Richard
The moment he sets foot on their house, he lazily walks to his bathroom to get himself a hot shower. He attended three meetings today, one after the other, and to say he was exhausted was an understatement. He also made a mental note to never use his phone during meetings ever again, afraid his slip might happen and embarrass him more than last time. He should have took note of that long ago considering he was a businessperson but sometimes, he just can't help but look at his phone when caffeine doesn't seem to work its magic on him.
He steps out of the shower half an hour later and grabs a pair of boxers from his cabinet, not bothering to wear a shirt. He walks to the bed and uses his right hand to get his phone, his other shaking water off his hair with a towel, a few droplets trickling down his chest. He tries to unlock his phone and sees nothing but black.
"Agh, I forgot," he scolds himself as he connects his phone to a powerbank. While waiting for his phone to charge, he turns the TV on and the first thing he sees is Maine. He couldn't help the smile slowly creeping up his lips as he watches his crush act. This was her second teleserye and she has improved from the first time he saw her act. He couldn't help but gush at how pretty she looked despite her simplicity and how great of an actress she has become in a short span of time. He was a proud fan.
His eyes were glued to the television when Maine's love team partner, Derek Montenegro enters the frame. RJ's face turns sour and he rolls his eyes. He didn't like him not because he was her onscreen partner, but because he has experienced his assholeness firsthand when their restaurant was chosen as venue for a party Derek threw and RJ was there to oversee his employees' work. He just wishes he doesn't treat Maine that way.
RJ turns to his phone instead to see that it was already on 18% so he turns it on, heading straight to the email app but then his phone lags and hangs due to the number of notifications he was getting.
"Ano 'to?" he furrows his brows and questioningly checks to see twitter notifs from Maine's fans and from his friends congratulating him. He finally opens the app and sees what the commotion was all about. She quoted his tweet.
She. Quoted. His. Tweet.
He can die happily now.
He reads her tweet over and over again to see if it was actually real.
"Totoo ba 'to? Nananaginip ba ako?" he nervously chuckles. "And of all my tweets to her, ito pa talaga ang nakita niya?"
He takes a screenshot as a souvenir in case she decides to delete her tweet. He then types to tweet something.
"NANANAGINIP BA AKO? SERYOSO BA 'TO? SHET LABYU @mainedcm"
Teka lang, masyadong fanboy. Medyo kalmahan natin.
"Thanks for the QT! RT and spread. @mainedcm"
Ang gago lang hahaha.
"Thank you, @mainedcm."
Masyado namang kalma, which is far from what I am feeling right now.
He finally types exactly what he was feeling at the moment. A short but sweet message. A tweet containing his happiness behind a calm and composed façade.
He smiles as he reads his tweet one last time before he slides down the bed and buries his face into the pillow, his smile never leaving his face. His happiness doubled when he realized he was going to see her in a week, completely forgetting the thing he promised to do if Maine sees his tweet.
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"Riza, do I look good?" he runs his hand through his hair as he looks at his reflection in the mirror.
"Ang OA mo. You're just going to see her, hindi kayo magde-date," she nonchalantly replies, busy on setting up her camera for the shoot. She works as a resident photographer for AA advertising agency.
Pink Lemonade, one of the largest refreshments chain in the country, once told AA that they were going after the most in demand endorser at the moment, Maine Mendoza. They kept it a hush since they didn't want to jinx it, knowing how hard it was to get Maine as an endorser. Once they got a go signal, Pink Lemonade, being a loyal client, immediately booked AA for the shoot as promised. So now, here the production staff were, focused on making sure everything would go smoothly.
Then there RJ was, standing in one corner and checking himself out on the mirror as if he was taking Maine out on a date...
"Kahit na. Syempre, I want to look presentable in front of her."
"You look good, Kuya," Riza just smiles. "Now, maupo ka na muna diyan kasi kailangan matapos namin 'to before she arrives. Kalmahan mo lang."
An hour later, someone announced that Maine has just arrived in the area. The set was already prepared and everybody made a quick double check to see if everything was polished.
RJ felt a familiar feeling inside his chest. He felt a sense of déjà vu. Those dreams he kept on having made sense to him now.
