We might've not reached the 100k reads mark at this moment, but I know everyone can't wait for this special chapter! I hope you'll enjoy it and leave some feedback! And yes, this would be the first of five special chapters!
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Special Chapter 1
New Year, New Me
"Madame Trudy, thank you for the opportunity to work with you again. This mean so much to me."
"Of course, dear. You deserved it." Trudy giggled and hold my hand. "All the things you are achieving right now is because of you. I'm sure this won't be the last and I'm pretty confident that you'll also pave your way to other countries. I mean, there are already offers from the US, right?"
"Yes, there are a few brands but I'm kind of leaning into helping the small businesses. If you know what I mean."
"Oh, dear, yes! Use your platform creatively and decisively. And this is my usual reminder from every person I met. Don't abuse what you have. But I'm sure you won't do anything bad because you already have a reputation and an image they are going after. You're already someone they're looking after so I'm proud of you."
"Merci, madame. You made me teary-eyed."
"Oh, s'il vous plait! Don't ruin your makeup."
I chuckled. "You're so lovely, madame."
"C'est vrai!" She giggled. "And oh, don't forget about the party tonight, okay? You already have the invitation so I'm expecting to see you there. Wear your best outfit—because you know, there will other who would wear so much more than just a dress," she laughed.
"I'll accept the challenge, madame," ganado kong sagot.
Mayamaya lang ay may lumapit na staff at kinuha ang kanyang atensyon. She then excused herself kaya nagpaalam na rin ako. Kinuha ko naman ang gamit ko sa dressing room at papalabas na sana ako ng room nang biglang may sumalubong sa akin pagkapasok.
Natigilan pa ako at napatitig sa mga mata niya. I'm out of idea how to escape this situation kaya inunahan ko na siyang iwasan ng tingin. I know we remained friend's pero hindi ko pa rin naman maalis sa isipan ko 'yong mga nangyari. Sometimes, it made me feel awful for thinking, but sometimes I think he deserved to get that treatment as well. But we ended things on a good term kaya walang problema. It's just awkward to see him after all these days.
"Salut, Cosette," bati nito sa akin.
"Salut!" I greeted him pero hindi ko na binanggit ang pangalan niya. Maybe Amauree would love to scream his name at all times lalo na't buntis siya ngayon. She needed all the help. And just by thinking of it, Cashel could be a good father figure to her child. "Are you also part of Miss Trudy's project?"
He nodded at me. "Oui. She didn't tell you?"
Napangiwi naman ako. I don't wanna lie pero inamin ko na lang din naman. "She does pero hindi ko naman in-expect na magkikita tayong dalawa ngayon."
"Same," he said, nodding his head. "Miss Trudy told me she also got you on this project and she asked me if I will be comfortable with it. I told her that it would be fine as long it would be fine for you. Did she ask you about it?"
Tumango naman ako sa sinabi niya. That's why Miss Trudy told it right after offering this project to me. Wala naman talagang problema sa akin. Nagkausap na rin naman kaming dalawa. We already settled everything before the new year's came so we both believe na we're on a good terms. Na hindi na dapat namin isipin iyong mga bagay na nangyari nakaraang taon.
"She did..."
He chuckled. "So why would you ask why I was here?"
"Bet ko lang." Tawa ko pa ng mahina.
"So how was it?"
"How was what?" I wondered.
"Everything?"
"Oh," I muttered. "I did a shoot and an interview. 'Yon lang naman. What about you?"
"I will do the same thing you did," he said. "I'm sure you did great at it. You're doing a lot of stuff lately and I'm proud of you, Cosette. Well, I just need to tell you that. We never saw each other again, e."
"Yeah... I see..."
"But you'll be at the party tonight, right?" he asked. I shrugged and frowned a little. "Why you're not sure? You should be there. You deserved to be there. And... and if you don't want me to be there then I won't go so you can enjoy the party and meet everyone else."
My brow arched when he said that. "Bakit mo naman nasabi 'yan? Why wouldn't I not wanted you to be there? Like I don't have the authority to do that, but it doesn't really matter. You should be there."
"Sure." Ngiti pa nito sa akin. "But if you're not comfort—"
"Cash," pagbanggit ko sa pangalan niya kaya hindi na niya itinuloy ang sasabihin niya. "We're fine and cool, 'di ba? Wala naman siguro dapat pang hindi ika-komportable. We've already settled it before and I'm sure we've already passed from it. Wala na naman sa akin 'yon. We've learned from it pa nga."
"Yeah, yeah..." aniya saka tumango. But I can sense that there's something wrong, but I'm not going to impose myself as if I wanted to push myself to him. Ang pagiging magkaibigan namin ay ayos na sa akin. I won't ask for more. Iyon naman talaga ang mahalaga. I value our friendship na naman.
"But hey, how's Amauree? Is she doing well?"
He quickly nodded. "Oui. She's getting moody sometimes, but it's tolerable. Don't you tell her about this, but she's getting pretty big now—you know chubby because of her pregnancy?" He laughed.
I chuckled. "She must be craving a lot."
"She does... she does." Tango pa nito sa akin. "You must be doing great at what you do now, Cosette."
"Yeah, you just said that a moment earlier, Cash." Hagikgik ko pa. "But yeah, I'll just repeat my answer. I'm doing great these days, Cash. There were quite a few opportunities that really helped me to pay my bills. Being invited to be in one of Trudy's influential people in Paris was already too much for me. Even though we don't work at exact time and moment, it's nice to be with you on this project."
"I've been wanting to work with you again, Cosette. But I hope we could actually collaborate in some other time? Like out of Trudy's project?"
"Pag-iisipan ko 'yan," sagot ko sa kanya. "But I'm not gonna say anything muna kasi alam mo na, busy rin naman ako sa work ko. But I'm going to consider your offer. I would love to work with you again."
"Je suis impatiente de voir ça." Ngisi pa nito. (I'll be looking forward to it.)
I chuckled. "Bien sûr," I smiled. "Hey, I won't keep you up now. Miss Trudy must be waiting for you now. You should go and prepare na. Ang laking abala ko talaga." (Of course.
He shook his head and made a lopsided grin. "You won't be a bother to me, Cosette."
"Well..." I shrugged off. "See you tonight?"
He nodded. "Vous voir ce soir, Cosette." (See you tonight, Cosette)
When I turned my back from him, I walked away. Nang medyo makalayo-layo na ako ay dahan-dahan akong lumingon pabalik sa direksyon kung saan ako nanggaling, but he's not there anymore. I heaved out a deep sigh and walked out of the building.
I'm not avoiding Cashel, but as much as possible, a little interaction with him would be fine. I don't know what will happen at the party later, but I'm hoping that good things will happen tonight. Cashel and I are in good terms, but I'm low key distancing myself from him because I respect Amauree. Even though he's not the father of her child, he took responsibility of her so engaging with him isn't a good thing.
But would I accept his collaboration offer? Probably.
I scooped my phone out of my pocket and dialled Victor's number. Hindi pa man katagalan ay sinagot na kaagad niya ang tawag ko.
"Salut!" bungad nito sa akin. "Où es-tu?" (Hello! Where are you?)
"I'm going home, but where are you?" I asked.
