French Kiss in Paris

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I haven't quite grasped ahead of everything that's happening lately. I've been in this city for two weeks prior to my arrival and somehow it already turned my world upside down. 

Nabulabog ang mundo ko. Literal. Parang magnitude seven ang dumating at ngayon, I can't pick up the pieces dahil kailangan ko ng pangatawan ito. Kaya ang motto na itinatak ko sa sarili ko ay "fake it until I make it!"

Kakagising ko pa lang, as in pagkamulat pa lamang ng mata ko ay kinuha ko na agad ang phone ko sa bedside table. I instantly checked my post on Instagram. I was tagged by Cashel and I did the same thing too on my account. His post nearly reaches eight hundred thousand likes now while mine was over two hundred thousand.

Halos lumuwa ang mata ko ng makita ko iyon. Last night it only has five thousand likes which normally I got from my four thousand followers but then my account immediately fires up to seventy-five thousand followers and it's only because of Cashel's show. And it only happened overnight!

Nabitawan ko ang phone at lumagapak sa aking dibdib. Wala na ngang maaalog, mukhang napisa pa. I never really had a thought in my head na darating pa ako sa puntong ito. I even got hundreds of DMs which I don't normally get. Back in the Philippines, they would tag me as patapon at walang career na actress. Tinanggap ko iyon kasi alam kong wala akong career na makukuha roon. No one even wanted me to be their leading actress. Parang sukang-suka sila sa akin.

At hindi naman sa pagmamayabang pero parang gano'n na nga. Kung makikita nila kung nasaan ako ngayon, they would be jealous of me. Gumagawa ng ingay ang pangalan ko sa international tabloids and it feels like I'm owning the title of Queen Elizabeth now. Kailangan ko na ng korona. Though alam ko ang risks ng pinasok ko sa sitwasyong ito.

Faking out our relationship might turn sideways. Pwedeng ikapahamak ko or pwedeng hindi lumabas 'yon at i-carry out namin ang so-called-relationship namin hangga't sa mawala na sa limelight ang mga pangalan namin. But I don't think that'll ever fade soon enough.

Cashel's known for his modeling career, he actually appeared on some French shows. Hindi ko pa napapanood but that what was Wikipedia says about him. Good thing for him, his profile is searchable pero sa akin, ang kasunod na headline kaagad ay laos.

Yup. Hindi pa man ako sumisikat, laos na kaagad ako. Ang sarap nilang ipatumba.

When my phone rang, kinuha ko iyon at i-chineck kung sinong tumatawag. It's Victor so I accepted his call. Good thing he called before he could barge into my room.

"Écoutez très attentivement, Cosette," Victor started. (Listen very carefully, Cosette.)

"Oh, okay? I won't get a good morning?"

"No," he directly answered. It was actually mean. "I won't be coming with you today at the Metro. I was called for work early, that's why and one more thing you need to be prepared," a hint of a playful smile possibly plastered on his face.

"What should I be prepared for?"

"You still have someone waiting for you outside and I guess, you don't have to take the Metro anymore. You're now the girlfriend of Cashel. You're his priority now."

I grunted. "I hated it when you say it like that, we're not totally in a relationship. You know that, Victor."

"Sure, but people love romance and drama so why don't we give it to them, right?"

"Whatever, is that all you're going to say?"

"Maybe," he chuckles.

And a second later, someone knocked on the door. And the only person I knew who knows I live here was Victor and my landlady. I took the robe from the hook on the wall and wear it. Wala pa man akong kaayos-ayos sa sarili ko. I didn't even bother to brush my hair and it's all over my face. Isang malaking pagbukas ang ginawa ko sa pinto. I'm not even in the mood if it's Victor playing with me now. Pero para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig ng makita ko siya.