"Angel just ruined everything for me," said Leo as he came to stand next to Eric by the bar counter.
"What do you mean she's ruined everything?" Eric asked.
"Carly and I were supposed to run away together, but it's like she caught on to us." Leo shook his head. "That's why she stayed behind with Carly. She says she doesn't want Marco to suspect anything."
Eric shrugged his shoulders. "Angel does have a point," he said. "We don't need Marco knowing that the two of you are dating. He might tell his father, who, in turn, will tell your dad. Well, you know how this vicious cycle goes."
Leo sighed. "You do have a point." He turned to his cousin. "Go on. I know you want to say it."
"Say what?" Eric asked without looking at Leo.
Leo sighed again, deeply this time. "That she has my best interest at heart."
Eric looked at Leo, this time with a beaming smile on his face. "Of course, because that's just how she is."
"Can you stop smiling like that?" Leo looked irritated. Eric's smile shone brightly like the sun. Leo felt blinded as he turned to look away. "You've had your fun."
"I just want to rub it in. Before we went into the garden, I was about to tell you the same thing, but it slipped my mind. It's good that Angel thought way ahead and talked to Carly about it."
Leo felt dumb. None of that came to mind, and he felt like slapping himself for being so stupid and careless. He hoped Marco wasn't paying enough attention at first for him to realize there was anything between him and Carly. It seems he has Angel to thank, but Leo was too embarrassed to think of doing so.
"Do they serve milkshakes here?" Leo asked, trying to rid himself of his thoughts.
"Yeah, I already asked," answered Eric. "They serve non-alcoholic drinks as well, in case there's anyone who needs one."
"I'll go over to the table and ask what drinks they want. Do they have snacks too?"
"Yep."
Leo left the counter and found Carly where he had left her. She was slowly looking around, taking in the view of the place. There were bright bulbs hanging over the area, and she apparently stood out with her beautiful dress. If they weren't around so many people, he wasn't going to hesitate to kiss and caress her. He smiled at her instead and gestured with his head to her, saying that they should join Angel and the others.
Trina and Kim stood by the fountain as they watched Leo approach the table where Angel, Oliver, and the Asian man sat. Carly joined him soon afterwards.
"How long do you think we'll stay here until he decides to see his lover?" Trina asked as she sat at the edge of the pool basin of the fountain.
"I don't know," said Kim, who remained standing. "Don't tell me you're already tired."
"Oh, no, it's not that. They are there enjoying themselves when I'm in need of a drink right now."
Kim rolled her eyes. "We can go there and take a seat, but we should sit out of their sight."
"Good idea. Let's wait for Eric at the counter. Leo looks like he's checking to see what everyone needs because he hasn't sat down. They will easily see us if they aren't at their table."
Kim agreed with Trina. They continued to watch Leo as he made his way back to the counter.
Meanwhile, Miranda, who had been watching over the balcony, followed Leo's movements. She kept telling herself that she needed to get down there. If she so much as stepped out of the room, no doubt Red Lion would have her head, and whatever the meeting was all about, she wasn't going to be a part of it.
She huffed. If that was the consequence, she was going to have to deal with it.
Without giving much of a second thought, Miranda turned around and went back inside the room. The football game they were watching was on a half-time break, and the three men were there, talking aloud about the game. She approached them, and to get their attention, she loudly cleared her throat.
The three men all stopped talking and turned to look at Miranda. For a moment, she gulped as her eyes landed on the terrifying face of Red Lion, who didn't like the fact that she had disturbed them. She had to be quick with what she wanted to say, as she was running on Red Lion's patience.
"I'll be stepping out for a bit," Miranda announced.
There was a brief silence in the room as the three men continued to look at Miranda, expressionless. Red Lion moved in his seat, and Miranda feared that he would speak first.
"I don't think going out is the best thing to do right now," he said. "We're waiting on someone, aren't we?"
"Yeah, we are, but this person isn't showing up anyway. You'll let me know when he gets here. I really need to step out."
Red Lion continued to look at her. Walters now had a scared look on his face. He wished he could intervene, but things haven't escalated between the two, so it was hopeless to do so.
"Whatever," said Red Lion as he leaned back on the couch. "You get back here in thirty minutes. If our host gets here before you, you better hurry back when Walters calls."
Miranda felt relieved. She thought she wasn't going to be let go so easily. Moreover, the time Red Lion gave her was too little. However, she had to make use of this as much as possible, even if it meant seeing Leo down there for a minute.
"I will," said Miranda. She didn't waste any time as she made her way for the door.
As soon as she walked out of the room, Hugo turned to Red Lion and asked, "Are you sure letting her go out like that is a good idea? Our host can walk in at any moment."
