The Bank Client

Chapter 19 - Finally!

Ana was moving towards the sea of faces with unseen current, dragging her luggage behind her. She's walking along the terminal because she's going back to Iloilo today. No guards and no assistants trailing behind her. Probably from a distance they do.

She also refused to take the private plane provided for her by Ryan. She insisted on taking the commercial flight on Ryan's airline, provided she be seated on the first class.

Her two months on-the-job training has just ended and she's going back home to prepare for her panel interview the following week. She could have done it at Anais Branch, but she wanted to have her pre-panel with Livina, her first branch manager whom she knew topped her officership training class and is very keen on policies as well as on decision makings.

She took a seat near the boarding gate assigned for their flight when her phone rang. She saw Ryan's name on the screen.

"Babe?"

"Ana, I missed you already. Please come back soon, babe."

"Ryan, we have just parted barely thirty minutes ago." He drove her off to the airport, but she shooed him away when his presence began drawing attention from the crowd. Because just like the other bigwigs in business like, who would not recognize the charming multi-miilionaire bachelor like Ryan?

Ana has to stay inside the coffee shop for a while just to pass the time until the people's curiosity would die down before she headed to her boarding gate. Some could recognize her but bears the unbelieving look on her taking a commercial flight.

"See? I'm fine! I told you if you don't have me followed by an entourage of securities and personal assistants, nobody would recognize me." She added. "Everyone's busy with their own lives."

"I think I should stay in Iloilo too..."

"Ryan! Don't you ever do that! I'll be here for just a week. I know you're loaded in the coming days too."

She heard him sigh.

"Okay.  But when you get back, we're moving back to the Belle Tower.  The renovation was almost complete."

"About that... you did not even give me the chance to see the renovations."

"It's a surprise, babe! Besides you've seen the blueprints and the floor plans already. Leave the rest to the interior designers, okay? Change all the furniture and fixtures if you don't like them."

"Nah! I trust your architects and designers." She got excited. "Why do I have this feeling that I'll be staying in Makati for so long?"

"Are you staying at the condo there, babe? Or you're staying with Mama?"

"I miss home, babe. I'll be spending time with Mama."

"Uh... okay..."

"Babe, my flight has been called. I have to go. See you in week. I love you."

"I love you, Ana."

Ana stood at the end of the line. She was assigned with seat 1A. A lot of other passengers have been offering her to queue ahead of them, but she refused with a smile and a wave of her hand.

She was surprised when she boarded the plane that nobody sat on the front row. She recognized an escort accompanying her on the second row.

The flight attendants were starting with the pre-flight announcements and orientations when Ana heard a baby at the back began to get fussy and cry.