"Dorothy... you won't believe what happened to me the other day!" I blurted out the moment our video call connected.
It had only been a few days since I enrolled at the university just a few days after I got scouted by Miss Farah. Everything still felt surreal.
We were both in our own condos, the video split-screening two completely different vibes. I was sweaty and flushed from just finishing a long treadmill run. It was cardio day today, and I pushed myself for two hours straight, maybe from adrenaline, maybe from excitement.
I was still in my black sports bra and matching leggings, hair tied up in a high ponytail, chugging water from my tumbler to cool down.
Dorothy, on the other hand, looked like she'd just rolled out of bed. Her hair was in a loose messy bun, and she was wearing a silky robe over what looked like lingerie. She took a big spoonful of overnight oats while squinting at the screen.
"Anong meron?" she mumbled mid-chew, blinking like she was still half-asleep.
"I'm already enrolled and I got scouted by a model manager!" I said merrily.
Her eyes widened and she almost choked on her oats. "Talaga?!"
I smiled widely at her as I nodded my head enthusiastically.
"Really?! Congratulations, Rhian!" She seemed so excited. Nawala nang kaunti ang antok sa itsura niya. Humagikhik ako.
I already told Dorothy that I stopped being a sex worker while I was still in Siquijor. She continued being one, though. Nothing's changed about her, except that she got wilder now because of Cyrus' best friend, Ethan, who rejected Dorothy.
I am not sure because I wasn't in her situation, but based on my observation, she got bitter about it. And for me, that's okay. If that's how she copes about her lost admiration for that man, I am no one to judge. I'll be here for her, as she has been there for me too.
"Pupunta ako sa office nila ngayon sa Quezon City. Pipirma lang ng kontrata at ipapakilala na rin ako sa ibang staff ng agency, at sa ibang modelo na naroon."
"Ang galing galing mo, Rhian! At enrolled ka na rin? Congrats talaga!" Masayang masaya siya para sa akin. I smiled widely too.
"Sa isang buwan pa naman magsisimula ang unang semester kaya marami pa akong oras para sa pagmomodelo. Aayusin ko lang muna dahil may trabaho agad para sa akin at sa isang linggo na raw agad 'yon."
Nanlaki ang mata ni Dorothy. "Talaga? Mayroon na agad? Ano raw?"
"Bench Fashion Week. Pumunta ka ha? Ipagrereserba kita ng upuan."
"Oo naman, ako pa ba?! Baka riyan na ako makakuha ng boyfriend, kung sakali!" excited niyang sinabi kaya natawa na lang ako.
We talked about some random things, sometimes about me, and sometimes about her. We didn't talk about him because I didn't ask. I just know that he's still in Davao right now, serving the country through his intelligence and skills.
Matapos ang kwetuhan namin ni Dorothy ay saktong alas onse na ang tanghali, kaya nagpasya ako na mag-ayos na dahil alas dos ng hapon ang meeting ko kila Miss Farah.
Wearing just a fitted black tee tucked into my wide-leg jeans, paired with black stilettos and my black Chanel wallet-on-chain slung across my body, I strutted out of the condo with quiet confidence.
The valet parked my car and I immediately went inside. I drove to Greenbelt to have lunch at Mary Grace. I ordered my usual, Grilled Chicken and Oranges with Black Olive Dressing. I wanted a light lunch because I didn't want to be bloated.
BINABASA MO ANG
Kissing the Agony (Agony Series #1)
RomanceRhian Amelie Bueron has always been weighed down by the judgments that come with her chosen path. In a world that rarely takes her seriously... be it in society, in life, or in love. She's learned to live with the whispers, the stares, and the sile...
