Jade St. Clair and Omar Destin Spotted In Venice

Love is truly in the air as Jade St. Clair was seen getting cozy on the canals of Venice with tech millionaire, Omar Destin. The two arrived in Italy simultaneously for the annual Venice Fashion Week and World Tech Summit. The supermodel is set to walk the runway this Monday while Omar is attending the world's largest gathering of tech CEOs hosted by Italy this year. Jade and Omar both denied being together but the two were seen walking out of a well-known restaurant then riding the famous gondolas of Venice. 

Before Jade and Omar's growing relationship, the twenty-five-year-old model was romantically involved with international singer and songwriter, Harry Styles. The two have dated on and off since 2013 and broke up recently after Harry's world tour...

I type the rough draft of a new story on my laptop. I've written several pieces this past week relating to Harry and Jade's breakup and this afternoon, I'm writing a rough draft that I will be sending after today's day out in London. Instead of my usual walks at Regent Park, I will be attending a meeting of the Filipino community.

Once I'm sure nothing is incriminating my boss and everything I encoded were facts, I turn my laptop off. After that, I get ready and change to today's outfit--shirt, wool cardigan, and jean skirt--then put on some light make-up and a spritz of perfume to complete the look.  

With one last look of myself in the mirror, I slip on my shoes and send a quick text to Harry notifying him that I'm heading out. As I near the gates outside, my phone buzzes and it's a message from Harry who's busy doing his own thing as well.

All right. See you later.

It's nice to go out again without worrying if my boss will come home drunk or not. During my stay in the apartment, I wasn't able to take my free day because I worried about his state back then. He wasn't himself and if I left him alone, I would just be anxious. Now that he's much better, I get to spend my much-needed alone time.

The walk towards the nearest London Underground station is short and I feel myself getting excited again for a Sunday all to my own. I still haven't gotten used to the subways, or as they say, "The Tube," here and their weird alternating routes but I'm learning. The trip was quick and I step out at Earl's Court Station. Once out of the London Underground, I walk a short distance to the Golden Gate Community Center which is beside a Filipino store.

The Golden Gate Community Center is a small brick building probably made in the early 20th Century judging by its rustic brick walls and windows,  and heavy Georgian architecture. This building is the primary gathering place of the members of the Filipino Community in London to meet once a month and mingle, associate, and discuss all things related to being Filipino. Tita Tess introduced me to this group when I first arrived and I'm glad she did because being with these people lessened my homesickness.

I step inside the center and walked along its cream halls and bulky furniture pieces to go to our usual reserved room at the back. The sign at the door bears the time schedule and the group's name, "Filipino Association of London."

Inside the four corners of this room, a group of Filipinos, mostly adults, are walking and mingling with each other. A see of brown people fill the whole place and it looks like I'm back in the Philippines again. Filipinos from the different regions of the country make up the whole group and I hear a mish-mash of the various languages thrown back and forth amongst each other.

With all these people occupying the space, I search for familiar faces until I see a woman sitting on one of the metal chairs talking animatedly to another girl wearing glasses. Immediately, I smile and feel instantly relieved to see that my friends are already here. I approach the two talking and wave my hands at them.

"Adela, Sab!" I call for the both.

The two turn around and welcome me with huge smiles and warm hugs.

"Uy, Yari. Nandito ka na pala (Hey, Yari. You're already here). We saved you a seat," The woman with the glasses pats the empty chair beside her. "Di pa naman sila nagsisimula. (They haven't started yet.)"

Adela and Sab are two of my friends that I got to know thanks to attending these gatherings. They're both Filipinos in their mid-twenties who work here to provide better life for their families back home.

"How is your work, you two? I hope you still have patience for your patients, Adela." I ask, chuckling at her past anecdote about a tough patient.

The woman with the low pony tail groans and starts shaking her head, raising her eyebrows at recalling the memory. "That was what I was recounting to Sab earlier that Jacob is so naughty. I was almost demoted because of him."

"Girl, you only have a few months left until your contract finishes. Our hospital has an opening. The only thing is that it's in the ER. My unit, the neonatal, is already full," Sab adds. "How about you, Yari? How is your boss? It's a good thing that you got to go out again."

