chapter two
I did tell you that I’m an assistant personal manager. But what do I actually do? Well, it’s not as easy to describe. First, I’m an assistant, so that means I still report to the personal manager. That’s Cindy, the lady I was speaking to awhile ago. Second, I work at a management company called Polaris International, which means, I manage the activities and schedules of artists, singers and the other celebrities under contract with Polaris. My job is like a cross between a spokesperson, a personal secretary and a slave. Fun, huh? In some parts, my job is exciting. I mean, I get to work with celebrities, talk to them, smile at them, party with them. The spokesperson part is when the media or fans ask about them and I get to answer on his/her behalf if he/she is unavailable for comment. I also get to be in every show, performance, press conferences and other activities my star clients have to attend. However, because of that I have to cater to ‘all their needs’ or they become unhappy, rebellious, impatient, snippy, intolerant and at times, cruel. This is where the slave part comes in. Since I’m the one beside them, they tend to channel both their positive and negative (usually) vibes to me. When they’re hungry, it’s my job to call for some refreshments. If they don’t like what they’re wearing, it’s my job to find one that would make them look good. If they’re lazy, I’m the one who faces the wrath of the producers and directors when I have to explain his/her absence on the set or the studio. I organize which activities my clients go to but I still have to pass it to Cindy for her approval. Cindy, on the other hand, reviews the schedule of activities I made and approves them. Moreover, Cindy is the one who talks to advertisers, show producers and negotiates the contracts of our star clients.
So here I am, three days after my fainting episode and I’m still thinking about Stan. I’m sitting here at the back of Malinda’s photo shoot for Bloom cosmetics, pretending to look interested while I’m actually just doodling away in my ever reliable blue notebook. We’ve been here since 9 in the morning and as I woke up late (as usual), I barely had time to take a shower and get dressed and run to this building, and so I only had a piece of bagel to eat on my way to work. It’s already 12.30 pm and my stomach is noisily grumbling for food. I looked at Malinda posing prettily at the cameras and hoped that the photo session will be finished soon or I’ll go crazy.
Twenty minutes later, the photographer finally wrapped up the photo shoot. I closed my notebook and shoved it inside my bag as I stood up and went over the refreshments table to get a bottle of mineral water. I then proceeded to where Malinda was being fussed over by the makeup artists.
“Here Malinda. Have a drink.” I handed her the bottled water which Malinda quickly accepted with a beaming smile.
“Thanks, Anne.” Malinda then opened the cap and drank the water.
I turned my gaze to the makeup artists and said, “Great work, Sandy. You do wonders with your artistic skills.”
Sandy replied, “Just doing my job, Anne.” She then continued fixing Malinda up.
I smiled at Malinda and said, “Malinda, after Sandy fixes your makeup, you can take a break and have lunch. Your next schedule will be at Mega Shopping Mall, 3pm for the ‘Loving You’ fan meeting.”
“Okay. Will you be going with me?”
“Oh, no. I have to go back to the office and prepare for Shane’s press conference at 5pm. Andrea will take care of you there.’
“Okay. Thanks.” Malinda answered.
“Then, Malinda and Sandy,” I continued, “I’ll leave you two here while I call up the driver to meet us in front of the building, okay?”
“Sure.” Malinda and Sandy replied.
I said goodbye to the rest of the crew and went down. Using my cell phone, I called up Rudy and asked him to meet us in front of the building. In five minutes, Rudy arrived with the van while Malinda and Sandy came out after ten more minutes. We all got in and the van took off.
“Where shall Rudy drop you off, Malinda?”
“At Nobu, two blocks from here. I’m meeting Carla and April there for lunch.”
“Okay.”
The van pulled over to Nobu’s entrance and I opened the door for Malinda.
“Malinda, Rudy will pick you up by 2pm with Andrea and you’ll go to Mega, okay?” I reminded her.
“Alright. See you later!” Malinda got off and strode inside the restaurant where her two co-stars were waiting.
I closed the door and told Rudy to go back to the office.
When we reached the office, Sandy and I headed to the canteen and had checked out the food. As we were both hungry after the early morning activity, we opted to have lunch at the McDonald’s, which was just to the left of the building. We then ordered our usual Cheeseburger meal and sat down at the nearest available.
“Whew! What a long morning that was!” Sandy exclaimed, while unwrapping her burger and taking a big bite.
“Yes, I know what you mean. I was so sleepy and bored to death during the entire photo shoot.” I replied.
“And you were almost late. What happened?” Sandy asked.
“Ahh.. I couldn’t sleep last night so I ended watching a marathon of Jim Carrey movies on HBO. I finally dozed off around 3 am already.”
“So that was it. I thought you had a date of something that kept you up all night.” Sandy winked at me.
“Oh how I wish that was the case.” I replied.
“Why? Still pining over that lousy ex-boyfriend of yours?”
“No. I’m over him.”
Sandy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right, Anne. If I know, you spent the entire night moping and crying over that jerk that’s why you couldn’t sleep.”
“No, I didn’t mope around last night...well, a little, but I definitely did not cry. I’m way past the crying stage already. I’m in the self-denial/angry stage already.”
“Hello, Anne. This is me, Sandy, your best friend since 6th grade? Of course you did, you’re too nice and too innocent to not mope around and cry. I tell you, get over him and find another guy.”
