Angel and Derrick have already settled at a table for two. Derrick ordered a beer, while Angel had a Virgin Strawberry cocktail. The bar also served meals, so they had ordered a plate of fries and burgers. There was loud chatter and laughter. That didn't drown out the good music played through the speakers in the bar. Angel couldn't help but comment on how comfortable she felt.
"I'll be honest," she started to say. "I don't think I've been in a bar such as this one where I feel so comfortable."
"It's one of the best bars in New York," said Derrick as he took a single fry from the plate and dipped it in the small bowl of sauce beside him. "My friends and I like to try out new places on Fridays. We happened to come across this bar and enjoyed ourselves the first time. Whenever we can't agree on a new place to go, we come here instead. It feels like a personal spot now."
"Well, this place is great. So if you're here, where are your friends?"
"At a music lounge. I already told them my plans for bringing you here, so they respected my decision."
Angel laughed. "I should've known that all this was a setup."
Derrick wiggled his eyebrows. "Well, you didn't. Or else this wouldn't be a surprise."
"A good surprise if you ask me."
The two continued to chat as they ate and enjoyed the good music. They talked about Angel's experience at the company and where she previously worked. They also touched on the subject of their relationships.
"Are you telling me that since your breakup in high school, you've never dated anyone?" Angel asked, looking surprised.
"No. Ever since she moved away to another state, I've grown picky about whoever I want to date."
"So, it's true what people say—that you don't like to involve yourself much with the female colleagues at work?" Angel asked as she played with the red straw in her glass.
"I don't know what people are saying back there, but that's not true. I've had a few flings, but they just never worked out throughout the years. I guess I lost interest because no one was interesting. That's until I met you."
Angel was just about to put a fry in her mouth when she stopped midway upon hearing the last part of his sentence. She paused for a bit, looking at Derrick and wondering what to say next. It took her a second to realize that she looked awkward holding the fry up.
"Oh," she said as she felt her cheeks blush. She quickly put the fry in her mouth, and that made Derrick burst into a fit of laughter.
"Okay, that was funny," said Derrick. "You should've seen yourself."
Angel gave him a grumpy look as she chewed on her food, and that made Derrick laugh even more. As funny as she looked, he couldn't deny that it made her look even cuter. Angel cleared her throat.
"Well, it's not every day that you're told you're interesting," said Angel.
"You don't have to be told in your case. I bet you've heard you've got many admirers in the office. So that's one way of saying that you're interesting."
Angel rolled her eyes. "Just so you know, the ladies at the office also think you're interesting. If you stop acting like you don't care, you might find someone you like."
"I already found one I'm interested in." Derrick gave her a look with a small smile.
Angel didn't have to ask who he meant. She brought her hands together on her laps and tried to look elsewhere, but she realized that every time she did, her eyes would go back to looking at Derrick. Derrick realized that the topic was making her uncomfortable.
"Forget I said that; I was just joking around," he said as he laughed to lighten the mood. "Did you hear about the fudge that went missing in the fridge the other day?"
Angel was thankful for the change of topic as she said, "I hear Mrs. Lance made fudge enough for everyone at the office, but it all went missing. You don't think Albert had something to do with it, do you?"
"Oh, definitely." Derrick laughed.
"Why do you guys always pick on the guy?" Angel went on to pick a fry and dip it in sauce. "Yeah, he loves to eat a lot, but it couldn't be him, right? Maybe there's someone in the office who loves fudge, just as much as him."
"Well, everyone thinks he did it. However, I know Albert. If there's one thing he doesn't like to do, it's get something without anyone's permission, no matter how tasty."
Angel chuckled. "I think someone is pulling a prank on Mrs. Lance."
"Did you see how furious she was? I swear, I thought she was going to blow the whole place down."
"I'm surprised she and I had a normal conversation after what had happened. I thought she was going to bite my head off."
The two continued to talk about many funny office incidents, including their personal ones. Time seemed to have stopped as they shared stories with each other and laughed throughout.
***
Red Lion frowned upon looking out of the car window in the passenger's seat at the back. Hugo sat beside him while Carlos sat in the passenger's front seat and his hired driver in the driver's seat. Hugo couldn't help but notice that his boss looked agitated, and he wondered what could be the problem.
