Leo sighed as he checked his phone for what seemed to be the fifth time. Still no message or call from Carly. He really wanted to know how she was doing at the party. At some point, he thought of calling her but knew better not to. She wouldn't hear the phone ring with all the noise at the party. He sent her a text saying that he misses her, but it's been over an hour already, and she still hasn't replied. He put his phone aside and looked up at the dark night sky. There weren't many stars tonight. In fact, there weren't many stars in New York.
After supper, Leo took the liberty of sitting outside on the patio to have some alone time. As usual, his mother took it upon herself to talk about Kim at the table. It didn't surprise him at all, since it was now pretty clear that she was the one who played a crucial role in him having lunch with Kim. Angel and Eric, who sat opposite him, looked on at his mother like whatever she said never mattered to them.
Leo heard his phone beep beside him, and he quickly went for it, thinking that Carly had finally replied to his message. He groaned with annoyance when he saw it was only a notification on one of the social media apps. With that, he turned off the Wi-Fi on his phone. Right now, he doesn't want anything to distract him.
His mind flew back to Carly, wondering what she could be up to at the party. He hoped no guy was eyeing her like a piece of meat. His fists clenched at the thought of that, and he wished Angel hadn't allowed her to go. Or he would've suggested that he go with her. But that would only look weird since he wasn't invited to begin with.
Leo folded his arms as he continued to look up at the night sky, and soon his mind wandered off to what had happened today. Vigorously shaking his head, he realized that Angel occupied most of his thoughts. He couldn't blame himself, could he? Besides, he had been with her for most of the morning, and then there was the attention she gained at the office. The thought of it annoyed him even more.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Leo turned to the back door of the kitchen, and standing there already in a red sleeping robe was his aunt, Diana.
"Oh, hey," said Leo as he straightened himself on the chair.
"Hey, yourself," she said as she came over to sit on the chair next to him. "Your mind seems occupied. Are you okay? Had a rough day at work?"
Leo didn't know how to answer her. "Uh, no. Not really," he said.
"What is it? A girl, perhaps?" Diana asked with an eyebrow raised.
Leo's face quickly reddened. He quickly looked up at the sky, but it was already too late, for Diana gave out a giggle.
"So, I'm right," she said with a smile. "Only a girl can make you shake your head like you did. She must be something, huh?"
"No, you're wrong. I wasn't thinking about anyone."
Diana leaned her hand on the armchair as she stared at her nephew, who continued to look up at the sky. "Leonard McDonell, you can't fool me with that look. I know it's a girl you were thinking of just now."
Leo sighed and wished he hadn't sat out on the patio thinking about Carly at first. But his aunt caught him thinking about Angel instead. How embarrassing, he thought.
"So, you were shaking your head like you wanted to shake her out of your mind," Diana continued. "Are you having doubts about whether you like her or not?"
"Wait a minute." Leo turned to his aunt, still red-faced. "I'm not thinking of the girl I like."
"But you were thinking of a girl." Diana raised an eyebrow.
Leo knew he had lost this round. He leaned back in his seat in defeat.
"Tell me, is this girl the one you are currently seeing?" Diana asked.
Leo furrowed his eyebrows. "What makes you think that I'm seeing someone?" he asked.
"Your mum talked to Kim today. But I'm guessing that you already knew she arranged the whole lunch thing."
Leo nodded, and he wished he could add that Eric and Angel knew too.
"And also, your recent behaviour after the wedding showed that you were seeing someone. I thought I was wrong at first, but it looks like I was right."
Leo scoffed. Unlike his mother, his aunt, apart from Eric, knew Leo all too well. He might be unpredictable to many, but it's always the ones who paid close attention to him who knew him better than he knew himself.
"Okay, you got me," said Leo as he put up a smile. "Aren't you going to ask me who it is?"
"Please, I'm not even going to bother," said Diana, waving her hand. "You'll introduce her to us when the time is right. You aren't going to tell me even if I probe you to right now."
Leo smiled even more. It's one of the reasons why he liked Diana and sometimes wished that it was she who was his mother and not Bertha.
"So answer me this," said Diana as she smiled at the night sky. "Are you thinking of the girl you're currently seeing or the other one?"
Leo looked at his aunt and answered, "Since you claim to know me so well, why don't you answer that?"
