Second Chances (Kathneil FF)

Second chances - 1

Second Chances - 1

"God! I have to get out of here,” Kevin declared in exasperation, heading towards the door. “It's suffocating!"

"Kuya, please Kuya, your mom will have a fit!" His assistant pleaded, running after him.

"She has fits on a weekly basis, Gene," he snorted and continued walking, stopping only momentarily to grab his wallet and room card, and to glare behind him. "And if you consider yourself my friend, take care of her for me. At least for an hour. I really need to get out of here."

"Please kuya, she'll be here with Miss Veronica within the hour."

"Which is why I need to leave now," the lanky 6 footer strode out of his suite, leaving his shorter bespectacled cousin cum personal assistant behind.

"Kuya...!"

+++

Kevin sat by the huge flower pots by the side of the hotel building, smoking on his Marlboro lights for the past half hour.

Bending forward, he rubbed his knuckles on his temple trying to ease the headache away.

It was fortunate that the humid sea air was made slightly bearable with a soft evening breeze.

He was seated away from the crowded open air lounge area and the poolside cafe.

Instead, he chose a secluded spot by the building's sidewalk.

Safe from prying eyes, and more importantly, away from his mother's line of sight when she arrived from the airport with his celebrated co-star.

People would think I am still that same twelve year old kid who shot to fame with a cute smile and quick gift of the gab, he sighed. They tend to overlook that I'm a grown man of 27 now.

A man with a permanent scowl and bad smoking habit.

He picked his coke can and took a long gulp, wishing it was something  stronger, sighing yet again.

His mother, who also acted as his manager, was persuading him to take up yet another rom-com drama.

Again.

(Flashback)

“I’ve arrived,” his mother announced on the phone.

“Great,” he said, minus the enthusiasm. “Was it a good flight?”

“Well, you know as well as I do, Kev, that flights no matter how short, is never good.”

Kevin sighed silently, running his hand through his thick black hair, anticipating another nagging session.

“Yeah, well, at least you’ve arrived safely,” he said. “So, that’s good.”

“Erm,” his mother replied, before continuing in a whisper. “Oh, Kev... Veronica is with me.”

“What? Bakit? She doesn’t have any scene til next week.”

“Well, I thought it would be good to have you photographed together, behind the scenes,” Sophia ‘Lulu’ Rodrigues said. “Everyone knows she doesn’t have a scene till next week, so it will be great to show that she is here for you, to support you.”

“No, Ma,” Kevin argued, pacing the floor in agitation, his Samsung glued to his ear. “She’ll only cause a scene and disrupt my work. In fact, you yourself need not have come here. It’s just a few short scenes and then the stunt coordination.”

“Yes, and knowing you, anak, you would refuse a body double and get behind the wheels yourself,” his mother said, knowing full well of his intentions.

Kevin rubbed his neck in resignation, feeling a headache creeping up. Impatiently, he kicked a towel out of his way, as he paced his hotel room.

“By the way, Madam Cyntia sent another beautiful drama script as your next project,” his mother continued enthusiastically, not knowing the turmoil her son was feeling. “Veronica has already said yes.”

“Oh Jesus, not again!” Kevin practically shouted. “I told you, ma, this is my last time doing a rom-com. I’ve already accepted that thriller movie with Robin Padilla.”

“But, anak, we Pilipinos have yet to master that genre, you know the acceptance, both local and international has not warmed up to our thriller productions. Except maybe horror.”

“Well, we’ll never get there till we try and improve, now will we?”

“Well, let someone else, do the testing, I’m not about to jeopardise your career with a lukewarm movie.”

“My career is full of hits, Ma. I can do with one miss. Let me do this, Ma,” he pleaded.

“Anak, you had years of downtime when she left,” Lulu said, really not wanting to open up an old wound. “Don’t forget that your recent success is just that, recent.”

Kevin could only shake his head at his mother’s stubbornness.

“Look, anak, we have tried years of rebuilding your career, and now we have finally found an excellent tandem with you and Veronica, let’s just stick with it, please.”

   

(End of flashback)