Change and Chances

Chapter 16 - The Fruit

My wild guess wasn't wrong after all. Subsequent to my live conference, Aramis have been receiving different offers from different companies. May iilan na gusto syang maging leading man sa upcoming movies, mag-model sa mga top clothing, perfume and footwear lines, be featured in a music video and the list goes on.

What can I say? The man's way too perfect for it. I'm pretty sure na kahit hindi nya ako nakilala, if he stayed in Metro Manila he would certainly be discovered.

Steffi offered to be his manager if he's ready to be part of the limelight. She didn't force him dahil nirerespeto nito ang desisyon ni Aramis. As a manager she knows better. Mas alam nya ang pros and cons of being in this industry and how dirty it is compared sa mga talagang ipinapakita sa mga tao outside of it.

Kung hindi ganun ka-willing sa pagsali ang isang tao sa industriya na ito, that person's downfall is right around the corner and it would be very hard to get back.

The thing with Aramis is that, ni isa sa mga offers nya wala syang tinanggap. Hindi na sana ko masu-surprise sa desisyon nyang iyon kung hindi nya lang sinabi kay Steffi ang nag-iisang condition nya sa pag tanggap ng offer: He would only accept it if, it would involve me.

Meaning, as long as merong offer that would state that I'm a part of the project or be his partner dun nya lang tatanggapin. Pero kung wala ay wala din.

Ang sakit nya sa ulo, really.

Speaking of his condition, marami din naman talagang nag-offer na kaming dalawa lang ang featured. But of course as a professional, hindi lahat tinanggap ko. Nag-agree lang ako sa kung saan tingin ko ay magbe-benefit din si Aramis.

Right now, katatapos lang ng shoot namin for this famous teen magazine na kami ang magiging front cover for next month's issue and would come with the title as the newest and most-stunning couple of the year.

Naunang natapos na mag-ayos si Aramis sakin. Balak nya pa sana na antayin ako outside the dressing room pero naiisip ko palang na baka pagka-guluhan sya ng mga babae ay naiirita na ko so I told him to just wait for me sa may studio. Atleast, may security dun at may magpipigil if ever may mangyari.

After I've freshen up, dumiretso na ko sa studio para hanapin sya. It was not that long when someone very familiar mentioned his name in a very flirtatious manner na parang close pa silang dalawa.

"Aramis Montereal, right?"

It f-ucking boiled my blood up to the point that I was ready to explode and start an all-out war at any minute.

Lumapit pa ko ng kaunti sa kung saan ko narinig ang boses na iyon. I then saw Aramis na kinakausap ng isang babaeng haliparot. Ngiting ngiti pa ang babaeng iyon kung kaya't kumuyom na ang panga ko.

The woman was no other than my mortal enemy in the industry, "I'm Strawberry Arcangel." pakilala nito at hinawakan ang kamay ni Aramis para ipilit ang pag-shake hands nilang dalawa.

Anak sya ng isa sa may-ari ng isang clothing line. Our war began ng hindi nya matanggap na ang mismong clothing line nila ay hindi sya napili para i-present ang products nila for that season. Kasisimula lang din ng career ko noon and I was the one their company selected.

She was too burned to accept that fact kaya simula noon, lahat ng company na mag-o-offer sakin ay hindi nya pinatakas. She'll pull some strings and would make sure na sya rin ay may offer. Too bad for her, mas lalo lang tumaas ang ranggo ko sa ginawa nya.

Mas lalo rin tumindi ang galit nito sakin nang malaman nyang Greg and I were together. Greg was her celebrity crush at that time at inamin nya pa iyon sa isang interview, na ilang days lang ang nakalipas after we became official. She threw a fit pero wala din syang nagawa dahil ni minsan ay hindi naman sya napansin ni Greg.