Diana groaned. "You're so impossible that I could smack you in the head." Leo laughed. "Okay. You just said earlier that you are thinking of someone, so I'm guessing it's the other girl."
"I thought you weren't going to catch that."
"I'm your aunt. Don't you ever doubt me." Diana playfully rolled her eyes at him.
Leo sighed. "Well, you hit the nail on the head. It's some other girl."
"Mmm. Interesting. Can it be that you're stuck between two lovers? What about the one you're currently dating?"
"First, I don't have two lovers." Leo looked at his aunt, pointing up with two of his fingers. "Second of all, I know who I stand with here."
Diana slowly nodded. "I get it. So this other girl just happens to be in your life, but then why think about her?"
Leo bit his lip as he thought of how to answer that. "She just randomly came into my mind, that's all."
"And you shouldn't be thinking about her because of the girl you're currently dating." Diana raised her eyebrows at him. "I get it. You want to be faithful, but somehow this girl just pops up when you least expect it."
Leo couldn't agree with her more, but he made sure to add, "I am faithful to the one I'm currently dating. It's not like I like the other one."
"Leo, you've been stuck with one fish for so long that you never knew the secrets of the dating pool long enough, haven't you?" Diana asked, almost sounding pitiful. Leo knew she sounded like that just to taunt him. He shook his head at her.
"I wouldn't worry so much if I were you," she continued. "It's good to get out there and meet other women. You're just in the dating stage, and with time, if you think that the girl you're with is right for you, you'll know. But if you happen to change your mind and go for the other one, it's okay. You're human after all."
"I'm pretty sure I'll stick to the one I'm with, Aunt." Leo looked at her in earnest.
Diana held his chin. "Anything can happen. What will you do if the other girl ends up winning your heart?"
Leo smiled. "It will never happen. I can guarantee you."
Diana smiled devilishly. "Never say never, my friend. If circumstances were different, I would've placed a bet on how this love story would go."
"And who would you root for?" Leo didn't have to ask. He already knew what she would say.
"The girl you're trying so hard to get rid of from your thoughts."
Leo rolled his eyes as his aunt let go of his chin and stood up from her seat. He knew who his heart belonged to. He might have been thinking about Angel, but that didn't mean anything. We're a long way off from being that close, he thought to himself.
"Goodnight," Diana said as she made her way back into the house. "Oh," she said, stopping by the door to look at him. "Don't worry, this conversation is just between us."
"I know," he said with a smile of confidence. "Goodnight."
Diana smiled at him and went inside. Leo thought it best to go back in as it was starting to get chilly. He checked his phone beside him. There is still no message from Carly. He groaned, and soon his eyes wandered off to the sky again.
"Okay, I'm going to bed," he said out loud as he quickly stood up from his seat, grabbed his phone, and entered the house.
***
Carly laughed aloud as Andre spun her around. They were dancing to a famous Spanish pop song on the dance floor. They were having so much fun, and Red Lion, from afar, couldn't help but smile as he looked at the pair.
Red Lion stood by the bar counter. He had been walking around, meeting his guests, and asking a few of them if they were enjoying the party. So far, he has come across many positive reviews, and that has delighted him. But nothing pleased him more than seeing Andre having a good time with Carly.
Through the corner of his eye, Walters came up to him with a glass in his hand. Red Lion could only imagine how much the old man had had to drink.
"Hey, I see everything is going well," said Walters as he came to stand next to his comrade. The smell of whisky came off him strongly, and that almost made Red Lion cringe.
"How much have you had to drink, Walters?" Red Lion asked, not looking at him.
"I am not that drunk yet, you know?" Walters took a quick swing at his whisky.
Red Lion rolled his eyes. "Well, you are one drink away from being drunk."
"Oh, you sour puss." Walters hit Red Lion's shoulder. "It's a party; come on. Everything is going according to plan, right? Those two are having a blast, so why should you worry? Carly is very good at what she does."
"As much as you're right, I'm the host of this event. I don't need you to tell me what to do."
"Suit yourself," said Walters, as his words started to slur a little. "I'm going to enjoy myself."
Red Lion watched Walters go, and he started to wonder whether he should have someone watch over him. He looked around for any of his men nearby, but Walters soon disappeared from his sight. He had to take care of him somehow.
