Love Shots

The Beautiful Disaster

A/N: Dahil kasalanan ni Alden ang lahat. 

Inspired by Alden's billboards sa lupalop ng bansa. For cassinique

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There she goes enduring another grueling day at work. It was not even half of her shift but she was feeling exhausted already.

"Maine, ano ba! Yung mga bagong stocks pakiayos at pakisort na sa likod, ang dami ng customers na maghahanap niyan. We must give prompt service. Binabayaran nila tayo!" Her hell-of-a-bitch manager tailed her and raised a brow at her when she added, "...at binabayaran kita." Maine gritted her teeth as she watched her damn manager turned her back and strutted her way to her "throne" behind the counter. Maine scowled when she saw her went back to their manager's real "business": doing her nails and makeup.

"As if naman may iimprove pa itsura niya." Maine grumbled as she paid her attention to the boxes and began sorting them.

It was sales season of the mall so the customers grew in numbers and just came pouring to the shop. As all the staff were getting stressed out entertaining the customers who seemed to be more demanding today, there goes their manager chilling & pampering herself, ignoring the pandemonium around her.

Maine just sighed and thought suddenly about her hometown and how she missed the beach on that area. But she knew she had to leave the comforts of home and work her butt off in the city to provide for her family. Unfortunately she landed here with a manager who has a princess complex.

Utos dito, utos doon. Wala nang ginawa kundi ituring na alipin lahat dito at siya ang pinakamamahal na reyna. Meet halfway kaya tayo.

The only consolation she has aside from her salary is the view that she enjoys every single day – the face of today's top star and her ultimate dreamboy, Alden Richards plastered in almost every nook and cranny of the mall.

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Ikaw na ba si Mr. Right? Ikaw na ba love of my life? Ay, mali sa kabila pala yun. All my life I was dreaming, All my life I was searching...

"HUY!"

Maine jumped in surprise and was broken off from her trance.

"Tulala ka naman dyan," her coworker friend said and nodded to the direction of Alden's standee across their shop. "May inuutos sayo yung prinsesita nating boss, alam mo naman yun, punta ka na doon masabon ka na naman." Her friend told her and pushed her urgently back inside the shop.

"Si Alden kasi..." Maine muttered.

"Kasalanan niya, oo, hala sige na awat na baka maging dragon na amo natin."

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Grabeng traffic naman oh.

Maine screamed inside, clutching the steering wheel and repeatedly honking the car's horn in her frustration.

Hindi ako aabot nito e.

She was asked to pick up their supplies and bring them in the store by 6PM. But with the current traffic situation, it seemed impossible now.

Lagot na naman ako nito e.

Her boss already had a bad shot from her cause she came in late today. That was why, today, every work seemed to be tasked upon her. She was blankly staring ahead of her when the traffic began to move. Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she saw it again, or rather, she saw him... his handsome face and that angelic smile on that giant billboard. She could not help but stare at it. It was simply mesmerizing.

SCREEEECH! BAM!

Maine's face almost hit the dashboard, fortunately, she had her seatbelt on. Her eyes grew large when she could finally make out what happened. The car that she was driving bumped with the car in front of her. She bit her lip and scratched her head.

Uh-oh. Gahd, Maine hindi ka nag-iingat. Kotse to ng bruhilda mong boss. Hindi to sayo!

Before she could gather her thoughts, she heard a knock on her window.

PATAY KANG BATA KA! DISASTER!

She reluctantly opened the car window and she looked back at the old man with guilt all over her face. But she won't back down just like that.

"Miss, nabangga mo kotse namin."

"Aba e, bigla na lang kayong huminto sa harap ko."

"Miss, naka-signal light kami at diba dapat nakadistansya ka naman talaga. Baba ka dyan, pag-usapan natin to."

"MANONG!!!"

The old man went back inside his car while on the other hand, Maine dragged herself out of the car when all of the sudden it rained.

ANAK NG TOKWA NAMAN OH! What else could get worse?! Para na siyang pinagsukluban ng langit at lupa rito.

Out of her frustration, as she was beginning to be drenched under the rain, she suddenly pointed at Alden's billboard and screamed like crazy.

"IKAW KASALANAN MO TALAGA TO ALDEN E! Una, pinuyat mo ako! Pinuyat mo ako kahihintay sa mga update sayo kaya ayan na-late ako, kaya ngayon pinagdiskitahan ako ng Cruella Devil kong boss na utus-utusan tapos ETO NA NGA, IKAW KASI NAKAKADISTRACT KA!!!"

"So kasalanan ko pala na nadistract ka sa kagwapuhan ko..."

There was a long pause, Maine trying to decipher whether what she heard was real. That voice was so familiar, she could not be wrong. Ganoon na ba katindi ang fangirling niya to the point na baliwan level na? May billboard bang sumasagot? But the voice that she heard did not come from there. She slowly turned her head to the direction of the voice and there she saw...

ALDEN RICHARDS in flesh, just standing right there in front of her.

Nananaginip ba ako? Aparisyon ba to? OMG! Gwapo niya. Hustisya naman! Ay wait, speaking of hustisya. Hustisya naman na kotse niya pa yung nabangga ko. Jusko naman Lord sa lahat naman ng napili mong timing, ito pa. Nakakahiya.

SHOOKT AKO!

Maine was stunned by that moment. She did not know what to feel. Thrilled? Embarrassed? It was a bit late when she realized that Alden had already approached her and shared his umbrella with her.

"May atraso ka sa akin pero hindi ko naman hahayaan na magpaulan ka na lang basta-basta."

She could barely understand what he said but all that she could take in that moment was that he was standing close... too close for her and it was just too much for her to handle.

Heart racing, breath quickening, she was in a daze. And then it was all black.

And at that moment, Maine helplessly fell.

Literally and figuratively.

And Alden was there to catch her.