Sweet Downfall (20 page)

“So, what are you showing in Jaq’s movie, Gwennie?” the reporter asked.

Gwenna looked at him teasingly. “Oh, I wouldn’t mind doing a full frontal with Jaq, but this one we’re shooting is for kids. So…Maybe in his next movie about serious world issues.”

He kissed Gwenna’s hair, a deliberate gesture to fan the rumors that they were a couple. More cameras flashed. Fuck. He was never the one to work the media but he was now playing the publicity game without remorse.

“We hope you will come back in the near future and make a local movie, too. Jaq. You know, where local talents get to shine under your genius direction and the world gets to see it, too?”

“Of course. That’s actually in the works. I’ve been talking to some local producers about it a lot and we will definitely kick start that project soon. Filipinos are world-class, you know? We should show them more out there the rockin’ stuff we got here.”

“You’re really the best director of your generation, Jaq. We’ll look forward to those masterpieces. Uhm, speaking of directing...there’s this little movie you shot and directed years ago...”

Here we go.
He was wondering when the cute babe would get to her real business – to score the first scoop straight from the other horse’s mouth, so to speak. His career plans were boring compared to his video scandal. “Be specific. I did a lot of short films in the past.”

“Okay. What can you say about Angelina Yulo’s interview recently?”

“Who?” he deadpanned.

“Angelina Yulo. Hello?”

He faked a cough. “What’s that got to do with me?”

“Come on, Jaq, Angie already admitted that it was indeed the two of you in that video.”

He still feigned innocence. “She admitted it?”

“Yes, on national TV. At the other network.”

“I see. What exactly did she admit?”

“That you used to be in love.”

He gave a short laugh. “No comment.” He bent and kissed Gwenna on the cheek. The actress framed his face with her hands and gave him a lingering kiss on the lips.

Oh shit.

Camera shutters were on overdrive now.

The reporter was not deterred from her mission. “Come on, she already came clean, Jaq.”

He shrugged. “Okay, let’s put it this way. Whatever she said, whatever she admitted, then that’s all there is to it. I won’t add anything to it.”

“Angie implied that you may have leaked the video. What can you say about that?”

“I did?” He laughed again. This time, it was real. Truly, it was amusing. “Look, I won’t argue with her. But if I may speak for men in general, no man in his right mind will release something that makes him look like ten kinds of dumbass, no matter how pretty the woman he’s with.”

“I beg to disagree! You were so cute in that video. So romantic!”

He grinned sheepishly and scratched his nape self-consciously for good effect. “Nah, it happened a long time ago. She’s getting married, right?”

“Uh-huh. So, if you didn’t leak it, who did?”

He shrugged and dropped the bomb as casually as he could. “Why don’t you ask Miss Yulo? She has a copy of that video.”

Shocked was an understatement to describe the reporter’s reaction. Scoop, indeed. Huge.

Eat this, Angie.

“Really?! Oh my...!”

“Yeah. Ask her. Excuse us, Gin. The others are going ballistic now.”

“Thanks, Jaq!”

He winked at her and then walked with Gwenna directly into the rabid hounds’ den.

Angie was getting ready to attend a meeting
with some Empress executives when Sherry burst into her room looking like the devil was after her.

“Angie, open the TV! Hurry, we might miss it!”

“Why, what’s happening?”

Sherry grabbed the remote control from the sofa and turned on the TV to Channel 2.

“Taryn called me. Jaq gave an interview to ABS last night.”

She froze from combing her hair. “What did he say?”

“Something about the video. I don’t know yet. Taryn’s pissed off . Jaq only talked about the video to the ABS reporter, not with her or any other reporter.”

She felt a frisson of fear grip her but she calmed herself. This was expected after her interview. Jaq may talk, too. She hoped he just let the issue rest like a gentleman. After all, it was in the past. When she decided to do the interview, she promised herself that she would really move on and no longer mind it. But she couldn’t help it. She was mightily curious as to what he’d said about her to the press.

They waited for the channel’s three o’clock thirty-minute entertainment show to come up. Between commercials and her heavily beating heart, her insides were already tied into little knots she could hardly breathe when the show was finally on. They waited fifteen minutes more before Jaq’s interview was featured. Clearly it was the highlight. They even did a background on what the interview was all about. Seeing herself in blurred video clips on the screen knowing that half of the nation must be tuned in to this channel right this minute made her grind her molars in utter humiliation all over again.

Jaq was with his rumored girlfriend Gwenna James, a Hollywood rising star more famous for her sexy body than her acting talent. The blond actress was so gorgeous and she was all over Jaq. No. He was all over her. They were showing everyone how intimate they were.

Angie willed herself not to get distracted by their kisses and concentrated on what Jaq was saying.

Her jaw dropped lower and lower as the interview progressed. She was shaking when it was over. It was short but very meaty. Jaq didn’t douse the fire. He poured kerosene to it!

“Oh my God, was he implying that I leaked the video myself?! That is absolutely insane! Why on earth would I do that?!” she exclaimed in horrified disbelief.

“What are you gonna do, sis?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know...”

She couldn’t think straight. Her interview was the last one she would ever give, she had vowed.

“Why couldn’t he just let it rest? I know he was the one who leaked that video! He admitted it to me! He’s just toying with us, that evil, evil bastard! I wanna kill him!”

She let out a furious roar.

Sherry stared at her, agape. Understandably so. She rarely showed her temper, least of all cuss like a tramp and roar like a pissed off rhino in her elegant Jil Sander dress. Jaq Montero could really bring out the worst in her, damn him!

