open relationship

'This whole love scenes rhetoric is somewhat twisted,' Bill tells Charmaine. You lie next to a fellow actor, feel her warmth but, you're sure as hell itself that all you'll get out of it is a kiss and a hug.'

'You're a prime-time actor,' she replies.Not some adult film gigolo. Families musn't supposed to be subjected to the things you hold dear because besides children being around, not all of us are addicted to your shit.'

'I know but, there was a time in life when I considered being a male prostitute. I flung the moral book straight out of my bedroom window. I thought to myself, here I'm being good to anybody else I get to cross my path with but, no one really cares how I'm doing. Nobody!'

'Yho!'

'Yes. I had an apartment in town and was running out of money to pay the rent but, nothing I told my landlord made sense to him. I fought with him till one freakish evening when a married woman tripped and fell face down on my hands. She was heading to our table. I was too drunk but, I just was able to catch her.
I was with two hookers drinking the night away. She gave me her car keys and one thing turned into another. I couldn't believe how lucky I was as we entered her house. Unluckily, her husband found out through people who are supposed to be minding their own business and we had to end it. But she supported me like I was her kid, paid my rent for six months 'til I came accross Tanya. I wanted any job in the world and became her chauffeur then her boyfriend.'

'I wont fool around with you anytime soon. I can't understand how one person can have such luck.'

'If I wanted to have you, I could've a long time ago. I just want us to have fun. As they always say; no strings attached.'

'That was just a kiss. Don't mistaken it for love. I want to tell Tanya about the open relationship plan I have in mind. Most couples do it. Spending the rest of one's life with one woman wont do it for me.'

free lessons

Sigh-i-lent night, sings Desiree. Ho-oly night, mother and child. Sleep in heavenly pea eace, sleep in heavenly peace.

'Well, Carlos says. You're a singer of devine distinction. Consider me your Father Christmas but, remember one thing; kids seat on his lap. You'll always be my baby. I hope you don't mind me calling you baby.'

'Not at all,' she replies.

She goes to him, puts her arms around his neck and; sits down on his lap.Gives him a kiss of his life.

He pulls his mouth from hers,swallows a bit of her saliva and say; 'That was helluva kiss.'

She gets off his lap and replies: 'I'm as out of breath as you. It's just that your sweet cherry lips are too sweet to let go off. I love nibling things resembling a taste of chocolate. I love it when a man is especially mouth clean. No one wants to swallow yesterday's food out of someone's mouth.'

'That was Guiness World Book type of a record.'

'We just been to the mall. I had thought we'd bump into someone we know but, that hasn't been the case.'

'I love ordinary people. I think being a C grade star gives me more peace than the most sort after performers because I've more time to fool around with you.'

'Don't fool yourself loverboy. You'll soon feel the pressure of being an A lister star.'

'Why when they are so much reverred get scolded over minitial things like eating a meal at a cafe?'

'It's because people look up to them. We can't have people we view as role models cut their hair or fine tune it at an unknown, cheap barber. That's a new low. If you're with us, you must act the part. We don't want palookas.'


'I only do four shoots a day. That's boring. What am I supposed to do with the rest of my time?'

'Study. Go to the library and do some research. You can't be an airheaded tv star. You must also pay attention to theatre because when you're out of tv, you must still do something to keep our home fires burning. We don't want a situation where either or both of us are out of work but, get more bill letters than ordinary Joes who are till waiting for High Court case to declare someone liable for their poverty state.'

'I don't think I'd be able to be natural. In theatre people are watching you closely. There's no script editing or shooting. How would I be able to keep up?'

'Everything in this world today is live. The tweets you post online reflect more about you to others than you think. Every week if not day, we sell our souls online. I know what I say isn't good for marketing. I better say these things to you than to a journalist. Anyway, those people are only doing their jobs. without they writing good about us, we'll be doomed.'

'But they still unsettle me.'

'All you have to do is to behave yourself.'

'I've given you free lessons on how to be a star, now listen to me clearly. I would like us to invite every of our friends or enemies to come eat new year lunch with us. That include your sworn, worst enemy, Mark.'

'Are you nuts?'

'I wish we were. It wouldn't hurt spending time in a loony house watching looney tunes with people you love.'

'Suit yourself.'

He stands up from their Christmas eve dinner table and walks away to the balcony.

The festive spirit has gotten inside of him, she thoughtfully says as she picks a sparkling glass of pure wine.

boundaries

'So you think you truly living the life?' Charmaine asks Mark.

           'I always do,'he replies. 'Sometimes people envy us from the distance. And murmur about tangible things. The environment makes me who I be.'

'Go on.'

          'I was a choirboy since I was a teenager. Girls moms and their pops put a lot of strain on me. My relationships never lasted longer enough. The very same people started branding me a player. Forgetting they're the ones who made me. I hate this pin up tag they've placed upon me.'


           'So you rather fake poverty than let them dictate to you how to live your life?'