His palms sweat harder by the second. All he could hear was the fast and loud beating of his heart as his feet keep planted on the ground he was standing on. Everyone around him was smiling and he could feel their excitement despite their collected demeanor. Since they're a big advertising agency, he could sense they're already used to seeing different showbiz personalities day in and day out, but no one can escape Maine's charm. He wants to smile with them but he feels nervous more than anything. He feels like he could lay an egg any time now. He closes his eyes and tries to steady his breathing when he hears collective hi's and hello's, making him flutter his eyes open.
The moment he opens his eyes, he sees her walking into the room in her beige pullover, bleached ripped jeans, and black flats, her light brown hair neatly parted to the side, her handbag slung on her arms. Her glam team proceeded to prepare her wardrobe and other essentials while the director oriented her on what she was going to do. The whole time, RJ was just staring at her and he would have continued doing so if not for his sister who woke him up from his trance.
"Huy," Riza pushes him on the shoulder. "Inaapakan mo 'yung wires. Mamaya 'pag nagkaproblema, sasapakin talaga kita."
"Sorry," he mumbles as he moves and finds a couch to sit on. He kind of feels guilty for just sitting as he watches everyone get busy with their own task but hey, he didn't want to waste his chance to see her. His gaze shifts to Maine and sees her on the makeup chair about five meters across from him, her back facing her. Her eyes were closed as the makeup artist starts to work on her face. He just looks at her in the mirror and was startled when he saw her open her eyes and their eyes meet through the mirror. He gulps and looks away, afraid she might find him creepy for staring at her too long. No one can blame him though, she was captivating. He instead busied himself by playing games on his phone, secretly taking photos of her at one moment.
Once Maine was ready, she walked to the set which had a plain background and faced the camera, getting briefed of the instructions one last time before she was left alone to project. She wore a loose pink tank top and white pants, her hair slightly curled, her lips colored in pale pink. He almost drooled right then and there. Maine looked stunning with or without makeup. She looked gorgeous no matter what she wore. She can wear a trashed curtain and still look like a queen.
She posed for the first few shots, then later on was given an empty Pink Lemonade cup and worked to project with it on her hand, trying out different cute poses. She looked at the shots before moving to another set that looked like the store itself. There were tables and pink-cushioned chairs set up, a counter in one corner. The walls were covered with random photos, from barkada polaroids to replicas of famous paintings and pictures taken at some of the most beautiful tourist attractions. There were lights dangled high on the walls. Maine sat on one of the chairs as she waited for the next instructions.
RJ noticed the hushed voices of the production staff and he could sense something was wrong. To verify his thoughts, he heard someone say, "May emergency daw. He can't make it."
"What? Paano na 'to? Nakakahiya naman ireschedule. Hello, this is Maine Mendoza we're talking about," John, the production manager whisper-shouted. "Does that model know how hard it is to set an appointment with Maine? Feeling artista lang?"
"Calm down. Emergency nga eh," Riza butted in their conversation.
"Don't tell me to calm down," he retorted, running his fingers through his hair. RJ felt his blood slightly boil when John raised his voice at his sister. He understood where he's coming from but he didn't like the tone of his voice. He watched them warily, ready to protect his sister the next time she gets shouted at again.
The shoot paused for more than ten minutes and Maine noticed the staff talking in huddles that she couldn't help but ask.
"Is anything wrong?" Maine asks with a faint smile catching everybody's attention.
"Uh, wala," Riza says. "May inaayos lang. Sorry for making you wait."
"Ah, no worries. It's okay," she stands up. "I'll just use the restroom."
"Why'd you tell her that?" John asked when Maine was out of earshot. "You should have told her the truth kesa nagsinungaling ka."
"I got it covered," she smugly says before walking up to her Kuya.
"Kuya, I need your help," she holds his arms.
"Huh? What is it?"
"Pwede bang ikaw na lang yung pumalit sa model, please?" she pleads.
"Wait, what?"
"Please," she shakes him. "Don't you want that? Makakausap mo siya up close?"
"I... I'm not ready." he stammered.
