I think this is better!
One week passed after that night I told him things I can't remember. I know I didn't directly tell him that I like him so I don't know if he understood what was I saying when I was drunk. I'd correct myself, I didn't just drink because I saw him with another girl. I drank because I realized that I'm a dufus for almost falling on the same trap.
I thought I've finally learned after my breakup with Matt. He was playing with me for three years! Those were three fucking years! Am I that stupid to be fooled for that long?
I thought of having dates with other guys so that I could finally get over this. I won't enter any serious relationship from those dates. The guy who asked if he could court me really took my answer seriously. I said yes as long as he doesn't play with me because I was drunk!
He kept on sending me flowers everyday and some other expensive things. He calls me pretty, too. I casually call him handsome. He's also a good guy. I also found out that he is a model from Mode Exquise, the modeling agency where Sav and Xia work. That means I'll work with him. We both agreed that we should be friends first. The setup is both fine for us. He also apologized for his first approach to me.
"Hey, pretty," Then he handed me a bouquet of sunflowers. I smelled the flowers.
"Hello, handsome!" I smiled at him. We became pretty close already for just one week. He's a nice friend and I don't want to hurt him. If I can reject other guys easily before, this time it's already hard for me. I consider him a friend already.
"Dinner?" I nodded to him. This is mostly the scenario when I go home. I do not eat dinner at home anymore. He can't drive me home because I always bring my Bugatti with me. He only fetches me from school, not send me to school.
"So, where would you like to eat? " He inquired.
"It's up to you," I told him while I was finding a movie to watch in Netflix.
"Zai or Ari padin?" He asked. Gil's still a bit slang unlike me and my foreign friends. Daron is not slang too. I still act civil to Daron, though. Gil always going out with me, I think is the reason why Daron can't just go near me and clarify things. They probably know each other.
"Puwede rin sa iba," I replied to him.
He brought me in an elegant and classy French restaurant. The food in here is pretty good, too. I ordered croque madame which includes a piece of bread topped with an egg, cheese and ham. I just ordered sweet crepe for dessert and a Muscadet wine for the drinks.
Gil also ordered the same except that he chose Montrouge instead of Muscadet. Our topics are mostly about school papers, hobbies and what we did for the day. After eating, I would thank him and we'll leave together. This is mostly the scenario everyday, excluding Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
I will ask Xia and Sav for further information about the cattle call or Go-see of Mode Exquise. They said its moved to Saturday, so it's getting near. I didn't share to Gil that I'd be joining the agency. I'm sure he'll be surprised.
I hope that my first project would turn out well. It's been a while when I last did a catwalk.
"Ma'am, pinapatawag po kayo ni Sir Arnold," Manang told me. I'm in the library in the mansion. I'm a bit bookish and I love the peace the library emits.
"Sige, manang. Susunod lang po ako. Sa office, po?" Manang just nodded and then she went outside the library.
Our library contains almost all that I need for studying medicine. I'm thankful that we have this because it really helps. It's well maintained too that's why I love the place.
I opened the door beside the library's door and I nervously stepped in my Dad's office. I can feel chills down my spine. I'm not yet facing him but he already looked scary even if I can only see his back. He's currently watching the lights of the houses near our mansion.
"You're planning to join a modeling agency?" He asked me. I'm not shocked that he knew that. He has all the connections he need. If he wants to know everything about what I'm doing, he can order someone without me knowing or even noticing it.
"Mode Exquise, right?" It took so long before I nodded as a response.
"Did you even plan to tell me?" He inquired me again.
I gathered all the courage left in me and I answered his question.
"Yes, I wasn't sure if....if I'd be ...I mean accepted by the agency," I stuttered.
"You're doubting yourself now?" I faced him and saw that he sarcastically smiled. He never believed in my skills.
"It's just...that...I ...I just want to make sure," I felt so nervous already that he'd use his connections so that I couldn't enter the modeling agency.
"If you want, I will not go in the Cattle Call," I told him even if I know na sayang yung oppurtunity.
"You're not my daughter if you'd do that," He told me. I can't face him. So if I could pass as a model, he'd accept me as his daughter? That would motivate me.
"You're allowing me to join?," I'm afraid that my tongue would slip and I could call him, Dad. I think I stopped calling him that when I had a mind of my own already and he told me that he never liked me as his daughter and he does not consider me as his daughter.
"For you to prove yourself and so that I could introduce you as my daughter to my friends," I unconsciously smiled at the thought. I think this would be the start. I felt like I've see my long lost father. But, I have to prove myself first.
"You can now go," Then he went back to what he was doing before I arrived.
"Thank you, Dad!," It felt so good to call him that again. I failed to stop my self due to overflowing happiness.
But, he didn't say any response and he didn't face my direction. That's okay because you still have to prove yourself, I told myself.
