Loving Mr. Elusive (Completed/ Published in Dreame app)

2

Manila, 2 years after

"Lola, pls don't do this. You're making it more impossible for me to revive daddy's company! Marami naman ibang bachelor diyan na puwedeng maging endorser ng Valentino. Bakit siya pa?" hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko mag-complain. Nasa CEO's office ako ngayon ng Pizzo Group of Companies dahil nabasa ko kanina ang email reply niya sa akin sa formal request ko. I made a formal email request to my grand mother na 'wag muna isara ang Valentino Men's wear.

Oh, btw, if you haven't noticed, I'm speaking in Tagalog now. I don't know why, but after he told me I was maarte, I somehow changed.  I didn't go to Europe. I left the ticket and all the documents he gave me to the receptionist at the lobby, but I did leave the hotel. I used my credit card and purchased a ticket to return to Manila.

I felt affected by what he said. I needed to think. And, I guess, it took me a year to make what he said sink in. Just when I was ready to talk to him again about what he said, his parents told me that he left and returned to US. I didn't make an effort to contact him. I was scared. It was clear to me that he didn't wait for me to answer. Siguro mali din ako kasi I didn't give him a clue about what I felt. Pero... nangyari na ang nangyari. I can't turn back time to make things right. I know I hurt him. I know I humiliated him and his family. I know that my parents where humiliated too. I know I made the wrong move. My family lost trust in me because of that. And, now, Im just trying to make things right little by little, starting with Lola.

I could have just gone straight to her to tell her about my request, pero she wanted me to write a formal request pa talaga! Sabi niya, para ma-apply ko daw ang mga natutunan ko sa pag-aaral. Gumawa daw ako ng formal email request stating how I can revive Valentino Men's Wear.

Si Lola talaga! Alam naman niya na I'm very busy with school as I am taking up Communication Arts in UP Los Banos, while attending fashion designing workshops;  and heading the designs team for the men's wear that we sell under Valentino brand. 

Pero since siya ang CEO at siya ang lola ko, susunod ako. Since the death of my parents last year, si Lola na ang tumatayong magulang namin ng kapatid kong si Reema. 

Yes, my 12 years old sister and I are orphans. Mabuti na lang at nandyan pa si lola na ina ng Dad ko.

Although I am just 20 y/o at gaga-graduate pa lang, I've been trained by dad since I was 16 years old on the ins and outs of managing Valentino Men's Wear. This company is important to me and Reema because this is the only memory of my parents to us.

"Rori, Percival Michael Ponce is the one your father wished to be the image model of this brand. And based on marketing research, his profile is fit for our target market."

"Pero Lola, the Marketing head has already spoken to him and he declined."

"I know who can convince him, Rori. It's you."

"Me? You know that's impossible to ask him now, especially if he learns that I'm now handling this brand."

"Did you try?"

"No." saglit akong napa-isip. Oo nga naman. I haven't tried talking to him yet. But should I? Would he still want to talk to me, after what I did 2 years ago?

"It's just going to be a waste of time. I'm sure he will decline."

"Apo, do you know you're running out of time? The stockholders of Valentino are just giving you 2 months to turn the sales up, before they transfer their investments to one of the companies under Pizzo Group.

"What?!" I almost shrieked and fainted. Pero siyempre I wont allow myself to fall on the floor. I moved a little closer to the sofa inside my granny's office, before I did my mademoiselle in distress fall for effect.

Sadly, it didn't' work on my granny the way it used to, so she sent me off with my assistant to Edsa Shangrila hotel. For some reason, she knew that Percival Ponce is here in Manila to attend an environmental conference.

My heart skipped a beat, again, by just hearing his name. Since I was young, he had that effect on me. Gustong magtatalon ng puso ko. Kinikilig ako!

We are now here at Edsa Shangrila lobby, despite the stress that I went through with my assistant just to get here as fast as we could. I checked myself in my pocket mirror.

Hair lovely. Check! Clothes stylish. Check! Skin, beautifully clean and made up. Check! Finally, to always smell nice, a touch of perfume. Check!  But I noticed that my lips was dry. I guess because of the tension.

 "Ewww!" I said as I saw my chappy lips. I looked for my red lip balm and placed some on my my lower lip. "There. Much better!" Then, I checked on my assistant, Noki, who's a new graduate. I gave her my extra and new lip balm.

"Ano yan?" Noki wondered.

"It's an EOS lip balm, Noki. Evolution of Smooth. It's the brand that Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, and other Hollywood celebrity wear or use.  Take it. It's yours. Go put on a lip balm. We should always take care of our lips because we're ladies." I said. "I gave all my friends, Granny, and Reema the same lip balm. So I'm giving one to you too."

Napangiti si Noki sa'ken. I guessed she appreciated it. Noki has been with me for two months. She's older than me so she's kinda like my ate, but she treats me like a boss. She said I earned her respect though I'm not sure how or why. I haven't really asked her why. I guess I'm just so busy.

But, right now, I am so nervous. It's the first time that I would meet Percival again, after two years. I wonder how he looks now? Though I was feeling nervous, I also felt excited to see him. I want to see him. I've been wanting to see him again... I want to talk to him... to tell him how I feel...

Kanina pa kami dito sa lobby. Granny told us that she got us an appointment at 5:00pm. But, it's already 7:00pm and we're still here in the lobby. My friends have been sending me text messages already because Shayla's beauty pageant is at 8:30pm. Ako pa naman ang mag-memake up sa kanya. Mabuti na lang, the beauty pageant venue is just 30 minutes away from here.

A guy approached us, and I smiled and stood up in my lady-like manner.

"Good evening Ms. Prieto." He shook my hand. I wondered how he knew who I was. "I'm Denise, assistant of Mr. Ponce. I'm sorry he won't be able to meet with you now because something came up in his schedule."

Napanganga ako. We waited for almost 1 ½ hours for nothing?

"B-but, why?" tanong ko. I felt disappointed.

"His schedule is just too tight." Explain ni Denise.

"But, when can I see him? I mean, we? See him?" tanong ko. I do hope Denise didn't hear me say 'I' like I'm so eager to see Percival, though the truth is, yes, I do! But, of course, I don't want anyone to notice my feelings for him because it's just so embarrasing, and I don't want him to think that I'm running after him because I'm a dalagang Filipina with style--- oh! Whatever!  Ang dami kong sinasabi. Hayaan ko na lang kung makahalata sila na may hidden agenda din ako bukod sa i-convince si Percival na maging model for Valentino. Gusto ko talaga siya makita. Namimiss ko na siya.

"He's leaving tomorrow morning for Palawan." Sagot ni Denise. "And then, after a week, he'll return to US."

"What? Noooooo!"

I know I overreacted. But who wouldn't? Palawan is far from Manila. I would have to make an effort to follow him to talk to him about our offer, or else Valentino will be closed down, and I'm only given 2 months by the stockholders. I'm so pressured! What should I do?

Think, Rori! Bloody think hard! Oops, sorry 'bout that! I'm just in panic. I'm feeling desperate. If he's the key to save Valentino Men's wear, I've got to do something. But, it's not like I will follow him in Palawan, right?

Right? 

Should I follow him ba there? 

Uggh! I think I should.