No grand idea was ever born in a conference, but a lot of foolish ideas have died there. – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Dominique's POV
He's wearing his usual garb a dark grey three-piece suit that hugged his masculine body perfectly. He had his hair cut into a slick one, which matched the shape of his face. It was slightly tousled as he has this habit of unconsciously running his hand unto it. He has that blank expression on his face that even Elle's husband natural aura will fail in comparison. His dark gaze never left mine directly looking at me. I'm mesmerized or maybe hypnotized that I can't tear my gaze away from him.
With his 5 o'clock shadow, new haircut, and a blank expression, I'm seeing the other side of him, the billionaire and the businessman Leandro Valderama. I can't really decide which I prefer, the playful one or this strict and dangerous one. Either of the two, he looks perfect, heavenly but sinfully perfect.
"Hey Dom, it's not a crime to blink, you know." Chev teased while nudging me on the elbow. I just wished the man learns to shut his mouth for good.
"Shut up, I'm busy concentrating here." I snapped at him but he just rolled his eyes playfully with a stupid grin on his face.
"Yeah, I can see that, keep concentrating...concentrate on drooling on the man." He laughed throatily amusing himself with that comment. "How can you? You're sitting beside your lovers and you're drooling on another man? You're hurting our feelings." He clutched his chest and made a dramatic sigh.
We're in a wooden gazebo surrounded by lots of trees and flowering plants. It's my favorite place in Demon's farm actually. It feels like haven to me. We're sitting on a huge Narra sofa in front of a plasma TV waiting for my verdict. I don't know why I have to torture myself and have this urge to hear and see it with my own ears and eyes. Leandro Valderama is having a press con about the scandal and definitely going to break our fake engagement – just in front of million or even billions of people watching.
He's making too much effort to break an engagement that's not even true. There's nothing to break in the first place anyway. It's fake. It's already broken just before it started.
He wants to cleanse his hand of this mess of course. He's a respectable business figure after all. So, that explains all the trouble.
Sitting beside me is Chev who doesn't know how to shut his mouth. The two grumpy men, Demon and Carl are sitting comfortably beside each other with their long legs on top of the center table. They're lost in their own thoughts looking blindly on the screen. Elle, from what I hear, was kidnapped by her husband to Africa after that incident in the engagement party. First he's stalking his wife and now he kidnapped her. I thought nothing could top the three freaks beside me but I'm shamefully wrong because Elle's husband is a league of his own. What a freaking freak!
"You should be careful Dom, the grumpy disease is slowly creeping that even the doctor wasn't spared." He glanced at the two grump men beside him and then at me smiling with his eyes.
"Shut up!" The three of us said at the same time. The two were almost growling but I was close to smiling.
"Fine." Chev raised his hands in surrender but the glint of amusement in his eyes is apparent. "I'm sorry. No one told me that it's a grumpy day today." The two looked at him sharply and he made a mouth-zipping gesture turned to me and winked.
I can't help but laugh with his action. I'm really glad Chev is here. His easy-go-lucky streak always put our friendship in balance. Just imagine I'm with the two grumps all those years without the playful Chev? Okay, don't even try. It's unimaginable – in a bad way.
My laughter earned me a sharp look from the two and I covered my mouth. I glanced at Chev and we shared a knowing look that we learned through the years and laughed silently.
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I released my breath that I'm unconsciously holding for seconds just before Chev make a quirky comment that it's not a crime to breath.
I can hear him perfectly fine but I don't know where his statement is going.
"I meet this crazy woman just recently." His blank expression earlier was altered by a sweet smile, a genuine one that can make even the cameras in front of him blush.
He paused for a while as if reminiscing something. His sweet smile turned into a huge grin as he continued. "She created a ruckus in front of this building claiming that she's my fiancée and harassing the receptionist."
Shit! Why the need to mention all of that?
The three men beside me glanced in my way with their condemning look. I felt really embarrassed now. It's ironic I didn't feel this way when I did that, maybe desperation has that magic effect.
"I was going to a lunch meeting at that time with my colleagues when my eyes caught the guards escorting a woman outside."
No one interrupted him. Everyone was listening attentively at his story. Curious. So am I, and the three idiots beside me.
"I stopped the guard and when the woman in question turned to face me, I don't know but for the first time in my long years of existence I was speechless for seconds." He signed and smiled at the camera.
"God, I'm not good at this." He said more to himself while shaking his head slightly, but the video caught it anyway. Some of the press people laughed.
"I don't know what happened, but I guess the beautiful she-devil hypnotized me that I ended up participating in her little stunt in front of my employees with her as my fiancée."
I heard long and short oh's around him.
