Chapter 40

Angel sneezed, and Amanda, who sat next to her, couldn't help but look worried. She laid her hand on Angel's shoulder comfortingly.

"Are you okay, dear?" Amanda asked.

"I'm fine; there's nothing to worry about."

"Maybe we should go inside. Are you feeling chilly?"

"No, it's quite hot today; that's why I prefer out here to get a little air."

"I thought you were catching a cold. Or someone must be talking about you somewhere." Amanda wiggled her eyebrows.

Angel let out a laugh. "Who could probably be talking about me?"

"It was your first day at work, right? Eric says you caught a lot of people's attention."

Angel looked at the dark sky from where she sat on the patio overlooking the backyard. She didn't want Amanda to see her red-hot cheeks. She folded her legs up on the comfortable wooden patio chair. Amanda giggled as Angel looked like a child hiding a secret with that expression on her face.

The two had been seated outside for thirty minutes, talking about Angel's first day at work. When Angel came home with Leo and Eric, Amanda couldn't wait to hear what Angel had to say, though Eric did give out a few pointers that showed that Angel caught a lot of attention, especially from the male folk. Amanda wanted all the details, but Angel had to lay her off until she settled down and took a shower.

"How is Mrs. Lance?" Amanda continued. "I hope she isn't tough on you. I personally think she is. But it's good to have someone like her around to keep things in order."

"She's alright," Angel answered, still looking up at the sky. "If I don't mess with her or do anything funny, that is."

"Yep, it's best to be on her good side. But I think you'll be just fine."

"It seems like the company has been around for a long time." Angel looked at Amanda. "Mrs. Lance told me about its history."

"Ah, yes, it has." Now it's Amanda's turn to look up into the sky, as though in thought. "It started with my father. During those days, it was difficult for us women to be shareholders or the like. I made sure I learned about the business even when I was nothing but his secretary. Life was hard back then—for a woman, I mean. It got even tougher when he passed on, and he eventually left the company in my name. Trust me, not many people were happy about it, and it was tough, especially when you're a mother and all."

"Looks like you did fine," said Angel as she smiled at her. "You've really built a legacy."

"I did, didn't I?" Amanda asked as she looked at Angel with an eyebrow raised, as though she had just come to a realization.

Angel gave a nod, and Amanda smiled. "Maybe one day you will run it," she murmured.

"Huh?" Angel looked stunned. Amanda might have murmured in a low voice, but the two of them were outside on the quiet patio, so Amanda's statement sounded as clear as a bell.

"As a partner or a shareholder, I mean," said Amanda.

"I don't think so," said Angel as she nervously laughed. "Not with Mrs. McDonell still around."

"Exactly. That's why I want to take her out." Amanda gestured with her hand, slicing at her neck.

"You're joking, right?" Angel asked, looking horrified. "She's your daughter-in-law."

"You see how she gets on my nerves," Amanda pouted. Angel found the expression amusing. It's now Amanda, who looked like a child.

"I know. You just have to put up with it anyway."

"Well, that's until one of us leaves this earth, and trust me, I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon."

Angel couldn't help but laugh, and Amanda soon followed. They were laughing so much that they didn't notice Oliver and Leo walk out of the house and onto the patio.

"What's going on here?" Oliver asked, drawing the women's attention. "Whatever you're laughing at, I want to laugh too."

"Oh, Oliver, dear," said Amanda as she took hold of her grandson's arm, pulling him into a bear hug.

"Aren't you going to tell me?" Oliver looked eagerly at her after pulling away from her hug.

"It's grown-up stuff. You'll understand when you're older."

Leo scoffed, which made Amanda and Angel look at him, dissatisfied with his attitude.

"What?" he asked as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing, dear," said Amanda, now with a smile on her face. "How was work?"

"Oh, now you ask me," said Leo as he took one of the patio chairs, facing Amanda and Angel. "I thought you were listening to Angel's story."

"Well, it was her first day; of course I would ask. Now I want to know how it went with Angel this time around."

Leo cleared his throat, knowing fully well that he was going to scoff and that his grandmother wouldn't approve of it. He now wished he hadn't come out here, but Oliver was persistent when they met in the hallway.

Before he could utter a word, his eyes fell on Angel, who was looking at him. He looked at her and noticed that she had her legs folded up on the chair. He didn't know what to make of her in such a position and wondered why that bothered him so much. She gave off the impression of a young girl folding her legs up on the chair.

Angel raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"Like what?" Leo asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"Like I look weird."

