Camille Syanna

I lived by the words of Coco Chanel when she said that a girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. I strived to be both, just a piece of cake anyway. I'm a natural chic.

"Oh. My. God."

Napangiti ako habang pinagmamasdan ko ang kaibigan kong si Nisha. Her eyes were wide open when I showed her what I'd purchased online. She even snatched my phone from my hand and pinched the screen to zoom in on the picture. "I know, right? It's really an OMG bag!"

"Seryoso ka ba?!" Binalingan niya ako ng hindi makapaniwalang tingin, matapos ay muling tinignan ang screen ng phone. "Seven hundred six thousand pesos for a purse?!"

"Hey! It's not just a purse! It's Chanel!" I rolled my eyes. Inagaw ko sa'kanya ang phone at itinuro ang label sa ilalim ng picture. "Here, oh! Limited edition Beach Ball Minaudière in resin and gold-tone metal. And see the colors? It's turquoise, pink and white! Those are my colors! So you can't blame me if I'd scroll this and buy impulsively!"

"Oh, please. Kahit ano pa ang naging kulay nyan, bibilihin at bibilihin mo pa rin 'yan."

Well, that I can no longer argue. I made a face and went back to sipping my pomegranate juice. "You can't blame me. Chanel is fashion."

She continued scrolling my purchases. "Ilang handbag ba ang kailangan mo sa buhay mo? You purchased the same handbag in different colors. Does it make any sense?"

"Well, to me, it does! And if you look closely, the other one is made of pure black leather and costs like ten percent lesser than the other!"

"Wow, what a huge difference!" Her voice drips sarcasm. "And what's this seventeen thousand two hundred fifty for a shopper bag? Like the one you'd use in groceries?"

"What? That's the cheapest I could go!"

"That's not it. You never do grocery shopping. This bag will rot inside your closet, poor Karl Lagerfeld and his cat." Nisha knows me so well that it's annoying sometimes.

"Then maybe now I have an excuse to do it," I rolled my eyes. But hell, no. I'm not going to go to the grocery store and shop for food but I can make a list of foods I want to eat for a week and have one of our maids buy it for me. "You don't appreciate fashion, Nisha. I pity you."

"Oh, I do appreciate fashion. Just not that obsessed with it." Inilapag niya sa lamesang nakapagitan sa amin ang cellphone ko at muli akong tinignan. "Slow down on spending money, it doesn't grow on trees."

I smirked, remembering an old season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. "Nah, Kendall Jenner said it does. It's paper."

"Smart ass." She rolled her eyes, realizing it was always better not to argue with me. "Anyway, the auction for a cause of the Mondragon Foundation will be this coming weekend. I'm hoping you could come."

"No problem. I purposely didn't set plans for the weekend so I could be there." Sabi ko. "Mom and Dad are still in Vegas, they're not coming home until Wednesday next week."

"Pwede ka naman mag-sleepover sa'min kung gusto mo,"

Sure, I can do that. The problem is I don't want to. I'm not called maarte for no reason. I don't usually do sleepovers because I'll ruin my own routine and rituals if I do. Sleeping over into someone's place means less shower time since you must consider others. Then, I'm not in the mood to haul up bags of creams, shampoo, soap, lotions, shower gel, scrubs, and any other things. So, no. I rather sleep in my room. "No, I'm all good."

"Okay, if you say so."

"Your Dad is seriously running for Vice President this year?" I asked. Nisha and I have been friends since the early stages of our lives. Along with Chiara. I've known them forever.

"Seems like it. Ayaw ko nga, e. Kasi ayoko nang maulit 'yung nangyari sa Lolo at Tito ko." Nababahalang sabi niya.

"Hey, come on. 'Wag kang mag-isip ng mga ganyan. Then was different to now. Hindi naman na siguro mangyayari ang mga ganoon."

Her grandfather and uncle were politicians killed in the assassination. And as sad as it is, justice was never served.

Nisha doesn't want to talk about it, so she changed the subject to the first season of Lucifer. We talked about it; I finished all and just waiting for the next season to come out, but she's just starting and is all over Tom Ellis. I can't blame her. The man is hot!

We finished our drinks and decided to go back to our businesses. Nisha's running a small jewelry store nearby. In contrast, I'm returning to my flower shop at Cameron Hotel and Resorts. We went into separate ways. She's the first to leave the parking outside Mug in downtown San Jose.

I grimaced, looking down at the wet ground because of the heavy rain that stopped a few minutes ago. I'm not a huge fan of rain. The slippery ground isn't made for Weitzman.

"Eew, yuck, grr!" I'm cringing with every step I make. Poor babies of mine have to experience mud. "May Stuart Weitzman forgive me."

I reached for my bubblegum pink Bugatti Chiron. I can't help but smile every time I see my car. I purposely bought it when I saw Zanti driving a matte black. Call me immature. I don't care. For me, it's cute. We're like a couple. Only he didn't know it yet. But soon, he will.

