ARRANGEMENT

CHAPTER 2: Path to Change

Knowing how serious his grandfather was with his words, Andrew’s response was, “You don’t have to take drastic measures, Lolo. I will already stop sleeping around and night clubbing. But as for settling down, I still have to think things over if I am really meant for that. Perhaps if I met the right woman, then I might consider it. That’s a promise,” and then expressed cheekily, “So don’t be mad anymore. It is Baby Matt’s first birthday and then Meg is also pregnant with their second baby. Ashley is even considering going on a date. I will already stop my playboy ways. Just spare me those blind dates or matchmaking, please.”

Lolo Augusto replied, “Sure, but if you don’t live up to your promise, I will really freeze all your assets and curtail your freedom. I am not joking, Andrew.”

Andrew admitted, “I know you are serious, Lolo. I will already stop, so please don’t freeze all my assets and also don’t curtail my freedom.”

Lolo Augusto then dismissed him, “Okay. You may go now.”

But his father had a few more words to say, “Well, before you leave, answer my question first. What can you say about Katherine Melendez?”

He gave his honest opinion, “She is nice. She is Ashley’s best friend after all. Why are you asking, Dad?”

His father just said, “I am just merely asking. You may now go.”

When Andrew left, Lolo Augusto and Daddy Antonio had this conversation.

Augusto asked his son, “Do you think he will already stop?”

Antonio answered his father, “Yes, I think so, Papa.”

Augusto then asked about Ashley’s best friend, “So what about Katherine Melendez?”

Antonio then said, “Well, Kat is from a decent family. Although she is a bit on the rebellious side, she has managed to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in art history and visual culture. She might just come from a broken engagement from her rich half Filipino half Canadian fiancé, but I think she is not a bad choice for Andrew. She might not be the chaste type like Meg, but she really seems like a nice lady. She won’t get along well with Ashley if she is not. She gets along with Drew. She also knows a lot about him.”

Augusto then inquired, “So how rebellious is she?”

Antonio expounded, “Well, being the youngest among the four offspring of Julio and Dessa Melendez, she has lived a little carefree life. She was sent to Julio’s parents in Canada just so they could somehow discipline her and lead her to the right path. She did well and even got engaged. But Julio and Dessa, a little worried about her, wanted her to settle down already. They even suggested that she work for their publishing company and go out on blind dates. She didn’t like either. Even if they threatened to cut her off financially, she did not budge. She moved out, spending her own personal savings to lease Ashley’s vacated studio unit in Monarch Tower, situated next to that studio unit where Drew stays if he does not come home here. Ashley recommended her for a part-time teaching job in Athenaeum as well as for the position of Deputy Curator for the new art gallery established by Marcus and Hazel. She seems to be doing well. Well, she didn’t get to experience the lavish lifestyle that she used to enjoy. No credit cards. No monthly allowance. No car. No expensive clothes, shoes and bags. But I believe she is surviving and happy to be free of her parents’ control.”

Augusto’s reaction was, “Admirable indeed! But then we cannot force love. They both seem to have a bad experience with love. So let us just wait and see what will happen. As you say, they just live next door to each other. Plus, Ashley always invites her here. With our ultimatum already set, Andrew would be able to appreciate other women around him much more seriously. He would think twice about flirting and just sleeping around from now on or else the brakes would be stepped on.”

Antonio was hopeful, “I really hope this plan will work out, Papa.”

Augusto said, “Well, it was Ric’s suggestion for us to be firm yet still give Drew some sense of control of his life. We are not even pressuring him to get married anymore. I believe Ric also wants his brother to find love. Drew will only be able to do that if we put a stop to his playboy ways. So I thought of these drastic measures.”

Andrew then approached Alaric who was swaying the already sleepy Baby Matt, who was resting his chin on Alaric’s left shoulder, while the female elders and Megan were moving around to accommodate and talk to their guests.

Alaric asked his brother lightheartedly, but still very much concerned, “So what did the head master and the vice head master say?”

Andrew said, “They are not pressuring me to get married anymore, but they want my playboy days to end or else Lolo will freeze all my assets and curtail my freedom. My life will then just be work and home if I don’t follow the orders.”

Alaric inquired, “And what did you say?”

Andrew sighed, “Well, I think they just mean well. My bad image is somehow not good for the family’s reputation. So I will stop sleeping around and nightclubbing,” and then said, “So expect me to hang around more at your place for some food and wine.”

Alaric replied, “You are always welcome in our home,” and then asked, “Have you even eaten yet? Nanay Maia reserved your favorite Calamari and Beef Ribs Caldereta.

Andrew answered, “Not yet.”

Alaric instructed, “Then go to the kitchen and ask Manang Elma for your favorites to be served."

Andrew then did. He then joined the table of Ashley and Katherine, while a housemaid had followed him with the heated Beef Ribs Caldereta, newly deep-fried Calamari, heated Seafood Chopseuy, newly grilled Stuffed Squid, and then newly steamed white rice.

