift. My apartment is close by, and I don't have anyone else to go with," Mon offered to Sam. Just the thought of Sam walking alone in the early morning made her worried. It's not uncommon for people to suddenly disappear because of criminals.

"What? No! You already drove me here. Are you really going to provide that service?" Sam shook her head, feeling embarrassed.

"Well, if you feel awkward, just think of me as a Grab driver. You can just pay for the gas. Hehe." Mon tried to convince her.

"Hmm. Okay, fine, I agree. As long as you're sure it's okay for you."

"Yes, it's fine with me. I'll pick you up at 5 AM tomorrow. Okay?" Mon smiled.

"Okay, sure. By the way, what's your phone number? I'll text you when I'm ready."

"Here it is, and also add me on Facebook, in case I don't have enough credits to text. My name is Moneeka Montague."

"Sure. Thank you, Mon. Good night." Sam entered her house. She couldn't help but think about Mon. She's very intelligent, kind, and anyone is lucky to have her as a partner. Sam smiled to herself and got ready to take a shower.

[Mon's apartment]

Mon immediately lay down on the sofa. She was tired from the day's events, but she still smiled because she remembered how she and Sam grew closer because of the ride she gave. Now they would always go to work and go home together.

"I'm in serious trouble with ate Kath because of this." Mon whispered to herself, then she heard the notification sound of her phone