“Hello, Mark,” Paulee greeted, giving him a peck on the cheek.
“Hey, Lovely,” Mark greeted back, “How’s your day?”
“Good,” Paulee said, “Except that that that Beatrice person is pestering me…Why not just take her off the show?”
“Sweetie, she has her own fanbase…”
“Oh, please.” Paulee said sarcastically and laughed. She then noticed Blake, “Who is this?” She asked Mark.
“Oh, Paulee, this is my nephew, Blake, he just arrived from the Philippines yesterday,” Mark introduced, “Blake, you know her, Paulee Anderson.”
“Hi,” Blake said, motioning for a handshake.
Paulee just smiled, “Hello,” She said vaguely. “Oh, well, I have to go to the make-up room…Oh, and Blake? I’m inviting you to my birthday party tomorrow night. Wait for the limo outside this studio by 9pm. I’ll see you.”
“Wh-what?” But before Blake could say anything else, Paulee was already inside the make-up room. Blake looked at Mark, “Did she mean that?”
Mark nodded his head, “You should go there tomorrow.” He said, “Remember to get on her good side. She’s our star.”
“What?”
“You heard me, Blake,” Mark said, “Just do whatever she said.”
***
The next evening, Blake waited for the limousine outside the studio. By 8:30, it was there. A driver went down and spoke, “Blake Rodriguez?”
“Uh, yes…” Blake said, rummaging his pocket for an ID. He handed it to the driver.
The driver opened one of the doors of the limo and let him in, “Get in,” The driver said, “Miss Anderson’s waiting.”
***
The party was…heavy. Blake thought as he sat in a booth on the corner, away from everyone. There were too many people, too many cameras, loud sounds from the speakers, people dancing everywhere. The lights were blinding him. He felt like he wanted to be anywhere but there.
Minutes later, someone opened the door to the booth, “Oh, there you are,” Paulee said, wearing a pink flowy top and short shorts. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“Hey,” He said, feeling like his tux was too formal for the occasion, “Happy birthday…”
She laughed, her blonde curls tumbling down. She sat beside him, “Why are you sulking here?”
“No, no, I wasn’t, I was just…”
“Shying away from everyone?”
Blake smiled a bit, “I just didn’t know anyone…”
“You look cute, you know?”
“Uh,” Blake said unsurely, “Thanks…”
“Sweetheart, you look tense. Chill, it’s just me.”
“Uhm, Paulee, your friends may be looking for you, I’m just…I’m fine here…”
“Oh, don’t worry about them, they can take care of themselves…”
“Uhm,”
“You wanna go somewhere else?”
“What?”
“Come,” She said, grabbed him by the arm and led him to the back of the bar, going up the stairs.
“Paulee,” He said.
“Just trust me,” She said, leading him. Soon enough, she was opening a door of a room and she led him inside. She pushed him on bed.
“What are you doing?” Blake asked.
She then started unbuttoning her top, “Is this good enough for you?”
“Hey, hey, hey, hold it,” He said, “Stop…”
“Why? Don’t you want this?”
“Paulee, you’re probably just drunk—“
She then kissed him, “Is that good enough?”
“Paulee,”
“Be a good boy, Blake, and I’ll stay with the studio…”
“What?”
“You heard me,” She said, “if you want your uncle’s studio to go bankrupt, you can get out of here now…”
Oh, crap, Blake muttered in his mind.
***
“Here’s Mr OMG,” Peter, one of Blake’s co-workers said as he came in the studio the following morning.
“Excuse me?” Blake said.
His uncle Mark laughed and held him by the shoulders, “You’re on OMG, man, showbiz site…” He then pointed to the monitor of Peter’s computer and Blake saw pictures of himself and Paulee while inside the booth, and another one going up to the room. Paulee’s newest escapade, it said on top, in bright, bold letters.
