Chapter One

"Hello, Jake. Mr. Chi is on line three. And Grandma Esme is on line one." Irma, his personal assistant, knew which call he would accept first. Always his grandmother. Her boss was gentle as a lamb to the old woman.

"Kindly put Mr. Chi to Ferdie while I talk to Grandma," he instructed without hesitation.

"Yes, sir."Jake pressed the correct button while glancing at his wristwatch. He had more than an hour to go to the airport.

"Hello, Grandma. How are you today?"

"Hello, Jacob! I'm fine but I'm afraid our caretaker is not." She paused for a moment. "Old Steve's cough has worsened."Manong Steve looked after the ancestral house on the hill for the last eighteen years. It used to be the home of his grandparents. After his grandfather died, Jake had persuaded his grandmother to live in the city.

"Tell Manong Steve to send his substitute." Jake pressed the loudspeaker so he could use both hands. He arranged the papers before putting them on the briefcase.

"Romy and Noel are both unavailable." Her voice sounded forlorn.

"I'll tell Ferdie to find a house-sitter. Don't worry." Jake closed his briefcase with satisfaction. Everything was complete. He was ready to go. "Two male temporary employees to work while Manong Steve is incapacitated." He made a note on his phone.

The house was full of antiques. Although they hired professional cleaners for the furniture, the place needed a house-sitter who would take care of the lights. Grandma Esme wanted the house looked lived in even though they both visited only on odd weekends.

"Thank you, Jacob! Oh, I almost forgot. What time is your flight?" Grandma Esme seemed cheerful after he offered the solution to her problem.

"Three hours from now.""Okay. I'll let you go now. Call me when you reached China. Goodbye!"

"I'll do that. Bye, Grandma!" Jake pressed the intercom. "Irma, is Mr. Chi still on line three?"

"He's gone. Mr. Chi just wishes you a safe trip. He said they will be waiting for you at the Long Chi Minh Estate."

"Did you call Sonya?" Jake was shrugging his wide shoulders into the gray blazer of his business suit.

"Um, I called her cellphone number many times but still got no answer."

"She wants me to fetch her at the condo unit," Jake guessed matter-of-factly. Sonya Escudero had her last chance to accompany him on this trip. "But I don't have time. I'll be in touch. Be gone for three days. Bye!"

"Attorney Borromeo is in the parking lot."

"I'll meet him there. Bye!" Jake texted the note he made about the temporary house-sitters.

* * *

It was one of the many Sundays afternoon. Lilac visited her friend, Pia, and daughter, Mari Luane. She played with her goddaughter and talked about general issues.

"By the way, have you found a new job?" Pia knew Lilac's contract as supermarket cashier had ended.

"I'm still looking." Lilac admitted calmly. She hid the fact that she was getting desperate. The small amount she set aside for job-hunting was fast depleting. She didn't want to withdraw from her savings as much as possible.

"A house near to ours is looking for a house-sitter..." Pia spoke hesitantly.

"But..." Lilac waited, with her brows arched upwards, for the other shoe to drop.

"We'll just go there. Let's speak to Mrs. Mendez." While speaking, Pia was looking at her critically.

"What are you looking at?" Lilac was feeling uncomfortable, still waiting for something.

"You'll do," Pia said enigmatically, after a pause. "But to be extra-careful, you must wear this." She lifted her blouse and showed the wrap girdle she wore.

"What for?" was the perplexed reply. Her abdomen was too flat. Even her breasts were small and almost non-existent. That was why she was fond of wearing loose shirts and polos.

"Okay." Her friend sighed before telling the truth. "They are looking for a male house-sitter. But I'm sure you'll pass to be male—"

"No, no, no. I don't think I'll pass!" Lilac was quick to understand that she had to pretend.

"Listen! The worse thing to happen is someone will blow your cover! You apply first! Okay?" Pia was insistent and seemed determined.

"Ssh! Baby Luane will wake up!" Lilac hushed her excited friend.

"Come!" The mother glanced at the baby affectionately before pulling at Lilac's arm. They went to Pia's bedroom. The nursery was at the adjoining room.

"Wear this—here." Pia wrapped around the girdle around Lilac's chest. "See?" She made Lilac look at the mirror sideways. Her small boobs practically disappeared on silhouette.

"But..." Lilac stared at herself on the mirror, hesitating. With her short hair, she could be a teenage boy.

"The job is a lonely one. Nobody wants to apply." Pia spoke quickly. She turned Lilac this way and that way. Lilac wore an over-sized checkered polo. "We'll trim your hair a bit." Pia was busily setting up the electric razor.

Lilac didn't protest anymore. The job opportunity was knocking at her door.

"Do you know Mrs. Mendez?" She asked while Pia was driving the car. The nanny was taking care of the sleeping baby at the house they left behind.

"Yes. She is a kind soul. We sometimes see each other at the chapel. Mrs. Mendez mentioned last Sunday that their old caretaker fell ill. And that she needed a house-sitter—pronto."

"I'm nervous." Lilac inhaled deeply.

