Me, My Ex, and Him

Chapter 8: A Romantic Project

          After the meeting when the others left, Noah called Boboy and I to go to the meeting room earlier than the time, and so we went there. 

          "Lia, Boboy, may special announcement ako at kailangan ko ang tulong nyo." Noah said.

          "I will be participating in a wedding photoshoot before and during the event." He continued. 

Me and him again? What kind of game was Noah playing? I was shocked. My eyes widened, too. He explained that there will be professional photographers in charge of the pre-wedding shoots, and that he only needed us to assist him during the event. His aim was to get us exposed to the industry, so I couldn't say no. I knew exactly what his true intentions were, so I played his game.

          "The wedding will be on November 11, 2023." He informed us.

Boboy was on board. Though I was really having second thoughts, I eventually agreed to help out. Noah grinned as soon as we both agreed.

          One weekend, the three of us went to the place where the wedding was going to be held. I was wearing a mini skirt, a crop top and some heels while the boys were wearing something casual. The guys were astonished by my preferred outfit that day. What? A girl needs to dress a little extra sometimes. The venue was a beautiful 5-star hotel named Garden Paradise Hotel. I was then reminded of the time Boboy and I worked on an engagement party the last time. I felt happy during that time. I then scratched my head and cleared my throat.

          "Naaalala mo yung engagement gig mo dati?" I asked, nervously.

          "Oo nga.", Boboy responded.

          "Yun ang isa sa pinaka-best gig ko." Smiling, he continued.

          "I long to be as happy as the couple we helped that time. I want their kind of love." I said to him.

He gave me a smile afterwards. I felt relieved and calm upon hearing his words, too. Then I smiled at him back. We were then called to see the set-up of the wedding. Noah explained in detail to us where we can position ourselves to take good angles of the people in the upcoming event.

          "Sino kaya yung ikakasal..." I wondered.

          "Oo nga. Nakaka-curious. Bakit hindi nalang sasabihin ni Noah kung sino?" Boboy replied.

          "Baka siya yung ikakasal." I joked.

He laughed at what I said, making me laugh with him too.

          "Humanda siya sa akin kasi hindi niya sinabi sa akin ikakasal na siya pala." He joked again.

Eventually, our rehearsal began. I was practicing how to take photos at the best possible angle. I used him as my model. I held his wrist to guide him to the exact spot where I want to take a photo of.  After taking shots, he reviewed them. He was impressed to my surprise. 

          "Parang pang professional level na." He told me. 

We both high-fived. The whole day, we did a dry-run on how we would execute our shots by taking turns in modeling for the camera. Boboy acted like the groom and I acted like the bride for the rehearsal shots, so we could visualize how the couple would pose. Funny how later on, we went to the center, facing each other, to discuss about where the couple would most likely position at. Oh how I was melting on the inside. The feeling of looking at him and at the same time being so close to him gave me a whole new sensation.  

We enjoyed ourselves, indeed. The day almost ended, then Noah walked in on us witnessing the fun. He was happy to see us working together. Boboy once again offered to accompany me going home, but I said not to, because we would be going to different routes from the venue. He still  insisted as he wanted me home safe.

          The wedding rehearsal took place every weekend. One noon, the three of us went to lunch together.

          "Noah, sino talaga yung couple at kailan namin sila makikita?" Boboy asked.

We were already so curious.

          "Sorry. I forgot to mention." He defended.

          "Nandun pa sila sa Cebu but they will arrive here sa Manila in time." Noah continued.

We were still curious who they were.

          "Akala ko ikaw kasi yung ikakasal, Pre." Boboy joked. 

The three of us laughed.

          "Pwede nga kayong dalawa nalang ikakasal." Noah joked back.

We were speechless. We glanced at each other for seconds then looked away. That surely felt awkward, so we just laughed it off because Noah was being ridiculous. I took a deep breath and faked a smile, though I was really blushing on the inside. Lunch break was over and we returned to the function room. It was scheduled that day for the shoot of the wedding preparation, so we spent the whole day doing our jobs. Boboy shot the video and I took the behind-the-scenes  shots. The wedding organizer was setting up some decorations while we documented them. The shoot for the preparation took hours, and the next thing we knew, it was already sun-down.

          Boboy and I went to the rooftop of the hotel for some fresh air after a long day of working. We needed to take a break.

          "So, kamusta na kayo ni Arya?" I spoke up.

He was puzzled that he furrowed his brow. 

          "Um. Okay lang." He responded.

          "Good friends naman kami." He continued.

          "Doon magsisimula... Friends." I added.

Silence filled the rooftop for a while.

          "Sure ako hindi ako yung type niya..."

I scoffed politely. He looked at me in the eyes, keeping them locked on mine. I tried to look away but my eyes were glued to his eyes. 

          "Siguro, iba ang gusto niya sa isang lalake." He emphasized.

I didn't know what to say. All I could give was one of my fake smiles again.

          Days passed, it was already a week before the wedding. The three of us had spent the whole day at the hotel to coordinate with the event organizer and producers. Noah was in charge of editing the video on the spot while Boboy and I were asked to assist and shoot. Noah informed that he had already assisted the professional photographers shoot the pre-wedding shots.

          "Medyong napapagod pa yung lovely couple sa shoot kanina pero..." Noah explained.

          "We will be meeting Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza tomorrow night." He continued.

I sensed a familiarity upon hearing the family name of the groom, but I knew there were too many people in the city with the family name "Mendoza". I smirked and went on with the production meeting. When the meeting was over, I went home. When I arrived at my house, my mother told me there was a package delivered for me. It was in an envelope lying on the table in our living room. Curious, I then picked it up and opened it. It was a wedding invitation which says:

          "Hi Lia, you have been invited to witness the love of Gabe Mendoza and Sally Cerrera this coming November 11, 2023, at Garden Paradise Hotel. See you there."

My jaw dropped as I was surprised. Unbelievable! Those names really are familiar. The couple who was going to be wedded was Yvan's sister Ate Sally and her fiancé. I was invited into a wedding I was supposed to be working at. Of all the weddings, it had to be theirs. Theirs!