29-08-2025, 06:53 AM
(This post was last modified: 29-08-2025, 06:54 AM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 27: Cinema (Act 14)
Lina leaned against the cinema seat, her head spinning as she tried to steady herself. She took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. Her stomach growled angrily, and she realized she hadn’t eaten all day. This must be why I’m feeling like this, she thought, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped the armrest.
Just as her vision started to blur, a young voice broke through the haze. “Miss, are you okay?”
She turned her head sluggishly to see a teenager standing next to her, his brow furrowed in concern. He held out a granola bar and a bottle of water. “Here, you look like you need this.”
Lina hesitated for a moment before accepting them with a weak smile. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice barely audible over the soft hum of the foreign film still playing on the screen.
She unwrapped the granola bar and took a small bite, the sweetness immediately helping to ground her. The water was cool and refreshing, and she drank it slowly, feeling some of her strength return. After a few minutes, she finally managed to speak again. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
The boy shrugged casually, his eyes flickering with curiosity. “It happens. I’m Rizal, by the way. I work here.”
“Lina,” she replied, her voice steadier now. “Thank you for helping me. I think I just… overdid it today.”
Rizal chuckled lightly. “Well, it’s not every day someone stays behind after the movie ends. I usually just sweep the place to make sure no one’s left.”
Lina felt a pang of guilt but forced a smile. “I guess I lost track of time.”
They fell into a brief conversation, Rizal mentioning he was a high college student working part-time at the cinema. Lina listened politely, though her mind was still racing. Rahim will be home soon, she thought, glancing at her watch. The traffic at this hour would be a nightmare, and she had no idea how she’d explain her absence if he got there first.
As if reading her thoughts, Rizal tilted his head. “Need a ride? I’ve got an electric scooter. Should get you home faster than trying to catch a cab.”
Lina hesitated. The idea of clinging to a teenager on a scooter wasn’t exactly appealing, but she didn’t have much of a choice. “That would be great,” she said reluctantly.
The ride was awkward at first, Lina gripping Rizal’s waist as they weaved through the chaotic traffic. The wind whipped through her hair, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort, not just from the situation, but from the lingering stickiness on her skin, a reminder of what had happened in the bathroom earlier.
At one point, Rizal hit a sharp brake, and Lina crashed into his back, her ample breasts pressing against him for a split second before she pulled away quickly.
“Sorry!” he called over his shoulder, though there was a faint hint of amusement in his voice.
When they finally reached her flat, Lina stepped off the scooter, her legs still a little shaky. “Thank you, Rizal. Really.”
He grinned, pushing his hair out of his eyes. “No problem. You should eat something though. You look like you could use it.”
She laughed nervously, handing him some cash for his trouble despite his protests.
As he pocketed the money, Rizal paused, his tone shifting slightly. “So… do you watch foreign films often? Not many people come for that time slot unless they’re…” He trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air.
Lina stiffened, cutting him off quickly. “I’m married,” she said firmly, gesturing to her slight belly. “And pregnant. My husband prefers me to stay home, but I got bored, so… you know.”
Rizal raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. Instead, he pulled out his phone. “Well, if you ever want free tickets for upcoming releases, let me know. I’ve got spares.”
She hesitated but eventually gave him her number, knowing it was easier than arguing. Once inside her flat, Lina rushed straight to the shower, scrubbing herself clean as if she could wash away the guilt along with the sweat and other remnants of her earlier encounter. She changed into fresh clothes and started the laundry, her heart still pounding as she tried to calm herself down.
Just as she finished, the door opened, and Rahim walked in, looking exhausted but smiling when he saw her. “Hey, how was your day?” he asked, dropping his bag by the door and loosening his shirt.
Lina forced a smile, hoping her nerves didn’t show. “It was fine,” she said quickly. “How about yours?”
Rahim sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Busy. Had a lot of customers today. All mostly the neighborhood aunties. One of them was flirting with me nonstop. Can you believe that?”
Lina laughed, genuinely this time, the tension easing slightly. “Well, you are quite the catch,” she teased, though her mind was still replaying the events of the afternoon.
They chatted for a bit longer, Rahim recounting the day’s events while Lina listened half-heartedly. He doesn’t suspect anything, she thought with relief as he headed to the kitchen to grab a snack.
But as she sat there, her phone buzzed in her pocket. It's a message from an unknown number. It was Rizal: “Thanks for the company earlier. Let me know if you want those tickets.”
Lina stared at the screen, her stomach churning with unease. She typed out a quick reply: “Thanks, but I don’t think so.” Then, almost as an afterthought, she added: “Please delete my number.”
She put her phone down, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind. But as Rahim leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, whispering something about how much he loved her, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of her secrets pressing down on her chest.
The evening passed quietly, but when they finally went to bed that night, Lina lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The lingering scent of the shower gel clung to her skin, but it didn’t erase the memory of what had happened earlier. Her body still felt alive in a way that made her chest tighten with guilt and longing alike.
Rahim shifted beside her, his breathing steady and calm as he drifted off to sleep. Lina turned to look at him for a moment before reaching for her phone again. There was another message waiting for her and this time from an unrecognizable number: “You left something behind.” Attached was a photo of her earring, lying on the bathroom floor of the cinema.
Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of deleting the text.
Lina leaned against the cinema seat, her head spinning as she tried to steady herself. She took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. Her stomach growled angrily, and she realized she hadn’t eaten all day. This must be why I’m feeling like this, she thought, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped the armrest.
Just as her vision started to blur, a young voice broke through the haze. “Miss, are you okay?”
She turned her head sluggishly to see a teenager standing next to her, his brow furrowed in concern. He held out a granola bar and a bottle of water. “Here, you look like you need this.”
Lina hesitated for a moment before accepting them with a weak smile. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice barely audible over the soft hum of the foreign film still playing on the screen.
She unwrapped the granola bar and took a small bite, the sweetness immediately helping to ground her. The water was cool and refreshing, and she drank it slowly, feeling some of her strength return. After a few minutes, she finally managed to speak again. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
The boy shrugged casually, his eyes flickering with curiosity. “It happens. I’m Rizal, by the way. I work here.”
“Lina,” she replied, her voice steadier now. “Thank you for helping me. I think I just… overdid it today.”
Rizal chuckled lightly. “Well, it’s not every day someone stays behind after the movie ends. I usually just sweep the place to make sure no one’s left.”
Lina felt a pang of guilt but forced a smile. “I guess I lost track of time.”
They fell into a brief conversation, Rizal mentioning he was a high college student working part-time at the cinema. Lina listened politely, though her mind was still racing. Rahim will be home soon, she thought, glancing at her watch. The traffic at this hour would be a nightmare, and she had no idea how she’d explain her absence if he got there first.
As if reading her thoughts, Rizal tilted his head. “Need a ride? I’ve got an electric scooter. Should get you home faster than trying to catch a cab.”
Lina hesitated. The idea of clinging to a teenager on a scooter wasn’t exactly appealing, but she didn’t have much of a choice. “That would be great,” she said reluctantly.
The ride was awkward at first, Lina gripping Rizal’s waist as they weaved through the chaotic traffic. The wind whipped through her hair, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort, not just from the situation, but from the lingering stickiness on her skin, a reminder of what had happened in the bathroom earlier.
At one point, Rizal hit a sharp brake, and Lina crashed into his back, her ample breasts pressing against him for a split second before she pulled away quickly.
“Sorry!” he called over his shoulder, though there was a faint hint of amusement in his voice.
When they finally reached her flat, Lina stepped off the scooter, her legs still a little shaky. “Thank you, Rizal. Really.”
He grinned, pushing his hair out of his eyes. “No problem. You should eat something though. You look like you could use it.”
She laughed nervously, handing him some cash for his trouble despite his protests.
As he pocketed the money, Rizal paused, his tone shifting slightly. “So… do you watch foreign films often? Not many people come for that time slot unless they’re…” He trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air.
Lina stiffened, cutting him off quickly. “I’m married,” she said firmly, gesturing to her slight belly. “And pregnant. My husband prefers me to stay home, but I got bored, so… you know.”
Rizal raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. Instead, he pulled out his phone. “Well, if you ever want free tickets for upcoming releases, let me know. I’ve got spares.”
She hesitated but eventually gave him her number, knowing it was easier than arguing. Once inside her flat, Lina rushed straight to the shower, scrubbing herself clean as if she could wash away the guilt along with the sweat and other remnants of her earlier encounter. She changed into fresh clothes and started the laundry, her heart still pounding as she tried to calm herself down.
Just as she finished, the door opened, and Rahim walked in, looking exhausted but smiling when he saw her. “Hey, how was your day?” he asked, dropping his bag by the door and loosening his shirt.
Lina forced a smile, hoping her nerves didn’t show. “It was fine,” she said quickly. “How about yours?”
Rahim sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Busy. Had a lot of customers today. All mostly the neighborhood aunties. One of them was flirting with me nonstop. Can you believe that?”
Lina laughed, genuinely this time, the tension easing slightly. “Well, you are quite the catch,” she teased, though her mind was still replaying the events of the afternoon.
They chatted for a bit longer, Rahim recounting the day’s events while Lina listened half-heartedly. He doesn’t suspect anything, she thought with relief as he headed to the kitchen to grab a snack.
But as she sat there, her phone buzzed in her pocket. It's a message from an unknown number. It was Rizal: “Thanks for the company earlier. Let me know if you want those tickets.”
Lina stared at the screen, her stomach churning with unease. She typed out a quick reply: “Thanks, but I don’t think so.” Then, almost as an afterthought, she added: “Please delete my number.”
She put her phone down, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind. But as Rahim leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, whispering something about how much he loved her, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of her secrets pressing down on her chest.
The evening passed quietly, but when they finally went to bed that night, Lina lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The lingering scent of the shower gel clung to her skin, but it didn’t erase the memory of what had happened earlier. Her body still felt alive in a way that made her chest tighten with guilt and longing alike.
Rahim shifted beside her, his breathing steady and calm as he drifted off to sleep. Lina turned to look at him for a moment before reaching for her phone again. There was another message waiting for her and this time from an unrecognizable number: “You left something behind.” Attached was a photo of her earring, lying on the bathroom floor of the cinema.
Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of deleting the text.
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