Groom For Hire

Yves adjusted the collar of his white undershirt before putting on his black slacks and a modernized white barong—a paper-thin long-sleeved shirt made of silk. Traditionally, it was made of fibers from pineapple leaves with handmade embroideries, but the fabric used still retained its see-through effect.

Moments later, Yves stepped into their office and knocked on Michelle's door. He heard the approaching click of stilettos from the inside, followed by the twisting sound of the doorknob.

"Come in." Michelle's cheery smile dazzled him as she opened the door. "Our client is on the way. Let's just wait—oh! Actually, she's here. Hi, Emie! Welcome to Rigma Protection Agency."

Yves turned to the hallway and spotted a young woman with luscious, wavy hair that reached past her waist. He expected nothing since he's not interested in women, but he would admit she looked decent and beautiful.

After a brief introduction to each other, Michelle led them inside her office to discuss the terms of the contract. His client was an up and rising travel vlogger whose name he had never heard of, but she went under the name Emie. Her channel, Emie Escapades, had close to a million subscribers. And by close to a million, she meant 450K followers and counting.

Yves was sure that was far from a million. Close to half a million, maybe, but that was not his business anymore. His job was simple, and that was to keep her safe while documenting her experience in Baguio City.

Apparently, Emie got harassed on her previous vlogging adventures, so she decided to hire a bodyguard. It will only last for a few days though since she was unsure if she could keep a long-term bodyguard.

Well, it's his first client under Rigma Protection Agency, so it can't be that bad.

"So when are you going to start filming your Baguio vlog, Emie?" Michelle asked.

"Today, supposedly. I don't want to waste time. I still have to edit everything before I upload them on Saturday." Emie leaned closer to Michelle, eyes darting to Yves for a second. "Um, can I ask a question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Emie pointed at him. "He's... the one you're assigning to be my bodyguard?"

Michelle smiled knowingly. "Yes. Is there a problem?"

"Well, I don't want to sound rude, but isn't he a little..." Emie paused to find the right descriptor that wouldn't offend him. She found none. "Look, I am not renting a groom for hire. I am looking to hire a bodyguard that can ensure my safety."

Yves looked down at his attire as Michelle let out a chuckle. What was so funny about his clothes? It was the uniform they issued to him.

"Miss Montero, Yves had taken a proper training. He can do the job," Michelle said.

Emie, however, still didn't look convinced. "But he looks a lot like the kids being bullied in my school. Can he even throw a proper punch? What if I get mugged while filming? I once lost a video cam because someone snatched it."

Yves resisted the urge to roll his eyes while Michelle kept the smile on her face as Emie started listing more of her tragic experiences. Though they couldn't exactly blame her worries, so they just let her speak.

While Yves was not a scrawny person, he had a smaller frame and looked nowhere near the typical bodyguard with bulging muscles. Then there were his rounded eyeglasses due to poor eyesight that made him looked like a certain wizard kid in a book.

It made him want to consider taking anabolic steroids just to look like a bodybuilding menace. But he'd rather not risk his health just to appease people. And he wanted to keep his relationship too, so either Emie trust that he can do the job, or she can start considering self-defense and martial arts.

"... and there's this one time—"

"Miss Montero," Michelle cut their client's rant with a gentle but firm voice. "I can assure you. Yves is very capable of doing his job. More than qualified, even. You have no idea how many high-profile names would die to have him as their bodyguard, including a certain congressman."

Yves fought hard not to object because the certain congressman was trying to hire him for an entirely different reason. It shut Emie up effectively though, so he kept his mouth sealed as well.

But the lady who went through countless negotiations to scout him was far from over.

Michelle stood from her recliner chair and walked around her desk to stand behind him, resting a hand over his shoulder. "This boy is the future of Rigma Protection Agency. The only reason you can afford his services right now is because you will be his first client under my supervision. And that's after he rejected the congressman's offer. Aren't you the luckiest?"

"H-He rejected the congressman's offer?" Emie questioned in disbelief. "Wait, who's this congressman who wanted to hire him?"

"I'm afraid I can't disclose that information, Miss Montero. But of course, if you're still not convinced, then I am not going to force you. You are still a valued client of my agency, so I can assign a different agent, if that's what you wish. Someone equally worth the penny you're investing your life with."

Yves felt a sweat dropped on his forehead despite the fully air-conditioned room. Their Operations Manager was building him up too much, but it seemed effective as Emie fell in a contemplative silence.

Honestly, he was bad at negotiations. With people always questioning his ability to do his job, he often had to take on shady clients who only viewed him as another disposable meat shield. With Michelle, she saw him as a cash cow that can bring more money into her business. Not that it made him feel any better, but at least she's treating him as someone valuable.

"Alright," Emie finally said. "I'll have him as my bodyguard. It's not like I'm doing vlogs in war zones like Marawi City."

Michelle chuckled, exiting her bubble of vainglory as soon as the client said the words she wanted to hear. "This is Baguio City. It's among the top ten safest cities in South East Asia. Of course, that's not to say there are no crimes around. That would be impossible, but that's why we're here."

"R-Right." Emie laughed along as she stood from her chair. She looked at him and stuck a hand for him to shake. "Looking forward to working with you?"

Yves stood and accepted, giving her hand a firm shake. "Thank you for giving me a chance, Ma'am. I've been living here since college, so I'm familiar with the place. My partner is also a historian and has taught me about the history of the city. I hope that can help."

Emie's eyes shone with genuine interest. "That's perfect! Now, I feel bad for doubting you. I'm sorry about that. I just had an awful experience, and I wanted to make sure."

"It's okay. I understand."

"Thank you. Um... can I make a request?"

Yves' eyebrows rose and looked at Michelle before returning his gaze back to Emie. "What is it?"

Emie scratched her nape with an awkward laugh. "Is it okay if you just change into a more casual clothes? You really look like a groom for hire."

Michelle gave an amused snort. "I'll request a short-sleeved one and a jacket. You can even make him wear a loincloth. It's acceptable here."

"Please, no. I'd rather not attract attention from other tourists while on duty," Yves said.

While he's not ashamed to wear the indigenous tribal clothing, subtlety was his best asset as a bodyguard and he preferred to keep it that way. Besides, that's more of Timothy's interest since his boyfriend was a half-Igorot—an ethnic person living in the mountains of Cordillera.

"That would be interesting," Emie said. "I also want to shoot a video where I'm wearing a tribal clothing."

Yves could only sigh. This was going to be a tiring job.