Chapter 3 Do I look desperate to find new lovers

Vallor CLUB

"F*ck, River.. Ever since you met this girl at Vallor, I've noticed you're always here. You almost sleep here based on Sevi." Here comes the tease of his friend Ashton. River just ignored him and continued drinking his beer. They are just inside their private room in Vallor.

"Hahaha. Let him, Ashton. He will never take your words, just like what he did to my advice." Sevi laughed again, and based on the tone of his speech, he was also teasing River, the reason why River threw him a deadly glare

'Tsk. They are really my friends, my good friends. They are always making fun of me. Damn!'

"So, what's the progress, River? Do you see her again"

"Don't ask, Ashton. It's obvious that he didn't see her base on his face right now." Sevi even laughed again in River's misery.

The heck! He's enjoying this, huh? Damn! But, after all, they are right. I'm at the bar again to look for the girl, and I hope to see her again. But it's been days, and I haven't seen her again.

"I don't know if she exists or maybe I was drunk that night, and she was just my imagination. F*ck! That's bullshit!" I frowned in so much annoyance and bottomed up my beer.

"Don't say that, River," Ashton said as if he was comforting him.

"I want to see and meet her. I still can't get her out of my mind."

"For sure, you will see her again. Don't lose hope, man." Ashton.

Sevi just shook his head while looking at their hopeful friends.

"Let's not talk about River for now. Let's talk about the wedding of Fiona and Carlos." Sevi tried to change the topic of their conversation. "Did you get a ticket with the wedding invitation he sent?"

"Yeah. I got one," Ashton answered. "And I think he only sent the four of us because it was a secret wedding in Coron Palawan. Me, you, River, and Trinity."

"I got one too, but I'm not sure if I'm going," River answered nonchalantly.

"I already texted Carlos and Fiona; I said I would be late because I would take Trinity. She still has a shoot to do," Sevi explained.

"Same. Maybe I won't be able to go." Ashton.

"Carlos will be angry with us if one of us doesn't even go. He will surely throw a fit." Carlos and Fiona are their close friends in college.

As River sipped his wine, he noticed his friends were looking directly at him.

He frowned. "What?"

"You go first! You don't have any work to leave. We'll just follow," Sevi commanded.

"Sevi is right. All you have to do is to be there. You already have 2GO tickets. Everything is already set."

"Take this trip as an opportunity."

"Opportunity to what?" River asked Sevi while frowning.

"To relax and unwind. To forget about your mysterious girl," Sevi answered.

River just rolled his eyes at his friends. But on the other thought, they have a point. He thinks he needs to entertain himself, so he doesn't always remember the girl.

ALLISON was sitting down at her friend's house. She came home early from the office, so she thought of seeing her college friend Shanell who is only a few minutes away from Liberty Agency. She has two friends in life, one is Aya, who lives in the province, and the second one is Shanell.

"Wow. It's good that you had a chance to visit me even though I know you're busy." Her friend said and went straight to the kitchen to grab some snacks and drinks for her.

"I just don't want to go home yet," Allison replied sparingly. She rested her head on the head couch and closed her eyes. She feels her head is heavy because of the loaded work at the office.

But the real reason why she doesn't want to go home to her condo is that she will only feel sad again if she is alone there. Troy always popped into her mind whenever she was alone in her bedroom. She can't help but feel lonely.

"That's okay. You can stay here whenever you want, Allison. I'm also alone here in the apartment. What do you want? Juice? Water? Or coffee?" Shanell asked.

"Do you have a beer?" Allison nonchalantly asked.

Shanell automatically frowned at her friend's answer; then, she quickly threw her a look as if she was being suspicious. "Do you have a problem, girl? That's not so you." She still opened the refrigerator and grabbed some canned beers.

She knows Allison so much that she can tell if her friend is struggling with something. Allison didn't like alcohol when they were both in college, especially when she got a boyfriend last year. She became a homebody. "And besides, won't your boyfriend, Troy, get angry when she knows you drink? He will surely throw a fit at me. He might rush here in my apartment to fetch you," Shanell laughed.

Allison let out a deep sigh. She remembered that she hadn't told Shanell about Troy and her. When Shanell finally returned from the kitchen and sat beside her, she spoke.

"Troy and I are gone; we broke up," Allison said without emotion and grabbed one of the beers.

"What?!" The news caused Shanell to stop and be surprised. Her friend didn't expect what she said, especially since Shanell witnessed when she could say that the relationship between the two was perfect.

After Allison chugged almost half of the beer can, she placed them on the coffee table.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Shanell. You heard me right."