            'I fake not anything. Not many a woman these days gets an opportunity to chat with me. You're lucky because you're in a circle of winners. When we shine we say; there are no squares in a circle of winners.'

'I just managed to create one in celebrity circles. Here I'm talking to a very much underrated tv star.'

          'In this community of us, no one does business with strangers. One false move, you're out. Don't even take reviews seriously. Individuals who does them just want to be us that's all. There's is no money in their line of work. They say Mark is a bad actor and the wet behind the ears hop at the back of their bandwagons.'

'Idiots.'

'Skin colour doesn't matter. We don't skim people ala credit cards. We just follow our hearts's desires.'

'True.What's your idea of heaven?'

'Come on. Is this a date?'

'Answer my question.'

'My idea of heaven is any man who isn't afraid to cross boundaries.'

           'I love a man who respects boundaries. My husband left me a couple of months back. He was jealous I ceased becoming a housewife but, a celebrity driver. He started to call me names and checked my phone calls. Mens contacts send a shiver down his spine. Bill and Tanya don't want to answer stupid questions so they're constantly chasing armatures out of their yard.'

'What do you say when all of that is happening?'

'I keep quiet.'

'Why are you still in the power circle?'

 'They say when you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. I'm tired of wearing an apron but, this is the life I chose.'

'Who are you dating?'

'I'm just too cocky to let anyone inside my heart now.'

sucker

ALL THE WAY 4                                                                                                      SUCKER

Sucker! Tanya speaks loudly to startle Bill.

'What?' he replies.

'Okay. I Finally got you to talk. Desiree thinks she's clever than any of us. Did you see that pink cab that tailed us from the theatre to home?'

'Yes.'

'I think It was her and Carlos.'

'It wasn't she but, he.'

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'I'm tired of sleeping alone.'

'You gave my enemy an upper hand. She now has him wrapped between her wolfy fingers. Not so long ago, she stole my beloved target Mark. Lied to him she was pregnant in order to keep me at bay. Her plan failed as he got a bursary to go study overseas. To this day, I don't know which lucky charm she's using to keep men reaching out to her. Whoever is helping her, she's paying him or her quiet well.'

'Sucker!'

'Stop joking. This is very serious. We then challenged each other to lay our hands on an award winning travel writer and she almost won. If I hadn't followed my instincts, he will be eating off her palms right now. The dude is now angry with us and make sure scribes write rubbish about us every week. Only If I hadn't caught her quickly pulling her top back to her waist, her two centrimetres dress back to its measured length.'

'Weren't they doing four play?'

'No. Nothing happened. You should have seen their glistening eyes. They sparkled like Northern stars tailed by holy sheperds to go shower the family of you know who with presents. The roar of my engine only meant I was going to a convenience store to buy ourselves some more beers.'


'Why didn't you let them be human?'

'I had forgot my lighter, dammit!'

'I doubt that.'

'This is my house and I do whatever I want to, anytime I want to. That's why it was easy for I last night to leave the upstart at a cinema's parking lot and gave you cake. Bower has been investigated for plagiarism by the media fraternity but, nothing happened. He has since been hired by Daily Times, Sunday Press's daily sister to run a weekly column. I haven't read something fresh out of it, only reviews from other peoples work but, as always, the world reckon he's the best thing since sliced bread.'

'One lucky bastard!'

'I miss Carlos Hernandez.'

'I'm here. Don't beef up now.'

'You're here but like the O'Jays song, your mind is on the other side of town.'

'I get the picture and I'll respond to it in due course.'

what?

ALL THE WAY 3                                                                                                       WHAT?


'Why haven't you been answering your phone?' Desiree asks a bemused Carlos.

'I saw a blue light brigade,' he replies. And thought to myself, what's the easiest way in this town to avoid being, robbed, kicked or at worst, mistaken for thug and shot at.'

'What a nasty way to avoid a straight forward question.'

She pushes him to the side and casually slumps her tired self on his couch. Fix her eyes on a blank tv-screen.

Having sold his soul to the Sunday Press, he had no more good life stories to tell about their life together. Like he lied to her at the cinema. He knew if he opened his mouth anytime soon, worms would spill out from his mouth like it was a can.Like the saying. He was right. People in the media bear grudges. They want almost every situation to go their way. He flips the curtain, smiles at the expensive car neatly parked on his driveway. His outside-door lights, streetlights, passing vehicles lights, beams on its immaculate frame.

She desperately wants him to say something but, he keeps his eyes glued on the malt beer bottle he is sipping on.

Irate, she hops off his couch, heads his way. Slaps him hard on one side of his cheek. The beer bottle drops violently and thuds on the hard surface. He touches, it painfully while watching her helping herself out of his lounge's door.

He goes to the fridge, opens it, fishes out another beer bottle, same ingredients, same alcohol volume and slumps his frustrated self on a couch. Flips the curtains again, there she is idly sitting on her vehicle's seat, measuring the steering wheel.