"Is something the matter?" Hugo asked, turning to look at him.
"It's nothing," said Red Lion, still looking out of the window.
"Are you still wondering what you're going to tell Carly when you see her?"
"That's not the problem." Red Lion sighed, and he sounded irritated. "I feel rather bored on this Friday night."
"But we're going to Walters' club, aren't we?" Carlos asked from the front. "You'll lighten up when we get there."
"That place can be so boring sometimes," said Red Lion.
"We can always change locations if you want," said Hugo.
"Yeah, but where can we go?" Red Lion asked. "I'm open for any suggestions."
While Carlos and Hugo suggested places, Red Lion looked even more disoriented and frustrated. None of the places seemed interesting to him.
The car stopped at the traffic lights, and Red Lion wasn't paying much attention to Hugo and Carlos. As soon as the car got moving again, Red Lion looked out of the window. They were passing by a certain bar, and he looked at it at first when they slowly drove past it. He thought for a minute and said to the driver,
"Turn around the block and head to the bar we just passed."
"You mean The Gold Bar?" Carlos asked.
"Yeah. I'm tired of going to clubs, and that place seems interesting." Red Lion turned to look at Hugo. "Text Alex that there's a change of plans and to meet us at the bar. Inform Walters as well so that he doesn't feel bad for us not coming."
Hugo gave a nod of his head. At the next turn, the driver took it and entered the other street to make a U-turn back to the bar Red Lion mentioned. As soon as the car stopped in front of the bar, Red Lion stepped out first, followed by Hugo and Carlos. The driver drove off as instructed. Red Lion would call him when the time came to pick him up.
"Well, you picked a very interesting place, boss," said Carlos as he looked through the huge display window of the bar. It was now in full swing, and the place looked lively.
"Of course I pick interesting places," said Red Lion. "Let's hope that we can find ourselves a table."
"Yeah, let's take a look," said Hugo.
The three men entered the bar and started to look around. A line of booths lined themselves along the side of the wall to their right. People in the second booth had cleared out, and Carlos went straight for it and sat. Red Lion and Hugo sat opposite him in the booth. Carlos offered to go see what drinks were available, leaving Red Lion and Hugo.
"We should've just met at the club," said Hugo, looking around. "We at least have a private room there to talk to Carly."
"I know what you mean," said Red Lion. "But if you don't like the place, you might as well leave."
"Who says I don't like it?" Hugo asked as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Your attitude. Lighten up, will you? Moreover, look ahead; there's a stage. Maybe we might see some performances tonight—something different for a change. Not the same old drill at Walters' club."
Hugo didn't say anything, as he agreed with a nod. Carlos came back to ask what they wanted to drink. Unlike Hugo, Carlos looked excited at the fact that they had to hang out at a bar. The three men had their drinks served, and they talked while they waited for Alex to arrive with Carly.
***
Alex stared at his phone briefly as he continued to drive through the main road downtown. He had just received a text from Hugo. He put the phone aside. Carly couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. Before she could ask what the matter was, Alex had already opened his mouth to speak.
"Change of plans," he said. "Red Lion wants to meet us elsewhere."
"What? Why?" Carly asked.
"I'm not sure. He says he wants to meet you at some bar. I know where it is, and I'll take you there right now."
"Why change locations all of a sudden? Isn't Walters' club more conducive if he wants to meet with me?"
"Well, he wants you at that bar, so I just have to follow his orders."
Carly looked at him. "You know you sound like a robot sometimes, don't you? You take Red Lion too seriously."
Alex didn't say anything when Carly waited for his response. When he continued with his silence, Carly sighed and looked out of the window, doing her best to ignore him.
They finally reached the bar. The yellow neon lights spelling out the name of the bar shone brightly, and Carly couldn't help but get drawn to it like a moth drawn towards the light. She wondered what Red Lion could want to talk about. She wished they could've met at the club. In case she wanted to make a scene, she would've freely done so if she felt like it. In an open bar, she'd have to keep her composure and not do anything stupid.
She removed her seat belt and was about to make her way out of the car when she stopped herself. She turned to look at Alex, who shook his head as though he knew what she was going to ask.
"I'm not coming in with you," he said. "When you're done, I might come and get you, or maybe not. That's if you want me to."
