A Very Good Place To Start

Cinco

It's not like he's in a hurry. It's a non-serious date just around Salcedo, he doesn't have to hurry at all. But the thing is, it is seven in the evening and he is supposed to meet this girl at around 7:30. Really, it wouldn't have been much of an issue had Lea called to inform him she got held up at work so she can't look after Mason as previously agreed upon. He doesn't mind. But she hasn't called and between the two of them, Lea is the stickler to agreed time and common courtesy (especially if you are important to her and he is sure he ranks pretty high up in her list).

He is worried.

Lea is practically married to her work. The reason why she has a room in Ian's condo is because she finds it more convenient to crash there than drive to Forbes when she gets out of the office in the wee hours of the morning. That woman never turns her phone off just in case something important comes up so for her to not answer his call or send him a message is a glaring tell-tale sign that something is wrong.

And when something is wrong with her, she doesn't have to tell him anything to get him involved. He is her person, through her attitude problems and temper. He will storm hell with her so even if she denies that something is wrong, he would know. This is one of those instances.

He wouldn't be able to enjoy the night while worrying about her so he calls off his date without much adieu. The next thing he does, he drives to Forbes where their own family home is built.

"Hijo, hello anak," Mariana greets as she sweeps down the stairs to meet him. She takes Mason from him who happens to be all too pleased to be sequestered to Nana.

"Ma, are you sure okay lang na dito muna si Mason?" Ian asks while placing the backpack with his son's things on the couch. "Medyo last minute din kasi ang emergency." He doesn't really explain much.

Mariana waves him off. "My apo is always welcome anytime." She shares a smile with a grinning Mason whose face is the very image of a child on a Christmas morning.

Ian nods and plants a kiss against Mariana's cheek before whispering a hasty thank you.

He gets down on one knee so he is leveled with Mason and says, "Buddy, be a good boy to Nana and Papa, okay?"

The boy nods with a lopsided grin, agreeable to anything since he knows that Nana could never say no to him for anything.

Ian gives his son a quick hug before making a dash to the door. Mariana watches him disappear, a bit confused.

"Why is your Dada in a hurry?" She asks as she holds Mason's hand and guides him up to the stairs.

"Dunno." The little boy shrugs and changes the direction of the conversation. "Nana, can we read Peter Pan tonight?"

The intuitive answer is always a definitive 'yes,' nevermind that she is wondering why Lea is not the one with Mason tonight since those two are insistent on being extremely hands-on, and why Ian seems to be in such a worried state, both when he called to ask if it'd would be okay to leave Mason with her and Eduardo.

...

She is still not picking up. The Makati traffic chose that moment to fuck with him and his patience has snapped. He has lost count of the times he's hit the steering wheel, the times he angrily and repeatedly honks the horn to the next car, and the times he curses loudly.

He's used to this kind of traffic but when Lea is not answering his calls and he has no idea where she is– if she's safe or if she needs help hiding a body, then he has enough reason to be frantic.

It took a good thirty minutes before the traffic finally moved and he couldn't help shout: Thank fuck!

He doesn't know where she is but he knows who she is and by instinct, he decided to drive to the company building. The blue Lexus comes to a screeching halt, effectively leaving tire tracks on the ground of the basement parking. It would have gotten him cited for over speeding but... well, technically, he is also an owner of the firm so he most definitely gets a pass.