Leo pulled at the corners of his collar as he briefly looked in the mirror before turning away to look at his navy blue jacket on the bed. It had just come from the laundromat an hour before, looking well pressed. He walked over to his bed and took it. When it came to such events as dinner, Leo was very particular about his clothes. He looked at the jacket that he held up and admitted that they did a very good job of firmly pressing it. He takes his suits to the same laundromat, and they have never disappointed him. His suits made him look so classy and important. He doesn't go much online, but his female fans never stopped complimenting him about how good he looks in suits.
As he put the jacket on, he couldn't help but imagine how Carly might look tonight. She had sent him a picture of her aqua blue dress, and he couldn't wait to see her in it. Because of their meeting, Leo and Eric had decided to book a hotel room for tonight where the dinner would take place to keep their visitors company. He wished he were back home, as he imagined Carly, in her dress, walking down the stairs. It would've been a beautiful sight, he thought. Leo was so stuck in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door to the bathroom fly open and Eric walk straight out.
Eric started talking about an incident at work when he realized that Leo wasn't listening. He walked over to Leo and waved his hand in front of Leo's face. Leo jumped with a startle as he turned to look at his cousin.
"Where is your head?" Eric asked. "Let me guess, you're thinking about Carly in that dress of hers."
Leo gave Eric a corky smile. "And if I am?" he asked.
"You're so lucky we aren't attending a serious meeting, or else our visitors would know that you're thinking of your girl."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "It's not my fault she sent me the picture of the dress. Maybe you should tell Angel to send hers."
"Wow. Is this how it's going to be?" Eric asked as he made his way to the mirror.
"You started it," said Leo, turning to look at Eric.
"I like surprises," said Eric as he straightened the collar of his white shirt. "I can't wait to see how gorgeous Angel will look."
"What color do you think she picked for the dress?" Leo asked, making himself comfortable on the bed.
"Um," Eric paused for a bit as he took a comb on the dressing table and ran it swiftly through his dark brown hair. "Red."
"Red? What makes you think she picked a red dress? You didn't ask your mum, did you?"
"I haven't talked to her since we left the house. I don't know. It's all I can think of. I think it suits her, you know."
Leo scoffed as he shook his head. "I don't think it does. Anyway, we will see."
"You'll be surprised." Eric turned around to look at Leo on the bed. "Whatever color of dress she wears will obviously suit her well."
"It depends on the design of the dress."
"We better get down to the restaurant before our guests, don't you think?" Eric raised his hand to look at his wristwatch.
"Yeah, we still have time, though," said Leo as he picked up his phone that lay beside him.
"Well, thank goodness, the deal went through, right?"
Leo looked up from his phone and smiled. "It's a good thing. We will make a good investment with them."
"Yeah," Eric agreed as he came to sit beside Leo on the bed. In the end, he ended up leaning back onto the bed. "But I have a problem with someone on their board."
Leo looked down at Eric. "You're talking about Mr. Cho's son, aren't you?"
Eric beamed at Leo. "You know me so well. The person is so big-headed about how good-looking he is. Who invited him to the meeting?"
"Like I said, he just happens to be the son of the owner of Cho Industries," Leo answered. "Why wouldn't he be there?"
"Whatever." Eric now leans up on his elbow. "If I were you, I would warn Carly about him. He also seems to be a playboy and a flirt."
"Why does he sound like someone I know?" Leo asked as he raised his eyebrow.
"If you mean me, you're dead wrong."
Leo chuckled. "If you're worried about him catching Angel's eyes, don't worry. She seems pretty focused for looks to distract her."
"Yeah, but focused on whom? I have to admit, women are so confusing."
"In this case, it's because you didn't tell her anything."
"Well, I did try when we went out for lunch together. Maybe she's still considering it. But if he makes a move on her, you can kiss the deal goodbye."
Leo sighed. "Now you're being paranoid. Moreover, dad will kill you if you so much as punch the guy. Now that you mention him, I should be the one scared because Carly is also beautiful."
