They climbed out the jeepney and crossed the overpass within five minutes with Jordan trying to catch up to George.

“Why are we in a hurry?” he asked breathlessly when they entered the mall.

“I have to make sure that Jackie doesn’t buy anything useless,” George explained as she continued to walk to the direction of Robinson’s Supermarket.

“Why would you care what she buys?”

“We all share the budget for the groceries. It is necessary that we only buy what we all need.”

By the time they entered the Supermarket, George went directly to the chips section where she was certain she would find her friends. Jackie was bending down to grab a Piatos, explaining to Dannie that it was cheap.

“Take that back,” George told her.

Jackie jumped in surprise. Dannie was standing beside her with the same disapproving look as George.

“Just one, please,” Jackie begged.

“You already have Ridges,” Dannie reminded her.

“We still have,” Jackie looked at her phone to check and continued with, “657 pesos left. There will be enough for some chips and the wet market later.”

“No,” George and Dannie answered at the same time.

Jordan was standing beside George silently, looking at the three of them with confusion.

Jackie grudgingly returned the Piastos with a look of longing.

Then she saw Jordan.

“Hey, Jordan, how was your day?”

“Okay,” he answered with his neutral voice.

Jackie looked at George wickedly. “Okaaaay,” she said with a shrug.

“Let me help you with that,” Jordan offered when Jackie motioned to push the cart forward.

“Well, such a gentleman! Thanks!” George noted the sarcasm but since it was addressed to Jordan, she let it slide.

As Jackie went ahead, George stopped Jordan. “What?” he asked.

She was already inspecting the cart. “She might have hidden something here somewhere.”

“I guess she did,” Dannie agreed before walking away to distract Jackie.

“We don’t need this,” George muttered under her breath as she grabbed an air freshener out of the cart. She placed it on the shelf beside the chips. One more minute and she managed to take out five more items from the cart.

“I can pay for those if Jackie really wants them,” Jordan offered and George almost snorted.

“No, that’s fine. You are not paying for anything.” Jackie would love that idea, but George doubted if it would change her impression of the guy.

“I will be living in your apartment for five days. I should at least contribute something,” he offered seriously as if he was doing a business deal.

“I lived in your place for five days. I did not contribute anything. Just because you will be living with three girls who don’t make as much as you do does not mean you should see us as a charity case.”

“I did not mean it that way--”

“Then stop with the offers.”

She let him push the cart to the cashier where they fell in line.

“Don’t you dare offer your card,” she warned when he opened his mouth to speak to Jackie who was already holding the pouch that contained all their money put together for groceries.

Jordan had no choice but the carry all the bags himself.

“Let’s go. We still need to go to Pala-Pala,” George told him.

“We could have bought from here,” he said.

The three women looked at him as if he was out of his mind. “Pala-Pala is way cheaper,” was the answer George gave him.

*****

When I saw Jordan walking toward me carrying three bags of groceries, I almost wanted to take a photo of him. The look on his face as he tried to balance his way toward me was just phenomenal. He was straining, maybe because of the weight or of the situation he found himself in. He should be wondering by now why he was in such a situation.

Welcome to domestic bliss, buddy!

George opened my trunk and he placed the bags inside me.

Once done, all of them were back in their previous positions that morning.

“Did you witness anything exciting at the HQ?” Dannie asked Jordan as we were driving toward Pala-Pala.

“Yes, I guess,” he answered curtly.

Dannie baby, stop talking to the guy. You waste more saliva than him. Not worth the effort. Just let him live in peace and maybe we can all forget he’s here. His weight is too much for me as it is. I’d rather have Troy ride my backseat than this guy.

*****

Jordan’s phone started ringing as Jackie parked me outside the wet market of Pala-Pala.

“You go on ahead. I’ll catch up,” he told the boys.

The three of them walked away without a comment.

My mechanical ears were ready for some eavesdropping.

“Yes, Cassie,” he answered.

Cassie? She’s your girlfriend, right?