At least she isn't drinking and driving, he thoughtfully says.

Animated, he courageously walks towards her, knocks on her car's side of the window.

She opens the windows and yawn.

'Look,' he says.'I didn't mean to two time you. We both know Tanya wont like this.'

She cackles.

'Who will tell her?' she continues.

'These streets have eyes. Walls have ears.'



'You look worried today.'

'I thought I'd sleep alone tonight.'

'Me too.'

'You!.'

'What?'

'If I had to be charged for committing a crime. It'd be for stealing your heart.'

'Tanya is doing Bill as we speak.'

'What?'

sullen looks

 ALL THE WAY 2                                                                                      SULLEN LOOKS

A car screeches before Tanya's doorstep. She is frothing at the mouth--especially after what happened to hers and her date at the epic romance movie premiere. The other thing on her mind are hyena tail burning thugs who may pick you up asleep as the tail's smell lulls into a deep sleep, not forgetting the drunk drivers who hit community walls at high speed.

Desiree hops off her vehicle and quips;' Do you know why I love you so much?'

Tanya barely believes the figurine before her is this dude whom she has been friend of almost a quarter of her life.

'No!' she replies.

'I was busy making new bookings for four for upcoming weekend. Then, boom! Like magic, I see Carlos idling alone on the parking lot. Like a caring mother, I wonder where parents of this beautiful, lost boy are. I think about snapping my finger and calling him to my car.'

'You're a thug and a liar. I shouldn't have listened to any word you said. As we speak now, I know there are no movie tickets, no bookings, nothing. If you want him, you could have him. If he was honest with me, he could've waited for us to go fetch him at his doorstep.'

'No stress on my part. You have plenty to worry about. Especially when I heared Bill happily moaning over your handset.'

'It's on, babes?'

'What?'

'Men war. I'm sharpening my claws. Any man you get, I'll lure him to my bed. I wont give a damn about his past. It's on!'

'What on earth have you become?'

'A nun.'

Irritated, Desiree hops back on her car's seat and slams the door shut. Her actions startles onlookers and passersby. Arrives at Carlos's house who, judging by his sullen looks, is not expecting her there.

all the way

When they voluntarily go outside, almost everyone has got their eyes locked on them--expecting them to slug it out.

'Girl,' says Tanya. I thought you were a nun. What's up with your hands all over my hubby to be?'

'I didn't poach him,' Desiree replies. He found me queueing outside and decided right there on the spot, that he would like to accompany me. This means he cancelled my Be eF eFs date to spend some time with me. I never knew you were around town, therefore, I thought borrowing him from the gods for a sec couldn't be such a bad idea.'

'Not such a bad idea?'

'Yes. Your friends are mine and mine are yours. I'm the one who always remind you about keeping boundaries. Have you already forgotten where you and I are coming from?'

'No.You see,as you're very close friend I thought since you knew he was mine, you'd give me a courtesy call and tell me your man is right here beside me.'

'I'm sorry.'

' I love Carlos and you know that.'

'I've been observing your lover for a while. One thing I've noticed is that he isn't in it for the love of you or any of us for that matter but, for what our glitzy industry could offer him. Do you think I'm bluffing?'

'Yes.'

'Just look at how many gigs he got for himself the past couple of months while we got only two each. It seems he capitalises on the fact that, he's a drama student and people aren't clued up on whether he's for real or is just acting things out.'

'If is that so, publications would be all over us this week. Tomorrow is a Sunday. Expect our mini cinema drama on first pages.'

Desiree fishes her cellphone out of her denim pocket and says; ' We're thirty minutes behind the movie schedule. Let's go in.'

They swiftly walk in and seat side by side next to their dates. There's neither kissing nor touching because they are just as confused as their dates.


The movie ends. Everyone still does not know what to do.

Bill tells Carlos  he is nothing but his girlfriends chauffeur, who runs straight to her vehicle and locks herself in when she anticipatingly watch them chatting. She is pensive and expects them to exchange blows but none of that is happening as they go their separate ways. Her girlfriend forever is hiding somewhere within the vicininty.

She and her date finally arrive at home. A call flashes accross her cellphone screen. It is he Be eF eF.

'Hello?' she answers.

'Am I interrupting something over there?'

'Yes. Bill wants to have a time of his life or isn't it, love?'

'Mhmm.'

Carlos is disgusted and ignores any incoming call, any Blackberry Messenger message on his cellphone's inbox. He had followed what he now calls his ex in thought, all the way to her house in a metered taxi. Painfully observed when a chauffeur looked more like Tanya's one night stand. They were all over each other like a bad rash. He shed a tear and a half, called her name out, got ignored.

Unimpressed, he called a Sunday newspaper and asked her to make his misfortune a front page sensation. He could not stomach the fact that, a seemingly, not so glamourous dude, had stolen his guiding light right under his nose under false pretence and, will most likely, lie next to her, on a bed he got accustomed to.