Just Friends: The on-cam-off-cam Romance

Chapter 3 - Kape

3PM na at iniwan ko si Penny sa headquarters nila bago ako nagpadrive papuntang Starbucks na pinakamalapit sa studio. Pagdating ko dun nakaupo na si Jordan malapit sa bar at nakita niya ako. Ngumiti kami sa isa't isa. He was wearing a black button-down long sleeved shirt and dark pants kaya pumuti at tumangkad siya lalo.

I took the seat across him.

"Kanina ka pa ba?"

"No, I actually just arrived."

"Ah. I thought late na ako."

He smiles again. I need to say this, sobrang gorgeous niya pag nakangiti.

"What do you want to order?"

"Cappuccino nalang. Tall."

"Okay. I'll be back in a second."

Napaabot ako sa bag ko para kunin ang wallet ko.

"No, no please. That won't be necessary. This is my treat." He rushes to the bar before I could even argue.

Bumalik siya a few minutes later.

"So. What does a Jordan Rivers need to know about Noreen Lacson?"

Napatawa ako slight. "Wala naman masyado. What you see is what you get."

"Haha nice try. Come on. Tell me something."

"What do you wanna know?"

"Let me see. Hmm." He rubbed his chin.

"Ah. Do you have any acting rituals?"

Napaisip ako for a minute.

"Well everytime there's something important coming up I always spend at least half an hour on the shower singing the fear out."

Napatawa siya dun.

"Totoo, minsan naghihintay nalang agent ko bago ako matapos maligo. The bigger the project, the longer the shower."

He chuckled. "Cute."

"E ikaw?"

"Well. I haven't been acting much. But as a singer, before the performance I would always pace around trying to remember all the chords and lyrics. I'll probably do that when acting, too."

"Wag ka lang maglakad nang masyadong malayo. Baka mabaliw si Direk sa kakahanap sa'yo nyan."

We both laugh then the coffee came and we started drinking.

I watched him as he drank coffee.

Narealize ko din na wala masyadong lumalapit sa kanya para magpapicture o mga fans na umaaligid. Ako? Hindi na nakakapagtataka na wala kasi hindi naman talaga ako sikat. Pero siya? Sa kagwapuhan niya walang nagsisigawan dito?

"It's shocking how we've been here almost half an hour pero wala paring nagpapapicture sa'yo?"

"Why would they? Noreen, nobody recognizes me. I've never been seen in movies or on TV. Like I said, I'm just VAVU's rising singer. My album isn't even out yet. They've only sent me to live mall shows where I sing for intermission numbers and the like. So it's not shocking."

Ha. I really did know nothing about him. I actually encountered him in VAVU headquarters once in an anniversary party and he sang. That was the first time I saw him. I actually thought a lot of people knew him. Pero hindi naman pala. Well, hindi PA. For sure sa charisma, charm at kagwapuhan nitong taong 'to marami nang magkakandarapa in no time.