His eyebrows formed in a frown as he listened with the phone against his ear.

He paced in front of me, his head bent down.

“No, I don’t think I can fly there this weekend. I am with Georgina right now. Yes, she’s living with her friends. No, it is not getting comfortable.” He listened some more and then said, “I am not sure of the sleeping arrangements. What? The Red Cross? It was not as what I had expected. They let me ride the ambulance.”

Okay, I have to ask Dee, my ambulance friend, about the ride tomorrow! Oh, so excited.

“Yes, she’s tolerable. What made you say that?” he asked, his brows furrowing even more. “I thought we already talked about this? No, I can’t just go home and sleep in my own house. That would not be fair to Georgina. Yes, I know it is not fair to you, but it was your decision to stay away in the first place, right? No, listen to me.” He stopped with his pacing and leaned against my hood.

No, buddy, you can’t do that! What the hell! Who gave you permission to lean your ass against my hood? Who? It is not as precious as Vicky’s, but it is a sensitive hood, buddy!  Do you know how many times it had been harassed by that sick bastard, Brian? Step away! Step away from me!

Of course, he did not. He comfortably sat on my hood, one arm over his chest. “You made the decision to stay away. I did not force you to do so. Don’t go changing you mind all of a sudden or whine about it, Cassie. You know how I feel about that, right? I thought we had an understanding? I go visit whenever I can. And I can’t this weekend because I will have a pile of work to deal with when I get home.” He suddenly jumped away from me with an incredulous look. “Why does it matter where she sleeps in my home? She’s not sleeping in my bedroom. You have asked me that same question countless of times. Of course, yes, she’s trying to talk to her mom about us. It will take some time, but I trust her to be doing just as what she had planned because she does not want this stupid engagement as well. You know what? I don’t have time for this. I have to do something important.”

Liar! You are outside a wet market!

Jordan looking pissed was not a pretty sight. I’d rather have his neutral face, actually. But with what was happening to him now, I could understand why he was wearing that look. The boys were not making it easy for him, especially Georgie and Jackie.

And his girlfriend was not helping at all, I was sure of that.

I watched Jordan enter the wet market. I was suddenly deep in thought. You know, I was trying to give the guy some benefit of a doubt. How he sort of defended Georgie from his girlfriend gave me a feeling that the guy had more in him than flat affect and coldness. But I was still Team Ja! Team Ja! Team Ja!

I spent my time alone outside the wet market for thirty minutes or so and when the boys arrived, Jordan was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is he?” Jackie asked irritably.

Dannie went to my trunk and took out a Styrofoam bucket where they usually placed all wet goods. By the time we were ready to leave, Jordan was still nowhere to be found.

“Just call him,” Jackie told Georgie.

Georgie was already on the phone and she cried, “Where the hell are you? What? You’re lost? Just ask anyone where the exit is.”

“Ugh,” Jackie uttered, rolling her eyes.

“You know, you’re too mean to the guy,” Dannie told her when Georgie replaced her phone back in her pocket.

“It’s just that I don’t like him.”

“You don’t have to like him, Jackie. And you don’t have to be mean to him,” Georgie told her. “He doesn’t like this as well, remember that.”

“He’s not making any effort to be likeable. And you’re right. Not that I am against men who have expressionless faces, but he’s not making it easier.”

“He’s just not used to this sort of life. He’s just different like all of us,” Georgie said in a patient tone.

“And gets lost in a freaking wet market.”

“Stop that,” Dannie and Georgie said in unison.

“I will try to be nice to him,” Jackie said after a while.

“Good,” Dannie said.

“In my sleep,” Jackie added before bursting in laughter.

“Just remember, Jackie, he is my problem. Not yours, not Dannie’s. We don’t all know him well enough to judge him,” George said seriously.

“Are you saying you don’t hate him?”

“I don’t hate him. I don’t like him, too. But that’s because he is someone who is being forced to me by my family. I try to understand him and so should you. This is all new to him.”