"Welcome to the club." Eric checks his watch again. "I better go downstairs and see if things are in order. Care to join me?"
"You go on ahead," said Leo as he stood up from the bed. "I'll catch up with you after I use the restroom."
Eric also stood up as well. "Okay, I'll meet you there. You should call your mother to see how far out they are. It won't be long until the visitors arrive at the restaurant."
"Sure."
Eric went over to the wardrobe to get his black jacket and made his way out of the room. Leo looked at the phone in his hands, and before calling his mother, he thought of sending a text to Carly. Before he could do so, his phone vibrated. Someone was calling him. To his surprise, it's Angel. His eyebrow shot up, leaving him to wonder. He hoped it wasn't about Carly. Maybe he shouldn't answer her call.
He decided to swallow his pride as he slid the answer button. It might be important, he thought as he put the phone beside his ear.
"Hi, Leo," came Angel's voice at the other end.
"Hi, Angel," he replied. He felt his throat run dry all of a sudden. Awkward.
"I'm just calling to inform you that we're on our way to the restaurant. I was trying to reach your father at first, but he wasn't picking up. I also tried to call Eric, but his phone isn't going through."
"Dad must already be here, and he couldn't hear his phone. As for Eric, I'm not too sure what's wrong with his."
"We will be there in twenty minutes."
Leo heard people talking in the background, and he could make out his aunt's voice and Carly's. They sounded very excited, and he could only imagine the look on their faces, especially Carly's.
"See you then," Angel concluded.
"Sure."
Before he could cut the line, he thought he heard the voice of his mother telling Angel to enter the car. Then he heard his aunt's voice clearly as she said:
"Careful, Angel. You don't want to ruin your red dress."
"Now, you're just exaggerating," said Angel, and the line soon went dead on her end.
Leo didn't know what to make of what he heard as he slowly took the phone away from his ear. Eric was right about Angel wearing a red dress, and he was going to taunt Leo when she arrives. He soon pushed away the thought. Whatever, he thought. She's wearing a red dress, so what?
Leo went to use the restroom. Afterwards, when he stepped out of the room, locking the door behind him, he forgot that he was supposed to send Carly a text, as the thought of the color red clouded his mind.
***
Mr. Walters looked down at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. Miranda was late as usual, and the two of them had to hurry to their destination. In times like these, he even wondered why he kept her around. Among his call girls, she is currently the best. If Carly was still around, I wouldn't be waiting on Miranda like this right now, he thought. Their client was very demanding, and Walters checked his phone from time to time to see if the client called or not.
All of a sudden, the door flew open from the passenger side, and before Walters had a chance to react, Miranda had sat herself inside the car, banging the door shut.
"Could you be more careful?" Walters barked. "You're already late, so that doesn't give you the right to bang my door. Moreover, you should knock first before coming in. One day, you might find yourself in the wrong car."
"Sorry," said Miranda, knowing fully well how much she had upset him. "I have late classes on Fridays. And entering someone's car shouldn't be a problem when you know the make of the car and the number plate."
"Whatever, we better go," said Walters, starting the engine. "We're already late, and this client doesn't like waiting."
Walter's red car started to move away from the club's parking lot and out onto the road.
***
"Wait a minute," said Trina, looking up at Kim. "You want to do what?"
"I'm going to that restaurant," said Kim as she paced back and forth in the lavish living room of her apartment in her white fluffy pajamas. "I'm going there with or without you."
Trina stood up from the white plush couch to stop Kim from pacing. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. "I mean, if you go there, Leo will see you, and he will know right away that his mother told you where he was going to be."
"Of course, I know. I want to make it look like I just happened to be there by coincidence. That's why I want you to come with me."
Trina shook her head. "We can't do that. Leo is smart. He'll know something is up, and you'll only land us in trouble."
"But if I happen to be on the other end of the room, he won't suspect a thing."
