Georgie took me out later that day after church.

We dropped Jackie and Dannie off at the apartment and drove off to Bar 21.

I was feeling really holy because we just went to church. Well, I always felt that way every Sunday. I was a holy, hot car, I was thinking as we drove and Georgie parked me beside the street. A little bit illegally, as a matter of fact, because she sort of double parked.

Anyway, I knew she was coming here to meet with Jordan and his girlfriend. She told the boys earlier and Jackie and Dannie had a shock. They both thought that Jordan should end his relationship with this girl even though he and Georgie were not really together because everyone in their family thought they would be married anyway.

But whatever was in Georgie’s mind, it must be loose screws because she claimed she didn’t mind that the guy was in a relationship. Like hell, right? Okay, sorry, I know I said I was feeling holy, but…anyway, hell, right?

I watched Georgie walk to the side entrance of the restaurant and patiently waited. I was willing to be patient because I was parked right behind a sexy red Hyundai.

*****

George walked directly to the couple sitting at one corner of the restaurant.

They were perfect together physically. Both were dressed in what appeared to be upscale clothing. Jordan was looking a little relaxed, probably because of his company, which made his face a little bit more pleasant than George last remembered it to be. The girl, tall and slender, was dressed in a white long sleeve blouse and high waist pencil skirt. She looked even taller when she stood up to greet George in her three-inch black pumps.

“Hi, you must be Georgina,” Cassie said with a pleasant smile. She was even more beautiful up close, George thought. Perfectly blemish-free, eyes glittering with the right amount of makeup and lips tinted with a color of nude pink, giving her a classy, simple look. But then again, she didn’t look that simple. One glance and you’d notice she was not just any normal girl walking downtown, if she ever graced the streets with her presence.

“You must be Cassie,” George said, shaking the woman’s hand a little bit harder than what normal women were used to.

Jordan was also standing up, his face now back to total blankness as he watched the exchange between the two women.

The three of them sat down and shared an awkward silence before Cassie, flipping her long, straight, black hair over and behind her shoulder, spoke, “I just wanted to meet you before I leave.”

“Jordan told me you are leaving, yes. But why do you want to see me?”

George was feeling a little bit uncomfortable. She was wearing her usual sneakers, pants and shirt and sitting in front of the woman was not helping with her confidence. She reminded herself that she should not mind at all and that was the end of her little self-conscious moment.

“I think I should leave the two of you alone for a while,” Jordan said slowly, standing up. He looked uncomfortable and if George could say something, she would point out that he was not in agreement with Cassie’s plan to meet George.

The two women watched him leave.

“So?” George asked, looking at her watch. She reached over for a glass of water in front of her.

“You’re in a hurry?” Cassie asked slowly, in a low, well-modulated tone.

“Didn’t Jordan tell you? I only have thirty minutes.”

Cassie nodded and smiled again. “I just wanted to see you in person, really.”

George frowned. “I have a Facebook account. You could have checked if you just wanted to see me.”

“You know, under other circumstances, I would really like you and I to be friends. But this thing you have with Jordan is quite complicated.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” George shrugged. “You don’t have to be alarmed because I will try my best to end this stupid engagement.”

A look of relief washed over Cassie’s face and George wondered how a woman like her fell for someone like Jordan. “But can’t you do something else? I know the two of you share the same sentiments over this arrangement by your parents, but can’t you do something about it?”

“Why are you asking me? Why not ask him if he can do something about this?”

Cassie cringed a little. “He has a lot more to lose if he disobeys his parents.”

George rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure, his empire.” She looked at Cassie in the eyes and added, “Honestly, I could leave my family behind if I want to.” Hope flickered in Cassie’s face. “But I don’t want to do that either because there are people in that family, as controlling and domineering they may be, that I care about. This is the best way I know how to deal with this matter. Jordan and I already talked about it.”

“I know, I understand,” Cassie said, looking down in embarrassment.

George felt for the lady. “Okay, sorry if I am being rude or difficult right now, but I am just trying to be honest. I know this is hard for you as well, but I will understand if you continue to be with Jordan while this thing is going on. I won’t have a problem with that.”

Cassie smiled bitterly. “Yes, it is difficult, the very same reason why I am leaving.”

“You’re leaving him?” George asked incredulously.