She paced around her expansive bedroom restlessly. “I regret the day I met that low life! I should have listened to Daddy! He is no good! No good! I should have let
Kuya
Rad shoot him in the head, the pig!”

“Ange, calm down.”

But she couldn’t stop. All her pent up anger which she hid behind a calm, quiet disposition all these weeks just burst out like a broken dam. “I hate him, I hate him! I! Hate! Hi––m!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

She dropped her butt on the sofa beside Sherry, chasing her breath.

Silence.

“Feeling better?” her sister inquired after a while.

She nodded. She felt better, alright. But not in the way Sherry thought.

She felt strong. In fighting form.

For war.

“Sher, will you do me a favor?”

“Anything, sis.”

“I want to be alone for now.”

Sherry nodded in understanding.

The moment Sherry was out the door, she whipped out her cellphone and called Darry. Her BFF picked up right away.

“Darry, will you find out where that bastard is right this minute? Where does he work?”

Darry didn’t pretend not to know who she was referring to. “What are you gonna do?”

“I will go kill him.”

Darry clucked her tongue. “Mind consulting your lawyer first?”

She growled impatiently. “Come on, tell me! I’ll just go talk to him.”

“Promise you won’t do anything stupid?”

“I promise, okay? Now tell me where he is!”

Jaq was talking to Alexis on the phone.
He was at the Black Jack Production headquarters at the Centurion Tower in Manila to test-run reels from the last three shooting days. He let his unit directors take charge of the set while he was gone.

“X, are Angie and Jordan invited to the inauguration of The Great One next week?” he asked Alexis.

“Of course. Why’re you asking?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to know.”

“Are you going?”

“Yeah.”

“This is new. You were always invited to my parties but you never showed up. What brought this on?”

This was brought about by a pair of cat eyes and perfect tits and the tightest snatch I’ve been itching to bang again so bad for weeks now. “I’m taking a weekend break.”

In truth, he had been avoiding all parties that may likely be attended by Jordan and Angie in the past years. The world of the elite was small in this country and he happened to have friends from very high places who all loved him like their very own brother, but he never considered himself one of them despite his own tremendous success. Except maybe when his biological father would finally publicly acknowledge him. But that was an impossibility he had accepted long ago. It was just too complicated for the old man.

“I ain’t buying that bullcrap. Come on, fess up, man. What are you up to?”

“What do you mean? Don’t you want me to be there?”

Alexis sighed. “Lemme tell you this, bro, ex lovers are just like old clothes. Crammed in the closet for so long, they might still look good to wear, but once you wear ‘em again, you’d find out they no longer fit you as good as when they were brand new. Got that?”

“Is that an original theory of yours?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s been proven.”

He shook his head in amused resignation. X had the most warped perspectives this side of fuckdom. “Point taken. Thanks. See ya. Bye.”

He strode out of his ultra-modern private office to the spacious sci-fi inspired main working area of BJP. His workplace here was set up to his exact specifications. Nowadays, film-making had advanced to Computer Generated Imagery to simulate live movements using graphic images. His film outfit was the first to bring CGI technology into the country. It had been running the past few years, catering to TV advertising.

His employees were a smorgasbord of only the best in the business– scriptwriters, graphic designers, set designers, costume designers, musical scorers, photographers, cinematographers and college drop-out computer freaks. They were all highly-paid geniuses in their respective fields. Call him anal but he couldn’t tolerate mediocrity in his team.

He took his own training in the US seriously. Very seriously. Filmmaking became his obsession. After taking special courses in visual effects, animation and even game production, he’d interned at George Lucas’ Industrial Lights and Magic then did a series of jobs assisting unit directors in various Hollywood films. He discreetly came back to South East Asia at age twenty-five, stayed for two months alternately in Malaysia and the Philippines and shot a feature film entitled Boy Soldier. He submitted it to the Cannes Film Festival. Who would have known it would be the beginning of his stellar career in Hollywood?

After winning a Palme d’Or, everything changed. That award sure sold his chops early on. DreamWorks saw him right away and signed him in to do a movie. His brand of directing which critics referred to as a perfect blend of the eastern and western style of experimental filmmaking was a hit among the North American and Asians moviegoers alike. It even got the attention of the more discerning moviegoers, hence his critical acclaims. His career as a director and producer was on full-throttle since he won that Cannes six years ago and never let up on the gas.

“Guys, order for pizza!” he hollered.

His employees let out a collected shout of happy approval. “I love you, boss!” teased one of the pizza-loving boys. “Can I kiss you?”

“I don’t love you enough to flip, smartass.”

Hoots and laughter.

The front desk girl suddenly came running to him looking pale as a ghost. “Jaq!”

“Hey, Sheng. Wazzup?”

The usually jolly Sheng looked like she had faced the death squad.

Seconds later, he knew why.

Walking toward them was a one-man death squad clad in high fashion. If her eyes were guns, he’d have been dead on the spot.

His favorite ol’ shirt in the flesh. Only she didn’t look worn out to the seams. She looked spectacularly brand new. As always.

She stopped a couple of meters from him, her hands on her killer hips and she was looking at him like a cockroach she’d gladly grind beneath the heel of her stiletto.

Jack-in-the-box sprung out.

His lips twitched into a half-smile, hating and loving the instant response of his body from the mere sight of her. “Hello, sweetheart. Glad you found me.”

In response, she threw her bag at him. He easily evaded it and it landed with a thud on a drafting table, sending drawing gadgets crashing to the floor.