"Somewhere you're not aware of." Ngisi pa nito. "Anyway, tell me your location and I'll meet you there."
"I just left Trudy's studio so there's no place for me to go," sagot ko sa kanya. "It's either I'll go straight back to my apartment or do something before the party tonight? I'm not sure. What do you think?"
"What did you just say, Cosette?" he asked.
"Uh... going back to my apartment?"
"No, the second one," pagpunto pa niya.
"Oh, it's Miss Trudy's party later."
"Can I come?" he asked, a bit of hope came out of his tone.
"Hmmm... I'm not sure about that, Vic. But I have to be there by six. The event starts at six so I also don't wanna be late."
"It's just an hour past noon, you still have more time. What do you think so? Let's talk, eat, and do some shopping. I know you love shopping so you won't decline my invitation."
I grunted and rolled my eyes. "Of course, why I would?"
"Text me your location and I'll be right there in a second."
"Je vais le faire!" I answered. "Vous voir dans un instant!" (I will! See you in a moment!)
After ending my call with him, I send him our meeting place. He's right, I still have time for preparation pa naman for the party tonight. I'm still deciding whether I would accept Cashel's offer or not. Baka kasi kapag tinanggihan ko, he would think na masyadong big deal pa rin sa akin 'yon. And if I would accept his offer, people would suspect a lot of things about us working back together.
If that happens, handa naman ako sa magiging outcome, but I'm just trying to point out that people might take it the wrong way. Na idinadala na namin sila sa isang showmance o kung ano man ang gusto nilang isipan do'n. People just don't mind their own business and because we're a public figure, sometimes it really hurts to be judged by something that isn't true.
Humugot na lamang ako ng malalim na hininga at naghintay ng masasakyan upang puntahan ang coffee shop kung saan kami magkikita ni Victor. Well, I needed some time to think about what will happen tonight so I guess Victor could help me to figure out on some things I should do.
Not that long when the car I booked came to pick me up, it also didn't take me too long to finally reached the meeting place where Victor would meet me. I should be preparing for the party now because I know some of them would spend six hours of preparation just to look glamorous and all.
Ang sa akin lang, I don't have to do those kind of things. Hindi ko kailangan magpakabongga para lang hangaan ng ibang tao. Inalis ko na sa katawan ko ang pagiging insecure ko at hindi na importante sa akin kung may ikagaganda pa sa hitsura ko ngayon kasi mas better sila.
If they are beautiful with how they looked, that's just because they spend time and money to it. I don't have the luxury to do those things. I can be simpler and can be elegant naman in my own way. One person wasn't define by how she really look—but people sometimes based their judgement on physical looks, well, problema na nila 'yon, but for me tonight—or if I'm going to that party, I'll stand out in a simplest way.
Because nothing beats a lady with a class and decency.
The coffee shop was located just around 9th arrondissement. I was about to get inside the premises to grab some coffee when Victor texted me that he's already near my location so I waited a few moments until he come around and greeted me with so much energy. Drain na drain na nga ako from my work all this week and then my project with Trudy, but I guess this kind of exhaustions is what I really need after all.
"Salut!" pagbati nito sa akin nang makalapit. "Avez-vous été ici depuis longtemps?" (Hello! Have you been here long enough?)
Umiling naman ako. "Non. I just came here a few moments ago. You're at your work?" (No.)
He shook his head. "I have no work today."
"And how did you got here so fast? You work at the 13th, right?"
"Oui, et comme je l'ai dit, Je n'ai pas de travail aujourd'hui," he explained. "I visit a friend just around the 3rd so I came here as fast as I can. So, what's the news, Cosette?" (Yes and how come I say that, I don't have a work today.)
"Let's just dig in right after we got our coffee and some seat, alright?"
"Bien!" (Alright!)
I wrapped my hand around his arm as we head inside the coffee shop. Seats and tables were placed outside of the premises. As soon as we ordered our coffees and breads in the counter, we then look for vacant seats and table just when we got out of the store. Fortunate of us, Victor immediately occupied a table that I had to run following him behind.
"Para kang baliw. Kala mo naman mauunahan," tawa ko pa sabay palo sa balikat niya. Tiningnan naman niya ako ng buong pagtataka sa mukha. He clearly didn't understand what I've said and that's fine. He doesn't have to know it. "Don't worry. Don't mind what I said. Anyway, let's talk about what happened earlier in Trudy's studio."
"I'm all ears and yours, Cosette—I mean, not completely—"
I laughed. "I know. I basically understand you. So... let's discuss what happened at my photo shoot and interview. "Oooh! Elle t'a demandé si tu avais un autre scandale?" (Oooh! Did she ask you if you have another scandal?)
Pinalo ko naman siya. He didn't react naman. "No! It's not like that! We're past over that situation. And what happened with Chevy before has been resolved now. Oh gosh! If I keep remembering what happened last year, I just wanted to peel my own skin. I just hated it."
"Okay, move on, Cosette. So, what happened?"
"Well, everything was interesting. The photo shoot was tiring, but I have fun trying different outfits and I'm not sure what photo will be shown in the magazine. It was just shown in me, but I don't have the final say what was best or not."
"I'm sure they'll pick the interesting one again," Victor grinned. And I know what he was talking about. I thought Trudy wouldn't include the kiss I had with Cashel before, but it turns out that it became one of the controversial and talk-about magazine because of that unexpected kiss. Then we were tagged as showmance couple—because what we had was a romance for a show. And I admit it.
"I hope not." Buntong-hininga ko pa.
"And what about the interview portion? How did it go?"
I shrugged off. "It was fine. Just some general information and quite personal, but I answer it professionally so I hope they won't rephrase everything what I just said. It's their words against mine. I hate it when I became the center of the attention."
"You should get used to it though," he said.
Napahugot ako ng malalim na hininga. "I know and I promised that this new year's that I'll do better and here's my dilemma."
Umayos naman ng pagkakaupo si Victor at uminom sa kanyang kape. "Oooh, here's my favorite part. Spill it, darling. I'm drinking coffee, but I need some tea."
I chuckled. "Well, I just met Cashel there."
He almost spitted the coffee from his mouth to me, but good thing he recovered immediately from that reaction.
"Ce qui la baise? Donc, avez-vous les gars embrasser de nouveau?" he questioned. (What the fuck? So did you guys kiss again?)
I glared at him and shook my head. "We didn't, okay? We would never ever kiss again. Even though his lips tastes like wine, I won't do it again. As if I still have the chance to do it when he's all about Amauree, Amauree—that's just tiring to hear when he talks about her."
"So you're still mad at him and at her?"
Umiling naman ako ng dahan-dahan sa tanong niya. "No? Why would I still be mad at them? We already settled everything before new year's so there's no remorse or anything that was left on our plates. It's just that... we had a history and that history was becoming a couple and that didn't happen because there were—you know what, we really don't need to talk about this."
He grunted, rolling his eyes as if I'm cutting his excitement by not continuing the discussion. "Comme c'est gentil," he sarcastically said. (How nice.)
I scrunched my face. "It's not nice when he's expecting me to have a collaboration with him."
"Et où est le problème?" he questioned. (And what's the problem with that?)
"People might think that... we're getting back together."
