Alex and Lia became very close that gossips started to spread. The news that Lia is her next target spreads quickly that Alex distance herself to her friend Lia to spare her from all those people spreading false information and tarnishing her image. Being part of that rumor will surely hurt her friend.
Alex distance herself for her and soon the rumors started stopped. The photo shoot finished earlier than scheduled. Mr.Gideon is very pleased with the outcome that he treated everyone to a dinner.
It was an occasion that is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. But for Alex she can’t find ways to enjoy the gathering so she excuses herself citing that she is feeling unwell. Lia saw her leaving and she wanted to go with her. For the past few days, she notices that Alex will only talk to her with regards to their work, other than that she will completely ignore her.
Lia knew that this is all because of the rumors surrounding them. She is not bothered by that. Being in the industry for so long makes her immune by those attacks. And besides they are just friends and doing nothing wrong so why would she be bothered by that.
They started off being a good friend, spending time together after work to unwind. For Lia, her new found friend Alex is someone she feels comfortable and safe that she confides her worries to her.
Lia found herself relax in Alex company who tends to be a good listener you know the best advice to tell her that is very comforting and helpful to her. An hour later, Lia excuse herself “Boss, I’m going back now. My daughter and I will have a video call tonight. The shoot is over so family first now” Lia makes sure that those people spreading rumors will hear her.
That was all a lie. She’s going to Alex hotel room. She wanted to talk to her and just spend their last day together. Lia pressed the doorbell couple of times.
The door opens revealing a distress Alex “What are you doing here? They might see you coming here” she tells her but nevertheless she let her in.
Lia sat on the couch and grab some beer on the table that Alex is enjoying while watching a movie. The room is very clean, her things is neatly place in one corner, everything is organized that is what she noticed.
Alex took the other side of the couch still trying to figure out what to do now that they are alone inside her hotel room.
“What makes you come in here, Lia?”
“Coz you’ve been avoiding me. Doing that will just makes them think that we are really doing something behind closed door” Lia nonchalantly tells her friend who is staring blankly on the TV. Lia has a lot of question that she wanted to ask her and that is also one of the main reasons why she decided to meet her.
“Alex, can I ask you something. There is really something that I wanted to ask you”. Alex finally looks at her and nodded her head telling to go on.
Alex finally looks at her as nodded. “Why are they telling me that I will your next target? What does it mean?” Lia carefully asks her so that she will not offend the other girl.
Alex knew that sooner or later Lia will ask her about that and she has no intention of lying to her. She learned how to embrace herself, who she was or what she was. Alex loss at lot of people in her life because of that. Just when she is about to give herself, they will be gone before she knows it.
“Someone spread rumors about me sleeping with some models that I’ve worked with. And it happens that this time it was you who became their victim”
“Wait. Does it mean….?”
“Yes. I don’t swing your way. As I am proud to be on the other way. I am into girls since I was 16. Since then, I knew which path I will go through” Alex looks at her straight in the “But I never slept with anyone that I worked with. Yes, I admit I do sleep with random girls but not with someone that I am working with or I will work with”
“Lia, this job is my life. It took me a lot of hard work for me to be where I am now so I would never do anything to destroy it” Lia saw sincerity in her eyes that makes her believe every word that she says.
Behind those sincerity, there is a hint of sadness, loneliness and hurt that she wanted to uncover.
Alex is observing the other girl. She can’t seem to read her mind. Getting hurt after telling the truth is what always happens.
“There is nothing wrong if you wing the other way. You are entitled to be who you want to be because it’s your life. If you find your happiness being like that, then it was never a wrong decision. People will love who you are because you have a pure heart that is what they should look at you” After 18 years of knowing her sexuality that is the first time that someone said that to her. It was very comforting and it feels really good knowing that there is still someone who will understand her.
Alex is right about Lia. She is really the one that she is looking for. Someone who truly accepts her and someone who saw the real her regardless of her sexuality.
She’s about to lean in for a kiss when Lia’s phone suddenly ring.
“I’m sorry I need to take this call” Lia fixes herself before pressing the answer button. “Hi Princess. Why are you still awake?”
“Mommy, can you help me with my homework?” A sweet tiny voice can be heard on the other line.
Mommy….
Mommy…
Mommy…
Those word kept on playing in Alex mind. Her eyes widen at the sudden realization that Lia is a married woman.
She forgot to check her profile beforehand. She’s a married woman and a mother. Alex is having a mental battle; it looks like she fell in love with someone she should not.
“Why don’t you ask your dad for help?”
“I don’t want to. I only want mommy” The little frown on her face is shown all over her face upon mentioning her dad. Lia still can’t figure out why.
