"No. My relationship with Alex ended on good terms." James Hidalgo looked at one of the reporters who asked but it wasn't caught on camera, then said, "Alex isn't having an affair. Our relationship has been over for two months, and I think that's enough for her to find my replacement."
Alex turned off the television with the remote, then slammed the remote on the table in front of him. "You want to get people's attention as if you were the one who got hurt in this situation? Isn't he playing the victim card too much?!" she grumbled.
Ace who was sitting next to her chuckled. "I told you, didn't I? You shouldn't date artists. They are great liars and pretenders."
She glared at her brother. "We've broken up. Two months ago. But why are the reporters still stalking me? I'm not a celebrity. Does dating an artist make you a celebrity too? No, right?"
"Well, most of them are."
"That bastard didn't even defend me, but instead made me look even worse, like I am the cause of our break up." she grumbled again. "He said that two months was enough for me to find a replacement. And he wasn't seeing anyone. He just didn't say I was having an open affair but he implied it."
Ace rubbed the top of her head affectionately. "Maybe he did that because he wants the public to pay attention to him. Isn't his new movie coming out on Valentine's Day? The Last Hope? I don't remember the title correctly."
Alex snorted. "The Last Hope? I hope the movie would be so flop," she cursed. "What do you think about that?"
Her brother shrugged. "What can you do? This is your problem with that jerk."
She sighed. "It's all because of Adrian. If only he didn't show up at the airport in such a shameful way, I definitely wouldn't appear in any news again!"
She flinched a little when someone hugged her shoulder from behind. So strong that she couldn't turn her head to see the culprit. But, it felt like she already knew without even bothering to turn her head.
"Baby, what I did at the airport yesterday was romantic, why do you even call it embarrassing?"
She moved her body, trying to free herself from her best friend's arms. After all, how could she not have noticed the arrival of this pervert? "Who are you calling baby, huh pervert?!"
Adrian launched a kiss on her cheek that made her screamed in annoyance. Meanwhile, Ace who saw the two of them just laughed. "Of course you are. Who else?" the man let go of his embrace, and at that very second a hit was lodged in his head. Until he felt his head throb for a moment. Alex's punch is definitely the best.
"I'll put a permanent mask on your lips!" the woman snapped.
He just laughed then went around the sofa, and sat next to Alex. "For you..." he handed a box of medium-sized pizza on the woman's lap.
Alex snorted. "I don't take bribes," she said nonchalantly. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Don't you know that there's a storm tonight?"
The man nodded. "I know. That's why I'm here. You think it's fun to walk through a storm alone in an apartment?"
"Don't overdo it. It's been five years since your parents moved to Japan, and since then you've always been through storms alone," she said, almost growling. "Yaaah!" she suddenly exclaimed when her brother grabbed the pizza box that Adrian had placed on her lap.
"Didn't you say that you don't take bribes? So I'd better eat it, right?" Ace said with his innocent face.
Alex glared but didn't say anything when her brother brought the pizza box to the dining room. "Do you have a fever?" she asked as her best friend leaned his head on her shoulder.
"I'm just a little unwell," the man admitted and fixed his head on Alex's shoulder, looking for a comfortable position.
"There, find a room! Then sleep!"
Adrian raised his head, then glared at the woman. "Hey, you think your house is a hotel?"
Alex smirked. "At least my house has more than one room. Not like someone's apartment."
The man pretends to be hurt before he countered with, "Even if my apartment had more rooms, wouldn't you rather sleep with me?"
"Yes, come here! Adrian Callum Herrera! Don't run!" she exclaimed as Adrian ran away from her.
*****
Alex walked confidently across the lobby Adrian's office. She smiled politely at Rose, the receptionist, and turned to the right, towards the elevator that would take her to her best friend's room on the 25th floor. She had been walking around the man's office so many times that some people there recognized her. So she didn't have to tell the receptionist her arrival, or even make an appointment with the man's secretary.
Once again, she showed her polite smile to the security guard guarding the special floor of Adrian's room. She continued on her way, and smiled broadly when she saw that her best friend's private secretary's desk was empty. The possibility is that woman, who is a year older than her, is in her boss' room.
Without bothering to knock, she immediately pushed open the frosted glass door in one fell swoop. That made the two people in the room both turn to look at her. Surprised.
Her grin disappeared as soon as she saw what was presented in front of her eyes. That didn't match her expectations at all.
"Make sure that the file is in the hands of the Finance Manager after lunch."
Adrian's secretary, Jennie, nodded then got up from the chair. "Noted, sir." Then she looked at her with shady eyes. "Excuse me, Miss Sullivan."
Alex moved forward after the door behind her closed. She stood beside her best friend, looked at the man cynically, before finally leaning on his desk which was far from messy.
"I always hope to find you and Jennie kissing in this room. Like the other big bosses," she confessed. "They even went to bed with their own secretary."
Adrian laughed loudly. "You read too many romance novels, you know? You idiot!"
She glared at the man. "Hey, don't be so prude! I know your perverted thoughts, Herrera," she said. "Jennie has a body to die for, and her lips are sensual too. You can't miss it, can you?"
But her best friend just laughed again. This time his laughter was longer, until he felt sick to his stomach. "I didn't pay attention to her especially her body. All I know is she has a good performance and character a secretary should have." the man looked at her with a small smile. "Or do you already have a disorder? No way... don't tell me you are starting to be attracted to the same sex?"
Alex gave the man a death glare in annoyance. With a quick movement, she took a folder from the neat pile on the table, then hit it on Adrian's head. "I'm still normal, damn it!"
Adrian chuckled once again.
"I really can't believe you weren't tempted," she said, frowning. She still couldn't believe that her best friend didn't even try to make a move on his secretary. "How can I never catch you kissing some girls?"
