CHAPTER 5

Chantel's Point of View

I’m now in New York, my client bought ticket bound to New York and I have to wait until 7AM comes so I can get in to the plane bound to Paris. I was escorted by five men in black and people can’t stop looking at me. Even me, I feel awkward because I kind of think that I’m trapped. I mean, never in my life, experience this kind of treatment. I don’t know my client yet but I know that he’s a big deal because of this.

I’m going to France, and thinking of it is like my internal organs were trembling inside of my body because of the excitement.

I received a message that I’ll be working as interior decorator and not yes, not as interior designer who works with architect. All he want is to design their house. I was given three days to do my work and two weeks to stay in France as vacation.

I know that my client is big deal, and rich, and kind and a guy. That’s all I know about him and I just can’t wait to see him, and to know him and to thank him because of this opportunity. This is a big opportunity, very, very big. Who could’ve thought that a commoner interior designer and decorator in Philippines could go to France. I mean, Gabriel’s firm is big and there’s some branches around the world and like, Francisco’s are crazy rich. They make money even though they’re just sitting in their comforting sofa in their living room.

Time passed by and the body guards led me to the airplane, and they stopped after escorting me outside of the airplane, “Excuse me, Miss Chantel, we’re only up to here. Please do inform the boss when you arrived in France so he can inform his body guard.”

I looked at them confused, “Oh wait, uhm, may I know who is he? Or like his living? What he’s like?”

“We’re not allowed to tell information about him. Have a safe trip.”

“Why? Is he a mafia boss or something?” their eyebrows furrowed because of my question and that made me closed my mouth and put hide my lips and smiled at them awkwardly, “Oh right, I’ll inform him. Thank you.” And just that I bowed my head and turn my back on them and started walking to go inside the plane and find my seat.

I keep on looking on the paper I’m holding while looking for my seat, and when I found it I saw a guy seating on the window side of the plane, that’s the seat I want though its two sitters but I want that side.

I sat beside him quietly because I don’t know if he’s sleeping or what because his eyes were closed. I placed my backpack in front of me and plugged the earphones in my MP3 and in the ear buds on my ears.

The flight attendant is demonstrating the safety drills if something will happen. And I just looked at him. And after him the pilot is having his speech before going on board. I heard his final words before flying, and I sighed because of relief.

Is this real? AAAAA! This is it!

I closed my eyes tight and gripped onto something when I felt that the plane was started and it’s now leaving the ground. And when I felt that plane is now on top of the ground flying on the sky I slightly opened my one eye and looked at the window and sighed as a relief and for excitement.

I loose grip on my chair’s arm and calmed myself. I looked at the window again and my eyes widened when I saw the guy beside me is now awake and is looking at something down, I hid my lips again and looked at the same direction where he’s looking and, wait, wait, wait, what.

I immediately removed my hands holding his wrist and awkwardly looked at the window again and I saw him in my vision that he’s looking at me. I lay my back on my seat’s backrest and straightly looked at the seat in front of me.

God, why the heck I didn’t noticed that I’m not gripping on the arm rest of my seat. Why I didn’t noticed that I’m holding this guy’s wrist. I even gripped my hand tightly and my God, I feel like I did hurt him from that.

I closed my eyes in disbelief and bit my lips.

This is terrible and epic fail.

I opened my eyes and the moment I opened it, his face popped up in my mind.

He’s staring at me with his eyebrows meeting in the middle of his face. His eyebrows is thick, beautifully thick that even a make-up artist would love to trim it to form it well. His cheeks is naturally pink, you can’t see any pores on his face. I can see that it’s soft, and it makes me want to touch it.

I bit my lip thinking that I’m thinking about him feels like my stomach is trembling.

Is he a model? He wore his jacket like he’s hiding. Or disguising.

I sighed and left him alone. I’ll mind own business, the thing that happened a moment ago is part of me being stupid, it’s accident because I didn’t notice it so, let’s chill, Chantel. Let’s chill down.

I fell asleep and woke up only 30 minutes left until we arrive in Paris. 30 minutes and my new life will begin. Hahahaha what am I even saying, I’m staying there for almost 3 weeks, and it’s life. 3 weeks in Paris is a dream come true.

