Day off

Jacob woke up with a smile on his lips. Why not? He opened his eyes with that view of J's beautiful face in front of him. He could get used to this. He removed some hair strands that covered her hair revealing her gorgeous face. Her long dark lashes, full pinkish lips. The last time he remembers her lips were pale. But her cheeks were as rosy as ever.

How did he manage to have a good sleep at someone's bed? He doesn't know. He just feels comfortable and more at home in J's apartment than in his villa. He wanted to stay longer in bed but it's already eight in the morning. He has to get up and go back to the hospital.

After he's done taking a shower and changed into his usual hospital attire which is a dress shirt, jeans, and white coat he saw J still lying in bed. She probably had a hard time falling asleep. He felt a little guilty. But then it's almost nine already, why isn't she awake? Doesn't she have a duty?

He made a call to Lance and found out that today is also J's day off. She usually works thirteen days straight then takes two days off.

"Cancel all my schedules today." Jacob canceled all his schedules when he found out that J is still on her day off. He wanted to find out what she will do today.

"Copy that." James instantly replied. He already has an idea why Jacob would suddenly cancel all his schedule.

Jacob takes off his dress shirt and changes into a plain white shirt. He went to the kitchen and looked for something to cook for breakfast.

J woke up feeling tired probably because of being stiff the whole night. She didn't know how and when she fell asleep after a couple of twists and turns in the bed.

Then suddenly the air smells like... pancakes? And bacon? That smells good. She thought internally, making her stomach growl.

She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost ten in the morning and frowned. J was a morning person and even if she sleeps late at night or on her day off, she always wakes up before the sun rises. How could she sleep in this late?

Wait. Her eyes widened when she remembered what happened yesterday. Then she looked at the space beside her. Last night Jacob was beside her. Where could he be? She thinks for a while then rushes over to the kitchen.

He saw a masculine man in a white shirt and jeans wearing an apron cooking in her kitchen barefoot. What an early morning sight. She was about to drool at the sight when she remembered that she should be hating this man right now.

Damn you, Jacob, how could I hate you forever! J cursed internally.

Jacob had finished cooking and was about to bring the plates to the dining table when he saw J standing at the kitchen door.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Jacob smiled at her.

"What made you think I could sleep well?" J replied sarcastically.

"You'll get used to it," Jacob said, smirking, then put down the plates on the table. "Let's eat."

J wanted to scream at the man moving around her house casually as if he owned it. She could not believe how could Jacob act so casually while she is almost having a heart attack with every minute in his presence?

J ignored Jacob the whole breakfast and went to her usual shower routine. She thought that maybe it is best to just ignore him and go with the flow. She dressed in jeans and a white shirt and sneakers.

"Where are we going?" Jacob asked. He has been sitting on the sofa scanning the television channels.

"We?" J asked, raising a brow at Jacob.

"Yeah. We." Jacob replied with an unreadable face.

J stared at Jacob wondering if she still wanted to go with the flow when the man in front of her doesn't seem to have any plans on leaving her alone. And that fact puts her on edge.

She chose to ignore him then went out of the apartment. Jacob hurriedly followed her. She was quiet from her apartment to the elevator until the main lobby.

"Wait where are you going? Aren't we going to take my car? If you keep going like this, I will continue following you and who knows who might see us together. What if Dr. Gonzales sees us or Head Nurse Jing? Will you tell them that I'm your husband?" Jacob continuously pesters her.

J suddenly stopped. She thought for a minute. He's got a point. Damn! He's seriously going to follow her around.

She didn't speak and instead walked towards the basement parking. Again, Jacob conquered her.

Jacob followed her with a smile. She's getting cuter and cuter in his eyes. In Jacob's SUV, he asked her again. "So where are we going? I can't just drive without direction"

"At Joe's" J said as she rolled her eyes.

Joe's? Who the hell is Joe? First, there's Lance. Then now there's Joe? Jacob looked at her with a questioning look.

J sighed and just gave him the direction.

At Joe's.

So Joe is the owner of a grocery store called Joe's. Jacob chuckled and thought to himself.

J gets out of the car but before she does, she says "Stay here." to Jacob. Jacob thought for a while, maybe this time he should just listen to her. Anyway, buying groceries is a woman's thing. He wondered what else she plans on buying in the grocery store because when he checked her fridge and cupboard this morning when he made breakfast and saw that it was still filled with stocks.

Not long after, J returned followed by two men carrying boxes.

J opened the door of the passenger's seat and said, "Open the back door."

Jacob did what she said and soon after the back of his SUV was filled with boxes of fruits, biscuits, and personal care items.

Jacob looked at J now sitting in the passenger's seat. "What are you going to do with these boxes of fruits and biscuits and other stuff?" Jacob asked her with confusion on his face. The last time he checked, his wife was living alone and had no known relatives. But these boxes of groceries and supplies were enough to feed twenty families.

"Let's go to Lani's." J ignored his question and instead instructed him to drive over to Lani's.

Lani's is an old bookstore that accepts trade-in and donation books from all over the town. J is a frequent and regular customer of Lani's. Aside from buying books from there, she also donates books.

"Hi, do we get something?" J said to Lani upon arriving. "Yes. I knew you'd be coming so I already prepared them for you." Lani said smiling then took two boxes of old books from under the counter. Then she called two boys to help J carry the boxes to the car where Jacob is still waiting inside.

"Thank you, Lani." J thanks Lani then walked towards Jacob's SUV.

Jacob was silent when J came back. J looked at the back seat of the car smiling unconsciously. It's a good thing that Jacob insisted on bringing his car. After all, how is she going to carry all this stuff? Back then, she would usually rent a car or have these boxes delivered but since Jacob insisted on coming along with his SUV, she thought why not seize this opportunity.

She looked at Jacob still smiling but she didn't expect him to be looking at her. Their eyes locked for a moment and when she got her senses back her smile immediately fell and her face turn impassive and her eyes darted away from him

Jacob felt like his heart was melting during that short moment their eyes met. He was stunned and remained frozen for a couple of minutes while stuck in J's eyes.

Jacob found her amusing. He's been observing J since she got in Lani's. He has been wondering what she is going to do with this stuff and ever since she walked out of the store until she got in his SUV, she has a wide smile on her face. That was the first time that he saw her smiling like that but when she found him watching her, she immediately hides her smile and returns to her cold and aloof demeanor.

J felt uncomfortable so she looked everywhere except the man beside her. Thou in that moment that her eyes were locked in Jacob's eyes felt magical. She felt like there was a magnet in Jacob's eyes that kept on pulling her.

Both remained awkwardly silent when suddenly a knock on the window of the car awakes both of them. They were both startled when they saw Lani knocking at the door. Jacob opened the window. Lani was shocked to see a man with J. She has never seen J with a man before.

"I'm sorry. I forgot. Your book arrived yesterday." She said to J while giving her a book that J preordered a couple of weeks ago.

"Oh...thank you." J didn't know what to say. She felt awkward and embarrassed.

Soon Jacob was driving away at Lani's. Aside from J telling Jacob which way to go, both of them were silent the whole travel time.