On a bright and sunny late morning, someone was still sleeping off the pang in her chest from inside her room.
Curled under the sheets, Joan tried her best to think not of the sight of one Shantal Lin being kissed by Christopher.
From her bedside table, her phone had been ringing nonstop, buzzing while left on vibrate mode. She had clients today. She knew, but she was not in the mood.
Last night, she told her assistant to cancel all her appointments. She gave no valid excuse.
"Urrgghhh!" She got up in anger. Joan grabbed her phone and answered, "What is it, Gina? I told you to cancel my appointments today!"
"Miss Joan, I'm very sorry, but a rising singer came in the shot today asking if you can her official stylist! It would be a good chance for you to shine!" Suggested her assistant, Gina. "Not that... you are not shinning. You are already... somewhat famous."
After finishing college, Joan had pursued her greatest interest in fashion design. She worked hard and achieved her first line of clothes at the age of twenty-four. Now, at twenty-six years old, Joan had two boutiques in the city, selling her own brand of clothing.
In between, she modeled now and then. Her beauty was not to be missed as Joan's face was godly. However, she never accepted to contracts that would show off her body and skin.
Aside from modeling on her own clothing line, she accepted shoots for magazines, a make-up brand, her favorite shoe brand, and posed for free for charity organizations that she herself contributed to.
She wasn't as famous as Cole Adams for sure, but people knew her name, especially because her own clothing line was on the rise. Her number one customer was, after all, Meredith Hale and her girl best friend, Lina Clark.
"Miss Joan? Did you hear me? Shantal Lin is here and wants you to design clothes for her," repeated her assistant over the phone.
Joan was in a daze, shocked by Shantal's visit to her shop that she failed to acknowledge for seconds. She checked the time and realized it was already ten in the morning.
"Miss Joan? Are you there?" Gina asked again.
"Umm... Gina, sorry." Getting up from her bed, she said, "Please tell her, if she is willing to wait, I'll be there in an hour."
A big part of her hesitated, but it did not take long for Gina to come back to her with an answer. She said, "Miss Joan! Miss Shantal Lin said she only wants you to design her clothes! She is willing to wait for an hour."
Joan gulped at that. She pouted her lips before answering, "Very well. Why don't you have her settle at my office and give her some drinks and some snacks, Gina."
An hour later, Joan arrived at her first boutique.
In the middle of Los Angeles, California's fashion district, JB's Vogue, rested on the second floor of one of the most famous and exclusive malls in the city. Many of the city's starlets had an outlet at the same establishment.
After Joan's driver dropped her off at the front of the mall, she hurriedly made her way to JB's Vogue.
"Miss Joan, she is waiting at your office," said Gina right after she opened the glass doors of the boutique.
"Good Morning, Miss Joan," greeted her employees.
Some regular customers were also there, wishing her well.
The second she entered her office, she found Shantal Lin, sitting in front of her white desk, busy with her phone.
Upon the sight of her, Shantal smiled and said, "Ah, Joan. It's nice to see you. Sorry for coming on such short notice."
Shantal got up while clinging her shoulder bag in her arm. She extended her hand to Joan, offering a handshake.
"It's nice to see you again, too, Miss Lin," said Joan before forcing a smile. "I - I have to admit. I was - I was taken aback by your visit. Please take your seat."
"It was Christopher's suggestion for me to check out your shop. Of course, I have seen some of your collections in the magazines and I must say, they are impressive. Conservative, but the details to your dresses are interesting and well thought of," said Shantal.
Getting comfortable on her seat, Shantal said, "Chris, he." She paused and fluttered her eyes a few times, getting sentimental. "He cares for me that much that he only wants his... friends to look after my fashion style."
'Did she just highlight the word friends?' Joan asked herself without looking at Shantal. She was taking a seat when the singer spoke.
As soon as she got settled, Joan urged a smile and said, "I see. I have Christopher to thank then for referring you to my services."
"Yes. He also cares for you, Joan. I can tell. He repeatedly told me that he values... your friendship," added Shantal.
Joan's brows furrowed. It's not like Christopher at all to be expressive of his appreciation. He was always hard to read.
"Really?" She tilted her head and twitched her mouth before answering, "That's not like him at all. I've known the man for ten years, you know... Anyway, Miss Lin. That's not really important. Tell me about your style preference."
She wanted to shift away from talking about Christopher, but to her dismay; it did not seem like Shantal wanted to move away from the topic.
"Oh, it is important, Miss Joan Belle. You need to understand how Chris appreciates your friendship and that he looks after you like a younger sister," Shantal said. With a cunning smile, she added, "He will always look at you the same way, a friend... Just a friend."