"Just relax, Lilac. Let me do the talking. Just be yourself. Don't talk much. Don't smile. I mean, just a bit only. Okay?" Pia gave her a wide smile, meaning to reassure her. "You always have a sweet smile so don't smile. Just--grin!"

"We're going to deceive an old woman." Lilac reminded herself and Pia.

"We meant no harm. They need a house-sitter, you need a job. Work both ways. Just don't waste your chance, Lilo. By the way, you shall be Lilo dela Cruz!" That was the end of argument. Pia remained focused on her driving.

The road became steep and narrow as they climbed up. When they reached the top, a low wide house stood majestically up on the hill. Solid low walls with grills surrounded the sprawling structure. The house and the wall fence were painted a magnificent white. Fruit trees and flowering plants were everywhere.

Lilac breath swooshed. She could feel her heart beating profusely. Her palms became slippery with sweat. She fell in love with a house!

The look of adoration must have registered on her face. Her feelings must have shown by her body language because Mrs. Mendez seemed impressed. She looked around in awe. She touched an antique like it was a child. Delicate and fragile.

"Oh, you love antiques!" Mrs. Mendez observed excitedly.

"We love all beautiful things, Mrs. Mendez! Lilo will take good care of your antiques," Pia spoke reassuringly.

"Lilo is young but he loves antiques!" The old woman nodded.

"Y-yes, ma'am." Lilac answered with honesty even if her eyes couldn't look straight.

"I trust Mrs. Nagasaki. She spoke highly of you so you are hired."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mendez!" Pia said while smiling and shaking hands. She bobbed her head while speaking.

"Thank you, too, Mrs. Nagasaki." The old woman smiled widely.

Lilac bowed her head and said formally, "Thank you, ma'am."

She showed her gratefulness by cleaning and dusting the antiques delicately. She also took care of the plants even though there was a gardener, who arrived every morning to water them.

Her favorite time of the day was during sunsets. She often walked a kilometer or two, then retrace her steps to observe the house from afar. When she first arrived, the sun was just about to get to sleep. She often watched its slow descent from the colorful skies, so unlike her own world.

Her life had been a never-ending struggle. Lilac was content to live alone with the antiques, the trees, the flowering plants, and at the house on the hill.

* * *

"Hello, Jacob! I've found a house-sitter at last! I don't have to worry when I fly to Davao." Grandma Esme gushed at the telephone.

"You hired only one?" Jake took a break from arranging the presentation materials. He strolled towards the window and looked out to the pristine beach. He could picture in his mind the little villas that would sprout once the development started.

"We're lucky to have this one. The others complain that it's very lonely at the ancestral house after staying for just one or two days!"

"And you're sure that this one will stay longer?" Jake went back to sit down on the leather chair and put up his feet on one corner of the office table. He rested his neck at the head rest. This deal had been going on for months.

The Long Chi Minh Estate was more than ten thousand acres of underdeveloped land and seashore. There was only one hotel in the property, a large two-storey mansion with twenty rooms and twenty-three and a half bathrooms. There were two dining areas, one al fresco around the pool area and one inside the wide dining room.

Jake had seen nothing to change in the hotel. The service was impeccable. The surroundings quiet and serene. The place was perfect for those people looking for solitude and retreat. They offered privacy and seclusion to the max because there were only two entries to the property. One was through the small airport and the other one was through the small port. Cruise ships were allowed to stop by but only the small boats could come near the shore.

"Lilo has been living there for a week!"

"Then he is there to stay until Manong Steve is okay?" Jake had been half-listening to his grandmother.

"I hope so. I shall fly to Davao this week. How long are you there?"

"My presentation will finish tomorrow. I shall go home right after that."

"So we will see each other before I go? Bye for now, Jacob!"

"Okay, bye, Grandma!" Jake straightened from his sitting form slowly. He was mulling something in his mind.

Last night, Mr. Chi had spoken that they would consider those bidders who were happily married. The information was relayed jokingly but the expression was seriously bland.

"With or without children. The keyword is happy," the Chinese said enigmatically.

"You must propose to Sonya!" Ferdie urged insistently. Jake called him after the bidders' meeting. "She will jump to marry you!"

"She will jump, but will I? Sonya acts like a spoiled brat and a rich girl. I'm not sure Mr. Chi would like her."

"Mr. Chi would like her very much. She's pretty and she has large followers in social media!"

Jake rolled his eyes. "I'll think about it. Goodnight, Ferdie." He did think about it. He had a stable company and his grandmother had been hounding him to marry.

"I guess I'll marry you, Sonya." Jake said it aloud. "I'll marry Sonya." He said it again. When he felt no distaste with the idea, he went straight to Sonya when the airplane landed in the Philippines and propose to her right away.

As Ferdie predicted, she shrieked while jumping up and down. She kissed him on both cheeks and smacked him on the mouth. Then remembering her poise, Sonya quietened a bit and held out her hand to him.

"Where's my ring?" she demanded shrilly.

"I haven't shop for a ring. I went straight here from the airport."

"Oh, okay. Where shall we eat?"Jake felt tired and sticky. He wanted to take a hot shower and a hot woman to bed.

