CHAPTER - 6 [ DARKER NIGHTS, BRIGHTER DAYS... ]

Ryan Carlos

New York

We ran into our party host, Michael, as we walked towards the valet. He was walking on the opposite side when Eric grabbed his arm and exclaimed, "Mickey!" How's it going, man?" Eric punched his stomach in the air and asked, "I had no idea you had such a good relationship with my boss, you invited her to your private party too."

"And who is your boss?" Michael queried, perplexed.

Eric had a disconcerting expression on his face, and Michael couldn't understand what he was saying. "So, how did Ms Williams end up at your party?" Eric asked a question.

He paused for a moment before responding, "Oh! That lady in the black dress is your boss. I mean, Ms Williams? I overheard my father talking about her, didn't invite her to my party personally. And yeah, I just noticed them leaving on the other side right now."

"Who was leaving?" I questioned.

"I'm not sure about it," he said and added "A man rode his bike furiously and the woman in the black dress followed him. Also following those two people, another two cars went and vanished like that," while we were talking to him, I noticed Luna's car passing by.

Ms Williams, why did you show up to this party even though you weren't invited? Ahh! You're making me curious about your dirty little secret. It's getting on my nerves now.

My lips were moving to the sides nervously, and when I looked over at the boys, they were talking to Michael. I immediately grabbed James and said, "Hey! Aren't you more curious about your boss? Should we go see what she's up to?" I gave him a wink. I expected James to fall for it, but didn't expect Mark and Eric to be as enthusiastic as him.

As I drove my car to the front gate, all three entered and Mark said, "Ryan, c'mon show your racing skills here," and Eric added, "Let's have some real fun tonight, baby!"

We caught Luna's car at the second red signal, but she escaped at the fourth. Also, it wasn't sure whether she went straight or left. Anyway, a little out of the way from the city, we ended up in deserted streets. "Did we miss her? I told you not to stop your car at the stop sign, Ryan." James was frustrated.

That's when Mark and I noticed Luna's shining car, which was parked near to the end of the street next to the street lamp. We continued driving when we noticed Ms Williams' car in front of a strange building. It was an old, creepy, half-finished building, lacked a defined structure, and the layout looked to be on the verge of collapsing. I parked behind a few bushes and turned off my headlights.

"All right! What is going on here? What happened to them?" In Pindrop silence, James whispered but it sounded aloud. Suddenly, we heard a man scream, and a large chunk of rock fell from the roof. We escaped that shot by just a few inches as it landed directly in front of us, me being grateful for my car being safe. Quickly we opened the windows and saw the same man who had asked her to dance, was standing on the edge of the building and also noticed Ms Williams standing in front of him.

As she took her first step forward, the guy took a step back. His leg tripped, but somehow, he was able to regain control of himself. It wasn't clear what she yelled at him but suddenly, I could hear her laughing as we put our heads out to hear clearly.

"I guess we should give her the fearless woman award," Mark recommended.

He jumped out of nowhere, and my heart stopped for a split second. She immediately peered around the corner and found that he was still standing on the half-broken concrete slab. She laid down on her stomach and grabbed his collar, while her voice echoed, "Let's talk, and don't think you're in some kind of movie. I'm not going to let you die like that, babe!"

The scene was unpleasant, and the front of the metal structure suddenly collapsed because of its instability. He was standing on the edge of the broken concrete, shell-shocked at the height he was at and his life was at stake. Fortunately, she was holding him, and even in that dire situation, she smirked, asking, "Should I let go of you now? You won't die, but you will break a lot of bones."

As she was about to let go of his hand, he looked at her and said, "Then let's dive into danger together, honey," and he caught her arm, trying to pull her along with him, "Are you trying to scare me?" she asked.

"She has strong core muscles. Look at her holding a man who's heavier than her body guys," James noted. She was doing everything she could, not to slip as he tried to pull her down.