Nisha and I had a massive crush on Zanti. And when I say huge, I mean insanely obsessed with him. I know for sure that we'll end up together. I mean, why wouldn't we? We're equally gorgeous and rich. We're meant for each other. I love Nisha so much, but I don't think she's into him as deeply as I am. I'll pray for her to find someone who'll be her best love for the rest of her life.

I was about to open my car door when I felt something sticky splashed on my legs, just in time for a black Aston Martin to come and take up the vacant space. I know this car. Anger boiled inside me. I gripped tightly on my Versace and turned my body straight, waiting for the driver to come out.

Naiinip kong binantayan ang pagbukas ng pinto ng sasakyan. At hindi nga ako nagkamali. Six feet tall, two hundred pounds of man meat in black Timberland. He glanced at me. I used to think green eyes were adorable. Paul Rudd is cute. But the moment I decided I hated this man, green eyes didn't appeal to me anymore. Oh, and blonde head too!

"You!" I hissed. "Again!"

My pastel-colored nail dug deeply into my palm as I clenched my fist tightly. ZA's dark brows moved in a frown, glancing at me before it relaxed. He then looked away and started leaving.

"Hey, you asshole!" I screamed. I don't care if anyone heard us. They might as well know that this guy's a jerk. He stopped but didn't look back. "You're getting on my nerves. First, you stepped on my Louboutin." I hissed, referring to an incident that happened two years ago. "Now, you're ruining my Weitzman!" I looked down at my poor shoes with tiny streaks of mud. They don't deserve it. "Not only that, you put this yuck with a y, eew thing on my legs! I hate you!"

Mula sa pagkakatalikod ay humarap siya, ang mga mata ay bumaba sa aking paa. He casually slipped his hand inside the pocket of his jeans and the other one went up to his face to scratch his stubbled jaw. "Nasaan?"

"Nasaan ang what?!" I exclaimed, habang tumatagal mas lalo siyang nakakainis.

"Saan dyan 'yung nirereklamo mo?" He pointed a finger on my toes. "Hindi ko makita."

What an asshole! Oo nga't hindi naman masyadong marami 'yung putik but still! Meron! "E 'di, you bend! Ako pa mag-aadjust sa'yo?"

And he did. Now that surprised me. He squatted in front of me and fished out a clean handkerchief from his pocket. Then he wiped the dirt off my shoes. "Talikod,"

I did. Another surprise, why didn't I complain? Who is he to order me? I felt him also wipe the back of my leg up to my calf. Then I felt him stand up. I turned to face him again. "You're still an asshole, and I still don't like you."

"Don't worry, spoiled brats are not my type. You're off the radar." His lips slowly curved into a smirk as he puts the hanky in the back pocket of his jeans. He winked at me.

"Eeeeew!" I shrieked in disgust. "With five e and a single w! You're so kadiri, you know that? And so nakakainis like err! So not nakakatuwa,"

"Like?" He grinned. Oh, now he's mocking me, great. "Like huhuhuhuhu? With five hu and a sad face?"

I faked a smile, inching closer. "Hey, actually, that's his brother. That's not Funny." My lips dropped in a straight line, and he was still grinning at me. "And you know what Chanel Oberlin said?"

Of course, he wouldn't know unless he binge-watch Scream Queens. The grin didn't fade. Worse, it grew more expansive, flashing a  perfect set of pearl-white teeth.

"Yuck." I smiled sweetly at him. "You're yuck, eeeeew, and not funny, Vladislav. Now get lost!"

He nonchalantly shrugs and turns his back on me. I watched him leave, still not over the idea of how much I hate his guts. When he finally disappeared to the doors of the cafe, I let out an annoying scream. I hate him more than Shahrzad hates Khalid.

I was about to turn around and return to my car when I noticed a little black thing beside his front wheel. I went over to pick and up, and I guessed it right.

"Look at that idiot." A smirk formed on my lips. I slipped my purse under my arm and opened the black wallet that was now at my mercy. I rummaged on it. I stopped and stared at his driver's license. "Zayn Andrei Vladislav, it's payback time."

I checked for cash, and there are a few paper bills. Then I went for the card. Of course, if ZA could afford an Aston Martin, it's no surprise he owns a premium black credit card from DP Bank. I hurried into my car and drove off.

In less than twenty minutes, I reached Floribunda. Sally and Tina are there, assisting walk-in customers. They're the people I hired to help me run my small flower shop business.

"Ma'am, kaaalis lang po ni Jordan para sa afternoon delivery." Bungad sa'kin ni Sally na bitbit ang maliit na balde ng pulang mga rosas na kinuha nito sa cooler.

"Okay," iyon lamang ang tanging sagot ko bago ako tumuloy sa opisina ko. The man is smart, it won't take long before he realize that his wallet is missing and then he'll figure out that I might've seen it.

I'm not as evil as Cruella De Vil, and if he comes here for his wallet, I'm going to give it to him. But first, I'm going to run his credit card mad.