Trina scoffed. "Why are you doing this? I thought you were finally going to let this all go."
Kim held Trina's shoulder and dragged her back to the couch she had sat on.
"I've realized that I can't just let Leo go, Trina," said Kim. "I still love him, and the thought of him being with someone else drives me crazy each day."
"And you think this girl might come over to dinner?" Trina asked. "Don't you think it's too soon for her to be introduced to the family?"
"No. His mother would've said something. Nevertheless, he might get the chance to sneak out and go visit her. Maybe they even booked a room somewhere in the hotel, since the restaurant is just below."
"Now you're being paranoid. But..." Trina held Kim's hand on the couch. "I'll come with you. Hopefully, your plan will work, and he won't see us."
"I knew you would come through for me," said Kim with a wide smile, squeezing her friend's hand. "I need to find something to wear. Will you help me?"
"Sure. Will Eric be there?"
"Yes, of course. And the rest of the family."
"Then we've got to be careful with how we handle this. We better make it look like we had no idea that they were going to be there."
"Deal. Come on, we don't want to be late."
The two ladies stood up from the couch and quickly left the living room, heading to Kim's room.
***
Angel didn't concentrate as much on what was going on inside the car as it drove through the heart of New York. The chattering sound of the women talking felt like background noise, and each time she dove deeper into her mind, the more the noise muted so that she could barely hear what was around her.
She had no idea why she had suddenly drifted off into space. Was she nervous about the dinner? Not really. When she got home later in the evening, Mr. McDonell had told her that they had managed to seal the deal with the investors, so that's a good thing. Moreover, meeting new people hasn't always been a problem for her. She gets nervous at first, but then the feeling goes away, and she soon feels right at home. Then, what could be bothering her so much?
I must be tired, she thought to herself. She did have a long day, and she hoped for the dinner to go well. Yet she still had a funny feeling that she really shouldn't have come. Well, it's too late now. If she wanted, she would've lied that she had suddenly fallen ill, but here she was in the car with Oliver in the back seat and the rest of the other ladies.
As she continued to look out of the window, she realized that she was worrying about nothing. As she told herself, she must be tired. Thank goodness, tomorrow was Saturday, so that meant she could've plenty of rest.
She turned away from the window and found herself looking at Oliver next to her, who was dressed in a black suit with a cute bow tie, engrossed over his tablet as he played an action RPG game. She turned to look in front of her, where Amanda, Carly, and Diana sat. The three women were all stuck in some conversation, and Angel, still stuck in her head, couldn't get what they were saying. Her eyes landed on Carly, and that's when everything hit her.
Ever since their mother's passing, Angel has always felt a certain burden on her shoulders. It's been there for as long as she can remember. However, after her mother's death, it just got a lot heavier, and at some point, it became unbearable. With the help of Mr. McDonell, she is slowly starting to get back on her feet. She knew at some point, after she made enough to support her and Carly, she would've to move away from the McDonell household and go somewhere else. She always felt like a burden to the McDonells, even when most of the family members didn't seem to mind, especially Eric. Mrs. McDonell clearly showed that she didn't like the sisters in her own home, though she did try to put up with them in the last few days. Then there's Leo, whom Angel couldn't stand.
I sometimes wonder what Carly sees in him, Angel thought to herself. The two might pretend to get along sometimes, but there was something between them that sparked, causing them to get at each other's throats. Leo isn't bad for Carly, Angel thought to herself. She just wished they had met under better circumstances. Sadly, one of those circumstances just happened to be Carly being a call girl and working in a club.
Angel thought a bit more. If Carly never worked there, Leo would never have been involved in their lives, as would the rest of the McDonell family. However, Mr. McDonell knew their mother, so they would've met under better circumstances. Maybe at her mother's funeral? Well, that's not such a good situation, is it? Angel asked herself. In whatever way fate played in their lives, Angel concluded they were going to be involved with the McDonells in one way or another.