Why do I feel an unrest of a feeling? I wanted to run up and help her, but my psyche deterred me from doing anything about it.

"Bro! Just hold onto him for a few more minutes, your boyfriend is on the way up" Luna shouted, standing down. He had her gripped and was attempting to pull her down constantly. On the other side, she was leaning against a nearby pillar for support. She was almost on the verge of falling along with him and I was almost dying here inside to help her.

Ryan, what's the matter with you? Go help her! Anyway, she's your boss, so at the very least in the grain of a sense of responsibility towards her. Do you want a woman to die, struggling there and regret later that you could have helped? Did you forget about her beautiful smile, which you adored a few hours ago?

Before I could do anything, the cops had reached out and grabbed both of them.

"No, no, no. She should have collapsed, that's what happens in movie climaxes, right?" James sounded annoyed. Mark and I turned our attention to James and his ridiculous expectations while I really just wanted to kick him out of the car.

The formal dress man, Luna, and Ms Williams arrived down near their car after the police officers had taken the suit guy away. "Have you lost your mind, crazy bitch?" the guy yelled as they walked.

"Oh! Crazy did I hear? Yes, I am. Only because of this insane woman were you able to complete all of your goddamn cases. Ben, don't forget your loyalty," she said, raising her voice.

"You always go alone and do exactly the opposite of what I tell you to do," he said, raising his eyebrows at her. They were staring at each other, almost ready to stab each other in the eyes. As she turned around, he drew her back and tried to dust off the dirt on her dress, but she pushed him away, walking in front. He followed her back and pulled her again, but she didn't ignore him this time.

"Oh, no! There's romance in the air, stop breathing guys," James remarked.

"All right, my couple is madly in love. Stop acting like you're two cats and dogs," Luna stated.

"Uhm! Cases? So, this guy has to be a lawyer or a cop," James ran his own calculations and exclaimed, "Wow! That's a pretty good combination of money and crime." Suddenly, Eric exclaimed, "I pity that man. He must be having a difficult time dealing with her rage. Imagine if he had to do the same thing every day, bowing every time in front of her," and Mark joined him in laughter.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry for losing my cool. I was just worried about you, dumbo," his kind words warmed her heart and made her smile. While he was treating her wounded hand, James continued to pour oil into the fire.

"Aww! Take a look at how he looks after her. I need to find someone who will look at me in that way," James' voice cracked. When we looked at him, his eyes were filled with tears which was weird to me. Looking at him, Mark and Eric both laughed.

Was she really dating someone? Why wasn't it a co-worker or a friend? That's when my clumsy brain realised, she's our boss, and it couldn't be one of her co-workers. But why is she obligated to assist him and solve cases of his? Something was not right here. And, by the way, why should I care? God, please help me! Just make sure you take this James away with you before you answer my questions. I'll make sure I throw him out of my car and run over him.

Luna whispered into her ears and handed over the phone just as they were about to leave. She moved away from them and stood in front of the bushes. She spoke for a minute, and all I heard was, "OK, I'll be back soon!"

As she approached them, the guy commented, "By the way your models look handsome and expensive."

"Oh! Did they really track us down and come here?" Luna looked for us while Ms Williams was perplexed and looked around for us.

Do you think you will be able to find us?

Luna burst out laughing and threw herself on Ms Williams, breaking the phone.

"My models? What makes them think they can be here?"

"They came in the car and hid behind the bush, yes. I guess the driver didn't remove his leg from the brake panel for a very long time," he explained, pointing over the bush.

I didn't take my leg off. And all three of them were staring at me.

"Ryan! Are you expecting her to come over and kiss you're a$$? Move the car goddammit, let's go, before she comes to us," Eric exclaimed.

We drove straight to the company, and the car was completely silent during the entire drive. When we arrived at the company, the design team was still in the office, and we joined them as if nothing happened, still mentally trying to get it all processed. Hazel was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice our presence in the room, and I heard heavy footsteps in the distance. I gave a signal for the others to take charge, and my prediction was correct.