The two girls know about my work as a housekeeper and have oftentimes received the other end of my vents about working for Harry or who I said to them was Mick Robinson, music producer. It's a breath of fresh air to talk to people from the same culture after being surrounded by British people 24/7. They understand my background on the get-go and I don't have to translate my thoughts and feelings inside my head before evens aying or doing it.

"I'm okay. Oh he's there at—"

"Alright. It seems like almost everyone ay narito na (here already). " A deep baritone voice announces.

Our conversation dies down along with the others around us. Everyone turns to the front to listen to the middle-aged Filipino man standing with a microphone wearing a checkered shirt paired with a puffy vest and pants. Beside him is a woman of the same age wearing a ruffled blouse and pants.

"Yes. Our secretary, Ed, has verified that we are more than enough to form a quorum," The woman replies. "Let's begin the meeting shall we?"

"Alright. Today, we will discuss about our plans for Halloween and Christmas." The guy begins with the first agenda.

Today's meeting started with the plans for Halloween. The Halloween vibe has slowly started here and compared to the Philippines, the holiday is more celebrated here. Most of the members gave plans for what to contribute during the occasion and what to post on the group's page.

The group just decided to make a photo contest of best costumes for male and female then a small get together or dinner party at a restaurant. Everyone agreed on it since they all wanted to talk about the more important topic, Christmas celebration. Almost everyone got excited and the conversations started to become more alive.

Christmas is everyone's favorite holiday but the Philippines takes it to another level. In the Philippines, the Christmas season begins in September and ends in January. If we were back in my home country, there would have been Christmas decorations in malls at the start of September and signs counting down the days before Christmas are strewn all over the place. I guess everyone inside this room is missing that feeling already which is why they're putting a lot more effort in that event here.

The group decided to prepare the usual celebratory traditions for the event and ultimately, the Christmas party. Yup, we're already planning about the Christmas party.

"Let's decide today if we're going to have a potluck or just hire a catering service and add that to the ticket, ano Fe? (right Fe?) " The guy with the checkered shirt asks.

"Let's open this to the community, Andres, " The woman named Fe replies. She looks around and raises both her eyebrows at everyone. "We are open to suggestions."

Food is communal and a way of greeting for Filipinos. We've always lived in survival mode where one meal is meant to be shared to provide sustenance for everyone. With this belief and mindset, a lot of aunts and uncles shared their insights and stated the pros and cons of either having a potluck or catering. Ultimately, the decision went out for voting and the majority voted for catering. So, catering it is.

"If you still want to share some food, you can still bring some," Fe adds. "We'll just set up another table for all of the home-cooked food to be in one place."

After discussing the food, the group talks about the games and events for the Christmas party and the opening of the raffle prizes. On our side of the room, Adela and Sab talk about what they want to wear for the party while I give commentaries to them about the decisions of the committee.

Back in college, I used to be part of several school organizations and was an officer in some. I've always loved leading and creating events and seeing people enjoy our hard work. This is one of the reasons why I regularly attend these meetings. I want to find a sense of normalcy in my life and at least find the little joy I once had.

"If someone wants to be part of any committee, now is the time to speak up. We will be opening the floor and giving time for people who would want to sign up. " Andres points to Ed,  the guy who drove tita Tess and I to Harry's mansion.

Several people stand up, including myself.

"Are you sure about that,  girl?  There will be a lot of things to do." Sab holds my arm before I take another step.

"Ask permission from your boss if there are things to be done here." Adela adds.

"Yes,  I'll ask permission if there are things to be done here. How about you two?  Don't you want to sign-up?" I point towards the small line at the front.

"Oh my,  wards are busy during December. Especially ours because a lot of people want to give birth near or on the day of Christmas. I can't handle the stress," Sab shakes her head.  "I'll just bring food and join the games."

"Same. We'll just support you in joining the commitee."

"Alright, it's up to you two." I nod at the two and follow the line of five people at the front.

The line shortens and finally,  I reach the front to see Ed in a cream shirt and jacket handing me a pen.

"Hello po." I smile at the portly man.

"Oh kumusta, Yari? (Oh, how are you Yari?)" Ed smiles.

