If I would have to spell the word ‘suffering’, I’d spell it J-O-R-D-A-N.

Yep, because the man sure was suffering the moment he went home to the boys’ apartment.

I was sure Georgie tried her best during her first week with him, but I was not sure if Jordan was doing pretty well himself.

We dropped Jackie at Collins Corporations and Dannie at Kumon.

Once that was done, we headed straight to the Red Cross HQ where Dee immediately told me everything she witnessed the other day. She said that Jordan had been hanging on to her seatbelt stronger than ought to be and it was saying much. We both laughed about the guy’s lack of experience when it came to an ambulance rescue.

Oh, if I could just laugh at his face.

But I knew it would not do any good because the guy was wearing his usual flat face when he was forced to ride another run with Georgie and the others again. His face, though a bit more red, was still the same when he climbed down Dee when they came back.

Dee told me how Georgie shouted at him to go faster and how she had to constantly remind him that he was not part of the team so he had to step aside.

My ambulance friend said that it was sort of harsh for Georgie to do it, but she understood how serious she could get during runs.

I told Dee that Jordan had to learn how to deal with Georgie.

I still couldn’t believe he told Jam that he was Georgie’s fiancé! How dare he, right?

I was Team Ja and the guy sank my JaGina ship. I knew it sank because Jam was looking very disappointed earlier and he went back inside his apartment without his usual smile.

Jackie had to find out about this soon! I knew that girl was crazy and all, but she had to know what Jordan did!

Or maybe Georgie should so she could bury Jordan alive.

He should not have told anyone he was Georgie’s fiancé!

I told Dee about it in haste and she said that it might be because Jordan was already thinking of Georgie as his soon-to-be-wife.

It got me thinking. Maybe my ambulance friend was right.

Could Jordan already be thinking of Georgie as his future wife?

*****

George was typing a report when Jordan rose to his feet with a frown on his face.

The other team members were at the back of the HQ cooking lunch.

The only sounds were from the TV, the radios and Georgie’s keyboard.

“What?” she asked before he could even open his mouth.

“You just let that guy grope your legs earlier.”

She paused from her typing and tried to remember what he was talking about. “Are you talking about the drunk we picked up earlier?”

He did not answer but continued to look down at her.

George sighed, trying to be patient. “It happens sometimes. Don’t fret about it.”

“So you mean it happened before?”

George pushed back from the computer and faced Jordan. “And it will happen again. But I can take care of myself.”

“That was harassment.”

“That was a drunk who had a gunshot wound on his arm. The wound was all that matters.”

“So you just let men do that to you as long as you can do your job?”

Anger rose up her throat. “If that man was not drunk or if he was any normal guy I met somewhere outside work, he would have ended up in the very same hospital we came from earlier. I would beat the crap out of him. And why are you so concerned all of sudden, anyway?”

He shrugged without blinking an eye. “I just wondered why you did not react when he groped your leg.”

“I strapped his arms after that, remember? I didn’t have to do anything. As I have said, I can take care of myself.”

He looked doubtful. George faced the computer again.

“You punched me when you thought I was insulting the women population.”

“That’s a different story. You were not my patient. And I took more offense.”

“So you mean--”

“What I mean, Jordan, is that you should just do what we planned in the first place. Sit, watch and observe. You don’t meddle. You are not trained in the first place and you holding down that guy’s hands earlier should not have happened. I appreciate your concern, but it was wrongly placed. If that guy knew you are not trained, he could sue. That is, if he is even aware that he can.”

“Fine. Remind me next time to just sit back and relax while other men pay you unwanted attention.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

She continued with her work, a part of her mind wondering why he even brought the topic up. She had faced the worst in her job and the incident that happened earlier was nothing in comparison. Yes, she was pissed because of what that drunk did, but she knew it could not have gone further. If it did, she’d deliver the guy straight to a morgue herself.

What bothered her was Jordan’s reaction.

It sounded like he cared and she didn’t like that.

It could land them to the wrong places.

*****

That afternoon, Georgie ordered Jordan to ride at the back.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because we’re fetching Dannie.”

“And Jackie?”

“She’s going with Dean.”

“Are we going somewhere?”