"True, but it's better than her staying out on the balcony while we wait," Red Lion answered. "If you ask me, I would step out too if it wasn't for the football game. But I was serious about my threat, so she better be here before he does."
Walters didn't say anything as he briefly looked at Red Lion before looking up at the TV. Red Lion wasn't kidding when he said he was in a good mood, Walters thought to himself. Knowing Red Lion, he wasn't going to let Miranda walk out of here. Something must have really put Red Lion into a good mood today, or else he wouldn't have done what he did.
Leo and Eric came to join the others at the table with their drinks, and Eric, on the other hand, carried a plate full of nachos and cheese. Oliver was so delighted to see the plate of snacks that he couldn't wait to eat them. Angel had to warn him not to eat too much, or else he might have a bad tummy ache the next day.
"I wouldn't waste my breath warning the guy," said Eric as he sat down on the empty chair next to Angel after serving her a soda. "It's a Friday, and he likes to act like he can do whatever he wants."
Oliver, who sat on Angel's other side, didn't answer him as he took his mango milkshake and put the straw in his mouth. Angel, on the other hand, looked at Eric and shook her head.
Leo placed his glass of beer and Carly's cocktail before taking his seat in between them. He also served Marco a bottle of the cider that he wanted. Marco thanked him as Leo sat down.
"Hey, Marco," said Angel as she turned to look at him, looking over Oliver, who sat in between them. "Have you ever been here before? In America, I mean."
"Oh, yes, I've come here several times," answered Marco. "I usually come here with dad on business trips. Inheriting the family business can be tiring, especially when they're showing you the ropes. You just have to be there, even when you don't want to. I bet Leo can testify to that."
"He's right," said Leo, finding it hard to argue with him.
"Wait, does that mean I might inherit mum's business of running the massage parlors when I'm older?" Oliver asked as he took a nacho and dipped it in cheese.
Everyone at the table grew quiet as they looked at Oliver. At the same time, they all burst into laughter.
"Maybe," said Eric. He tried his best to stop laughing, but it was of no use.
"No fair," said Oliver after chewing on his nacho. "You were the one who was supposed to inherit it, not me."
"Sorry, but I'm more into other businesses, lil' bro."
"Don't take it like that, Oliver," said Marco. "Beauty parlors aren't that bad. Moreover, many rich people love going to such places. So you'll probably make a lot more money in the future."
"Besides, if you're interested in other things, I'm sure your mum will understand," said Angel.
"If you like, you and I can run them together," said Carly. "That's if you plan on running them."
"And I can be more of an investor," said Marco.
"I still have a whole life ahead of me," said Oliver as he shrugged his shoulders. "I'll see if I can handle it."
All the grown-ups at the table looked at the young boy, somewhat surprised at his answer. They all stayed that way for a brief moment before Leo stretched out his hand to get a nacho.
"Good enough response for me," he said. He put the nacho in his mouth afterwards.
"I swear, sometimes I feel he's older for his age," said Eric as he shook his head.
"Aren't all kids nowadays?" Angel asked with a smile.
"Just like Leo said, a very wise response," said Marco as he looked at Oliver admirably. "Hopefully, you do inherit, and we will become business partners in the future."
"Yeah, let's not push him for now," said Carly. "He'll sort all of that out later, when he's older."
"Well, sometimes you don't really have much of a choice. Isn't that right, Leo?" Marco asked, his eyes fixed on Leo.
Leo slowly stopped chewing as he looked at Marco. He didn't know if answering Marco would be a good idea, but he only gestured with his head to acknowledge the statement.
Angel was sipping on her drink when her eyes wandered away from the area in the bar and to the fountain. She had a feeling Trina and Kim had been standing there for a while. When she found there were only a couple looking at the fountain, she started to worry. Could they have given up and left? Kim didn't seem like the kind of person who would give up on anything, Angel thought.
She was lucky enough to see Kim and Trina approach the open bar, and she had a clear view of them. Leo sat with his back facing them, but she feared Eric and Oliver would see them. Angel had to think of something to turn their eyes elsewhere. What should she do?
She turned to Oliver, and he seemed distracted as he was eating the nachos hungrily. Turning to Eric, she found him somewhat staring at her.
"What is it?" she asked him.
"Oh, nothing," he said, somewhat looking a little embarrassed that he was caught looking at her. "You're looking really pretty tonight, that's all."
Angel noticed Kim and Trina enter the bar area through the corner of her eye. She couldn't turn to look at them. That would only get Eric to look, and he would spot them eventually. She had to keep eye contact with him for as long as necessary.
"Thank you," said Angel, smiling at him. "Picking this outfit wasn't easy, you know."
"Nah, I think it was," said Eric. "I'm betting that you didn't have to try on any other dress. This one was just perfect."
