Lunch with the leading man

I wasn’t plan-ning on having lunch with John Lloyd Cruz on a Wednesday because I had no car and had an important meeting before leaving for Hong Kong.

But when Tita Virgie Ramos calls, you come.

On that day, Swatch was introducing its newest endorser, John Lloyd Cruz, at the Establishment in The Fort. It was my first time there and, you know, when Tita Virgie throws a party, she throws a party.

When I entered the venue, I could tell she spared no expense in putting this together.

It felt like a Louis Vuitton press event, with the candles and floral arrangements on the tables. Psychedelic lights beamed the word “Swatch” on the ceiling as daytime turned into nighttime indoors.

I chose a humble seat with the photographers on the side, but when my editor saw me, she upgraded me to the VIP table. I moved to ringside, with editors Liza Ilarde and Sari Yap, Nanay Socorro Ramos of National Book Store, and fellow paparazzi to the stars, talent manager Girlie Rodis.

Lunch was by chef Margarita Fores, starting with salad, followed by grilled prawns and medallions of beef, and paella that still haunts me to this day.

Everyone who had to be there was there, but when Preview fashion editor Liz Uy walked in, all the cameramen went nuts.

It was as though Julia Roberts entered the room.

Liz Uy came into the news in a big way when she and John Lloyd broke up earlier this year — some say even last year. And she came in looking like a goddess. What better way to face your ex than to look perfect and amazing in a little black dress and bold necklace that reminded us of peacock feathers.

Think Barbra Streisand in The Mirror Has Two Faces.

When the paparazzi let her go, Liz and I spoke briefly, where I asked why she was there — because I could never face an ex. Liz said exactly what we all thought — you can’t say no to Tita Virgie.

She also shared that she and John Lloyd were friends.

The launch began with a sleek video on Swatch and John Lloyd Cruz, the Leading Man — Rowell Santiago was in charge, after all. Then Mikee Jaworski and Billy Crawford came out as hosts.

It was my first time to see Mikee up close. She looked stunning.

My colleague and I were discussing how John Lloyd’s career suddenly went hot, hot, hot these last couple of years, with endorsements piling up like that.

There hasn’t been a Pinoy leading man this big since Richard Gomez in the ’90s.

I was telling my colleague, yes, the career is hot—but is he hot?

This I wanted to see. I had noted before how John Lloyd’s looks had gone from stylish to haggard after his breakup with the fashion stylist, so while I was sitting up front I was hoping John Lloyd wouldn’t see me.

John Lloyd finally came out wearing an awkwardly cropped baby-blue double-breasted jacket matched with salmon cropped pants, orange shoes, and Rico J. socks.

It was Thom Browne meets Stabilo.

But, all right, he looked good unlike last time we saw him on TV.

I saw him close enough to see he has a little dent under his nose — to me, a sign of a true chiseled nose that is genetically given, not surgically enhanced.

The question and answer portion flew by me; then there was the raffle of Swatch’s latest collection.

Before entering the venue, each guest was given a packet of numbered poker chips, which they could place inside drop boxes under the Swatch of their choice.

I was hoping to win the red gorgeous watch Billy Crawford was wearing, but luck wasn’t on my side.

John Lloyd picked out poker chips from a Swatch shopping bag and winners would come to the front to get their prize. But when John Lloyd picked a certain number, it became apparent that Liz Uy had won one of the Swatches. For a moment we wondered if it was staged. But we all went nuts as Liz froze amid flashes of light.

Like a moment out of Notting Hill, the box office leading man walked across to the fashion editor and hugged her to the delight of everybody — only to find out he was bringing her the wrong prize.

It was truly an SNN moment, as it was aired in many news shows that night.

When he passed behind me, John Lloyd tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hi Cecile!” I wanted to DIE. As in I thought I was being incognito.

I seriously felt like a shoe after what I wrote previously.

But there’s that John Lloyd magic I guess, always the dashing leading man—Thom Browne or no Thom Browne.