Joan realized that this woman was not here to avail of her services. She thought, 'Why threaten me if she really was not a threat?'
Leaning back, Joan smiled. She said, "Are we done here, Miss Lin? Or do you want me to call Christopher and asked if he really referred you to me?"
She placed both her arms on the table and looked at the singer in the eye. She took a deep breath and said, "It's like what you said, he really values our friendship. I wonder what he would feel if he finds out you came looking for me, rubbing it in my face; my status in his life?"
Shantal became awkward for a second. She then smirked and said, "I just want to draw the line."
The singer got up from her seat before saying, "Excuse me. Chris and I have a lunch date together."
She failed not to show off the kiss marks on her chest, running her fingers through it. She beamed and said, "He is so good in bed, but I guess you'll never find out."
"Joan, are you feeling better?" Joan Belle heard Christopher's voice on the other line.Right after Shantal left, she called him immediately. She had to. She had six missed calls from him last night, and it was not like Christopher to call him so many times.Heck! He rarely called her."Yes, I'm fine now. Thank you for your concern," she said. "I'm sorry, I missed your party. I just - I just wanted to rest it out. Cole brought me home instead. I did not stay in his hotel room."'I could not stand the sight of you being with another woman. I just could not,' she spoke only in her mind while holding the phone up to her ears."I see. That's a relief," Christopher softly said. "I mean, that you are better."Her brows furrowed at his words, but just went on to ask, "Chris, you are dating Shantal Lin?"There was an odd silence on the other line before he said, "Yes. Yes, I am. In fact, I am meeting her today. Would you like to join us
Joan Belle's heart was racing. Again and again, she pursed her lips while sometimes taking deep breaths."This is it, Joan. No turning back," she muttered to herself, seeing the buildings past her line of sight.Following Lina's advice, Joan rushed to the Hale Industries office, wanting to finally let out all her feelings to Christopher.Lina was right. She repeatedly reminded herself.She had loved Christopher for so long, but she never really told him. Even if she was being obvious, she could at least confess to him and get an answer.Yes or No! That was all she had to find out.It was Lina's driver who brought her to Hale Industries and the second she arrived; she asked to speak to their new CEO.Being a family friend of the Hales has its advantages. Joan was immediately directed to the CEO's office.Christopher's assistant was not there, but one other secretary recognized Joan
"Coming to you live at Park Central Los Angeles, this is ANN Afternoon with Carie, and today, we have a special guest!" Announced the show's host, Carie Umber.The forty-year-old host pushed her hair back, giving a sly smile in front of the crowd. "Guess who it is?"Screams could be heard from the audience. They came for the special episode of the famous afternoon talk show."Ahhh! I love you, Cole!""Cole Adams!""Cole Adams!""Cole is the best!""Cole is so fucking sexy!""Calm down, girls! Calm down! Geez!" The host called the ladies' attention while grinning widely at the crowd. "I'll have him first before you do!""Ahhhh!""No! No, Carie! He is mine!"Clearly, the screams from the surrounding ladies outroared the teasing of Carie Umber. She could not help but chuckle at their reactions.It was challenging to tame the surrounding excitement, but with the help of the production c
"Come on, answer me! Cole! Where the heck are you?!" Joan was wailing from inside the taxi while holding up her phone. They had been going around in circles, without any specific direction.She had been texting and calling Cole for the past ten minutes, but to no avail."Miss? Where are we headed?" The driver asked, looking at her from the rearview mirror."Please, can you go around the block again? I'm still waiting for my friend to reply," she told with her eyes watering and her lips trembling."Are you okay, miss?" The driver asked, worried for her state.Joan had been weeping the second she got in the car. Her earlier plan to confess to Christopher was a total fail. Worst, she heard him doing it with Shantal Lin!"I'm fine. Thank you. Please, just - just go around the block a few more times. I'll pay for every minute that I use up, anyway," she pleaded.A minute later, she finally received a rep
"What did you just do?" Monica Wells, Cole's manager, asked. "You practically hinted that you have a woman on the side, carrying her like a princess! Couldn't you just have waited until the crowd had dispersed?"Cole massaged the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. He said, "I couldn't. She looked so sad and in despair - ""I get that, but you might ruin your career because of this and all for what?" Monica let out a heavy sigh and said, "Anyway, we'll stick to the story of your friend being in need of help. You just need to be consistent with the interviews, okay?"Cole nodded before running his hand against his hair."I'll have your car brought around the back of the tent for your convenience. Take her home and deal with whatever is her issue," said Monica before taking a leave.The two were in a serious conversation behind the show's temporary set. A tent was set up, meant as a changing area, and it was there where Cole hid J
