Chapter 2 The Meeting

"I need to get away. Please. . . I have to do this or else I will be miserable for the rest of my life."

"Sometimes you have to sacrifice for the sake of your family. I love you, you are my daughter. You deserve a good life but we can no longer provide you with that."

"Mother, there will be another way. I will do anything for our family, but please... not this!"

"I'm sorry. Your father and I already agreed on this. The wedding is on tomorrow evening. That is final."

She left my room and I felt desolation and fear. Fear of not knowing how to overcome this struggle. I am on my own.

Remembering my last conversation with my mother two nights ago. The mother who raised me for 21 years and taught me the meaning of life and love. I felt pain and tears threatened to fall.

There are things that money can buy, but not my happiness. I can come up with a solution to our problem. I have to. I need to. Oh God, please I desperately need your intervention right now.

As I ponder on this, I heard a loud boom. The building shook. I heard a loud shriek from the kitchen of the cafe I was in.

I quickly got out of the cafe. ?I was running when I felt the air left my lungs and a strong force propelled me into the air, towards something hard and muscular.

"What the fuck!"

I heard the sultry voice of the person who caught me and steadied me, before blackness engulfed me.

Lance

Something or rather someone was thrown into me. I almost got out of balance, thank goodness for my athletic stance, I was able to catch her without falling.

A loud explosion, the noise reverberated over the town as efficiently as a thunder clap and by now the police department's finest would be on their way, siren's blazing.

I had no time to search for the cause of the explosion. I felt her went limp.

"Miss! Wake up! We have to go somewhere safe! Oh crap! I don't need this now!"

Seeing that she was knocked out, I carried her bridal style and proceeded to search for cover.

By then, debris was falling out from the building of the café where I was supposed to meet a client. Smoke started to show. So I ran away with her in my arms.

I was supposed to meet a client before I head out of town. I have been working on this deal for months and my breakup with my ex should not be a hindrance to my business. Good thing that the client I was meeting was usually late, or else I would have more than I can take on my now full plate of problems.

My flight to the Philippines was supposed to be in an hour but I was still here at my Penthouse waiting for this certain someone to wake up. I already called my doctor friend to check on her. He said she would be fine and was just slightly shaken up.

I was intrigued by her. She looked so fragile and serene while she slept. I have been looking at her for the past 30 minutes and I think I have memorized her features.

She is pretty. Well, pretty is an understatement. I think she looks captivatingly beautiful. Her heart shaped face, her well defined brows and nose, her soft looking skin and her lips. God, those lips! I wonder how that would taste.

"Damnation! What am I thinking? I may be losing my mind." I was silently scolding myself when she opened her eyes.

Her honey brown eyes that made my heart jump. She looked at me, blinked several times as if in awe then replaced with fear as she probably realized that I am a stranger. She looked around the room before staring back at me.

I may look like an idiot as I think I have been so openly staring at her. I had to mask my emotions as she is causing turmoil on my brain. I was confident I did not hit my head. Now I'm not so sure.

"Where am I? What happened? Who are you?" she asked.

"At my penthouse. You were thrown into me at the cafe. I am Lance Montgomery. What's your name?" I was still looking at her eyes, but then she looked away.

"Thank you for saving me. I am. . . "

Suddenly she was silent. Oh God, please don't tell me she forgot who she was! I have so much to worry about.

Cassandra

I feel strange. I feel someone is staring at me and I have to open my eyes. I heard a voice whispering something. That voice. I opened my eyes and I think I was suddenly out of breath.

He is the most handsome man I have ever seen. Well, it probably is the first description I can think of as I am very disoriented. I feel like having an adrenaline rush.

I realized I have been so engrossed with his gorgeous features that I momentarily forget where I am and what happened.

"Where am I? What happened? Who are you?"

"At my penthouse. You were thrown into me at the cafe. I am Lance Montgomery. What's your name?" He replied.

Oh God, why does that voice have to sound so sexy? I had to look away from our eye contact or else I will be turned into a puddle.

"Thank you for saving me. I am. . . " I was about to tell him my name when an idea popped into my now semi functioning mind.

"I am Cassie Nueva."

He looked relieved when I answered. I wonder why is that?

"Sorry to intrude on your privacy and to be a burden but I have to ask you a huge favor." I nervously continued.

"And what would that huge favor be?" He asked and I almost run out of the room from my nervousness and fear of rejection.

"I am wondering if probably I could stay here for a while. I will work for my stay. I can do your house chores. Wash the laundry. Cook your meals. Mow your lawn. Clean. . ." I was blabbering on when he raised his hands to stop me from talking.

