After Freeze

Enter Jake

"That's a wrap!" Pat's voice boomed out across the set. Alden, Maine, Jose, Wally and Paolo all relaxed out of their Kalyeserye "freeze" poses, and Alden took Maine's hand and drew her off to the side. "Meng," he said in the tender tone he always seemed to reflexively use with her, "Kelangan kong umalis agad papuntang airport, my flight is in a couple of hours. I just didn't wanna leave without seeing you first and saying a proper goodbye." Not like Japan, he mentally added.

"Thanks, Den," she replied. "Sobrang naaappreciate ko yung pagdalaw mo ngayon." She hesitated for a beat, and he knew she had something else on her mind when Pat interrupted.

"Uy, Den. Salamat sa pagdalaw ha," she said before turning to Maine. "Meng, may nagaantay sayong fan club, galing pa silang La Union."

Maine nodded and lightly put a hand on Alden's bicep. "Do you absolutely need to go now, or...?"

He heard the slight plea in her voice and shook his head. "No, I can wait a few minutes. Go ahead and talk to your fans, I'll just be waiting in the van, kelangan ko rin tawagan si Sam."

Alden shook hands and engaged in some playful banter with JoWaPao and Oreo before climbing into the back of his van. He would be gone a week for a series of shows in Dubai and Qatar, and already he could feel the separation anxiety kicking in. He was a creature of habit-Kalyeserye had become an essential part of his daily routine-and really, who was he kidding? Everyone knew the main reason was Maine.

Alden spent a few minutes distractedly checking his tagged photos on Instagram and lost in his thoughts before the door of his van slid open and Maine swung onto the seat next to him. She didn't speak right away, and instead just sat quietly for a moment or two. It was a gesture Alden was familiar with; he often found himself doing the same after interacting with a particularly large group of fans. The world of showbiz that Maine and Alden lived in was a bizarre and absorbing one; it was all too easy to get sucked into it and lose one's sense of identity. Artists like them needed that quiet moment for themselves, if only as a desperate attempt to remain sane.

"Den," Maine finally sighed, her voice low, "I don't know where they're going with this Jake thing."

Alden immediately knew what she meant. For two days straight, the powers that be had been dropping none-too-subtle hints about a possible third-party being introduced to Kalyeserye. Another one. Again. The first one-Frankie-Alden had gotten a huge kick out of. Kuya Jose was hilarious and stole the show with his brand-conscious, self-satisfied portrayal of Yaya Dub's luckless suitor. The second-Cindy-had only mildly interested him. He supposed introducing her was a good way to work Ms. AiAi Delas Alas into the storyline so she could promote their movie together, and Alina was harmless and pleasant enough, but if it had been up to him, he would've been content to just spend the thirty-odd minutes of airtime they got every day to carry on his split-screen flirtation with Maine indefinitely. It never got old for him.

But this latest development made him uneasy. No one would tell him anything, and he learned long ago to stop asking questions, but his gut feeling said that if they did indeed introduce another third-party, whoever played the wretched character would likely pose a real threat. Alden imagined some nameless, good-looking guy (who suspiciously strongly resembled Vico Sotto) swooping in and stealing Maine's affections, making her laugh, and his insides churned.

"Takot ka ba na baka mag fall ka sa kanya?" he teased, using humor to mask his growing discomfort.

Maine rolled her eyes and lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Of course not, silly. I just don't know why they're making Divina act this way, especially now. Andami na ngang galit sakin, tas ngayon magkakaron pa ng Jake..."

Alden suddenly understood. Maine was worried about bashers. Maine, who usually didn't give a damn, even when Alden felt sick to his stomach over some of the hateful comments made against her. He remembered how the lunatics had feasted over her awkward reactions on his birthday during the weekend, and his chest burned with anger. More than ever he wished he didn't have to leave...but commitments were commitments.

"Meng, kaya mo yan," he gently encouraged her. "You're usually so strong. Diba sabi mo nga, kebs lang sa lahat?"

"I know," she sighed again. "Wrong timing lang talaga siguro." She chewed on her lower lip for a second. "Den, I don't wanna make you feel bad, but I really wish you weren't leaving right now."

Alden fought off the urge to give her a tight hug-fearing she might resist, she was so guarded-and settled instead for taking her hand and squeezing it hard. "I wish I didn't have to leave too. Pero promise ko sayo nandito lang ako para sayo kapag kelangan mo ako. If this week gets too crazy, magtext ka lang sakin, kahit anong oras, tatawagin kita agad."

Maine knew he meant what he said. That was classic Alden Richards for you; he never made promises he didn't intend to keep, and he was always ready to be strong for her whenever she felt anxious. Not for the first time did she realize how blessed she was to have him as her onscreen partner and new best friend. She felt a sudden overwhelming surge of affection for her BFF and impulsively leaned over and lightly brushed her lips against his. "Thank you, Den. Thank you so much. And thanks again for dropping by today. Have a safe trip."

And just like that she was gone. It happened so swiftly that Alden barely had time to register before she was halfway across the set, loudly calling out to Pat. Deep down he already knew that when he got back in a week's time, they would pretend it never happened, because Maine would insist, and Maine always set the pace for their whole confusing relationship. Yet hours later, while sitting in his business class seat on the plane, with his handler snoring softly next to him, he could still feel that ghost of a kiss tingling on his lips.

He barely got any sleep that night.