"Hello Tito Ed.  I just want to volunteer for the Christmas party. I can help any committee except the ones making the posters. I'm not good at art." I give a sheepish smile.

"Alright,  sign-up here so that we can contact you and place you with a committee that needs helo the most," Ed pushes his laptop and I sign up. "Thank you. We'll be calling you for the next meeting and the committee. Salamat, Yari."

"Thank you din po (Thank you to you too)." I smile and walk back to my friends.

The three of us continue to converse for the day until the meeting is adjourned. The meeting spanned the  whole afternoon and it ends with eating food brought by some of the older men and women in the group. I miss Filipino food and it's comforting to taste it again. There's lumpia, pansit, and a whole other variety of food.

The whole group line up to serve themselves some food then go back to each of their circles. Once we're done with our food, we each wave and say goodbye to the group and exit the building.

A gust of cold air and the gray skies of London greet us immediately once we step out of the brick building.

"Where are you guys planning to go next?" I ask the two.

"I'll head back to my flat to squeeze some sleep in because I have the graveyard shift starting later," Sab shakes her head at the thought. "Let's all just go out again next week."

"I still have to get something for our center activity tomorrow. It's still at Sutton." Sab shrugs.

"Alright, okay. See you next week guys!" I nod, understanding their situations. Just like housekepers,  Filipinos in the healthcare sector here do a lot of work here.

"Enjoy your day off, love." Adela hugs me.

"Eat a lot of junk food. It's your day off. " Sab adds.

We hug and bid goodbye to each other, wishing each a great day. Both of my friends walk towards the other direction while I head back to Earl's Court Station to ride to the nearest station near Regent's Park. The ride is short and I reach Regent's park in no time.

Regent's Park is one of the frequented parks here in London. I love this park for many reasons such as history, spaciousness,  and most especially, proximity to Harry's mansion.  The park is frequented by a lot of visitors on weekdays for its comforting scenery, beautiful trees and flowers,  and trustworthy facilities.

At the park, I stroll around and drink in the beautiful scenery in front of me.  It's so nice to see families having picnics on the grass,  couples jogging, and fellow visitors taking photos of the place. I walk along the path near the back of the park wjere not many people frequent because of its tranquility. As I snap some photos of the trees and flowers, I notice a familiar figure squatting down with a camera aiming at the people passing.

"Dean!" I call out to the guy with the fitted jeans and dark shirt.

My friend looks up with a confused look on his face until it morphs into a smile.

"Yari!" He greets back. The guy stands up and comes to give me a hug. I'm only up to his shoulder so his head is basically on top of mine.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Trying out the camera we saw at Camden before. I bought it last week but just had time to shoot now," Dean raises the camera. "What brings you here?"

"I like walking here during my off days. The place is lovely," I shrug. My eyes focus on the camera and I move from side to side at the thought of my next question. "Can I tag along yor shoot? I have nothing to do for the rest of my afternoon."

Dean shrugs and gives me a nonchalant smile. "Sure. You can pose for some too."

"I'm very bad at being the model. I just take photos." I admit.

It is a fact to my friends back home that I was always the photographer, never the model.  I'm always shy when I'm in front of the camera but at the back, I take command. To add more fuel to the fire, I overthink every pose that I do which makes it look like each photo is staged.

"Come on, it'll be fun. I swear." Dean nods, inviting me to accept his request.

The guy is scruffy looking with his beard and man bun but Dean's blue eyes alway gets me for how warm it is.  Now that he's pleading,  I can't help but give in to those swirling pools of blue irises.

I scratch my arm. "I'll try. "

"Yes! You won't regret it. I'll take out that real model inside of you." Dean gives me a goofy grin and gets back to taking photos.

My friend gets so pumped up as he coaches me on the different poses I should do while he takes photos. This is the first time that I'm really getting to know him more outside work. The two of us don't talk as much online compared to Ellie and I so this is a great bonding experience.

"What do you think I should add to the next photo? " Dean tapos on his lips.

"Maybe, shoot the people from there," I point to the tree beside us. "It will decrease the brightness and outside noise since you can't readily do it with that camera."

"Good suggestion. Will keep that in mind," Dean nods. "Now it's your turn to pose."

"Do I really have to?"

"You wanted to join me, remember?" Dean gives a devilish smirk. "I'll send you the pics after."