Jackie sighed and leaned against my backseat. “Fine. I will try to be nice to him.”

*****

Jordan arrived after a few two more calls from Georgie and no one said a word about his inability to find his way back.

We drove back to the apartment in peace and silence.

When we arrived, everyone took all the stuff from my trunk. When they had all carried everything inside, Jordan went out once again and opened Vicky, who was, in some miracle, still there and unharmed.

She told me about how Jam had checked her out when he saw her parked outside the apartment. And she told me how her boring day went. I tried to assure her by saying that it could get worse.

As the boys and Jordan enclosed themselves in the apartment doing whatever they were doing, I spent the night with Vicky, talking about our dreams. Cheesy? I know, right?!

*****

The boys’ apartment was simple yet pleasing. There were no couches, but there was a large carpet in the living room in front of the TV with throw pillows scattered all over. Troy and Dean had slept on that very same carpet countless of times and now, it was Jordan’s time.

George gave him a blanket and pointed the kitchen, the one bathroom that everyone shared and the small cabinet where he could put his things. There was no need for tours because the apartment was a three-bedroom one without any extravagance.

“I hope you can be comfortable,” George told him before she joined Jackie and Dannie in the kitchen to prepare dinner.

She watched Jordan from the corner of her eye as he carried his bag to the cabinet and started loading it with clothes. When he was done, she returned to her work slicing an onion as Dannie hustled in front of the stove while Jackie prepared the table.

“You need help?” she heard Jordan ask behind her.

“It’s okay. You can watch some TV is you want,” she offered.

“And feel free to open to fridge. Feel at home here,” Dannie told him.

“We don’t like to serve visitors a lot. We’d prefer if they feel at home and help themselves,” Jackie added. “But we do the cooking for now. You can do the cooking tomorrow evening.”

Jordan gulped. “Cooking?”

George shook her head. “She’s not serious--”

“Of course, I am. Dean cooks here. And so does Troy and Miguel and Lee, right? It would not be a long time before Jam does that, too.”

George threw Jackie a look.

A curious look was on Jordan’s face, but he did voice out his curiosity. “I should just probably work on something,” he said after an awkward moment of standing in the middle of the kitchen.

“Okay,” the boys answered, focused on their work.

*****

George made sure that everyone was asleep before she slipped out of her bedroom. Jordan was hunched near the wall, throw pillows surrounding him. She tiptoed her way to the front door and slipped out without a sound.

The night was quiet and she almost wanted the time to stop.

This would be enough for her. The quiet, the cool wind and the night sky.

She could live like this. If only Jordan was not sleeping inside the apartment. If only she did not have to worry about a stupid engagement and wedding. This was enough.

She turned her head and saw Jam’s motorcycle parked outside his apartment. His lights were off.

George walked toward Toto and took out the keys.

*****

I knew we were going for another night out again.

Whenever Georgie was bothered about something, she’d go for a drive during the night and it had been happening lately.

She had not done this while we were in Ayala so I was pretty sure she really needed this.

I guess I have to leave for a while, Vicky, I told Vicky as Georgie started me up.

And then it happened.

Why the hell did it happen?!

I heard Vicky moan in pain and I felt sorry for her.

Georgie must have forgotten she was parked too close behind me that she stepped on the break too late. Before we knew it, my rear end sort of bumped against Vicky’s bumper.

“Shit!” Georgie cursed under her breath as she turned the gear and maneuvered me away from Vicky. She then stopped on my break and he pulled on my hand break once more and climbed out.

Any big damage? Vicky, are you okay? Talk to me, Vicky. Don’t go Beatle on me again. That guy did not talk to me for weeks when Jackie stabbed his rear tire. You know this was an accident, right? I barely heard anything so I am sure there is nothing much to worry about.

Georgie was bent in front of Vicky who was telling me that she felt okay, just a little sore. She said that it was just a scratch.

“Sorry,” Georgie told her.