From above the balcony of the VIP section, Miranda had a drink in hand and was looking down at the people on the dance floor. A few moments ago, she had seen her boss, Mr. Walters, talking to the host of the party, knowing well enough that he was practically drunk. But her eyes were fixed on the Hispanic male who had been in the same booth with Red Lion, dancing with the lady in the gold dress. They were dancing close to each other, their bodies touching occasionally.
Miranda was doing her best to look at the lady's face, but now and then, the lady in the gold dress would either spin around and face the other way as she danced. The disco lights shining on the dance floor made it impossible to see her face, making her draw her attention to the Hispanic male.
She turned around to head back to the booth she was in when she saw Candy approach her. Miranda couldn't help but wonder what the problem was.
"Hey, Miranda, do you have any idea where the ladies' room is?" Candy asked when she stopped in front of Miranda.
Miranda looked around, hoping to see a door or a sign that showed where the rooms could be. She shook her head, saying that she had no idea.
Candy took Miranda's hand. "Come on, let's ask around," she said. "I really need to go."
Miranda complied. She finished her drink, gave the glass to the waiter who happened to be serving drinks nearby, and followed Candy out of the VIP section.
Down on the dance floor, the song had just finished playing, and another started to play. Carly held up her hand to Andre, telling him she was beat.
"I need a breather," she said as she spoke in his ear. "Care for some air?"
Andre gave a nod of his head, and Carly took his hand and led him away from the dance floor, past the area where the buffet table is, and outside to the deck of the ship.
The cold, salty air filled Carly's nose the minute she stepped onto the deck, looking far out to the New York harbour and the bright city lights behind it. She took in the view, realizing just how beautiful it looked.
She felt Andre come up behind her. Their arms slightly brushed each other as he stood next to her.
"It's beautiful out here tonight, isn't it?" Carly asked.
Andre turned to look at her as he answered, "It sure is. But the sight of the city isn't as beautiful as you look right now."
Carly smiled shyly at him. "Don't try and flatter me, Andre."
"And why shouldn't I?" Andre turned his body to face her.
"Well, let's just say I've heard those words too many times." Carly gave him a mocking look, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Is it now?" Andre put his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "Ladies like you are pretty hard to impress nowadays, aren't you?"
"Maybe." Carly smiled.
"And what is it going to take to impress you?" Andre asked as he slowly looked Carly up and down. The look he gave her sent a chill down her spine.
"Mmm," Carly bit her lip and averted her eyes as though in thought. "I don't know."
Andre didn't say anything as he continued to look at her. Then, unexpectedly, he planted his lips on Carly's, drawing her closer as he held the small of her back. Carly expected as much as she responded to his kiss.
Alex turned away from the buffet area after seeing Carly kiss Andre, through the glass walls that had a view of the open deck. Well, that was fast, he thought to himself. Red Lion is going to love this.
Just as he passed through the beaded curtain, he saw Red Lion approach him, waving to get his attention. Alex stood waiting for Red Lion to come closer.
"How are things?" Red Lion as he spoke in his ear over the loud music.
"Smoothly," Alex replied. "They're on the deck, sharing an intimate moment."
"Well, that was fast."
"I know. Is there anything you need from me?"
"Ah, yes, there is. It's your boss, Walters. He is a whisky away from getting drunk, and I have a funny feeling he might just ruin my plans."
"He doesn't have any special role to play tonight, does he?"
"Apart from being a guest, no. But he might be a nuisance. So find him and take him somewhere where he won't be one."
"Understood." Alex gave a nod of the head and made his way to the dance floor, hoping to find his employer.
Miranda and Candy were on the other side of the dance floor. They had asked for directions to the ladies' room and were on their way there now.
When they found themselves inside. The purple walls and dimly lit bulbs made the place look like an old-fashioned saloon. Candy went straight to the toilet stalls, while Miranda went over by the sink to look into one of the mirrors. The place was practically empty except for the two ladies.
"Did you see that lady in the gold dress?" Miranda asked as she looked at herself in the mirror and went for her purse that she had with her, looking for her powder puff.
"The gorgeous lady who stole everyone's attention on the dance floor?" Candy asked from inside the stall. "We all saw her. Why?"
"Oh, no reason," Miranda replied as she powdered her face.
