July 2005, NYU

“Where’s Chanty?” Zach asked when Angelica arrived alone.

The look on her face told her that her friend was not coming.

“I knew she wouldn’t come.”

“No, she just had an emergency. She didn’t even know we were going out with you guys,” Angelica explained.

“What emergency?” Liam asked.

“Cameron, of course. The guy asked her to come to his apartment. I don’t know why.”

“And it’s an emergency?”

“Well, Chanty thought it was. He rarely asks her to come over his place so she assumed something was up,” Angelica said dryly. “But don’t worry, I’m sure she can come the next time,” she assured them. “I’m already building you up to her,” she added, looking at Liam.

“Yeah, right,” he uttered dryly.

2013

After they talked about their plan without further interruption from Julianne’s avid readers, Zach and Julianne went on their way to find a hotel because Zach didn’t want Julianne around his parents who were doting on her ever since they learned of her pregnancy.

“He’s really into her. I still can’t believe it,” Chanty said when she was finally alone with Liam.

“I think you are more afraid than you are shocked,” Liam noted, looking at her with amusement.

“I am afraid for Julianne. If Zach goes back to his old ways like he always does ever since I knew him, she’d totally be broken.”

“Don’t worry, Chanty. I think Zach hit it big this time. He’s not going away. You should be more afraid of Julianne getting away. She has the tendency to do that. She was not very fond of Zach in the beginning after all.”

Chanty could imagine how Zach would be if Julianne left him. “That’s going to be one hell of a blockbuster, I tell you,” she said with a laugh. And when she saw Liam looking at her with wonder, her smile disappeared. “What?”

“It’s nice to actually hear you laugh.”

“Ha-ha, funny. Let’s go. We still have work.”

“Are you cool with the article?” Liam asked as they walked out of the café.

“About Cameron not taking pro bono cases? Sure, I am. It would definitely put a little strain on his reputation. He might back off for a few days.”

“But?”

“But, as Julianne said, it might push him to make a move that would throw us back.”

“If he does, we’ll surely win the fight. Willie’s my son. And if we can prove it with legal means, the only reputation going down the drain is his.”

Chanty gulped. She hoped this case with Cameron would not go that far. She was really hoping the guy would back off for good after realizing that a mere article could already ruin him. How much more a big scandal of him having a child he left behind years ago? No one should know who Willie’s father is, Chanty thought. No one.

“Hey,” Liam’s head popped inside her office.

Chanty looked up to see his smiling face. “What?”

“Let’s go home.”

Her frown deepened. “I am going home. You are going home. What made you think we will go home together?”

“I want to see Willie.”

Chanty sighed. “Liam, let’s just take this slow, okay? Let’s not bombard Willie with all of this.”

Liam stared at her for a long time, his expression serious. He was probably weighing things and when he finally nodded his head in agreement, Chanty sighed. “Okay, but you can’t keep him away from me forever, Chanty. I have this plan to make things right for you, myself and my son. Remember that. You’re no longer alone in this.”

She had no right to receive anything from Liam, especially something this big.

But this is all for Willie, part of her mind said when her conscience attacked.

Are you sure? You know you need someone more than ever right now, one corner of her brain uttered.

Shaking her thoughts away, Chanty smiled at Liam and said, “Thanks for understanding.”

Liam opened the door wider, stood before her and took a deep breath. As he did so, he stuck his hands deep inside his pants pockets. “Me giving Willie some space doesn’t include you though,” he said with a mysterious grin.

Chanty’s smile slowly faded. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that since I cannot be with my son today, I should at least take you out on a date.”

“Liam--”

“I don’t mean now, Chanty, so relax. I have important things to do and that includes the article regarding Cameron. But I will take you out tomorrow.”

“I have work--”

“After work then,” he cut in.