I thought I was serious enough with my answer, but then he just laughed it off. Tinitigan ko naman siya ng masama pero hindi rin effective so I had to wait him calm down.
"Bon, continuer," he said. (Okay, continue.)
I rolled my eyes. "I thought about that because people might assume that we're getting back together. You know how people manipulated when they saw images that will surface online and they started making assumptions."
"But it's just a collaboration. A work. So, why are you so worried about getting on that issue? Don't you want to be with Cashel again?"
"Huh? Why would I—" I paused and took a second to process what he said. "Cashel and I was never in a relationship—the real one so he was never mine and I'm not getting him back because he's not mine in the first place. Amauree does."
He sighed. "You're the one who said that Amauree only wants Cashel's help, but by not the father of her child."
"I have a guess he would step up and own that child."
"He's too young to be a father," Victor said. "He won't own that child, believe me. He might support them financially, but he won't make the child known that he was the father because in the first he's not. You can still have him if you want or if you don't, Chevy's still there."
I smirked. "No, not that douche!"
"Excusez moi." Lumipad ang tingin namin sa tumawag sa aming dalawa ni Victor. Napatitig na lang din naman ako sa mukha niya. He's a local from how he looks. I just couldn't distinguish it more dahil naka-shades siya pero halata naman sa tangos ng ilong at tulis ng adams apple niya. I also noticed the silver bullet necklace he had. It could be fake. He also had a great French accent. Literal na hinangin ang utak ko kasi hindi ko naintindihan. "Je peux t'emprunter cette chaise?" (Excuse me! May I borrow this chair?)
"Oui, oui, oui! Allez!" Victor said, waving his hand that he can take the chair away from us. (Yes, yes, yes! Go on!)
"Merci beaucoup!" Ngiti pa nito sa amin. I was in awe because of how low his tone is. (Thank you so much!)
When the stranger took the seat and turned his attention away from us, when I shifted my sight back to Victor, he's smiling like crazy at me.
I squinted my eyes. "What did I do now?"
"You seemed like you found your boyfriend on how you look at him."
Agad naman akong umiling para depensahan ang sarili ko. "No! I do not!"
Aambang tatayo sana si Victor para lapitan 'yong lalaki pero agad ko naman siyang pinigilan na gawin 'yon. Aamba rin akong aalis at iiwanan ko siya kaya hindi na niya itinuloy. I crossed my arms while he laughed it off. Alam kong inaasar lang ako nito Victor and he's loving it.
"He's cute, you know?" Victor added. "Do you want me to know his name?"
"Victor!" I exclaimed, gritting my teeth.
He laughed it off and then I grabbed my purse. "I'm leaving!"
"No, you're not!" sigaw pa nito sa akin.
"I am!"
Tumayo na ako at agad din naman niya akong hinabol. As I'm walking away, nahabol na niya rin naman ako at pinalibot niya ang kamay niya sa braso ko.
"So, you were talking about a party earlier while were on the phone, right?"
I slowly nodded. "Oui. And so?"
"We're going shopping!" he exclaimed.
Umiling naman ako sa kanya at inalis ko ang pagkakapulupot niya sa braso ko. "No. I'm not going to spend any money now. I need to save up."
"What are you saving up? On your wedding day with Cashel?"
"Not funny anymore, Vic," usal ko. "I think I'm going home now and prepared for tonight."
"Can I come?"
I shrugged. "I'm not sure... but because this is an exclusive party, I guess not? But I'll try to ask if I can."
"Ask it now."
"No, Trudy's busy."
"Just ask, Cosette," pagpupumilit pa niya.
I grunted and fished my phone out of my purse and gave Trudy a call. Inakala ko pang hindi niya sasagutin ang tawag ko, but a few seconds ay sinagot na niya rin ito.
"Salut, Cosette! Did you forget anything in the studio?" she asked.
"No, nothing. I'm sorry for disturbing you. I know you're busy, but I would just like to know if I can bring a plus one to the party tonight?"
"Is it a fan? A close friend? Or a family? Because I'm afraid to say that fans aren't allowed in the party, Cosette. It's very exclusive just for all of us."
"I see, but I won't be bringing a fan. It's just my friend. He's asking if he could come with me."
"Oh..." she muttered then it was a long pause. "Sure, he can come with you."
"Merci, miss!"
"De rien, Cosette. I'll be hanging up now, okay?"
"Of course, thank you and see you at the party later!"
"Même que moi!" she said then ended the call. (Same as me!)
When I put my phone down and announced what Trudy said to me, halos magdiwang na si Victor sa ibinalita ko sa kanya kaya naman hindi na ako nakapalag pa nang yayain niya akong mag-shopping. I also think I need to look for new dresses or gowns to wear to the party later.
I just hope this day won't be so bad. I'll just enjoy this party if that's what I should do then I will. As if I have another choice.
Victor and I booked a car and headed to the mall and went straight to the branded clothing stores which I highly doubt I would buy something expensive this time. Madalas nga ay umaasa na lang ako minsan sa sponsors ko. I highly get some branded stuff from every brand who tried reaching out to me. I make money out of using my influence on any of my platforms and it's quite good to share a voice to everyone.
Sometimes they might hate me, call me out for some reasons and if I did a mistake, inaaako ko rin naman kaagad at dali-dali akong mag-aapology for the wrong things I've done. I've learned my lessons way too hard last year. Iyon ang gusto kong baguhin this year. I just wanna kept this year as good as possible.
"What do you think you should wear?" Victor asked me.
"Something pretty and elegant. It's not necessarily have to be expensive, but when I wear it, I would like one—an expensive item. Do you get me?"
He nodded. "Of course, of course. We should try looking at the Victoria's."
"No," pagpigil ko sa kanya. "I'm not going to wear some lingerie. You know what, I don't even need to shop new clothes. I still have some dresses in my closet that I never got to wear so I think that'll be nice."
"This is an exemplary occasion, Cosette. You should be wearing something special!" pagpupumilit pa ni Victor.
"As if I'm going to make someone like me because of how I dress. That's not even my intention of going to the party."
And the he grinned from what I've just said. Napaikot na lamang ang mata ko at walang nagawa kung hindi ang sumama sa kanya at ipagpatuloy namin ang pag-iikot para mag-shopping. As if I'm going to spend thousands. Never.
We went into many stores until we finally saw an interesting clothes that could be great for the party tonight. Victor picked the dresses for me and I kept rejecting every dress he showed to me. As if I would thought of buying it, masasayang lang if I'm going to use it tonight and have to wait for a few months to wear it again.
Wearing repetitive clothes are a big backlash for celebrities and public figures. Hindi man ako gano'n kapansin sa mundo ng showbiz sa Pinas, I still do the routine of wearing clothes after a few months if I happened to wear them. Minsan occasionally I would pair the used clothes with other stuff para hindi maghalatang luma.
Karamihan kasi sa mga bashers laging tinitira ang mga isinusuot ng mga celebrity lalo na pagdating sa mga big stars. Na kesyo wala ng pera o kaya naman, wala ng ibang masuot na damit. If they just knew that one of the biggest stars in the Philippines, kinuha lamang ng isang clothing line to endorse their product, her talent fee cost up to 60 million by contract. And who would think na walang pambili ang mga big stars? This is a fact. She's been patronizing worldwide too for her beautiful face.
