Ellie's place was just a thirty-minute ride from the bar they've went to. It is in a fifteen storey condominium complex located in Quezon City.
Lea parked her car in the spot next to the one designated for El's exclusive use, and the two women with her dragged Prince's sleeping body. As she gets out of her own vehicle, the Broadway star can't help but feel attracted to a convertible cooper that was parked beside her.
They took the basement elevator and stopped at the 10th floor. Ellie opened the door for them as she leads them to enter her humble place.
Joy can't help but feel amazed with how nice the young artist's pad is. Its design has been kept as minimalist as possible. As they enter the premises, the sala area welcomes them as they go through the small hallway from the door.
Lea simply scanned the place, El got a nice entertainment setup with a comfortable five seater sofa bed and a couch. Looking to the right side is the kitchen area. A mini bar serves as the division separating the living and the dining area.
As she turns her head to the left, she could see where El's working area would be. A computer setup is placed on the corner of the wall with an upright piano beside a sliding door which seems to be the main bedroom.
Though it doesn't have separate wall divisions, the whole place is spacious and guests could freely move around within the pad.
Joy and El put down the drunk man on the sofa as the latter grabs a remote that turns on all the lights on her home.
"I'm sorry with the place. I haven't been able to clean that much. But please feel at home."
"No, it's actually good. For a person living alone, this setup is actually nice." Lea smiled as she and Joy took a seat at the couch for a while to rest.
"Thanks. Well there are two rooms that you guys can use. The guest room is right there." El points out to the direction where another small hallway leads to as she puts refreshment at the center table for the two women to drink.
The two ladies follow their gaze where Ellie's hand is pointing out. They've noticed that on the wall far back the sofa bed, was a vertical chest drawer with photo stands placed atop of it. There is also a wood cased mirror mounted on the wall.
Lea plans to go over that spot later on to check the photos that are on display.
"And the second would be the one with the sliding door. I guess Prince could just sleep on the sofa. I'll just take out a blanket for him."
"But if we're going to occupy both rooms, where are you going to sleep?" Joy asked with concern.
"That's fine. I could just stay here on the sala."
Lea felt that they are imposing too much on the young woman.
"No, that's not okay. Joy and I could share a room. You're letting us stay for the night and that's already too much."
"It's alright. I would actually have to do some work tonight so I might not be able to sleep. I just wanna make sure all you guys are comfortable."
The coach and her staff cannot argue further. They know it's a bit much to have the master of the house sleep outside her room but they cannot deny that they're too exhausted as well and would like to have a rest comfortably.
They were offered to have a shower and a change of clothes for the night with El's loose T-shirts and pajamas.
It was decided that Lea would be using Ellie's room as it is much bigger compared to the other one. Whilst Joy refreshed herself on the common bathroom, Lea has the privilege of leisurely taking her bath on a separate bathroom inside El's room.
After drying her hair, the Broadway star grabbed her phone and sent a message to her husband Rob for him not to be worried. She also sent a photo of the place that she took on earlier.
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She had been lying down for almost thirty minutes now, but she still can't fall asleep yet. It might be because of her body clock, she thought.
Lea got up to a sitting position on El's king size bed. It was very comfortable. The mattress is so soft, the pillows and the comforter are pastel pink in color which she finds cute. The whole room reeks of a lavender scent. A vanity dresser is placed on the far right of the wall. A 50" smart TV is mounted on the wall opposite side of the bed, whilst another chest drawer is placed underneath it. On the far left, a classic four-door wardrobe with a big mirror on it is placed. El might be simple looking but her taste is elegant.
Lea then stood up and went to the door, before opening up the sliding door, she tried to hear if there were any sounds coming from the outside.
As it seems to be silent, she then proceeded to leave the room.
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Others might already be sleeping soundly but that's not the case for Ellie. After going home and even taking a shower, she still decided to finish up some work before fully retiring for the night.
She doesn't want to disturb Prince who's in deep sleep, snoring on the sofa so she then took her laptop and worked on the dining table.
While waiting for her coffee to be brewed on her Nespresso machine, El briefly checked her emails and some of the reports that was sent to her. There was a specific email that caught her full attention, it was a forwarded mail from his agent Daniel, which includes details about a writing competition. She was skimming through the contents of the message when she suddenly heard a sound of a door opening.
She tried to look on the direction of her room and there she saw Lea coming out. Their eyes met as Lea approached the area she's staying at.
"Cannot sleep?"
"Yeah. I guess I'm not really feeling sleepy at all. Mind if I take a seat?"
"Sure. Feel at home. Would you like an espresso coach?"
"Sure thing." Lea looked around the kitchen place as the young woman stood up to prepare their cups of coffee. She noticed El's laptop with her Outlook opened on its screen. She might really be working, she thought.
Ellie placed Lea's cup in front of her as she put a basket of bread between them.
"How come you still have the energy to stay up this late?" Lea curiously asks as she takes a sip of the coffee given to her. The taste was actually nice.
"Well, I'm actually a late sleeper. I normally fall asleep around two or three in the morning."
Their casual conversation continued for about good ten minutes. Knowing that this will be the best chance, the Broadway star then broke the ice.
"El, do you remember what happened way back at the party a month ago?" Lea spoke with such a serious tone. She looked at her protege's face as she turned to her.
"You mean, what happened inside the washroom?"
Lea was a bit taken aback as it seems Ellie remembers it fully. But she needs to be mentally strong for this to have everything clarified once and for all. She nodded to the young woman in response.
"People know you have a photographic memory coach, so I figured you'll remember it so well too."
"I.. Well.. I want to somehow discuss it to clarify things between us."
El, taking a sip of her coffee and putting the cup back on the table, asked what's the need for clarification.
"I mean all the things I said back then. Regardless if you were totally drunk or not at that time."
"When you say about the things that you said.. Do you mean to say.."
Ellie didn't even let Lea finish her words. She butted in assuming they have the same thing on mind, on what her coach was asking from her.
"When I said I love you? I mean who won't love A Lea Salonga?"
With this vague statement, Lea thought it would be a relief. Her mind was bothered when El said 'I love you' before, she thought it might be more than a fan love. But what comes next would make Lea totally lose it..
"But I didn't mean it that way.. Yes. I admire you as a fan. But the love I'm feeling for you coach, is more than that. It seems wrong but that's how I feel."