"So, to cut the long story short, that's where we started." He paused again as the press people were hissing here and there obviously not satisfied with him cutting the story. They want details. Complete. Unabridged.
He cleared his throat to get their attention. So this is the part where he will say and this is where it's going to end.
"And hell I don't want this thing between us to end." He said with conviction directly looking at the camera. I feel like he's talking to me personally.
What did he just say?
I'm speechless. Not that I'm talking a while ago, but yes definitely I'm speechless. And the three idiots, well their speechless too.
Who wouldn't be? We're 110 percent sure that he will break the engagement today. So what the crap is happening? Not that I'm complaining. No I'm not. Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, I'm elated. I don't know but I feel like jumping up and down now except that I can't do that in front of those three. Yes I'm crazy, but there's a limit to it.
Maybe I can do that when I'm alone in my room. Okay fine, I'm crazy to the end of the world and back.
"You're probably thinking I'm a fool for sticking with her after all those scandals. She's not perfect and so am I. I've done far worse. Ironically, no one ridiculed me for that." He's talking seriously now, the businessman-Leandro kind of talking.
"So you don't believe all the bad reports about her dating other guys while in relationship with you?" One reporter asked all of a sudden.
"This is not the first time I've been involved in this kind of scandal, the difference is that everyone thought I'm the victim. So, my answer is no. I don't believe all those reports about her. Maybe those pictures are genuine, but eye-catching captions and interesting narrations do not always mean they're true. Most of the time, they're the opposite." He paused for a while and looked at the reporters in front of him as if reading their reactions.
"It's nothing different to lyrics. When you overanalyzed it, you'll come up with the idea that's not even there. I think that's what happened with the pictures, people overanalyzed them and came up with their own stories far from what the stories that the pictures really hold."
Maybe when his businesses go downhill, he can switch to another profession and being a motivational speaker is one of those that he really needs to put into consideration. He's good at this thing.
"So, Mr. Valderama, what do you like most about her?"
"I'm glad you ask that." He smiled approvingly as if really waiting for that question. "Actually, I don't know." He laughed softly and the press laughed with him.
And I can't help myself but to laugh as well. He's so adorable. I don't really know what he's up to. What I'm aware of is that I'm happy he's standing up for me, for us not only in front of Raymond but millions or even billions of people watching. For the first time, there's a man who's brave enough to face all those odds including the three here beside me and fight for a freaking crazy woman, yeah that's me ladies and gentleman.
And that freaking crazy woman is turning to be a drama queen now because I feel my eyes water and I blinked several times to control the tears from falling. Maybe it's from relief or happiness. He's giving me feelings that I can't find in my vocabulary. Unexplainable but feels good nonetheless.
"Maybe it's the way she smiles at me whenever she's happy and excited or how sharp her eyes glance in my direction whenever she's angry or throwing death threats in front of my face." He gave the camera a broad smile and throaty chuckle. The one that made me want to burry my face on the pillow and scream and giggle. God, I really miss that one.
"Maybe it's the way she blush whenever I complemented her and the way she seems to never get my complement.
Maybe it's when she crinkled her forehead whenever I called her genie or when she shows some of her weird antics like hitting my head with her stiletto whenever she gets pissed off."
I can't help but laugh loud with that. I'm like a mess laughing while crying.
"Maybe it's the way she kisses me. She has this habit of kissing me whenever she feels like it to shut me up.
Maybe it's the way she carry herself. She can stand out even in the midst of Victoria secret models. She is confident in her own skin. But ironically, she doesn't know how beautiful she is.
Maybe it's the way he pronounced my name with her soft voice that even if she calls me an idiot I couldn't care less as long as she's the one who's calling me." Thanks god I'm not in front of him personally because if that's the case, I'll probably couldn't contain myself and flung my arms around his neck and kiss him senselessly.
Even his eyes are smiling now. No trace of that blank expression at all a while ago. "Maybe it's the way she drives. She's a freak driver. Don't' even think of riding shotgun or even as passenger with her as your driver because you'll end up in the hospital bed. She has this bad habit of hitting the red light as if that's a normal thing for everybody."
"Maybe it's the way she turns super crazy when she's drunk. Ops, I better stop right there because if I did continue she'll never like it and I don't want to ruin my chance with her." And then he winked at the camera as if really winking at me with smug smile on his face.
I sighed in relief. Thanks goodness he didn't mention the stripping part.
"Maybe it's the way how she makes me feel. She really feels good in my arms. And whenever she's crying, it gave me this feeling that I want to change everything for her so that nothing will make those beautiful eyes lonely again."