Leo held his laughter. If only she knew, he thought to himself.

"Okay, Leo, stop looking at her weird," demanded Amanda. "I've seen that look, mister."

"I didn't do anything wrong," Leo tried to protest. "Oliver, back me out here."

Oliver stood behind his grandmother's wheelchair as though he were taking up defence. "You were looking at her in an unusual way, though," he said.

"Unbelievable," Leo muttered as he hung his head low for a second before bringing it back up. "Okay, whatever. I'm sorry for looking at you like that."

"Thank goodness," said Amanda in relief. "I didn't even have to force you to apologize." Leo scowled, but she ignored him. "So how was work?"

"Great," Leo answered. "I was just preparing for the meeting that will be happening soon with Eric."

"And how did it feel working with Angel today?"

"Um..." Leo looked at his grandmother, trying to figure out how to answer that and doing his very best not to look back at Angel. "We didn't get to work with each other closely. She was busy with Mrs. Lance."

"Oh, I see. There will be plenty of time for the two of you to work together."

Leo silently growled and, at the same time, scratched the back of his head as he gave Amanda a fake smile. If only she knew how he didn't approve of Angel working at the company. It's evident enough that she's a distraction from the fiasco that she pulled off at the office when she was introduced to everyone. It's not like she did something remarkable to grab his colleagues' attention. Her beauty did the trick.

Wait a minute, he said to himself. Did he just admit that Angel is beautiful? He shook that thought out of his head. He shouldn't be thinking about her that way. He still didn't like how easy it was for her to grab everyone's attention. It irritated him, actually.

Amanda went ahead to ask Oliver how school went, and he got everyone engaged with what happened during his art class. A funny incident had occurred when one of his friends had drawn a funny cartoon character of their arts teacher who had stepped out to attend to something for only a few minutes. Everyone, including Oliver, was so captivated by their friend's drawing that they surrounded him to see how it would all pan out, forgetting that they had work to do themselves. Their teacher walked back in and was angry at them for not being on their canvasses and drawing or painting. Arts class was almost at an end, and everyone except the boy who drew hadn't done their work. They were all about to face detention when their class rep reported that the boy had drawn a funny yet mocking drawing of their teacher. When the teacher came to see it, she got angry but still stood by her word about detaining the entire class, excluding the boy, who was the only one who did his work.

"Well, it's good that she punished you all," said Amanda. "And you were trying to blame that poor boy, who was the only one who did his work."

"The class rep did that," said Oliver. "And for trying to blame him, the whole class will have to go through detention again tomorrow."

"I agree with grandma," said Leo. "You just have to live up to your responsibility."

"See, Leo is a perfect example of that," Amanda mocked him.

"Grandma!" Leo didn't sound happy about that. Angel choked with laughter.

"Which one?" Oliver asked. "Responsible for making Kim cry or for causing Angel's accident?"

The three grownups looked at Oliver, and they couldn't believe he just said that. Angel and Amanda's mouths fell agape; Leo looked like he had had enough.

"That's it." Leo stood, glaring at his young cousin like a bull. "If you get a broken leg from me chasing you, you're responsible. Come here!"

Leo charged towards Oliver, and the young boy was quick to get away. He darted straight into the house, with Leo hot on his heels.

"Careful, don't run in the house!" Amanda called after them, but the two had already left the kitchen. She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, well, I tried. Bertha won't be pleased when they knock something over."

"She's got ears," said Angel. "She'll be able to hear them running around."

It didn't take a moment until Angel and Amanda heard Mrs. McDonell shout at the top of her lungs upstairs:

"WHO THE HELL IS RUNNING IN THE HOUSE!"

***

Carly felt her heart beat faster with each step she took down the white-decorated stairs. The place looked just as grand as when she first saw it. This time, it's filled with people. She saw the DJ in the DJ booth planted in the centre of the room with loud party music playing. People filled the room, many of them dancing on the dance floor. Others were with friends at the bar on the other side of the room. Some were just moving around and about, doing God knows what. Laser disco lights all around the room made this place look like a club.

Working at the club shouldn't have Carly feeling uneasy like she is now. Maybe it's because she felt like she wasn't herself with all the makeup. Already, she felt eyes on her the minute she reached the top of the stairs. Alex had escorted her to the party area and left her side as soon as he opened the door that led to the party. She wished she could've come with him. Not that she needed a companion. To be honest, she didn't know why.

