Chapter 2

“I’m sorry, Yves, but as you can see, we are understaffed right now. A vacation leave at a time like this…” the woman in a white coat trailed off, sending an apologetic smile his way from across her desk. “I hope you understand.”

Just as he expected. Yves hid his disappointment behind the medical face mask, his rounded eyeglasses sliding off a bit as he nodded. “I understand, Miss Rose. I only asked if it was possible so that I could tell my friend if I could make it to her sister’s wedding next month or not. She’s kind of pestering me for my answer already.”

“Ah. A wedding next month, huh? I see.” Her posture relaxed a little, a tiny smile curling her red-painted lips. She brushed her dark bangs away from her eyes, a gesture that caught Yves’ eyes as the pink sapphire gemstone on her ring finger glinted through the light in her office.

Miss Rose was their curvaceous Nurse Manager whom half the males in the hospital fantasized about, excluding him. When Yves first met her, she came across as playful and flirty, but he soon found out that it was just a front to hide her insecurities of being unmarried at the age of thirty-six.

While older women didn’t particularly appeal to him, they grew closer because he understood her fear of never getting the chance to marry, especially with the kind of ‌preference he had. However, that fear would seem to end now for her as Yves eyed the ring curiously. He hadn’t seen it on her until now, so it must have been given to her just recently.

“Well, if it’s next month, maybe we can do something about it.” Miss Rose winked at him. “No promises, though, so don’t expect too much.”

Yves smiled. “Of course.”

“Anything else you want to talk about, dear?”

“That would be all, Miss Rose. Thanks.” Yves stood from his seat and went for the door. Before leaving her office, he threw one last glance over his shoulder and said, “That ring looks great on you. Congratulations in advance.”

Her cheeks turned as vibrant as her name. “You’re as perceptive as always, Yves. Thank you.”

The lock clicked shut as he left. Yves didn’t hesitate to ask for further details and respected her privacy. Despite their closeness, he knew their Nurse Manager was the type to keep her life outside of work a secret, which he understood because it was the same for him. He’d rather not risk becoming the subject of unnecessary gossip.

Yves returned to his station and resumed work, his shoulders hung in disappointment. A glance at the wall clock told him his extended shift was near its end. Now, all he needed was to prepare an end-of-shift report and hand it over to the next nurse, who hadn’t made an appearance yet, but they should be on their way already. Hopefully.

Typing down the last bit of details of his end-of-shift report, Yves stretched his arms above his head. He massaged the stiffness on his shoulders, relieving the accumulated stress. His eyes felt like they were about to fall off, his back already screaming for a comfy mattress to lie on, but he refused to think about sleep just yet, or he might end up succumbing to the idea of taking a nap in the sleep room. He still preferred to rest in the comfort of his own bed.

When a dark-haired lady wearing the same maroon scrubs, just like his own, approached the nurses’ station and confirmed she was the one taking over his shift, Yves grabbed the printed end-of-shift report and went over it with her. It was a tedious process, but it was necessary. By the time they were done, he was more than ready to throw himself out of the window.

Night had befallen Metro Manila when Yves left the hospital. He started his shift at seven in the morning and would clock out at seven in the evening if he was lucky. Today, he clocked out at nine, when malls and other establishments were about to close. It made him wonder if he even had a life because it sure felt like he was wasting it to help save the lives of others.

Yves shook his head to clear the unhealthy thoughts. He shouldn’t think that way. Being a nurse was a rewarding job, and he loved caring for his patients. However, he couldn’t deny that it had become quite burdensome as time went by.

Passing by a formal wear boutique, Yves stopped walking to stare at the mannequins clad in gowns and suits. His reason for wanting a vacation leave came back to him. He wanted to attend the wedding. He had always been fond of wedding ceremonies. When he was still a kid, he remembered walking down the aisle as a ring bearer for close relatives, but even that seemed like a distant memory.

Relationships. Marriage. Commitment. Yves wondered if he would even find the time for it.

Heck, the bigger question was, would he even find the right person to spend the rest of his life with? Or would he spend the rest of his life serving others? He was turning twenty-nine this year. Some people might say he was still too young to think about life so seriously, but they would never understand what the world was like behind his lenses.

Yves returned his gaze to the suit-wearing mannequin behind the transparent glass, especially the one with the elegant white tuxedo. His grandmother once told him that his curse would disappear once he received the blessings of the holy matrimony, just as it did to her. He used to believe her, but that was before he sat down with a psychiatrist and found out he was only experiencing hallucinations.

But maybe, just maybe, his grandmother’s outdated belief was right.

A melancholic smile appeared on his lips. “I’m sorry, Grandma. I don’t think I would ever get married.”

Yves turned away, almost ready to leave the side of the shop, but he caught a glimpse of a familiar face in his peripheral view, so he backtracked. He pulled his rounded eyeglasses to rub his eyes, making sure he wasn’t just hallucinating right now. When he put them back again and moved closer to the transparent glass panel, he confirmed that he wasn’t.

Inside the shop was their hospital director, browsing through the array of men’s business suits hanging on a clothes rack. Despite the semi-permanent scowl on his face, Richard Alonzo still looked as charismatic as he was when Yves first saw him appear at their college’s alumni party. He had his rich tufts of burgundy hair combed over to the right, with several strands sticking out in short spikes. At six-foot-four, he easily towered over the saleslady, and his stocky physique was the epitome of a hot dad’s body.

Yves exited his inappropriate thoughts and turned away from the object of his fantasy. Of all the men to take an interest in, he chose an unreachable man almost twice his age. He looked up at the crescent moon peeking through the passing clouds. “I really need a vacation.”

“Yes, you do. Badly.”

Yves jumped at the voice, his eyeglasses almost falling off of his face. He glared. “Can you stop popping out of nowhere? You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“But that’s exactly the point, Yveybs.” Timothy sniggered at his disgruntled expression and approached. “You’re an absolute wreck.”

“Well, unlike a certain someone, I have to work overtime today. Why are you still here? Your shift already ended ages ago.”

Timothy slung an arm around his shoulder and guided him away from the boutique. “I was waiting for you, of course. If you’re working overtime, you’ll likely fall asleep on the bus, miss the stop, and end up on the other end of the city. Guess who will have to pick your sleepy ass if that happens again, huh?”

Yves wanted to argue, but given how many times it kept happening lately, Timothy had a point. “Well, I can use a sleeping crutch.”

“Do you even see me as a human being, you bastard?”

Yves laughed, throwing a glance over his shoulder just as Director Alonzo stepped out of the boutique and entered his car.

“Isn’t that the hospital director?” Timothy said, eyeing the expensive vehicle Yves was looking at. “Someday, I’m going to buy a car like that so you can sleep all you want while we drive home.”

That made him smile. The director was way out of his league, but who needed an expensive-looking guy if he had an ambitious friend who smelled like formalin? Yves groaned. “Ugh! You reeked.”

“Hey! I took a bath, okay?” Timothy yelled as they walked to the bus station.