Beauty In Walking Away by KC Esber Belle & Étoile CHAPTER 1 Reporter: It’sIt’s Lloyd Flores and Deanna GarcGarciaia together walkinwalkingg to our direction. Lloyd! Deanna!Deanna! Here. Lloyd: Hello! Deanna: Hello to the viewers of the show! Report: Just one question for you two. Are you two really dating? Lloyd: We’re just friends. Reporter: How showbiz. Tell me us the truth. Your fans will not mind if you two are dating. They would be even happier if you two are dating. Deanna: We’re really just friends. Lloyd: But we’re not closing our doors oonn anything. We’re just enjoying the moment. “I just hate the guts of that girl.” I said as I was walking to the living room. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous of Deanna?” He said. “Jealous? Never. Mr. Lloyd Clarence Flores, don’t you have a photo shoot today?” I lay down the sofa and place my head on top of his thigh. “Yes but you know I’d rather spend my day with you Mrs. Raine Mallari Flores.” He said then kisses me onon the lips. “Don’t call me that until there’s already a ring on this finger.” I said as he suddenly tickles me. *Ring* “It’s your phone. Lloyd, stop it. You’re phone is rringing.inging. It’s maybe John calling yoyou.”u.” I said. He stood up and answered the call. “Hello? John! I know. Sorry. I’d be late for a few minutes but I’ll be there don’t worry. Just relax.relax. Okay? Bye.” He said as he puts down his phone. “Let’s go. I’d be late for work.” I said as I stood up and went to our room to change. ____________________________________________________ “See you later.” I said as I kissed his cheek. “See you later. Call me okay? Love you." He said. 11 “Love you too.” I answered. I went out of the car and went inside Bella Towers where I work as an executive assistant in a fashion magazine. “Your boyfriend is so sweet. He always drops you ofofff every morning.” Adrianna said. She’s a fellow assistant in the magazine I’m working for. “He is.” I said as I pressed the button of the elevator. “How long have been you been together?” She asked. “7 years.” I answered. “Wow.” She said. Lloyd and I have been together since college and dedespitespite the chaos of show business, we’re still together. “What does he do?” Adrianna asked again. Well isn’t she a bit too inqinquisitive.uisitive. “He’s in the real estate business.” I just answered. I don’t want to tell her the truth, the truth that he’s really a famous celebrity. The truth that I, Raine Mallari am the secret girlfriend of the Lloyd Flores, famous actor and singer. Who would believe that? They’ll even say that I’m crazy or something. “Oh. What is his name?” She asked again as we reached the 7th floor where our office is located. “Let’s talk later. I still need to run some errands for Ms. Lalaine.” I just said to change the topic and to stop her from asking more questions. Ms. Lalaine by the way is the editor-in-chief of the magazine Adrianna and I work for. ____________________________________________________ “Good morning Ms. Lalaine.” I said as Ms. Lalaine entered her office. “Good morning.” She answered. “Ms. Lalaine, everythineverythingg is already set. The newly printed July issue and also the decaf Chai Latte you wanted to me to order for you are now on your desk.desk.”” I said. 22 “Thank you.” “Before I forgot Ms, you have a meeting at 1 pm for the magazine’s Christmas issueissue.”.” I reminded her. “Ok. Thank you. By the way, Raine?” “Yes, Ms. Lalaine?” I asked. “Are the staffs ready for the Fashion Night?” She said. I remember the Fashion Night is happeninhappeningg this Friday. It’s like a charity party/fashion show organized by the magazine every year to promote our magazine anandd also young designers. “Yes Ms.” I answered. “Good.” ____________________________________________________ It was lunch time, a lot of people went out to eat but I ate early so that I could fix the things needed for the meeting later. Suddenly, my phone beeped. “Belle..” It was Lloyd. We too have our own terms of endearmeendearment.nt. For other it’s Hon, SweetieSweetie or Cupcake, ours isis Belle and Étoile, beautiful and star in French. We came up with it in our French class in college where we actually met. ““Étoile, pourquoi ?? (Why?)” ” I answered back. “I miss you.” He said. “How is the shoot going? Are they making you drink lots of ice tea again?” I teased him. “No. It’s milk this time. Hehe. No, just joking. ItIt’s’s for a magazine. It’s quite titiringring but just Belle’s voice takes my tiredness away.” He said. ““Talaga lang ha? If I know you’re already flirting with the models there.”there.” “No. Promise. I don’t even think they’re pretty. ThThere’sere’s no other girl in this world that is prettier than you.” “Sir Lloyd? Break’s over. You need to get back to the main studio.” I heard a guy said in the background while still talking to Lloyd. ““Tama na nga ang bola. They need you already. See you later ah. Take care.” I said. “Love you.” I heard him whisper. 