Number One Fan

CHAPTER 11

“YOU SEEM SO HAPPY,” said David the next morning in the newsroom. “It seems that you and Alex enjoyed your date last night.”

My smile reached up to my ears upon hearing his comment. “Yeah,” I said.

“Well, that’s good,” he said.

There was a gap of silence between us.

“By the way,” David started to bridge the gap. “Did you know that something happened here last night?”

“No. What was that?” I asked.

“Are you familiar with Castro, the security guard?” he asked.

I nodded as I remembered the guard who always greets me whenever we meet.

“Someone found him dead in the men’s room last night,” he said.

“What?” I exclaimed. “What happened?” It never occurred to me that someone friendly like SG Castro would be gone too soon.

“After you and Alex left, I went to the car repair shop to claim my vehicle,” David said. “I went back here to get some of my things I left behind. There was already a commotion at the lobby and few people said that the guard died in the men’s room.”

Why was David in location whenever someone dies?

“REGINE, MANAGEMENT DISAPPROVED YOUR PROPOSAL,” said Ka Rudy when he called me to his office one morning.

I huffed and bowed my head. My hand held the edge of my seat, clenched, cold, and sweaty.

I knew it. Number One Fan wrote it, not I. I should not have followed him.

“The concept was okay,” he continued as I heard his swivel chair squeaked as he moved. “But Mr. Dizon of Programming wanted some revisions in the format.”

“What kind of revisions, Sir?” I asked.

“Change the format into something more unique, more appealing to today’s viewers,” Ka Rudy said. “You know what I mean, don’t you?”

I nodded as Ka Rudy got up and sat across me.

“Regine, I know you can do better than this,” he said. “In fact, I couldn’t believe you wrote that proposal. It does not seem so. Go ahead and revise it immediately. I already requested for a time slot for that.”

All I could say was, “Yes, Sir.”

I RETURNED to my desk and opened my Inbox. I saw an email from Number One Fan:

To: regine_stamaria@rmbn.com

From: numberonefan@sexwitheveryone.com

Re: Follow up

Cc:

[Reply] [Forward] [Delete] [Move]

How is my proposal? Did they like my masterpiece? Finally, I have a TV show that will set the trend of Philippine broadcasting.

“How dare you!” I whispered to myself as I read Number One Fan’s email. “Management disapproved it because of you!. I won’t allow you to destroy my reputation just like that.”

I clicked on the Reply button and began typing a message.

To: numberonefan@sexwitheveryone.com

From: regine_stamaria@rmbn.com

Re: Follow up

Cc:

[Reply] [Forward] [Delete] [Move]

Programming disapproved your proposal. They want a different format. I will revise it myself. Thanks anyway.

Then I clicked the Send button and logged out of the internet.

THE PHONE RANG while I revised the proposal. I lifted the receiver and answered the call. “RMBN News, good morning,” I greeted.

“Wow, no more monitoring of calls,” Number One Fan scoffed. “After all, the one who issued the memo is now dead. You should have seen how I ambushed him. It was perfect!”

“Please, don’t disturb me,” I pleaded. “I have a deadline.”

I peeked at David’s table and saw him talking on the phone and holding a piece of paper.

“I just read your email,” said Number One Fan. “Send me your revisions now.”

“No,” I said. “This is my TV show.”

“Is that so?” threatened Number One Fan. “Then get ready, Miss Sta. Maria.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Number One Fan,” I replied, “whoever you are.”

I just heard a click as his answer.