"If you catch us, what will you do?" the man asked with a chuckle. "Are you going to scratch my secretary's face out of shape or pull her hair?"
She hit the man's head again. "Why do I have to scratch her or pull her hair, huh?"
Adrian shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Besides, I don't kiss any girl carelessly."
Alex sneered. "Not kissing any girl carelessly, you say? Really?"
The man nodded obediently like a school kid.
"Tch, oh please, don't pull my leg! You always kiss me carelessly!" Alex rose from her position. "Let's have lunch," she said, walking towards the door. When she heard no movement from behind her, she turned her head. And she was immediately surprised because Adrian was already standing behind her, really close that she took a step back. "Gosh! Are you walking or flying, huh? Why can't I hear your footsteps?!"
The man just shrugged.
She rolled her eyes lazily, then turned to reach for the doorknob, but her hands were grabbed from behind by Adrian. Reluctantly, she once again turned her head back.
*Cups!*
"I haven't kissed you today," the man said with a grin, then immediately ran out of his room.
"Yaaah, you perverted horse! You really want to die by my hands, huh?!" she shouted loudly. Until the security and her best friend's secretary looked at her in shock and alerted.
Good grief! As if she can really kill the man. She isn't that capable.
*****
"You're getting paler than this morning," Alex said as she put the Sushi Roll into her mouth and chew it with passion.
At that time she and Adrian were at a Japanese restaurant. Their favorite place to eat for lunch. Besides not being so close to the traffic crowds, the place is also convenient.
"Is that true?" the man asked as he took his cell phone, looking in the mirror there. "I think I'm going to catch a cold. My throat is starting to itch as well."
She shook her head. "It's because you didn't listen to me last night. You should have slept early, instead of sleeping late because you played chess with my brother." she then sipped her green tea slowly. "I don't even understand how the game works and what is great in chess."
Adrian chuckled then took the last piece of salmon on his plate. "Is it just me, or are the two girls across from us always looking at us for at least every three minutes?"
"No. They did stare at us," she hissed. "Hidalgo's fans, my guess. Want to bet?"
The man shook his head. "I think so too."
"You'd better come home early, then sleep," Alex ordered; changing the topic. "Did you see the weather report? It's going to rain hard this afternoon and it's going to get colder."
"I will, mom. Don't worry,"
Alex sharpen her eyes. "Yaaah! I will pull your tongue out now if you will still call me your mom! You... argh!"
"Hey, Alex, where are you going?" Adrian asked in panic when the woman got up from her chair.
Alex galloped fast, and stood next to the girls who had just taken her picture. It was supposed to be taken secretly, but unfortunately she found it out. Calmly, she sat in the empty chair between the two teenagers. "Hi," she greeted with a scary grin. "I'm Alex. Yes, I am your idol's ex-girlfriend. We're over. So you don't have to look at me every three minutes anymore. Okay?"
The two girls nodded quickly.
Adrian smiled apologetically at the teenage girls as he try to pull the woman away, but Alex didn't move at all. He knows that if Alex really gets offended, she can be really scary.
"Well, let me introduce the person I am with. He's my friend. We've been friends since childhood," Alex said without breaking eye contact with the two girls. "He's also the guy who picked me up at the airport two days ago."
"Alex, let's go," Adrian hissed.
But she raised her hand, telling the man to shut up. "Please delete the photo you just took. If the photo was spread on the internet, I will look for you and I will sue you," she said sharply. She didn't even care about the two girls. It's up to them if they curse it out loud. "I don't care if you want to berate me on the internet. As long as that photo doesn't go viral, you're safe."
"Alex, you're threatening the kids!"
She smiled. "Oh, really? I didn't even say mean things to them,"
The man shook his head resignedly at the woman's behavior.
"What do you really want? Because I want my privacy."
The two young girls kept mum.
Alex snorted. She rose to her feet, flashing her best smile at the two teenagers. "Okay. I have to go. Don't forget what I said earlier. Be careful!"
"Are you out of your mind?" Adrian exclaimed as he walked in the parking lot, towards his car. "What's the point of you threatening the kids like that? Do you think they're going to delete the picture?"
Alex stopped her steps suddenly. She then turned her body to face the man who was standing right behind her. "At least I'm still sane enough not to beat them right then and there," she said in a high tone. Making a pair of lovers who walked past them looked at her warily. "What are you looking at?!" she snapped.
Adrian pushed her head in exasperation. "What's wrong with you today, huh? Are you on your period?"
"It's just that..." she muttered. Then she started nagging, "I don't like them taking my picture especially without my consent, then they spread it on the internet, and less than an hour later, the reporters are going after me. I'm not a celebrity, am I? What do you think I should do with them when you know that my privacy is being invaded? I don't want to suffer from heart disease from holding back the emotions I want to express!"
Adrian understand. The woman in front of him was just shaken. Living for twenty-seven years safely, away from the cacophony of cameras, blitz's, journalists' questions, must be very unpleasant when suddenly her face appears on every gossip show on all television stations, being chased by journalists, accused of having an affair, and being cursed by the public. The people she doesn't even know.
He stepped forward, and pulled Alex into his arms. He stroked her flowing hair in a regular motion. Alex exhaled heavily for a few times; trying to calm herself down.
"This situation makes me depressed, Adrian."
"Anyone in your position must feel the same way,"
"I don't know when this mess will really end," she muttered weakly.
"One day... someday," said Adrian. "All this mess will end."
Alex pushed her best friend's body as hard as she could until the man took a few steps back. "You're really not helping at all," she muttered as she pouted then left Adrian.
"Baby, where are you going? Wait for me!"
*****