“Hey! Sorry, I’m late.” That voice… sounds familiar.
“No, you’re just in time, Ian. By the way this is Gaile” and points out to her who sits on my right “…and Kiara.” I smile to him.
“Nice to see you again, Kiara. Ian.” He stares as he extends his hands to me after he does it with Gaile. I reach it and shake. Nice to see you again? Where did I meet this oh-so-hot man? He wears tight fitted jeans, a white V-neck shirt, and a black leather jacket. I ogle him from head to toe, thinking where and when did I met this guy. Oh, shit! Last night.
“Well, h-hi!” I awkwardly smile to him as I remember my thought of him being a psycho. I can feel my cheeks turning red. I just bow my head to hide it while I could see Gaile from my peripheral that she was actually examining Ian. How rude of her! I just can’t do that. But I just ogle him too, right?
“So, Ian what do you do?” Gaile starts to ask as Ian sits beside Nathan.
“He is ac--” Nate is going to answer when Ian brags.
“I’m a new employee in the agency and a member of the marketing team of L’une. So from now on we will be working together.” He said to us as I lift up my head up. Oh yeah. He is. I saw him inside the dressing room. He is too handsome for a janitor. No…it’s not his job. Shame on you, Kiara!
“I thought you are a model. But honestly, I thought you’re Nate’s new boyfriend,” and she turns to Nathan “…oh, Nate, sorry for that.” Gaile laughs. I thought you were a psycho then a janitor. Shame on me.
“I’m not a model. That’s not my specialty.” He chuckles.
“Why?” I finally say a word.
“’Coz I don’t have the guts.” He answers as he stares at me.
“I do have that kind of thinking too. But Nate told me that everyone could be a model as long as you have confidence in yourself.” I tell him straight.
“Well, maybe I don’t have that confidence to walk naked on the runway.” He smirks.
“We’re not naked. But we can… I mean, I can, not Kiara.” Gaile said as she chuckles.
And we start laughing.
The chatting has been quite long. We talk about life, modeling, family, love… Yeah I remained silent on that part. Therefore, I am just listening to their chatting What would I tell that I haven’t been in a relationship with any person? I’m still a virgin at 22 ‘coz I don’t want the urge to have sex. Yikes! How shameful. If they’ll ask about me, I would tell them my mom’s somewhat strict when it comes to boys. She told us to focus on our studies first because boys are just everywhere.
But real love isn’t. It comes once in a lifetime…and I think the man for me hasn’t arrived yet or just did but I have never noticed yet.
“How about you, Kiara, have you ever been in love?” Nate asks smirking. I know that he is just teasing me. How could he not know? I told him everything about my life. That bastard! Want to play, Nate? I look at him.
“I never had a relationship before but I was once in love in a second and being heartbroken in just a minute.” I start talking.
“What? Seriously! You haven’t told me that, best friend!” Gaile cry out and emphasize on best friend. I stare at her and I really want to laugh now but I hold my self. I eye Nate who looks awful. I glimpse at Ian (‘coz I can’t stare at him, I don’t know why) and he is just staring at me as if waiting for me to continue.
“Yeah, he was the most handsome man I met aside from my father. But unknowingly he did break my heart. That really hurt.” I stare down.
“How? Why?” Nate asks.
“He has a relationship then… with a guy. It was you, Nate” And I stare at Nate dropped jaw and looks stunned. I should’ve taken a picture of him now for black mailing purposes. I know he doesn’t want to look awful in pictures.
”Seriously, Kiara?!” Nate exclaims, as he turns red.
I start laughing. Yeah...I am laughing really hard. I think this is the first since our parents left us. Nathan and Gaile are now laughing. I look at Ian to know if he is laughing too. Yes, he is but not as much as I do. I am ashamed of myself; it’s not really a lady-like. I stop and compose myself. I feel conscious. I know he’s staring at me and it gives me creeps.
“Well, Nate, what if that was really true, what are you going to do about it?” I ask him and his face turns serious.
“It’s really creepy, Kiara. Stop it! It gives me chills. Err!” he says. And we laugh again.
And the real party starts when our co-models—Ellize, Stephen, Sydney, Michaela, Aldous, Ciara, Jessie, and Natasha joins us... We order our drinks. I ordered Blue margarita though I’m not in the mood to drink since I’m really starving.
They all went to the dance floor and I was left in our table to wait for the orders. I know how to dance. And I know I’m good at it. I was a member of our dance troupe back in high school and college. But right now, I don’t feel like dancing. Dancing makes me happy…but I don’t deserve to be one. Yeah…my parents died last year and it’s not right to be happy. I sigh and look down. I remember my parents…how our family used to be when we were kids. How they treated us. How they cared and loved us. We were complete…but now we are broken…totally broken.
I sigh again.
“How many times are you going to sigh?” I jump from my seat as I look at who’s talking. I find Ian staring at me sitting few inches beside me. Was he sitting here all the time? How couldn’t I notice him? “I was sitting here just a while ago. You didn’t notice me, do you?” He smirks. What the hell? Was he reading my mind? Creepy…
I just stare at him, shock. Not knowing what to say. “So?” he stares back at me
I startle as our eyes met. “Yeah, I didn’t sorry.” I smile to him…awkwardly.
“Before I forget…” then he takes out something from his pocket. “This is yours, right?” My phone! Jeez! Did I leave it in the dressing room? But how? He hands my iPhone to me as I happily take it from him and start browsing. “I found it inside the wash room after you left.” I hear him say. Shocks! 10 missed calls from my brother, 5 from my aunt and 2 from Nate. I read the messages. I was going to kill myself for being so forgetful. “You’re welcome.” He said to me smirking. What? Had I already thank him, hadn’t I? I frowned. No. Not yet. Stupid me.
“Thank you! Sorry, I was pretty occupied.” And I give him a thankful smile.
“Yes, you are. But it’s okay. I don’t mind.” he chuckles.
“Again, thank you.”
“Again, you’re welcome. Anyway, why don’t you dance with them?”
“I’m hungry. I just want to eat a sandwich and a pizza right now.” I tell him honestly. He laughs. Why? Was he crazy?
“I thought models care about their figures. It’s kind of odd, you know.” he said.
“Yeah we do. But we have to eat you know.”
“Of course you do. You must be really starving.” He stands up. “Come…let’s eat, I’m hungry too.”
We left the bar and found a restaurant nearby. I don’t know why I am with this man. I really must be famished. He orders beefsteak and a pineapple juice while I ordered a 10” Hawaiian pizza, a tuna sandwich, a soda and a glass of water. He shakes his head and smiles with disbelief. I glare at him and mutter “What?”
“Nothing. I just can’t believe you would eat those high caloric-foods. You must be careful on your diet, you know.” He smiles.
“Nah… I don’t care about it as long as I satisfy my tummy.” I grin.
He chuckles. “You’re impossible.”
Great, the food is here! I hear my tummy growls as our food laid on our table.He laughs. Jeez! He must have heard it Shame on you, Kiara!
“Sorry,” I bow my head and start biting my sandwich.
“I’m starting to like you, Kiara.” I hear him say as he starts eating too.