I opened my laptop and went straight to Prada's website. I checked out all their latest bag collections and added everything to my cart in less than fifteen minutes. I clicked on the checkout page and started to input his credit card information and billing address on one of his identification cards. God, this wallet is heaven-sent. Then I put in the delivery information, which is my info, of course.

A smug smile curved my lips when an invoice showed on the screen of my computer: three million, six hundred and eight thousand, two hundred seventy-seven pesos, and ninety-nine cents. I hit verified, and the order was successfully processed a few minutes later.

"You can't just annoy me and get away with it," I raised his ID and talked to him through the small picture on the side. "It will cost you an arm."

I put everything back in his wallet and placed it inside the wooden drawer of my table in case he went looking for it. I went back outside to check my business.

Sally gave me the sales report for this morning after I went out. Far from everyone's knowledge, I'm not just a rotten spoiled brat who asks for money from her parents. I know how to earn it, too. Yes, I spend too much, but I'm well aware of how hard it is to make money. I don't believe it's my fault that I'm rich and shopping is one thing I can afford.

I still can't wipe the smug smile on my face. I'm one step up from that Vladislav. I reached for a stem of rose from the vase on the counter, carefully not touching the thorns. I smelled it; berry notes complement the scent of rose oil. It's not as fragrant as Freesia or Stargazers, but it's my favorite.

"Tina, do we have heathers?" I asked.

"Meron po, ma'am. Nasa cooler. Ilalabas ko po ba?" Tanong niya atsaka tinungo ang cooler.

"Please do, like half a dozen. Also, six red and six white roses, a few Baby's-breath. Then get me a red transparent vase and a black satin ribbon. Bring it to my office." I ordered, walking back into my office, still holding the stem of the rose.

When I finished a degree in Landscape Architecture, I took up a short course in Floral Design. No, I didn't become a beauty queen like my mother nor a corporate lawyer like my father. Or something big that someone might've expected. People might talk about it, and belittle me in some ways, but one thing's for sure, I can afford things that they can't. Besides, what's wrong with what I do? I love flowers. I don't love pageants or law. This is what I love. This is me. So, screw them all.

Ipinasok ni Tina ang lahat ng pinadala ko sa aking opisina at pinatong iyon sa bakante kong working table. I started working on the arrangement I have in mind. Trimming the thorns of the rose, also anticipating a tall blonde green-eyed guy barging any minute now.

I was halfway through trimming the roses when Sally knocked at my door. I grinned when she said that someone was looking for me. It's ZA. Only now, I'm excited about his presence. I told her to send him in because I'm busy working.

After a few minutes, ZA walked into my office. I'm a part of the high school's drama club, so I pull down my mask and get on my innocent act. I put the stems of white roses in the vase, perfectly arranged, and looked up at him when I heard the door close.

"What brings you here, Vladislav?" I asked.

"I wanna ask if you happen to see my wallet. I might've lost it somewhere." Oh, he's here to ask and not to accuse. Okay, I'm going to give him a point for that. Now I'm returning his wallet. "Have you seen it?"

"Oh, right, your wallet!" I exclaimed like I just remembered it now. "Yeah, I saw it. I would've gone back to the cafe if I wasn't pissed with you. So, I bring it with me. I know you'd come to figure out that I might've seen it."

I walked towards my table and took the wallet out of the drawer. Oh my God, I should give myself an award for not failing the act.

"And you're not anymore pissed?" He asked, doubtful.

I lifted my gaze in his direction and went to him, handing over his wallet. "I'm a girl, I have a temper. I get annoyed. But I'm also quick to realize that no matter how annoyed I am, I'm still pretty, still rich, and still get what I want."

Our fingers brushed when he took it from my hand. I quickly pulled my hand and hid it behind the skirt of my dress as if he was going to reach for it. "Thanks,"

"You can check it if you want,"

But he didn't. He keeps it back in his pocket. How I managed to still look in his eyes after stealing over three million pesos from him is beyond me. I'll send my high school drama professor 'thank you' flowers tomorrow morning. "Thanks,"

Oh, if you just know. You wouldn't thank me. "Yeah, no problem."

"I'll go ahead," he said, still staring at me. I tried reading the emotions in his eyes, but I wasn't good at it and was not in the mood to try harder. So, whatever.

"Okay," I went back to what I was doing. ZA pulled the door open when an idea popped into my head. I took the stem of the red rose over the table. The stem was untouched. I called him. "ZA, here, take this."

"What's that for?" He frowned, staring at the rose I was giving him.

I run my tongue to the insides of my cheek to keep myself from laughing. For the millions I took from you. "To show my appreciation for how you knelt and wiped my shoes."

Oh my God, I'm such a liar. He could've kissed my feet, and I wouldn't give a damn. His brow cocked, but he took it anyway, carelessly, but he didn't even flinch when his palm touched the thorns. What is he? Some sort of God?

"Bye, drive safe."

He gave me a nod before exiting the room. A wicked smile broke my face. The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Coco Chanel must be proud of me right now.