“I can’t--”

“Why do I have this feeling that I don’t ever want to hear the words ‘can’t’ and ‘no’ from you? I hate it when they come out of your mouth when you’re talking to me. You can use it in front of Cameron, but I really wish you’ll stop saying those words to me--”

“Okay, okay! Fine! I’ll go! Just stop it with the blabber,” Chanty cried out and received a big kiss on the lips from him. “You can’t--”

He held up one finger as he said, “Ah, what did I tell you?”

“Fine, but stop doing that. We’re in my office for Christ’s sake.”

He laughed and gave her another full kiss before he winked and walked out the room.

Chanty was just about to go home when her phone rang.

“What?” she answered dryly.

“You need to go home, dress up and I’ll come pick you up in an hour. Like right now, Chanty,” Angelica’s voice boomed in her ear.

“Why? Where are we going?”

“Just dress up, okay?”

“But Willie is--”

“Your babysitter is on her way to take Willie to Cass. Philip will look after him while we’re gone--”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Chanty said, confused. “Cass is coming with us? Where are we going?”

“Just get dressed and--”

“I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me--”

“We’re going on a girls’ night out, girl! With Julianne! O-M-G, I can’t still believe I am calling her by her first name. Can you believe it? J. Green has agreed to go out with us and now Zach is about ready to kill me and I know because he gave me a call after I talked to his fiancée but that doesn’t matter now because--”

“Ange! Ange! Stop! What the hell are you talking about? We’re going on a girls’ night out with Cass and Julianne?”

“Yes! Can you believe it?!”

“Has it ever occurred to you that they are pregnant? Julianne is in her first trimester and it is a very crucial stage. Cass should be giving birth anytime soon as well and--”

“And has it ever occurred to you as well that I am a freaking doctor?”

“But they should not be going out at the usual places we go to because--”

“Come on, Chanty, we’re going, right? It only means that I successfully gained Philip and Zach’s approval, well, sort of, but the point is, the guys are okay with it. I will not take any of you anywhere where there are cigarette smoke, loud music and a lot of alcohol. So just go home and get dressed before Philip and Zach change their minds. You very well know that could happen anytime.”

“What about Henry?”

“He’s out again and this is actually the first time that I am glad he’s out on a mission. Just go home and get dressed. Will be there in an hour.”

There was no stopping Angelica now, Chanty was sure of it. Once her friend made up her mind over something, it would usually happen no matter the outcome. Of all the things Angelica did, Chanty would not even be surprised if they would end up in trouble tonight.

“She’s pretty, right?” Angelica uttered when Julianne finally came out of the hotel lobby, dressed in a simple loose, silk blouse and white pants.

Chanty and Cassandra exchanged looks. They never received such compliments from Angelica when she saw them tonight. Cassandra was very much pregnant but she looked great in her classy blue dress and Chanty, after re-dressing three times because of Angelica, was wearing a chic aquamarine dress that stopped above her knees.

“Oh, Zach’s here,” Angelica muttered under her breath when Zach came into view, his expression pissed. “We should have picked up Julianne first,” Angelica added.

“You have to bring her home before twelve as promised, Ange,” Zach said the moment he and Julianne reached them.

“Of course--”

“You will not,” Zach finished for her and then turned to Chanty, “so I will ask you, Chanty, to bring my future wife home before twelve sober, smoke-free and happy.”

Julianne turned her head and looked at Zach, her expression calm. When he saw it, he shut his mouth.

“How can you do that?” Angelica asked Julianne with awe. “I really am starting to believe you are the perfect match for him.”

“Just bring her to the hotel safe,” Zach snapped at them.

“Yes, we will, okay?” Angelica said.

“I’ll be fine, Zach. And I need this,” Julianne said to him.

“You don’t go out at night like this, Jules,” he said.

“Well, now I do. I have been stressed because of my book and you lately that I need to get away for a while.”

“What?” he asked in disbelief.

“You’re over-reacting,” Jules told him with a smile. She stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be fine. Let’s go?” she addressed the question to Chanty and the others.