"So what is this appointment you are going to?" Joan asked after hopping on to Cole's car."Meeting with the California Yacht Club president. They are planning to re-market the club and Monica wants me to be the next model for their upcoming ads," said Cole while turning on the ignition of his Jaguar."It's going to be a party that we will attend to so, get ready to flaunt your assets," he said with his usual killer grin.It was no wonder he had a stylist work on her attire. Joan was wearing new shoes, on top of her new dress, and had put on light makeup for his appointment. He was also dressed up for the part.Seeing the reluctancy on her face, Cole asked, "What? No backing out now. I just spent thousands of dollars on you today."She rolled her eyes and said, "Fine. I don't want to go home, anyway."For a second, she took a peek inside her purse and saw that her phone's battery had died. She sighed, thinking it was
"Joan, dear. What are you thinking?" Her mother, Jessica Belle, asked as they were having lunch at the Cafe Teragram.After attending a morning service nearby, they went straight for lunch."Nothing, mom," Joan said and decided to start with her salad.She was still in deep thought about what Cole suggested. He told her that getting the contract with the Yacht Club would be a way for her to catch Christopher's attention, but right now, she wasn't sure what she wanted.Joan hasn't gotten back to Cole for two days.Just as she was in deep thought, another prominent family arrived at the Cafe and Alexander Belle, Joan's father, easily invited them to their table.They had used up an entire ten-seater long table, just the way her mother always liked it.When she looked up to find out who it was, she paled. It was the Hales. Worst, the singer starlet was with them!"Oh, Jessica, it's good to
Cole wrapped Joan in a towel after his security handed it to him.She was sitting on one bench, utterly soaked."What in the world were you thinking, Joan?" Cole Asked as he kneeled down to level with Joan, drying her hair.Joan was taken aback. He was treating her like a wet puppy. 'Or a girlfriend,' she thought.For seconds, Joan found herself distracted by his athletic frame. She could not help but appreciate how well molded his abdomen was. She had never seen a man who had such a slender waist!"Joan?" He asked again, quickly shifting her gaze to his small and manly face.Yes, Cole had a slender face, but they were well-shaped, perfectly athletic looking, and it went well with his military haircut."Are you... gawking at me?" He asked. At that point, she awoke from her stupefied moment."What?! Gawking?! No! I'm - I'm just hurt." She slightly shook before telling, "I met up with the Hales e
A month after Joan gave birth. On a day without a caregiver, Cole alternately gave Robin and Mason a bath while Joan was resting after breastfeeding throughout the night. Cole came out from the bathroom with Mason, drying him on his crib. "Hey, buddy! You look so handsome! So much like me!" Remarked Cole. Seeing how Mason was stretching out his hands and turning red, he added, "Don't strain yourself, buddy. I know taking a bath feels so good." He put on Mason's diaper and changed him into his blue overalls before giving his little guy a kiss on the head. After looking at Mason with a grin on his face, feeling triumphant with being able to bathe and change his twins on his own, he suddenly heard a loud fart. The familiar and distinct smell filled his nostrils. "Damn." The smile on his face easily disappeared when he realized that Mason had pooped right after taking a bath and putting on a new diaper and clothes.&
Five years passed.On the sunny side of life; the Maldives and from inside a huge family beach villa, the JOLE couple was still sleeping soundly after pulling out an all-nighter, making love."Mommy! Daddy! Wake up! I want to swim at the beach!" Robin called, entering the room of Cole and Joan."No! I want to swim at the pool!" Objected Mason while following behind his sister.They both jumped on top of the bed, bouncing their bodies against in between their parents. The kid's way of waking their parents was very effective, as Joan had already awoken."Oh, guys! We are on vacation. Why can't you sleep some more? It's still seven in the morning!" Joan complained while still yawning.When Mason and Robin saw that their mother was up, they all went at it, waking up Cole."Wake up, Daddy! Wake up!" Urged Robin. "I want to make sandcastles and catch a mermaid!""Let's go swim with Kent, Katie, and
Eight months passed.From inside one studio of ANN network, Carie Umber was smiling from ear to ear in front of her audience. "Hello, ladies!""Aahhhh! We want Daddy Cole!""I'll just have baby, Mason!""Christopher Hale! Ahhh!"Screams of delight efficiently filled the space, knowing who was Carie's special guests for that day.Carie laughed at the crowd before telling, "Yes! that's right! Today, as a special celebration of father's day, we welcome two!" Carie signaled with her fingers before adding, "Two of the hottest Daddies in the city!"Shrieks once again echoed throughout the studio before Carie revealed, "And they happen to be best of friends!""Ladies, mind you... This is an exclusive interview... that will only happen on... An Afternoon with Carie!" Clapping her hands, she announced, "Let's give it up to the Superstar Model, a loving husband and now a father of two, Cole Adams!"The hoots and cheers
"Damn, Chris. You look terrible," remarked Cole during Christopher and Olivia's visit.It was Joan's third day at the hospital and she was due to leave the following day. The twins, however, had to remain as they still needed to stimulate their sucking reflex and gain weight before getting discharged.Olivia and Christopher determined to pay a visit while Joan still had her hospital room.It was on the sofas where the men were catching up with each other."I look terrible?" Christopher sarcastically asked. He pointed a finger at Cole and said, "Just wait till your babies get home. I have one baby and you... you have two."With a frown, Cole leaned back and inquired, "What's that supposed to mean?"Narrowing his eyes at his best friend, Christopher revealed, "Even if you have hired a caregiver... I tell you, Joan, being a mother would prefer to personally look after the babies... And I could say the same thing for you.