Carly, who looked at the two, smiled. "He's not wrong there," she said.
Leo felt like throwing up in his drink as he had a clear sight of Eric flirting with Angel. He wished he could tell them to get a room, but he knew better than to say it when he was flirting with Carly some time ago.
Angel saw through the corner of her eye that Kim and Trina had entered the bar area and were now looking around for a table on the other side. It was best for them to get a table where they couldn't be seen. As soon as they were out of sight, Angel couldn't help but feel relieved. She went on ahead to pick a nacho, dip it in cheese, and eat it.
"That was close," said Trina. "For a moment, I thought Eric was going to see us."
"We better count ourselves lucky," said Kim.
"If we weren't on opposite sides, I would thank Angel for distracting him. I have a feeling she saw us and wasn't into the idea of Eric seeing us too."
Kim didn't argue there. She somewhat agreed with Trina. She looked toward the bar. Luckily enough, it was circular in shape with a bar shelve in the circumference, blocking the view of the other side. Therefore, she could see neither them nor them doing the same. Moreover, she could easily go over to the counter for a drink.
"We should really think things through, Kim," said Trina as she looked over at the bar, realizing that the others were out of sight. "Is staying here really worth it? I doubt if he is going to meet his lover with the company that he has."
"You've been in doubt all this time," said Kim. "Why don't you just give up and leave? I'm not going to stop you."
"The reason I am here is that I'm afraid that you might mess this up. Your obsession over Leo leaving you for someone else is really starting to get over your head. If you aren't careful, you might hurt yourself more than you are already doing right now."
Kim looked at her best friend, feeling infuriated by what she said. She didn't want to lash out and tried to find a better way to respond.
"Like I said before, if you want to, you can leave," said Kim.
"I'm not leaving without you," said Trina. "And besides, when we came in here, I saw Eric flirting with Angel. I wonder if he really does like her."
A sudden laugh came out of Kim's mouth. Tears almost filled her eyes. "You're just as jealous as I am," she said.
"Well, I'm not like you," said Trina as she folded her arms. "You're making things worse for yourself, and it will end up being a obsession."
Kim shook her head. "I know, but I won't let this go far. Once I get to see Leo's lover, I'll let this go."
Trina raised an eyebrow. "Will you? I know you, Kim. Leo has been the only man you've been in love with since we were kids, and him breaking up with you and calling off the wedding was a heavy toll. I don't think you'll be able to let go of him that easily."
"Are you trying to say I am psycho?" Kim didn't like where their conversation was going.
Trina swallowed, thinking over her words before she spoke them out. "All I'm saying is that it's time to let Leo go. Thinking about him and his new lover isn't going to do you any good."
Kim sighed. She stretched out her hand over the table and beckoned to Trina to give her hers. Trina did likewise, and Kim held her friend's hand tightly.
"Okay, after tonight, I'll try and let go of Leo," said Kim.
"Why not now?" Trina asked. "Don't tell me you're going to follow through with your promise after you see this lover of his."
Kim didn't answer, and Trina rolled her eyes. "Fine," Trina said. "After tonight, I shouldn't hear about Leo ever again."
"But what if we don't see her?" Kim asked.
"You forget him anyway," said Trina, pulling her hand away. "I'm going to get us some drinks."
Trina quickly stood up and left the table. Kim looked on at her best friend and knew she had pissed her off. She wished she could assure Trina that she was going to forget Leo after this, but even she knew that was far from impossible.
Miranda rushed out of the elevator and ran into the garden like a mad woman. Along the way, she pushed people aside. To some, she apologized, but to others, she didn't even give them a second thought.
There was only one way to the garden, and that was through the western wing since the doors to the east wing weren't open, said a woman she had met in the elevator who was going downstairs and who had lived in the hotel for a long time. Thankful for the information, Miranda had to rush. She only had a few minutes left, but all she needed was to see Leo.
She had just bypassed the fountain, heading towards the open bar, but then she stopped herself short. She had to see where Leo was sitting first; he might as well have Carly seated right beside him, and Carly would no doubt see her if she wasn't too careful.
She didn't have to look any further, as she saw Leo at the table with Carly beside him along with other people. Leo was holding the floor for the time being, and Miranda noticed how everyone laughed at what he said. Carly, who sat next to him, looked admirably at him. Miranda huffed. If only she could figure out a way to get the two apart, but now wasn't the time to think about such things.
She started to approach the entrance of the bar; looking over at Leo's table and hopeful that Carly wouldn't turn her head to see her.
Miranda walked over to the counter and sat on the stool. Immediately, the bartender attended to her, and she ordered a martini. The bartender went on ahead to make her drink as Miranda slightly turned around on her chair to look at the table behind her. She had a clear view of Leo, and a smile came across her face.
