Quickies

distance

FICTION
(you've been warned.)

***

he watched her from a distance as she struck pose after pose. he couldn't just approach her, that wasn't their agreement. even if he's itching to come near and grab her so that they could escape the crowd that was building around her. but no, she would get crazy mad at him if he enters her space. and crazy, mad nicomaine makes it difficult for him at babe time.

so he settles for just admiring her from afar.

"sir, may limang missed calls na po mula kay mam."

he looks at his bodyguard and shakes his head. the bodyguard seated in front of the car places the phone inside the compartment and went back to his own silence.

something vibrates underneath his seat. his other phone. the one that bears only nicomaine's number. damnit, how can the mere sight of her name on his lock screen make him hard? he swipes the phone and answers.

"love?"

"hey, inip ka na? just two more set changes, hirap ng crowd control today eh. this will be over soon, love."

"don't worry, love. i'm just here."

"love you. i have something special for us tonight."

her voice was teasing, and he had to adjust in his seat because his trousers suddenly got tight in the crotch area.

"i have to go love. later. love you!"

he put the phone down, a hint of a smile forming on his lips. he tapped his bodyguard's shoulder.

"yes, sir."

"phone."

the bodyguard handed him the other phone. there were now ten missed calls from his wife, and she's probably out of her mind now, probably talking to her lawyer in between trying to contact him. he had the annulment papers handed over to her just two hours ago. he needed to be free from her, even if it meant a slide on his credibility as mayor of the city. he was only forced to marry her because of a parent's dying wish, but it's been a year since they've buried the parent. it's time to fight for the one woman who never left him, even when he tried to end everything between them because he didn't want her to suffer.

yet here they are now. and in another month or so, he will be free to be near her, to be seen with her, to make it known to everyone that he, richard faulkerson jr., mayor, is deeply in love with nicomaine mendoza, model.

BANG!

the loud sound of a gun shot made the crowd disperse in all directions. his bodyguard kept the doors locked in the car and instructed the driver to move. he was panicking as he tried to open the door.

"buksan nyo ang pinto!"

"sir pasensya na, hindi namin kayo pwede palabasin. baka madamay kayo."

"putangina, kailangan kong puntahan si nicomaine!"

"sir, hindi po talaga pwede. ric, iikot mo sa kabilang kanto. sir, ilalayo muna namin kayo, itatawag ko na lang po sa back-up yung pag-secure kay ms. nicomaine."

he knows he shouldn't be seen there. they've been keeping their affair safely out of radar even with the rumors. he prayed that nicomaine was safe. his heart lifted when the phone rang.

"love! are you alright?! we heard the gun shot, everyone's in panic pero hindi ako makapunta sa iyo. nailabas ka na nina pat?!"

he heard soft laughter on the other end of the line, and he suddenly felt cold.

"you should have just answered my calls earlier, my dear husband. para hindi na lang umabot sa ganito. maganda nga ang kerida mo, lalo na ngayon na lumalangoy na siya sa sarili niyang dugo."

***

originally posted on twitter as part of a twitterserye oneshots challenge called for writers in the fandom by Ms Jing. i chose a photo prompt by @RichmaineMf and it proved to be rather difficult, challenging, yet fun. as i said on my post "The beauty & danger of using a photo prompt is that you can do anything about it. 😬 so i did several one-shots. each with a different angle. all based on these photos. ambisyosa lang. charot."