And it's okay to wear repetitive clothes. People in the showbiz and bashers should normalize it. The most ruined clothes are the comfiest and that's just a fact. I have a favorite shirt and pajama. Even underwear and I still wear them if I needed much comfort.
It makes me happy. It makes me reminded of who I really am as a person.
Wala naman kasing masama ro'n. Marami lang talagang issue at negative sa mundo. It's just what they do and love to do, so we have to ignore them and live on our own accords. That should be the only way it has to be.
"What do you think about this, Cos?" tanong ni Victor. Ipinakita niya sa akin ang isang fuchsia satin cocktail dress and the cleavage neckline close lace up. Naningkit naman ang mata ko as I'm trying to examine the dress if it really suits when I'll wear it. "You'll be pretty with this dress."
"I don't know..."
"Then try it! We won't leave not until you bought a dress for yourself!"
I grunted, rolling my eyes. "Sure. Let me fit that first—oh! This is a backless."
"Even more interesting," Victor grinned, wiggling his brows. "Now, fit it and buy it right after."
"I'll try it first before buying it, Vic!"
"Whatever." He laughed. "Now go on, you don't have any time left."
I snatched the dress from his hand and then the staff assisted me to go to the fitting room so I can try the dress. When I got inside the fitting room, I look around to check if there are hidden cameras or the mirror in front of me was a two-way-reflected-mirror and that's just me being paranoid.
I hanged the dress first then remove my shirt and then my skirt. I was wearing underpants naman so it doesn't made me so anxious at all. I took the dress and turned to face the mirror then positioned the dress in front of me.
"I mean... it's not bad at all..." I muttered as I examined it.
Sinimulan ko na rin namang suotin iyon. It's really not that hard to wear it when has an open back and I just had to reach the zipper just above my waist and zipped it up. I checked myself and turned around and puffed my dress as if making it sure it doesn't cracked me up when I wore it. When I thought it's pretty suited for me, lumabas ako ng fitting room to find out that Victor was already waiting for me.
"Girl." He muttered as he saw me wearing it. Napatakip pa siya sa kanyang bibig as if he's impressed and excited for me to buy it. Hinawakan niya ako at inikot para makita ang kabuuan nito. Nagtatalon-talon naman si Victor dahil he knew how perfect the dress was for me. "You need to buy this, Cosette. You'll surely get Cashel's attention with this."
I frowned when he said that. "I'm not going to wear this for Cashel. I will wear this for myself and not for anyone."
"So, you're going to buy it?" he grinned.
I took a deep breath and sighed, nodding my head. "Yes, I am."
"And fortunate of me, I found a pretty necktie that suits the color of your dress." Pinakita naman niya sa akin ang fuchsia polka dots na necktie. "Isn't it pretty, right?"
Tumango naman ako. "Yeah, it does... so we're going to the party as a pair?"
"Could be," he said. "But not a couple. I already have white coat in my closet and this is something I would love to use for tonight."
"So, I'm going to spend five hundred fifty euros for this dress and you're just going to buy a necktie?"
He nodded so diligently. "Yeah, this cost 85 euros so it's still expensive for me."
"As if I still have a choice. Let's go to the cashier na."
The staff assisted us to the counter and we paid for it. Hindi na rin naman kami nagtagal ni Victor na mag-ikot-ikot pa because we still need to prepare for tonight. I headed straight back home while he had to go back to his place to prepare there. His clothes are there so I took my time showering 'cause I still have three hours and I know time will speed up eventually when I'm not aware of.
It took me half an hour just for taking a shower. Pinalibot ko ang tuwalya sa buhok ko para matuyo ito at pinatong ko muna iyon just to leave it for a few minutes while preparing everything.
I thought the dress would be look better if its pairs up with nude stiletto. Nang maihanda ko na rin naman ang mga make-ups ko. When I removed the towel from my hair, nagdalawang isip pa ako kung anong style ang gagawin ko. I don't want to get uncomfortable on how my hair looks so I thought I'll make it simpler than complicating it.
I started drying up my hair with a blower and when it seems soft and straight, I plugged in the straighter which took me a lot of time that Victor ended up seeing still not halfway of my look for the night.
"Do you want me to help you?" he asked.
"Oui, sil vous plait?" I winced.
He sighed, dropping his shoulder. "Sur. What should I do now?"
"Straighten my hair or do you think I would look good if it's curly?" I asked him and then he imagined it by looking at me from the mirror. Hinawakan naman niya ang buhok ko at saka pinaglaruan ng daliri niya.
"Hm..." he hummed. "I think you'll looked better if it's just straight, but let's use ponytail just low so it'll show the shape of your head. You have small head so I think it's better for you to do that instead. Shall we do it now?"
"Let's go. We don't have much time left."
"I knew that so we gotta hurry up," Victor said, taking his coat off and started straightening my hair with the hair iron. It took us half an hour din to finish it through the end.
"I think it's enough na," aniko.
But then he shook his head. "I don't think so... let's tie it up. You'll look perfect with it."
As usual, hindi na ako pumalag sa kagustuhan ni Victor and his opinion on what I dress really matters to me. He splits my hair not into half but third-half on the left and one-fourth left on my right. He then had to tie up lowly, just right into the back of my neck.
"Are you pretty now?" Victor asked as he leaned his face closely to mine. "Of course, you are. You're my creation. Now, let's go with the accessories."
"No, I don't—" Hindi ko na naituloy ang sasabihin ko nang pandilatan niya ako ng mata. I zipped my mouth and let him continue what he was doing. Kinuha niya ang jewelry box ko at pumili siya ro'n ng mga accessories na babagay sa outfit ko. He then picked the big white pearl and I thought it's nice and looked so sophisticated kaya pumayag na rin ako. After that, he told me to wear light make-up. Not too much eye shadow—in short, everything should be lightened.
An hour before the event start, I just finished everything and had to wear my dress na. Victor helped me to put it on because I can't handle it on my own. I even asked if I should wear a scarf and wrap it around my shoulder so I won't get cold, but Victor disagreed as if he's not a fan of my suggestion.
"Would Cashel pick you up?" Victor asked when we're about to leave.
Napaningkit naman ang mata ko sa sinabi niya. "No... he's not going to pick me up. Why would you asked that though?"
He shrugged off. "Nothing... I just thought he would."
"Sad to say, but he's not."
"Oh, well, you can't resist him, Cos. He'll be back."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go, we don't have the luxury to be late."
"Bien sur!" Victor said. "Allez-vous!" (Of course! Let's go!)
Victor and I booked a car and it'll take us only twenty minutes to go to the events place and we still have less of an hour when we arrived there. And I think it's nice to be punctual rather than being late and getting a lot of attention. Some might light that, but I'm not that kind of person who's willing to take all the attention away.
"Kinakabahan ako," I muttered.
"What did you just say?" Victor asked, scrunching his face.
"I said I'm nervous."
Mas kumunot pa ang mukha niya. "For what?"
"Everything... I guess." And then I took a deep breath as if it's the only resort I can do now.