As her soft gold high-heeled shoes reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw more heads turn her way. She put up a smile as if none of the attention bothered her. She walked over to the bar and realized that the bar stools were completely occupied. A young man on one side of the bar who was having a wonderful laugh with his group of friends noticed Carly. She quickly caught his eye, and he tapped the shoulder of his friend next to him. Carly knew what this was all about. She gave a mocking smile and averted her eyes towards the bartender as soon as she reached the counter.

"One margarita," Carly ordered.

The bald bartender gave her a nod and went on to prepare her drink in front of her. Carly moved her head to the beat of the music. Her glass soon appeared before her on the counter.

She took it and had a sip of her margarita when she felt someone come stand beside her. Goodness, she thought to herself, as she knew who was standing right next to her: the guy who had laid eyes on her when she came to the counter. She had to find a way to get rid of him somehow, for he might just ruin her chances of doing what she'd been instructed to do.

The man was laughing alongside his friends when he turned to look at Carly. She took another sip of her margarita when the man finally spoke.

"Is that all you're having tonight?"

Carly flashed her eyes at him, and she must have done so in a stunning way with her fake lashes, for she thought she had heard the man gasp in awe. She smiled at him as she straightened herself.

"Do you have another drink in mind?" she asked. "Because I, for one, love margaritas."

"A Bloody Mary, maybe?"

She smiled, pretending to find him cute. "I'm not in the mood for it today."

"Why not? It's a special occasion, isn't it? And why not get to know each other over a couple of drinks?"

Carly fully turned to look at him, bringing her face closer to his. She held the collar of his black golf shirt, pulling him closer. She made sure to smile as she put her lips closer to his ear and whispered:

"Maybe next time."

Carly made sure to leave a kiss on his cheek and walked away from the counter. She heard the man's friends behind her make "ooh" sounds. She left an impression—the kind that left the man she kissed pretty embarrassed yet hopeful.

"Please don't stop the music" by Rihanna started to play through the speakers, and it made the dance floor shake as people's feet moved to the beat of the song. Many were so excited to hear such a hit song play that the beat coming from the speakers almost matched their beating hearts. Carly loved the song and wished she could dance to it, but she realized after getting away from the bar that she hadn't had a bite to eat. She started to make her way to the other side of the room, where the buffet was.

A glass beaded curtain separated the place from the main dance floor, and there were a few people. A long table of cuisines stood close to the glass doors that led to the deck of the ship. It's a good place to be if you want to be away from the crowd, Carly thought. A few people were on the deck, most of them couples. Some are single and smoking. Carly made her way to the buffet table and got a plate. There was so much food that she was now mad at Red Lion for organizing a party like this with so much to choose from. She first went over to the dessert section and picked up a cupcake because she felt the need for something sweet.

She couldn't help but realize that a few eyes turned towards her, mostly men. A few were a little older than her, and she saw a man in his mid-40s look at her from across the table. When they made eye contact, he gave her a wink, which sent Carly blushing. She almost rashly turned her head away, but she looked down at her plate and later decided that she saw some fish fingers somewhere and thought it was best to get them.

As she continued to survey the buffet table, she heard a set of footsteps and hoped that it wasn't the man who had just winked at her. She told herself to act cool, like she was minding her own business.

"I see you're enjoying yourself with a plate of food," came Red Lion's voice as he came to stand next to her.

Carly continued to look down at her plate, pretending not to have heard him. He also had a plate, which made her raise an eyebrow.

"It looks like you're just as hungry as I am," she said, without giving him a glance as she put more fish fingers onto her plate. "The plan won't be going into effect thirty minutes from now. Don't think I forgot."

"Oh, I was just checking," said Red Lion as he got a chicken wing and placed it on his plate. "Just like you, I'm starving. And Carlos couldn't stop talking about how good the food is here."

"It's good you're trying it out now. It would be a shame if you knew about it later on and you didn't get to have a bite yourself."

"Yep, it would be a shame. You look nice in that dress, by the way."

Carly looked at the soft gold narin, draped midi, long-sleeved dress. She ran a hand through her hair, which she tied into a ponytail. She didn't think Red Lion would complement her dress. She should've thought better since he had complimented her makeup a while ago.

"Thank you," Carly said.

"Make sure you stay away from a lot of these men who might be wanting to approach you," Red Lion added. "Making you look like the most beautiful person in the room seemed to have worked well."

"Trust me; we don't want our plans going down the drain. I already had to turn someone down." Carly eyed the vegetable salad and thought she would get that too.

