Ever So (Saint Claire II)

Part 3

Part 3

I waved my hand from the car window upon seeing Kayla walking to the front door of her condo building. She immediately frowned upon seeing me. Natawa ako sa reaction niya. Grumpy Kayla.

She opened the passenger seat and made herself comfortable. Napansin niya ang pink paper bag ng pastry sa backseat habang paalis kami sa driveway.

"What's that for?"

"You want one? It's cream puff. I gave boxes of it to the guard and utilities. I kinda miss living here, you know," I told her as the car speed off the busy road.

"So what's with this interview you're stressing about?" she asked, shoving her hands on the pockets of her jacket. We both just clocked out from work. Me from the office, and her, working remotely under the same company.

I was still wearing my black leather pencil skirt, white satin puffed sleeves blouse and red pumps while she's in her usual get-up of neutral colored shirt, nice fitting jeans and jackets or blazers of unassuming color like olive green or brown.

We basically shop together but we have such different taste.

"Well..." I let my words trailed off. Now that Kayla's in front of me, I didn't really want to talk about it and stress her out. She's already stressed with her asshole boyfriend.

"It's just an interview." I tried to sound nonchalant.

"Of a band?" she confirmed.

"They're like really famous right now and rapidly rising in the music charts. They're dominating the PH music scene and a constant name in the trending list."

"What's wrong with that? That's your forte. You're the best person to handle celebrity feature and interviews in the company," she blurted, unaware that she just complimented me. And for someone like the cold Kayla, compliments were rarer than blue moon.

I silently drove my mini cooper through the congested Makati traffic, until we arrived in a street where quint french inspired cafes and restaurants were located.

We sat on the booth nearest to the glass window, with the plush pastel settees and white granite-like tables. We didn't had to check the menu since we're both here for our favorite dish. Truffle pasta for me and a simple aglio o'lio for Kayla.

Habang naghihintay sa order, muli akong pinagmasdan ni Kayla. I could imagine the wheels in her head turning. "I've never seen you unsure of a project before," she muttered. "You're always so passionate in everything you do."

Again, another backhanded compliment. Napangiti ako. That's exactly what the EIC told me this morning and believe me, I was thankful to be trusted with big projects like this. A cover feature for the magazine? That's major.

But I couldn't take this one.

Dumating ang order namin after fifteen minutes. I really like the ambiance of the place. The chandeliers, the symbolic tiled floors and paintings directly on the wall. Kahit paano, nawawala ang stress ko sa work.

"Are you a hater of this band?"

I almost choke, like literally coughing the food from my mouth. I grabbed the tall glass of cucumber lemonade and gulped it all up. Kayla's dark humor always catch me in the most unprecedented situations.

"Kayla!" I blurted out, dabbing my lips with table napkin.

"What?" she shrugged, twirling the strands of pasta on her fork. "It's the most logical reason."

"I'm not. And even if I do, I would never let my personal issues affect my work." But the statement was more like trying to convince myself, than to convince her.

"See?" She rolled her eyes. Ah, the iconic Kayla eye roll. "There's no reason to doubt yourself."

Paalis na kami sa restaurant matapos kumain nang maalala ko ang isang bagay.

"Don't forget the book signing in the office this week," I reminded Kayla.

She glared at me habang naglalakad kami pabalik sa sasakyan. "I know you have other agenda why you brought me here," she muttered with a frown.

"Gaga," I chuckled. "Naalala ko lang since the books are gonna be delivered in the office tomorrow. We're just gonna do some last QA before I set a schedule for you."

"Do I really have to do it in the office?"

"You're the one who keep refusing book signing events and meet-ups. Of course you have to do it. It's the best preorder sales we had this month."

"That's because of the reader's support," she mumbled.

Kayla seems like a cold person on the outside, but she's easily overwhelmed when people show her the love she deserves. And come on... her blog pieces were gut wrenching, inspirational and relatable. That's why I signed her for book deals under the company and they were never disappointed.

Nang maihatid ko siya pabalik sa kanyang condo, siya naman ang nagpaalala sa'kin. "Just promise me you'll give me a private place to sign the books, okay?"

I gave her a thumbs up bago siya pumasok sa condo building. Once I made sure she's safe inside, I drove back to the main road while tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, listening to an unfamiliar rock song blasting from the speaker.

I tapped my phone's screen to check on the title of the song.

Songs suggested for you:

Inferno by Saint Claire

Good thing the traffic was heavy because I almost throw my phone out of the window.

Seriously, universe?

I ended up closing the entire music app to drive in silence. Mukhang hindi ko na talaga siya maiiwasan.

Back in my condo, the receptionist greeted me with a warm smile as I walked through the marble floor of the lobby with giant crystal chandeliers hanging above us.

Kayla once mentioned that my condo was a luxury hotel but I would rather go back to living with her. My father bought one third of the units in this building as an investment three months ago and I was basically forced to stay here.

It was a nice place, honestly. I just didn't want my father to have reasons to doubt that I could do things independently without his influence.

I took a nice long bubble bath to ease my mind about things. While soaking in the tub with the warm water and bubbles around me, I closed my eyes.

Why am I hesitant to take the project? The question kept nagging my mind. It's been years. We're strangers in our current lives. What am I worried about?

After the bath, I dried my ash blond hair with a soft towel and slipped into a comfortable satin night dress. But instead of ending the day at twelve midnight, I opened my laptop while facing the glimmering BGC skyline from the glass window.

I opened the recent search tab and his face automatically popped on the screen. Sancho Santana of the band Saint Claire. Smiling, with his deep dimples and a tiny silver ring on his pierced lower lip. He really had such a punchable face.

Questions... I needed to pitch questions to my boss for this interview.

But there's only one thing I wanted to ask.

Sancho, you told me you loved me, so why did you disappear from my life?

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