Write to Love You

CHAPTER 1

VIANCE'S POV

“Doing ghostwriting, well, isn’t that a—” this lady in her early 20s, sitting with her legs crossed, paused for a while, then mockingly chuckled. Seconds after, a grin suddenly drew wide enough on her lips. “An illegal activity?”

I snorted out as she finished asking her doubled meaning question. My eyes quickly rolled on their own when Raniel, my best friend, and also my assistant, who is siting beside me, just threw a quick glance at me. I know where this topic is going.

'Oh! I guess, another judgmental soul who knew nothing,' I thought to myself, blankly staring at this girl in front of her.

“You know, plagiarism.” Her grin grew wider and lean her back on the soft fabric of this grayish couch. “Don’t get me, but I’m just being careful. You know, I would rather not put dirt on my name. It’s unworthy.”

We are currently here in Gazeloo Restaurant, one of the exclusive restaurants here in Bacolod City. Which I’ve heard is owned by her parents, the Fortunado Clan. Basing with this, their wealth is indeed undeniable. Added the fact that she’s one of the highly paid models here in the country. I’m not surprised that she’s a brat. Hard-headed, impulsive and judgmental. We’re having our first meeting for our supposed to be project. She wants to hire me as her personal ghostwriter, specifically to write her a novel.

“To inform you, I am a ghostwriter, not a plagiarist.”

Professionally speaking, I am a ghostwriter, and have been in this field for 5 years already. Not to brag, but I’ve been doing plenty of enormous projects, done many books, and even worked with different, and highly respected, and famous individuals, both local and national. In short, I have clearly made a good name in this industry in just a span of 5 years. And this girl is just one of my common clients, who seems to have no idea what she got herself into, just pretending to have some.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Before you came here, did you make sure you did some research on ghostwriting?” I asked, obviously running out of patience.

I don’t exactly know why, but my blood seems to boil up easily just by her presence. Not only that, but I immediately felt Raniel’s hand gently resting on my right knee. He is sitting on my right side. Calmly listening while we are having a conversation. He gently squeezed the joint part of my knee and gave me a “Please, don’t fight our client” look. He could really sense that I was starting to lose the small thin thread of my patience. I’m sure he knows that my patience is not that long nor thick, especially when ignorance itself kept on flashing in front of me.

“Are you saying I’m putting my reputation on the line for something I know nothing about?” he cursed again.

“Looks like it’s even worse. What’s so good about your reputation?” I spoke with challenge and mockery in my voice.

“How dare you! Just so you know, I’m one of the highest-paid models here in Bacolod! There are many people who want me to have me as their model. Your face is thick enough to insult me!”

“Oh, you feel insulted already?” I innocently asked.

“From the tone of your speech, I look stupid! You don’t know me, do you?!”

I was about to speak again when Raniel got ahead of me. The force he applied as he squeezed my knee increased even more. My back was leaning against the soft blue couch while my arms crossed.

“Ella Fortunado.” Raniel’s baritone voice cut the tension between me and this young lady named Ella. Not literally cut, but somehow lessened. Well, he has to, not unless he wants to let this meeting turn into a fight.

I noticed Ella’s eyes lit up when Raniel said her name. Her ears seemed to be pricked and looked at Raniel like a dog. Her round eyes suddenly became small like chinita.

“Of course we know you. You are a beauty and the pride of Bacolod. A 23-year-old model and living on your own. Your family owns one of the prestigious real estate businesses in the country. Not that good academically, but indeed a famous model—one of the highest-paid models in the country, to be exact,” Raniel complimented.

“What else haven’t I mentioned? My bad, we haven’t formally introduced ourselves to you. I hope you’ll accept my apology. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Ella.”

Raniel, as usual, my kindest editor and maybe the most down-to-earth guy I’ve ever known, finally loses the tension between me and Ella.

“I am Raniel Tuballes, the manager, and editor of this beautiful lady ghostwriter beside me.” His eyes diverted to me, but I just rolled my eyes at him.

He even tried to give a signal to smile like him, but I just ignored it. I fixed my gaze on Ella, who now still had shining eyes, and looking at Raniel. Almost drooling while fantasizing about my friend.

“And her name is Viance.”

Are we going to close the deal, or she’ll just be going to eye-r**e Raniel?

Raniel’s handsomeness is unarguable. He’s actually an almost perfect guy. A standard. A walking green flag. Also, a boyfriend and husband material. Well, sometimes I wonder if he isn’t straight, ‘cause I never heard him liking someone or even had a girlfriend before. For 6 years of friendship, he never mentioned his type or the girl he used to like.

“Hi, Raniel! It’s both our pleasure to meet you, too. We’ve heard many good things from the two of you!”

And finally! Ella’s seemingly unbreakable manager spoke up. Her voice was very shrill, as if she was straining it deliberately, but she lowered it a little. As for her look, I don’t know what words would fit except innocent. She looks really weird. Also, her clothes seem outdated. What she is wearing is a loose gray long sleeve. Some of them are still loose on the side of his shoulders, like a design. The makeup is quite fair, obviously light. Because the jaw part fits her obviously masculine face.

“That’s good to hear, Ma’am Michaela—”

“You can just call her Momsie M!” Ella, out of nowhere, said cheerfully. “And you can call me whatever you want, but I prefer to be called baby. No worries,” she seductively said, and leaned close to Raniel even though she’s in my row.

He was about to speak when I interrupted him irritatedly.