"I've been told. I have people standing by for backup, just in case. But you seem to be handling yourself well so far."

She smiled at the compliment, which she didn't expect. "I do know what I'm doing. Don't you forget that."

"I would like to give you a heads-up," he said as he came a little closer, wanting to get a spoonful of salad too. "Walters will be bringing some girls from the club, so when you see them, do your best to avoid them."

Carly rolled her eyes. For some reason, she didn't seem surprised by the news. "Did he really have to do that?"

"If you ask me, no. I did tell him it was a bad idea. But I've got some important guests who would like a little entertainment."

"Whatever. Thanks."

Carly walked away from the buffet table and went over to the few empty chairs around to take a seat and eat her food. Red Lion didn't bother so much as to join her, for when she looked around to see where he had gone, it was like he had completely vanished into thin air.

After she finished her meal, Carly stood to put her plate away when someone in a black shirt and trousers came to stand in front of her. She realized that it was the man who had winked at her at the buffet table. Not this again, she thought to herself.

"May I take that for you?" the man offered.

"Oh, no, I'm good," Carly said with a smile. She tried to move to the man's other side, but he soon stood in her way again.

"Please, I insist."

Carly looked at him, knowing fully well what he was playing at. She slowly gave him the plate, and together with his, the man left to put the plates aside on the buffet table. Carly felt that this was the perfect time to run, but the man soon turned back to face her. She had no choice but to continue smiling at him. She had to think of something fast.

"Great party, isn't it?" he asked as he came closer.

"Yeah, so far, it is. I just got here," Carly replied.

"Want to dance?"

Gosh, how am I going to get rid of him, Carly thought to herself in a panic. If it were any other day and this wasn't a job, she would've gone to dance with this handsome gentleman. And boy, is he making her blush like crazy. For a moment, she almost forgot that she even had a boyfriend.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea," said Carly as she winced.

"Why? Are you with someone?"

"Well, sort of."

The man chuckled. "Trust me, if he really is here, he wouldn't have left you alone."

"Oh, he'll be here shortly. He just stepped out."

"Ah, I see. Well, it's such a shame. I would have loved to have had some time with you."

"Yes, it's a shame indeed. Maybe one day we will meet. You know, under different circumstances."

"Maybe we will."

Carly smiled before turning around and walking away. She could feel the man's eyes on her. Carly thought they might not ever meet again. That is, if he will still remember her or perhaps even recognize her.

Carly walked through the beaded curtain of pearls and found herself back on the dance floor. She's glad to have gotten away. He seemed like a charming man, and Carly knew that if he talked to her a bit longer, she would forget that she had a job to do.

She joined the people on the dance floor and took to dancing. She had to keep in mind that she only had a few minutes, but she was already where she had to be. Right on the dance floor.

Club music continued to play, and Carly danced around with her hands in the air and her hips swaying from side to side. A few people turned their heads, captivated by her dancing. She learned a few tricks from Mr. Walters' club when it came to enticing people with just your dance. This is exactly what Red Lion wanted. Not only to capture the attention of the people around me but of one person in particular.

Carly's dancing captured a lot of attention, alright. Including a group of women who had just come into the party a few minutes ago and were having a drink.

"Who is she?" Candy asked, swinging the glass of champagne in her hand to point to the lady in the soft gold dress on the dance floor.

Miranda, who still looked amazed at how extravagant the place was from the time she got here, didn't seem to be paying attention at first. "Who are you talking about?" she asked.

"The girl in the gold dress," Candy replied. "Everyone seems to be looking at her. And she dances well too."

"Not to mention that she looks gorgeous," said Bubbles. "Now I feel jealous."

It was then that Miranda turned to the woman on the dance floor, and all she could see was her back as she had swiftly turned around while she danced. She had to admit that the lady in the gold dress did dance very well.

"Don't mind her, Bubbles," said Emma, who stood next to her. "Let's not forget why we're here."

"Isn't the guy who led us here supposed to be back by now?" Sandra asked.

"Oh, here he comes," Miranda said, straightening herself from leaning on the counter.

Alex approached the ladies by the counter. "You may follow me now," he told them.

As he walked back the way he came, his eyes wandered over to Carly, who continued to dance in front of the crowd. He didn't know what to make of this scenario, but he knew all this was just to get the plan underway.

He led the way up the staircase as the women followed him. There were many people up the stairs, most of them looking at the spectacle happening on the dance floor. Carly has done a good job of having everyone look at her, Alex thought.

