Introduction Close friends use to call her “Laney Luck.” Is she really lucky, well, I guess too. She live in a Condo right along Legazpi Street in the heart of Makati, and here was where the luck factor came in. She live there alone and absolutely rent-free. How did that happen? How could a 27 year old who took home fifteen thousand pesos before taxes afford a two-bedroom unit in the CBD? Well, to be perfectly honest, she couldn’t afford a one bedroom anything, much less a fully furnished two-bedroom condo.
But around three years ago, her successful
realtor cousin Emily had run off to Hong Kong to be with some guy she met on ICQ, and she had asked her to condo sit her for her cousin. Apparently, things between her and the Vaness Wu look alike worked out in real-time because Emily hadn’t back since. So Laney got to stay in a posh condo, just a stone’s throw away from where she worked—and, yes, a Starbucks and all she had to do was shell out a few thousand bucks for dues and utilities every month. Luck? Maybe? And then there was work. She works in one of the city’s top pop radio stations. She got to paid to talk. She got to paid to listen John Mayer’s yet-to-be released soliloquy on life as a tortured twenty-something. She got paid to read text messages from people who called themselves “loi pogi” or josh cute.” She went to work at six inth evening, chatted with the jock on board for three hours, and signed off. Promptly at nine and still she enjoyed medical and dental. This while her friends wake up at seven in the morning and hauled their butts to their marketing or advertising jobs. They thought that she has the sweetest deal ever. And she totally agreed. Money wasn’t that fantastic but she work in a funky tops, jeans, and Birkenstocks! How did she land her job? Someone approached her at some hole-in-thewall videoke bar and offered her the chance to audition, it was her best friend Mattie’s 22nd birthday, and she had taken command of the microphone, urging
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her to yodel her version of Celine Dion It’s all coming back. Apparently, her little monologue cracked up some people in the establishment and hurray—job offer! Ant then, there was the best thing about her radio gig—working with Manila’s DJ du jour and her boyfriend, Jack. He was an on-air god, and Laney was against in the beginning though. people said.
“Office Romances never work,” some
And there was the walang kamatayang, “But Jack is such an
asshole!” Jack wasn’t an asshole. And they’re romance did work. For 383 days to be exact. And every day, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm., the whole city basked in a love cleverly concealed behind sarcastic remarks and good-natured bickering. Life is beautiful. And every day, she lives up to her nickname. Laney Luck. She guesses that was who she really was. Stress on was though— because one day, her luck changed.
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Summary Laney Came early in the Radio Station as requested by Jerry the program director of 93.5 DZPC. She believes that this urgent one-on-one meeting has something to do with the pay-rise but suddenly the big smile in her face change into a heartbreaking and she’s very disappoint because her job as a DJ in the hottest timeslot transfer to a graveyard and the most terrible thing is her boyfriend Jack who use to be her partner will no longer be not only as partner in work but also as a boyfriend. At one day her work in the hottest timeslot change into a graveyard and a boyfriend partner change into a promising new DJ. After 5 days Laney receive an e-mail to from her Cousin Emily informing her that she is pregnant but there are problems like financial bind, and the only solution to that is to rent the Condo for P15,000, she didn’t want Laney to depart the condo, she just want Laney to look for a condo-share since it’s a 2 bedroom. After reading the e-mail Laney realizes that all her luck has gone, before, the work and now the condo. And she’s in doubt that there is anyone who could share a condo with her at a P15,000. she calculated how much money she have n the bank, and its barely enough to pay for the four month rent but what will happen next? She called her friend Mattie to seek for help about her problem. The idea come out like having two roommates coz the rent is so high, so Mattie do some announcement on the internet regarding the condo-share. Laney went to office to work, and after the insomnia shift she found notes all over the cork board in the Confessional box and most of them shows concern except the note of Arabella who sounds horrific. When she is working with her new partner Luke, she still feels lost, until, 1 caller who called herself Lara Croft, this girl tells her story bout how she betrayed her own sister and her boyfriend. This situation makes Laney recognize that men are pigs; Luke always tries to comfort her. After the work she called Mattie and tells her that she misses Jack.