Ms Williams and her bodyguard, Smith, were present.

Ahh! She's there, and she's changed into her formal attire. Smart work, and I wish Smith could figure out why she was wearing those leather gloves to cover her wound.

They were arguing vigorously in front of our room. I could only see their expressions and not understand what they were saying exactly. And I'm a firm believer in timing. I could actually hear their conversation because one of our interns left the door open.

"You're giving me all nonsense of reasons, Ms Williams. Please tell me the truth. Why did you go to the party without informing us, Ma'am?" and Smith was enraged by those polite words.

To solve her so-called boyfriend's case, duh.

"It is up to you to believe me," she said. "I didn't go to the party; simply put, I went to drop Luna off. Stop questioning me like I am a child. I have real problems to deal with," and the tone of voice was a little stern "So, if you could please," she said, motioning for Smith to leave.

"You could have sent the driver also Ms Williams, but your security is more important than anything, and I'm not sure when you're going to step into our shoes," Smith rolled her eyes as she spoke.

While she was about to leave, she warned her, "BOSS is on his way, so wait and don't try to escape this time."

"Fine, fine, I'd like to check in on the design team and give Hazel a few pointers about our collection. I'll return to my office after I talk to her," she said as she walked straight towards Hazel and struck up a random conversation. Smith stood there for a moment before looking at us suspiciously. We were sitting on the couch, holding on to our evidence to show her that we were working. I felt sorry for Hazel, who was perplexed by Ms Williams' sudden interest in her designs.

Ms Williams checked her peripheral vision to see if Smith had really left. She glared at us after she confirmed, and we returned to our work right away. It would have been favourable if James had kept his mouth shut, which he does only when we require him to speak.

"How about we give a red flower to each of our showgoers? Doesn't that sound creative?" With a suspiciously bright smile, James said, "And I don't pay you to bring these stupid ideas to the office, Mr James," she cut him off.

Okay, that was a good one.

"What in the world were you people doing?" Ms Williams questioned firmly.

"Do you mean us?" Eric looked around to see if she was asking them, and he replied, "WORK! Ms Williams, we take our work very seriously."

She kept her hand on her chest, raised her right brow, and said, "Wow! I'm so proud of you people, man," she said and clapped her hands. "Like James right, who is reading the magazine upside down, or Mark, who is using a real pen to draw on his iPad, great seriousness I must say?"

Eric sat down without saying anything, and she asked, "What the hell were people doing near that building? I gave you permission to have fun and not to follow me around or see what I'm up to. What if something had happened...."

"Who are you to tell us what we should do?" I jumped out of my seat and asked her the same question again.

"WHO ARE YOU TO COMMAND US? YOU HAVE NO GODDAMN RIGHT TO TELL US WHAT TO DO ONCE WE LEAVE THE BUILDING," I could feel the heat on my ears.

"We're fucking grown ass men here, and we know how to deal with our shit. Please keep in mind that you, like us, are just an employee here. Not the company's founder. And for the record, it's not "MY COMPANY," it's "OUR COMPANY," get that straight, Ms Williams," I said, venting my rage.

Smith informed Ms Williams, "Boss has come to meet you," as she abruptly exited the room, and when I was about to take my seat, all fouled up, Smith gave me that furious look and at that point I didn't give a shit about anything.

"Ryan, did you just burn the bridge? What's happened to you?" Mark approached my desk and tapped the table to draw my attention.

"He completely freaked me out right now. Come on, explain yourself," Eric joined him. "I didn't mean to talk to her that way, either, but I couldn't stop myself. It was a jumble of emotions and..." and I struggled to find the right words.

I paused for a few seconds to gather my thoughts before saying, "Did you just see how she was ordering us and almost taking over the situation? She just continued talking as if she had been right the entire night and I guess she assumed us to be her bodyguards, whom she could command and play with. So, I reminded her of who we are in reality. I had no intention of yelling, but her alleged boyfriend was getting on my nerves..."