"Don't worry about it. Wala kang lines. You just literally have to sit and pretend you're talking to her. Please?"
He looks at his sister who was pleading for dear life. He knows how long his sister and her team waited for this opportunity and he didn't want this to blow up. He then looks at the woman who walked back to the set from the powder room and mustered up his strength. Not everyone is given an opportunity to work with her and he wouldn't want to miss the chance. He waited so long for this. Besides, staring at her in front of the camera wouldn't hurt, right?
"Okay. I'll do it," he smiles. Riza's face lights up and she pulls him into a hug.
"Thank you. You're the best!" she pulls away before dragging him to the wardrobe area. The stylists didn't have to be instructed as they already got what Riza was signalling. He was practically styled in less than ten minutes. They just put on foundation and waxed his hair, and made him change into simpler clothes, a yellow shirt and khaki shorts. Riza smiled and thanked the stylists before letting out a sigh of relief, "Perfect." She then faced her brother.
"Okay. You don't have to do anything. You just have to sit on one of the tables. Wala namang lines. If you're told to talk, then talk. Kahit ano lang. Okay?"
"Okay. Gets," he mumbles.
"Direk!" Riza shouted. "He's here."
"I don't remember-" he furrowed his brows, a confused look on his face and looked at Riza. As if a light bulb flashed over his head, he clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Ah, yes, we were waiting for you. Come on, double time. Kanina pa naghihintay si Ms. Maine."
RJ walks up to where she was and stood there for a second. She extends her hand for him to shake the same time he raises his hand and does a pabebe wave. Maine sees this and giggles, making RJ's ears turn red.
"I was about to introduce myself formally but hey, a pabebe wave isn't so bad," she smiles and waves at him the pabebe way. RJ shakes his head and extends his hand. "I'm Richard Faulkerson Jr. RJ for short."
"Maine," she smiles and he almost forgot how to breathe. He chuckled at the thought of her introducing herself to him. Come on, she's someone who didn't need any introductions.
"Are we set?" Riza asked, adjusting the lens of her camera. RJ sits down across Maine, the table dividing them. He wiped his sweating palms on his shorts and taps his foot on the floor out of nervousness. Maine could see RJ looking nowhere near her, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. She smiles. She knows the feeling. Even when she has done this a hundred of times, the anxiety she feels in front of the camera is always there. She could only imagine how nervous she was when she was just starting.
"Hey," she taps his arm. "It's alright. Wag ka kabahan. Hindi ako nangangagat."
"Talaga ba? Ako, nangangagat ako," he thought to himself.
Landi mo, RJ. Umayos ka nga.
"I'm okay," he musters up a smile making his dimples appear. He saw her eyes dart over his cheek for a second and he swears his ears turned even redder if that was even possible.
"Ganyan naman talaga sa umpisa. Masasanay ka rin. Is this your first endorsement?" she asks, genuine curiosity evident in her eyes. She wanted to carry a conversation to make things light for him.
Maine Mendoza is trying to converse with me. Maine. Mendoza. How do I deal?
"Ah, yes," he nervously chuckles. "But I wasn't supposedly the one doing this."
"What do you mean?"
"The original model who auditioned, may emergency daw. Ayaw naman nilang ma-hassle ka 'cause they know how busy you are. Eh sakto, I visited the set today so my sister, who's the photographer," he points to Riza. "practically dragged me to do it instead. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I just wasn't ready kasi hello, Maine Mendoza kaharap ko tapos-" he stops to look at her only to see her stifling a smile. "Sorry, I'm just blabbering. Ang daldal ko ba?" he scratches his nape.
"No. It's okay," she finally lets out the laugh she was holding. "You're so cute."
When Maine Mendoza tells you you're cute? How do you not blush and freak out?
They locked gazes for a second and RJ once again got lost in those deep drown eyes before Maine dared to speak, "you know what? You look familiar."
"Really?" his eyes widen.
Quotang-quota na ako kay Maine today. Hindi ako makahinga.
However, before a voice could leave his mouth, he got cut by Riza who was yelling instructions which they obediently followed.
"Stay that way. Lean on the table with your elbows. Ayan. Not too close. Look into each other's eyes. Okay, good."
