Miranda looked round the lecture theatre one last time before heading out of the door. She couldn't help but feel strange that Carly wasn't here. The past two weeks were understandable. She had to wait for her sister to recover and that there was a funeral. She thought Carly would be back by now. Did her mother's passing affect her that much?
As she walked out of the lecture theatre with the rest of her college mates, she went down the hall and straight to the ladies' room. She had another lecture in ten minutes. That gave her enough time to give her boss a call.
"What is it, Miranda?" Mr Walters asked as soon as he picked up.
"She didn't come for lectures today," said Miranda. "And she is still not picking up my calls."
"Maybe she's still mourning her mother's death as usual."
"Are you serious? Don't you think something is going on? Because I do."
"Since when are you ever concerned about Carly's whereabouts?"
"Ever since things stopped going well at the club after she left," Miranda answers as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked really tired and restless.
"I know, I know," there was frustration in Mr Walters' voice. He too was just as tired as she was.
Since Carly left the club, there was a hustle and bustle when it came to working there for Miranda and the other workers. The customers weren't happy that Carly wasn't working there anymore, and it became difficult to please them. And just like that, most of their faithful customers even stopped showing up to the club. And that amounted to a huge loss.
"What should we do now?" Miranda asked. "I tried asking a few of her close friends if they have been in any contact with her, but they haven't. It will be difficult to find her now."
"I'll handle it. There will be no need for you to try and look for her."
"What are you planning to do?"
"You just concentrate on your studies, Miranda. Just as I said, I'll handle it."
Mr Walters cut the call and Miranda stared at her phone wondering what her boss could be planning now. If there was one thing she knew about him, is that he is willing to do anything to get what he wants. Even if it means doing so in the most dangerous way possible.
Miranda quickly gathered herself and walked out of the ladies' room to go for her next lecture.
As for Mr Walters, he was in his office at the club tapping his fingers on the table, thinking of what to do next. He needed Carly back no matter what. Life without her proved to be quite useless. He thought of replacing her, but all the women who had come here to fill up her vacant space weren't as good as her.
When Carly was working at the club, business was booming. But now, things weren't the same as it was with her around. She was more of his lucky charm.
And he needed her back real bad.
He picked up his phone that was on the table and made a phone call. At the fourth ring, the person at the other end picked up.
"I have a job for you."
***
"The weather is so friendly, don't you think?" Amanda asked as she looked up at the clear blue sky.
The weather was pleasant indeed. Amanda was by the patio with Angel and Leo. There was a small white garden table and they sat around it, with Leo sitting on one of the garden chairs.
"It sure is," said Angel as she smiled at Amanda.
"Okay, what did you want us to talk about?" Leo asked as he looked at Amanda.
Amanda's eyes averted from the sky to Angel and Leo. The smile she had on her face earlier soon fell away. It wasn't like her to be like that. That's if she wanted to talk about something serious.
"I want to talk about you two," said Amanda.
"Us?" Angel and Leo asked at the same time, again. This time, they looked at each other.
"Yes. I know this is going to sound weird and I hope you don't get mad."
Angel and Leo didn't say anything as they waited for Amanda to continue.
"I know you two haven't been on the best of terms lately. Considering one ran over the other with their car."
Angel turned her eyes towards the garden while Leo cleared his throat.
"I hate to bring this up, but now that we're all leaving under the same roof, it seems weird that there is tension between the two of you considering what happened."
"Wait, you think there is tension between us because of the accident?" Angel asked.
"Why, yes. I noticed the way you two look at each other."
"Grandma, look," said Leo, "maybe you're just imagining things, okay? Why should there be any tension between Angel and I?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's because you always look at each other like you want to kill each other."
Angel and Leo both gave out a casual little laugh. Amanda couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
"If anyone should be angry, it's Angel," said Leo. "Since I 'mistakenly' ran her over."
"And you never apologised for it," said Amanda. "Eric had to cover up for you when you should have been the one at the hospital checking up on Angel. And you're simply not comfortable with her being here because she reminds you of what you have done."
Leo turned to look at Angel who gave him a jeering look. Angel was simply winning this case since she was the victim and Amanda had grown so fond of her. But Amanda wasn't wrong about what she said. Leo was in the wrong and he should have been checking up on Angel when she was hospitalised since he was responsible for what happened to her.
"Are you saying all this was my fault?" Leo asked.
"I'm not blaming you for anything, Leo," said Amanda. "All this was nothing but an accident. I thought by now you would have apologised to Angel. That's what a gentleman should do, right?"
Leo sighed. He didn't want to apologise today, much less to Angel. If only his grandmother knew that the main reason for the tension between them was because of Carly. The accident didn't even matter. Angel was Carly's sister and she found out that Carly worked as a call girl (a more decent way to put it) and now Leo was in love with her. And Carly to Leo, was his lover and didn't like Angel after how she attacked him back at the club.
