Across The Hallway

CHAPTER 2

— THE PERSISTENCE—

Friday morning brought a site inspection in BGC.

The morning sun reflected off the glass buildings as Christine pulled her company car to the side of the road for a moment. She rested both hands on the steering wheel, taking a slow breath before reaching for the inspection folder on the passenger seat.

Her phone buzzed.

Jeffrey had sent a photo.

It was the BGC skyline, captured from above, the early-morning light spilling between the towers.

*Thought you might be out this way. If you're near Sixth Avenue, there's a quiet spot behind the chapel. Good for clearing your head.

Christine smiled faintly.

How did you know I was in BGC?

His reply came a minute later.

*Saw your company car leave the garage this morning. I always take the same route whenever my team has a site inspection here.

Didn't mean to pry.

Just thought the place might help.

She hesitated before typing again.

Are you at Sixth Avenue right now?

A few seconds passed.

*Yeah. Not waiting for you. Just happened to end up here. If you're curious... there's a bench under the acacia tree behind the chapel.

Christine looked through the windshield. After a moment, she started the engine.

The chapel grounds were quieter than the busy streets surrounding them. A gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh grass as she followed the narrow path behind the building.

Jeffrey was already there. He sat alone beneath the shade of an old acacia tree, a paper cup resting beside him. He wasn't scrolling through his phone or checking the time. He was simply watching the trees sway with the wind. The sound of her footsteps made him turn.

A tired smile spread across his face.

"Hey."

"Hey."

He picked up the extra cup and held it out.

"Still warm."

Christine accepted it with a quiet smile before sitting beside him.

For several moments, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn't awkward. It was peaceful. Jeffrey looked ahead, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the trees.

"I used to come here with someone."

Christine remained quiet.

He added. "We'd stop here whenever life got too loud." A faint smile crossed his lips before fading. "It became our place."

His fingers slowly turned the coffee cup in his hands. "When things ended..."

He paused.

"I couldn't bring myself to come back."

Christine looked at him.

"You must've loved her."

A quiet breath escaped him.

"I did."

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There was no anger in his voice. No resentment. Only the calm honesty that comes after enough time has passed. "For a while, I convinced myself that avoiding this place meant I was moving on."

He looked around the park. "It didn't."

Christine listened without saying a word.

"I wasn't avoiding the bench." A small, almost amused smile touched his face. "I was avoiding the memories sitting on it."

The breeze stirred the branches overhead.

"So I came back."

Christine studied him for a long moment.

"That couldn't have been easy."

"It wasn't." He looked down at the cup in his hands. "But I got tired of letting the past decide where I could and couldn't go."

Another quiet silence settled between them.

This one felt lighter.

Jeffrey leaned back against the bench, letting the morning sun filter through the leaves above.

"Now," He smiled. "It's just a bench."

Christine found herself smiling too. She realized he wasn't looking for sympathy. He wasn't asking her to fill the space someone else had left behind. He was showing her a piece of the man he used to be. "I think I understand now," she said softly.

Jeffrey glanced at her. "Understand what?"

She met his eyes. "Why did you never give up?"

For a moment, he looked at her. Then he laughed quietly. "You're remarkably observant."

She smiled. "I try."

Jeffrey looked back toward the trees. "We should find another place like this sometime."

She raised an eyebrow. "Another bench?"

He laughed. "No." He paused. "A place that's ours." He caught himself and rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "I mean..."

"A place we both enjoy."

Christine couldn't help laughing. "Nice recovery."

"I panicked." He said.

"I noticed." She smiled.

They both laughed.

The sound drifted quietly beneath the old acacia tree, carried away by the morning breeze.

—

That afternoon, they returned separately to Makati. Christine had barely settled behind her desk when a familiar knock echoed against the open door.

She looked up.

Jeffrey stood in the doorway, a small paper bag in one hand. He didn't step inside. Instead, he placed the bag carefully on the corner of her desk. "Leftover lumpia," he said. "Better than the usual takeout."

Christine glanced from the bag to him. "You assume I'm ordering lunch."

A grin tugged at the corner of Jeffrey's mouth. "I've seen your lunch habits."

She raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned?"

"Only if you plan on surviving on instant noodles forever." He grinned

A soft laugh escaped Christine.

She reached for the paper bag, the warm scent of fried garlic drifting into the room. "Thank you."