Carly gave a nod of her head. "Thanks," she said, and she got out of the car.
Carly looked at the bar in front of her, and she saw that the place inside was nearly packed. It must be a popular place, she thought to herself. She wondered why Red Lion thought of coming here. Those that came in a group weren't bothered about hearing other people's conversations across tables. That's if they weren't political or sports issues. As careless as it might be for him to choose such a place to talk, Red Lion must have thought no one would eavesdrop on them. Carly took a deep breath and made her way into the lively bar.
She didn't look lost looking for Red Lion. Carlos approached her immediately she stepped in. He gave her a corky smile.
"Long time, no see, Carly," he said. "Gosh, it feels like forever."
"Really?" Carly asked, lowering her eyelids at him. "I was grateful not to see you ever again."
"Ouch, that's harsh. Anyway, when we called, you came, so..." Carlos stepped aside to let Carly go before him. "Ladies first."
If Carly had her way, she was going to give Carlos a piece of her mind. Then she already noticed the head of Red Lion in the booth and decided it was best to be on her best behavior. She approached the booth, and she stood there at first. Red Lion sat close to the wall with Hugo beside him. The two of them were having a nice meal of mini burgers and salad, along with a glass of beer. Red Lion looked up at her and gestured with his hand to sit.
"Oh, Carly, I'm glad you could join us," he said. "Please sit."
Carly sat facing Red Lion and Hugo. Just like Red Lion, she also sat close to the wall. Carlos sat next to her.
"Why am I here?" Carly went on to ask.
"We haven't met in quite a while, and this is your greeting?" Red Lion asked as he raised his glass of beer to his lips.
"Well, you've ruined my Friday." Carly folded her arms. "And I already did you a favor with André at the party. So don't expect a smile from me."
"Okay, point taken," said Red Lion after he took a sip of his beer and put the glass down on the table. "But if you hadn't blocked me when I tried to call you, we would've agreed on a time and day to meet."
"The only reason I blocked you is because I never wanted to talk or see you ever again."
"Well, you're here, aren't you?"
"That's because you threatened me."
Red Lion smiled. "I know. There's something I should've told you before you met with André."
Carly didn't like this at all. She remembered having this same feeling during the cruise party. She wasn't aware of his full plans. It looks like she was about to hear what it was.
"Okay, here goes," said Red Lion. He paused as he looked at Carlos. "Please go get something for Carly to drink, will you? What would you like?" He asked, looking at her.
"A glass of orange juice," Carly answered.
"Oh, come on, Carly. Don't act like you want to be sober tonight. It's a Friday. Get her a beer as well. Will you get something to eat?"
"I already ate." Carly looked irritated.
Carlos left the table and went straight to the counter.
"So, what's your plan with me, really?" Carly asked.
"From the very beginning, I hadn't been honest with you," said Red Lion. He had already finished his meal. Hugo seemed to be taking his time.
"I knew something wasn't right when you told me to seduce André that night," said Carly. "I think after seeing you, I might have a guess of what you want me to do."
Red Lion's eyes lit up like a little child's who was about to hear something interesting. "Oh, please tell me. I'm all ears."
Carly didn't like the way Red Lion looked so enthusiastic. She sighed and said, "You want me to be close to André. For whatever reason, I'm still yet to understand."
"Bingo. You're quite sharp."
"Yeah, but I don't want anything to do with either you or André. So if we're done here, I'm going to take my leave."
Carlos came back to sit with Carly's glass of beer in his hand, hence stopping her from going. Carly grew more irritated as she shook her head at Carlos. Then she turned to look at Red Lion.
"The reason I wanted you to entertain André was because I wanted him to like you. We were lucky that he did, and we were hoping that you liked him too."
"So you want to continue using me in the end for whatever you want? For what? What do you really plan on doing to André?"
"It's none of your concern," Hugo answered this time. He had just finished his meal. "All we want is for you to wrap André around your finger."
Carly leaned back. "You want André to fall deeply in love with me while you control what I do with him on the sidelines, do you?"
"Something like that," said Carlos.
"I'm sorry." Carly shook her head. "André is a really nice guy, but I'm seeing someone. Even if New York is a big city, what makes you think that I won't get caught?"