Victor smirked. "I don't think there's something to be nervous about this, Cosette. You just need to have fun and talk to everyone. I think I would do that tonight. You should do that. And I think there's no harm in meeting new people. Even though they are all popular, you still have something in you. You're one of the fastest influencers who gained a lot of attention, not just in Paris, but internationally, right? I know some people there are only famous in France so you're more than them, alright?"
I took a deep breath again. Minsan malaking bagay ang mga advices ni Victor sa akin. Nakakatulong talaga siya for me to lessen overthinking about things. If he's not with me tonight, hindi ko alam kung anong mangyayari sa akin ngayong gabi.
When we passed through the entrance of the Mandarin Oriental, Victor and I were shocked to find that there were paparazzi lined up outside the premises. At napansin din naman na naghahanda pa lamang sila sa mga bisitang paparating and we're too early to step out of the car and head inside the venue. Nagkatitigan kaming dalawa ni Victor and we come up to a plan na magtagal muna ng mga fifteen minutes sa loob ng sasakyan.
We just had to pay the driver extra so he'll let us stay and how we took his time. Pumayag naman siya, mabuti naman. Victor said not to worry about it pero mas mukhang siya pa ang nag-wo-worry sa akin."
"I knew it! We're so early!" I muttered.
Gaya nga nang napagplanuhan namin, we stayed a little longer sa loob ng taxi until we noticed na nagsisimula na ring dumating ang mga guest. Nagbilang pa kami ng ilang pagdating ng mga guests bago namin napagpasyahan ni Victor na tumuloy na papasok sa building.
The building looked sophisticated and the architectural screams luxury. It has a modern type with an old detailed structure and that's how it gotten so gorgeous.
"Combien de temps allons-nous attendre?" banas na tanong ng driver. (How long are we going to wait?)
"Je pense que nous sommes prêts," sagot ni Victor. (Je pense que nous sommes prêts.)
"We'll go now, sir. Just drop us in front of the building."
"D'accord, monsieur, s'il vous plait," dagdag ni Victor. (Right, sir, please.)
The driver drove the car in front of the Mandarin Oriental. Pagkahinto pa lamang ng sasakyan ay agad na nakatutok ang mga paparazzi sa direksyon namin. Humugot naman muli ako ng malalim na hininga upang ihanda ko ang sarili ko sa paglabas namin ng sasakyan. Victor paid the driver and then we finally opened the car and the flashes of camera started to blind us.
Nakangiti lang naman ako all throughout and I'm not sure how I really look. Magkasama naming tinahak ni Victor ang red carpet floor. There were a few photographers who wanted to get a full shot of our outfits and we gave them an opportunity to do it. May isa namang reporter ang tumawag ng pansin sa akin kaya lumapit ako sa kanya.
"Bonsoir, Cosette!" pagbati ng babaeng reporter. (Good evening, Cosette!)
"Bonsoir," sagot ko naman.
"Tu es si jolie ce soir. Tu es si magnifique dans ta robe. Qui que vous portez? Avez-vous une styliste?" sunod-sunod nitong tanong sa akin. (You look so pretty tonight. You're so gorgeous in your dress. Who you are wearing? Do you have any stylist?)
"Merci. And to answer your question, I just bought this dress earlier and here my friend was the one who styled me." Sagot ko at pinalibot ko ang kamay ko sa braso ni Victor.
"Si Je ne me trompe pas, vous êtes Victor Bonaventure, n'est-ce pas?" the reporter asked him. (If I'm not mistaken, you're Victor Bonaventure, right?)
Tumango naman si Victor. "Oui, madame. N'est-il pas assez, non?" (Yes, ma'am. Isn't it pretty, right?"
"Il est sûr." She said and then shifted her attention back to me. "Tu es si jolie, magnifique et parfaite ce soir. Avez-vous des dates de ce soir?" (Il est sûr. You're so pretty, gorgeous, and perfect tonight. Do you have any dates tonight?)
Napatingin pa ako kay Victor at binalingan ko muli ng tingin ang reporter at umiling. "Non. I don't have any dates. I mean, I'm with my friend here so I guess he's my date. And who should I be with tonight, right? No one."
"Cashel Corprew?" agad nitong tanong sa akin kaya naman natahimik bigla. "Oh, il y il est!" (Oh! There he is!)
Lumipad ang tingin namin ng sabihin niya 'yon and we found Cashel stepping out his car. At this moment, Victor was the one who immediately took me out of the conversation and pulled me to go to the event hall where all the guests are.
Nakahinga ako ng maluwag nang makalayo-layo kami.
"People kept doing that," usal ko.
"I know, but people were still hopeful about you and Cashel. I think they won't stop hoping that you and him would get back together."
"Not ever."
"Are you sure, Cosette?"
I shrugged off. "I mean, yes, but..."
"But what?"
I grunted and rolled my eyes. "Can we just enjoy this event tonight without talking about those things? We should have fun and all."
Victor smirked. "Peu Importe, Cosette." (Whatever, Cosette.)
It doesn't take us long when we finally reached the room where the event will be held. Binati naman kami ng ilang staff and the lead us to our table. Nasa isang malaking function room kami at sobrang liwanag ng buong paligid. There were so much gold, white, and crystals around the premises and everything screams luxury. Hindi naman maitatanggi ang yaman na tinataglay ni Trudy because of how she made this event possible.
"This really looked so expensive," komento ni Victor.
I nodded. "It does... I still can't believe we're here."
"I can't believe that I'm here right now," Victor said. "I've never been anywhere as glamorous like this place so thank you for taking me with you."
Napangisi naman ako sa sinabi niya. "As if you didn't make me."
"Yeah, I agree," Victor laughed.
Agad naman akong kinalabit ni Victor at pasimple niyang tinuro ang grand-doorway kung saan nakita naming kapapasok lamang ni Cashel sa event room. He was greeted by some staff and guests. When we was directed to his designated table, he then saw us only a few tables away from him and then he talked to the staff and I guess they agreed on some request he made. Saglit lang din ng pag-uusap nila ay tumungo si Cashel sa aming table.
"Bonsoir," pagbati nito sa amin. Binati rin namin siya ng ngiti.
He sat next to me and I noticed how Victor wanted to shake me furiously pero mabuti na lang ay hindi niya ginawa 'yon. Mabuti na lamang at kalmado siya ngayon.
"You're not with your wife, Cashel? Amauree, right?"
Cashel smirked and shook his head. "First of all, she's not my wife. I needed that to be clear. We're just friends and I wanted her to be here, but because she couldn't she had to stay home. Back in Beaujolais."
"Oh, she's not here in Paris?" I asked.
"No, I thought you knew?"
"No... why would I know about that?" sagot ko naman sa kanya.
"Touche. Well, she's in Beaujolais because she has all the resources she could have there. Her parents and all. If she's going to stay in Paris, I can't look out for her 24/7 because aside from Adie, I have a job and I can't be with her all time. But to be clear, she's not carrying my child."
Natawa naman si Victor. "Of course, we know that, Cash. Why do you have to impose that?"
"No, I didn't...I was—"
"Explaining?" pagpapatuloy ko naman sa sasabihin niya. "You don't actually have to explain it, Cash. Alam na naman namin."
"Whatever she said, yes, I agree," Victor nodded.