“Yeah, before he changes his mind,” Angelica said and grabbed Julianne by the hand, guiding everyone, except Zach, to the exit.

In Chanty’s great relief, Angelica took them to a restaurant where she managed to get a more private room for them to eat, talk and drink. The two pregnant women didn’t even touch a glass of wine just for precaution.

“I can only have one glass of wine a week and I already took one just yesterday,” Cassandra declared before she gulped down water. “But I really hope I give birth pretty soon. I sure miss my beer.”

“How about you, Julianne?” asked Angelica.

Julianne shook her head. “I don’t really drink. The last time I did, I was still in the show. I don’t think I did well.”

“Really? What happened” asked Chanty. She was really curious what happened in that show that turned Zach to the man he was now.

“I can’t really remember. It must have been in Las Vegas or something. I honestly don’t remember. Things happened so fast in that show.”

“Cass has the worst experiences in drinking though, I guess,” Angelica said, looking at Cass with laughter.

“Why?” asked Julianne.

“Nothing really worth mentioning--” Cassandra started but Angelica and Chanty cut her off.

“Let’s see,” Angelica said, counting with one hand as the other held her wine. “First, she received a proposal from Philip while she was drunk inside a café. Second, she threw up on him at a bar during their honeymoon. Third, she picked a fight with him in a pub because she was jealous over me--”

“I was not jealous over you!”

“Oh, yeah…I remember now. It was Beth the bitch, right?”

“Oh my God, yes!” Chanty exclaimed. “But let’s not talk about her. Julianne doesn’t know her and she’s so history to begin with.”

“Agree,” Angelica nodded and then her face lit up once again as she turned her head to face Cassandra once more. “Oh, wait. I forgot the part where you got drunk in Boracay and you and Philip almost did it on the beach if that dog and its owner did not pass by and--”

“Okay, okay, stop, please,” Cassandra pleaded while Chanty and Julianne laughed. “I need to go to the bathroom,” she added, standing up.

“I’ll go with,” Angelica said and followed her friend.

“You have great friends,” Julianne said to Chanty when they were finally alone.

“You mean crazy friends,” Chanty rolled her eyes. “And you won’t believe the things they did in the past, especially Angelica. She almost died countless of times and even until now she’s giving her husband tiny heart attacks every now and then. I can’t imagine how he can keep up with her, honestly.”

“Really? She’s that…what’s the word?”

“Crazy. She’s just crazy. Can you believe that she tried to attack the man who wanted to kill her when we were in the Philippines just because he broke her heel? And when she recounted her story when she was kidnapped--“

“Wait, she was kidnapped?”

“Yeah, long story and you should hear it from her. Anyway, when she told us of the story, we only grasped the part when she was thinking about making an appointment with her dermatologist because her skin had been scratched. Can you believe it? But she’s a great friend. She’d die for you. She’d fight your fight if she has to,” Chanty added the last three sentences to ease Julianne’s mind. For all she knew, the woman was already planning her escape route by now.

“So, where’s Liam?” Julianne asked when they were finally done talking about Angelica.

“Uh, I don’t know. He told me he’s going to be busy with the article. You know about it,” she answered.

“You’re lucky the father of your son is willing to stick around. Some people just don’t,” Julianne said, her expression flat but Chanty knew there was something behind her words. Well, whatever it was, she would have more time to know about it. They were still in the stage of friendship where they couldn’t talk about deep, personal things.

The door suddenly burst open and Cassandra and Angelica appeared, their faces in panic.

“What? What happened?” Chanty asked, not really in the mood to panic like Julianne. She was already used to her friends. She wouldn’t be surprised if they were looking like that just because the toilet paper ran out.

“We saw Cameron!” Angelica uttered.

“He’s here!” Cassandra added.

“And you won’t believe who he’s with!” they said in unison.

Chanty’s heart started to hammer. Okay, maybe it was time to feel a little bit alarmed.