Cassie shook her head. “No, not that. I mean, I decided to stay away as often as I could. I don’t want his reputation smeared with people seeing him around with two women. I can take three months away from him, maybe a visit here and there, but most of the time I’d be away. I’d be staying in Manila most of the time since I took a lot of international flights so there would be lesser contact between us as well. I just hope that when I get back, I’d have someone waiting for me.”

“I forgot you are a flight stewardess.”

“Yes, I am.”

“But are you serious?”

Cassie nodded. “He didn’t like it when I told him, but he understands it now. My presence would not help your plan. I trust you enough to make this plan work with him.”

“So the two of you are sort of going on a cool off or something?”

Cassie tilted her head to the side. “Yes, sort of. Until everything is back to normal.”

“Wow. You really do love him that much? You’re sacrificing a lot.”

“All I do for love,” Cassie said with a laugh. “So,” she breathed out, “I am really hoping this plan of yours works out.”

“I will try my best.”

Cassie sighed. “I was really hoping I could persuade you to just pack up and leave your family. It would solve everything.”

George laughed. “It is not easy to leave those you hate as much as it does to leave those you love.”

Cassie thought about what she said for a moment before nodding in agreement. “Maybe you’re right.”

At that moment, George hoped the lady would not leave. She was not sure how things would turn out and she would hate to know Cassie would end up hurt.

*****

Jackie prodded George about her meeting with Cassie that evening while she packed for tomorrow, and she told them everything. They too, despite their opinion to have Cassie out of the picture, were a bit bothered about it.

“I was expecting her to be a little bit more of a bitch, you know,” Jackie admitted.

“She’s a nice lady,” was all she said in answer.

They had an early dinner with Dean dropping by with some takeouts and George went to sleep early. She heard Dean, Jackie and Dannie talking about their concerns for George, but she forced herself to ignore their voices and slept. She’d have a long week ahead of her.

*****

Okay, so I was almost ready to drive myself back to Collins Corporations the moment we drove into Ayala. The guard asked us where we were going and Georgie told him Jordan Ledesma was expecting us. The guards eyed us, me in particular, with distrust.

Let’s go kick some ass, Georgie! I hate them already.

But they let us pass after some hesitation and a few words spoken into their handheld radios.

Georgie was obviously oriented with Jordan’s home address because after a few minutes we arrived outside a large house that looked like a cut-off from one of the magazines Jackie read about celebrity houses. Those magazines were still in my trunk, as a matter of fact.

Georgie was not impressed with the size of the house, but she still looked at it through my windshield out of curiosity.

She called Jordan and after a moment, the gates opened and my tires almost went flat when I got a glimpse of the garage.

It was so cool I wanted to live there forever. It was a dream home and I knew I was in heaven the moment Georgie parked me beside the black BMW.

Hey, there, I said.

It did not answer.

Snob, I uttered. I’ll get you talking soon, vic. And I might try making you scream after that.

Jordan was looking grim when he walked out the double doors of his mansion that the help who opened the gates cowered as she passed by him to go back inside the house. He did not mind the help, but he was regarding Georgie with a disagreeable look.

“You’re late,” he said, looking at his watch.

He was already dressed for work, his clothes much more costly than Dean’s smart ones, I bet. But Dean was way cooler looking. Jordan was just, I don’t know…As I said before, he was not very pleasing to the eyes though every part of him was okay. It was the way he carried everything that was wrong. Sure, he looked powerful and intimidating, but that was just all. No pleasant charm, no coolness. Just plain boring and grim.

George was unloading her large camping bag from the passenger side when she answered, “Just for a few minutes.”

“I am going to work and I’d be late.”

“Just leave me here,” she uttered. “Where’s my room?”

“We told them we’ll be together 24/7 for five days in a week. We can’t cheat on the very first day.”

“So we can cheat?”

He looked at her with those boring eyes of his and said, “This was your plan in the first place. It’s the first day and you’re thinking of breaking the rules.”

“Well, they are not around, are they?”

“You don’t know that,” he snapped. “Let the help take your bag and let’s go.”

At his words, the same help from earlier walked out the doors as if she was just behind it the whole time and motioned to take Georgie’s bag.

“I’ll drive Toto,” Georgie said as she handed the lady her bag.

“Toto?”

“Our car,” Georgie said, pointing over her shoulder at me.

Yeah, their car, bastard. And no, you cannot hitch a ride. I’ll do my best you’d have a bad time.

Jordan stared at me with a condescending look and shook his head.

Oh, really? It is official then, buddy. You are an enemy I need to eradicate as soon as possible.