Cashel pressed his lips together and nodded his head. "Alright. And... you look so beautiful tonight, Cos. You always are."
"Merci beaucoup, Cash. You look so handsome, too."
"Merci, mademoiselle." He chuckled. "And oh! I didn't expect to see you here tonight, Victor."
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just here to experience the elegance. If you wanted to talk with Cosette, pull her out from me. It's fine. Talk to her. Fix everything you had with her—"
"I guess, that's enough, Vic." Inabot ko ang kamay niya at marahang pinisil para pigilan niya 'yong mga sinasabi niya. "Victor said. Of course, we can always talk."
"Yeah, I thought so," Cashel said.
"And look whose here." Sabay-sabay kaming napatingin sa nagsalita and we found Trudy walking towards our direction. Tumayo naman kami sa kinauupuan namin at sinalubong siya ng yakap at halik sa pisngi. Nauna namang gumawa no'n si Cashel at sumunod naman ako. "How lovely you two are getting by, huh? That's why you're my favorites for this evening! And don't tell that to the others, alright?" She giggled. Natawa na lang din naman kami sa sinabi niya.
Trudy's wearing a black sleeveless high waist jumpsuit romper. She's wearing big diamond earrings and it looks like it's hanging from her ear and its crazy expensive. Everything complimented on how she look so unique tonight.
"Look who we also have here." Trudy said as she glance over Victor's direction. Lumapit din naman ang kaibigan ko at nakipag-beso at yakap kay Trudy. "Oooh, vous sentez si bon. Quel est votre parfum? Permettez-moi de le dire—" (Oooh, you smell so good. What's your perfume? Let me tell it—)
"T Pers!" sabay nilang sabi at pakiramdam namin ni Cashel ay bigla kaming na-left out. "C'est un de mes parfum préféré. Vous êtes rocking-il, Victor." (That's one of my favorite perfume. You're rocking it, Victor.)
"Merci, Trudy. J'ai vraiment l'apprécier." (Thank you, Trudy. I really appreciate it.)
"Bien sur." Trudy said saka niya muli kami hinarap ni Cashel. "I apologize that I have to meet the other guests tonight, but please, enjoy and have fun. That's all matters, right?"
"Oui." Tango ko pa.
"Merci, Trudy," ani Cashel.
Nang umalis naman si Trudy para daluhan pa ang ibang guests ay bumalik naman kami sa pagkakaupo namin. Isa-isa na rin naman kaming napupuno sa aming designated table at hindi ko inaasahan na lalagpas from fifty to hundred ang mga bisita na nandirito ngayon.
And then I saw Chevalier and there's no issue between us anymore, but because we've decided not to talk or make an engagement when there's too many people around, we should stay away from each other. We stayed friends, but privately. Because if people find out that we're keeping hanging out, they might think that—I should stop thinking what other people would say. I don't need their validations anyway.
Five minutes past seven when Trudy took over the stage and caught everyone's attention. She then announced the start of the event and the flow of the event tonight. Nakinig naman ang lahat and everyone was so happy with the course of the event. Hindi rin naman ako makapaniwala because I'm in the same room with every popular person here in Paris. There were some celebrities, models, and like me, an online influencer.
Trudy discussed a few things and after that was a presentation for the future projects of her studio company. A moment later ay nagsimula nang i-serve ang appetizer then followed by the first course meal, then second, and third na sinukuan ko na dahil hindi ko na kinakaya kaya in the end si Victor ang kumakain ng tira ko. Sa huli ay ang desert which is a thick ice cream. Nagustuhan ko naman iyon kaya naubos ko rin. While I'm finishing my desert, Victor nudged me as if he has another news to tell to me.
"What is it?" banas kong tanong sa kanya.
"Look at the table number 4," Victor said. "But don't look at them as if you're suspicious... just act naturally."
"Sure..." Aniko sabay nilaglag ko ang purse ko at umalis ako sa kinauupuan ko. Pagkapulot ko ng purse ay agad kong iniangat ang ulo ko sa direksyon kung saan ang tinutukoy ni Victor na table number. And then I found a guy who's intently looking at my direction. A lopsided grin grew in his lips and then he reached for his water glass and drink on it.
Agad naman akong bumalik sa pagkakaupo ako at hinarap si Victor. "He's actually looking at me."
Tumaas naman ang kilay ni Victor. "So, do you know him?"
Umiling naman ako.
"Who know who?" singit ni Cashel.
"That guy." Pasimpleng turo ulit ni Victor sa table number 4. Mabilis namang tiningnan iyon ni Cashel saka agad niya ring binalik ang tingin sa amin. "Is he bothering you? Does he makes you uncomfortable?"
"Hindi naman... Victor just told he's been looking at our table kanina pa."
"Really?" he questioned as if hindi siya makapaniwala. "That's Bartholomew. He's an actor and a model."
"Really? I haven't heard of him..."
"He hasn't been in the mainstream movies or runways for the past years, but he's quite popular."
"I see... but why does he stare at me like that?"
"If he's who I'm thinking he is, he could be single."
"And who are you thinking, Victor?"
"Bartholomew Ademar," he said. "Am I right, Cashel?"
Then I shifted to Cashel to know the answer. He nodded as if to confirm it. "Yes, that's him. Do you want me to come and talk to him?"
Umiling naman ako. "No, it doesn't have to be. Thanks for the gesture, Cash."
"But if he makes you uncomfortable, tell me or Trudy."
"I will." I smiled and at this point, hindi na ako makalingon sa paligid ko because I felt that Bartholomew's eyes are coming straight to my direction.
When Trudy then took over the stage again, she announced that after we had finished our meals, we could go to the open area where we could mingle and talk to everyone else. Victor and I finished our meal first. Sinabayan na rin naman kami ni Cashel that's why we all headed out of the room to go to the open-area where an open bar and standing tables are scattered around the area.
Nakasabay din namin si Chevy. We didn't talk, but we caught each other's eyes. Mabilis ko na lang din namang inalis ang tingin ko sa kanya kasi marami pa ring mga tao ang gagawa ng issue. I'm around with people who has so much influence and publicity that's why I have to be careful because drama is what they want to create an attention.
When we finally got into the area where we could meet the others, there were staff going around with trays on their offering white whites. Kumuha naman kami ng tag-iisang wine glasses and I had to sip immediately just to sway my attention away.
"When's your wife due?" Victor asked. I almost choke when he ask that question. "Yeah, I mean your friend, Cashel."
Pinunasan ko na lamang ng labi ko at tiningnan ko siya at hinintay ang magiging sagot. "Her due is on July. It could be first or second week of that month."
"Does she know the gender already?" I asked.
Umiling naman ito. "Not yet. Amauree's on her eleventh week and I'm not sure the baby could be identified by then, but she'll go to the doctor's next month so she can figure it out."
"And you'll be there?" I asked, arching my brow.
He nodded. "Probably. To support her, yes."
"That's great," Victor commented. "You'll be a happy family, but it'll be great if you spend your lifetime with Cosette. You'll have a sweeter life."
I nudged him and he just smirked then drink on his wine. Natawa na lang din naman si Cashel. Bahagya akong napayuko at uminom na lang din sa inumin ko.