Jeffrey nodded toward the pantry. "Sinigang's in the fridge if you get hungry later."

She looked up from the bag. "You cooked?"

Jeffrey rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish smile creeping onto his face. "I tried."

Christine laughed. "I'll take that as a warning."

Jeffrey chuckled. "I'd rather call it a disclaimer."

She shook her head, still smiling. "I'll let you know if I survive."

"I have faith," Jeffrey replied with an easy grin.

She looked at him playfully. "That's a lot of confidence for someone who just admitted he 'tried.'"

He laughed. "Fair point."

For a brief moment, they smiled at one another.

Then Jeffrey took a step backward toward the hallway. "I should let you get back to work."

"Probably."

He nodded toward the paper bag. "Enjoy your lunch.

"I will."

With a small wave, he disappeared back across the hallway. Christine watched him leave before looking down at the paper bag again. A smile tugged quietly at the corner of her lips.

The afternoon slipped away beneath meetings, phone calls, and a mountain of paperwork. By the time Christine finished reviewing the last report, most of the office had already gone dark. She gathered her things, switched off the lights in her office, and walked toward the elevators.

As she passed Jeffrey's office, she slowed.

The lights were off. The blinds were drawn. The hallway felt strangely quiet without him.

She frowned at the thought before continuing toward the elevator. Just as the doors slid open, her phone vibrated.

Jeffrey: Left early to pick something up for tomorrow. Thought you might appreciate having the office to yourself for once.

She smiled before another message appeared.

Jeffrey: Sinigang's still in the pantry fridge. Don't let it go to waste.

Christine typed back. "I'll make sure it doesn't."

The reply came almost immediately.

Jeffrey: Drive home safely, Christine.

Her fingers hovered over the screen before she answered. "Thank you."

Almost instantly, another notification appeared.

Jeffrey: Sweet dreams... whenever you finally decide to stop working.

Christine let out a quiet laugh as she stepped into the elevator. "Persistent," she murmured.

This time, the word didn't sound like criticism. It sounded strangely... comforting.

Saturday was only a day away. For reasons she couldn't quite explain...

She found herself looking forward to it.

Christine kicked off her heels the moment she stepped into her condo. The quiet welcomed her.

She set her bag on the kitchen counter and loosened the clip holding her hair in place, letting it fall over her shoulders.

It had been a long day.

She changed into something comfortable before wandering into the kitchen, remembering Jeffrey's earlier reminder. The container of sinigang sat in her bag.

She laughed softly. "He really wasn't going to let me skip dinner."

After warming it, she carried the bowl to the living room and settled onto the couch. The first spoonful surprised her. It was actually good.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. She reached for it.

Jeffrey: "Be honest. Did the sinigang survive... or did you?"

Christine smiled as she typed. "I'm still alive

A few seconds later...

Jeffrey: That's not exactly a review.

She shook her head.

Christine: It was good.

Another message appeared almost immediately.

Jeffrey: "Good" as in edible?

Jeffrey: Or "good" as in you'd eat it again?

Christine laughed.

Christine: Don't push your luck, Mr. Reyes.

His reply came back.

Jeffrey: I'll take that as a compliment.

She set the phone down, smiling to herself.

It buzzed again before she could take another bite.

Jeffrey: One more thing...

She opened the message. A photo filled the screen.

It was a reservation card.

Saturday

7:00 PM

Beneath it was a short message.

Jeffrey: Just so you know, I'm serious.

Christine smiled.

Christine: I never said you weren't.

His typing indicator appeared almost immediately.

Jeffrey: Good.

Jeffrey: Then don't be late tomorrow.

She rolled her eyes affectionately before replying.

Christine: I won't.

Several seconds passed. Then another message appeared.

Jeffrey: I have a feeling you're smiling at your phone right now.

Christine instinctively touched her cheeks. They felt warm.

She quickly typed back.

Christine: You're impossible.

His reply arrived almost instantly.

Jeffrey: And yet... you're still replying.

She stared at the screen for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.

She locked her phone and leaned back against the couch.

Outside, the city lights shimmered beyond her window.

Tomorrow.

The thought settled gently in her mind.

For the first time in a very long while...

She found herself looking forward to Saturday.

She doesn't know yet. But Jeffrey is different from her other suitors.