He continued to lead the way, bypassing the people on the landing and going to a place specifically reserved for VIPs. Two guards in black stood there to prevent anyone from going through, but Alex had come to them earlier, informing them that he'd be bringing company with him. They let him right through with the ladies.

As soon as they were being led into the VIP section, Mr. Walters soon appeared in their sights. He looked over at Alex, signalling with his eyes that he'd got this handled from here.

Alex left the women with Walters. Just as he is making his way out, he notices Red Lion with his important guest, Andre, leading him away from the booth they were sitting in with his friends, towards the balcony where they could overlook the dance floor below them. Everything is going accordingly, he thought to himself as he left the VIP lounge.

"I really want to discuss something with you, Andre," said Red Lion as he dragged Andre, holding his shoulder.

"Do we really have to discuss this now when the party is just starting off on the right foot?" Andre asked, a champagne glass in one hand.

"Well, I need assurance," said Red Lion. They reached the rail, and soon enough, Andre's eyes were focused on the dance floor below.

"What assurance could you possibly have?" Andre started to say something but stopped short when his eyes fixed on something.

Red Lion looked at Andre with a questioning look and followed his eyes. He smiled when he saw Carly dancing, with a few people joining her on the dance floor. Furthermore, he couldn't help but feel impressed. Not only had Jane done a wonderful job of making Carly look like the most attractive person in the room, but Carly managed to gain attention to herself without a fuss, including Andre's, which is just an added bonus. It's the reason she hired her in the first place.

"Do you know who she is?" Andre asked, his eyes still fixed on Carly.

"A guest. Her uncle and I are very good friends. I invited him to the party, but he decided to send her instead." He paused as he watched Andre closely. "Would you like to meet her?"

"Yes, definitely."

Red Lion looked behind him and beckoned to one of his men standing close by. When the guard came close, Red Lion whispered in his ear, and the guard responded with a nod and made his way out of the VIP Lounge.

"She'll be on her way," Red Lion informed Andre, who still looked down at Carly from the balcony. "You'll like her. She's very charming."

"This is some party, Mr. Walters," said Bubbles as she was led by Walters to a nearby bar with the rest of her friends.

"It is," Mr. Walters said as he beckoned to the bartender to pour him a drink. "I'll make sure to introduce you to the host when all of this is done. That's if you do your job properly."

"You know us," said Miranda, as she leaned back on the counter. "We're your most trusted servants. Of course, we won't let you down."

"Good," said Walters as the bartender poured him a glass of whisky, and he took it. "Follow me. There are some guests I would like to introduce you to. Be nice, okay?" He started to make his way to one of the booths with his drink in hand, introducing the girls to the men there having a good time.

After the music had ended, Carly stopped dancing and took a deep breath. For a moment, she had been so oblivious to the people around her that when a cheer rang through her ears, she almost jumped in fright. She looked around, and the people were complimenting and applauding her. She noticed a few men look at her like they were about to approach, including the guy she had met at the bar earlier. Likewise, she couldn't be more thankful when a man in black, whom she knew was Red Lion's guard, appeared right beside her and whispered in her ear:

"It's time."

Carly gave a nod of her head, and she looked upwards at the balcony. Red Lion looked down at her alongside a handsome Hispanic man, whose eyes looked like he was looking at a meal he had been craving to eat for so long. Carly guessed that it was the man Red Lion wanted her to meet.

With the help of the guard, Carly managed to make her way from the dance floor and up the stairs to the VIP lounge. When she entered the lounge, the guard directed her towards the balcony. Upon seeing Red Lion, she plastered a huge smile on her face and drew her arms wide open, approaching him to give him a hug.

"Ah, so good to see you, Ray," she said as they hugged each other. She planted kisses on both of his cheeks. "It's been a long time. I never knew you were back in town until my uncle told me last night. He sends his apologies that he couldn't make it."

"Yes, he told me you would be coming by instead," said Red Lion with a smile. "When you took everyone's attention down there, I had no idea that it could be you, Loren."

"Oh, you know me." Carly waved her hand carelessly in the air. "I love to have fun." She quickly looked over at the man standing beside him.

"Before I forget, Loren, I would like you to meet Andre, a very good friend of mine." Red Lion turned to Andre. "Andre, this is Loren. Her uncle and I have known each other for a long time."

"A pleasure to meet you, Andre," Carly greeted, holding up her hand for a handshake.

Andre took hold of her hand, gently brought it to his lips, and planted a peck on the outside of her palm. "The pleasure is mine," he said.