“We’ve been invited for coffee with some friends.”

My side mirrors almost perked up with excitement. Friends? It means I am going to see Tata again, right?

“Friends?” Jordan asked after he settled at my backseat.

“Some guy friends. I met your friends. Don’t say you don’t want to meet mine. Since you have to tag along, you are not welcome to say no.”

Georgie drove me out of the parking lot and I had to say goodbye to Dee once more. I’ll see you in two days, my friend!

“Stop texting when you’re driving,” Jordan told Georgie.

Uh, Jordan, don’t tell Georgie what not to do when she’s driving.

“I am not driving. As you can see, we are waiting for the green light,” Georgie reasoned.

“It turned green,” Jordan told her from the backseat when the light did turn green.

“Don’t be a backseat driver. I hate it,” Georgie snapped at him, throwing her phone at the passenger seat. The phone began to ring as we were speeding down toward Kumon and Georgie picked it up. “Not a word,” she told Jordan when he was about to say something.

If I were you, I’d shut my mouth up, I told Jordan.

“Jam, what’s up?” Georgie answered.

Jam! You mean Team Ja?! JAM?! Oh, this is good!

I saw Jordan straighten at my backseat, leaning forward, when he heard Jam’s name.

Oh, yes, yes, yes…this is soooo good.

“Sipalay? Yeah, I’ve been there. This weekend? I don’t know, I have things to do. Next week?”

Jordan’s eyebrow arched.

“I can’t next week. I have things to do and I will be out of the apartment for five days. How about the weekend next week?”

I couldn’t hear Jam talking on the phone so I was holding my breath, if I had any, like what Jordan was obviously doing as well.

This guy was really making me more curious. He looked like he was bothered about Jam. He shouldn’t, right? Because he had a girlfriend of his own. And he was NOT Georgie’s fiancé!

“Overnight or not? No, it doesn’t really matter. I need a break anyway. Okay, I’ll call a friend who lives there. She might be able to help us get a cheap accommodation. Sure, yes.”

And that was when things started to really change.

You know, that moment when someone innocently says something that is actually a big deal with the other person?

I saw Georgie’s face change as she listened to Jam. “Who?” Her eyes flickered to the rearview mirror to look at Jordan.

Jordan appeared uncomfortable then, probably now having a feeling of what was coming next.

I was tense as well.

If Georgie found out about what Jordan did, she might kill him. So I was worried about blood splatter on my seats.

“He told you that?” Georgie asked, her voice terse and controlled.

Hey, Jordan, jump out while you still can!

“No, he is fine with it. No, he is not coming. Yes, it’s just me, don’t worry. Okay, will text you the details.” And then Georgie’s phone flew back to the passenger seat and I felt her hiking shoe push on my break really hard I almost shouted in agony.

Calm down, Georgie. Jordan was just sort of jealous this morning so he told Jam about you being his fiancé.

“What the hell did you tell Jam?!” Georgie asked aloud after she maneuvered me at the side of the road.

“I told him you are my fiancé, as what most people think.”

“Whoever gave you the idea that you can just say that to my friends?!” Georgie shouted, turning on my seat to face him.

“He was not acting like you are friends,” Jordan argued.

Shit, man! You should just freaking tell her you were jealous. And if that is not true, just lie about it! It would save your life, you know. And it would save my seats from bloodshed.

“What do you really think that information would do to us, Jordan? My friends are my business. Jam is one of them. I tell them what I want, you don’t!”

“I just feel that that guy could be trouble, Georgina. Have you seen his tattoo?”

“Oh, so you now judge people by what they paint on their skin? Grow up, Jordan!”

“Okay, fine, sorry. You can tell him I am not your fiancé.”

“I definitely will!” she retorted, starting my engine. “We are meeting my friends and you better shut your mouth. I can’t believe you told Jam you’re my fiancé.”

So, no killing today, Georgie? You’re going to forgive him that easily?

Jordan seemed curious about the same thing as well.

“I was just thinking that if he knew you have a fiancé, he would not attempt to do anything--”

“It is not your job to ensure our safety. And we’ve known Jam longer than you. He’s been around us longer than you. If there is anyone we have to be cautious around with, it’s you.”