Carly really has made some bad decisions in her life, Angel thought as she continued to look at her sister, who was now laughing at what Amanda had said. Angel only wished that Carly could focus more on her education and then build her life from there. After their mother's death, Angel admits that she has been a little rough on her. That's because the tables had changed so drastically for them, and Angel was trying her best to be a good sister.
"Hey, Angel. Are you okay?" Diana asked, bringing Angel back from her thoughts.
"Ah, yeah," Angel replied quickly. "Just lost in thought."
"Oh, well, don't get too lost." Diana smiled at her.
Angel gave a nod of her head and turned back to look at Carly. She found herself smiling as she thought of the promise she made to her mother in the vision she had when she was lying on her hospital bed. With all she has, Angel will do her very best to take care of her sister.
"We're almost there now," Mrs. McDonell, who sat in the front passenger seat, announced.
"Gosh, why is there so much traffic?" Diana asked as she looked out the window. The car had been slowly moving for some time now.
"Probably because it's a Friday and people have places to be," Amanda answered. "Gone are the days when Fridays really mattered."
"We will still make it in time for the dinner," said Mrs. McDonell. "If anything, we're more than early."
"This is going to be exciting," said Carly as she smiled widely.
"Make sure you don't get too excited, dear," said Amanda. "As a lady, it's important to mind your behavior in front of guests."
"Yeah, we should be more like Angel," said Diana. "She seems so calm and collected."
"No, I'm not," said Angel as she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment.
"Continue blushing like that with the way you're looking, and you might find yourself a husband in that restaurant," Diana said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Carly turned to look at Angel with a smile. "I always tell her that she looks cute when she blushes," she said.
"I thought Mark was to be her future husband," said Mrs. McDonell.
"No way," Carly denied. "I don't like him. Angel should find someone way better."
"What of Eric?" Diana asked, wiggling her eyebrows at Angel.
This is getting out of control, Angel thought to herself.
"I can accept Eric any day," Carly answered. "Besides, he does like her."
"No, he doesn't," said Angel.
"Well, you should be careful with him," said Mrs. McDonell as she searched for something in her purse and brought out a small round mirror. "Isn't he still a playboy, Diana?"
"No, he isn't, and he never was," Diana defended her son. "It's not his fault that many girls came around looking for him whenever they felt like it. If it's that friend of Kim's, Trina, she has always been drooling over him."
"Maybe we really shouldn't be talking about this," said Angel, but she was ignored when Amanda asked:
"Eric is good and all, but what about Leo?"
Everyone in the car fell silent. Mrs. McDonell had already turned to look at Amanda behind her. Bob swallowed but still kept his eyes on the road, waiting for Mrs. McDonell to overreact. Carly looked at Amanda beside her with her mouth slightly open. She was surprised to hear Amanda suggest that when she was secretly dating Leo. Diana didn't expect Leo to be mentioned, for she knew he and Angel don't get along sometimes. Angel felt like the ground would open up and swallow her. If anything, she felt almost brain dead. She couldn't help but wonder why Amanda thought like she did. Oliver, on the other hand, wasn't paying attention, with the sound of his game on the tablet being the only thing sounding in the car.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Amanda asked.
"Well," Diana started to say, but then cleared her throat. "I didn't think you would bring up Leo."
"Me neither," said Mrs. McDonell, who surprisingly sounded calm. "I mean, Leo and Angel? It seems like an odd paring, don't you think?"
"No, I don't think so," said Amanda. "If you ask me, the two would look great together."
Angel felt her head spin. Was she about to lose consciousness? She hoped she didn't. The last thing she needed was to think of pairing up with Leo. To her, the whole thing was just absurd. She and Leo? She wouldn't be with him, even if they were the only two people left on earth.
Carly nervously laughed. "You must be joking, right, Amanda?" she asked.
"Well, it was only a suggestion since everyone was saying something," Amanda replied.