Lia quickly looks at Alex who is lost in her own world “Baby, I want to introduce a friend of mine”
Alex looks at her before she could react, Lia grabs her hand showing her phone.
“Andy this is my friend Alex. And Alex this is my daughter Andy” Alex wave at her temporary forgetting her problem when she saw the sweet little smile of Andy.
She introduces herself to Andy. Alex is very fond of children and she spend time playing with her colleagues’ kids before.
Lia is watching that two talk and she is surprised to see her daughter talking candidly to Alex who she just met over the phone.
“Baby, mommy will just go to the bathroom. Talk to Alex for a while” Her daughter nodded. She can still hear the two talking while she’s inside the bathroom.
Alex is helping her with her math problem. Lia can see how attentive she was, answering all the questions that Andy will ask from time to time until she can understand and get the right answer.
While the two are still talking, something caught Alex attention when Andy went to the living room get her other books.
There she saw at the back near the kitchen, a man and a woman kissing. It was not just an ordinary kiss, but it was like they are making out. The man touches the woman’s breast.
Alex is praying so hard that Andy will not look behind her. It was not a scene that a young girl like her should have to witness.
The bathroom door opens and Alex is panicking. Thankfully Andy went back to her without seeing those people at the kitchen.
“Mommy, I think I can do it myself now. Alex already explains it to me. I will hang up not. Bye Mommy. I love you. Bye Mama Alex, I love you” and the video call ended.
Lia is surprised by how her daughter easily confide with Alex who she just met not long ago “Did she just call you Mama?”
“I like her. She’s so smart and bubbly just like her mother. But I didn’t teach her to call me that” Alex told her. Then she remembers what she saw “Lia, who’s with your daughter right now?” She asks hoping that it will not be her husband.
“My husband and my babysitter Maria and her brother Andrei. Why?” Alex felt bad for her. She’s working for her family but her husband is cheating on her in return.
“That babysitter, how long has she been working for you?”
“Since I gave birth to Andrei. She’s not a full-time babysitter, only when to work. Why’d you ask?”
“Nothing it just came into my mind. You and your husband, how is it going with the two of you?”
“We’re okay but not that really okay. It feels like he is slowing distancing himself to me and our kids. He’s been going out a lot lately”
Behind that beautiful smile is a wife in distress. No one deserves to be cheated by someone they swear to be faithful.
How can someone still have the audacity to cheat on someone like Lia who is almost perfect. Then yet again there are really nothing like almost perfect it’s just someone is good at masking the truth with lies.
Alex is thinking if she will tell her about what she saw her husband is doing behind her back or will she let her be the one to discover it. Either way cheating is very painful not just for Lia but for their innocent children who don’t deserve to have a father like him.
“Say Lia, just a random hypothetical question. What if your husband is cheating on you? Would you rather choose someone to tell you or you would want to see it for yourself?”
Hearing those questions that she’s been avoiding for the past 2 years makes her feel anxious. Lia weigh in her thoughts with that matter.
“Cheating is cheating either way. An act that is unforgivable. Hearing it to someone else and let alone seeing it myself is painful enough to understand why. But hearing it somewhere is already sad enough and painful while seeing it with my own eyes is worst. Truth can be true if you will witness it yourself. Truth cannot be true if it was only based on rumors”
Alex understands her stand in that matter and choose not to ask anymore thinking that somehow Lia will get a hint that her husband is being unfaithful to her.
“It’s getting late. You should go back to your room now”
“Can I stay here tonight?”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I feel safe when I’m with you”
Lia snuggles close to her and she is not like that to her friends and let alone to someone she just met. But there is something that Alex is giving her, it’s like there is an attraction pulling her toward the girl.
Alex gave her clean clothes before they went to bed. Seeing Lia wearing her clothes, something is telling her to take the girl right there, right at that very moment.
But Lia is different from those girls because for her Lia is someone who deserves to be respected.
It’s already midnight and Lia is already fast asleep beside her. Alex took the chance to examine the girl up close. Checking every detail of her face.
The possibility of not seeing her again is very high. They live in a different world. She is a lonely girl hiding in her cave most to of the time who has an unusual way of having fun and Lia is a family woman.
“I wish time will stop at this moment. I want to have you in my arms forever. But I know that was impossible. You belong to someone else already. What should I do Lia? I am falling for you” Alex is talking to the sleeping girl beside her.
Her emotion is making her looks like a fool. Only Lia makes her feel that way.
“Your useless heart. Why beat for a married woman!” She mentally scolded herself.
Alex check if Lia is still sleeping and when is saw her still sleeping soundly, she did something that she knows she will regret.
She kissed her.
On the lips.
Alex can’t stop kissing Lia.
She knows what she’s doing is unacceptable but something is telling her not to stop.
“I’m sorry Lia but I love you”