Rise, Fallen Angels, Children of God

Chapter 6

            Smile!, that’s it. Look fierce, there you go!. Right, steady, good! That’s my girl!, I said honestly complementing her while Jodie poses professionally in front of my camera. Been changing from one swimsuit to another, the photo shoot took five hours before ending it with a big bang with Verne. He was wearing boxers which he took off, leaving him with a light pink trunks. In truth he is a handsome fellow. No wonder Jodie liked him. I smiled at Jodie who seemed snobbish. A bit angry and flirty at the same time. While I took their photos, my camera caught them smooching  and both liking the idea of it. Verne then kissed Jodie’s forehead then down to her lips. I almost reacted but got a hold of my self, took the difficult shot anyway and called it a day. It’s a wrap everybody!. Congratulations! We did it. See you again next season! I said happily to about 10 men and women staff who marched back to the hotel. Verne, Jodie and I were left at the beach. Okay!, I’ll go and wash up babe!, Verne said kissing Jodie in the forehead when he looked at me and smiled devilishly. I’ll catch up with you in a jiffy!, Jodie responded with a cold striking look at me. I was like dead frozen when she said she wanted to talk to me after the shoot. What did I do now?, I thought very scared what Jodie would do after this. What happened back there at the bar? I asked curiously. Edmund and you were hugging, what’s that about?, She said in a serious tone. Oh! that, his dad died and I was comforting him, it was really sad!, I added empathetically. Really???...Jodie questioning and as if not believing me. Babe! Jodie!, he is just a friend. We’re just very good friends. Wait!, I said while my eyebrows twitched, mouth now wide open. I don’t believe it! Jodie, you, jealous!!!....Wow! I asked Jodie and smiling at her sweetly. You’re jealous!, I added following her. I am not!, Jodie added, avoiding my gaze, walking away. Hey, wait, I love you, I wouldn’t do anything to ruin this, us. I’ve never been disloyal to you. I said while trying to kiss her on the lips and Jodie ignoring me. I’ll be back in a week, so, I’ll see you then Alex! Jodie added coldly. Jodie, Jay!, Please!, babe!...What the fudge! I said trying to follow her. Jodie disappeared in the night leaving me behind.

I asked Basil to check on the photos I chose for Jodie’s magazine covers and mailed them to her sponsors and contributors. I also asked Sanjay to send the soft copy via internet to her management to make the final say on the pictures to use them for commercials, covers, print and television advertisements. My payment came In after three days. I thought of Jodie what’s going on with her in California.

At a private lounge, Jodie was with her band for a show. She sang her songs, like one so famous which is, “I Love You” (Alexa’s favorite song) she thought while performing strongly, beautifully on stage. While singing the song, here she remembers everything, from Alex’s face, skin, smile and taste. She was sad but her face lit up thinking how Alex love her, and almost forgot the lyrics but thanks to the teleprompter, she won’t forget a thing. A life-1            saver indeed.

When….Jodie, Jay, let’s go! We need to leave, now! Fires all over the place, Marcus, pale as a ghost, calmly advised. Okay!, where to, Mar…? Jodie said now scared of what’s happening, about to shout, yet losing Marcus in the blazing fire and dark smokes. Jodie coughed until she lost consciousness.

Outside the burning bar.  Fans, paramedics and ambulances (5 or so) flock about 20 feet away from the bar premises. Medics assisted those who attained minor bruises and some were brought to hospital along with Jodie who severed 2nd degree burns starting from the chest down to her thigh. At the hospital she was carried to the operating room since a small sharp wood from the fallen debries from the now burned to ground bar. She shouted painfully when her clothes were gently ripped from her burned skin. Her screams were heard even outside of the room down the hall way. She was thinking about Verne and cried over Marcus feeling a great loss when he disappeared in the fire. A nurse advised that he didn’t make it since he suffered suffocation and serious burn all over the body that he wasn’t breathing when he was rushed to the hospital with Jodie. Jodie’s operation took five hours since the doctor and nusrses needed to careful take the wood out and care for her burns for it did hurt so much. And Jodie just thinking about the fact that her chest and thigh are burnt, they hurt like s**t. Her nurse contacted her family in an international call since she had the accident in California. She was advised to fly back to Manila for other surgeries and more. She is indeed the most beautiful pop singer and how can she sing with her body looking like dried see weed though the color is brownish not green. Before going back home, she cried for three days missing Marcus and called her management to keep silent about the incident. What will happen now? What about Alexa and her career.

