Tambay Table was packed for the Friday dinner rush. The smell of fried chicken and sizzling sisig drifted through the air, clashing with the chatter of families and students blowing off steam after a long week. Jessica had been on her feet for hours, her apron dusted with crumbs, her hair tied in a tight ponytail.
Her shift break couldn’t come soon enough.
“Jess, go eat first,” Anne, her supervisor, said, waving her off. “You’ve been running around since three. Go sit.”
“Thanks, ma’am,” Jessica replied with a tired smile, already untying her apron.
She spotted her classmates by one of the long tables near the window. Bea waved her over enthusiastically. “Jessica! Over here!”
Jessica slid into the seat beside Jeremy, grateful to rest her legs. “Sorry, I’m late. The orders were nonstop.