“Holy shit.” Blake muttered, “I’m really sorry, I—“
“Hey, what’s there to be sorry for?” Mark said, “You did good, son, you did good.”
“W-what?”
“Don’t you get it?” Mark asked, “Paulee likes you! She fancies you, and the more she likes you and the more you stay with her, the more she stays with us in return. Keep her close, and never, ever get on her bad side, okay?”
What have I gotten myself into? Blake muttered silently, sighing heavily.
***
missg: finally! i’ve been waiting for u to log on
itsmeserena: g? hey…what’s goin on?
Missg: read this https://omg.yahoo.com/paulees-newest-escapade
Itsmeserena: what in the world?
Missg: just read it.
Itsmeserena: fine.
Serena clicked on the link and gasped at what she saw.
Paulee’s New Escapade
Top socialite and today’s hottest young actress, Paulee Anderson, has found herself a real treat.
Last night, during her birthday celebration at the Palm Springs hotel, she was found with a guy, apparently named Blake Rodriguez who works for the studio that produces her TV show, In Ruins, who apparently is her newest flame, making out at a booth at the bar.
“He’s really special,” Paulee said, when asked by reporters hours after her party, “And I think this is it. Well…who knows?”
Looks like P finally met her match…Or has she?
Itsmeserena: oh God.
Missg: see? Shocking huh? He’s in LA and now he’s in these showbiz sites!
Itsmeserena: why am I even surprised? he’s bound to do it, anyway.
Missg: well, what if it’s not what we think it is?
Itsmeserena: what?
Missg: what if…if he was forced to do it or something?
Itsmeserena: oh gina, u seriously don’t believe what you’re talking about, do u?
Missg: but…what if?
Itsmeserena: i don’t wanna think about it. He did what he did, and I shouldn’t even care.
Iamblake has logged on.
Itsmeserena: now the devil’s on..
Missg: talk to him!
Iamblake: serena?
Itsmeserena: he typed my name.
Missg: come on, talk to him.
Itsmeserena: sigh. Fine, wait a sec.
Iamblake: serena, hey.
Itsmeserena: hey you… I read the article on omg.
Iamblake: no u didn’t.
Itsmeserena: yes, I just did.
Iamblake: holy shit. Serena, let me explain, it’s not what u think…
Itsmeserena: it is what it is.
Iamblake: no, serena, listen, she was just..she invited me to her birthday, she was pretty drunk and I was in that booth, alone, she went in and asked me to go with her to another room…then she began to…to go wild. But believe me, nothing happened, just…just a couple of kisses, she was too drunk to go do anything else, anyway. And…I wouldn’t have wanted anything to happen. It’s just that she’s the star of this show we’re producing and…and everyone’s telling me to go get on her good side, know what I mean? But I don’t like her.
Itsmeserena: blake, it’s impossible not to like her, she’s Paulee Anderson.
Iamblake: I don’t care about that, serena, pls, believe me, it was nothing.
Itsmeserena: u don’t have to explain anything. We both know this was gonna happen at some point, that’s why I’ve always told u we had no future together. Imagine if we tried being in a relationship and this happened!
Iamblake: serena!
/> Itsmeserena: oh, well, I have to go, blake, I have something important to go to tomorrow. Enjy your time with paulee.
Itsmeserena has logged off.
Itsmeserena: gina? I just went invi…
Missg: what happened?
Itsmeserena: nothing. I told him I didn’t care.
Missg: oh, u bloody do.
Itsmeserena: shut up.
Missg: you’re jealous, aren’t u?
Itsmeserena: why should I be? I’m headin to bed. Goodnight.
And Serena turned off her messenger, turned on the radio, and didn’t sleep much that night.
The Show
“And this is an interpretation of Queen Anne Boleyn, cubist-mode,” Tryke told Serena while they were at the art gallery the next afternoon, “You know, the artist who made this is quite talented. He’s only 19 and he’s this talented! Wow, you should…” He then noticed that Serena was barely listening and was just glancing at everything and nothing at the same time, “Serena?” He said as he turned to look at her, “Are you listening?”