******
Because of excitement, I woke up before my alarm could even sound. It's still 3:09 a.m. but the things I needed for the cattle call are already prepared. I did it all alone and I didn't ask help from Manang or anyone. The thought of Dad calling me daughter excites me and gives me the motivation to join the agency.
I had my breakfast early, too. I just ate wheat bread and whole wheat cereals. I also brought with me a chocolate drink, thinking that a drink would help me later.
"Good morning, Ma'am!" Kuya Nestor cheerfully greeted me when he saw me.
"Good morning din, Kuya!" Kuya Nestor smiled at my reply.
"Tunog excited ka Ma'am. Bakit po?" Kuya Nestor asked me.
"Oo, Kuya. I'm excited po talaga! Modeling," Kuya opened the gate for me.
"Good luck po sa inyo, Ma'am!" Kuya Nestor shouted.
"Thank you po!" Then I drove going to the said address. I feel so confident that I would be chosen in the search. I needed to ease the nervousness inside me. It's normal that you'd get nervous. Natural yan sa isang tao.
I've set my mind to have a positive attitude about the search. I just have to show the true me and give out all I can give because of the same reason.
The space for the Go- see of the Mode Exquise is white in color. Lights are placed in the right places to make sure that we wouldn't cast shadows. I also saw the logo of Mode Exquise and there are also chairs near the wall. There are different background colors, too. There is one which is gray having the logo of Mode Exquise and the other one is just plain white. I also recognized some professional models and I greeted the people who pass by me. Model ang Mom ko when she was in teens that's why other models and mentors recognized me. Kinakamusta nila si Mom.
Minutes passed and other models already arrived. It's funny to think na dahil sobrang excited, ako yung nauna sa room. My family name starts with R so I would probably be near the last in line.
I chose to just observe the room and familiarize the faces instead of using my phone. I also talked to my fellow candidates and I'm shocked that they know me, because of my Mom and my sister. Of course, it wouldn't be because of Dad because he doesn't introduce me to his friends, just my sister.
The candidates are already many and I believe that we're all here. Wala nang pumapasok after fifteen minutes.
"Hi! You can call me Lianne. You're mother is a model, right?" I turned to my left and I saw a young woman smiling at me and offering her hand. I envy her color. She's got the true color of a Filipina. I believe she's a pure one.
I smiled back to her and I accepted the hand she offered. She seems nice to me.
"I am Zariyah Ramirez. Nice to meet you, Lianne," This time, she moved her chair nearer to mine so that we could hear each other properly.
"Half American?" I just nodded to her.
"You know how to speak Filipino, right?" I was surprised by her question.
"Of course," The smile on her face widened.
"Why?" I asked her because she was looking around.
"No model talked to you, but me alone?" I nodded and then she laughed.
"You should try speaking in Filipino more often," She suggested while forming a wide smile.
"They thought you don't speak in Filipino," Oh! I got her point. I should try, then. It goes like this kasi. If someone speaks to me in English, I reply in English. It goes the same with Filipino.
"Yeah, I can," She laughed at me.
"Start ngayon, kapag ako kausap mo bawas ang English kahit nakakaintindi ako," She thought that it would be a challenge for me but it won't. As long as she would talk to me in Filipino, I could reply to her in Filipino.
"Yan lang ba?," She smiled when she heard me speak the language fluently.
"Yan di ka na tunog Amerikana!" She exclaimed. She seemed so happy hearing me.
I'm happy I can consider someone as a friend here already.
The President and CEO of Mode Exquise catched our attention. I focused and listened on the things that he said about being a model and entering the modeling industry. What he said is so inspiring.
The professional models are asking the models questions while looking at the papers we passed as requirements about our profiles. They also asked us to do a catwalk in front and also make a pose in front of the camera. This is still the first day but I've learned a lot from the professional models already.
I also noticed that others were used to the modeling agency while others are still new but they're trying. Lianne looks really experienced, too. For me, this is a comeback. The environment is not entirely new to me. I've been exposed here before so I guess I did well.
It's really important that confidence would take over shyness so that you would know how to bring yourself in front of a crowd. Just move with confidence and just be yourself and you'll see if you really stand out.
"Lianne, Una na ako! It's a job well done!" I went near her and I made our cheeks touch.
"Sige! Ang galing mo!" She won't stop complimenting me. If she could only see her performance a while ago, she'd be amaze by how she delivered herself, too.
"Filipino pa rin bukas!" She told me before I eft.
"Haha! Sige, Bye!" I waved at her before I entered my Bugatti. I admit that I am nervous about the resuts. If Lianne says my performance is good, I should trust her. No, she actually said it was the best but I don't think so.
I guess I can call this day a great day. I chatted to my friends.
Me: Hey, Girls! I guess it was a job well done! My treat :)
*********
#ForeverYours #ForeignGirlsSeries1
A/N: Sorry for the late update :) Naging busy lang po. Thank you for reading!
-Pinkish_3007