Three days passed.Just when Joan and Cole were expecting to deliver their babies at 36 weeks, the doctor announced in front of them, "your cervix is really dilating faster. I think... you will give birth tomorrow or anytime tonight."That made Joan frowned. She looked down at her belly and caressed it with concern written all over her face.Looking up to the doctor, she asked, "Will that be okay?""To be honest, we don't know for sure until they are out. Technically, they are still 34 weeks," responded the doctor. "In any case, we have already given your babies steroids to help mature their lungs. We hope that was enough intervention to make them breathe on their own."Joan felt teary-eyed, worried for her babies' condition. She asked, "What - what happens if they don't breathe on their own?""They will be put into a ventilator and given treatment to help them breathe, but let's hope that we have helped them enough, given the type of
A month after Olivia gave birth, Joan was admitted to the hospital and had been since.She and Cole left for a regular consultation with her doctor, but she was advised to remain in the hospital for complete hospital management of her pregnancy.The doctor found out that her cervix was thinning faster than expected and back then, her babies were still 32 weeks old. There was a risk of her giving birth prematurely, and Joan needed more frequent monitoring.Now, at 34 weeks in the pregnancy, and after staying in the hospital for two full weeks, Joan was feeling completely emotional.She still had fourteen days to go, but she was feeling disgusted about herself. She hated her back pains and the strain on her hips!Everything was so uncomfortable, yet, she could not even get up to take a bath, have proper waste disposal and go to the loo!She was already on complete bed rest before she was admitted to the hospital and thus; she
From inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel's grand ballroom, many guests, dressed in formal attire, could be seen walking in the direction of the Hale Industries' anniversary party.Several cocktail tables were spread across the hall, allowing the employees to group into their own familiar party. All of them were enjoying a glass of wine and several canapes as they engaged in joyous conversations.Olivia and Christopher were mingling with the other executives in the front-most part of the venue, exchanging pleasantries with one another.Everyone was especially giving their best wishes to Olivia since she was already on her 37th week of pregnancy."I'm sure, your mother is very excited," remarked one of Christopher's directors."Yes, very much," said Christopher before putting a hand behind Olivia's back. He leaned over and whispered, "Are you okay, darling?"Dressed in a long royal-blue maternity gown, Olivia smiled at her hu
"Babe, I have good news for you," said Cole, right after they came from their monthly visit with the doctor.Joan's belly had turned six months old and her doctor's appointment has been weekly, due to the fact that carrying twins was a high risk.While Joan was getting settled in the car, she asked with twinkling eyes, "What is it, babe? Are we going to eat... ice cream?""Ah, we could stop by the shop that offers... protein ice cream," said Cole before forcing a smile."Oooh... That should still be yummy, right?" Joan probed."Absolutely," acknowledged Cole. He helped buckle the seatbelt of his wife before going to the driver's seat and closing the car.After turning on the engine, he revealed, "Anyway, my surprise for you... I don't have any projects for a week! I refused any TV guesting, and I have my new assistant take care of any urgent matters for the apparel company! So, I am free for a week! We could spe
Getting home from their dinner with Cole, Olivia and Christopher first put Katie to sleep in her own room.Since they were now married, Katie rested with her nanny in the other room of Christopher's penthouse.The entire shower time, Christopher had to accompany his wife, worried that she would slip on the floor with her eight-month belly. He helped her get dressed, especially the part where she puts on her underwear.He smirked and said, "It's like taking care of a baby."Olivia laughed and said, "Oh, you have no idea how it is to take care of a baby, darling. I'm telling you...Putting on panties? This does not even compare." She shrugged and added, "Just because I find it hard to bend does not make me a baby!""Stop scaring me." Christopher aided in putting on her sleeping dress and said, "Now... let me prepare our bed.""Okay, darling. Let me just get some water," said Olivia before walking out the door.Whi