"Seriously, ever since Albert puked on me at the work party, I told myself never to drink with him again," said Leo, concluding his funny story.
"That's why I never hang around drunk people," said Marco. "You might find they embarrass you."
"But haven't we ever done anything embarrassing when we are drunk?" Eric asked.
"Not me," Oliver answered. "I'm too young to drink."
Eric sucked his teeth. "Of course, I wasn't directing the question to you, silly," he said.
"I remember there was one time back at my old college when I got so drunk that Angel had to come by taxi to take me home," Carly shared. "We were having a closing year party as a class at a friend's place. I got so carried away that I even fell in the pool."
"A friend of hers called, and I had to arrange some dry clothes for her," said Angel as she laughed. "Seriously, Carly, you threw Mum in a fit when I tried to sneak you back into the house. But you ended up singing so loudly that she came rushing from her bedroom to see you in a mess."
"Were you grounded, Carly?" Oliver asked as he ate some nachos.
"No, but if us young adults could still be, I definitely would have been grounded," said Carly. "I was punished in a way, though. Mum didn't talk to me for a week."
"I remember when we were having my uncle's birthday party," said Marco, "and we meant to have a nice, quiet family party. Instead, my uncle brought in many of his unruly friends. The party turned out to be such a blast. He and I had a competition to see who could drink more tequila. He passed out before he could take the last glass. I won, but at a cost. I puked in the car, and my dad was furious. From then on, I told myself I wasn't going for tequila shots ever again."
"Trust me, the first time I had my first tequila shot in college was awful," said Eric. "My head was spinning so much that I slept in the bar, and it took my friends I had back then to carry me back to my room. Leo was also there, and he said I was blabbering nonsense before I blacked out."
"He was complaining about some girl who couldn't stop following him in college," said Leo. "If she happened to be there to hear what you had said, she would definitely have stayed away from you for sure."
Eric shook his head after taking a sip of his drink. "I highly doubt it. I did some crazy things in college, but the girls still loved me anyway."
Marco turned to look at Angel. "What of you, Angel? Have you ever had any embarrassing moments when you were drunk?" he asked.
"Before she says anything," said Carly. "You should ask her first if she drinks alcohol."
Marco, Leo, and Eric now turned their eyes on Angel with curious looks. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she looked down at the table. She pressed her lips together before looking at everyone, including Oliver.
"So, Angel, do you take any alcohol?" Marco asked.
"Of course, I do," said Angel. "Except that I like to drink wine or champagne on special occasions."
"I never thought someone like you would actually take alcohol," said Eric. "But your preference suits you."
"Yeah, very classy," said Oliver.
The adults turned to look at Oliver, surprised. Oliver also looked back at them as though he were judging them for giving him such a look.
"What?" he asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "I hear people who drink such are considered classy."
"Wow, someone should tell him that he shouldn't judge people according to what they drink," said Eric.
"Well, Angel is classy, isn't she?" Oliver asked.
Angel and Carly burst into laughter. Marco and Leo chuckled, while Eric looked like he didn't know what to do with his brother anymore.
"I agree with Oliver," said Marco. "Angel is in a class of her own."
"That's being too sweet, don't you think?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow at Marco.
"Well, no, I'm being really genuine here. Angel carries a certain level of elegance that I can describe as classy. I don't know, but there's much more to her than just her beauty. You're a man, and I have no doubt you see it too."
Everyone was silent except for Oliver, who loudly sucked at his smoothie through the straw. Angel found herself looking at Marco with her cheeks feeling like hot coals slapped across her face. Marco turned from Leo to Angel, and the corner of his lips rose to a smile. This time, his smile was gentle and sincere.
Leo swallowed, as he didn't know how to respond to Marco's statement. He saw Marco shift his attention to Angel. As much as Marco was somewhat right from Leo's perspective, he did his best to try and not take it to heart. For some reason, he couldn't stand the way Marco looked at her, and it bothered him a little. He started to wonder if Marco really liked Angel.
Eric felt like taking Angel by the hand and dragging her away from Marco. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and he thought of bringing something up to ease the tension that he felt, but nothing came to mind.
Carly couldn't help but stare at Angel. What Marco said resonated with her, and as she stared at her sister, she could see it clearly. She always felt there was something about Angel that she couldn't put her finger on, and it seems Marco hit the nail right on the head. Carly has not always looked up at her sister because she was older, but she always carried with her a certain essence that Carly's been following blindly for years. She knew she could never be like Angel, but that essence always showed brightly, and Carly always admired Angel for it.
"We're out of nachos," Oliver announced, bringing everyone out of their thoughts.
"I'll go get some," said Leo, grateful for Oliver finishing the nachos. He really needed to take a breather.