Sometimes our conversation always fell too awkward kaya ang hirap bawiin. Pero mayamaya lamang ay iniangat ko ang ulo ko nang may lumapit sa amin at inagaw nito ang atensyon ko. Bahagyang nanlaki ang mata ko nang titigan ko siya. He really look so handsome up close and I can't compose some words. He's making me speechless and... I don't know why.
"Salut," pagbati nito sa amin. Nilingon naman niya ang dalawa kong kasama pero na-stuck din sa akin ang mga titig nito. "Cosette, right?"
"Oui, et toi?" (Yes, and you?)
He laughed. "Vous ne savez pas?" (You don't know me?)
I honestly shook my head. "Je ne sais pas, mais mon ami vous connaissait. Je m'excuse Je ne connais pas vraiment les célébrités françaises." (I don't know, but my friend knew you. I apologize I'm not really familiar with French celebrities.)
He nodded his head. "C'est d'accord." (It's okay.)
"Vous êtes Bartholomew Ademar, n'est-ce pas?" Victor asked. (You're Bartholomew Ademar, right?)
Bartholomew chuckled. "Hé, au moins quelqu'un qui me connaissait. (Hey, at least someone knew me.)
Taas naman namang sumagot si Victor. "Bien sûr." (Of course.)
"But can I offer you some collaboration, Cosette?" Bartholomew asked.
Napakunot naman ang noo ko. "What kind of collaboration?"
"Well, a few months ago I've started posting videos on Youtube. My contents are all about modelling, lifestyle, travels and other fun stuff. I want you to be my special guest if you'd like to. That would be great for us. What do you think?"
"Well... I'm interested."
"Cosette?" biglang pagtawag sa akin ni Cashel. "What about mine?"
"You know what, Cashel, let's go to the bar and grab some drinks."
"What?" Cashel wondered.
Hinawakan naman ni Victor ang braso ni Cashel at hinigit niya iyon papalayo sa table namin. Napuno naman ng pagtataka ang mukha ni Cashel habang hinahatak siya ni Victor papunta sa bar area. Wala na naman siyang nagawa kung hindi ang magpadala na lamang sa hatak ng kaibigan ko.
Binaling ko na lamang muli ang atensyon ko sa lalaking nasa harapan ko. And I can't help but to stare at his face. He has deep brown eyes, thick brows, and a very pointed noise. He has chiselled jaw, and his lips were thin, but look so soft. He has freckles on his cheeks and to his nose, but it wasn't much visible until you get closer to him.
"Are you dating him again?" he asked. His accent when he's speaking in English was still prominent from his native language. I mean, it's deep and edgy, but it sound so sexy.
Umiling naman ako sa tanong niya. "No, we're not."
"So, what he was talking about?"
"Oh... he's inviting me do a collaboration with him and I have to think about it first before accepting his offer. You know... if you know about us, people might think it the other way."
"Of course, I knew about you guys," he laughed. "You're everywhere and people always talked about you guys. I was supposed to be sitting with you guys on the table earlier and a staff told me that someone requested to change his sit with mine and I supposed that's Cashel, right?"
"Oh... I get it now. That's why you've been staring on our direction earlier?"
"Well, there's that, but I also wanted to talk to you that's why I'm trying to catch your attention and it look like I did." He chuckled. "So, what do you think about my invitation? Would you do a collaboration with me?"
I slowly nodded, giving him a confirmation. "Sure, just let me know when so I can clear my schedule."
"I'll do that, thank you though," he chuckled.
"No problem,"
"I'm only 29 by the way," he said that brought my eyebrows aligned together. "Anyway, were you on a coffee shop earlier?"
Nawala naman ang pagkakunot ng noo ko nang banggitin niya iyon. "I—I was... how did you know?"
"Remember the guy who asked for a chair?"
"That's you?"
He nodded and laughed. "Yup, that's me."
"I didn't recognize you." And then I noticed the bullet necklace hanging from his neck and then I finally figured out that it was really him.
"Well, you didn't know me at all so you won't know it was me. But I knew it was you. I thought I could give it a shot there, but I thought about your privacy so I'll let it go. And I'm not even sure if I'll be able to talk with you here, but I'm glad we did."
"Yes, and I apologize for not knowing you. That's embarrassing."
"No need to," he chuckled. "That's alright. I haven't been doing any TV shows or movies lately. I was focused on doing contents online so doing it with you would be a good thing. A great opportunity, right?"
"Yes, of course. You just have to let me know, Bartholomew."
"What?" he questioned then laughed it off. Nagtaka naman ako sa reaksyon niya. "No, need to call me on my full name. Barry's okay, people knew me with just Barry."
"Oh... I see... then it's Barry."
I know he still has some things to say, but someone pulled him because they would like to talk to him. Nagkapalitan na lang din naman kami ng number ni Barry so we can reach out to each other. Naiwan naman ako sa table at saglit lang din ay bumalik na si Cashel. Nagtaka naman ako dahil hindi na niya kasama si Victor. When he pointed me the direction where Victor is, napahugot na lang ako ng malalim na hininga ng makita ko siyang kausap ang isang celebrity. This time, I figured out that it was a celebrity dahil sa mga napanonood kong TV promotions.
"So, Cos, you and Barry are getting to know each other?" Cashel asked.
I shrugged off. "Maybe? What do you think so?"
"I think you are. You immediately accepted his invitation to have a collab with you while mine, you said you have to think about it. I felt betrayed, Cos."
I chuckled. "No, you're not."
"Then why would you choose anyone else over me?"
His questions struck me so hard. Nanigas ako sa kinatatayuan ko. I wanted to ask him the same question, but that would make me look like na para bang ang bitter ko. If I asked him why would he chose Amauree over me, may maisasagot kaya siya sa akin? I know he'll just defend himself so I believe that in the end, hindi pa rin ako ang kapili-pili.
"See? You're not even interested in me anymore."
I pressed my lips and gave him an intent look. Tinitigan niya rin ako matapos kong gawin 'yon. "Look, Cash. I wanted to work with you again. And do all these collaboration with you, but because we had a rough past and people might think about it, maybe we should let it slide for the meantime. I mean, there's a lot of opportunities out there. Hindi lang naman ang pwede mong makatrabaho."
"But I wanted to work with you, Cos."
"Then you have to wait."
"And how long? When you already left the country for good?"
"Cash..." I grunted and took a deep breath. "I still don't know what will happen in the coming months. I'm just..."
"I know what you mean, Cosette. Your image to the public. Your engagement to everybody. You have to be careful with that and working with me again could mess that up. I know we had a rough past, Cosette... but we've moved on, right?"
I nodded. "Yes..."
"So, what's keeping you away from me? Is it because of Amauree?"
"Cash, you don't always have to put Amauree in every conversation."
"No, because I can sense that she's the reason why you're walking away from me. It is true, right?"
Hindi ako sumagot. I'm not even looking at his eyes. Hindi ko kaya. And I don't even know why our conversation had to go through deep like this.
"So, it's true... I love her because she's my friend, Cosette. You have to know that."
"I know..."
"Do you love me, Cosette?"
Biglang umangat ang tingin ko sa kanya when he asked that question.
"That's a stupid question, Cash."