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Its Saturday Laney spent a good chunk of her day off giving prospective condo mates the grand tour. Her arms hurt from waving them this way and that. She’s down to four and thankfully the last interested party. Two giggling 21 year old, Racquel and Kristine, they like the place but the problem is they cant afford the rent but the resolution to have enough money is the other 2 interested parties will share the condo in 1 room. Laney doesn’t like the idea she can’t handle the four young living with her with their noise. Later than that circumstances Mattie and Laney have a tête-à-tête on Al fresco table at Italiannis. Laney keeps on asking why Mattie can’t share a condo with her since she can afford it. Mattie explained that even if she can afford it she still cant because she cannot maintain her costly Mango and Coach Addiction, so Laney ask her opinion bout the offer of Racquel and Kristine if she will accept it, but Mattie didn’t answer. When they are about to leave Mattie remember that she had a potential roommate who will drop by in her building on 7:30 and that potential roommate is the VP of some bank in the name of Mr. Ventura. So Laney is so hurry to be in the building. It was past 7:30 when Laney came. The doorman told her that someone is looking for her but already gone, when she’s in the elevator she met a mystery guy and after some instant she found her self flirting with the guy, but he already arrive on the 14th floor. As soon as Laney arrived on her unit she sees Jack waiting for her and they only argue. After that scene she reminisce all the sad moments with Jack while somebody knock on the door and she was surprise because the person is the Mystery Guy in the elevator and the person who was looking for her to be her condo mate. Laney start her day by sending e-mail to her cousin informing her that she already deposited the money, she tell some information bout his condo mate Eddie Vergara. She go to he work and when there was a caller who seek for advice that time she cant give good some advice, so while on air Luke is correcting her, after that incidence she confronted Luke for correcting her, and in the end of that
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discussion she found out that Luke is proper, and realize that her partner is not anymore Jack its now Luke, who tried to comfort and make her smile. Thursday came, the time when Eddie is moving in, and finally Laney has a condo mate. The day ended that they are not talking, they only stay on their own room. Its Sunday, but still Laney and Eddie didn’t speak with each other until Eddie hear an irritating sound on Laney’s room and ask what’s going on and that talk went to a lunch. When they are having Pizza, they feel comfortable talking with each other, asking personal question like who owns their heart.
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friendship is develop up to the pint of Eddie is buying food for the 2 of them. Laney goes to Recording Studio with Mattie to audition for a voice in a shampoo commercial. When they leave the studio they discuss about Eddie, how gorgeous he is and how good compared to Jack. Its afternoon when Laney got a call from the Shampoo Commercial and she got it, she is the official voice and she’s the new Fine and Shine girl, to celebrate her new Job she calls her friends, Mattie, Suzie, and Luke but unfortunately they are all busy doing work. The last person she called is Jack but he only hurt her reminding that they are no longer in each other so Laney makes an excuse by saying she is only asking for a new number of Jerry. Just to celebrate she invited Eddie to go out because he is the only person available for the day. They have coffee and talk some serious matters like asking her why she hate the graveyard and answer him believing that the timeslot that she left is the winning team and she consider that the only slots who brings cash are the morning and the evening show, so Eddie advice that if she is really great she can still be in the winning team if she does it. When Laney and Luke are on their duty, she asks Luke why he can’t leave the graveyard although he was offered to do the morning show. Luke is confuse coz on the long run Laney still don’t understand that the graveyard makes her realize that Jack is really not her partner and it is the real time where people really listen music.
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All the DJ’s are called for a monthly meeting at California Pizza Kitchen. Its Jerry who ask the opinion of Laney about the idea of Arabella to have a Mardis Gras in August. She consider that MArdis Gras happens the day before the lent and Mardis Gras means Tuesday in French, so why the event will done on Friday Night, Arabella is annoy on Laney’s answer so she tease Laney and she cant stand the heat and decided to step out, but Arabella follow her and narrate what is really the truth behind the shifting of the slot, it was all the idea of Jack all the details was said undoubtedly, Laney run away coz the fact that all the idea came when she is the girlfriend of Jack hurts her. When Laney got home, she see Eddie and she can’t control her feelings and tell everything what happen, the Betrayal of Jack and Arabella, after an hour she called Jerry and ask leave for 1 week and she was granted. After that Eddie decided to cook dinner to comfort Laney, while having shower Eddie call all her close friends to come in because she is depress, after shower she’s surprise that all her friends to sympathize. They drink until Mattie get drunk and ended the get together by her friends concluded that Eddie like Laney, they see it how Eddie look Laney. After the house party Mattie and Laney meet to inform her that she found another roommate when Eddie is about to leave. This is the time when Laney realizes that Eddie is already spending his 38 days and surely she will miss Eddie, but she believes she can survive it, the way she survive graveyard and Jack. Mattie is against on the feelings of Laney because she thinks that only slut can do the things that they are doing, knowing each other for only 38 days and the relationship will expire on 3 months. But Laney didn’t listen to her friend they still Kiss and make love. On Monday morning Eddie and Laney still making love but after this she still confuse if Eddie will stay or leave coz the fact that she love Eddie without the his assurance makes her friend pity her. After 1 week of leave, Laney is back in work, but Luke is on vacation, one caller in the name of Ginger Spice announce her feelings to her boyfriend who is about to leave and she let know how much she love him and going to miss him.