Leo picked up the empty bowl and started to make his way to the bar counter. Oliver started to say something to keep everyone busy. When Leo was just a few feet away from the bar, it was then that Angel jerked upright in her seat as though she had woken up from a bad dream.
"Hey, are you okay?" Eric asked.
"I'm good, thanks," Angel replied, assuring Eric with a smile. She turned to Leo, who was heading to the counter. Kim was obviously on the other side, so Leo wouldn't see them. She was worrying over nothing.
Miranda quickly turned back in her seat to face the beer and wine bottles on the shelf behind the bar counter as she saw Leo approach. She swallowed as she felt her hands start to shake. A debate arose in her head. Should she say something to him when he comes over? Why should she? It's not like he can remember that they met at the candy store. I am just being silly, she said to herself.
Leo finally reached the counter, and he happened to stand next to Miranda. When Miranda saw him through the corner of her eye, she felt frightened like a mouse that scurries away when it sees the enemy. However, she tried to sit still in her seat so as not to draw any attention to herself. She looked down at the glass in front of her and slowly took it. She tried to control the trembling in her hand and hoped that she wouldn't spill the drink over or that Leo wouldn't notice her.
Leo ordered another plate of nachos, and his eyes diverted to the side. His eyes fell on the woman beside him. He had a funny feeling that she looked familiar, but he didn't know if he should ask. Still, it was better to mind his own business.
Miranda felt his eyes on her, and automatically, her head turned to the side to look at Leo. After realizing what she had done, her eyes went wide with surprise.
"I remember you from somewhere," said Leo.
"Ah, yes," said Miranda. Her surprised look seemed to have worked in her favor. "At the candy store."
"Oh, yeah, right," said Leo as he gave a nod of his head. "I remember. You bumped into that moving shelf."
"That was embarrassing," said Miranda as she laughed. "I was in a rush."
Leo gave her a friendly smile and nodded his head, showing that he understood. His gesture made Miranda almost want to shoot out of her stool like a rocket. Her heart fluttered, and she wanted to hold on to that beautiful feeling forever.
The bartender came back with the plate refilled with nachos and cheese. Leo took it and thanked the bartender. He turned to Miranda, and she knew that their conversation ended here.
"It was nice seeing you again," said Leo. "Enjoy your drink."
"Thanks," said Miranda. She didn't know what to say next as Leo took his leave. The thought of being just a stranger to him didn't sit well with Miranda. She wanted to be close to him. How will she be able to do that?
Her eyes fell to the table Leo was heading to, and she saw Carly talking with so much glee. She didn't seem to have a care in the world, and it hurt Miranda that she should be the one close to Leo and not her.
Carly turned her eyes to Leo, who was approaching the table, and she couldn't help but smile at him. Miranda was smart enough to turn her head so that Carly wouldn't see her. Miranda knew her time was up, and she was guessing that she might have overstayed at the bar. It was time to go back upstairs. She thought of looking back at Leo, but it wasn't worth the risk. It was best for her to leave, but after she finished her martini.
A few seconds before that, Trina came back to the table with two bottles of cider. She sat herself down and placed one bottle in front of Kim.
"Thanks," said Kim.
"Have you thought of what to do?" Trina asked. "We can't see Leo from here. That's if you really plan on catching Leo with his lover."
"I thought of sitting by the counter and peeping on him," Kim suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea," said Trina. "Even if we were to see him walking out, it would be impossible for us to see where he would go."
As the two women stood at the table, Trina stopped Kim by placing her hand on Kim's shoulder.
"I know you're tired of me saying this," said Trina, "but doing this is a bad idea. We should get out while we can."
Kim scoffed. "I gave you my word earlier, didn't I? There is no need to repeat the conversation. Let's go."
Trina's hand fell away from Kim's shoulder as Kim started to make her way to the other side of the bar. Trina followed her, and coming back the way they came, they stopped at the counter. From the angle at which they stood, they were able to see Leo's table.
The two of them sat on the stools, facing each other. Trina had her back facing Leo's table, shielding Kim from plain sight if the worst happened.
"I can't see so much, so you'll be telling me what's going on," said Trina.
"You're overthinking things," said Kim. "You can take a peek and still won't be seen. Oh, look, Leo is coming over."
Trina turned her head slightly to see Leo approach the other side of the counter. He wasn't looking in their direction, so they were at ease as they looked on. They saw him ask the bar tender for another refill of nachos. He soon looked at the woman beside him, and Kim held Trina's hand on the bar counter in anticipation.
"Could it be her?" Kim asked, almost squeezing Trina's hand.
Trina looked at the woman beside Leo as she turned to look at him. She shook her head. "I don't think so," said Trina.
