Celine Lopez's turn to toast with A to Z of Manila's young society

The hit was like bubbly with a tingly sensation lasting all throughout the night. Fun, frolicsome and best of all, fab! How can it not be when it was Celine Lopez’s turn to toast? It was cheerios all the way for the chi chi launch of Coffee to Cocktails, now in hard bound mint cover that looks like — you guessed it right — a martini.

Not to say she has a one track (in fact she has 123 tracks as of last counting) mind, Celine came as her own concoction of a softly intoxicating, sexy pink martini glass, as mixed by her favorite tender, Dennis Lustico. By the bar, Celine’s favorite coco-lychee martini and cosmopolitans were keeping the early birds busy (or boozy, if you want to call it that). Young society was in full attendance, of course — nobody bring ’em all together like our Celini. Well, if you write about your life and how it entangles into another person’s life in Manila, well for sure they’ll read it. Such is the life in small, lovely but Delilah-filled town of ours.

The magic lies in how Celine is able to draw you into her world and make you laugh at it. She is proud of her self-deprecating ways, and you laugh because you realize how similar your life is, or how lucky you are not to be in the same den. But that night at V, it was her den — and it was filled with fashion lions, style tigers and night owls on the prowl.

The power play was palpable — from politicians (former Congressman Albertito Lopez and former Guimaras Governor Emily Lopez) from her parents’, set to the young-pretty-somethings in the crowd, it was sheer people-watching delight. There were those who posed for every camera, attracted by the light of the flashbulb, and there were some Cabinet officials and politicians who opted not to have their photo taken, since the book was not All the President’s Men. Still, it was Celine’s ball, as everyone in young society just had to be there.

By the main bar, Mia Borromeo and DJ Montano had a headstart reading the book. You could tell by their amused faces that they knew what it was talking about. Another corner had V master Louie Ysmael and wifey Cecille just calling with their buddies. Tim Yap was busy, along with Celine’s beau Victor Consunji in playing paparazzi to the guests, an A to Z list of Manila society, young, old and fabulous.

Maurice Arcache showed up with his muse Vicky Zubiri. The models were in full force, from PMAP "it" girl Rissa Samson to Bench beauty Amanda Griffin. The fashion elite forces of cousins Leica Carpo and Tessa Prieto-Valdes were busy clicking away at the bar while Philip and Trish Cu-unjieng got another around of drinks to toast to the launch’s success.

Amid all this, Celini was running around, from the main bar at the V entrance, entertaining guests as they arrived, signing books as people lined up to buy them. Some even bought books to give it out as presents. On the mid area of the V bar, some action was also taking place.

Chut Cuerva, who just got back from Spain, was having a tete-a-tete with this really pretty girl, who was about to go to Spain as well. "So, are you going there to take your Master’s Degree?" He asked. "Oh no, I’m just about to enter college." She said with an innocent stare. Other pseudo-scandales that erupted that night could fill up a page for the blind items, but we never resort to that.

Well, such is the scene in nocturnal Manila — predictably unpredictable, always with a twist and extremely fun, exciting, dangerous, and humorous all at the same time. Very much like our heroine herself.

That night was a living Coffee to Cocktails column, only it was Delilah-free but fight to the finish. Another round, please, Celini!