Ashley then reacted, “So you got your favorites again, huh!”

Andrew bantered, “What can I say?! I am Nanay Maia’s favorite adopted son.”

Ashley was then about to get a piece of Calamari but Andrew playfully tapped his younger sister’s hand, “Ask Manang Elma to cook you some more.”

But another housemaid had already followed and served them additional dishes like Calamari, Grilled Stuffed Squid, Baked Oysters with Cheese and Garlic, Crispy Buffalo Wings, Seafood Kare-Kare, Lumpiang Sariwa with Fresh Lumpia Wrapper.

Katherine exclaimed, “Wow, they all looked so yummy.”

Andrew said, “Then dive in, Kat, before our cousins and nephews joined us at this table. It is almost dinner time. Most of the guests have already left except for the closest relatives."

Ashley also encouraged her best friend, “Eat all you can here, Kat. Don’t be shy. You are like a family too. You are like a sister to me.”

So Katherine ate, tasting the Calamari first, “Oh, this tastes great!”

Andrew shared, “That is why it is my favorite! But honestly, everything is just good.”

In between bites, Ashley then asked her second older brother, “So what is the verdict of the Principal and Vice Principal?”

Andrew answered, “Drastic measures if I don’t change my ways.”

Katherine asked, “What do you mean by drastic measures?”

Ashley said, “Well, having no freedom at all. He will still enjoy the luxurious life, but he cannot spend his own money on his own and he will just be confined to work and home. I have been grounded before because I had a fender bender. I didn’t get to experience the drastic measures, but I did receive some disciplinary actions.”

Andrew expounded, “She did get to drive for more than half a year. She had to be home before 8 PM unless she was with the elders. But she could still enjoy hanging out with friends and still spend her allowance.”

Katherine reacted, sharing “My first few months in Toronto were kind of like that. Lolo and Lola were strict. They only became less interfering when I had my own place near the university campus and eventually had a rich boyfriend that they highly approved of.”

Andrew then added, “Anyway, no more sleeping around and nightclubbing for me. But they are not pressuring me to settle down anymore. They will also not subject me to any blind dates because no one seems to be interested because of my playboy image.”

Ashley then asked his brother, “Can you do it? You have always been sexually active.”

Andrew said, “I am not really very sexually active despite my playboy image, Ash. Yeah, I have always been seen surrounded by lots of women whenever I go night clubbing, but not all of them end up with s*x. Though I must admit I had a number of steamy one-night stands. I am just a man with carnal needs after all. And I only sleep around with no strings attached.”

Ashley then asked, “Including that of Madeline?”

Andrew stated, “She came to me first with an ulterior motive. So I just go with the flow and let her believe she was able to get me wrapped around her finger. I knew she meant trouble so I just gave her a dose of her own medicine.”

Katherine’s reaction was, “Kuya Floyd is a cousin of mine from both our mother’s sides. He and his wife seemed very in love.”

Ashley said, “Well, she used to be so obsessed with Kuya Ric, to the point of even thinking of ending Ate Meg’s life. She just had a change of heart when Cecilia Siazon paid for all the crimes that she did. She realized she needed to have contentment. Kuya Floyd also treats her very nicely. So she just learned to let go of her obsession with Kuya Ric and started to appreciate the love and devotion of her husband towards her.”

Katherine expressed, “Guess I really missed a lot of things during my years of absence.”

Andrew told her, “Well, you are back now. So don’t just focus on your work. Also, go out every once in a while.”

Katherine responded, “Ashley and I hang around. I don’t work during weekends. But as for the night life, I think I am not for it anymore. I will be twenty-six soon. I also need to earn a living to sustain my life free from the control of my parents.”

Andrew said, “But once she already has her boyfriend, then she might not have much time to hang around with you anymore.”

Katherine then said, “Yeah, but that is just fine. For as long as Ash is happy, then I will also be happy for her.”

Andrew stated, “Well, Paolo Robredo is a good man, Ash. Plus, he is genuinely interested in you. He is just a little bit on the nerdy side, but he is sociable. Kuya Ric and I have already sized him up. Aside from a few casual flings during his college days, he had not been into any serious relationships. He had also been focused on his career after graduation. He worked directly under Callix Valderama before deciding to have his own cybersecurity company. Callix has deep respect for Paolo’s coding skills. Paolo always wanted to have his own company and so Callix mentored him and suggested that he focus on cybersecurity because that is the field not yet tapped much by the other tech companies here in the country.”

Katherine was surprised, “So Paolo Robredo is your choice, Ash. Yeah, he is not bad. He is a good friend of my two brothers. He is 28 years old, I think. Ate was her classmate in high school. Although she had a teenage crush on him. It just easily disappeared because Paolo was just so focused on his studies back then. Then she was pursued then by her husband now.”

After dinner and another half an hour just chatting, Katherine had already decided to express her departure.

Katherine said, “It is already 8 PM. I should be going already. I still have an 8 AM class tomorrow.”

Mommy Eloisa then approached them, “Will you be leaving already, Kat?”

