Playboy
Even in my disoriented state, the shockingly silver eye color got me.
And of all the things that I could process at that moment, my senses registered the smell. His scent in particular. It was something that reminded me of crushed mint and ice underset by musk perfume.
But before I could look at his whole face, there was a distinct click before a flash of light from the side. I froze. That was a camera and it didn't take a genius to know who those people would be. The heavy footsteps were approaching.
"Jace, is that the woman you were to meet at this hotel?"
"Jace Black, what about Miss Rachel Yuan?"
"Mr Black—"
"Hell!"
Reporters. What rotten luck I had. I tried to calm down but my heartbeat spiked on automatic. my body had gone cold. And though I tried to will it away, the memories were already coming back. It was freshman year, just outside the school gates. Of all the times for my driver to be late...
I would never forget that reporter's face...
"Ms. Porter? Isla Porter!"
He came out of nowhere. One moment, I was standing alone and the next thing, that man was in my face.
"Is it true that you had caused a bright scholar to lose her scholarship here in LCA?" The continuous clicking of the camera that he shoved in my face....
"Her name is Paige Smith." I was thought never to just entertain the media. It was one of our golden rules. But as I moved to turn away from the man, he grabbed my arm and whirled me back to face him. "Her mother is a waitress and father is a janitor! Did it give you satisfaction to ruin her future in a snap?"
"Is this the so-called entitlement of the mega rich? To further bury those beneath them? Wouldn't it be considered as cruelty from the upperclass of the society? Do the rich feel no pity for the poor in this day and age?! We need your answers on this matter!" I had never before had an encounter like this with any reporter. It was just my luck that there was no one around in the most grueling five-minutes of my life.
When I tried to leave, he'd easily pull me back. The camera steadily taking those pictures especially when he saw the fear in my face. That reporter had taken satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment as he harassed me.
"Isla!" That was Anyna's voice. I snapped back into reality, my head turning to the direction it came from. Anyna stood frozen a few feet away but her eyes were on the man with his arms supporting me.
"Jace Black?!" She turned to the right where the camera flashes came from. There was a horde of reporters coming in this direction. I wanted to throw up. It wasn't just one man. What would they do to me this time?
"An-nyna..." I called. Anyna was quickly on my side. Her hands quickly replacing the guy's from around me.
Anyna still looked to the stranger. "I'm sure you're Jace Black. What the hell were you doing to her?!" there was accusation in her tone as she glared at the man.
"Can you shut up and just take your friend?!" I was so rudely pushed into Anyna's . "Dammit!" the stranger had turned around then, getting lost in the sea of pedestrians. The reporters completely passed us, chasing after him and they too disappeared. Then silence. I didn't realize then that I was holding my breath and I let it out in relief.
Everything happened too quickly.
"What was that all about, Isla?! That was Jace Black!"
"M-My iPhone."
But Anyna was on full hysterics now. "Isla, you were photographed in the embrace of that manwhore!"
What was she saying? "M-manwhore?"
The look that she gave me was harsh, "Yes! Manwhore! The biggest playboy to date! Gosh, Isla. What were you thinking? Don't tell me you don't know him!"
In my dazed state, I managed to shake my head weakly. I really didn't have an idea who he was. "N-no."
"You're in the same line of business and you don't know him? Jace Ezekiel Black, heir to the Nero Hotel Chain!" at my blank look, she rolled her eyes heavenwards, "Never mind if you don't know him. Just pray hard none of those pictures get on the internet."
---
Suffice to say, no picture got out from that night. Not one. So maybe Anyna was mistaken about that guy's identity. I don't even remember his name anymore. Not even his face, just the eyes, that height and that perfume I was sure was uniquely his.
I realized one thing from that night though. I pretty much didn't know anyone else aside from the few people I was forced to associate with on a regular basis. I wanted to google him just to be sure but since I'd forgotten his name and I would never risk asking Anyna and see her have another apoplectic fit, no thanks.
She acted as if it was a curse to have my name associated with that guy's.
I looked at my best friend who was out of it again. It was after classes on a Friday and she decided she was feeling like going to the mall. But here she was, passing her hand over the same rack of clothes for the last twenty minutes and still not choosing anything.
"Anyna," I called from where I sat.
She blinked a few times as if getting out of a haze "H-huh?"
"See anything you like? Because you know," I staged a shrug, "I haven't noticed that blank far-away look you've been sporting the whole time as you pretend to shop." I think I knew her reasons though. Her party was on Sunday, her eighteenth birthday party. And as I was finding out, the announcement of her engagement.
It took time for my words to sink in and her eyes narrowed at me, "Sarcasm doesn't suit you , Porter." but then a slow smile spread on her face as she looked to me.