"Tell me a story. When? Why? What's the reason? Is there a third party?" Shanell started to throw a lot of questions. "You haven't visited here in a while, so that news is kinda shocking."

Allison looked and paid attention to her friend as if she were lazy.

"You're really a sadist, aren't you? You want me to tell you everything when it's obvious that I haven't moved on yet. You want me to remember everything that happened to our break-up when it's obvious that I'm trying to forget him. You are such a cold-hearted bitch! What a good friend," Allison said, full of sarcasm.

"That's why I have beers for you." Shanell pointed to the beer cans on the table, where Allison's eyes went.

Allison just snorted.

"Just get drunk; you can sleep here in my apartment if you want," Shanell added, handing Allison another canned beer. "That's what friends are for, girl. It would be best if you got drunk tonight because we have to celebrate this. We haven't drunk together for a while because of your strict boyfriend, oops, your ex-boyfriend rather." Shanell even laughed at her.

Allison just shook her head and took a sip of her beer.

"So, what? Why did your boyfriend break up with you? Tell me."

"It's hard to admit that one, but... he just left me for no reason," Allison answered. She even vented her anger toward his ex-boyfriend. Shanell listened to her, and as she said that, she sympathized with her being heartbroken.

"Troy is such a heartless man," a side-comment of Shanell. "He's just handsome, but he's also worthless. That's terrible. He just left you like that. Tsk!" Allison drank the beer she held as she listened to her friend's comment. "So, are you sure there is no third-party reason for him breaking up with you?"

Allison immediately shook her head initially. Her other friend, Aya, also asked that question to her. And up to now, her response will stay the same.

"No. I'm sure Troy doesn't have a woman. He's so busy with his work he hardly has time for me, and then he will look for someone else. That's vague," Allison replied.

Even though she was angry with Troy, she couldn't defame him, especially since she knew the person very well. She was one hundred percent sure that there was no third party involved.

"If that is the case, just let him be, girl. Maybe he will come back to you too. Maybe he's just confused and needs some time alone," Shanell explained. "And a man like Troy, you can't read what he was sometimes thinking."

Allison just sighed and hoped that Shanell was right. She doesn't want to sound bitter if she denies that she doesn't wish for Troy to come back because the truth is, Allison wants that to happen since she loves him very much.

"Let's talk about something else. Isn't your Employee of the month coming soon? That's more important to talk about than your ex-boyfriend," Shanell asked excitedly. Her friend seems thoughtful in changing the topic of their conversation.

"It just finished a while ago."

"Oh my god! For real?" Shanell asked. "I forgot, girl. So, haven't you been waiting for that for a long time? Haven't you been chosen?"

"I was chosen. I am the Employee of the month." Allison wasn't in the mood to jump into details because she wasn't happy with the reward she had won earlier. She would prefer an increase in her position or an additional salary as a reward, but obviously, that differs from what she got.

"Then why don't you seem happy? What's the prize? Tell me?" Allison could tell from the expression on Shanell's face the excitement.

I hope to feel that excitement too. Hays!

"Well, how can I be happy? I'd rather be a senior at Liberty or get a salary increase; they could also cash the reward, but no." Disappointment is evident on her face and voice. "My reward is to take a one-week vacation in Coron, a 2GO ticket, and twenty thousand worth of pocket money. They said I also needed to take pictures, document everything, and show everyone I was happy and enjoying my stay there. Like, what the heck, right?" Allison sounded complaining.

Shanell immediately scolded her and weakly hit her arm.

"You are such a downer, Ms. Allison Gregorio. You are the most killjoy person I've ever met." Shanell also rolled her eyes at her. "And you don't need to document everything when you stay there. You just need to capture the beach, your room, the food included, and of course, enjoying the place. That's all. That's the only case your boss gave you that kind of reward. They'll use that to attract other employees to work better and harder. Have you got it?" Shanell explained, and Allison just nodded. Now, I understand why.

Shanell clung her hand to her arms. "And you know what, girl, maybe that vacation in Coron will help you move on with your ex? To forget Troy."

"Is not that easy, Shanell. You just sounded like it was easy to do."

"It's not easy if no one gonna help you." Allison furrowed when she noticed the smirk on her friend's face.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh my God, girl! It's Coron Palawan. There are a lot of tourists there. You don't even know; maybe you will see your next boyfriend there who will help you fix your broken heart."

"What?" Allison furrowed. "Do I look desperate to find new lovers?"

"I'm not saying that. What I meant is, be positive, girl. Troy is not the only man here in the world." Allison just shook her head and ignored Shanell. For Allison, she had no intention of replacing Troy just yet. She hopes the two of them will be okay and get back together. Maybe Shanell is right; Troy was just confused about their relationship and needed a break.