Just like she said, we’ve known each other since we were young. Since my surname is Lee and Sandy’s is Lennox, we spent most of the time seated next to each other in class. We both sucked at math and science and excelled at art classes. We love the smell of coffee and would hang out at coffee shops after class. In college, Sandy studied at a fashion school while I majored in marketing in a nearby college. Being an only child, I treat Sandy not only as my best friend but also the sister I wish I had. We tell each other secrets like experiencing our first kisses, Sandy, winning the junior arts festival painting competition in high school, and me winning the local prom queen title in senior high school. We’ve comforted each other through bad hair days, painful breakups and even deaths in the family (like when I lost my dad three years ago to a freak accident and Sandy losing her grandmother last year to cancer). The only thing we don’t share in our taste in men. Sandy has been going out with her boyfriend, Peter, since second year in college while I’ve had 2 serious relationships and 1 summer fling during the same period.
“I don’t know why I can’t seem to find the right guy.” I started.
“I mean, the guys I meet start out to be really nice and sweet and then once they become my boyfriend, they slowly change from sweeties to cheaters, liars and assholes.”
“Then that just means that they weren’t really nice at all. They were just pretending to be nice to get your attention. It’s because you’re too sweet and too nice.”
“Is being sweet and nice that awful? You make me sound like some naïve girl who’s easy to get.”
“You’re not easy to get. Just... I don’t know.. don’t be too trusting with guys. They’ll take what they want and leave you hurting all over.”
“Jeez... you’re lucky Peter is so adoring and faithful. By the way, how are the wedding preparations going?”
Sandy perked up. “It’s going well. I’ve already ordered the flowers and I’ve reserved the St. Joseph Chapel in 23rd Street. Tomorrow, I’m going to the designer to fit my wedding gowns and this weekend, I’m finalizing arrangements for the reception at the Palace. You are going with me to the food tasting right?”
“Of course, anything food-related, I won’t pass up.” I eagerly replied.
“How about your gown? Have you been to my designer for fitting?” Sandy asked.
“Not yet. I’m this next few days. Maybe next week.”
Sandy put down her drink. “I thought you said you went there last weekend?”
“I said, I was planning to go there last weekend, but Cindy called me up to help out in Zoey’s album launching party which took the whole day, so I had to cancel my fitting.”
“My wedding is four months, Anne. I don’t my maid of honor’s gown to look like it was rushed. You know that Monique’s time is precious. She needs at least 3 months to finish her designs. You have to fit your gown by next week, okay?” Sandy scolded me.
“Okay. I promise. Relax.”
We finished our lunch and were walking back to the office. “By the way,” Sandy asked, “what are you doing tonight?”
“Hm, Shane’s press con finishes around 7pm then I’m free. What are you thinking?” I replied.
“Well, after Malinda’s fan meeting, Andrea will be free too. Wanna watch a movie? I heard that new Star Trek movie is really good.
“Count me in!”
“Great. I’ll see you then!” We went inside the elevator and pressed the 7th and 15th floor. I waved Sandy goodbye when got off at the 7th floor and I was the only one left inside the elevator.
When it reached the 8th floor, the door opened and to my dismay, I saw my jerk-of-an-ex-boyfriend get in and pressed the 18th floor.
I did tell you that I and the jerk worked at the same office right? Oh, no? I guess me wishing him to disappear didn’t work. Well, it would never work anyways, as he is one of the more popular music producers in the company. Let’s just call him “that Jerk Music Producer”.
At least I saw him flinch a bit when he saw me inside the elevator. Even if that two timing cheater dumped me, I can still elicit a small reaction from him.
I tried to look everywhere but him while he was obviously uncomfortable standing beside me in that cramped space.
After going up one level, he finally broke the ice.
“How are you Anne?” he asked without looking at me.
What do you think jerk? “I’m doing well, thank you.” I curtly answered.
More silence. Two levels up and he said, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Yeah right. “Hey. It was good while it lasted.” I shrugged, pretending to feel nonchalant while inside, I can feel tears threatening to spill over if he keeps this sorry-I-never-meant-to-hurt-you stance.
He had the gall to smile that blasted heartbreaking smile that used to make my knees go weak when he replied, “Yeah. It was really good. We had lots of fun.” He looked at me through the reflection of the elevator door.
That bastard. “But not good enough that I was dumped for a prettier younger girl right?” I saw his smile fall a little, realizing that his charm that used to get him everything at me was no longer working. I was too hurt to feel charmed right now.
“You’ve had your fun and now it’s time to move on to someone more gullible enough to believe your lies right?”
As the elevator slowly reached my floor, my confidence was rising and I can see his smile slowing fading and his face turning uneasy.
“What we had was real, Anne. I swear to you. I meant everything I said back then. You’re special to me, Anne. Until now. I’ll never find anyone like you.
When the elevator opened, I looked at him straight in the eye.
“Yes. I’m special and you’ll never find anyone like me because I’m the only one out there and too bad you lost me.” I got out of the elevator. “Have a nice life.” I turned my back on him and walked straight to the third door to the right. I went inside, closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Whew! You did it, Anne. You’re moving on.
I stayed inside the restroom for a few minutes, washing up before heading to Room 1505, where Cindy, Shane and his manager will be in a half an hour.
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cappuccino.two
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