A Holiday to Remember [18+] Chris & Valentine

CHAPTER-9

* * CONTINUED FLASHBACK * *

* * Valentine's POV * *

When Lola Vilma and I arrived at the bus terminal in Manila, we said our goodbyes. Her ride, Bert, who is one of their employers' drivers, arrived to pick her up. Lola introduced him to me, and based on my observation, Bert seemed to be around the same age as my father. After Lola and Bert left, I immediately called my friend Anne, letting her know that I had arrived at the bus terminal in Manila. She was going to pick me up here, and since it was Saturday, our day off, we would be staying at the boarding house until tomorrow.

While waiting for Anne, I felt a bit stunned and confused by the events that had happened on the bus earlier. I thought about how, perhaps, there were reasons why I had met people like Lola Vilma, and our conversation earlier had given me a different perspective. But for now, I chose to push aside those feelings and focus on the next steps.

I also thought about how I wasn't sure what would happen later, but I knew I needed to rest and prepare for whatever challenges lay ahead. I focused my attention on Anne's arrival, looking forward to the time we'd spend together, knowing that things would be a bit lighter when we were together, even in the simple moments of relaxing at the boarding house.

After a few minutes, my cellphone's message tone rang, so I immediately opened it to check who had sent me a message. As soon as I read Anne's message saying that she had already arrived at the bus terminal, I started looking around to see if I could spot her.

"Anne!" I called out loudly when I finally saw her, also looking around for me. As soon as she saw me, I noticed the wide smile on her face, and when she came closer, she gave me a tight hug, as if reassuring me that she would take care of me with whatever would happen tonight.

"How are you?" she asked as she pulled away from the hug.

"I'm not okay," I replied sadly.

"Don't worry, I know this is hard for you, but you know, we as breadwinners in our families, we will do anything for them," Anne said, and I let out a deep sigh.

"Let's go, I still need to take you to the salon, and it looks like your toenails are about to become one hectare," Anne joked, eyeing my appearance. I looked down at my feet and saw that she was right—it's been a week since I last cleaned my toenails, but it wasn't as bad as she was making it sound. But if it were as bad as she said, I could’ve sold it and avoided this whole situation, I thought to myself.

But for now, I focused on the reality of tonight. There was no turning back.

While we were sitting in the taxi, Anne began explaining the plan for later that evening. She told me that we wouldn’t be going to the usual place, but to a more upscale club instead. She emphasized that this venue was frequented by high-profile people—businessmen, celebrities, and others with money to spend. According to Anne, this was a prime opportunity to increase my chances of meeting someone who would offer a higher price for my time, especially since, in her words, I was still a virgin. She seemed to believe that this would make me more valuable in the eyes of the people we’d meet.

As she spoke, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions—uncertainty, discomfort, but also a strange sense of resignation. I knew that what I was about to do wasn’t something I had imagined for myself, but Anne’s confidence in her plan was somehow reassuring.

I'll make sure to get enough money for my family. After that night, I'll go back to being myself and forget everything that happened. I'll stay strong for them and for me. I won't let myself be carried away by things I didn't choose. I'll return to normal life, return to who I am, and find ways to improve my family's situation without letting my life revolve around decisions like this again, my mind thought as I listened to Anne's words, which I couldn't seem to understand.

* * Chris's POV * *

"Let's go, dude?" Matt asked me hurriedly. I'm at his condo now, and we decided to head out before I fly back to America tomorrow.

"Just make sure I'll like the club we're going to, Matt," I replied flatly.

"Yeah, dude. I'm sure you'll enjoy your last night here in the Philippines," he reassured me. "Plus, I've heard there are a couple of new faces there tonight, and one of them is supposed to be really cute and fresh. Since you're my guest, I'll let you have the first pick," he added with a playful grin.

"Really, dude? Fresh? You think I'm going to believe that? After all the clubs we've been to, I haven't seen anything impressive in places like that," I answered, shaking my head.

"Dude, trust me, you'll find someone if you're lucky. Just wait and see," Matt said seriously, with a knowing smile.

"If what you're saying is true, I'll give you the new sports car I just bought," I said to him, as he looked at me with a mischievous grin.

"Sure, even though I know it's pretty unlikely that there's fresh fish at the place we're going," he replied, still grinning, while giving me a playful pat on the shoulder. "But okay, maybe you'll be the one to enjoy it, since we might end up finding something really good." His voice was serious, but the glint in his eyes told me he was joking.

Before I could even catch him laughing, we stood up and walked out of his condo. I was filled with excitement and nerves, knowing that this was my last night here in the Philippines before heading back to America. I just hoped Matt could help me forget my problems and let me enjoy the night.