"Oh, okay," said Diana, feeling relieved. "Maybe we should stop talking about this before we wrongly try to pair Angel with someone else."
"I still feel Mark is good for her," said Mrs. McDonell.
"And what about you, Carly?" Amanda asked, ignoring Mrs. McDonell, which was probably the right thing to do. "Don't you have a boyfriend?"
Angel found herself back down to earth after Amanda asked the question. Great, she thought to herself. Is Amanda up to something? Maybe she's just curious. Carly, on the other hand, felt her heart beat faster. She told herself not to break a sweat, but she was finding it hard to do so.
"Um, no," Carly replied. "I don't have a boyfriend."
Angel almost sighed but kept it in for fear of the others getting a hint that Carly was lying.
"Well, we better find you one too," said Diana with a smile on her face.
"I don't think it will be difficult for her to attract anyone," said Mrs. McDonell. "I bet wherever she goes, every man wants her."
Carly blushed at the comment, while the fact that Carly was once a call girl bothered Angel. If the other members of the McDonell family knew about it, they wouldn't treat Carly and Angel in the same way ever again. It's why Angel was sort of thankful that Carly left that awful past behind her. No one should ever know about it. Carly needed to focus on herself now more than ever.
"We're finally here, ladies," Bill announced as he pulled up in front of the Grand New York Hotel.
"Finally," said Amanda.
"I should have given Fred a call to inform him to receive us," said Mrs. McDonell as she pulled out her phone from her purse.
"Or we can all get out of the car and wait for him in the lobby," said Amanda. "We might just find him there waiting for us. You don't need an escort, like we're walking down the red carpet. Come give me a hand, Bill, dear."
Diana, Carly, and Angel suppressed their laughter when Mrs. McDonell turned around to look at Amanda, who didn't entertain her by looking back. Bertha would've said something, but she held her tongue. They gave each other their word that they wouldn't argue today. Neither of them would like to be the center of attention as they enter the hotel lobby, arguing.
Bill came out of the car and went around, opening the door on Amanda's side. Mrs. McDonell also opened the door and walked out. Carly and Diana used the other side of the car to get out. Oliver and Angel followed behind them.
"So ladies, who is ready for tonight?" Diana asked as the four of them walked around the car to the entrance of the hotel. Oliver continued to be engrossed in his tablet, so Angel had to keep a watch on him.
"I am," said Carly, as they stood by the car waiting for Bill to help with Amanda. "I hope to have an exciting dinner."
"Well, let's not forget to be on our best behavior," said Angel, eyeing her sister.
"Speaking of behavior," said Diana as she looked down at Oliver, who still played on his tab. She stretched out her hand, and Oliver didn't hesitate to switch it off and give it to her. Diana put it in her black handbag.
After Bill had settled Amanda in her wheelchair, they were all ready to go inside the building. As they started to make their way to the front door of the hotel, Angel stopped in her tracks as she remembered that she left something in the car.
"I'll find you all in the lobby," she said to Diana, who was next to her. "I left something in the car."
She turned around and went back. Luckily, Bill hadn't gone inside the car yet. When he saw her coming, he stopped before he could go to the driver's seat.
"What could be the problem, Miss Barclay?" he asked.
"I left my purse in the car," she said.
"Okay, let me get it for you."
"Thanks," Angel said with a smile as Ben made his way to the passenger seat.
***
Leo looked down at his watch, thinking that his mother and the others should've come by now. Their guests were already in the restaurant with his father. He and Eric excused themselves as they offered to wait for the women and Oliver to arrive. Leo stood while Eric sat on the expensive Persian sofas in the waiting room. Eric looked up at Leo with an eyebrow raised. Leo noticed and looked at Eric.
"What is it?" Leo asked.
"You seem pretty impatient," said Eric. "Don't worry. You'll fall in the arms of your lover very soon."
"As if I can do that with everyone around." Leo shook his head, turning to look at the door.