"Would you care to join us?" Red Lion asked Carly. "I would like to catch up and know how your uncle is doing."

"Sure," Carly said, sounding cheerful. "As long as you order the best sparkling champagne."

"For you, no doubt. I know just what you like."

Red Lion led the way to one of the booths he had been sitting in earlier with Andre. Carly made sure to stay close to him as Andre followed closely behind. She continued to chat with Red Lion over her made-up uncle. As they walked, bypassing people having a good time, Andre continued to watch Carly closely. He looked around and noticed a few people stare at her, which made him a little uneasy.

One of the men, who happened to be one of Andre's comrades, seated in one of the booths, noticed Carly and Red Lion pass by with Andre following them. He has his arm wrapped around Miranda, who continues to sip on the champagne that had been served to their table. She wasn't the only one there among Walter's call girls. Seated opposite her is Bubbles, laughing at some joke the man she was with had said as she playfully played with his goatee with her fingers.

"Hey, Antonio," said the big man Miranda is with. "Have you seen the girl with Red Lion?" he beckoned with his head in the direction Red Lion had taken.

Miranda lifted her head. "Who is Red Lion?" she asked.

"The man at the far end in the shining black cocktail suit," the man with the goatee. "He's the host of this party."

Miranda turned her head and saw the so-called Red Lion standing by the booth. Next to him are the lady in the gold dress and a handsome Hispanic in a red suit. She's the one who was on the dance floor earlier, Miranda thought to herself. Red Lion seemed to be introducing her to the rest of the people in the booth. Miranda only saw the woman's side of the face, and she admitted that she must be someone important to even have the host's attention.

"She seems hot," said the man next to Miranda. "I wonder who she is."

"Andre is in for a treat, huh?" the man in the goatee. "I'm betting that she is meant for him alone."

Miranda turned again to look at the three as they settled in the booth. She tried her very best to look at the gorgeous lady seated in between Andre and the Red Lion, but there were so many people blocking her view that she gave up as she turned her attention to the man beside her.

"Ah, here we are." Red Lion stood from the white, plush chairs to get the bucket of champagne that one of the bar servers had brought along with some glasses.

He laid the glasses on the table—enough for everyone in the booth. He popped open the champagne bottle and poured it into all the glasses. Everyone took a glass, and he also got one.

"A toast to a wonderful night," Red Lion said with his glass raised. "Cheers!"

Everyone in the booth stood and all yelled, "Cheers!" clinking their glasses together. After they all sat back down, Red Lion turned to Carly.

"You know, Loren," he started to say, "Andre here is an heir to a lovely family estate in Mexico."

"Really?" Carly turned to look at Andre, who didn't seem to mind the attention as she stared at him with awe.

"It's not much of a big deal," Andre answered. He soon drank his champagne.

"Don't be shy, Andre," said Red Lion. "Trust me, Loren, it's a big deal. I mean hectares and hectares of land. Don't your family also own a business?"

"Ray," Carly said, turning to look at Red Lion. "I don't think I should know about that. Don't you think so, Andre?"

Andre's smile widened as he had his eyes on Carly. "I'm not one to brag, but I don't mind. Maybe you and I should talk a lot about ourselves to get to know each other."

Carly sipped on her champagne before turning her eyes to Andre. "That would be nice," she said.

Red Lion smiled to himself as he felt he had scored a point. He had successfully linked Carly and Andre. As he looked at the two, he knew that they would be talking the whole night if they had to. He noticed that the two women Andre had come with, who sat on his other side, knew that they were being ignored. As soon as they were done sipping their champagne, they left the booth to go and dance.

Carly had been talking about herself to Andre, explaining that she was still in college. Andre continued to look at her with a glint of desire in his eyes, which Red Lion found hard to ignore. He stood, thinking that it was time to leave the two on their own.

"I will be excusing myself now," he said as he stood. "As the host, it's my duty to see to it that the party is going on smoothly. I'll catch up with you two later. No talking business when I'm gone, Andre."

"Come on, what do you think I'm going to do?" Andre asked, knowing fully well that Red Lion was joking.

Carly gave Red Lion a wave of her hand. Red Lion in turn gave her a wink, which Andre thought was a friendly gesture. But Carly knew that he was complimenting her on a job well done.

As Red Lion left the booth, he approached one of his guards standing by, giving him a set of instructions that he should watch over Carly and Andre. The guard nodded that he understood, and Red Lion made his way out of the lounge, feeling confident that his plan had started off well so far.