They watched as Leo talked with the woman briefly, and as soon as he took the bowl of nachos, he addressed the woman and went back to his table. Trina shook her head.
"She's not the one," said Trina. "They looked like they knew each other, but not at that intimate level."
"Are you sure?" Kim asked. "Because he was smiling at her."
Trina rolled her eyes before turning them at her friend. "Does every smile he gives everyone mean that he is flirting with them?" she asked. "He looks like he was being friendly to me."
"What if she's the one and they were communicating in some way through code?"
Trina raised an eyebrow at her. Kim knew she was taking things a little far and looked the other way, taking a sip from her bottle and feeling embarrassed.
Angel stared at her empty glass of soda, concluding that she needed to refill. She excused herself from the table and started to make her way to the bar counter.
Miranda finished her martini in one huge gulp. She placed the glass on the counter, leaving the bill under the glass. After she stepped down from her stool, she turned around and came shoulder to shoulder with someone.
"Oh, sorry about that," said a beautiful woman in a stunning red velvet dress.
Miranda almost panicked, for she thought the person she had bumped into was someone familiar. However, looking closely, she realized that it was Angel, Carly's older sister. Miranda knew Angel didn't know about her, but Miranda knew who she was. In the past, when she and Carly used to work together, Carly had shown Angel's pictures to her a few times. Miranda acknowledged that the sisters had looks that could kill, but there was something about Angel's beauty that was different from Carly's.
"Oh, it's nothing," said Miranda.
Angel smiled at her before turning her attention to the bartender. Miranda turned around to head out of the bar when she froze in her tracks. She felt caught in a trap as she looked ahead. This is bad.
Carly's eyes fell on Miranda as she looked over to the bar to check on her sister. Miranda happened to be right in her line of vision. Carly's eyes widened with fear as thoughts started to run through her head. What was Miranda doing here?
Angel thanked the bartender after refilling her glass, and when she turned around, the woman whom she bumped into stood still like a statue. Angel read her body language, and she realized that the person seemed to be in some kind of shock. She noticed the woman looking towards the table where her sister and the others were. Moreover, she saw Carly look at the woman with the same surprised look.
Angel raised an eyebrow. She was just about to touch the woman's shoulder to get her attention, but she thought better of it.
"Hey, are you okay?" Angel asked.
Miranda jolted back to reality and turned to look at Angel. She nervously chuckled. "Uh, yes, I'm fine, thanks," said Miranda. "I thought I saw someone I knew, but I was mistaken. I should go now."
Before Angel could say anything, Miranda quickly made her way out of the bar. Those who were wondering what took Angel so long turned to the bar counter and saw the woman quickly walk away from Angel. Angel looked at the young woman, and she turned her attention back to the table, specifically on Carly. Carly didn't turn her head right away as she looked at her sister. She didn't want to look like she knew Miranda, and it was best to act natural. Angel went back to the table.
"What was that about?" Eric asked.
"Oh, she thought she recognized someone, but she was mistaken," said Angel as she sat back down on her seat, placing her glass on the table.
"She must have meant me," said Leo. Carly looked at him, surprised at his statement. "Remember the time we went to that candy store a few days ago?" He looked at Eric. "She was the one who bumped into that moving shelf."
"Oh, I see," said Angel. "But she said she didn't recognize anyone."
"Obviously she was nervous because of Leo again," said Eric. "I bet the reason she bumped into that shelf was because of your scary looks."
Angel shook her head. "Not this again," she said.
"Mind you," Leo started to say, "when I went over to the bar, I actually talked to her. She didn't seem nervous to me."
"She obviously fell for your good looks, not the scary one as Eric had put it," said Marco.
"You really are a bully, Eric," said Oliver. "It's not Leo's fault that he is more handsome than you."
Marcos and Angel laughed at Eric. Eric, on the other hand, felt like hitting his brother on the head. Carly had been silent the whole time as thoughts ran through her head. Miranda actually had a talk with Leo, and that scared her. Could she have told Leo that she was also there at his bachelor party? Moreover, they met days ago at the candy store, and she finds herself here at the hotel. Why did Carly feel like she was suddenly in jeopardy?
Angel wiped away the tears from her eyes, and she soon looked at Carly, who looked lost in thought. She couldn't help but wonder what her sister was thinking about.
"You, Oliver, have really cracked me up today," said Marco as he continued to laugh. "I can't wait for us to hang out like this again."
Oliver beamed at Marco happily, while Eric felt like slapping that look off his brother's face.
"Yeah, Oliver has really cracked me up too," said Angel as she turned to smile at Oliver.
"I hate to wrap things up here," said Marco, "but I'm done for the night."
"Oh, that's a shame," said Eric. "We were really having fun."