He's so cheesy right now. Super duper cheesy! But, I'm loving it and I really hope it's all true.
"Maybe it's all the crazy things she does that make my steady world upside down."
"And maybe you can stop me now, before this one-hour press con turn to be 24-hour one."
The press people laughed with so much amusement. I can clearly see now, he has this way with people. He's so likeable in every way.
So many questions were asked, some were good, some were not, but he was so confident in answering those. I'm watching him with fascination and even if it's a crime not to blink, I'll be more than willing to go to jail right now. He's really worth the sacrifice.
I know everything is uncertain between us. We started as fake. I don't have any idea if all he said isn't part of the stunt. All I know is that I'm happy right now. He's making me happy and I really want to take the risk with him if he asks me to.
Fake or not, I'm willing to fight with him.
"What's your last message for her Mr. Valderama?"
"Hey, genie. I hope you're watching now fine and smiling. I went to your apartment yesterday but you weren't there. I guess you want some space to think. I'm not a very patient person but I'm willing to give you time. But if you didn't find your way back to me soon, I'll come and get you myself."
So smug Mr. Valderama.
"I miss you genie." He uttered rather softly afterwards and I felt my heart made a summersault in my chest. His eyes are so sincere that I can't find a way not to believe him.
"All other things need to be said face to face, so that's all I can say to you for now." He winked again at the camera and gave a broad smile showing his perfect set of teeth giving those toothpaste commercial models run for their money.
The press con was already over but I still feel like I'm floating on the clouds that Chev can't help himself but to throw his quirky comment.
"Someone really got it bad here." He shook his head while clicking his tongue creating tsk-ing sounds.
The two never commented but glance in my way for a brief moment as if analyzing me.
I just ignored them and walked out of the gazebo with the sole purpose of shutting my room for hours and scream my heart out on the pillow and maybe jumping up and down after that.
Maybe I really got it bad this time around, really bad for Leandro Cliff Valderama III.
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Leandro's POV
"I miss you genie." I uttered softly in front of the camera. I really hope that she's watching right now. I really miss her. Her smile, her sharp gazes, her soft lips, her voice, even her death threats, I miss all of that. I'm not myself right now, but maybe that's something I can't control and the only thing I don't want to control, because it feels good inside.
There are so many things I wanted to tell her but I'd rather wait a little longer. Some things just need to be said face to face.
I know I'm acting like a fool now. Making a fool of myself in front of billions of people watching, but I don't' really care. This show is not for them, it's for my genie.
Gramps is right after all, even fools do really fall in love. And I really got it bad for the first time – to the crazy woman nonetheless.
But what can you say, we're a great combination. One fool man plus one crazy woman is equal to a one hell of a life and I'm looking forward to it.
I'm not certain about the scandal, but I have this feeling there's someone behind it. It feels like someone set this up, for what purpose, that's what I'm trying to find out.
There's a hole to every crime and this one is not an exception. The hole is right in front of my face. Why the hell Raymond Lee is not mentioned. No pictures. No anything about him. From what I know, he's the official ex. So that's where my investigator started first and the three billionaires the second. I just hope I'll receive the report by tomorrow. The suspense of finding the truth is killing me but not as intense as I'm missing genie right now.
I have to make it right this time. We started as fake and I don't want that to go on because I want her for real.
Maybe she's still in love with Raymond Lee, but I'm willing to wait and work my way to her heart. And even if the three billionaires are really into her, that wouldn't stop me. Hell, even there are hundreds of billionaires in my way, I'll never give up without a fight.
I'm really glad I had the chance to see Gail again after those long years. I have this thing for her that even my family is aware of except her. But I guess that thing is just thing and things do fade in time. Maybe it's just a child thing for me. I'm just in love with the thought that I'm in love. I'm a teenager after all and she's always there beside me.
When I hugged her back, she felt good in my arms. At first I thought my heart will flip or something when I held her, but I'm wrong. My heartbeat was as steady and calm as the lake water.
And then I remembered the way genie looked at me when she was holding her guitar singing her heart out on the stage, not caring what other people were thinking at the moment, that's when my heart started to flip and I realized I missed her. I terribly missed her.
I remember how she felt so good in my arms and whenever she cried, I have this intense feeling of changing the world for her, if I have to.
Yes, I'm in love with her and it feels really good that I can't help but laugh. That time, my mind's really clear. I don't need to wait for three days to decide. I'll be holding a conference as soon as possible and get my genie back.
I know I just raised war against my family now with Leandro Valderama, Sr. to be specific. But no one will make me do things I never consented especially when it involves my life.
I'm willing to risk all for her. How I wish she's willing to risk all for me as well.