Can you forgive her? She’s awesome, you know. She’ll take care of you. She doesn’t get into a lot of accident, I lied to Vicky. Georgie was the most accident-prone person I knew.

“I’ll fix you,” Georgie quietly said to Vicky.

Did you hear that? She’s going to fix you! So stay cool, Vicky. Everything’s going to be alright.

*****

What Georgie meant when she said she’d fix Vicky was going on a drive to a nearby convenience store to buy a black nail polish.

Vicky was almost sent me to hell with the explicit words she threw me when she realized what Georgie meant to do with her.

But Georgie was not hearing both of us as we cried, “NO!” because she opened the black nail polish and painted the one-line scratch on Vicky’s bumper.

Jordan might kill you for this, you know, I told her as she stepped back to check on her work.

With the night light, the scratch was not visible. But who could say the same thing when daylight came, right?

“That’s good enough,” Georgie said, shrugging her shoulder. “Let’s go for a drive next time, Toto,” she reassured me before she returned inside the apartment.

Vicky was no longer talking to me. She was muttering to herself about what her fellow BMW’s would think of her nail-polished bumper.

They would think it’s awesome and innovative. Don’t fret, Vicky.

Again, Vicky sent me to hell with her words of accusations. I had been through this before and I knew how to handle it. Like most cool guys, I pretended to fall asleep.

*****

The next morning, Vicky was still not talking to me even after I told her that there was no sign of any scratch on her bumper. The nail polish was not even visible!

When she continued to ignore me, I gave up all efforts. Women!

Jordan came out and checked on Vicky like Georgie did to me back in his place.

My rusty, engine of a heart almost hammered when he stopped in front of Vicky’s hood.

She was telling the guy she had a scratch on her bumper and that Georgie did it.

It was one of the rarely moments when I was grateful that no human being could hear us.

Just quit it, Vicky. It’s not like you are going to die. And you’re not joining a freaking car show anyway so what’s with the whining?

Thankfully, Jordan did not notice the scratch or the nail polish that covered it.

He was dressed in jeans and brown walking shoes and a simple black-and-white stripe shirt. It was a great improvement from yesterday’s incredulous outfit.

“Hey,” Jam’s voice called from his door.

Jordan frowned at him but nodded to return his greeting. The guy was naked on top except for a pair of cargo shorts and the tattoos on both his arms and the one on his chest was in full display. His hair was tousled and he was obviously just out of bed. A camera was hanging around his neck.

“Good light this morning. I decided to practice some shots,” Jam told Jordan conversationally.

Gosh, the two of you are like heaven and earth, chocolate and vanilla, mountain and ocean, north and south, east and west, etcetera. In short, you are total opposites, dudes. Total opposites. Team Ja for the win!

“You friends with the boys?” asked Jam.

“Boys?”

“The girls,” Jam grinned, showing his perfect teeth. Golly, the guy was handsome and from a real man like me saying that, it was a great compliment.

“You call them boys?”

Jam laughed. “I actually only found out about that two weeks ago, I think. Their friends told me they are commonly known collectively as the boys.”

Jordan just nodded, his face still without expression.

“So, you friends with them?”

“I know Georgina.”

“George?”

“Yeah,” Jordan nodded, a frown starting to form. He did not like this conversation. I would bet all my metallic parts on that.

Jam appeared to wait for Jordan to explain further but when that did not happen, he asked tried another approach. “You’re her brother?”

That brought a snort out of Jordan. “No, not her brother.”

“Her cousin?”

Jordan shook his head and turned to the direction of the boys’ apartment door.

Yeah, where are they? What’s taking them so long? They better get out and rescue Jordan because it seems like he is dying here!

“Then you are…?”

Irritation flashed across Jordan’s unappealing face. “I am her fiancé,” he snapped at Jam, enough for us to hear.

Vicky’s scratched bumper almost dropped, my headlights almost jumped out and Jam took a step back in surprise.

No one expected that.

What the hell made you say that, man?!