"Well, as a loverboy, you'll find a way."
Leo tapped Eric on the shoulder as he continued to look at the door. He had seen his mother and the other ladies through the glass doors of the entrance. "They are here," he said.
Eric soon stood up from his seat, straightening his jacket. He and Leo went over to receive them. Mrs. McDonell walked in in her stunning maroon dress, with a lovely white flower brooch on her chest and black shining heels. Her blonde hair was tied up and fell in curls down her neck. Diana looked young and sexy in her black, one-sleeved dress that hugged her curves. And the makeup on her face was well done, as her glossy red lips shone under the hotel lights. Oliver, who stood beside her, looked just as smart as Leo and Eric in his black suit and bow tie.
Leo held his breath as he looked at Carly, who helped drag Amanda's wheelchair. She looked magnificent in her aqua-blue strapless dress. The blue eyeliner she applied to her eyelids fit well with her outfit, and her lips looked glossy and tempting to kiss. She also had her black hair curled as it fell to her shoulders. For a moment, she almost looked like a completely different person.
His grandmother looked like royalty in the cream-white dress and gold shoes. There were white pearls attached to the dress. In addition, she had her white hair in a bob and fell in curls on the side of her face.
"Wow, you all look amazing," said Eric. "It's like you came out of a movie or something."
"Thank you," said Diana as she flipped her straight hair to the side. "I think I'm worth winning an Oscar, don't you think?"
"No doubt, mum," said Eric with a smile. He turned to his grandmother, coming towards her. "And you look as beautiful as the Queen of England."
"Oh, you always know how to flatter me, Eric," said Amanda with a giggle. Eric came over to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Leo turned to his mother and Diana quickly before they noticed that he had been looking at Carly for a long time. "You two look great," he said.
"Thank you, dear," Mrs. McDonell said with a huge smile.
"Carly, you look really nice," Leo said, turning his attention back to her.
Carly gave him a bright smile. "Thank you, Leo," she said. Diana, who noticed her blush, raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, Carly," said Eric, straightening himself after hugging Amanda. "You look like a princess from a fairy tale. Very pretty."
"Thanks, Eric," said Carly.
"Hey, where is Angel?" Eric asked as he looked around the lobby.
"She went to get something in the car," Oliver answered. "You should see her, though. She looks stunning."
"Since when did you start complimenting women like that, young man?" Diana asked. Oliver didn't answer as he puffed his cheeks playfully.
Carly turned to look at the doors to the lobby. "Oh, look," she said. "Here she comes now."
They all turned their eyes to the door. Eric's eyes couldn't believe what they saw, and his mouth flew slightly open. Leo felt his whole surroundings disappear from his sight when he saw Angel walk through the door. It's like Angel appeared like a beacon in the dark, and she's the only one he could focus his eyes on. He is speechless at her appearance.
Angel couldn't help but notice eyes on her, not only from the McDonell family but from people who appeared in and out of the lobby. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, hoping that she didn't look too bad. She looked down at the red velvet dress. It was a sweetheart off-shoulder dress with a wide neckline showing her shoulders, collarbones, and straight sleeves. The dress also had shoulder straps studded with crystal rhinestones. Her dress hugged her curves and ran all the way down to her feet. Thankfully, she was wearing silver-strapped, high-heeled shoes. Not to mention that a slit ran up the left side of her dress, exposing her beautiful, slender leg.
"Wow, is it hot in here, or is it just me?" Eric asked.
Angel didn't know how to make sense of his words as she blushed, looking down at her feet. Her black and red hair, tied in a lovely curl ball with a few strands of her hair in front that fell in curls, bounced at the slight movement of her head. Amanda, Diana, and Carly couldn't help but giggle at her. Mrs. McDonell wasn't all impressed that Angel had stolen the show. When she turned to look at Leo, there was a look on his face that she had never seen on him before.