Serena looked at him, as if woken from a trance, “Yeah, yeah, sorry, I was just…”
“Thinking of something?”
“Nothing, serious, really,” she said, “uhm…I just…uhm…one of my… friends was featured on OMG last night…You know, the gossip site…”
“Wow, showbiz gossip site, right? Must be an actor or an actress, I suppose?”
“Oh, no, no,” She answered, “He’s just…working in this Hollywood studio and…uhm…working with Paulee Anderson….and now they’re supposedly…dating.”
“Oh,” he muttered, leading her to sit on the couch beside him. He sat down, as well, “and that affects you?”
“Of course not,” She said, in a tone that said anything but, “Blake and I were never anything…We were just…friends. Just friends.” She sighed and then, “Okay, well, we briefly dated just before I left the Philippines but that was that…I told him we weren’t meant to be. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before but…It’s…nothing. It didn’t mean too much, really.”
“It’s okay,” He said and smiled a bit.
“Imagine if we got together and this happened! It’ll just break me…”
“Doesn’t this break you now?”
She looked at him for a while and then, “No,” She said, “It’s…it’s quite…uhm…I don’t know, unnerving that he’s featured in a gossip site, but that’s it…” She went on and held him by the arm, “You know what? Let’s go see a movie or something…Nothing with Paulee Anderson, of course, but…come one. My treat.”
He just laughed, “Whatever you say…” He said.
Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
Blake checked his cellphone as it beeped while he was having a conversation with the guys in the studio.
Come to my house now. Need u here. I’ll text the details.
“What is it?” Peter asked.
“Paulee wants me to go to her house…Like, right now.”
“Then go,” Erik said, “It’s an order.” He laughed and the other guys did, too.
“Yeah, well…” Blake said, “Fine. See you ‘round.”
***
If there was really something enormous, it was Paulee’s house. The truth is, it wasn’t just a house—it was, by all means, a mansion. It looked pretty much like Caleb Nichols’ mansion in The OC—a grand fountain greeting you in front, a couple of floors, grand landscaping...Blake couldn’t believe his eyes. A maid led him in and told him that Paulee was at the veranda and told him how to go there. When Blake arrived at the veranda, she found Paulee, sitting on a foldable chair, legs stretched in front of her, looking distraught. She looked up and saw him.
“Hey,” She greeted, a little smile on her face. “Sit down.” She said and he sat down on the chair beside her. “Don’t worry,” She went on, “I’m not gonna do anything…drastic or something. I’m…I’m really sorry for what I did on my birthday, well, not about the kiss, you were a good kisser, but…I may have come on too strong…”
“Don’t mention it…”
“Look,” she said, “I know I may have seemed like a complete whore. Or bitch. Or whatever…And maybe, I am. But the truth is…The truth is, I’m just a sad girl. My parents are never around, the only guy I ever loved went off with someone else because he had gotten her pregnant…I’ve never been in a working relationship for the past two years…” She sighed and then, “And…and I thought you were just like those other guys…Then I realized you were different. You are different. “ She paused and went on, “And that’s when I knew what I’ve wanted all along.” She looked at him, “I need a friend. I’m just needing a friend. And I’m really sorry for being awful, and for saying all these but—“
“It’s okay,” Blake said, understanding her, seeing the depth in her otherwise obnoxious personality, “I get it.” He smiled lightly, “We can…We can be friends.” He told her, “Thank you, for saying all of that. Well, I can’t promise you that I’ll be perfect but…but I can be a friend.”
And then she smiled.
***
Days passed and Blake and Paulee hung out at times, but there was nothing there. Most of the time, she just kept on crying about her first love, or her parents, or how tired she is of pretending everything’s okay. He was there—to console her, hug her, give some words of advice if needed. One afternoon, as Blake went to Paulee’s dressing room to give her a cup of coffee, she noticed that she was drinking something from her black flask, probably alcohol. She went up to her, placed down the cup of coffee on the desk near Paulee and spoke.
