Richard
He found the side entrance of the cathedral and hurriedly ran to its direction. On a normal day, he would have loved to just walk around and take in the intricate details of this centuries-old wonder of architecture. He forcefully pushed his way through the solid door as if desperate for air. He surveyed the street turned parking lot and saw an old car coming up to where he was. He heard footsteps from behind the doorway, approaching fast, so he hurriedly ran and went straight to the passenger side door. He didn't wait for the lady to stop fully and just barged in as if he owned the thing.
"Keep driving!" he ordered which he immediately regretted. He saw the shift in her demeanor as she obliged. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just needed to get out of there. So tha-- sorry, what's your name?"
He saw her face tense up and her grip on the wheel tightened, "I don't mean any harm, I just want to know who I should be thanking." he said as he tried to reassure her.
"Maine," she said softly, almost barely audible.
He waited for her to say more, but nothing followed, "Well... Thank you, Maine. By the way I'm-"
"Richard Faulkerson Jr., of course, I know who you are." she said, her eyes looking straight out. "I was just on my way to a wedding. You know, the one you just cowardly ran away from," Her snark statement surprised him.
He started taking off layer after layer of his tux, starting with that wretched red bowtie, but he did not miss the sarcasm in her voice. "If I didn't know better, with the way you are talking to me right now, I'd think you are a relative of the bride." He was already down to just his white shirt and he noticed her looking at him from the corner of her eye. He untucked his shirt, slightly exposing the skin underneath and he swore he heard her breathing hitch. He smirked.
"If I were you, I wouldn't be quick to judge someone I just met a few minutes ago. And, I would keep my eyes on the road, while I'm at it." He watched as her face slowly burned red, his dimple dug deep in his cheek.
With a jerk, the car moved to the outermost shoulder lane and halted so suddenly he thought his face would smash into the windshield.
"And if I were you, I'd remind myself who I am talking to. I just helped your ass. And guess what, now I'm kicking that ass out." She reached over to open his door and threw his clothes out. He looked out the door and saw that they were on top of a busy flyover.
He put one leg out of the car and bent down to pick up his clothes, which were now smudged with dirt from the gutter. "Are you serious? Ibaba mo man lang ako dun sa sakayan, paano naman ako-"
She pushed him out of her car and slammed the door behind him,"Malaki ka na, Mr. Faulkerson. I'm sure you can figure this out."
And with that, she drove away.
---
He draped the tuxedo over his shoulder and took one big breath before proceeding into an office building. The walk down that flyover and the struggle to get a cab in the afternoon heat gave him time to think about things. He was well aware that what he did was not something to be taken lightly. He just bailed out on one of the most important deal he had in his career, ties had been cut, bridges burned, and he would surely feel the loses. But none of that compared to succumbing to the thought that he would have to be married to her, even if it was all, to put simply, a business transaction.
He nodded to the few who greeted him as he walked through the glass entrance, but mostly, he focused his eyes on the direction of the elevator. He thought about going home, but found himself instructing the taxi driver to bring him here.