33 “Love you too.” I said as I put down my cell phone. For some reason, I felt a bit sad. They say when you love someone you’ll do anything. I love Lloyd so much ththatat even though I know it’s not fair for me, I still agree to keep our relationship a secret. But I’m afraid the time will come that I’ll just get tired of everything even loving him. Temper, Temper CHAPTER 2 “We plan to feature Deanna Garcia on the cover of our December issue. We’ll be interviewing her and doing photo shoots with her.” a staff of a magazine said. “Innocent on the outside, female dog on the inside.inside.”” I suddenly whispered. “Raine, are you saying something?” Ms. Lalaine asked me. “Ms, I was saying it’s a good idea. Since she’s famous right knowing her love team with Lloyd Flores is loved by a lot of people.” I said. Whew! That was close. “I agree with Raine. Let’s do that. She’s relatable and has a pretty face. Many readers of ours would like to buy a magazine with her on the cover. And also, I ssuggestuggest you invite her and LlLloydoyd Flores to the Fashion Night. For them to be familiar with the magazine and it’s also a good publicity for them. Are there ananyy more invitations left Raine?“ “Yes Ms. I’ll send them invitations right away. I will see to it that they’ll attend to event.” I answered. “Ok. Good. Meeting adjourned.” She said before walking out of the conference roomroom.. ____________________________________________________ Around 7 pm, I went home tired with all the things needed for our Fashion Night. “Sit down. Dinner is almost ready.” I was surprised to see Lloyd cooking dinner. “You’re early. I thought photo shoots end late.” I said as I put down my things. I then kiss him on the cheek and fixed the table. “Well this photo shoot isn’t. It ended quite early. Why you don’t want me to go home early?” He answered. “It’s not that. I’m just surprisedsurprised.. That’s all. Ikaw naman tampo ka naman diyan agad. Let’s eat na nga.”” After we ate, we just hangout by the terrace. 44 “How’s work?” Lloyd said as he sat behind me and starts massaginmassagingg my shoulders. “Fine but as usual, tiring since Fashion Night is coming up. Oh by the way, get the ticket there in my bag. It’s for the Fashion Night. Ms. Lalaine wants you and Deanna to be there since Deanna would be in our December issue. I already sent Deanna’s manager the invitation.” I said. “Oh. Okay. No prob.” He said. “Why? What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” He answered. “People always say that but they always mean the opopposite.”posite.” II said aafterfter I faced him. “I’m just afraid people would know about us if I go to your event.” “You worry too much. Don’t think about those thingsthings.. Just go.” “Fine.” He said. ____________________________________________________ My dream really is to be a fashion stylist. I don’t have the talent foforr fashion designing but I tthinkhink I have a good eye when it comes to clothes. But it just so happenhappens,s, fashion styling is a short course so I just took up Journalism which is actually my second love. I planplannedned to take a short course on fashion styling afterafter I graduated but I got so busy when I got a job in the magazine I’m working in now. “We lack people Raine. Could you please help me witwithh the fashion show? Also style ththee models. The dresses from Veejay (Floresca), Sassa (Jimenez) and Kat (Corpuz) have just arrived.” Katrina said, the fashion editor of our magazine. “Sure.” So I did. I was fixing the last model when Katrina called me. I saw Deanna Garcia besidebeside her. “Deanna this is Raine. She’s the assistant of Ms. Lalaine but she’s one of the stylists tonight. She will be the one to style you.