"I don't have a lawn. This is a Penthouse. And, why would I do that?"

"Well, because. . ."

Well, that is a good question. I am out of words. My university degree and numerous academic awards cannot help my brain function now.

"I am. . ." Crap!

"I have a proposal." And I had to look back at him who is intensely staring at me.

"What?"

"Accompany me on my vacation, pretend to be my girlfriend and we will see from then."

I almost choked on my saliva when I heard his proposal.

Think Cassie! This is your chance to escape. You have limited funds. You are out of options. You need to get away. Soon they will trace you and you cannot let that happen.

"I don't have all day Cassie."

His voice got me out of my reverie and I had no choice but to answer.

"Yes."

I took the risk. And I have never felt so excited and scared at the same time.

***

Lance can be described as cold, calculating, manipulative and intelligent... but never impulsive. He never made a decision without thinking of the repercussions and effect that it may result to.

That was until Cassie who was sleeping beside him. He unbuckled his seat belt and hers as well. He carried her to the plane's cabin so she can sleep more comfortably. He laid her gently on the bed before returning to his seat.

He was not sure what happened to him at his Penthouse, but the moment he saw the worry and fear in her eyes, he wanted to protect her. He wanted to shield her from anything and anyone that may hurt her.

He had never felt so protective of anyone. Not even Lindsay who have been with him for years. But just one look at Cassie's expressive eyes and his mind and emotions goes haywire.

They were on his private jet to his secluded Island in Zambales. He secretly bought this two years ago to be his sanctuary. They had just finished construction of the rest house and private resort. Nobody knew he have this property and this is what he needs.

To escape the gossips and rumors about his failed engagement. To forget the hurt from the betrayal of the only person whom he thought could never make him feel worthless and unhappy. Lindsay.

They were happy. Or he believed they were. Their story is very simple. They have been friends during high school. They knew everything about each other. Or he thought he knew everything about her.

Their friendship is what made them start dating. They were tired of telling each other their break up stories from their relationships. ?So they agreed to give it a try with each other. They clicked because they are both sensible. Never jealous. Always cool with each other's individual journey in life.

They have been together for six years excluding the time that they were still friends. They were each other's first in everything, well except the sex thing.

Lindsay and Lance were the perfect couple. They do not argue, they discuss their issues rationally without raising each other's voice. They never had a disagreement in their six years of dating. Perhaps because they rarely see each other. They were both busy with work. Lindsay being a Runway model and constantly travelling while he is also caught up with his company.

The quality time they have is during phone conversations and weekly video calls. Everything they do was planned. They have to fit their relationship into their hectic schedule.

Six months ago, he was put in a compromising situation where his grandparents, the grandparents that took care of him when his parents died, asked him when he will settle down. He was not paying attention that he responded with "Soon."

And so the planning began without the proper proposal.

His grandparents were excited that finally He will be settling down. He had been so busy with work that only their monthly dinner at their ancestral home was their avenue to catch up. He had no choice but to push through with the "proposal".

He called Lindsay and asked her to have dinner with him. He flew to Paris just to see her.

No surprises, just a simple proposal during dinner and she accepted. He thought he was happy. He felt comfortable, yes, but happy? Now he wonders. Their agreed marriage now sounded like a business agreement, not a lifelong commitment.

Lindsay agreed to be his wife but she will not bear him a child until after 3 years. That is one of the conditions that they agreed to since she still has her modeling contract. He also stipulated that they would have a prenuptial agreement so both their interests would be protected. They agreed to have only one child since they are both busy with their careers and raising a child might be a problem.

Now, while he was remembering that night where they seemed to plan their future, he cannot help but feel disappointed with himself. That was not planning their future. That was merely an agreement to their terms to get married.

He is now starting to doubt whether he wanted to get married before or he just wanted to prove a point to his grandparents. That he can settle down and raise a family.

He is starting to see that his relationship with Lindsay is nothing more but a convenient and programmed commitment. They were very comfortable with each other but there was no chemistry.

He is not a romantic. He is a very sensible guy who values his time. And time with Lindsay was always calculated. Always planned. No spontaneity. Maybe that is what drove her to do what she did. Sad as it may seem but he is now starting to feel that he is not worthy to be loved by anyone.

He is now hurting because of his bruised ego and not his failed relationship.

His heart is not capable of loving anyone anymore. He need to find out how to love. Maybe when he does, the heaviness he is feeling may be lifted and be replaced with the real happiness he once had.

He was in deep thought and did not notice Cassie who was concernedly looking at him from the hallway of the plane.