Travis

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel as I made my way towards the mall Jela mentioned when she called me earlier. She also sent me a message with the exact location where I could find her. We still had a few hours left before the photoshoot that we would be doing together later.

But my frustration grew as I encountered a long line of traffic ahead before slowly coming to a halt. While waiting for the cars in front to move, thoughts of my earlier encounter with Tiffany crossed my mind.

It had been almost four years since she broke up with me. I thought I had moved on, and yet...

I groaned in annoyance. It seemed like she had something important to say earlier. But here I am, regretting my decision to leave her behind without hearing her out.

Just like how she turned her back on me that night.

But I had no choice. I couldn’t let Jela go to the mall alone. That woman is really a pain in the ass.

Finally, as the traffic began to move, I quickly accelerated my car. After a few more minutes, I arrived at the mall.

After parking my car in the parking lot, I put on a face mask and a cap before finally stepping out. There are times when fans leave us alone and don’t disturb us when we’re in public places, but I still wanted to make sure.

Besides, it would be troublesome if Jela and I had another issue. She has a tendency to give meaningful answers to the media when asked about the status of our relationship, which only fuels more speculation.

After getting off, I walked towards the entrance of the mall. The security guard looked at me suspiciously, probably because I looked like the type who was going to cause trouble in the store. However, he didn’t say anything. Once inside, I immediately spotted Jela glancing outside a bookstore. It seemed like people around didn’t recognize her.

As usual, she was wearing her shades and her favorite disguised item—her wig. Honestly, she has a collection of those. But since I know her fashion choices whenever she wants to be low-key, I immediately recognized it was her.

“Hey,” I called out to her as I approached.

She turned to me and smiled. “You really came!”

I shrugged. “As if I have a choice. So, what’s your plan here?”

She grinned. “Nothing, really. Why do you look so irritated? Is it because I ruined your date?” she teased.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “I don’t have a date.”

She rolled her eyes as we started walking. “Yeah, right, and horses can fly.”

I didn’t say anything to avoid prolonging the conversation. But I was surprised when she suddenly pulled me towards a coffee shop we passed by.

“The usual. Thanks for the treat!” she smirked before finding seats for us.

My mouth dropped open. After she dragged me into this coffee shop, it turns out I’m the one who’s going to pay.

This woman is really something. How did she even become my best friend in the first place?

I just frowned and got in line. When it’s finally my turn, I feel awkward with the way the cashier is looking at me.

“Is there something wrong, Miss?” I asked bluntly.

She shook her head. “No, nothing. I’m sorry. But seeing you reminded me of the celebrity TJ Vernon.”

I chuckled. “That’s what others have been saying too.”

I wanted to grimace at what I said. It sounded a bit too cocky to me.

She smiled. “What’s your order, Sir?”

“One caramel macchiato, one iced coffee, and two slices of chocolate cake,” I answered without even looking at the menu.

She repeated my entire order. Then I handed her the payment.

“What’s the name, Sir?” she asked.

“Tiff,” I answered without hesitation.

But I immediately froze as I realized whose name I had just mentioned.

Why the hell did I spit out her name as if it were just a normal thing to say?

I was about to correct the name I gave when she gestured for me to wait on the side and quickly attended to the person behind me in line.

I stomped my feet while waiting patiently. Until I heard her familiar nickname.

“Tiff.”

I looked up and quickly took our order. I walked towards Jela, who was sitting in the far corner. When I placed the tray on the table, she grabbed her iced coffee with a puzzled expression.

“Tiff?” she said, staring at me in disbelief. “You’re really getting on my nerves. I’m the one you’re with, but she’s the one on your mind.”

I lowered my face mask. “Stop it, Jela. I’m not thinking about her.” I leaned back in my chair and sipped my caramel macchiato.

She raised an eyebrow. “Really? You should be thankful to me. I saved your ass back there.” She sliced a small portion of her cake.

I looked at her, confused. “And why is that?”

She took a sip of her iced coffee before answering. “Because you might suddenly faint due to your heart pounding too hard since you’re still affected by her presence. It would be difficult, and you might not make it to our photoshoot later.” She grinned. “Plus, I just want to experience being the antagonist in your love life once in a while.”

I clicked my tongue. “I’m not affected by her presence, and I didn’t have a love life to begin with.”