Candy had finished using the toilet and flushed. She came out of the stall and came over to the sink to wash her hands. Her eyes soon fell on Miranda, who had now removed red lipstick from her purse.
Miranda felt Candy's eyes on her, and she turned to look at her. She shrugged her shoulders.
"What is it?" Miranda asked.
"Oh, nothing," said Candy. She reached out for the paper towel on the side of the mirror to wipe her hands. "It's just that I know when you ask such questions that something's up."
Miranda paused before she could put on the lipstick. "Really? And what could that be?"
"That hot Hispanic guy caught your attention, didn't he?" Candy asked as she went over to the waste bin in the corner and threw the used paper towel in it.
"No, I'm happy with my client. What does that guy have to do with anything?"
Candy shook her head as she went over to Miranda with her hand on her waist. "You're planning to steal that guy away from that lady, aren't you? Goodness, Miranda, this isn't the club."
"What makes you think that?" Miranda now looked a little offended.
Candy sighed. "Because you always have a tendency to try and get the hottest guy's attention. Even when you know he's already preoccupied with some other call girl, you would do anything to get him."
Miranda rolled her eyes as she turned back to look in a mirror. "That's not true. I don't do that."
"Well, you do. That's why you never liked it when Carly was around. Because you knew when it came to it, you couldn't beat her."
Miranda now looked at Candy with a deadly stare. "This isn't the club, Candy," she said. "And besides, Carly is long gone."
"Just know that you've got a job to do, and that guy isn't it."
Miranda put her lipstick back in her purse, changing her mind not to put it on. "Whatever. You'll find me back up in the VIP lounge."
With her purse in hand, Miranda took her purse and made her way out of the room, leaving Candy all alone.
The loud music soon made Miranda aware of where she was the moment she stepped out of the ladies room. She is mad at Candy for what she said, and that made her forget a little. She decided to go to the bar nearby before making her way back up to the VIP lounge in need of a drink to raise her spirits.
Alex had just finished looking around the dance area for Mr. Walters, and there was still no sign of him. He didn't want to cause himself to panic, so he decided to look in the places that he hadn't checked. He went to the men's room first.
Candy walked out of the ladies room, trying to forget about the little argument that she had with Miranda. She started to make her way to the VIP lounge when she saw Miranda by the bar, ordering a drink and already talking to a stranger. Candy shook her head and continued on her way.
On the deck, Carly broke away from her passionate kiss with Andre. They were still so close to each other, with Andre's hand on her waist and the other lifting her chin up to look at him. His face was closer to hers, and that gave him the urge to kiss her even more.
"Too soon, don't you think?" Carly asked as she looked up at him.
"We can go to some place more private," said Andre. "Away from prying eyes."
Carly planted a small kiss on his lips, teasingly, and quickly pulled away before he responded. "Hold that thought for a second," she said. "I'll need to use the restroom real quick."
Andre was a little disappointed but did his best not to show it. "You aren't running away from me, are you?" he asked.
Carly scoffed. "If I were, then it would be on a lifeboat."
Andre laughed a little before releasing her. Carly backed away from him slowly before turning around to go back inside the ship. He watched her until she was fully out of his sight.
While he was alone, his fingers automatically went to his lips, already reminiscing over the kiss. He licked them and realized that he could not wait to taste her again. He soon chuckled. No one has ever made him feel like this. Absolutely no one.
Carly had just bypassed the buffet table, and she couldn't help but slow down to take a deep breath. Kissing Andre was definitely something. She wasn't surprised that he had moved fast on her. What amazed her was how passionately he kissed her. She couldn't help but also admit that he was a good kisser, too.
She shook her head, telling herself that all this was just a job and nothing else. Besides, falling for Andre would be risky for her. Not when she is in a relationship with someone else. All this will pass, she told herself. It's not like she will ever meet him again after tonight, will she?
Before Carly could walk through the beaded curtain, she stopped in her tracks as she thought over it. Were they likely to meet again? Red Lion told her that she was only meant to keep Andre company. While she's doing that, what is he doing now?
Carly couldn't help but feel infuriated. Red Lion was up to something, and he was using her to get it. She already knew that, but what made her so upset was that he didn't fully explain why he needed her for this. She thought he had told her all that she wanted to know, but her intuition made her realize that there was something much bigger than this.