I looked at the guy beside me and I bit my lips after seeing him. He’s crying while he’s sleeping. I feel like I have an obligation to him due to what I did before we took off the ground. I thought about something and looked somewhere. I kind of feel hungry and saw a flight attendant stopping to every seat and offer them a food.

Should I give him a food? Wait, what is he? A child? No, food is not okay.

For the nth time, I sighed and looked at my MP3, I touched my left earphone’s ear bud and thought of sharing it to him. After a couple of minutes arguing with myself, I decided to share my song.

I carefully inserted the right ear bud to his right ears, making sure that he won’t wake up while doing so. After the struggle, I carefully rested my back to my chair’s backrest and left out a sigh out of relief.

Timing, my playlist is good and I consider it as my therapy when I’m in my hardest times. It’s effective to me, and Gabriel did this for me. Besides, sharing is caring, and I can’t deny that I cared for him because of hurting his wrist. I really gripped on his wrist, real hard. Really, super, hard.

I wonder why he didn’t scream, if it’s Gabriel, he would really scream on top of his vocals until I get off my hand on his.

Kenji’s Point of View

I woke up hearing both sounds from the airplane, announcing that we should fasten our seatbelt because we’re now landing, and this song coming from my right ears. The song is kind of old, but I won’t wonder if it really is but I wonder where it came from.

I loosen the grip of the lace on my hoodie and took the ear buds off. And seeing the wire where it connects, it’s from this girl. The girl who hurt my wrist. If she’s afraid to fly why would she ride an airplane. She’s sleeping.

I fastened my seatbelt and get myself ready as the airplane is now landing.

What should I do first? I’m kind of hungry. But I needed to find my apartment bought by Brent. He’s a model, he got connections, and his father is corrupt so.

We waited for the airplane to stop after it landed and it took minutes before they announced that we arrived safely. I’m alive, so, I guess, I’m safe. I let some passengers pass first and fixed myself. I decided to leave the inside of the airplane when I noticed that the hallway of the airplane is not tightly occupied.

I sighed and grabbed the small backpack I brought with me and stood up, but the girl beside me is still sleeping and her bag is getting on my way.

I rolled my eyes and blow an air upwards, causing my hair in front to be float for a while. I scratched my forehead, and decided to wake up the girl.

“Hey, miss.” I nudge her shoulder and it made her to open her eyes slightly, “Uhm, the airplane landed, I’m going out so please get your bag out of my way.”

She seemed confused at first but she recovered and put her own bag away. After I get pass of her, I noticed that she stood up and stretched her arms. I stopped walking and faced her.

“Uh, hey, thank you for you for the song, but I suggest you change it. What are you? Left behind in 90’s by 20’s?” I said and left her behind after seeing her annoyed face. I smiled. She’s kind of cute.

Chantel’s Point of View

I can’t believe it. I mean, seriously! Seriously?! How could he insult my therapy music! It’s old but its gold! It can help you overcome stress! God, help him!

After getting out of the airplane, I texted Gabriel that I arrived safe and that if he could tell her mother that too. After, then, I messaged my client that I’m now on the airport and where I should meet him.

I received the reply after scanning my bag, and ready to go outside of the airport, and it’s said, that, the moment I go outside, in the waiting area, I should look on my name in one of the banners.

And so I looked for my name and I saw a man in black suit again, and it’s holding my name. I hesitated to come close but I did it anyway.

“Uh, hi.” I said.

“Are you Marigold Chantel Lopez?”

“Uh, yes, I am.”

He nodded, “I was sent by your client and ordered me to bring you to your apartment.” He grabbed the rolling luggage I

brought and started walking, and so I am, “After that, then, you’re going to go to your client’s meeting place, it’s the place you’re working in.”

I nodded. I grasped to air after we stopped in front of a van. It seems like a customized van. He opened the door for me and my eyes widened because it’s a luxury type of a customized van. Where can you find this in the Philippines? I mean, you can see some, depends on the style and taste, but only artists have this kind of van in the Philippines.

There’s a gaming area, and a bed, and a mini fridge and, God, you can live here.

“You can do what you want here, but we should go to your apartment first to place your things and pack again for a trip to your meeting place.”

I nodded again. I’m mesmerized. I guess, my client is a really rich that he could accommodate me this. Like, I’m not the boss here but hahaha, why am I having this treatment. I’m no VIP.