"If you know how to play your cards right," said Red Lion, "you won't. I see two options here: make André fall deeply in love with you or disobey me, and there will be dire consequences."
"Obey you? What makes you think you're the boss of me?" Carly asked, almost loudly.
"Because I am." Red Lion leaned in closer to look at her. "I can ruin you when I see fit. Or have you forgotten what I have on you?"
Carly looked at Red Lion with burning fury. She wished she could move her hands across the table and wring his neck. He continued to give her a smug smile, and that made her hate him even more. Of course, he would use whatever he had on her to get what he wanted. She wished she had listened to Alex the first time when he told her to leave when she still had the chance. Now she was stuck in the muddy waters and couldn't get out. The question was, how much deeper will she sink if she continues to follow Red Lion?
Red Lion raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to respond. Before she could say something, a familiar sound came to her ears, and she froze. It's the sound of a woman laughing, and that laugh sounded familiar. It surprised Carly how, out of the noise of other people talking and the music playing, this distinctive sound muffled them out, as if it were the loudest sound in the room. She was too scared to even look around and see for herself.
Red Lion noticed Carly's expression suddenly change. It went from an angry look to a frightened one. He knew that his threat couldn't have caused it. What could it be?
"It looks like you scared her senseless, boss," said Carlos after taking a swing at his beer. He chuckled a bit. "No way will she go against you."
Red Lion threw Carlos a look, telling him to shut up. Hugo also did the same because he knew that something was wrong. He looked at Carly, and her eyes seemed fixed on something on the table, but in reality, she was lost in thought. What happened for her to be like she is?
"Carly?" Red Lion called to her. "Hey." He waved his hand across her face. That snapped her out of her thoughts. "What is it?"
"You're a sick bastard; do you know that?" Carly told him with no emotion in her voice.
"I know you're upset, but that doesn't give you the right to call me names," said Red Lion.
"Yeah, you don't want anyone to call you names, but you don't mind telling them what to do if they don't listen; you threaten them."
"It was a friendly warning; there was nothing to it. What's wrong with you? One minute, you were acting as if you were going to kill me. Now, you looked scared to your wits. Let's not mention the name-calling."
"Tell me this," said Carly. "Why did you change the location of our meeting place at the last minute?"
Red Lion found all of this amusing. "Well, because I was simply bored, nothing more. Mr. Walters' bar can be such a bore sometimes."
"Don't lie to me," said Carly, sounding angrier. "You've got something up your sleeve, don't you?"
Red lion folded his arms. "And what could that be?"
Carly finally turned around to look behind her, where she heard the woman laughing. In the middle of the room, where there were chairs and tables, was her sister. Angel's back faced Carly, and Carly was able to see the man she was on a date with. Angel continued to laugh, and Carly could tell that she was having a good time. Red Lion and Hugo followed Carly's eyes, and they knew right away what she meant.
"Oh, your sister is here," said Red Lion, looking more amused. "No wonder she felt familiar when I first came here. This is just perfect."
Carly couldn't tell whether Red Lion was pretending that he didn't know about her sister's whereabouts. If he hadn't, then Carly had just put herself in a tight spot that she couldn't get out of.
"Oh, man," said Carlos, feeling excited when he turned his head to look at Angel. "This just got interesting."
"So, Carly," Red Lion said slowly, looking at her. "What's it going to be? You hang out with André until he falls deeply in love with you by my instruction, or I cause havoc in here with your sister receiving a bullet to the head."
"Don't you dare hurt Angel," Carly said through gritted teeth.
"All that lies on you now. So tell me your answer."
Carly swallowed. She didn't have much of a choice. If she refused now, Red Lion might go through with his threat. He might not do it today, but who knows when? She has to protect Angel, no matter what.
"I'll do it," said Carly, looking down at the table.
Red Lion smiled. "That's what I like to hear." He took his glass of beer. "Let's toast to this partnership, shall we? Let's all raise our glass."
Hugo and Carlos raised their glasses, except for Carly, who hadn't even touched hers. She didn't take it until Red Lion prompted her to.
"Don't be so difficult now, Carly," he said. "This is a time to celebrate. Come on, raise your glass."