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This message touches the heart of Laney and thinks what is she going to do? Is she going to tell her feelings to Eddie or she will keep it until he leave the condo and the country. Mattie advice her that she better say it. But when Laney is home she heard Eddie is talking to someone on the phone and she heard he wants a direct flight to Sydney, so Laney assumes that Eddie is already leaving. When Laney is in the work she receive a great news, Luke tell her that their show is rating and the most rewarding is she missed the face reaction of Jack and Arabella when Jerry announce it. Luke and Laney were very happy and she didn’t notice the time and it’s 4 am, she’s in hurry going home coz Eddie is waiting for her, but on the way out she see Jack waiting outside the building and wants to walk with her and discuss something but Laney declined the invitation but knowing Jack he never accept refusal, so they walk and tell Laney that he want to team up again for the morning show, Laney refuse the offer coz until that time she is still disappointed to Jack, but he explain his side that he only did that to for her to be ready in the morning show. After some dialogues they reached the condo and while in the lobby Jack insisted to go up and talk again but Laney disagree, what she did is say thank you to Jack for all the things that he done, Because right now she is happy with the graveyard and to her partner Luke. The talk ended sealed with a kiss on lips. She’s in her unit and she found out that Eddie is still sleeping but when she lye on bed Eddie’s eyes are open and he ask her why is she late, she lie and say they discuss some matters with Luke. And they sleep. The nest week was more of the same Luke and Laney are still rating. Jack retreated to 6 am shift, he’s hostile of Arabella’s time slot apparently on hold. Mattie call Laney to inform that Vicky, her soon-to-be roommate is already in town. Eddie and Laney stayed in most of the time; they have dinner and watch some late night shows. They don’t talk anything about the leaving. When the weekend roll around, Eddie and Laney hop into a cab and went to The Fort for dinner. Things were going great until it was time to go
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home, and there wasn’t a taxi in sight.
Eddie’s idea is to walk, they
walk
shoulder to shoulder, hands lace, both of them stop every now and then to flag down passing cabs but most of them are occupied. Eddie break the hush, he look at Laney and said they have totalk. Laney know where the topic will go, she think all the negative things that will hurt her if Eddie wil leave her, so before Eddie went to that topic she interrupted and him and say “ we should accept things for what they are. After she tells that speech everything seem so still, like the world stop turning. When they get a cab Eddie is quiet the entire way back to the Condo. When they are in, Eddie ask if he can sleep in his own room and Laney ask What’s wrong, Eddie replied that it was just. They went to their own room but Laney cant sleep still thinking what did she had done. On the same night Laney s looking for her laptop and she remember that it was located in the dresser of Eddie, while Eddie is sleeping she enter the room and get it on the dresser, on her way out she notice that the dresser is empty. The truth came. Finally, Eddie leave the Condo and Laney. Laney is Talking to Mattie, what if she saw Eddie in a grocery and she will follow him but after several aisles he lost, he disappear but again they will bump each other and finally she will tell that she saw him in the grocery nut Eddie will deny. Mattie wake up the imagination of Laney and tell her that he’s out of the country and the only place that they might bump is in the Sydney, but chances is small coz the Sydney is too big. Laney realize that the point of Mattie is if Eddie wants to bump with me he will. Mattie stays on Laney for the entire week. She come over the same day Eddie left telling Mattie that she is totally okay but Mattie doesn’t believe it coz she looks dead inside. The first few nights for Laney are the hardest, she cant sleep, she just toss and turn an den eight hour pf sleep is out of the question, some nights she go out with her jacket and step out the condo and walk in the pavement of
