The Secret Marriage

Chapter 4: Hey, its Rick

The 20 months we spent together was the best time of my life. I can’t believe that you decided to put a stop to our relationship. Whatever your reason, I wish you happiness, Lana Sage, my first love.

-       @KevinFarmers

Lana decided not to pursue the case anymore and accepted herself for who she had become. Hope was just a dream that she stopped believing in. Kevin shattered every ounce of her strength - the strength that was used to keep her going and fight for her rights.

She still remembered those good night texts, random flower deliveries, and surprise dates that Kevin used to take her on. Lana could not forget how her heart accelerated when Kevin leaned in for a kiss on their first date and the way he whispered, ‘You are so beautiful’ as he stared into her eyes.

She could not believe that the sweet Kevin had cheated on her, she blamed herself for her incompetence as a girlfriend. She had been so wrapped up over her personal problems, she neglected Kevin’s feelings. "That’s probably it," she thought as she read his tweet.

After stalking Kevin’s profile page, Lana browsed for job vacancies on her tablet using the 24-hour cafe’s Wi-Fi. She scrolled through the page boringly as there weren’t many suitable jobs that could accommodate her day job. Most of them were similar to the job that she had at Hunny Bunny Strip club. Learning from past experience, she decided not to work in those settings anymore.

“Now, now. You can’t sit in this café without buying anything,” Rick who was on night duty said to Lana. He was not particularly angry about Lana occupying a seat in the nearly empty diner. He was simply curious as to why a girl was sitting by herself in this kind of place in the middle of the night.

There were typically a lot of bums and the homeless who seek the comfort of the air-conditioned diner. However, Lana didn’t look the part.

“I’m sorry. It’s just I –” she said tearing up. Lana did not understand why she started choking up. Especially for such menial reasons as this.

“Miss, please don’t cry! Sit as long as you like! Heck, sit for another 24 hours if you want. I don’t care.” Rick was weak against tears. Especially with a beautifully bared face such as Lana’s. Guilty for making her cry, he made her a hot chocolate for free.

Even though it was just hot chocolate, it was enough to make her smile. “Thank you. I’m sorry for my sudden outburst. It has been a bad week.”

“We all have those days, huh?”

“Yeah, but this is my worst one yet.”

“Oh yeah? If it’s not weird, would you want to talk about it?” 

The café was empty except for a guy who was sleeping in the corner. Rick decided to ignore the person and focused on Lana. Doing various temporary and part-time jobs had equipped Rick with the necessary skills to deal with the situation. Especially those days when he worked as a bartender when different customers with various kinds of problems will seek solace in him.

“Do you know a Lana Sage?” Lana asked testing his knowledge.

“Uhm. Isn’t that the girl who likes to party but she’s now homeless after her father donated all the money? Plus, her recent splitsville with the lawyer?”

“Wow, you enjoy the gossip much?”

“Hey, don’t judge! As an aspiring actor, it’s my job to be up to date in this kind of thing. In case, I meet one of the celebrities, I would have a topic to talk to them about,” Rick chuckled.

Rick was a pleasant-looking guy. He had neat dark hair that complemented his bright eyes. Being a guy from the suburbs, he was sensibly frugal. He was a guy that worked hard and took pride in saving money. He was also an amateur actor who played small roles on screen. His first role in a television broadcast was as a corpse in a popular crime series and he remembered how excruciatingly difficult it was to stay still whilst on “action”. However, his aspirations were to land a more active role and eventually a lead role.

“It’s a pity what happened to her, isn’t it? It’s like her identity was stripped off from her in an instant. I mean one minute she has everything then suddenly everything was taken away from her. Poor girl,” continued Rick.

Lana wept, grateful that finally there was someone who understood her. She did not care if Rick was faking it. He was the nicest person she met ever since everything went on a downward spiral.

Rick panicked when Lana started crying again. He pushed a box of tissue towardsher. No more hesitation, Lana told her story to the man she met less than an hour ago. She spilled everything including her arranged marriage with Cameron Lance.

Upon hearing her story, his eyes widened. He couldn’t believe it was the infamous Lana Sage who was talking to him. The photos that were taken by the paparazzi surely did not justify her beauty.

Lana saw the same old look that she would frequently receive whenever she introduced herself. After a moment of quietness, Lana decided to break the silence, “You look like you’re shocked.”

“Of course, I am! You don’t look like the same in photos.”

“Obviously. The paparazzi would always take a picture of my drunken self. It’s like they elaborately picked the ugliest photo of me and post it.”

“That’s why I’ve got trust issues; you know?”

They both laughed. Strangely, despite being strangers, they hit it off quite well.

“I’m not an expert in giving advice. But I think that you are doing great for a lady who used to have everything to nothing. You cope well on your own and have made it this far. Kevin is just a jerk and he doesn’t deserve you. Believe me, your strength does not come from him. It has been in you all this while.”

“That was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” declared Lana. After everything, she had been through. Her so-called friends were nowhere to be found. Even a stranger that she just met felt closer to her than them.

“So, what is your next move?” Rick asked curiously. This was the most drama he ever encountered ever since working here. To be honest, he would rather be living Lana’s glamorous life compared to being cooped in the diner. Auditions are hard to come by and when they do, many other competitors are competing for minor roles.

“Job hunting? Finding a cheaper apartment to live in, I guess?”

“We are hiring if you’re looking for a job,” Rick pointed at the hiring sign on the counter. Lana missed it when she entered the café. “The pay isn’t as good and it’s not glamorous, but the shift hours are flexible which is a good thing right?”

Lana didn’t have to think hard on it, she was desperate, and hearing Rick’s suggestion was music to her ears. It’s also much better than waitressing at the club with perverts’ hands on her ass.

∞

Lana moved out of her studio. Disgusted with Kevin’s money, she transferred the security deposit back to his bank account. The money that she put aside for at least six months rental could quadruple her stay at her current place.

The motel wasn’t as bad as Lana expected it to be. The room rate was cheap as it was located beside a road with heavy traffic but it was inconvenient to light sleepers. It was much smaller than her previous apartment’s bedroom. It had a single bed on the side, a small table and a television. There were no wardrobes except for a hanging rack for her work clothes of the day and uniform. The room doesn’t include a toilet; she had to share a communal toilet. Lana couldn’t complain. She used her knowledge in finance to analyze her situation and it was the only room that she could afford for the long term. Rick who lived in the same building, recommended her to this place. Lana felt relieved and much safer knowing there’s someone around that she knew.

“Boy, I’m glad to have befriended you,” Lana said jokingly to Rick who was prepping a meal for them. They were at the shared kitchen on the third floor for the tenants to use. It had four burners and reasonable space on the countertop for food-prepping. There was another tenant who was cooking instant noodles on one of the burners. He was eyeing the Pad Thai that Rick was frying, trying to not drool, and then gazed at his overcooked ramen.

They relished the deliciously spicy and nutty noodles on the table provided. Lana was in awe eating such a delicious meal. 

“Oh my god, where did you learn to cook this?” she asked. 

Rick had always been a great cook. Everything he cooked was delicious. It was the first time she tasted such rich flavors.

“I worked part-time at a Thai restaurant before.”

“Are you sure you want to become an actor? I mean, you should cook for a living!”

“That will probably be my second option if this acting career doesn’t go too well.”