Carly looked at Red Lion, clearly showing that she didn't approve of all this, but there was nothing she could do. She took her glass, and at the same time, the four of them clicked their glasses and said, "Cheers!" Carly's was a dull response, but Red Lion didn't push it.
Angel wiped away a tear from her eye after Derrick told her a silly memory of his childhood. She had laughed so hard that she started to wonder if she had ever laughed that way in her life.
"You've made me laugh so hard, I feel like I'm going to faint," said Angel as she fanned her face with her hand.
Derrick smiled. "I know," he said. "I'm glad I did, though. It's good to make people laugh."
"Laughter is the best medicine."
Angel was just about to take a sip of her drink when she realized that her glass was completely empty. She needed a refill.
"I'll just need to refill this," she said as she got up from her chair with her glass.
"Go ahead. I'm not going anywhere."
Derrick gave her a smile, and before Angel walked away, she smiled back at him. She made her way to the counter.
"Don't look now," said Hugo, looking at Angel's table. "Your sister is coming this way."
"What?" Carly asked. She didn't need to be told twice. She couldn't be seen with such people. What would Angel think if she did? The worst, of course."
Red Lion scoffed as he was on his phone, texting someone. "I wouldn't be too worried about her if I were you," he said.
"Easy for you to say," said Carly, throwing him a look. "You're nothing but a heartless criminal."
Red Lion looked up from his phone at Carly, and he looked upset. Soon, he smiled at her.
"Well, of course I am," he said. "But I wouldn't worry about your sister seeing you; that's if you're asking for it."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because she just walked past us," Carlos answered.
Carly looked around and realized that a group of friends occupying the booth behind her had all stood to leave. While they were making their way out, they passed the booth Carly and the others were in. That made Angel go to the bar on the other side because the group of people proceeded slowly, and it was the fastest route to the counter. Carly saw her as she realized that the group of friends acted like a shield. That was close. Carly felt relieved.
"I told you," said Red Lion, looking back at his phone.
"I should get out of here," said Carly.
"You aren't leaving until we do." Red Lion said this while still looking at his phone.
Carly couldn't believe him. She couldn't leave without moving Carlos out of the way, and he waved at her as if to say, "You've got to get through me first." Jumping on top of the table would work, but that would cost her a lot of attention from everyone in the bar, including Angel. Nope, Carly had to stay put and wait. With every second that passed, Carly felt Angel might turn around and spot her.
Angel waited at the counter while the bartender filled her drink. Suddenly, her phone started to vibrate in the pocket of her jacket. She took it, and she saw that Eric was calling. She picked up the call.
"Hi, Eric. How's the game going?" Angel asked.
"Great, so far," Eric answered loudly. Angel could hear the sound of people in the stadium. "The game is on a half-time break."
"That's good."
"Huh, I wanted to ask if you're still at the bar."
"Yes, I still am."
"And who's the mystery date?"
Angel chuckled. "Derrick, of course."
"Derrick!" Eric exclaimed. She heard him talk to Leo beside him. "Listen to this, Leo. Her mystery date turns out to be Derrick. Can you believe it!"
"You're overreacting," Angel heard Leo say. "So what if it's him?"
"Is he treating you right, Angel?" Eric asked, ignoring Leo. Angel could imagine Leo rolling his eyes. "I hope he's not a creep."
Angel laughed as she took her glass and thanked the bartender by raising her glass. She started to make her way back to her table. "He's nothing like that," she said. "He's a gentleman, if you ask me."
"If anything feels off, remember to call me."
"Okay, that's enough," said Leo. Angel soon heard as if the line was breaking up when, in actuality, Leo was trying to get the phone from Eric as she heard Eric tell Leo to let go of his phone. It seemed like Leo succeeded as she heard him say,
"The game is about to begin. We will talk to you later."
Angel had no words as she continued to hear Eric complain in the background, and soon the line went dead. She had already reached her table and sat back down. Derrick looked at her.
"Who was that?" he asked.
"Eric was calling to check up on me," said Angel as she put the phone back in her pocket.
"Eric seems really protective of you."
"He's been that way since the first day we met. He's a good friend."
"It seems more like he likes you. We all see how he treats you."
"Is it that obvious?" Angel asked, looking embarrassed.