Umiling naman siya. "No, I don't think so. I just need to hear your answer. Yes or no."
"Do you want me to be honest?"
"Yeah... sure, of course."
I took a deep breath and look intently in his eyes. "Yes, Cash... I did love you and it's hurting me when you have to be with Amauree all the time because I thought you and I can be real. But I thought it was just for a show and that's alright, just like you said, we're moving on. And it's new year's, it's a new me."
"Cos..."
I smiled, painting the pain off of my face. "It's alright, Cash. Maybe Amauree really needed you the most. And I won't be here for too long naman. I will eventually leave the country and you made it wonderful. You're a part of my Paris experience. You've made my dream come true. You've become someone I really care about. You were my Paris, Cash. So, thank you for everything..."
He was about to hug me when Victor came to us together with the celebrity.
Naningkit naman ang mata ni Victor dahil napansin niya ang pagiging emosyonal naming dalawa. "Oooh, did you guys got back together?" Umiling naman ako sa tanong niya. "Anyway, I've got someone here. A new friend, my boyfriend." Victor giggled. "I'm just kidding. Here's my favorite actor, Jean-Luc Beaumont."
"Salut," pagbati nito sa amin.
We get to know Jean-Luc more, but Cashel and I never talked about what we've talked earlier. We spend most of our time talking to everyone and those who wanted to be our acquaintances. Some even wanted to pursue of working with me, but because I've promised to some people already, hindi ko na matanggap ang offer ng iba, but I'm always going to look forward of working with them.
An hour away from midnight, there were still a lot of people around, but I'm already exhausted. Hinahatak ko na rin naman si Victor na umuwi na dahil antok na antok at pagod na ako. When Cashel came to me that he'll take me home, hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko sa kanya dahil I came here with Victor so I can't leave him alone. Pumasok din naman sa usapan si Jean-Luc saying he'll take Victor home. Payag na payag naman ang kaibigan ko kaya wala akong magawa kung hindi ang sumama kay Cashel. Hindi ko na rin naman kakayanin pang manatili hanggang alas dose ng gabi.
We look for Trudy so we can leave the party early. Pumayag naman siya dahil marami-rami na rin daw ang nagpaalam na umuwi. Sabay naman kaming lumabas ni Cashel ng premises patungo sa kanyang sasakyan. I was holding his arm pero hindi ako mawalan ng balanse.
"Why don't you remove your heels so you can walk properly?" he suggested.
"I don't have the energy to do so," sagot ko naman.
"Oh, well, then please let me do this for you." Inalis niya ang pagkakahawak ko sa braso niya at saka tinangka niya akong buhatin. Pipigilan ko pa sana siya pero dahil gusto niya talagang gawin 'yon, hinayaan ko na siyang gawin 'yon. "Is this okay?" he asked as he carried me. His hands are on my back while the other one was on my legs. I hooked my arm around his neck just to make sure na hindi niya ako ihuhulog.
"Yeah... thanks."
"No problem." He smirked. And then he started walking out of the premises leading to parking area.
And we didn't notice, but there were flashes of camera following us. Tinakpan ko na lamang ang mukha ko ng isa kong free na kamay. Nagmamadali na rin naman si Cashel na maglakad. Ingat na ingat pa rin ito dahil kapag nilaglag niya ako, babayagan ko siya. He even murmured that it was Toro following us. Kaya nang makarating na kami sa kanyang sasakyan ay ibinaba na niya ako at tuluyan akong pumasok sa loob. He did the same thing at pumasok kaagad sa kabilang pintuan ng sasakyan. He didn't waste much enough time and we drove passing Toro away.
Even if I wanted to laugh, I had no energy na kaya all throughout the ride ay tahimik lang ako. It doesn't also take us long when we finally reached my apartment. Malapit lang naman ako sa event place kaya nakarating naman kami agad, but he'll be driving far enough papunta sa apartment niya. And it's gabi na, should I let him stay in my apartment and share the bed with him?
"Merci, Cash..." I muttered so tiredly.
"Vous êtes les bienvenus comme toujours," he replied and smiled. (You're welcome as always.)
"Do you want to come inside or not?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Adie's waiting for me back home."
"Adeline could be sleeping at this hour, Cash," sagot ko naman sa kanya. "Is it because of what we've talked about earlier and now you're avoiding me?" Hindi naman niya ako sinagot kaya napabitaw na lamang ako ng malalim na hininga. "Alright, Cash. Tinatanggap ko na ang collaboration offer mo."
Nilingon naman niya ako. I can sense a little hope from his face, but then he shook his head. "No, Cos. You don't have to if you really don't want."
"Ano ba talaga, Cash? Gulo, ah."
"I don't want to be a burden to you."
"You're not a burden, Cash."
"I mean I was."
I sighed and reached for his hand. "Was. So it means it's over. Ikaw na nga nagsabi na we move forward with things pero mukhang ikaw ata itong hindi maka-move on. I understand where you're going. Naiintindihan mo rin naman ang pinagdadaanan ko so at that point, we know how to handle the situation and—"
Hindi ko natuloy ang sinasabi ko when he cuts me off. Cashel kissed me. His eyes are closed while mine are widely open. His hand cupped my face and felt his thumb caressing my cheek. I slowly closed my eyes and feel the kiss that last for a minute. He was the one who pulled from each other then he leaned his forehead into mine, but not making any eye contacts with me.
"I've been wanting to do that," he muttered.
I swallowed as if what we're doing was wrong. "W-What about Amauree?"
"Amauree would be happy for us. I know it."
"Cash..."
But then immediately distanced himself from me. He leaned his back against his seat and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Cos."
"You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."
Then he slowly turned his head to see me. "Will there be a chance for us?"
I shrugged off. "I'm not sure... but if the universe's listening to us, maybe there's a chance."
"Would you want me back, Cos?"
"I'd love to... I'd love to make everything right, but..."
"But what?" he creased his forehead.
"But I don't think this is just not the right time."
"You think so?"
I nodded. "Yeah..."
"And how long I will wait for the right time? Is it the day you'll leave us?"
Bumagsak naman ang balikat ko sa sinabi niya. "Maybe..."
He heaved out a deep sigh and I can sense the pain in it and slight disappointment. "Okay... then I'll see you around?"
I nodded. "Yeah, Cash. See you... bonsoir."
"Bonsoir, Cos."
As I stepped out of his car and headed inside the building of my apartment, I still couldn't believe how this night ended because at this point, I don't know how to decide for myself. I don't know if I'm ready to be with him. To make it real. Maybe I'll let the time says so I won't be hurt at the end of the day.
Maybe along the way, Cashel would find someone or will wait for me, I don't know how his mind and heart work, but if he's ready and I'm not, then clearly, we're on the opposite direction and we have no straight direction back to where we have been.
Cashel is a good, perfect guy that's why he became my own Paris... but I'm not sure for how long.
Because tonight, I just needed to sleep it off and make the next day a brighter one. Hopefully, a better one for a new Cosette.
***
Thank you for reading! Please leave some feedback! I just wanna know your thoughts! And yes, there will be four special chapters left!
And look who's celebrating his 28th birthday today?
HAPPY 28th BIRTHDAY CASHEL JOSWEY CORPREW!