"Wait a sec. I'll just take a shower." He winked while taking off his blazer.

"Oh, would you rather eat dinner here? Shall I place a take-out order to a restaurant?"

"Yes. Order what you like." Jake showered quickly. He found Sonya speaking on the telephone.

"Have you ordered food?" He said while kissing her neck from behind.Sonya shrieked silently. She wriggled herself away from his wet embrace.

"You're wet," she mouthed then spoke loudly. "I'll call you again, amiga. He just came out of the shower." Jake's fingers unzipped the midi-dress she was wearing. He found the front hook of the bra without difficulty.

"You're in a hurry, lover boy," she purred throatily. Sonya didn't do lip-kissing, which was fine with him because she smoked. She didn't like it when he caressed her breasts because they were sensitive. He was allowed to do necking and fondling her private parts. She would touch him intimately while suggesting to him carnal positions. Sometimes, he would listen to her and do the suggestions but not tonight.

"Not tonight. I'm too horny," he grunted impatiently while he put on a condom.He took her when he felt her wetness. They did the act for about an hour. He was satiated afterwards but rolled away to get up.

"I haven't slept for quite some time. I'd like to go home. I'll see you tomorrow." He pulled on his discarded pants. He still felt tired and sticky but he would take another shower at his penthouse.

"What about dinner?"

"Can you cancel it?"

Sonya pouted prettily. "Of course not."

"Call a friend." He pulled a few large bills from his wallet and laid them on the coffee table.

"Bye!"

"Bye!" Sonya sounded cheerful as she clutched the money to her chest. He was absently astonished at the speed she grabbed the money.

In the morning, Ferdie called him. "Congratulations, Jake!"

"What for?" Jake was not yet fully awake.

"Congratulations to your upcoming wedding to Sonya Escudero!"

"Hey, I haven't called you! Where did you learn that?" He was out of bed now but his voice was still muffled.

"I read it at--"

"Wait a sec! I have an incoming call from Grandma." Jake pushed the on-hold button then accepted his grandmother's call.

"Hello, Jacob! I read from my Facebook account about your marriage to Sonya. I'm happy for you." The greeting sounded unenthusiastic.

"Why are you sad?" Jake asked her straightforward.

"I like Sonya. She's good to look at..."

"But--?"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be a good wife for you," Grandma replied forlornly. "Will you bring her at the ancestral house? I'm staying in Davao until Mattie's birthday and our flight is tomorrow morning." Grandma Mattie's birthday was next month.

"Of course. I'll bring Sonya with me. Expect us right after lunch," Jake agreed reluctantly. He didn't actively seek out his grandmother's approval but faced with her lack of good opinion he started to have second thoughts.

Propose in haste, repent at leisure...

Jake shouldn't act impulsively but he was marrying because of business. He didn't love Sonya. He felt affection and a healthy sexual attraction. And sex was the most important ingredient for him.

"Hello, Ferdie," he greeted his friend once again. "Do you have appointments this afternoon?"

"Wait! I'll check my book. Ah, there's none. Why?"

"Will you accompany us, Sonya and I?"

"To buy a ring?" Ferdie guessed inaccurately.

"Blast! The ring! Okay, we'll buy a ring first. You go on ahead to the ancestral house. We'll follow."

The morning started to deteriorate when Sonya refused all the rings at the jewelry stores. Jake didn't find any fault to all the solitaires. Each one was expensive but Sonya had a preference of her own.

"I want a Tiffany solitaire. And I want to buy it in New York." Her shrill voice was adamant.

"I don't want to go to New York just to buy a ring," Jake gritted between his teeth. "If you like, I could buy your ring next time I'm in China."

"In China? Not in Hongkong?" Sonya sneered. "Do you abhor shopping, Jake?"

"I abhor senseless shopping, Sonya," Jake agreed quickly. "Now, just say yes or no."

"Okay. At Paris. We can go there this weekend. There's a Tiffany there, too."

"I have no business in Paris, too." Jake took an effort to lighten his voice. "Grandma Esme is waiting at the ancestral house. We should be going."

Sonya stomped her long foot. "I want my solitaire ring from Paris!"

"Then you just have to wait," he relented grudgingly. "We could buy your ring--and necklace-- after my series of presentations," he finished cajolingly. Sonya with her tantrums was not a good sight to see. Grandma Esme would be stressed.

"Oh, Jake darling! I love you when you say that. And the earrings? Or the bracelet?" Sonya was purring like a kitten. Her change of mood was instant. Jake didn't answer. He shook his head with relief. He led the way to his car.

"Say you will buy me a diamond bracelet, if not the earrings." Sonya nagged him incessantly while he was driving. "Oh, I love to have a pair or two of shoes from Paris. My friends will be envious!" He made non-committal answers to all of her suggestions. He wanted to keep his cool although he was seriously regretting this engagement. It was just yesterday while he was suffering from jetlag!

At last, they arrived at the ancestral house. Ferdie was already there. He accompanied Grandma Esme on greeting them by the entrance.