"Very much. Anyway, I see why. You're smart, beautiful, and kind-hearted."
Angel didn't know what to say as she laughed, then afterwards sipped on her drink.
"Now, can we leave?" Carly asked after she saw her sister sit back down at her table.
"Our ride is on the way," said Red Lion. "We can chat a little while we wait."
"I'm sorry, but there's nothing much to talk about," said Carly as she folded her arms.
"There's always something to talk about. Let's see. We can talk about you and André."
"No, thanks. The fact that you want me to spend time with him doesn't make me want to talk about it."
"Well, if we're going to let this thing with you and André work, I suggest you break up with whoever you're dating," said Hugo.
Carly didn't expect such a comment from Hugo. "Why? It's not my fault that you're throwing this at me. You should've thought of someone else to do it."
"There wasn't anyone else because any man can easily fall in love with a girl like you," said Red Lion. "Just dress up pretty and charm him. You'll have him right in your clutches."
"I would follow Hugo's advice, though," said Carlos. "Break up with your loser of a boyfriend and focus on André. You'll be doing the guy a favor."
"That's why I asked for a reason," said Carly. "Why should I? Because I'm not willing to do that."
"Because André has a jealousy issue," Red Lion answered. "If he were to find out that you're having another affair behind his back, who knows what he will do to you? Remind me, Carlos, what did he do to his previous girlfriend?"
"She committed suicide after André ruined her life completely," Carlos answered. "Before that, he had her boyfriend tortured to death. André made her watch him get tortured until he died."
Carly didn't know what to make of this news. "And you're telling me this just to scare me, or what?" she asked.
"Just a friendly warning," said Hugo. "That's why I strongly advise you to break up with your boyfriend before things get ugly."
"But New York is a really big city," said Red Lion, raising an eyebrow. "If you're careful, like I said earlier, you might get away with it until this mission of ours is over."
"And how will I know when it's over?" Carly asked.
"You'll know." Red Lion looked at the phone after it vibrated in his hand. "It looks like you get to leave early, after all. Our ride is here. I can call Alex to come pick you up."
"No thanks," said Carly. "I'll go on my own."
"I hope during that time you'll think this over and make the right decision." Red Lion stood up. "But I know you will. Until we meet again, Carly."
Hugo and Carlos also stood up. The three men started to make their way out of the bar. Before Red Lion followed the others, he turned his eyes on Angel before looking at Carly.
"Make sure whatever you do from now on also doesn't land your sister in danger, since you already have me to worry about," he said. "André is a lot more dangerous than I am when it comes to torturing people."
Carly couldn't understand what he meant. She already put Angel in danger by being involved with him. Now it seems André acts like a psycho when cheated on. She had a big decision to make. There might be bigger ones to make in the future.
Red Lion followed his comrades, and they left the bar. Carly stood, but before making a move, she looked behind her to see if Angel would notice her. However, she kept on talking with her date, leaving Carly feeling relieved. She started to make her way out of the bar.
"Can you excuse me for a second?" asked Angel as she stood up. "I need to use the ladies' room."
"Of course," said Derrick kindly.
Angel started to make her way towards the counter to ask one of the bartenders where the ladies room was. She noticed the front door of the bar open and close. Before she could turn her head to talk to the female bartender who had come to serve her, she saw someone who looked familiar come into view from the display window.
"Is that Carly?" she asked herself.
Angel took a good look before the person disappeared from view, walking away from the bar. No doubt, that was her sister. Was her mind playing tricks on her?
"May I help you, Miss?" the female bartender asked, and that brought Angel to the matter at hand.
"Oh, I wanted to know where the ladies' room is," said Angel.
The bartender instructed her where to go, and Angel thanked her. While she made her way there, she wondered whether to give Carly a call and ask where she was. Then she thought better of it. If Carly had seen her, no doubt she would've come over to where she sat with Derrick to say hi. Maybe even mock her a little.
When Angel found herself in the ladies' room, she started to wonder who Carly could've come with to the bar. Some friends, perhaps? She did make quite a number of friends at her new college, so she must have been with them, Angel thought.
There was no need to worry. Right now, Angel told herself to focus on her date. She was having a good time so far. Thinking too much wasn't going to do any favors.