It was the night of the Mr. Firefighters Philippines competition. Stan and the other 9 finalists who made it to the Top 10 during the preliminary were being briefed by the floor director about their duties onstage.
A few minutes later, lights flickered upon the stage to signal that the show was about to begin.
"Good evening everyone!" The host bellowed, his voice boom across the room. "Tonight we have not just one but ten smoldering hunky firefighters competing for the "Mr. Firefighter Philippines Competition!"
The resulting roar seemed to shake the ground.
Stan whimpered slightly.
He felt transported back to his schoolboy days - when he had to make a presentation in front of the whole class and come face-to-face with his stage fright.
"Inspector, good luck!" His team cheered him on from the sidelines.
Stan gave them a thumbs-up and a nervous smile. The stylist added a few final touches on his face and the last bit of hairspray in his hair.
"Without further ado, let's welcome the Top 10 Finalists of the Mr. Firefighter Philippines Competitiooooon!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
Like a deer in headlights, his eyes fixed on the blinding lights and raving crowd, Stan was hit by a jolt of nervousness before he stepped out on the stage. When the curtains finally opened, he saw familiar faces in the sea of people, which made the rest of the audience fall away like dust.
The contestants had props of their own in their hands. Some of them held axes and some even brought fire hoses. Stan gripped a bottle of water on his hand.
He strutted around the stage, and flashed his captivating smile to everyone in the audience.
Stan opened his bottle of water, pretended to drink from it, but then, he decided to lift the bottle over his head and let the water fall all over him.
The crowd went berserk!
He shook his head from side to side, ran his hands through his hair, and let the excess water drip onto his stomach and the waistband of his pants.
For the next thirty minutes, ten strapping men in bunker pants showcased their striking physiques. Soon all ten firefighters were lined up across the mini stage facing out toward the audience, fully and elegantly-clothed in Barong Tagalog – the national costume of Filipino men.
Each firefighter was handed the microphone to introduce themselves. After which they were given 30 seconds to answer the same question from the host.
The firefighter with spiky hair introduced himself with great confidence. "Hi, I'm Patrick del Mundo, Senior Fire Officer 4 of Madlang Awa Fire Station. I look forward to being the first ever Mr. Firefighter Philippines."
A few more firefighters introduced themselves on the mic. Then it was finally Stan's turn.
"Hi, I'm Inspector Eugenio Estanislao Buenaobra but you can call me Stan. I'm from San Isidro Fire Station," he greeted in his smooth, well-modulated voice.
The crowded venue resounded with cheers and applause.
"Why do you think you deserve to win the title of this year's Mr. Firefighter Philippines that will represent our country at the upcoming Mr.Firefighter World Competition?" asked the host.
"There is more to me than six pack abs, strong arms and charming smile. I have a Bachelor's degree in nursing and I'm a board topnotcher. I also teach Fire and EMS classes at our state colleges. Ladies, I am a smart, caring human being, not just some dumb hunk of meat to be ogled." Stan grinned for good measure as he wiped the sheen of perspiration from his face.
The audience went wild and the throng of women in front screamed their hearts out.
After thorough deliberations from the competition judges, the winner was announced. Inspector Eugenio Estanislao Buenaobra will soon fly to Australia to represent the Philippines in Mr. Firefighter World Competition!
A victory grin was plastered on Stan's face.
Stan would be given a six months to prepare for the next leg of the competition. If he was reluctant to join this type of competition before, now he found himself thinking he'd be damned if he didn't win the title of Mr. Firefighter World!