Everything he said, happened. He helped me carry my bags upstairs. Wait. What kind of apartment is this? Only rich people can afford this.

He pressed the 6th floor and when it opened, I’m star struck! The view from my apartment is so good. It has a balcony and there’s a table and if only I could live here. It has a beautiful view to Eiffel tower. Ugh.

“Here’s the card. You can use it to enter the apartment building and your room. I’ll go down and wait for you outside, please do pack everything you need.” I nodded again. I placed my bags beside the bed. I emptied the back pack and put some clothes I needed to wear while working and some clothes that I’m comfortable wearing, and some shoes.

After then, I clean the bed and placed all the stuffs outside to a basket I saw in the bathroom.

I’ll arrange this after work.

I didn’t spend any time to waste in the apartment and I go downstairs and saw the driver outside waiting.

“Uh, hey. Are you American?” I faced the person who talked to me and she looks like French. I pointed myself, saying if she’s talking to me and she nodded.

I smiled and shook my head while saying, “I’m a Filipino.”

Their mouth formed ‘O’ and, “Can we take a picture together? For journal purposes.”

“Uhm, I’m not a celebrity in Philippines also, so..”

“We’re not looking for any celebrity, we’re looking for someone who we could interview.”

I nodded with my open mouth. They might be a group of international people roaming global. They didn’t waste any minute and set up a tripod so we can it together in the camera. After then, they asked some questions.

“If you are Filipino, why are you here in Paris?”

“Work stuffs. I have a client here who recruited me.”

“If this is personal to you, you can choose to answer it or no, but, here’s the question, what’s your work?”

“I’m an interior designer and decorator, based on the Philippines.”

“Alright, what’s your name, miss?”

“Marigold Chantel.”

“Nice to meet you, Marigold Chantel, thank you! We’re a random group of international people working on a journal and we’re roaming around the country.”

“I see, then, I have to go,” I smiled, “Good luck to your journal.” I said and left them.

“Uh, I’m sorry if I made you wait long. We can now go.”

“It’s alright.”

Just like then, he opened the door for me and reminded me to do what I want. I forgot to ask the question to where we were going. Just then, I decided to sleep. The moment I lay in the bed, I felt sleepy. The bed is so soft, and the pillows too, and the comforter is so comfortable.

I woke up and felt hungry. I opened the window beside the bed and looked up. It’s like, it’s going to rain. The air is so cold, and the clouds looks so fresh because of the contrast coming from the temptation of raining.

I ate while looking at the places we were passing by. Mama is right, France is also like a garden, and see so many kinds of flowers. And thinking about mama, she’s missing one rose she always wanted. The color pink one. She wanted some but she don’t know where to find seeds of pink roses.

Time passed and the van stopped while I’m on the middle of the game. I waited for him to open the door for me, and, so he did.

“We’re here, Miss Marigold Chantel.”

I laughed and left the game. I grabbed my bag and told him, “You can call me Chantel to make it short hahaha.” I, then left him.

I looked at the area and the ground is so clean, it’s all a green grass. And there’s some different kinds of trees you can see in the surroundings, and there’s some flowers too. And there’s also a bush, used as a barrier before the land ground. And in the middle, is the fountain. The outside is beautiful, what do they want from me, it seems like a finished hous---

I stopped talking to myself when I turned around and saw a big house. No, drop it, it’s a mansion.

The driver escorted me inside the mansion and I’m impressed to how massive the mansion is inside. The color and the design of the walls went well, it looks like a luxurious, everything is luxurious, but something is missing, furniture.

“Oh, there you are. Hahaha.” I looked at the guy who came out of nowhere in the house, he’s a young man, maybe in the same age with me, “Well, I’m Adam Robert,” he lend his hand in front of me to shake hands, and I took it, nervously, and I didn’t expect what he did, after shaking hands, he kissed my hands…

He coughed naturally and, “Sorry, French people things. Anyway, nice to meet you, Marigold Chantel Lopez.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Sir Adam.”

“So, what do you think? Should we start your work now or you prefer to rest first?”

“Uh, it depends on you, Sir.” I shyly said.

He smiled, he’s pretty handsome, he looks like a French model.

“Well, then, you could take a rest for an hour and let’s not waste our time here after you rest. Welcome to France, Marigold Chantel. Now, if you could, please do whatever you want to do. I’ll be waiting.”