Leo felt like he was out of breath as Angel continued to be the focus of his vision. Her hairstyle suited her, as did her dress. He couldn't ignore the makeup on her face, either. It wasn't too much, but the classic black eyeliner and red glossy lipstick made her look all the more beautiful. After Eric had complimented her, Leo noticed just how quickly her cheeks blushed, bringing out a radiant aura to her appearance. He noticed that she also wore matching red oval-shaped earrings surrounded by shining rhinestones. Her fingernails, painted in deep red nail polish, made the way she held her white, glittering purse in her hand look somewhat admirable. His eyes moved to her feet, and it's then that she noticed how cute her painted toes looked. His eyes went up her leg next, which was slightly exposed by the slit of her dress. Oliver was right when he said she looked stunning. However, Leo thought that the right word to use would've been extravagant.
Mrs. McDonell wasn't the only one who noticed the way Leo looked at Angel. Carly had turned to look at him and realized her sister's appearance had captured his attention. There was a certain way in which he looked at Angel that made Carly feel something inside her start to boil. She felt the sudden need to wave her hand across his face to snap him out of his trance, but that could only make things even more awkward. However, Oliver came to stand beside Leo and pulled the sleeve of his jacket.
"She looks beautiful, doesn't she?" Oliver asked.
Leo looked down at Oliver, looking dazed as if woken from a sleep, and asked, "What?"
Amanda smiled at Leo, as she had also noticed from the start how he had been looking at Angel when she walked in. The conversation they had in the car came back to her, and it flattered her heart somehow.
"You must really have messed with his head, Angel," said Diana as she gave Leo a cheeky smile. "I did a good job making you look gorgeous, didn't I?"
"You did an excellent job," said Amanda as she looked at Diana with a smile.
Angel looked up at Leo, and their eyes finally met. They quickly looked away as they both felt uncomfortable. Angel wished she hadn't picked out the dress. Earlier, she had not only felt Eric's eyes on her but Leo's as well. She felt uncomfortable with the way they both looked at her.
"Okay, we're done stargazing," said Mrs. McDonell. "We've got dinner to attend to."
"Oh, right, said Eric, shaking his head a bit as he still looked at Angel. "Let me just say that you look gorgeous, Angel. Would you mind me escorting you to the restaurant?"
"Uh, sure," said Angel. "And thanks for the compliment."
"No need. Shall we?" Eric came to stand by her side and offered his arm.
Angel gave him a smile and a nod of her head. She wrapped her hand around Eric's arm. Eric smiled at her, feeling rather lucky to have such a gorgeous lady by his side. He started to make his way to the restaurant with Angel. Mrs. McDonell followed behind them. Leo looked on at Angel and Eric as they made their way out of the lobby before Oliver pulled at his sleeve again, pulling Leo along as they followed.
Carly, hoping for Leo to help her push Amanda's wheelchair, felt a little disheartened when she saw him walk away. Angel's stunning appearance still had him dazed by the look on his face, Carly concluded. She remained behind with Diana and Amanda, pushing Amanda's chair behind her.
"Angel has really got those boys confused," said Amanda as they followed.
"It's not our fault she picked a lovely dress," said Diana. "And I didn't have to put much makeup on her. She's naturally beautiful." She turned to look at Carly. "Both of you are."
Carly smiled. "Thanks," she said. Still, the compliment didn't make her feel better. Not after Angel took much of her boyfriend's attention away from her.
Carly's night was far from being a pleasant one. As she and the others left the lobby, a red car pulled up in front of the entrance of the hotel. Miranda, in her black boots and jeans with an orange shirt, walked out of the car with her backpack in her hands. Walters told her he would find her in the lobby while he went to pack the car in the hotel's parking lot.
Miranda walked over to the hotel entrance after Walters drove away, and she couldn't help but look around the hotel lobby when she entered. She has been here countless times, and there's no doubt that the client who called for her is super rich. For her, it was just business as usual. However, it wouldn't hurt for something extraordinary to happen to her tonight.