They hold their positions for a minute before they were told to move. A cup of iced tea with two straws was placed in the middle of the table.
"Okay, lean closer. Drink from the straw. Lock your gazes. Omg, ang cute niyo. Ganyan lang. Ieeehhhh kinikilig ako," Riza says, earning laughs from everyone.
They stayed that way, doing different facial expressions. RJ couldn't help but admire how cute Maine was. How she could contort her face and do all these crazy facial expressions and still look adorable was beyond his understanding. He was enjoying the sight so much that he forgot how close their faces were.
Ang hiniling ko lang makita siya pero eto ako ngayon, my face a few inches from hers. Lord, ang bait niyo po sa akin. Salamat.
"Mukha kang alien," Maine interrupts his thoughts. He laughs and accidentally bumps her forehead with his. Maine pulls away for a second and rubs it.
"Hala, I'm sorry," he reaches out to touch her face and realizes how awkward it would be so he pulls his hand back and apologizes again.
"Alam mo, paranoid ka," she laughs and leans in again. He mimics her actions.
"Hold that pose but this time, hawakan niyo naman yung cup. Si Maine muna. Ayan. Then, ikaw, RJ. Hala, kinikilig. Luh, luh, luh."
This time, everyone joins in her teasing. Some of the staff were gushing at how cute they looked and how bagay they were.
If RJ's ears could fall off from burning too much, they would have fallen by then. The teasing of the staff was making him blush furiously.
Her hands were enclosed in his and they felt soft and warm against his skin. She had her eyes closed and her long lashes were fanning her cheeks. When she opened her eyes and smiled at him warmly, he swore his heart stopped beating for a second.
Maine Mendoza, what have you done to me?
The shoot ended successfully, special thanks to the hero of the night. The staff were packing up when RJ approached Maine, who was entertaining a few personnel who wanted photos and autographs. She was now wearing a white blouse and a pair of yellow shorts while RJ was still in the clothes he used for the shoot.
"Hi ulit," he smiles. "Can we take a picture?"
"Hindi," she says coldly. The confused face RJ made was priceless, making her laugh. "Joke lang, eto naman! Of course."
He chuckles and extends his arm to capture them both in the photo.
"Thank you," he says right after.
"No, thank you," Maine smiles. "Thank you for doing the shoot kasi I know how big of a hassle it would be if the shoot was to be moved, not just for me but for everyone involved so thank you so much."
"Wala 'yon," he says nonchalantly albeit being proud of himself deep inside.
"How can I make it up to you?" she asks. She genuinely wants to repay his kindness.
"Wag na. Nakakahiya," he chuckles.
"No. I insist," she says with conviction. And when Maine Mendoza says so, who is he to refuse?
Haba ng hair mo, brad.
"Alam ko na, punta ka sa thanksgiving party ko," her face lights up. "Can you tell me your twitter handle so I can DM the details to you later?"
"Ha?"
"Basta. I'll DM you later or tomorrow. What's your username?"
"Ah, rjfaulkerson02."
Maine's eyes widened, as if she just solved a puzzle.
"That's why you look familiar," she says with a smile after covering her mouth to stifle a laugh. "Did you wear a brief over your head to work that day?"
RJ turned red from head to toe and covered his face in embarrassment. Maine just laughs at him. He was so cute.
"I don't expect you to do it. Eto naman," she slaps his arms lightly and RJ felt electricity running down his body. "Sige na. We have to go. Thank you ulit. I'll DM you na lang about the details."
With that, she waves goodbye and walks with her team to the parking lot. RJ was left there standing before his sister snaps him from his reverie. He changed to his own clothes, a white v-neck shirt and jeans, and headed his way home since her sister still has lot of work left and she drove to work using her own car anyway.
That night, when RJ plopped down the bed, he played all the happenings in his head and he couldn't believe they actually happened. He was just dreaming about it before and now, it finally came true.
He breathes out a sigh of contentment before getting his phone. This day is indeed one for the books. He scrolls through his photos and lets the whole world know that he finally met her. He finally met Maine.
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photo credits to @AlDubBibisOfficial on twitter ☺