“Are we going to waste our time here?” I rerouted my gaze to Raniel and signaled him that I’m about to lose my patience if this nonsense meeting continues. He knows very well that I hate wasting my time chitchatting with nonsense people and on a not-a-worthy topic.

“Ah, so yeah. Since Momsie M set an appointment to have a project with us. To properly introduce our project proposal, here are the basic ideas of what we are offering.”

Raniel then handed Ella and her manager a black, hard plastic folder. Which all contains the basic information about us. About what we are doing, the rules and conditions I set before I give or do them my service, things that are strictly prohibited or unacceptable, and the last thing is the copy of our non-disclosure agreement. Contract is vital in every project I ghostwrite. It’s my ace and bullet, just in case they tried to violate the rules I set.

My eyes just settled on Ella, who immediately reached the folder from Raniel’s hold full of excitement. While on the other side, her manager unlikely did the same thing. She gracefully opened took the folder and with full of poise, she opened and read it quietly.

“Let’s make your imagination live in real life by turning your ideas into a magical story,” Ella’s manager said modestly.

“Yes. Unsaid thoughts? Unexpressed feelings? Named it, and we’ll make a life through it like as a living person.” Raniel’s spoke, reciting the next sentence written on the paper inside the folder.

“First, to clarify your false knowledge about ghostwriting, it is a hundred percent legal. Ghostwriting has been a common practice here in our country and in other parts of the world, like the US, the UK, Vietnam, and even in India. People refer to it as a ‘Little dark, yet known secret’ in the writing world. This is not, and will never be, linked to plagiarism as long as both of our parties abide with the contract we provided. As you schemed through that papers, you can find the contract in the last part.”

Miss Michaela did scheme through the papers she’s holding, reading it silently. Minutes passed. She looked at us and smiled.

“This is good, then. I’ll discuss this first with Ella, especially with the budget and other things involved in this project.”

“No need, Momsie M. The payment isn’t an issue, as long as I’m going to have my book,” Ella said, and winked at Raniel which made me almost laugh, ‘cause he didn’t even give a blink, and just focused at her manager.

“But baby, you need to read this carefully and decide about this. Your parents won’t like the thought of you getting yourself into something again without weighing everything up.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll only spend half of the expenses, you know that. That won’t exhaust a petty of my wealth.”

Boastful, the first word who comes to my mind seeing her. Damn, irritations are now building a whole dynasty in me as Ella kept on opening her full arrogance mouth. s**t, why people like her even exist?

“So, when will have my book?”

A loud snort came out of my mouth again.

She glared at me, then spoke again. “I want it in three days.”

I resisted her stares that were obviously still insulting. A wide grin immediately appeared on my face when I realized she wasn’t joking. And she literally wants to get her book in three days. Immediately.

Who the hell on earth can do that? I bet even the greatest and best ghostwriter in the world can’t write a complete manuscript and make it into a book in just three days. Writing isn’t an instant product, neither an easy onetime work. Great works are the product of plenty of processes and molded by enough time.

“I’m sorry, Miss Ella. I truly understand the excitement of having your own book, but this project will take a lot of effort and time to finish this. Two months is the very least we can assure you to finish the whole polished manuscript, provided you have given as a close to detailed plot of your desire story—”

“What?” she exclaimed. “I said, I am going to pay any amount, right? And why should I even provide a plot? I’m hiring you to write me a book, and you’re asking me to provide you with a plot?”

I calmly stood up, and I gently placed both of my palms on the table and slightly leaned forward towards him. She unconsciously leaned back and zipped her mouth.

“You are wasting too much of my time. Better read the contract carefully, and email me of your final decision.”

With that, I fixed my things and walked out of the venue. I heard her manager gasp, but I didn’t bother to look back. As I walked out of the VIP room, I went straight out to the parking lot where Raniel’s car was resting. The restaurant is seemingly quite busy, even if it is already past lunch. After I got to the car, I waited for a few minutes until Raniel arrived, whom I’m pretty sure apologized for what I did.

RANIEL JUST SCRATCHED his neck when we finished talking about our previous project with Mr. Vallarta. Where we almost perished because of that. He wants to suggest trying to make it possible to finish Ella’s project within her own desired time. Way back 5 years ago, we had a client, and has in common with Ella. He hired us to write an article, more on a script about economics, with no specific topic, which he used for a workshop seminar.

He gave us two hours of preparation and didn’t even provide any insights. In exchange, he’ll be paying us triple of the original rate. Which before was 200 pesos per 1,000 words, but now, our rate is reaching 5 to 10 pesos per word. The paid seminar was a bit of a disaster because those who joined expected an environmental economics, instead they’ve witnessed industrial and public economics discussions. Misunderstanding went to its high level just because we tolerated our client’s greediness and laziness. After that project, we both swore not to let it happen, even if they offered whatever amount to us.

“But that project will save a considerable part of Brianna’s operation. Ella wants to have a trilogy book, V.”

Raniel’s code name or endearment to me is V, just a simple letter V. Shortest version of my name, Viance. While mine is R, I used to him that, and the shortest for Raniel as well.

We both stopped and were stunned in front of our food. After I walked out earlier, we went to the grocery store and bought ingredients needed for our dinner here in my condo. Raniel volunteered to cook while I continued the pending projects I had with the other clients.

“Even so.” I said stubbornly.

“It will be better and safer for her if she got treated as soon as possible, right? We should reconsider the conditions of Ella,” he said. “It’s an excellent offer to save Brianna.”