Katherine affirmed, “Yes, Tita.”

Mommy Eloisa said, “Then wait for the food packages. I will also ask our Manong Edo to drive you home.”

Andrew then volunteered, “I will just drive her home, Mom. I am on my way there too anyway.”

Mommy Eloisa agreed, “Okay.”

Katherine then said goodbye to everyone. Then she left with Andrew, who even carried the bag of packed food for her, as Ashley walked them up to his car.

Ashley even expressed her last reminder, “Drive safely, Kuya Drew.”

Andrew answered cheekily, “Of course I will do it. I have a pretty passenger,” and then told Katherine, “Fasten your seatbelt please, beautiful lady.”

Katherine did.

On their way, they talked.

Katherine said, “You don’t have to drive me home, Kuya Drew.”

Andrew responded, “Drop the Kuya and just call me Drew, okay? The Kuya just makes me feel old. I do not stay at the mansion often anyway. Although I still get to eat dinner at Kuya’s place often, I prefer sleeping in my studio unit and coming from there going to work in the morning. Less driving. Kuya and Meg used to live there for a while too.”

Katherine then asked, “Why then you just prefer staying in a studio unit?”

Andrew answered, “All my other bigger units there are on long-term lease. The only one vacant is that studio unit. I just need somewhere to sleep anyway. Sometimes I even get to sleep in a hotel if I have a one-night stand.”

Katherine assumed, “So you don’t bring your flings to your studio.”

Andrew affirmed, “Yes. It is my personal space. Lola, Mom, Ash and Manang Elma are the only women who entered it. They also got access to it. Manang Elma and Manong Edo are in-charge of the housekeeping details. I am not like Kuya, who had his personal employees and security personnel even before he got married. He is the first-born son anyway, so the greater responsibilities lie on his shoulders. He wants me to step up more, but just like you, I just want to have a more laid back life. Nonetheless, I do my job well as the Chief Marketing officer. And once Dad retires, I will then have Kuya’s position as COO and be his Deputy CEO. The burden of helming the family business lies more on his shoulders. But he requested me not to slack so he would still get to enjoy quality time with his wife and son.”

Katherine said, “You three siblings seem to be very close.”

He admitted, “True! Kuya always defends me and Ash to our parents whenever we somehow misbehave. But he also does not tolerate our wrong doings. He is a very supportive brother, quite strict, but that is just his way of protecting the family. Even to Meg, he is strict.”

Katherine reacted, “Good thing, she is not complaining.”

He shared, “Meg is kind of used to his personality already. She used to work as an intern for him before she joined the accounting department. Kuya’s strictness also worked perfectly during the times when there was a big threat to Meg’s life. We only found out her true identity when she and Kuya decided to reveal their relationship to the family because Kuya had just been fed up with all the matchmaking dates for several heiresses.”

She acknowledged, “Yeah, Ash already told me the bird’s eye view of Meg’s true family background.”

He further said, “We all felt they were really destined to be together. Meg is the only lady who can make my brother smile except with the exemption of the ladies in our family.”

She expressed, “Yeah. They indeed look so in love with one another.”

He told her, “Oh, they are indeed very sweet and thoughtful to one another. Kuya has given Meg daily presents up to now. And Meg often cooks for Kuya. They always eat together during breakfast and dinner.”

She then said, “Ashley mentioned your ex-girlfriend a while ago when we were talking to your mother.”

He then responded, “That is all in the past now. I have already accepted the fact that not all people can be faithful when in a serious relationship.”

She assumed, “So you just engaged on casual flings.”

He admitted, “Partly. But honestly, I just haven’t encountered someone else yet that can make me be so smitten like my brother towards Meg,” and then asked her, “How about you? Ashley mentioned that you used to be engaged before.”

She acknowledged, “Yeah. That is true! We had two years of friendship, then almost six years of serious relationship. We even lived together after I finished my master’s degree and got engaged. But all of a sudden, I just discovered and experienced his violent tendencies, so I called off the wedding and broke things up between us.”

He concluded, “That is why you are not yet ready to be in another serious relationship?”

She affirmed, “Partly.”

They had reached the parking area of Andrew’s car inside the multi-level parking facility of the building. Andrew even opened up the door for her. Then they entered the elevator. They were just alone in the elevator and the s****l tension was just too high. Perhaps because of all the seafood that they had eaten.

His thoughts were – I have always admired your beauty and personality, even before. But you are my sister's best friend, so I tried not to pursue you. How can I ever resist your charm? You even just live next door.

Her thoughts were – I have been infatuated with you since I was in my teens. Why did you have to volunteer drive me home? You are even the perfect gentleman, just like what you have always been in the past.

The elevator door then opened up on their floor. Her unit was nearer. She punched in the code and then Andrew handed her the paper bag containing all the food. When their fingers touched, they just both felt some sort of sparks. Their eyes locked. And soon, Andrew just pushed the door, as they entered with their lips already tasting each other’s warmth. He even used his foot to shut the door.