Chapter 59

Ria is in the sunroom playing with her chubby orange cat when Joshua called her. "Josh." "She rejected me." Ria stopped petting her cat. "She said she will call the police if I don't leave." Ria's mind went blank for a moment before she was able to answer. "So, where are you now?" "I'm still here in front of their house, inside my car," Joshua answered. "Okay. Leave." "What?" "Josh, let her be for now. Maybe... Maybe she needs to think first. Go home, or go to Pure Act... Try to divert your attention for the time being, okay? Go back after... maybe after a few days. Just wait for her temper to cool down." Joshua remained silent on the other line. Ria hoped he'll listen to her, because things will get worse if Joshua will try to insist what he wants. She heard him sigh. "Fine. I'll go for now." "Okay. Take a rest as well. I know you're hyped with what you're feeling right now that's why you can't think straight. Let it be for the meantime. Then after, we can think of a new strategy." "Thanks, Ri." "You're welcome." Ria just ended the call, when one of their maids entered the sunroom. "Miss, you have a guest." Ria looked at the maid. "Who?" "Me!" A girl in designer day dress appeared behind the maid. "Di!" Ria said loudly making her cat run away. "Friend!" The woman went to her and kissed her cheeks. "When did you arrive?" Ria asked. "Just three days ago." "Wow! Fresh from Paris, France." "Of course," the girl said proudly. "Wait, what are you wearing?" Ria looked at her clothes. She's still wearing her pajama pants, but on top she's wearing a couture blouse. "When did haute couture matched UrbanShop's pajama pants? And, is that your mom's creation?" "Yes, it's my mom's," answered Ria. "I had a meeting. Online. But I just woke up, so I just donned some nice top and attended the meeting." The guest laughed as she shook her head. The two sat down on the sofa. "So, how is Dianne Guevarra Agdeppa doing?" Ria asked. "Still posh and glamorous," Dianne answered. "How about you?" "Busy as always," Ria answered. "Busy writing, or matchmaking?" "You know, sometimes I don't know the difference between the two." "So, who is your latest prospect?" Dianne asked. Ria leaned back on the sofa. "Former classmates of ours." "Ooh! Former 'classmates,' meaning more than one." Ria nodded. "Hmn... First is Edmalyn Mallari. It was already a finished case, so I won't go through the details that much. But the guy is Carlo Reyes, a famous–" "Photographer! I know him!" Dianne excitedly exclaimed. "You know Carlo Reyes?" "Of course." Dianne brought her cellphone out and showed Ria her Instagram account. "I follow him. See? I'm a fan." Ria nodded after seeing Dianne's cellphone. "How did it happen? I must say, Edmalyn is such a lucky girl," Dianne said. "Well, before I tell you how it happened, I think I should first tell you about the second case," Ria said. "Okay, so who is this second one?" "Carla and Joshua." Dianne's eyes widened in disbelief. "As in?" Ria laughed at Dianne's reaction. "Wait... Okay. So, I heard that Joshua broke up with Caitlyn Soriano, right?" "Very right," answered Ria. "So, it's because of Carla?" "Not because of Carla. They broke up, then Joshua realized that he is falling in love with Carla again. But, it's like three or four months after." "Wow..." The maid went back with refreshment and some snacks for their guest. "I can't believe that Joshua would fall for Carla again." Ria looked at Dianne. "I mean... it's like ten years ago, right? Or more than?" "I guess, if it's meant to be, then it will be." "There you go again with your destiny theories," Dianne said. "Are you not still single until now because you also believe in that destiny theory? That, or because you don't stay in one place for a long time." "Probably, the latter. But, you're the one to blame because you made me fall in love with Mr. Knightley with your Jane Austen novel and movie adaptations." Ria glanced at her cat that is lying not far from her as his head rose when Dianne mentioned Mr. Knightley. She giggled at the alertness of her feline friend. "That's Mr. Knightley," Ria said. Dianne looked at the cat as well. "Oh, yeah. The chubby version of Mr. Knightley." The cat went back to sleep as the two friends went back to what they were talking about a while ago. "So, Carla and Joshua is an open case, huh?" Dianne asked. "You seem to be very interested." Ria smirked. "Well, your matchmaker