They couldn't tell Amanda the whole thing. She would die of a heart attack and it might just put the Barclay's reputation on the rocks considering Carly once working as a call girl. It would ruin the two sisters completely.
"I know, grandma," said Leo. "I'll apologise right now."
Angel grew shocked as she looked at Leo. She wasn't really expecting this at all. Leo apologising? This should be on the news headlines.
Amanda smiled. "Now that's the grandson I know," she said.
Leo paused for a moment before turning to look at Angel. He swallowed. He didn't want to do this at all. But his grandma wasn't going to let him even if he refused to apologise in the first place. If anything, Angel should apologise for how she attacked him back at the club, not him.
"I'm.....I'm sorry, Angel," said Leo. "I should have apologised to you sooner."
Amanda felt like she was watching one of those soaps on television. She couldn't help but smile at the two for some reason.
"It's fine, Leo," said Angel. "I don't like to keep grudges. I've already forgiven you."
"Good," said Amanda. "This is just what I needed. Now, I hope you two won't look at each other like angry wolves again. You haven't had a go at each other yet, have you?"
Leo and Angel gave each other a brief look and went back to looking at Amanda.
"No," they answered at the same time.
"Great. That's good to know."
If only she knew that the two of them already had a go at each other almost two weeks ago.
One of the helpers soon appeared on the patio from the house.
"The doctor is here to check up on you and Angel, madam," he said to Amanda.
"Oh, he came here really early," said Amanda. "I've an idea. You take me up to him first and leave Angel and Leo so that they can talk."
"Huh?" Angel looked at Amanda not believing what she said.
"Yes, now that Leo has apologised to you, it's high time you two get to know each other a little better."
"That isn't necessary, grandma," said Leo. "I'll need to go to..."
"Work? You always like dodging whatever I say," said Amanda. "The others just left for the office a little while ago and you said you would be in late. There is no harm in getting to know someone. Why don't you keep her company while I go get checked by the doctor? I won't be long."
Leo almost rolled his eyes but he didn't because he knew his grandmother would scold him for it. He just sighed.
"Okay, I'll stay here and keep Angel company," he said.
"Now," Amanda turned to the helper beside her, "you can take me to the doctor."
"Yes, madam," said the helper and he helped Amanda into the house.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Leo turned to look at Angel.
"I can't believe I apologised to you," he said.
"I can't believe your grandmother made you do it," said Angel with a smirk on her face.
Leo couldn't help but blush. There was something about her smirk that made his heart race and heat up his cheeks so much. He rarely blushed. Not like this. Something was wrong.
"Don't make fun of me," he said as he looked the other way so that Angel wouldn't see him blush.
"Why? Does it hurt your ego that much?" Angel had her arms folded as she looked at him. "I see that you're even blushing. Are you really that embarrassed?"
Leo blushed even more, but this time, he looked at Angel who looked at him straight in the eye. Angel couldn't help but smile this time. Her smile made Leo seem so confused, like he didn't know what to do next.
"Oh, aren't you going to say anything?" Angel asked. "It's so unlike you not to say a word. Has the mighty Leo McDonell gone tongue-tied today?"
"Stop it, Angel," said Leo who finally managed to speak. "Just because you've the upper hand at this doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."
"It worked for you, didn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You remember what happened at the club, don't you? You thought you would get away with everything when you wanted to take advantage of my sister."
"I wasn't taking advantage of her. You know she loves me and I feel the same way about her."
"She doesn't love you, Leo. All that is nothing but infatuation."
"That's what you say, but I know how Carly feels about me. You just don't want to admit it."
"I'm just speaking the truth."
"No, you're saying how you feel. And you don't like me at all, Angel."
"Well, you don't like me either, at least we can both agree on that."
"You made me hate you with the way you approached me at the club that day."
"I was protecting my sister."
"Oh, really? Then where were you all those nights when she used to work there? If anything, you should be attacking those perverts at the club who dared even touched Carly, not me."
Angel banged her hand on the white garden table. That startled Leo and the two looked at each other with a moment of silence between them.
"You don't know," said Angel, slowly, "...what's it's like to know....that the person whom you trusted the most in this world, could betray you like Carly betrayed me."
Tears started to form in Angel's eyes, but it surprised Leo that not one of them fell to her cheeks. They were just there in her eyes like crystal glass.
"If I knew what Carly was up to from the very start," Angel continued, this time she was much calmer, "maybe you and I wouldn't be in this situation right now."
Leo thought of what Angel said. He realised that she had completely no idea that Carly was working at the club. And the way she said it, it seems like she blames herself for not being aware of her sister's actions.
The two of them just sat in silence, not looking at each other.
"Maybe now you understand," said Angel as she broke the silence and looked at Leo, "why I'll go to any lengths to prevent you from getting near Carly."
"You know you can't do that, Angel," he said. "I love Carly."
"That's what you think. Isn't that what all men think when they go to the club and think they are in love with some..."
