Lights, Camera & Action

Sip See

"France is so beautiful this time of year, don't you agree, Lingling?" Junji asked, her wedged heels clacking against the stone encrusted roads of the foreign country, 

"One time, Seng and I took a trip here with some friends, and we kissed directly below the Eiffel Tower, it was the most romantic thing that ever happened to me," Junji gushed, nudging into Lingling , "I might still have it, hold on," Junji said, digging her phone out of her over the shoulder purse.

Lignling listened to Junji babble on about her perfectly magnificent love life, and Lingling couldn't held but focus on the large diamond ring that adorned her finger. 

In late September, Junji returned back to her ocean view apartment to find Seng standing alone in a room full of candles, tears in his eyes when she walked in. He popped the question, professing his love for her with great detail, and obviously, she obliged.

Their engagement was still going strong two weeks later, and when Junji wasn't talking business with Lingling, she was whipping out her planning binder, sifting through the pages. 

She had already claimed Lingling as her maid of honor, and Engfa would be standing next to her in line.

Lingling was elated when Junji gave her the news, but after a while, the endless wedding dreams got a bit boring, and Lingling found herself zoning out more often than not.

The seasons had changed, and after a few more well managed, fairly equipped movie premieres, Lingling and the rest of the cast were flown up to Paris, France to do more promotion. The movie was an instant box office hit, racking up five star reviews and unconditional praise from the media.

Lingling was proud at the creation, and finally allowed herself to watch it at the Thailand Premiere, and that was only because she would be attending with her family. Lingling could act like a spoiled brat in front of Engfa and Junji, but she knew her parents wouldn't put up with it. Though sitting through a( Yuri - Sapphic film ) with her parents was unbelievably awkward, they were proud nonetheless, and congratulated their daughter on her groundbreaking role.

While everything else was looking up, the only downside to the situation was Orm . After Lingling's last blowout went viral, she got pegged as emotionally distraught, and one magazine even wrote an open letter to her, begging her family to check her into therapy. 

Lingling had calmed down after a while, forcing terribly awkward smiles and standing stiffly next to Orm became the new normal. 

Lingling found herself yearning to call Orm hers again, to be able to hold her at night and come home to Orm in her bed, watching terrible reality shows, but as quickly as it came, the love was gone.

"Look, I found it," Junji stated, shoving her iPhone 15 into Lingling's face, "We need to get you a boyfriend or a girlfriend while we're here. Not even, maybe a fling, so you can get a picture like this. Or we could take one, like a best friend photo! And Engfa can come too, wouldn't that be fun?" Junji asked, and Lingling frowned, because her best friend was too innocent for this world.

Lingling shrugged her shoulders, "I feel like that type of thing is for people in love, you know? Why waste a romantic moment with someone you're not even sure you're going to be with forever. And plus, I'm not in love with anyone at the moment," Lingling lied, her heart figuratively sighing as it yearned for Orm.

Junji quietened up, and then asked in a hushed voice, "You're not in love with Orm anymore?"

"Love is something beautiful, it shouldn't make you want to curl up in a ball and die," Lingling answered, shielding her eyes away from the sun.

Frowning, Junji responded, "Do you think being in love is full of grassy meadows and rainbows? If you do, then you've spent too much time with your nose in a script, because love is about sacrifice and the ability to accept each others faults, and love them in spite of that," Junji lectured, "Now let's go get some ice cream."

Lingling nodded, trailing behind Junji as they head toward the outdoor bakery. Junji stood on her tip toes to meet the eyes of a boy about their age who was working the cash register.

Lingling didn't pay any attention, pushing up the large sunglasses that shied her face away from the public, and she ran her fingers through her hair.

 Lingling 's hair had begun to grow back, now reaching the top of her chest, and in a fit of craziness, Lingling drove herself to her stylist's home and demanded she dye her hair brown. The woman bit her lip, obliging, and three hours later, Lingling was on the way home, the Hollywood wind breezing through her caramel locks.

"Je voudrais une glace, s'il vous plaît, ( I would like an Ice cream please )" Junji smiled at the man, and she turned to Lingling, "What do you want?"

Lingling shrugged, "I don't care."

"Elle veut un croissant et un jus d'orange, (She wants croissants and an orange juice )" Junji decided, and the cashier gave her the total, speaking in complete French dialect, while Junji's was more slow, due to her learning the language versus being born into it.

Seconds later, Junji exchanged the euros for the ice cream, the croissant, and the orange juice, and politely said thank you in French. 

Junji led Lingling to a patio table set out in the sun, decorated with a colorful umbrella to give them shade from the ominously hot sun. Junji handed Lingling her croissant, and dipped the plastic spoon in her vanilla ice cream.

This should have been paradise, but Lingling couldn't help but find the situation beautifully tragic. Lingling was so pathetic, because she was in the most beautiful place on Earth, and she still couldn't force herself to forget forever and focus on what was happening right now.

"Have you talked to Orm at all?" Junji queried, licking the cold substance off of her spoon.

Lingling hesitated, biting her lip, "Not since the last blowout," She admitted, even though a few drunk texts were sent in the weeks following, all unread, of course.

Junji sighed, crossing her bare legs under the table, "I wish you guys would at least talk about it. You had so much chemistry, and I honestly thought it was going to last for a long time," Junji confessed, "I can't see how two people so great for each other could fall out so easily."

"We didn't know what we were doing, neither of us had experience, and I was a wicked idiot," Lingling said, putting all of the blame on herself.

Lingling had replayed the events in her mind over and over again. Even though she was almost blackout drunk and her memory wasn't the best, she knew in her heart that she would never be unfaithful to Orm, let alone anyone. But when the media is cramming the same story down your throat day in and day out, you begin to believe it.

"None of this is your fault," Junji assured, "Orm should stop being a stubborn bitch," Junji commented, taking Lingling by surprise, because Lingling rarely heard her swear.

Part of Lingling wanted to agree, but on the other hand, she wanted to scold Junji for being so cold hearted toward Orm. Junji was being truthful, and even though Lingling knew it, she didn't want to believe that Orm was in the wrong.

Lingling gazed down into her orange juice, wishing that somehow a magical fairy would appear in the liquid, giving her advice for the future.

 At this point, Lingling furrowed her eyebrows, and knew she had completely and utterly lost her senses. And by getting that realization out in the open, Lingling came to the conclusion that she needed to talk to Orm, tonight.

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This story may come to an end any moment,,,,,, thank you for reading  this story everyone.