You’re Still My Man – English

ACE

He just shook his head when he saw the list of schedules attached to Gina’s kitchen cabinet. For he’d never known anyone who listed their household chores day by day. Today was Tuesday-ironing day, based on her written schedule today. But he was glad that she’d decided to take a nap after visiting her sister in the hospital. He just hoped she was not upset with him because he didn’t follow her in the hospital.

He looked around the kitchen, it was orderly neat and clean. The written schedule she told him does indeed reduce stress. He even remembers that Gina said that she didn’t have to think about what she would do every day because it was already written. And she doesn’t need to remind herself to clean because that’s part of her daily routine, along with her school and work.

“Whoa! I’m so impressed with Gina. Everything is spotless.” He said softly to himself.

When he glanced at the clock, he thought that he needed to wake Gina because they were going to go to work later. He slowly opened the door to Gina’s room and saw her sleeping soundly. Then, memories of her body lit his mind. Beautiful, smooth, white and surprisingly curvy – those are the external qualities of Gina that make her even more attractive.

He eased close to the bed and was hypnotized by her bare shoulder. Tempted beyond thought, he knelt and pressed his lips to the warm, smooth skin of her shoulder blade. But when she suddenly moved, he was startled.

“Hey, Gina! Wake up.” He woke her up and shook her shoulder.

“Hmmm?”

“Wake up now.”

“Hmmm?” she still didn’t move so he shook her shoulder again. “Wake up.”

“Hmmm…”

“It’s up to you if you don’t want to wake up. Tsk, it’s really hard to wake you up.” He said and turned his back on her.

“Oh, you’re here, Ace.” She quickly got up and hugged him from behind. “I know you kissed me on the shoulder. Is that your own version of Prince Charming waking Sleeping Beauty?”

He shrugged and walked towards the door. “Don’t believe too much on the fairy-tale romances you read.” He said to Gina before he left her room.

GINA

She slumped down on her bed when Ace got out of her room. But even so, she was still smiling because she caught him kissing her shoulder. Meaning he couldn’t stand her being irresistible.

After a while, she heard a loud knock on the door of her room, and maybe because she didn’t say a word, Ace entered on purpose.

“Would you like to–” Ace was stunned and they both couldn’t move.

ACE

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect that–” he just swallowed on what he saw. “You’re still getting dressed.”

Gina quickly turned away from him. “Would you like to help me get dressed?” She asked as she hooked her bra.

He stepped back a little as Gina put on her bra. But it was as if his feet were nailed because instead of turning around or leaving the room, he just stood there watching Gina.

He came closer to Gina and snatched the hook on her bra. “Let me.”

“So you can no longer stand it, Ace?”

He grabbed both of Gina’s shoulders to face her. Then he looked straight into her eyes. “Yes, I can’t stand it Gina, but I can take care of it. It wouldn’t take long but a minute.”

“Jerk.”

He just laughed at Gina’s answer. “You’re the only one who told me that.”

“Then, you’re a gay.”

He grabbed both her shoulders again and said, “Are you really challenging me, Gina? Do you want that something will happen us now? I can make you climax right here and right now if that’s really what you want.”

“What are you waiting for? Then do it.”

But he was the first to resign. So she just continued dressing.

Gina gave him a once-over look. “You’re gay, at least I’ve proven it.” She said.

“You’re so funny, Gina.” He said and laughed out loud.

“I didn’t marry you Ace, so you could make me an entertainer.”

“You’re the only one who makes me laugh like this.” He replied as he left her room.

—–

He was really tired from running that morning. For almost two weeks of sharing space with Gina had given him a short fuse, and running really helped him to indeed reduce the tension in his body.

Argh… Gina was the cause of it all.

Gina had done so much for him. She cooked his meals and ironed his clothes. Also, she always cleans his bedroom and fixes his bedding.

Last night while he was watching her sewing a negligee for Maryam’s new product line, she didn’t sleep all night because she really finished it. Then she left the nightie and laces in the room he occupied, leaving also the scent of her that he could smell when he woke up in the morning.

Lately, he noticed that Gina stopped teasing him. Maybe, she was only waiting for him to make the first move. But his need for her intensified with every unintentional sway of her hips, every cheerful ‘Good morning and Good night’, she was still enticing to look at.

I hope that the deal with Brando Nicolas will be over soon, he said to himself.

When he reached the alley, he stopped running and just walked. He was half a block away from Gina’s boarding house when he saw a black BMW parked right in front of Gina’s house. The tinted window of the passenger door glided down as he approached. He bent down a little so he could see who was inside, but he suddenly remembered that he didn’t have a gun.