I was hoping he didn't remember. Unfortunately, luck isn't on my side today.

"No, it's okay. Can I just borrow the camera next time? "

"Sure, once I get the film developed, you can borrow it. You'll see how good of a model you really are," Dean gives a proud smile and I chuckle a this confident look.  "Now, go sit on that bench."

Dean instructs me every step of the way but I get self-conscious  at how his eyebrows would scrunch or look a different way while I move for a pose.  This  overthinking frustrates me but Dean is always quick to reassure.

"You're doing really great, Yari.  Really beautiful." Dean would comment from time to time.

It's an awkward feeling to be the subject of the image but a new indescribable feeling as well. Being a model, I get the full attention of the photographer. With just a slight change on the position of the arms or a change in smile,  the model can show a range of emotions that the photographer can interpret in thousands of ways. I'd never admit it but Dean made me so relaxed and comfortable that I found modelling fun.

"Alright, I'm all out of film. " Dean announces with a shake of his head.

I breathe an audible sigh of relief.  "Finally.  It felt like you had an endless supply! "

"And you said you didn't know how to model." Dean accuses me  jokingly.

"I don't! I  just followed your instructions. And goodness, they were so stressful!" I shake my head, never admitting the truth.

The two of us walk along the road as Dean stows away the camera in his backpack.

"Are you hungry? Let's grab something to eat. I'm starving," The bearded guy rubs his stomach. It's not his usual five o'clock beard but a thicker one that's maintained. "My treat. "

"Sure let's go." I follow with enthusiasm for free food.

We walk to the nearest chicken shop and go take a seat inside at the back of the shop away from the loud families conversing.

"What are you up to these days? Are you done with your quota?" Dean asks after we made our order.

"No mentioning of work on Sundays!" I shake my head and he chuckles. "Kidding. The article is getting itself done. Starting to make a body. I also came from a Filipino meeting earlier so that's what I'm doing besides work.  How about you?"

I stir the glass of water given to me with a straw.

"I'm done with my quota too. I'm also updating my blog and painting. The photography too," Dean points to his bag.

"I know that you write but I didn't know you paint or much less even draw? "

"Yeah. I do it for fun."

"Do you have any photos of it? Is it okay to look?" I inquire like an excited little girl. It's interesting to know that besides writing, this guy in front of me actually draws. I've always only thought of him as a writer and not an artist. I wish I was multi talented like him.

"Sure, give me a second." Dean takes his phone and scrolls through it then gives it to me.  The phone is on a picture of a painting of a beach showing beach umbrellas giving shade to people looking at the deep blue waters of the sea. It's so beautiful and serene that I myself want to go inside the painting and take a dip on that water.

I scroll through the photos and see talent and technique oozing out of the photos. There are paintings of buildings, flowers, and even people. The guy also recreated a lot of well-known masterpieces such as Starry Night and The Mona Lisa. Dean can seriously abandon writing and his blog and he can still make money and a new career as an artist and he'll still succeed.

"These are all beautiful! You never told me about this?!" I hand back his phone. "Have you ever considered painting as a career? Because these are seriously good."

"Well  you never asked," Dean shrugs as the server gives us the whole roasted chicken, fries, salad, and drinks that we ordered.  "I did consider it almost my entire life but I decided not to pursue it since I wanted to make my own name,"

Dean focuses on his plate, an undiscernable look suddenly on his face. Have I touched a nerve?

"Anyway, enough about me. How's being a housekeeper taking care of a mansion of a pompous prick?  The lot of them are. Does this music producer have some secret room that he keeps away from everyone?" My friend takes a mouthful of his food and changes the subject.  His deflection is left unnoticed but I'll let it pass today.

"Oh gosh, no," I chuckle. Taking a bite of my chicken.  "Ha—Mick's nice. I got used to taking care of the mansion plus he hires cleaning services during weekends so it helps with my load. He had a period of being hard to get along with but he's okay now."

Dean nods at my statement and contemplates it as he eats. The food in this chicken shop is good and is my first time to eat at a restaurant here.  The place is small and homey and a lovely restaurant all in all. The food is delicious as well and wins all our attention after our small talk. I savor every bite of the dish albeit it being a standard food here in London.

