Ryo did not bother joining the dinner for the actors and the crew. He’s eager to go home and sink his teeth on Ellie’s chocolate fudge cake. The thought of it made him salivate. His entourage left the location right after he completed his scenes, surprising his colleagues. Ryo loved to hang around after shooting. He loved talking to the staff and crew or chatting with fellow actors. But today, he scurried away like somebody’s trying to run after him. Ryo keyed in the password for his private elevator. As soon as it opened to his penthouse, he ran to the kitchen to get Ellie’s cake. His steps stopped when his eyes landed on the center table in his living room. The box of Ellie’s cake is on top of the small table. No big deal. What blew his top was the box was opened. His eyes narrowed when he saw the cake beside the box. He drew a deep breath to calm himself. His instructions were specific. How could his men make a mistake?

“Grandma, where did you leave your luggage?” asked Ellie.“It’s in our hotel room in Manila.” the old woman answered her. Ellie nodded in response. She made a mental note to adjust their travel time so they could pick up their luggage before going to the airport.She drove with more caution than usual. Her parents waited for her outside the door when she parked her car. She helped the couple get out of the car. Her parents welcomed the couple and guided them inside the house.Her grandma busied herself in entertaining the guests. She immediately warmed up to the couple. When she said that the couple were from Japan, she proudly told the couple about Ryo. Her grandma beamed with pride as she talked about Ryo’s shows. She left entertaining the guests to her grandmother. She seemed to enjoy having peers around. Her mother busied herself in preparing for their dinner. As for her,

“Hey baby, how are you?” Ryo asked, looking at the tablet propped on his vanity. He had a shower and was drying his hair with a towel.“Doing great but I miss you, though.” Ellie said. She’s lying on her stomach and looking through the tiny screen of her mobile phone.“Yeah. Me too. I fucking hate this long distance shit. I want to be with you always.”“I hear you. Me too. How long has it been? A month?”Ryo nodded his head.“It felt like a year or longer, Ryo.”“I know.”“So, how’s your calendar like?”“Hmm… I have some talk shows, and a TV sitcom. My out of the country shoot got pushed out, thank goodness.”“I see. Is that pretty free or is that stil

Ryo’s heartbeats were still erratic and his mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that she’s with him. She flew from the Philippines to Japan to be with him. It’s his first time to receive such an act of love. And he loved every second.“So what are your plans?” He asked Ellie as he played with Ellie’s hands.“Hmm… Nothing. I just like to spend time with you.” Ellie leaned on his shoulder. “I missed you so much, Ryo. I couldn’t stand the distance. I had to be with you.”Ryo smiled at Ellie’s answer. He lifted her chin so his lips could meet hers. She kissed him back with equal passion, driving him crazy.There’s no guesswork about what happened next. They are two lovers who had not seen each other for some time. Now that they are together, they’d make sure they’ll make up for the lost time.

Ryo’s hand holding pen froze in mid-air when he heard the voice. “Did I miss Ellie so much I’m hearing things?” He shifted his gaze from the poster on the table to the person who stood before him. There she is, standing in front of him, all smiles, as usual. Her tiny dimples stressed her smile.“Ellie?” He asked, still could not believe what he’s seeing.“Hi!” she said, waving her hand. She bit her bottom lip and looked at him with a suppressed laugh. Ryo stilled himself from pulling her to sit on her lap and shower her with kisses. “Please sign it for Naya,” she said, pushing the poster closer to him.It brought him out of his reverie. His hand moved in muscle memory as he signed his name without removing his gaze from her. When done, she took the poster, thanked him and moved away. Ryo followed her movem