She walked through the curtains, finding herself back on the dance floor. Her eyes darted around the room, hoping to find Red Lion, but he was nowhere in sight. She made her way to the dance floor, not realizing that from afar she had fallen into someone's sights, and they stopped whatever they were doing and started to make their way over to her, bumping into people in their wake.
Alex walked out of the men's room, disappointed not to find Mr. Walters in there. He started to make his approach to the bar. Many people were ordering their drinks, and he wondered if Mr. Walters might have come back for another round. He stood at a distance when he heard a few loud mutters on the dance floor, which caught his attention.
He turned his head to the dance floor when he saw a group of people complaining. One of the girls had an empty glass in her hand and was looking down at her chest. Someone had spilled her drink over her maroon dress. A few of her friends turned their heads towards the culprit, calling the person names. Alex turned to the person they were name-calling, and that's when his eyes saw Carly in the middle of the dance floor, unaware of what was coming to her.
Carly found it hard to move around without trying so hard not to bump into people dancing all around her. She wondered why she didn't just go around the dance floor instead of walking right into it. And she's about to find out what a stupid mistake that was.
"Carly!"
Even with the loud music playing so loudly, she heard someone call out her name loud and clear. She stood still while people all around her danced, oblivious that she was even there. Meanwhile, Carly felt her heart jump to her mouth. She felt like she had just found herself in a horror movie, and she didn't know whether to keep still or make a run for it. But to where?
She automatically turned to whoever had called out her name, and in an instant, she saw Alex blast his way towards her, pushing people aside. She also noticed Mr. Walters standing a few feet behind him, but one of Red Lion's men had stood next to him, holding tightly onto his shoulder. Was he the one who had called her? She looked at Alex, who stood in front of her.
"What's going on?" Carly asked as she caught sight of Mr. Walters being dragged off the dance floor by the guard. He looked quite drunk.
"Stopping Mr. Walters from causing a catastrophe," Alex answered aloud through the loud music. "He's drunk. And something tells me that after seeing you, he was going to ruin everything."
Now that they were talking about the plan, Carly looked up at Alex to ask him something. But before she could even say a word, he took her by the arm and led her away from the dance floor.
"Unhand me, you brute!" As Red Lion's security escorted Mr. Walters off the dance floor, he exclaimed.
Mr. Walters' voice, despite the loud music, reached Miranda's ears by the bar. She soon turned her attention to what was happening behind her and noticed her boss being dragged away by a large man in a black suit. She wondered what could be going on as the guard dragged Mr. Walters up the stairs. Guessing by the way Mr. Walters looked, Miranda knew her boss was completely drunk. He tends to lose control sometimes, and she was thankful that the guard handled him appropriately. It's that way at the club, too. Whenever he was on a drinking spree, every employee had to be wary of him. Usually, they would lock him up in his office till he sobered down a little.
Before turning her attention to the man she was talking to, she got a glimpse of the woman in the gold dress in the middle of the dance floor. She didn't know if she was seeing things, but she saw the man who had brought her into the party take hold of the lady's arm, dragging her away from the dance floor. This made Miranda raise an eyebrow. Wasn't the lady with that handsome Hispanic man a while ago?
Miranda soon got distracted, and her eyes darted back up the stairs, where she saw Mr. Walters being forcibly dragged back into the VIP lounge. She looked back at the dance floor to the spot where she last saw the woman, but she had disappeared from sight along with the man who had dragged her away.
She turned back to her company but excused herself after she finished her drinking, telling him she would be back, but she knew that was far from happening. Likewise, she made her way around the dance floor, looking for the lady in the gold dress.
Alex and Carly had just left the dance floor and gone on to the outside deck on the other side of the ship. Alex was well aware of which side of the ship Andre was on. There were few people on the deck. Some of them had just come off the dance floor for a bit of air. Alex made sure to take a look around before turning to Carly.
"Thanks for what you did back there," Carly said as she looked at him. "Who knows what Mr. Walters would've done if he had reached me?"
"That's why Red Lion told me to look out for him," said Alex. "If he caused a scene, I'm afraid he would've blown your cover."
Carly nervously laughed. "It looks like he is still mad at me for leaving the club."
"Yeah, it seems that way. He never really liked the idea of you being part of all this. He preferred using his own girls instead."