"I never got to talk to you that much besides work. How are you? How was the transition in living here?" Dean looks up after gulping down his Guinness.

I'm taken by surprise at the question. It is true that Dean and I don't really talk as much as I do with Ellie but I find it really nice that he's interested in knowing.

"I'm getting used to living here but I found it hard at first. One, it's cold. Two, I didn't know anyone here. Three, I miss my family back home," I answer honestly while I play with my cherry tomato. "But I do like my freedom here."

Tasting freedom and being independent in a foregin country is both liberating and frightening.  At one point, I can do whatever I want without anyone's opinion or judgement. On the other hand,  I grew up in a country where family is the center of everything so it is hard for me not to miss them. Still,  I like being here and getting to be my own person. Also, I like to think that Harry needs me to help him with his house.

Dean continues to ask me a series of questions about my life back home, especially the food and beaches. From what Ellie said, the guy has a travel blog which means he must be a travel junkie. It must be nice to have that luxury to travel to different places.

"If you ever go back for vacation there, let me know. I want to tag along." Dean gives me a wide smile as he asks for the check.

"Sure. I'll let you know. I'll bring you to my hometown and we'll try all my favorite dishes. " I give a wide grin as a waiter approaches with our bill and Dean gives his card.

"I'm counting on that." Dean nods, reciprocating my smile with a bigger one. "Anyway, I'll lend you the camera next week. I'll just develop these firsts."

"You're doing so much for me, you know that? I'll treat you some good food next time," I say as we stand up from our table.

We walk to the entrance and Dean pushes the door for me.

"Just wanted you to feel like you're back home. And sure, I'll wait for that day.

I feel my geart swell at his kindness. I never expected Dean to consider how I feel here before I opened up to him.  He never knew about my homesickness and how at one point, I wanted to go home. Meeting people like him definitely makes my stay here better.

"Thank you. And best believe that I will treat you. I promise," I give him a wide grin. "It's getting late for me. I need to get back home."

"Oh yeah, sure." Dean nods. "Do you want me to drive you back to your place?"

It's past seven already and people are rushing to get to their home. Harry should be expecting me back home too. I don't want him to know that Dean drove me back and my friend might also discover that I work for Harry Styles. 

"No, it's okay. I still need to buy something at the supermarket," I hug the guy. It's the first time I hugged him but I feel that he deserves one for all his kindness. "Have a safe drive,  Dean."

"Alright. I'll go ahead now." Dean scratches the back of his head and I wave goodbye at him as I head to the direction of the supermarket.

It takes me no time to go to the grocery. Once inside the brightly lit building, I walk around the palce and see that there is a sale on strawberries. Since today's a good mood, I take two small buckets of strawberries and other ingredients to make one of my favorite desserts.

With the grocery in hand,  I decide to walk back home. It takes half an hour to walk back and once inside the house,  I see that Harry is nowhere in sight. The lights are out and not a person is in sight of the four walls of this mansion.  Immediately, I feel disappointment growing inside of me. Maybe he went out to party again?

I turn on all the lights in the living room and kitchen then leave the ingredients there. After that, I change back into my normal clothes and head back out. Once I enter the kitchen, I jump a little out of shock and a look of surprise is plastered on my face.

My boss is walking around the kitchen topless and in basketball shorts as he bites a burger in one hand and sips a drink on the other. The guy turns around and gives me a surprised smile.

"Oh you're already here." Harry walks to his seat and sits down.

"Good evening Harry. " I reply back. "You're back too."

The guy's eyes look red and glazed and there's something weird in his voice. Is he drinking again? As I walk to get a glass of water, I casually take my phone and quickly search the internet for any news about him. Fortunately, there's none.

While I fill up my glass with water and drink it, I search  for bottles of alcohol and see that there's a bottle of vodka half full in the kitchen island beside my grocery. Immediately, I frown. That wasn't there earlier.  I have got to help this guy change.

I play oblivious to the drink and take out the ingredients from the paper bag one by one while Harry takes the bottle and drinks straight out of the bottle.  His food and drinks earlier are already left forgotten on the table.

