STAY AWAY

< Athaire Starlight Hotel

UTC+2 0553 PM

Top floor, in front of the elevator >

"I thought we had an agreement," Spencer spat out. The anger was written clear as daylight in every edge and corner of his grim expression. When Joffrey had walked out, Spencer had thought there might be an issue. But when he saw him return again with this beaten expression, he couldn't help but follow up on his hunch. And indeed, as soon as he stepped out into the hallway, his worst imagination was confirmed when he saw Angel come in from the balcony, cleaning herself up. A woman with drive and without emotion. The worst nightmare in any business negotiation. "I told you to stay away from my son."

Angel brushed off his hand with the same ease she brushed away his comment, "He was the one who came looking for me."

She was good at adding fuel to the fire. "You shouldn't be here in the first place. So why are you?"

Angel glanced up at him and smiled. "I was invited, weren't you?" She noticed a vein pop on Spencer's forehead. Even though they couldn't get along, father and son were so much alike.

"Listen Missy -," Spencer began, pointing a finger directly at her.

"The elevator's here," Angel interrupted him as the doors to the cabin slid open. She stepped in first, turning around with a surprised expression. "Aren't you coming in? You don't want to be late to your own son's wedding reception, do you?"

Spencer stomped inside and hammered down on the close door button. "Now talk!"

Angel looked at him wide-eyed. "About what?"

"You –" he began as the door behind him slid open again.

"It seems we forgot to specify a destination," Angel commented glancing at the unlit list of floor buttons.

"Lucky for me," the person on the other side said, pushing up big glasses that made him resemble an owl, "'Scuse me, sir? Could you move?"

Spencer grumbled something below his breath but stepped to Angel's side to make room for the new person. Both leaned against the glass wall. One in comfort, the other in silent, boiling protest, throwing daggers through his glare directly at her.

"You both going to the lobby, I presume?" the new person asked.

"Yes, please," Angel replied. The new person nodded with a smile and turned to the buttons. The elevator doors closed once more and finally, the elevator set into motion, going down while playing soft background music over the conversational silence in the cabin.

Spencer fought hard to keep his words from spouting out in the open. Unable to contain himself, he was quick to fish out his phone, scroll down to devil, and sent a short message: 'What did you two talk about?'

A soft tune rang, signaling the arrival of a message. Spencer glared at Angel. She stared straight ahead. Spencer swiped over the keyboard to send another message: 'Check your darn phone!'

Another soft tune rang through the cabin. Nobody made a move.

Spencer's fingers tapped on the surface of his phone so hard it was shaking like an earthquake in his hands. The soft tune became a melody in the cabin. Angel looked out the glass window in apparent interest of the happenings on the still far away but readily approaching ground floor.

The elevator came to a premature halt.

"My stop," the third person explained, and before leaving, said with a friendly smile to Angel, "You should really check your messages."

She nodded with a smile. The doors closed.

Spencer took a deep breath, reading himself for the lecture he was going to give Angel when she held up a hand and said, "Hold on." She flicked out her phone and said in all seriousness, "It seems I have received urgent messages."

Spencer felt the blood rush to his head. The words readied on his tongue already turned to dust. This woman had a talent for riling up people. He opened his mouth.

"Lobby," the elevator lady announced over the speakers.

"Ah," Angel sighed in regret, "Seems like this will have to wait." She put the phone away and walked out, but then she stopped in her tracks to turn around to face Spencer directly. "If…I wanted to discuss something serious with you...would you be willing to listen?"

Spencer didn't need to think twice. He stepped out and pushed her with his elbow out of his way, "Nothing that you could ever say is of any credit to me. But let me tell you this: If I see you next to Joffrey again, I might rethink our little arrangement."

He strode over to the already filled up wedding hall. Angel stayed where she was, gritting her teeth. She may have managed to piss him off. But it was her defeat. If he refused to listen…how could she hope to succeed? Why had she even bothered to ask? He was clearly against her. So, she would just have to find a way to succeed on her own. As always.