assistant is back in town." Ria giggled. "Well, Carla is avoiding Joshua." "What's new?" Ria laughed. "You know what Joshua needs to do? He needs to trap Carla in a corner, you know. Like, something she could not escape," Dianne said. Ria contemplated on Dianne's idea. Well, they did that before when Carla and Joshua had a date and they reconciled with each other. It kind of worked that time, so maybe it's okay to do that again? Although, they can't use the same alibi. They cannot ask Carla to go to a restaurant to meet a friend, or even a blind date. She would not agree to go on a blind date. And if the first one would be the reason, if ever Carla goes to the restaurant and she finds out that Joshua is the one waiting for her, for sure she will leave notwithstanding the location of that restaurant. "But we can't just ask her to go on a random place," Ria said. "It should be somewhere that we can control, with no time limit where we can surely give them privacy." Dianne contemplated for a while. "And also, it should be a place that we can have a valid reason for her to go. Like, maybe have a girls' night out or bonding moment or something." Dianne's face suddenly lit up. "How about our manor?" It was Ria's time to think. "Remember my grandparents' house?" Dianne asked. "The one where I used to invite you when we were kids." Ria and Dianne's grandparents are friends, or at least, their grandfathers. That's one of the reasons why they are already friends even before they became classmates. Ria used to spend the weekend on that big mansion of Dianne's maternal grandparents and they would play in the vast backyard garden of the place. "You still have it?" Dianne's grandparents are both dead, and Ria knows no one lives on the manor anymore. "Of course. My mom inherited it, and she would not dare sell it. She said my grandfather might come back from the dead if she did that. He specifically told her before he died to never sell the place," Dianne said. Ria smirked. "Oh well, rich people and their properties." She suddenly remembered her grandfather's old books in her office. "More like dead people and their estates," Dianne said. "Okay... So we have a place, but how can we make Carla come?" asked Ria. "Well, tell her I'm inviting her," answered Dianne. "Just like that? You're not even close," Ria said. "Well, you will be there. Like, I learned that you have become close, and I want to be close to her as well." Ria pondered on that idea. It could be, but it's a little lame. They need something solid to make Carla stay on the place even if Joshua is there. Ria could only think of one way to do it. "Carla would only stay on that place if she has to," Ria said. "And by that I meant anything concerning work, or something she would be obliged to do." Just like that time in Brgy. Loria where she needed to stay for the night because of a sick kid. Of course, they could not just look for a sick person, and she also does not like to talk to a Guardian to help her make someone sick. Besides, that's prohibited in the first place. "Well, our family doctor is connected to TGH," Dianne said. "That's where she works as a resident, right?" Ria looked at Dianne. But, what could they do with that information? "Maybe we could ask that doctor to send Carla to the manor? I don't know... We have the right connections but how can we properly use them?" Dianne asked. Ria suddenly remembered something. "Di, I remember when we were young, your family doctor always goes to the manor whenever there is an event, like a party or gathering." "Well, aside from being friends with my grandparents, they also want him to be there just in case something happened that requires the expertise of a doctor. Like, food allergies or minor accidents or sudden attack of something... You know my grandfather, he's a paranoid sometimes... most of the time, actually," Dianne explained. "Do you want to host a gathering, like a reunion or something?" Ria asked. "Like, class reunion." "I can do that, but don't you think that's too crowded? I mean, we were only 30 plus in high school, though it's still a lot, and we might not be able to make Joshua and Carla talk just themselves." "How about a mini reunion? Like, more or less 10 people?" Dianne contemplated. "I'm guessing you have a plan." Ria smiled confidently. "I do have a plan." "What is it?" Dianne suddenly looked very excited. "We will exploit the paranoia of the Guevarras."