Ignorance

Chapter 6

You know what, Amor hates to admit it, but she really starting to get used to Mark's presence. It's only been two nights since his arrival, but he's been—dare she say it—gracious. Gracious in a sense that he's been more conscientious of what he's doing, more sensitive with the needs of others. For one, he stopped ordering Ate Anya around come the second day, and did things for himself. Perhaps he realized instantly that his behavior upon arrival was distasteful and impolite. The boy learned his lesson.

            Amor is still on edge with what he said the other night, however. Yes, he has been kind, but he's also been overly lingering around Amor more than usual. On the first night, after their meal, he cleaned the dishes for her, displaced Anya from her position. The help didn't mind, but Amor had an inkling that Mark was doing it for show. Then he volunteered to teach David with his schoolwork, even if he was nearly finished. The following day, he made breakfast for the household. Pancakes. Pancakes from scratch. David adored it, questioningly at first because pancakes were for Sundays. And when Mark handed Amor her share, there was something in the way he looked at her that made her skin crawl. That puppy stare in his eyes, that dull... longing. Amor chose to ignore it. Besides, all the extra help is much appreciated.

            And David likes his Kuya Mark. That evening, they went to the park near the apartment, and hung out. Mark just proved himself a good older brother to her young son, who so needed a figure to look up to. They came back for dinner, and Mark again helped David with studying for the next day of exams.

            "Thank you for helping out so much around here," Amor had said while tidying the table. "It's not asked of you, but you still do it."

            "It's really not a problem," Mark had replied, casting her that strange stare.

            "Have you seen the city, though?" Amor had asked, dodging the gaze. "You're on vacation, after all."

            "Yeah, I have," he had said. "I've been walking around Makati during the day. It's a great place, Amor, I'm so glad I stayed here. And the malls are fantastic."

            "They are," Amor had agreed. "The Ayalas have done great things for Makati."

            "I'd love to take you around some time," Mark had rushed in. Amor's arm had burst in gooseflesh. "When I get back from my beach tours, that is. We can go out."

            Before the situation could have escalated, it was a damn good thing that David came out of his room, asking if he could get a ton of paper from Amor's desk. Amor had spun out of David's reach, and handed him a whole stack. And that was the end of their discussion.

            And this morning, another unusually hot day as summer begins to roll by, Mark brought David to school. That saved Amor thirty minutes off her morning routine, but it was a change much welcomed. She got to idle at the break room, speak to Betty Mae a bit more, and lounge at her seat before the morning starts.

            She just doesn't admit that, that also meant getting to watch Eduardo in his office. He's dressed in a grey suit today, dark blue button-down. His hair is specially quaffed, but just the right amount. Eduardo Buenavista really is a sight for sore eyes.

            He looks in her direction abruptly, and Amor heart stops. She ducks behind her cubicle walls, cringing, and hoping to God that he didn't see.

---

                   

Strange.

            Had Amor been looking his way? He doubts it. It was too good an incident for this ungodly hour. Who comes to work at 7:30am? Well, he does. He's an idiot, thinking he'd get more work done. Instead, it's given an opportunity for his mother to bombard him with a shitload of e-mails before her workday in New York ended. E-mails with her defending herself for employing the help of James Powers.