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Greenbelt 1, 2, 3, she just walk, run, walk until she could no longer think that he misses Eddie, she badly misses him. Two weeks without Eddie, Mattie move out and Vicky move in, she isn’t really ready for a new roommate, But she did tell Mattie. On Vicky’s first night, she pointed out the Espresso Machine and ask what is that for, Laney remember Eddie coz it’s the same question when Eddie enter his Condo. Suzy and Laney are on their way to a new food place in Jupiter and just drop by to a Yoga studio to pick up Mattie. They stand near the exit watching Mattie chat up a cute yogi at the end of the room when a Lady approach her, the lady said her name and eyeing her up and down. She’s surprise coz the girl know her, the girl intimidated her. Laney is id doubt why the girl know her, and why she knows Eddie and the condo share and say some words against her and Eddie, but when Mattie came, she found out that the Girl is Ava the ex-girlfriend of Eddie, and her advice that don’t mind her coz Ava is just jealous about her. Laney is having a dinner with Luke at Bizu, Luke is saying something about the segment in their show, but Laney is busy observing the giggling group of teenager so she didn’t catch up what Luke said. She is about to ask Luke to repeat what he said when the clone of Eddie making his way down to the stairs, same hair, same built but he had a girl in his arms, she refuse to see that so she just sigh and stab her strawberry cheesecake. Luke notice her reactions and ask why what wrong? And she said she saw Eddie, again Luke doesn’t believe her coz he haven’t seen Eddie, so they go back to their business. Luke’s face turn pale, so Laney followed his gaze and zeroed in as the Eddie clone hailing cab, and his date on his side, and finally Luke realizes that its really Eddie with Ava. Laney call Mattie that she saw Eddie with Ava, she command her to get the new address of Eddie coz she will discuss some matters to him. The following Saturday, Laney go to the apartment of Eddie on Valero Street at around 8:30 in the evening. Mattie gave the address with a note that don’t go there but she didn’t listen. Her idea is to bang on Eddie’s door and demand to be let in, but the problem is there is no way getting anywhere without being buzz in. the man behind the the front desk is already giving her weird
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looks, so she decided to make move. Now or never. The man approach her, and she said she came to see Eddie Vergara, and she said her name is Ava. Finally the man said the floor where she will go, she rehearse heer speech in the elevator, she decide to say something brazen once Eddie open the door— something in the neighborhood of “expecting Someone Else? She will announce that she did not want him back, he hadn’t hurt her at all and what she want is a closure. When Eddie open the door, no smart-alecky response flew out on her mouth. Just a very shook-up “Eddie”. And he respond softly “Laney” Eddie let her come in, he open the door widely, she come in and stand ther. Seconds ticked without either of them talking, Finally Laney cant control herself and said “if you want to leave you could’ve just told me I wasn’t going to stop you or anything” Eddie said that things are complicated and she will not understand., so Laney sorry for herself that she could not understand everything coz she is just a radio girl and not a senior analyst. So Laney him why is he here supposedly he is in the Australia, is he deported or what? Eddie became silent, exhausted by the presence of Laney and accusing him some things, but Eddie ask her why did she kissed Jack, he elaborate everything, Laney is surprise coz he know that damn kiss. So they explain their sides and at the end they found their selves very in love with each other. Laney left the condo and she get a 28-square meter heaven in San Antonio Village in Makati.
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Point of view Luck is never that easy to achieve its something that you have to work to. Laney is a brilliant girl, she did not allow to loose the condo she sacrifice her privacy for the sake of having a roommate for p15,000 but before you accept someone you should know his background coz today its not easy to trust anyone especially you’re a girl and your roommate is a guy. Jack is self-centered guy he just want to earn money event though he is hurting others feelings, compared to Eddie, he is sweet, overprotective and only wants honesty in a relationship. True friends are hard to find, but in the situation of Laney, she the best of friends they do not tolerate her if she is wrong and always honest about on the things that she is doing. Laney is really luck, despite that she lost her primetime show she is still given the chance to work for it and she prove it, on whatever time she can give her best shot.
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