In the news. Alex saw the huge fire devouring California and the nearby bar that was burned to the ground. The reporter mentioned that a famous singer named Jodie Star was inside the lounge promoting her new album when the calamity happened. Her management advised that they mourn the passing of their wonderful Marcus (Jodie’s manager for many years). They decided to be silent on the where about of the pop singer, yet assured that Ms. Moon is okay and recuperating from the trauma and all. Alexa was in the shower now and got got goose bumps, so worried about Jodie more than ever, hearing that one fan saw her badly burned before she was rushed to the hospital. She’s been calling Jodie’s cellphone maybe for a hundredth time now, yet wasn’t able to reach the singer. Alexa, is now sobbing hard while waters from the shower flow like her many tears, and decided to sit down unable to contain her sorrow, not sure what really happened to her beloved Jodie. In another news, Jodie’s family were interviewed and they too miss her and are worried when the media mentioned that the singer was badly hurt and didn’t make it. Sanjay and Basil hugged Alexa when she was drying her hair with a towel, all were crying, not knowing what to say or do when they heard Jodie passed. Basil then cupped Alexa’s face and comforted her. They all sobbed liked there’s no tomorrow. At home. Alexa rushed towards her mom, dad and sister with faces all turned to Alexa, pitying her loss. Obviously they heard the news and what a tragedy it was, a famous pop singer died in California hospital due to the California Bush Fire inside a bar in the city. Alexa wanted to book a flight to go after Jodie but she didn’t know where to go or what hospital she was at since her management were silent about the singer’s whereabouts. Alexa didn’t have the strength to cry anymore, Jodie’s gone, what’s the use.

Alexa mourned for many months. She was just in her room, unable to write her stories, blogs and handle photo shoots. So Sanjay and Basil covered for her for as long as she’s able to get back to work again. They managed and ran the business for Alexa’s sake. Until when, both guys didn’t know.            It’s been a year and eight months since the terrible accident happened. And losing Jodie is as if just happened yesterday. Alexa still feels Jodie’s lips, kisses and love and how the taste made her hallucinate, but Jodie is indeed gone, forever. She feels that the singer’s just around the corner and there found herself crying again. Edmund, her university best friend courted her and accepted his offer in order to forget Jodie. Alexa was so heartbroken that she left the photography business and let Sanjay and Basil manage it for her. She still can’t get over the idea of seeing models or artists when she is still healing from her long lost loved singer’s passing. She just focused on her travels and blogs releases online. Alex decided she needed a change to move on and started to date Edmund. Finally , the handsome and kind fellow popped the magic question, and Alexa agreed to be his fiancée. The beautiful couple got engaged, though Alexa was still grieving inside because of her loss.

It’s been two years and Alexa pursued her love to travel. On her country visits, she always wish to see Jodie somewhere, even just for a little while to say the things she never said when they were together. To tell her that she missed and loved her so much. To kiss and hug her again, one last time, to quench her thirst of Jodie’s sweet love. “My soul and heart yearns for your touch, I miss your kisses and I want to drown in your love all night long…”, Alexa, in her thoughts, day dreaming while in a coffee bar where she was seated outside, sight-seeing the ever mighty Eiffle Tower in France.

The plane is about to leave, so passengers are coming in, hundreds of them. Excuse me! Can I sit beside you?, a young man, 5’10’’ in height, wearing a dark blue suit, black hair, half-shaven beard and not so brown complexion, he looked like gold, when Alexa turned on her left and saw a smile on a man’s face familiar to her, his voice was warm and modulated.

Awakening to some sort of a nostalgic feeling remembering Jodie ( hoping that I wasn’t drooling since she was day dreaming about how Jodie made me feel when she made love to me) in a short half-laugh, I was able to reply, a little embarrassed. Ah..yes!, i..it’s okay!, while wiping a tear away from my eye, sniffing a bit. It was very cold in France this time of year. So I’m prepared wearing a brown leather coat and a sophisticated beannie. 

            HI!, the man said. I’m Gin Lawrence. He added sitting beside Alexa, giving his hand to get a hand shake. Oh! yes, Alexa, Alexandra Steele. I added smiling back at him. What a nice name! Call me Gin, so can I call you Alexa then? He said with a wide grin on his face. Why is it when he mentioned my name as if I heard some one close to me call me the way he did, I just don’t remember who. Hmm! Call me Alex!, I answered politely. Okay, Alex then! Gin replied attentively. Where are you headed after? He asked. To Paris!, Alexa said. I need to take some pictures of the Eiffel Tower for my blog, I said proudly. Wow!, a live blogger, that’s convenient and a very cool profession, you can travel the world and get to talk about the places you love and been through, Gin said, very amazed. How about you? What do you do?, I asked curiously, looking at him intensely, when his gaze shifted away and went back to look at Alex’s eyes intently. I’m a promoter s***h producer of new and famous artists here, the U.S. and around South East Asia, Gin boistered. Wow! That’s a fun and wild profession (I bet girl artists too crushing you, Alex thought feeling a bit jealous, not knowing why she felt that way), I said dreamily. You’re too handsome to be a producer, I thought smilingly.

Gin gave a cunning laugh when he caught Alex, sort of biting her lower lip a little. What? Gin asked when Alex was just smiling at him continuously. Oh! just remembered something, that’s all, I added sheepishly. After the tour Gin gave me around Paris I got the photos I needed for my blog. He offered to drive me to my hotel but I declined since I have a chauffer waiting for me to drive me to