He Married the Stripper.

Long Distance Love Affair

---ALEX---

It's been a couple of days since I arrived in Taiwan and so far it has been endless meetings, paperworks and phone calls. I can't believe my cousins fucked up this badly. On the other hand, it's good news for me since the board wants to demote them seeing as they're all too stupid to accomplish anything by themselves and as a group. 

I leaned back on my chair and checked my phone and scrolled through some of the unopened messages. Most of them were from random people I don't want to talk to and a few of them from Dad's secretary, from Lolo, Gina and none of from her. 

I exited the screen and made a call.

"Did you get the thing I asked you about?" I asked him as soon as he answered.

"Dude, seriously? You can't even ask me how I'm doing? I don't know, pretend like you actually wanna talk to me for a change?!" Ed said as I hear him moving around from wherever he is.

"Dude, shut up."

"Tch, shut up ka dyan, you shut up, if you wanna know how Emily's doing then just call her! Anyway, busy ako so I'm hanging up. BYE!" And just like he said the bastard hung up.

I can't really blame him since I've been getting him to run errands fro me at home just so he can check up on how the condo is because knowing Emily, I'm pretty sure she's not cleaning the house properly and I just wanted to make sure it hasn't turned into a pigsty until I came back.

I'm pretty sure she hasn't even thought about vacuuming the house. I can imagine it now, her sitting on the couch, watching TV and leaving her drink on the table without a coaster. Her eating a cookie and leaving crumbs everywhere. Her taking a bath and not bothering to dry herself in the bathroom and just walking around with a towel around the house. 

Shit.

"Sir Alex, I need you to sign this please." My secretary said as she barged in the office.

"Tch, don't you know how to knock?" I hissed at her as I straightened myself up.

 "Sorry sir, urgent daw po kasi." She said as she handed me a stack of envelopes and folders. Of course, more work.

"And also, your father wants to know if you're available for dinner tonight."

"No." I answered as I shuffled through the documents she brought with her.

"But sir, you don't have anything scheduled after 6 pm."

"I don't care. Just tell him I'm busy." I said as I signed the papers. 

"But sir..." I slammed the folder down and looked at her.

"Do you wanna get fired?" 

"N-no sir!" She stuttered.

"Then stop asking and go." I told her as I gave her the stack of papers I finished signing.

"Y-yes sir. Right away sir."

If it wasn't too troublesome to get a new secretary right now, I would have fired her days ago.  Evers since we got here and she met my Dad. She's been trying to get on his good graces by letting him know my schedule and matching it with his so he can try and see me, but seeing as I'm used to this now I've been able to dodge him every time.

Stupid old man, doesn't he know when to quit?

I'm almost done with work here, I just need to meet the client tomorrow and I should be on my way home.

I stared at the my phone and opened my messaging app.

---EMILY---

Tiningnan ko yung table na sinet-up ko sa balcony at inisip kung ano pa bang kulang. Ready na yung kimchi soup na niluto ko, yung karneng binili ni Anthony ready naring ihawin, yung condiments at side dishes na ginawa namin ni Gigi nakahanda narin, yung repolyo at pechay nahugasan ko na.

Halos ako lahat nag-set up nito pero yung mga kasama ko hanggang ngayon wala pa. Sabi nila bibili lang sila ng inumin sa labas, saang labas kaya bumili yung mga yun samantalang ang lapit lang naman ng 711. Narinig kong tumunog yung cellphone ko at agad kong kinuha sa bulsa ko.

-How's the house looking? - Alex.

-Have you at least cleaned after I left or have you turned it into a pigsty. - Alex.

Wow, okay?! So sa kauna-unahang text nya sakin matapos nyang umalis ganito pa talaga yung sinabi nya? Ni hindi man lang ako tinanong kung kamusta na ba ako. Well, not like I texted him either, pero seriously? Wala man lang ba hi? 

Magta-type na sana ako ng sagot ko nang bigla syang nag invite mag video call. Tinitigan ko yung cellphone ko, what? Pocket dial ba to? Nag-end yung call bago ko nasagot.

-Answer your phone I wanna see the house. -Alex.

Seriously? And he started calling again so I picked it up, his face on the screen.

"Grabe ha? Ano bang akala mo sakin? Pababayaan ko na lang na madumi yung bahay?" Inis na sabi ko sa kanya.

"Exactly, it's not like you know how to clean the house properly." He said, sinimangutan ko sya and he just smirked at me.

"Nasa office ka parin ba?" Tanong ko nang mapansin ko yung paligid nya. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, he looks tired.

"Yeah, everyone's been working overtime coz of my fucked up cousins."

"Kumain ka na ba?" 

"Not yet."

"Siguraduhin mong hindi cereals kakainin mo ha. Dinner time na."

"Why? Are you worried about me?"

"Oo. Kapag kasi hindi ka binantayan sa pag-kain mo puro cereals lang kakainin mo. Sabi ni Gina sakin ang dami mo na naman daw pinamili. Obsessed ka talaga. Sinasabi ko sayo, kapag hindi nag-kasya yun sa cupboard, idodonate ko sa Charity lahat yan." Tinawanan nya lang ako.

"Whatever, you're my wife not my mother." Nagulat ako sa sinabi nya pero sya parang wala lang. Naintindihan ba nya yung sinabi nya? Because to me it sounded weird as if he's accepting the fact that we're married and the fact that he said it so lightly bugs me.

"Nakikinig ka ba?" Narinig ko na lang na sinabi nya.

"Ha?" 

"I asked if you're using the toys I left you?" Namula ako sa sinabi nya sira ulo talaga to, parang hindi nag-iisip sa pinagsa-sasabi nya.

"Ewan ko sayo! Diba sabi mo gusto mo makitang bahay, ayan o. Tingnan mo malinis lahat." Sabi ko sa kanya as I turned the back camera on and he just started laughing.

"You know, boxes of cereals was not the only things I bought here, you know they have this limited edition flavoured lube, I know you'll like and there's some very suggestive..." He didn't get to finish what he was saying when I heard a knock on the door and I told him to shut up.

"You have visitors?" Tanong nya.

"Yea, si Anthony and Gigi. Magdi-dinner kami dito sa bahay." Sagot ko sa kanya as I walked to the door.

"Make sure they don't leave a mess." 

"Opo sir amo, jan ka na, okay? Bye!" Sabi ko sa kanya as I opened the door.

"Look who we found outside!" Sabi ni Anthony as he pushed Nathan inside the house.

"Hi Ems!" He said as he got dragged inside.

---ALEX---

"Look who we found outside!" I heard Anthony say as I saw someone I don't recognize come in my house.

"Hi Ems!" I heard the stranger say.

"Who the fuck---" And then the line went dead as Emily ended the call.

I tried calling her again but she's not answering anymore.

"What the fuck?"