"Don't you think it's also getting late?" Angel asked the others. "We better be heading out too."
Leo gave Angel a look. He still didn't get the chance to be alone with Carly. When Marco said he was leaving, he thought he had the opportunity. He turned to look at Carly beside him, and she seemed to look lost in her own world.
"We should," said Oliver. "I want us to pass somewhere and get ice cream on our way home."
"Uh, wait a minute," said Leo. "Some of us would like to spend a little time here."
Angel threw Leo a look, knowing what he was playing at. She wanted to leave because the possibility of Leo seeing Kim and Trina was high, and she didn't want to risk it. Moreover, if Kim does see Leo spending his time alone with Carly, she will realize without a doubt that Carly is Leo's lover. If only she could tell Leo without making him so upset, she thought to herself.
"Leo's right," said Eric, looking over at Leo. "I would like to stay here for a little longer."
Angel sighed, but not the kind that anyone would notice. It looks like she lost this one. She just has to find a way to work around it.
"Well, then I'll leave you to enjoy yourselves," said Marco as he stood up from his seat. "Before I forget," he said as he turned to Angel. "I would love to get your number, Angel."
Angel almost forgot about that, and she blushed immediately when Marco asked her. She watched him pull out his phone. He turned his eyes on her, giving her his full attention. Angel hesitated for a bit before giving out her number, and he typed it down on his phone. Eric and Leo looked on, wondering why Marco looked so eager to get her number. Carly wasn't paying much attention, so she couldn't care less.
"I really enjoyed my time with you," said Marco, pocketing his phone away. "We should do this sometime soon."
"Sure," said Eric, putting up a smile for Marco, which proved to be very difficult.
Marco wished everyone a good night, and everyone responded back. Even Carly, who looked absent-minded, said goodnight. Before leaving, Marco gave Angel a wink, telling her to expect a message from him anytime soon. Angel only smiled, feeling embarrassed that he said that in front of everyone.
"Marco really likes you, Angel," said Oliver after Marco had left the bar.
"Why do you say that?" Angel asked, looking at the boy with wide eyes.
"Don't listen to him," said Eric. "Kids don't know what they say nowadays."
Leo turned to Carly, and it was then that he noticed that she hadn't talked much at all for a while.
"Hey, Carly, are you okay?" Leo asked.
Everyone turned to look at Carly. She tried to hide it with a smile, telling Leo that she was alright. Angel couldn't point out why her sister looked low, but she knew she could use this to her advantage.
"You look tired, Carly," said Angel. "Maybe we should call it a night and head home."
Carly looked at Angel, and a small smile appeared on her face. She definitely needed to leave. The fact that Miranda was here messed with her head a lot, and she felt like being as far away from the hotel as possible. Considering that, Miranda might still be around.
"Angel is right," said Carly. "I'm feeling rather overwhelmed. We've had a long day, and I didn't get enough rest."
Leo looked a little disappointed, but now that he saw Carly more clearly, she didn't look too well at all. It looks like his plans for tonight might as well go down the drain. If Carly was feeling too tired, it was understandable that she wasn't going to enjoy his company alone with him either.
"Alright," said Leo. "We better get going if we're going to get Oliver's ice cream."
"We better check out of that room and get our stuff then," said Eric.
"Oh, I forgot about that. Why don't you go to the room while I go bring the car around?"
"Sure." Eric quickly stood up from his seat and started to make his way out of the bar area.
Trina and Kim, who still sat observing Leo, noticed Eric stand up from his seat. The others were still at the table, and it was only a moment later that they started to stand up.
"Look, they're leaving," said Trina.
"Do you think Leo will get this opportunity to see his lover?" Kim asked.
"He can't do that with the others tagging along," said Trina. "Let's watch and see."
Angel and Oliver started to make their way to the entrance of the bar when Angel, through the corner of her eye, saw Kim and Trina. This was bad. From where she stood, she feared Leo might also notice them. She slowed her pace with Oliver and waited for Carly and Leo to catch up. If she was lucky, Leo might pass by without noticing Kim and Trina, but one can never be too sure.
Carly made her way to Angel and Oliver, with Leo following slowly behind her. Without much thought, his eyes found their way to the bar counter, and he noticed someone familiar at the other end. Only when the person turned in his direction and their eyes fell on him did he realize who it was.
"Oh, my gosh," said Kim as she held Trina's shoulder in a tight grip. "He's seen us."
Trina choked on her own words that she couldn't speak as he saw Leo staring back. His eyes slowly started to flame with anger. Or was it fury?
"Trina, we better go," said Kim.
Leo couldn't believe Trina and Kim were there by the counter, staring back at him. Did they happen to be here by coincidence, or did were they here because of him? He noticed how scared they looked at him, as if they had been caught doing something wrong. That confirmed that they were following him. He decided he was going to give them a piece of his mind.