Mark smiled at me again, but this time it was a different one. He patted my shoulders and walked away, but Eric continued to look at me suspiciously, "I felt you should have stopped right away when you knew you were going to explode," Eric said, and I wasn't in the right frame of mind to argue with him. So, I excused myself from him and walked over to the night view through the glass. Those car headlights and those traffic lines distracted me from her, made me feel calm on the inside. I took a deep breath and asked,

"What exactly is wrong with you, Ryan? Why do I have to care for her and what's going on with you? You weren't the person who would react aggressively like this. Do you miss something in life or are you concerned about your boss? Why do you have to feel sad when she has a boyfriend? Why is that causing you to fall apart?"

A lot of thoughts were racing through my head. "Only in the dark do we notice those beautiful stars?" I remembered my mother saying to me whenever I felt down.

It hit me right then and there. Do I have feelings for her?

James asked, "Guys, don't you want to know who our boss's boss is? Yes, we do," he answered to the question himself, dragging Eric and Mark along with him to check on the person.

"Does anyone have a sharp enough mind to recognise our chairman?" James appeared out of nowhere, shouting my name and dragged me along with him. There were four men, and her boss was one step ahead of the others, conversing with Ms Williams. "That's the head of the department," I said, pointing to the grey-suit person, who was standing beside two guards.

"Didn't I tell you not to go out without our permission? Do you even hear things?" raged the man in the black formal suit. His voice was stern, with a strong vocal cord. I assumed he was in his forties based on his voice.

"Dad, could you please calm down? Take a deep breath and exhale it slowly. I was looking for some fun in my life. So, I went to the party and that was the end of it. Take a look at me; I'm fine and healthy," Ms Williams spoke in an innocent tone and wore an innocent expression along.

Dad? What is his name?

"Dad? Ms Williams? The founder?" James was perplexed, and Mark immediately signalled him to shut up.

"There's nothing wrong with having a good time, sweetheart. I've told you numerous times to think before you act. Did you even think about your current situation and what you promised to be when I brought you here? I handed over my company to you, and you're trying to fool your guards and have fun? You are not a teenager any more, you're an adult, so act like one. You should have, at the very least, informed your security guards. They would have taken care of your safety," he counselled her, but she kept looking around, as if she didn't agree with what he was saying.

"Dad, as an independent woman, living here, I need my privacy, and all I did was meet and hang out with my friend. Guards cannot accompany me everywhere I go," she jerked him back.

He took a step forward and said, "Sweetheart, you thought I am going to believe all your sugar-coated words? I know what problem you created behind our backs, and I'm not stupid enough to still be perplexed by your dumb reason for wearing those leather gloves all of sudden that are way out of your style. I'm not like your guards, who just have an eye on you, but I'm your father, and I know what you're up to."

She refused to accept her mistake, so the middle-aged man ordered his guards to take her away. "Your guards are far too old to handle the situation. I'd summon my bodyguards. Ms Smith and..." and Smith clasped the cuff around her wrist.

"What in the world are you doing? You must be paying attention to what I'm saying, you moron. Allow me," she screamed at her guards as they dragged her out, "This is too much. I'm going to sue you, Dad, for denying me the freedom I deserve. I don't want these idiots as my bodyguards. I despise you, Smith, and you, Cherry head."

"Take her to my house," he told her bodyguards.

He whispered something into Mr Jay's ears and they walked to the elevator.

Hazel laughed and said, "Woah! So, technically, she is the company's founder's daughter. Ryan, you have a strong spiritual connection with her I believe. You somehow got the hunch when you lashed out at her right, which is of course going to end your career, but yeah, founder's daughter guys" she exclaimed, and others burst out laughing.

"She is not a mere employee like us Ryan, SHE IS THE FUCKING OWNER OF THIS PLACE," Eric exclaimed.