Liar! You only spent one night over a bottle of beers with Jam!

And now that I heard Jordan’s concerns about the boys’ safety, I was having second thoughts on Jam. Yeah, we didn’t know the guy too well.

And he was planning an out-of-town trip with Georgie.

Was that even safe?

*****

Tata was already parked outside Sanders and she greeted me with enthusiasm.

She asked me who Georgie was with and I told her it was the guy I was telling her about at Art the last time we met. And she had met the guy weeks ago if she remembered.

Yes, he was the owner of the BMW who I named Vicky who as mad at me at the moment because of reasons I would rather not talk about.

And yes, he was rich as hell.

And yes, he did not look that good.

But you know, he could be better if he could just smile a lot. Not saying I saw him smile, Tata. But who knows, right? The man was not bad in the eyes if you’ve been around him as long as I have.

What the hell was I talking about? Was I defending Jordan?

Well, maybe. What the hell. He was alone here. He was to be surrounded by people who had already judged him before he met them.

At that moment, when I saw him walk beside Georgie and Dannie into Sanders, my heart went out for him.

Have fun, Jordan. It can get worse, you know!

And then I saw Beatle park beside me and Dean and Jackie climbed out.

Hey, Beatle, buddy. How was your day? Do you know Jordan Ledesma is here? Yes, he is. You’ll see him soon. Let’s just hope you’ll see him alive after this coffee date.

*****

“This is Troy,” George said, pointing at the handsome man who transferred beside Dannie.

Jordan held out his hand to shake Troy’s. “Jordan Ledesma.”

“Your name sounds familiar. Must have heard it somewhere,” Troy said with a smile. “George told us about you.”

Jordan’s eyebrow rose as he took the seat next to George. “She did?”

“Yeah, she told us how you make her life hell,” Tory blurted out with a laugh.

Dannie rolled her eyes and waved for the waiter.

They all ordered their coffees and food. George ordered herself a rice meal. “What? I am hungry,” she told Jordan when he looked at her.

At that moment, Jackie and Dean entered the door.

“Jordan, Dean. Dean, Jordan,” George introduced dryly.

“Nice to meet you,” Dean said, shaking Jordan’s hand.

“Ah, nice to have a new friend around,” Troy said after everyone settled down. “Being around Danica is getting boring.”

“You should not have invited us over then,” Dannie shot at him.

“I don’t know how to kill my time before another night party,” Troy reasoned.

“Or maybe you are trying to get away from another girl.”

“That too,” Troy answered.

“Where’s Miguel and Lee?” Jackie asked.

“Work, I don’t know.”

George was not concerned about Jordan because he was making himself busy playing with his tab. When Dean noticed that, he took the opportunity to speak to the guy. “You play that?”

Jordan raised his head and answered, “When I am uncomfortable around people I just met, I do.”

Troy and Dean laughed at that.

“You should try out something I discovered yesterday,” Dean began.

“Please, don’t talk about that new game,” Jackie told him.

Dean ignored her. “Download Arcane Soul. You’ll probably like it.”

Jordan was already doing just that and after a while, Troy did too.

Dannie, Jackie and George looked at each other dryly as the three men talked about the game with Dean explaining to the two the importance of the swords and runes.

“I wanna go home,” Jackie said dryly as Dean showed Troy and Jordan the different maneuvers the character could make.

“Okay, I think I got it right,” Troy said, not hearing her.

“Tap the forward keys twice and the attack button.”

“Cool,” Jordan uttered when he did, his face full of concentration.

“Okay, I am so not getting this. Let’s go order some beers,” Jackie said aloud.

“We have work tomorrow,” Dean told her, his eyes on Jordan’s tab.

“Let’s do that,” George agreed and they ordered a bucket of beers.

Jackie snatched Dean’s phone away from him. “And you, Troy, you quit that game once and for all.” She then looked at Jordan. “And you too, Jordan. We are here to have some nice time.”

Jordan complied closed his tab. Troy, on the other hand, was still engrossed with the game.

Dannie shot him a look. “Just one more level, Danica.”

“I actually like it that you are on that game because it keeps your mouth at the right place.”

George was opening a bottle of beer when Troy leaned over to plant a quick kiss on Dannie’s temple.

