Versailles Series Book 10: The Reporter [ONGOING]

CHAPTER 25

S A V A N N A H

As I'm set to work in two weeks, my children's school camping is on time. They have this annual camping thing that their school organises and Gellie has been the one going with the kids. Since I'm working soon again, I want to spend it with them this time around.

No, it's not because Damon might be there too. Gee, right girl. Whatever makes you sleep at night.

The twins are excited as usual. Even Noah who is usually silent seems to be a ball of energy today. Halos hindi na nga makatulog ang dalawa. I just realised how much I'm missing a lot in my children's life. I haven't been involved as much because I was busy trying to revive my career and continue being their provider. Even if the kids are under my custody, once I can't give them their needs, they'll be taken away from me.

The families met up at school before we drove to the camping site which was two hours away from the school. When we arrived, the parents were mingling with each other while their children played.

Some of the women looked at me like they were trying to find something amiss about me. I'm just in my shirt and jeans because it's comfortable. Who wears skirts to camping sites? Well, you do you. The women plastered their fake smiles as they walked to me.

"Savannah. Nice of you to join the camping this year."

"I'm usually busy and the kids requested it." It was the safest answer. Or I thought so.

"Really? Eh wala ka naman na sa TV 'di ba?" Sabi ni Miss Bronzer-na-hindi-na-blend.

"I have been writing in the newspaper. You know, if you read the broadsheets?"

"Ah, akala namin tambay ka na lang sa bahay. Buti may newspaper pa kayo na pagtatrabahuan mo ano?" Sabi naman ng kasama nitong si Miss Funda-na-hindi-tama-ang-shade.

I continued to fake smile with them. Now I am reminded why I avoided school events like this. "What can I say, I'm a good journalist."

"Kumusta na iyung ex-husband mo? Naka-recover na ba siya sa issue niyo before?"

"Humihinga pa naman siya noong huli ko siyang nakita."

"Balita ko maganda daw ang partner niya after you. I mean, no offense." Ang mga taong nagsasabi ng 'no offense' na susundan ng offensive na statement ay dapat binabaon sa hukay.

"I'm happy for him." Nilibot ko ang tingin ko bago ko para ma-check kung nasaan ang kambal kong mga anak.

"Ikaw ba nasa dating scene na ulit? For sure mahirap makahanap ng ka-date ngayong panahon no?"

"Siyempre hiwalay siya sa asawa tapos may mga anak pa. Na-try mo na siguro lahat ng dating apps?"

I exhaled slowly to calm myself after they just verbalised my insecurities. Bakit ba may mga taong ganito? A sad realisation is that people like these really exist. Some of them just have the gall to open their mouths and spew hate. The last thing I want to cause is drama here. I am only doing this camping thing this time and I want it to go perfectly for my kids even if I want to pack everything now and lock myself at home away from their prying eyes.

"Sa ngayon, priority ko ang mga anak ko at ang trabaho ko. Saka wala namang masama sa dating apps. May mga tao namang nakakahanap ng matinong ka-date doon. At kaya ko naman maging masaya kahit walang-"

"I've been looking all over for you." May naramdaman akong umakbay sa balikat ko. Base sa kabog ng dibdib ko, si Damon ang katabi ko ngayon. His warmth is giving me the comfort that I desperately need now. Plus, we've never touched like this. Even in the Valentine's Ball, it's just our hands touching.

"Hey, you. Where's Jeremiah?" Pinilit kong magtunog na kaswal.

"With the twins. I brought some coffee if you want some." His eyes were only on me as if no two hags were looking at us right now who clearly were looking at Damon like their next prey.

"Sure."

He smiled at the women. "Excuse us."

"Bakit hindi mo sila inalok?" Tanong ko rito nang makalayo kami.

"Nah. They can buy coffee themselves." Hindi ko alam kung nakalimutan ba nitong nakaakbay pa rin ito sa akin.

I giggled at his statement. "Yeah. Can't blame you. They are bitches." I watched his face as he poured me a cup of coffee. "I don't need saving but thanks anyway."

"Sorry, I know. You looked very pale and uncomfortable, Savvy. I didn't hear much about what they said to you but from the look on their faces, it wasn't pleasant." He blew the steam from his coffee. "We could file a lawsuit-"

"Hep hep! Para kang si Hera."

"Both of us are lawyers. We have the same thinking process." His face turned serious as he met my eyes. "Now that I know more about your history, winning a case against their accusations isn't hard."

I smiled up at him hoping to make him understand my case. "It's the least of my concerns. Ang nasa isip ko lang ngayon ay si Noah at Naomi. Basta masaya sila at nabibigay ko ang mga kailangan nila, kaya kong palagpasin iyon. May trabaho rin na nag-aantay sa akin. I'll be quite busy."

"Just saying. If you want to take it to court, I'm just a call away. I can be your lawyer on retainer. Free of charge." He winked at me. Winked. At. Me. Damon Olivares. Ughhhh. Here I am, trying to un-crush him. And here he is stringing my heart along.

"Be careful, I might take up your offer." I smiled as I sipped from my cup.

"Sure. It's open."

Both of us look up as they start announcing the instructions on how we will go about it. The group only consists of the twins' grade level and not everyone could go so it's only about thirty families around here. The families will go in pairs and will have a designated campsite. There will be challenges that each pair will have to do and the scores will be tallied after. The prizes are yet to be unveiled but my twins and I are competitive so the other half of our pair should be competitive like us too.

They announced the pairings and I looked at Damon who was still sipping his coffee like he was in his afternoon tea party.

"We're paired up?"

"Sounds like it," he shrugged.

"On a scale of one to ten, how competitive are you?"

He finally finished his cup and stood taller in front of me. "We're off the scales."

I smiled mischievously at him. "You better be because if you're a wimp, that will completely erase this devilishly handsome, hotshot lawyer facade you're playing."

It was his turn to smirk at me. He stepped towards me, making me back into the car. As my back hit the side of the car, he stopped and leaned slightly closer to me. "Is that what you think of me?"

I'm not Savannah if I'm not red as a tomato. "That's your takeaway from everything I said?"

"Oh, I heard everything. But when you say I'm devilishly handsome and a hotshot lawyer? I'll definitely remember. And I have a good memory, Savvy. I'll remember it for a long time."

I was thinking of my clapback when our kids came running towards us.

"We're in the same team!"

"We are!" I matched their energy as we jumped around. Damon just looked at us with that charming smile of his.