CHAPTER 7

LAYLA STARED AT the red vehicle while her heart was starting to beat erratically. 

No, she shook her head with a realization, she was just being paranoid. It was obviously a different and bigger car. She still was looking at the car when a woman and a boy—probably mother and child—approached the car. The backseat door opened and the two climbed inside the car. Layla watched the car moved away before she continued walking. She went to the gate, showed her ID and strolled inside. She had been working here, one of the largest TV networks in the country, for more than two years now. The tallest building in the compound had ten floors and on its highest floor, at the north side of the building, you could see the company’s logo: a large GBN, and beside it was a mounted knight charging. Knights are, of course, known for its courage and honor. Well, the company had been acting as her knight in shining armor. A human knight in shining armour would be fine, but she wasn’t really looking for one.

Three years ago—she had been jobless for more than two years— a friend who worked here in the network told her there were job vacancies. She had a degree in mass communications; she applied and was lucky to be hired. She was first assigned to a sitcom, which she found unfunny, so she wasn’t surprised when it folded a few months after she started working there. One of Anika’s researchers got pregnant and resigned, and Layla replaced her. And Anika, she immediately discovered, was a great boss. She had a strong sense of humor, very smart and kind to her subordinates. Once in a while, she’d make some angry verbal outburst towards them, but Layla blamed it on the pressures and stresses of her jobs. But Anika would never castigate someone who was doing her job well; instead she would praise them repeatedly and reward them.

Layla walked towards the Studio C where the taping of Anika’s show would be held. Her heartbeat became a bit faster with the thought that she and Ambert would meet again. She wasn’t expecting another invitation from him today. She had no illusions about herself, she knew he had offended him and that he now would rather invite a cat to a lunch than waste his breath on her again. Inside the Studio C, she went straight to set where Anika held her interviews.  They called it the Living Room, as it was arranged to look like a posh living area, not unlike the set of other talk shows. It had sofa, center table, table lamp and a large smart TV. A crew mSadie told her that Anika was still in dressing room. The special guest to be interviewed, Ambert, was also inside a dressing room.

She went to where Anika was to get some instructions, she found her standing in front of a full-length mirror, scrutinizing her outfit. Sitting on a chair behind her was her secretary.

“Just see that Ambert is comfortable,” Anika told her with a smile. “Give him what he wants.”

A command she couldn’t disobey, though she’d rather that Ambert would leave the studio without him seeing her and without them talking to each other.  After that interview, after seeing for herself how gentlemanly and courteous he was, she realized that he really was a star and she, a lowly human who however she stretched her hands, could never hope of touching or reaching him.

His light would burn her even from a distance.

He went to the dressing room where Ambert was and found the door slightly opened. She peeked through the door and saw him sitting on chair, and Liza, the makeup artist, standing in front of him. Fortunately, Ambert’s back was on her so she could stare at him without him knowing it. She winced when Liza saw her and smiled and waved at her. Layla held her breath as she saw Ambert moving his head, like he was about to look at where Liza was looking—which was at her.

Luckily, Ambert remained looking in front of him. Layla glanced back at Liza and got scared again as Liza looked like she was about to blurt out her name. Fortunately, Lady Luck was biased to her that time, she didn’t call her. She promptly waved back at Liza and took her eyes off her and brought it back to Ambert’s back. But what did she care if Ambert saw her? He couldn’t accuse her of stalking him as she had the perfect alibi: Anika told her to look after him and that was what she was doing. He couldn’t accuse her of ogling her, although that what she really was doing, ogling the back of his head, which like his face, was, well, gorgeous. Every part of his body seemed gorgeous and delectable.

After a few minutes, Liza glanced at her again, probably amused and curious on why she was peeking through the door when she could very well enter. And when she felt that the makeup artist was about to utter her name, she bolted away from the door. Anyway, Ambert seemed comfortable so there was no need for Anika to fuss even if she didn’t talk to him. If Ambert wanted anything, he would tell Liza and Liza would tell one of Anika’s staff loitering just outside the dressing room and that staff mSadie would tell her—and no matter what, she would get that thing he wanted.

She ordered her feet to bring her to a spot where Ambert would not see her once he got out of the dressing room and began his journey to the Living Room.

And after just a few minutes, she saw him walking out of the dressing room with Liza in tow. Her eyes followed him while she remained seated. And she wanted to smile when she felt being entertained just by watching him walk away from her, just by watching his wide back move away from her, just by watching his strong arms sway as they sashayed away from her.

Away from her.

The taping of the interview went well.

Ambert was a very articulate and informed guest, one who was well-versed in his field. And Anika, as usual, was a gracious and a smart host.  And their friendship showed and radiated during the interview.

Her wish was fulfilled—Ambert left the studio without seeing her.

“Where were you?” Anika asked her as she ran into her in the hallway leading to her office. The next interview, the one with the movie actor, would be taped after thirty minutes.

“I was watching the taping, near the cameraman,” she said. It was true, she watched the interview while half-hidden behind one of the cameramen. She was safe there, Ambert would roam his eyes around the studio and he still wouldn’t see her. He seemed jolly during the interview, she didn’t want to dampen it which she sure would happen once he saw her.

“I mean before the taping began,” she said before looking at her and probably seeing a bit of discomfort in her. “I told you to look for Ambert, you didn’t come back to me. Okay, don’t answer it, I know where you were. You were hiding from Ambert.”

She didn’t answer and just continued walking with her with her head bowed.

“Ambert had told me about the lunch invite and the F******k thingy,” she explained. “Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t complaining or gossiping about you, just narrating some of the events that occurred in his life that day. When me meet, we have this habit of telling each other most of the things that happened to us that day. And Ambert got your message loud and clear,” Anika said. “You don’t want him ambling around you. The last thing he would want is to burden some people with his presence. I think he’s already looking for a lady who would accept his lunch invitation.”

Anika, Layla was certain, thought that that information would delight her. Maybe, she was expecting her to dance a little dance of joy.

But it felt like an arrow to her back. And a knife to her heart.

But she would never give Anika the slightest hint that she was hurt by what she just said. Instead, she showed her a smile, which gained no reaction from her boss. Surely, Anika was miffed with how she treated Ambert. Darn, even she herself was miffed with how she treated Ambert. But she thought she needed to do it that day. Ambert was starting to stir an emotion inside her that she knew would soon overwhelm and suffocate her. She just gave that emotion a quick and painless death.

The taping of Anika’s show was soon over. Layla stayed in the office until five in the afternoon, then left to go home, her mind still filled with memories of Ambert’s immense presence in the studio.

As she was walking to a bus stop, she noticed another red car. But this time, it wasn’t parked—it was following her. 

She stopped and stared at it. Her heartbeat instantly went faster and heavier when she recognized it—it was the car that almost hit her just a few days ago, she was sure of it.