"Speaking of the plan," said Carly, thankful for Alex for bringing it up again, "what is it, exactly?"
"Now is not the time for that. We don't want to keep Andre waiting. Where were you heading anyway? I thought you were with him on the other side of the ship."
"I wanted to use the ladies room. Let me go use it real quick."
"Okay, but be careful. I thought I saw one of Mr. Walters' call girls down here. When we get back in, we will both go our separate ways. Just do your best not to be seen."
Carly gave a nod of her head, and the two made their way back into the party.
Miranda kept herself on the dance floor, looking for the pair. There were so many people that she found it quite difficult to pinpoint them. As she continued to look around, she mistakenly bumped into someone. She looked up, and she found herself face-to-face with the host of the party.
"Oh, I am so sorry," said Miranda as she tried to walk around him.
"Wait a minute," said Red Lion as he stopped her by holding her arm. "Aren't you one of the call girls from Mr. Walters' club?"
Miranda's eyes widened a little. Had she somehow gotten his attention?
"Yes," she replied as she smiled at him. "Is there anything you need from me?"
"Well, yes," Red Lion replied, also with a smile. "You left a client unattended in the VIP room, and he was looking for you. I hired you for your services, not for you to wander around."
Miranda felt a dark curtain fall over her. She didn't expect the host to answer her like he did. He might be smiling at her, but there was something dark behind it. She felt her heart start to race as she felt like she stood face-to-face with a monster.
"Aren't you going?" Red Lion asked as he let go of her arm. "I'm not paying you for nothing, am I?"
Miranda quickly made her way for the stairs, and she could feel Red Lion's eyes on her, like any wrong move she made, would send her flying out of this ship. She would have to forget pursuing the woman in the gold dress, and maybe even Andre, if she had at some point found him alone before Red Lion found her.
As she continued up the stairs, she noticed the man who was with the woman in the gold dress coming in the same direction she would've gone if it weren't for the host. She realized that he was alone. Likewise, she paused for a minute to look around for the woman in the gold dress. From where she stood, she had a view of the entire dance floor. The dark eyes of Red Lion below her captured her attention instead, like a beacon. She didn't waste any time as she continued her climb up to the VIP lounge.
Red Lion watched Miranda go as Alex soon came to join him.
"I heard what you did with Walters," said Red Lion as he turned to Alex. "Good work. He would've blown Carly's cover if Andre happened to be there. Not to mention that hus call girl was also here. And something tells me she should be watched."
"Could it be that she recognized Carly?"
"No, but if she were to have come close, she would have. I saw her looking around the room like she was looking for someone. Carly might have attracted her attention and wanted to meet her. Girls like her can really be a pain. You keep an eye out for any of Walters' girls."
"Will do."
Red Lion started to make his way up the stairs while Alex continued to make his rounds. From where he stood, he saw the door to the ladies room fly open. Two women walked out, and before the door could close, Carly appeared, quickly holding the door and going in.
Carly first went to the sinks. This is when she realized how close things had been with Walters. Not only that, she had noticed Miranda atop the stairs, looking around. Had she been looking for her? Carly shook her head, convincing herself that Miranda couldn't have recognized her. Alex did say to look out for one of Walter's girls. Could he have been referring to Miranda? Whatever the case, she had to be careful from now on.
After using the ladies room, she left the room, heading back to where she left Andre. She noticed that there were many guards around the dance floor area, but not enough to make anyone suspicious.
She found Andre waiting for her on the deck, overlooking the sea. Carly couldn't help but stare at him from behind. This is when she started to notice his features. He was slightly taller than her, even when she had heels on. And even in his red, dazzling suit, she could tell that he had a strong physique. She noticed that he had a tattoo up the back of his neck that managed to show behind his collar. She became curious about what kind of tattoo it was.
Andre turned around, as if he knew she had been standing there. He smiled at her as he held out his hand. Carly found herself drawing out hers, and he swiftly took it and pulled her close to him. Carly felt her heart beat even faster. There's no denying that there's something about Andre that makes her feel like this.
"You're back," said Andre as he looked down at her, his arms now wrapped around her waist. He soon bit his lower lip, and that made Carly feel a tingle down her spine. "Should we continue where we left off?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Carly found herself whispering, "Yes," quickly planting her lips on his.