It was a smirk now. And I looked at it worriedly, "I don't like that smile."
She skipped to my side and promptly dragged me out of my seat, "I want to dress you up! Please, Isla!" Anyna gave me her puppy eyes, locking me in a hug as she begged me with her expression.
"Oh no," I roamed my eyes to the clothes in that store, before whispering to her. "Their designs are too edgy and flashy. I can't wear those."
She pouted, looking my clothes over. A white button down cotton shirt and blue skinny jeans. Yes, my clothes were branded. Yes, they're as expensive as Anyna's flashy dresses but I would never wear uncomfortable clothes in the name of fashion.
She flicked me a glare, "You promised to wear red to my debut party!You promised, Isla! Are you backing out of that all of a sudden?" She stomped a foot like a misbehaving child and crossed her arms in front of me.
I exhaled a breath.
She's been sort of out lately, as if she's always preoccupied. Couldn't keep still. To suddenly see her as her normal self over buying me a dress... I sighed in defeat.
"Fine! But get me something comfortable. No crazy metallic embellishment and no spikes." Who knows why people need deadly weaponry as fashion statements? i didn't know.
A soldier salute, "Aye aye! Of all the things to doubt, not my fashion sense. It's just wrong to doubt it. Like ever."
She happily went back to the racks and now, I worried about myself more. Anyna's shopping concentration was really remarkable if you ask me. But then...
My best friend was engaged and I could not believe it.
"How about this one?"
"That neckline is too low."
"So what? Your boobs are B! It won't looks slutty." She insisted on a dress, pushing for me to try it on.
"Next," I said.
Anyna grumbled under her breath, "How 'bout this one?"
"Yes, let's show my butt to the whole word."
"You haven't even tried it yet!"
"I can tell just by looking."
"Such a prude! There's nothing wrong with showing some skin from time to time." complained Anyna.
"If you show skin, you can't expect people not to look. I don't want them to look."
She looked at me as if my logic was failing her, "Isla, they'll only see it, they won't be touching it!"
My mouth fell agape, "Touch? What are you talking about? All the more no!"
In the end I had to stand up and help her look. Anyna's debut party was going to be more like a business gathering. Most of the guests are big time or medium-sized businessmen, wealthy local and international personalities, and the media will be there to flaunt the crowd associated to the Ruiz name. That along with the grand party to celebrate their daughter's coming of age.
Which means, I wanted to blend into the crowd. But at the same time I didn't want to disappoint my best friend who seemed determine to change my closet. We got to the back of the store when I noticed a red cloth tucked into the end of one rack. I pulled it out and promptly stopped. I went back to the front of the store to a tired and frowning Anyna.
"How about this one?" I showed her the dress
Her eyes widened and she clapped her glee, "Where'd you get this? I love it! You gotta try this one."
I was ushered into the dressing room. It was a glitter lace, turtle-neck dress that showed off half my back, empire waist and trumpet skirt whose end would be grazing the floor should I wear five-foot heels. Anyna knocked, tossing me stilettos in silver . Somehow the red of the dress complimented my extremely pale complexion and willowy structure. I was far too small at the height of 5"1. My hair is waist-length and black and my eyes a deep blue. Anyna sometimes called me Snow White. That skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony and lips as red as blood thing was spot on but if you asked me, being this thin, I looked dead if not for the red lips.
"I already know the shoes match, don't thank me!"
I was handing the sales lady my card when Anyna pushed it away. "You better wear that, or else!"
I laughed.
It startled me when she promptly threw her arms around me and started squeezing me in front if the staff. "I'm so lucky to at least see my best friend wear something so red and so mature! You're all grown up now!"
I playfully pushed her away, "You say that as if you're leaving. Stop being so dramatic."
That night, we ate fastfood. I don't know what's gotten into her but she wanted a Mcdonald's. I mean, I have nothing against them but Anyna called fastfood joints as "disgusting".
"You sure?" I asked her doubtfully.
"I wanna try it. I know you sneak into these places when I'm not around."
After eating there, she vowed never to eat fast food ever again. I had to roll my eyes.
I can't help but seriously feel like something was going on. But if I thought about it, this was probably normal seeing as she's about to announce her engagement... and after that, the wedding is already sure to quickly follow.
Back then, I didn't know what she was about to do. It never came to mind that she was going to do something as drastic as that. Had I known, I would've never worn that red gown. Never let her pay for it in the first place. Not when in the future I would realize the mess she would be leaving me in. One dress and a pair of shoes couldn't pay for the trouble I'd be in.
In case you're wondering why I'm so quick to post, I'm merely translating. I had this written in my first language so...
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