“Mr. Durant, join me for a minute.” Brando Nicolas could make a command seem like a party invitation, he thought.

“My sweat is dripping so it might fall on your expensive upholstery.”

“Get in.” Brando said.

He opened the door and slid in, activating the mini recorder in his pocket as he settled in the seat. Brando gave him a towel, took it and wiped it on his sweaty face, then rubbed his hair leisurely while eyeing the man who was dressed impeccably.

Brando leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. “I haven’t asked you yet, how’s your honeymoon?”

“Too short.”

“Why didn’t you take some time? Or go somewhere exotic?”

“You know the answer to that.”

“Ah, yes.” he said as he took a cigarette stick from the pocket of his suit, then lit it and blew the smoke at him. “So, you’re waiting for me to decide.”

He just nodded in response.

“Your terms are generous. And my current supplier has gotten greedy. But something niggles me about you.” Brando said.

He grabbed the door handle and opened it. “You’ve danced one, but too many two-steps for me. I’ll just tell my boss that it’s better for him to just find another partner.”

“Step out of this car and you’re dead.”

He stopped. He has already encountered many low-profile people. But none of them set him on edge like this educated, intelligent and sophisticated high profile man. At least the scumbag had been predictable. “What’s your problem, Mr. Nicolas? Don’t you think that I am highly recommended to you? I work clean, Mr. Nicolas. Not even a single policeman smelled of our illegal transaction recently. Besides, I’ve already facilitated your transfer amounting to millions.”

“I still don’t seem convinced by what you’re saying, Mr. Durant. I’ve checked you out but it’s nothing I can put my finger on.”

“It’s reasonable that we don’t trust each other,” he angled towards Brando. “I’ll be honest to you Mr. Nicolas, in this kind of work, I live better. So if you really don’t want to make a deal with us, please tell me now. Did you know we turned down our other dealers because you had already arranged a deal with us. In fact, we have the same purpose here, Mr. Nicolas.”

“Not quite the same,” and he was again puff up the smoke of his cigarette. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Okay, I’ll give you one more extension, just tell me, you know where to look for me.”

“We’ll deal when I say so, Mr. Durant. And also tell your wife to be careful. If you don’t want to be a widower.”

“Is that a threat, Mr. Nicolas?”

“Just a reminder, Mr. Durant. Accidents might happen. Brakes fail. Drive-by shootings are becoming rampant nowadays. Isn’t it stressful? What else can happen tomorrow? So now, Mr. Durant, I’m going to tell you this, maybe one day when you wake up in the morning she won’t be with you anymore.”

He finally got out of Brando’s car being careful not to slam the door or show any emotion at all.

He immediately called his boss Mr. Del Valle and informed him of such conversation he had with Brando. But his superior advised him to take Gina away to another place, or maybe his superior just reassigned him to another place.

“You’re too personally involved here, Agent Taurus.” His boss said.

“If you pull me out sir, you’ll never get Brando Nicolas. I will tell the parents of those three women that we found their killer, don’t you?”

“Not at the expense of your wife’s life, or yours.”

“Honestly sir, I’m much more afraid for her. Just like yesterday when her car broke down, good thing is Agent Phoenix and Agent Moon already watch her when I can’t. But I can tell you now sir that she would never agree to leave town. Not without concrete facts.”

“Maybe you should tell her.”

“No sir, if you only knew her. She’s a kind of girl who wants to be involved. Maybe she’d want to help catch him. She isn’t trained for this, sir. I can’t take that risk. ”

From the other line he heard his boss sigh, and it made him wonder at his chance for career advancement.

“Okay. We play it your way for now. Let’s talk tomorrow morning about some extra security.”

“Thank You, sir.”

After sitting for a few minutes thinking of a strategy, he took off his wet clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Brando Nicolas might be dominant and in control, but he will never let him hurt Gina.

He placed his head in the shower spray, then squeezed some shampoo into his palm. When he’s done shampooing, he soaped his body and rinsed off, then stayed a little longer under the shower, letting the cool water loosen his muscles. At least he still has an hour’s allowance before he picks up Gina from school. But he was suddenly startled by the sound of the security alarm. He just waited and counted. After more than twelve seconds, the alarm also stopped sounding. But it’s too long. More than eight seconds must be too long. After all, the alarm system will not sound for that long when the person entering knows its security code.

He just let the water continue to flow, then he stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist and picked up his gun from the vanity. Three doors accessed the bathroom, one from the living room and one from each bedroom. But all that is closed. His face was also very wet as he just waited for the main door to open. He took a deep breath as the lock was turned on the person outside. He took a small step to the main door. And when the door eased open. He immediately pointed the gun at whoever entered. “Freeze.”

*****