Harry takes abother swig from the vodka bottle, singing to himself while I cough very loudly, maybe trying to get his attention. I take the strawberries to the sink and wash them thoroughly. After that, I set it aside and mix the cream and condensed milk in a bowl.

"Do you drink, Yari?" I hear Harry ask out of the blue.

"I don't." I reply without looking up.

"Like ever? "

"Drinking's not my preferred method of forgetting my problems."

"Then what is?"

I look up at him with an innocent smile. "Writing, photography, cooking, and amusing my boss."

The guy chuckles for a second but starts getting quiet and is now staring at me with eyes trying to digest the information. Yeah, I'm very vanilla in that way where I do not want to taste any alcohol and just do boring stuff to most people. I just don't want to be like how she turned out to be.

"You would not forget with that." He scoffs.

"It won't for some but it does for me. If it doesn't make you forget,  well at least you developed your skills, right?" I smile back up at him then proceed on taking out a baking pan from the cabinet.

"That's very productive then," The smell of alcohol becomes stronger and I sense Harry stand up, walking towards me. "What will you be making? "

"Strawberry Float."

"Strawberry float?"

"Basically, refridgerator cake. I'm also going to prepare the bones for bulalo after. You might need it." I look up at him with a smirk.

Harry stands beside me chuckling and I look back down again, continuing my work to mix.

"What can I do to help?" Harry takes the bowl of strawberries.

"You're the boss here. You should sit down," I nod towatds the chair for him to sit down. "I'll do this and you wait."

"It's in the contract that I can't ask you to do stuff for me on your free days. Also, didn't you say cooking helps?"

I look up to see the guy smiling at me. My heart skips a beat for a second at how his dimples are popping and his face is a little brighter than a few minutes ago.

"You're not asking me. I'm doing it because I want to," I give him a soft smile. The guy looks at me with a face I can't discern so I pass him a small paring knife. "But alright, I'll make an exception. Can you please cut the strawberries? I'll show you how to cut one and you can do the rest. "

"Yes,  ma'am." Harry mocks salute and I chuckle.

I teach him how to cut the strawberries and the guy stretches his back before he starts.  My boss cuts it with full focus despite the glazed eyes. He still knows how to focus so maybe he just drank three shots.

Once he's done cutting, we assemble the cake. It's funny how secretly, Harry takes a lick of the ingredients and distracts me by asking questions. I just feign ignorance and indulge his questions because it's making his eyes glow with happiness even if he tries to hide it.

"You can lick the bowl. We're already done." I give a side glance at him while I dust the top with shaved chocolate.

Harry smiles wildly and takes the bowl of cream and condensed milk while I take a photo for my Instagram.

After making, Harry places the dessert in the fridge while I take the beef bones,  onions, leeks, ginger and pepper corns from the fridge. On the pot, I place all the ingredients and boil everything in the pot for tomorrow.

"Does it really take a long time to boil it?" Harry inwuires while washing the bowl.

"If we want to make it taste really good, it needs that." I reply while i throw the trimmings in the trash.

"The bulalo can taste better? It was already delicious!"

"Yeah. Some people even cook it for 18 hours to the point that it falls down the bone. "

"I can't wait for that." Harry grins widely then goes back to the table and looks at the bottle for a long time.

From my place at the back,  I look at his next move. It takes him a few moments but I see him closing the bottle and putting it back in the cupboard. Internally,  I let out a sign of relief I never knew I was holding on to. The guy finishes his burger and drinks from earlier then takes his shotglass to the sink and cleans it. After washing and throwing his trash,  the guy sits on the chair and looks at me. 

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Yeah, I ate already with a friend." I shrug.

"That's good. I'll go up then. I can't wait for tomorrow's dish." Harry smiles and  walks back upstairs but not before squeezing my shoulder.

"You'll love it!" I reply back as he reaches the foot of the staircase.

"Okay, good night," Harry smiles and I proceed to turn before I hear him speak again.  "Yari?"

"Yes?" I see my boss on the second step of the stairs.

Harry sends a warm smile and starts walking up the stairs. "Thank you."

With a smile as wide as ever,  I proceed to cleaning the kitchen while singing to myself some songs.

•••
AN: Hi guys!  Please hit the vote button and leave a comment below. I would really appreciate it. Thank you!