Just as he was about to make his way over to them, a gentle touch fell on his shoulder, stopping him from proceeding further. He looked to the side, and he found Angel standing right beside him, her hand on his shoulder. She looked at him with her soft brown eyes; they were stern yet so peaceful. There was something about her look and her presence beside him that made him slowly start to feel the anger in him dissipate like smoke.
She shook her head. "Not here," she said to him in her normal tone of voice. "Now is not the time to make a scene."
Leo sighed, and he felt his muscles slowly start to relax. Angel was right; now wasn't the time to throw a tantrum. He looked back at Kim, who continued to look at him, still with a scared look on her face.
"Fine," he said to Angel as he looked at her.
Angel gave a smile of relief. She turned to look at Trina and Kim, giving them a nod of her head. The two best friends looked relieved, but they knew that this wasn't over.
Leo turned around to head out of the bar. Fortunately, Oliver and Carly were way ahead of him, so they didn't see his silent altercation with Kim and Trina. He walked out of the bar with Angel following closely behind him.
"Thanks for that back there," Leo said to her.
"Well, getting yourself angry wasn't going to do you or me any favors," said Angel.
Leo turned to look at her through the corner of his eye. "How long have they been there?"
Angel found no point in lying to him. "I noticed them during our dinner. I didn't want to tell you in front of our guests."
Leo scoffed. "It's obvious that they were following me. I guess that's the reason why you didn't want me to be alone with Carly."
"I don't want them to find out about your relationship with her just yet, so you've got to be careful from now on."
A smile appeared across Leo's face. The two might have their differences, but it was clear to see that Angel did care about his relationship with her sister.
As they continued to walk down the stone path towards the fountain where Oliver and Carly were, Leo tried to fight off the feeling of gratitude towards Angel. In the end, he decided to let the feeling settle in for one night, and one night only.
"That was a close one," said Trina as she held her chest, breathing deeply. "For sure, I thought Leo was going to come charging at us."
Kim sighed in relief. "I hate to say this, but we really do have Angel to thank," she said. "Though I feel Leo will confront us about it."
"Yeah, but Angel talked to him, and he calmed down in an instant." Trina leaned against the bar counter, looking for the bartender. "Leo barely listens to anyone, but he somehow listened to her. It's best to receive his wrath privately rather than in an open place where he can embarrass us. I'm going to order a cocktail and drink to thank Angel for saving our sorry lives. Do you want one?"
Kim gave a nod to Trina, and while her friend tried to get the attention of the bartender, she couldn't help but look at Leo with Angel walking beside him as they went further away from the bar. Memories of her and Leo started to surface, and she couldn't recall once when he ever listened to her when he was upset. Trina was right. Leo barely listens to anyone, except this time around, when Angel spoke to him. Her eyes fell upon Angel, who, even in that red velvet dress, walked effortlessly with elegance beside Leo. Was there something about Angel that Kim wasn't aware of?
Miranda quickly stepped out of the elevator and ran down the hall back to the room where Red Lion and Mr. Walters were. She knew her thirty minutes were up, and she had been so distracted that she didn't notice her phone vibrate in the pocket of her jeans. When she checked in the elevator, she found three missed calls from Mr. Walters, and she knew she was in for it.
As soon as she reached the suite, the door flew open before she could even knock. She thought the first person she would see was Red Lion, but to her relief, it was Walters.
"What took you so long?" he asked. "And why didn't you answer my calls?"
"I'm sorry," said Miranda. "I got a little distracted. Is he here?"
"Yeah, but count yourself lucky," said Walters as he stood aside to let Miranda through the door. "Red Lion was going to kill you if he wanted to."
Miranda slowly stepped into the room, looking towards the living room area. Red Lion's comrade sat on the couch. His eyes fixed on the TV screen that showed the football game. Two more people sat on the other couch. They wore black suits, and they were of Asian descent. The two looked like bodyguards. Were they here with the host who called for this meeting? Moreover, where was Red Lion?
When she entered the living room area, she heard voices coming from the balcony. She saw Red Lion standing by the open doors of the balcony. Someone stood in front of him, talking to him. Miranda couldn't see who it was as the person stood on the balcony, and the doors hid him from view.
Red Lion noticed Miranda's presence and turned to look at her. He surprisingly smiled. She almost sighed in relief, for she really thought he was going to squeeze her throat for being late. He turned to the person who stood on the balcony.
"The young lady we were waiting on is finally here," said Red Lion. "We can begin the meeting."
The person on the balcony stepped into the room, and the first thing that caught Miranda's eye was that the person wore a smart black suit, and there was a charming smile on his face.