“You’re riding with me. No buts, Georgina, I am already late for a very important meeting.”

Georgie rolled her eyes and followed him to the snobbish BMW beside me.

They took off after that and I celebrated.

I had the classy garage to myself! I won’t miss Collins Corporations after all.

*****

“You know, I thought of something while I was on the way here,” she broke the silence.

“What?” he asked, increasing the speed of the car.

“Why don’t we smear the relationship of our parents? You know, make something bad with the business so they blame each other? Nothing big, just enough to make them distrust each other.”

He was already shaking his head before she finished. “I won’t put the businesses at risk. What our families built together is too big for us to risk just because we don’t want to be married.”

George felt anger rise up her throat. Just because we don’t want to be married? Did he see marriage that way? Like it was just a small project less important than the family businesses?

She decided not to say anything because she was not sure how they would manage to get to his office with both of them alive.

But arrive they did and without a scratch.

Jordan’s family had a large textile business that had been providing different other businesses around the Philippines. As what she had heard, his family and hers were on their way to putting up a business for a clothing line for men. Not bad, she thought, but it could get worse. It meant more mergers and more plans for both families.

More marriages, perhaps? She thought as she followed Jordan inside the large building. He was immediately greeted by the personnel that passed by and they rode the elevator in silence. No one spoke a word because the boss was with them. George felt that everyone was holding their breath and she wouldn’t be surprised if that were true because she sort of heard their collective sigh when the elevator opened in the third floor and Jordan stepped out.

She followed him in her sneakers, shorts and black shirt. Everyone greeted Jordan, but they hesitated when they saw her. They might not have been sure if she was with him or not so they ignored her in the last second.

A lady in her mid-forties was outside Jordan’s office, behind a desk and she looked up with a smile to greet her boss.

Jordan paused for a while to introduce her to George. “This is Mildred, my secretary. If you need anything, you can ask her. Mildred, this is Miss. Georgina Lacson,” he said.

When the lady heard her last name, Mildred stood up and shook her hand. “It is nice to meet you, Miss Lacson.”

“Nice to meet you too,” George answered.

By that time, Jordan was already gone inside his office and George followed, closing the door behind her.

The office was large enough with a couch at one end and a big desk at the other. The walls facing the outer side of the building was made of glass and she could see the traffic building outside.

“Nice office,” she noted, looking around the organized place. It was simple with no personal things to display. No diplomas, no trophies, no photos. Nothing. It seemed like Jordan didn’t care that much about bringing in something personal with work.

And she noticed that the moment he sat behind his desk.

He immediately picked up the phone and started talking.

George didn’t mind being ignored. It was actually good for her. She went to the couch and sat down, reminding herself that she should bring in some paperwork tomorrow to keep from falling asleep. Jordan’s voice talking to the phone could be considered music, a bad one, but one that she could fall asleep to.

In the next hour, she had already heard him snap and say words that she only heard in movies. He was demanding and insensitive as he did a conference call with some suppliers and customers all over the Philippines.

After another hour, George was almost ready to bounce out of the couch to get out because she had had enough of Jordan’s business attitude. Sure, the Red Cross trainings she had could be harsh or difficult, but they were reasonable. Maybe Jordan had his reasons, but his business manner was not making such great points in her chart of good men.

“Do you want something to eat?” he finally asked her when he punched the button to end his harsh conference meeting.

“Well, I want something quiet, if you can give me that.”

His eyes snapped at her. “Do you have problems with how I handle my meetings?”

“Well, it was a little bit disturbing. You didn’t have to tell the man who failed to meet your desired number of orders to go to hell.”

Irritation and anger flared his eyes. “I have my reasons for saying that, Georgina. I need to do that to remind them who they are dealing with. What I don’t need is a woman telling me how not to do my work.”

“A woman?”

“Yes, a woman. All of you just want to have a nice talk and you expect things to be done without any problems. It doesn’t work that way. That’s why women are asked to sit down and do the paperwork.” He rose from his seat behind the desk as he said it.

By this time, George was already on her feet, her arms crossed over her chest, “What do you mean by that?”

And by this time, Jordan was already walking to a small fridge at the corner of the room to grab a can of Coke, popped it, shrugged, and said, “I am just saying that women are too frail for this kind of business. You think that things should be gentle and nice. That’s why you own flower shops. That’s why you are married off to men who--”

He did not finish his statement because George’s fist landed against his cheek in a powerful punch meant to disprove his words.