Angel couldn't even utter the word. As much as she was still mad at Carly, she couldn't use that word on her. Not only would it be insulting Carly, she would be insulting herself.
"I don't see her like that," said Leo.
"Really? What if one day you don't feel the same way you feel for her now? What would you do then?"
"That would never happen."
"You're only saying that because you're a fool."
"A fool in love, yes."
Angel shook her head. "I want to believe you, but I can't."
"Why? Because you don't like me?"
Angel smirked. Again, Leo could feel his cheeks heat up.
"Maybe. But let me tell you this. When I found out about Carly, she broke my trust completely. I don't know if after our mother's passing and my accident that she would ever change."
"She has," Leo defended her. "She promised me she would never go back to that place ever again."
"You don't know her. And until I know she has changed for the better, maybe then I won't have to worry about her being with you."
Leo couldn't help but feel confused. Didn't Angel trust her own sister? Why was she saying this?
"Wait, do you think, Carly would be betray me too?" Leo asked.
Angel shrugged her shoulders. "If she could do that to me and my late mother to fulfill her ambitions, what more you?"
Leo didn't answer and Angel expected him not to. She soon turned the wheelchair around and dragged herself back inside the house leaving Leo puzzled.
***
Carly sighed. She had never felt this relaxed in her life as she sat on the inclined chair and her nails were being attended to by the manicurist at the beauty salon.
"This is the life," Carly thought to herself with a smile on her face and her eyes closed. "I can get used to this."
When Carly got to the beauty salon with Diana since Bertha remained behind and couldn't come along with them, she couldn't help but admire the place. She was amazed with what Diana had achieved so far. The place was well known and many women came here for manicures, pedicures, hair and cosmetic treatments.
It was surprising how Diana didn't join her brother, Mr McDonell in the family business. It seems most successful rich families work together in the same company nowadays. But Diana was different. She wanted to do something else. Something for herself. More like defining who she really was from what everyone thought every McDonell should be.
Carly had asked the question a while back why Diana didn't join in the family business. Diana had answered:
"Our family has been successfully with the company throughout the years. I thought maybe I can get in the family spirit and do what everyone else in the family was doing. But it didn't feel right for me, you know? I already imagined my future doing something else. My parents didn't mind my choice of career. They were in fact quiet supportive and helped me in anyway to build this beauty salon and across some parts of America as well. It's a big thing and a huge achievement on my part. Am glad for the support I continue to get, especially from my brother. He is so kind."
That was some story. And Carly couldn't help but admire her more than ever. Diana was a lady of ambition. She didn't want to work in the McDonell family and followed her own dreams instead. She was one a lot of females would like to look up to as a role model.
What Diana is today, sent Carly thinking of what she wanted to do with her own life. Maybe she could be just like Diana. She has always wanted to do something big, not just try and get enough money so that she could live in luxurious apartments. She had big dreams when she was a child, but all that faded away when she realised the financial state her family was in.
But now that she was with the McDonell family, she might try and do something good with her life. Live the life she has always wanted.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Carly?" Diana called out to her.
Carly opened her eyes and saw Diana standing a few feet from her, smiling. She had gone in her office to take an important phone call and left Carly to be attended to.
"I am, thanks for asking," replied Carly.
"Okay, once you're done, we can go out and have lunch together. What do you think?"
"That would be awesome."
"Great, I'll be in my office. Make her feel comfortable, okay?" Diana directed that to the manicurist who nodded with pleasure and continued to work on Carly's nails.
As soon as Diana walked away and Carly was about to close her eyes again, she noticed from the corner of her eye that her phone was ringing on the small table next to her chair. She had put her phone on silent so that she wouldn't be disturbed. She picked up the phone with her free hand and looked at the caller ID.
Miranda.
Carly rolled her eyes. Miranda has been calling her for days now and she wasn't interested in picking up her calls. It was obvious that Miranda wanted her back at the club. So did Mr Walters who even left her a bunch of messages this past week. She wasn't going back there. She already promised herself and Leo.
Carly put her phone aside as a thought soon came up in her mind. Angel never knew that she was working at the club and she showed up there when it wasn't even during working hours. Who tipped Angel about her whereabouts that day? It couldn't be Mr Walters and probably not any of the bartenders or dancers at the club because she never ever discussed her life with them.
Could it be Miranda?
Carly couldn't help but feel it was her. She didn't even ask Angel who had told her where she was that day. Everything happened so fast she completely forgot about it till now. There was no doubt it was Miranda who had told Angel.
And now she was calling Carly after all this time. Miranda isn't her friend, she never was. Why she put Carly in such a situation, Carly would never know unless she asks. But she wasn't in the mood to talk to Miranda. Not when it's was pretty obvious of her betrayal.
Carly looked at her phone again. Thinking of whether to answer it. But she relaxed on her chair. She was not going to let Miranda spoil her mood like she ruined her life some weeks ago.
"She can go to hell for all I care," Carly thought with a smirk on her face.