That surprised everyone.

Jackie gasped, Dean leaned away from the table with raised eyebrows and Jordan stared confused.

Dannie, on the other hand, was white as paper.

What George did surprised everyone even more.

Troy was saying, “I place my mouth at any place I like--“ when George stood up and grabbed the front of his shirt.

“George!” Jackie cried out.

George looked at Troy in the eyes and said, “Do that again and I’ll kill you.”

Troy gulped, the laughter on his face gone. He nodded. “Sorry, okay? I did not expect you guys to over-react or--”

“Just let it go, George,” Dannie finally said.

George released Troy’s shirt and sat back on her chair. She kicked his shin under the table. “Remember,” she added.

“Gosh! Okay! Okay! Sorry for that, Danica. You provoked me.”

“Do that again and I will wait for George to kill you and I’ll bury you myself,” Dannie told him, her face returning to normal.

George looked at her warily. She noticed Dannie’s shaking hand but she ignored it. Her eyes then went to Jackie who was also looking at Dannie with worry.

She tried to keep herself calm.

Troy had no idea, after all. He could have done that with anyone. But he should not have done that with Dannie.

*****

The rest of the week was exciting and as we neared the weekend, I was getting depressed.

I would be going back to Jordan’s place and it would be BORING.

I learned of what Troy did to Dannie and I wanted to kill the bastard. No man could touch Dannie that way. NO MAN.

As for Jordan, the guy seemed to be getting used to the runs because he was looking less haggard and stressed as the day went by.

Vicky still wouldn’t talk to me. If she did, all I got were short answers such as ‘no’, ‘yes’ and ‘maybe’. She said that Georgie had done a lot of damage to her already.

Did I remember that time Georgie stabbed her tires back at Bago?

Well, of course I did.

She claimed she tried to forgive the girl because she would have done the same if she were in her place. But what she did with the nail polish was aggravating.

That was the last LONG conversation I had with her until she started to go on mute mode on me again.

By Saturday morning, Vicky went home with Jordan and I dreaded the moment I would see her again.

As to Dannie, she drove me to the church that Saturday morning.

By afternoon, Georgie drove me again to Bago City for another visit with her mother.

*****

“I tried to talk to your father,” her mother the moment they were alone.

Vivienne was sleeping in her room.

“What about?”

“You and Jordan, of course,” her mother said. “Don’t tell me that’s not the reason why you are suddenly visiting us every week.”

She felt a sudden surge of guilt. “That’s one of the reasons, yes. But not entirely. What did he say?”

“You won’t like it.”

“Then I guess I don’t have to hear it,” she uttered. They shared a long silence until George finally took the courage to say, “You know, sometimes you have to stand up to him.”

“Like what you have been doing in the past couple of years?”

“Yes.”

“It is different, George. Your father is a difficult man to deal with. I am trying my best to make him understand that what he is doing with you and Jordan can be a big problem in the future.”

“You can set yourself as an example.”

“Myself?”

“It’s not like you really wanted to marry him in the first place, right?”

Her mother’s face turned grim. “I did want to marry him.”

“You were made to believe that you did. That’s different.”

“No, George. I mean I really wanted to marry him.”

George looked at her mother in surprise. “You did?”

“Your father is not like all men. He can be difficult, but once you know him, he grows on you.”

“That’s what you are hoping is going to happen between me and Jordan.”

“Yes, of course. But since you are very adamant to get out of this marriage, I am trying to help you as your mother. I will try to talk to him again.”

“You can tell him you’ll leave him and take all your money with you.”

“George!”

“That’s just a suggestion,” George said with a shrug. “But don’t go that far yet. Just saying though. He will not like the thought of his wife taking half of what he has out of the marriage.”

“Do you really think that’s all what your father cares about?”

“Well, yeah. Of course. Who wouldn’t? He’s willing to give his daughter away to expand his empire.”

The hurt on her mother’s face was visible, but she had to say it. Mariana Lacson had to know what her daughter was thinking about her father.

“I will try to talk to him again. I will try to reason with him. And do your part, George. Try to know Jordan. You might end up growing fond of him.”

“I doubt that,” George answered with a sigh.