She pressed her lips together, as if holding back laughter.

“If you say so.”

Jela has been my best friend since college. Despite the girls around me who openly showed interest and tried to get close, Jela was one of the few who didn’t even show a hint of attention. That’s why I quickly felt comfortable around her.

There’s no awkward feeling whenever I’m with her, and I can just be myself in front of her.

As far as I know, she had a crush on another guy back then. I just have no idea who that guy is because I never forced her to talk about it.

“But how did she manage to get your contact information, huh?”

I paused. That’s right. That’s one thing I’ve been wondering about until now. We haven’t had any communication for a long time, and I’ve changed my number several times because of a few unknown people claiming to be fans bothering me.

“You’ve said that you saved me back there. And yet, you’re the one who replied to her text last night,” I answered, remembering what she did.

She pouted. “It’s because you were looking at your phone like a fricking statue after you read her text.”

I just shook my head at her. “Whatever. Hurry up, we need to go already.”

She didn’t say anything, and we continued eating. After finishing, we quickly left the mall.

“Where’s your car?” I asked her when we reached the parking lot.

“I had Ian leave first. I’ll ride in your car.” She winked at me.

I gave her a playful scowl. “What’s your problem? It seems like you’ve been messing with me these past few days,” I asked her with suspicion.

She gave me an innocent look. “I’m not. Stop accusing me of such a thing.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “We really need to go now, you know.”

I took a deep breath and opened the door for her before quickly turning to the driver’s seat. After a few moments, we were on our way to Studio 18, where our scheduled photoshoot for the day was taking place.

Luckily, the journey went smoothly, as we didn’t encounter any traffic along the way. Upon arriving at the studio, we were immediately greeted by our manager, Miguel.

Miguel furrowed his brows as he shifted his gaze back and forth between the two of us. “I saw both of you getting out of TJ’s car. Did you two have somewhere to go?” he asked, puzzled.

Jela bit her lower lip. “I just wanted to accompany my best friend today.”

Miguel’s eyes narrowed. “But is there anyone who recognizes the two of you?”

Both Jela and I exchanged glances, then shook our heads.

He seemed to let out a sigh of relief. “Good. TJ’s soap opera with Jessica is still ongoing, so we can’t afford any issues that might affect their love team, understand?” Miguel lectured, directing his attention to Jela.

Jela’s nose crinkled slightly. “I understand,” she replied, averting her gaze and trying to contain any emotions brewing inside her.

Miguel nodded. “Okay, go straight to your respective dressing rooms to freshen up and change your clothes.”

Silently, we both headed to our dressing rooms. I tried to maintain a calm expression, even though I wanted to laugh at the visible irritation on Jela’s face.

It took a few minutes for us to get ready before the photoshoot finally began. Despite everything, I felt comfortable with this project because it was a rare occasion for Jela and me to work together as brand ambassadors for a product.

Currently, we are endorsing a renowned bag brand. As we stood in front of the backdrop, two staff members handed us the bags we were going to model.

The photographer started giving instructions about our poses. I had a backpack and remained standing, while Jela held a sling bag as she sat on a chair with her legs crossed. But as soon as I heard the clicking sound of the camera, I couldn’t help but feel distracted, causing me to wince slightly.

Acting in front of the camera had become trivial to me. However, I didn’t understand why I still felt a twinge of discomfort during these types of photoshoots. It was different when you were the subject of the photograph. With every click of the camera, I couldn’t help but blink, often requiring multiple takes.

Perhaps it was because she used to take my pictures. Due to her course, I was often her model for her portfolio. But no matter how much I wanted to forget, every time I stood in front of a camera, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about her.

“TJ, is there a problem? As I said earlier, you should look fierce while holding the strap of your bag as it rests on your shoulder. You shouldn’t look as though your business failed,” the photographer commented, causing my ears to ring.

I was about to respond when Jela suddenly raised her right hand, leaving all of us puzzled.

“What is it?” Miguel asked.

“I have a suggestion. For me, it would be better if TJ would have his personal photographer for certain projects and events. That way, he will only need to deal with just one person, and I know someone who can actually fit the job.” Jela smirked.

Miguel raised an eyebrow, while our current photographer seemed insulted by her words. As for me, I was left speechless, knowing exactly who she was referring to.

I shook my head firmly. “No fucking way!”