“Are you drinking?” He asked.
“Hey,” She said, hurriedly losing the flask.
“Paulee, you’re at work.”
“I was just…”
He sighed, “Okay, listen,” He said, “Why don’t you come over to my place later? I’ll cook something for you. No alcohol.”
She laughed a little, “O…kay…” She said.
He smiled a bit, “I’ll come back in two hours to pick you up, okay?”
“Yeah,” She nodded, “Sure.”
“Okay.”
“Blake,” She said, “Thank you.”
He smiled, “Don’t mention it.”
***
“I know it’s not as big as your place,” Blake told Paulee that evening while they were walking to his dining room, “But it’s home…At least, here.”
“Is it really home?” Paulee asked.
Blake laughed as he pulled out a chair for her, “No,” He said, “A house is not a home.” He said, “But it’s what I have right now so…”
She nodded her head as he opened the dishes on the table: Roasted chicken, Caesar salad, Mojos… “Did you really make all of these?” She asked.
“I sure did,” He answered, cutting a piece of chicken for her, “Perks of having a restaurateur back in the Philippines as a bestfriend.” He smiled.
“Wow, that’s amazing…” She said and bit a piece of chicken, “Wow. This is really good.”
He smiled, “It’s a special recipe. Glad you liked it.”
She smiled, “Blake,” She said, “Why are you doing this?”
He took a deep breath, “Well,” He said, “Let’s just say I’ve been there, too. I thought alcohol was my friend, but really, Paulee, who are we kidding? The next morning, you wake up and your head just aches like hell, you feel nauseatic and the problem’s still there…” He went on, “So, I thought sharing your thoughts with a friend would be better.”
She smiled, “Thank you.”
“No worries.” He smiled back.
“Can I ask you one more thing?”
“Fire away.”
“While we were walking, I noticed a picture of yours in your living room…You know, the one with that pretty girl…” She said, “Who is she?”
“Oh, that…” He muttered, “She’s Serena.”
“Girlfriend?” She smiled and asked, “Or did I
ruin something?”
“No, no,” He answered, “She’s not my girlfriend…We just…uhm, dated, for some time, back in the Philippines. Nothing more…I do love her, but…But she went off to Italy and said it would never work out between us.”
“Oh,” She muttered, “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head, “Oh, well, love’s crazy.”
She laughed, “You still love her, don’t you?”
He hesitated for a moment and then, “Yes,” He said, “It’s crazy coz I haven’t known her for a long time, but she just…She’s different. I love her.”
She smiled, “You know what I think?”
“What?”
“That she’s a complete fool for letting you go.”
He smiled, “I don’t know about that…” He said, “Let’s just eat.”
Can’t go back now
Serena was standing by a cocktail table by herself while Lottie was entertaining some friends. Serena wasn’t a big fan of parties, but since Lottie just turned 19 and she didn’t wanna make a fuss about Leah being there. And speaking about the devil, Leah just came walking up to her, a glass of martini in one hand.
“Hey,” Leah greeted, “Serena, right?”
Serena smiled a bit, “Yes,” She said, “Hi.”
Leah sipped some martini, “So…you and Tryke?”
“Oh, no, no,” Serena answered, “We’re dating, but…uhm…that’s it…for now.”
Leah smiled at something she found amusing, “He’s a good guy, you know?”
Serena smiled back, “He is.”
“Do you ever wonder if there’s something he’s not telling you?”
“Leah,” She said, “I may not have known him for as much as you do, but…I do trust him. If there’s something I should know, he could’ve told me already.”
“Right,” Leah said, “Well, there are some things we’d rather keep to ourselves, huh? But you know what I think, Serena? If he really loves you, then he owes you the truth.”