“You’re leaving for a college trip?” Angel asked as she looked at Carly, surprised.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gUjPYP38W
“Yeah,” said Carly as she nervously looked at her sister. “I didn’t know how to tell you about it when they first told us on Monday. I thought it would be better if I showed you the letter they handed to us today to make it easier.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdp8aC7kvj
Angel couldn’t believe what she was seeing as she turned to look at the paper Carly had given her. It's from her college, granting them permission to go to Mexico for an academic seminar. When Angel first read it, she couldn’t wrap her head around it. It started to make sense why her sister had been acting strange lately. Carly wasn’t going to be around at the time Leo’s surprise birthday party was to take place.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zOTsrCbqU
“You know, I’ve been so worried about you lately,” said Angel, as she slowly looked up from the paper. “You’ve been acting so distant. I guess I’m starting to know why.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnxuhm9O3E
Carly scratched her arm, pressing her lips tightly at first. “I know I should’ve said something from the beginning, but we weren’t too sure who was to go until the list came out on Tuesday,” she said. "My name happened to be there on that list. This program has ruined things for me. I actually feel like turning down the offer and giving it to someone else.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhcIQbNmiN
“I advise you shouldn’t turn down such an opportunity. It’s a chance for you to go to another part of the world and explore. In the end, it’s your decision. Moreover, I think you’re better off discussing this with Leo than with me.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUgAUOgyaO
Carly sat down on Angel’s bed while Angel remained standing, looking at her. “Do you think he’ll understand if I choose to go to Mexico?” Carly asked.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzX6d5zeKyc
“Well, I can’t really tell for sure. However, if he loves you, he isn’t going to make a big fuss about it. I’m just sad you won’t be there for his birthday.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCg8uR0Y1P
“That’s what’s been killing me. And the funny thing is I don’t know how to tell him.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJPv7WuN2Z
“You can tell him tonight. He’s been worried sick about you, thinking you’ve been avoiding him. The sooner you get this out of the way, the better.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CVJtzf0Ln
“I know. I’m just scared he’ll not take all of this lightly.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjz4OvlEdsG
“He most definitely won’t.” Angel sat next to her sister. “But isn’t it why you have to tell him all the more? In a relationship, you have to be open enough to talk about these things and come up with a solution. If you close up as you’ve been doing, it makes things worse. Leo already feels left out in whatever is going on in your life. If you don’t tell him, it might just cause a rift between you two.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbao5ZgWFHT
“Yeah, you’re right.” Carly nodded. “I’ll tell him.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fotm9TogG
Angel placed a hand on Carly's shoulder and smiled. “Trust me, everything will be alright. And don’t you worry about helping us prepare for Leo’s birthday. Diana, Mrs. McDonell, Eric, and I have it all under control.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8roH2VItlb
Carly hugged her sister all of a sudden. Angel wasn’t expecting it. It’s been a while since Carly hugged her, and the gesture brought a smile to Angel’s face. Her hand comfortingly stroked Carly’s hair, oblivious to the fact that Carly was hugging Angel for other reasons.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXnHqyDN5P
Carly felt her eyes well up with tears. She was clearly deceiving her sister, but there was nothing she could do about it. She felt so torn. As if working as a call girl wasn’t enough for her at first, she was betraying Angel yet again by working with a criminal. What would Carly do if Angel finds out about her betrayal? Everything was one big lie. No one should know about her other life as Loren Jenkins, about Red Lion, André, everything.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifEKeBggl9
Late at night, when everyone else had gone to sleep, Carly asked to meet Leo in his room. He invited her in. At first, they were silent, as they didn’t know how to begin their conversation. In the end, Carly showed Leo the letter and explained about her trip to Mexico. It didn’t take long for the news to sink in for Leo, and he told her he understood. He was just worried that Carly didn’t care about him anymore. Carly assured him that wasn’t the case as she explained that she wanted to do something special for his birthday and she wouldn’t be there. Leo said it didn’t matter and advised her to go on her trip. When she gets back, she can do whatever she had planned for his birthday. In the end, the two hugged each other, and even when they didn’t make love that night, they stayed in each other’s arms, talking.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6ly5je5nK
***
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp3v1C23fd
The next two weeks went by so fast for the Barclay sisters. For Angel, with Leo’s birthday fast approaching, she had to balance work with going around preparing for the event. Now that everyone in the house knew about Carly’s trip to Mexico, helping with the party was no longer her concern. As much as Carly insisted on helping, her sister and Diana wouldn’t let her, telling her that she had her trip to worry about.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyd60Etlxq
For Carly, she would meet Red Lion and his crew to continue improving on their plans often. That meant also meeting up with Miranda, whom she still couldn’t stand. She thought of meeting Mr. Chang, who was a no-show after they first met at the warehouse. With Red Lion around, the two women had to keep their tempers in check. Whenever the meetings ended, Alex would always draw Carly aside and take her to his car. She bet it was Red Lion’s way of preventing any fights between her and Miranda. However, there were times during their meetings when Miranda would taunt Carly. The two women were to stay away from each other at all costs, which worked for Red Lion. However, if he really wanted the two to work together, he had to do something fast to make it happen. Too much was at stake for the mission to go wrong just because of their differences.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeutI9u9Wf8
On the third Saturday, two days before Carly was to travel to Mexico, Angel decided to stay home. She was supposed to go out with Diana and Mrs. McDonell to help make the final preparations for the party that was to take place the coming Saturday.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiZ94nsG3r
She was in Carly’s room, helping Carly fold her clothes into her suitcase. Carly was to stay in Mexico for about two weeks, and Angel was there to help see what she could carry along for the trip. Carly was in her wardrobe, looking through what to wear.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeWKz3dbOj
“I hear the temperatures in Mexico will be pretty high this time of year,” said Angel as she folded a bright red cotton shirt and set it aside on the bed along with the other folded clothes. “I suggest you carry a lot more vests and shorts.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRk3dOTF52y
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” said Carly as she came out of the closet, carrying a few more clothes on their hangers.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYW6g7tpd9
“You know, you don’t need all that,” said Angel, as she looked at her sister, throwing her clothes on the other side of the bed.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fVv8aEDQu
“That’s why you’re here to help me.” Carly smiled brightly. She turned around to head back into the closet.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRshv3pnbLw
Angel shook her head. She was the oldest, after all. Why wouldn’t she help? She stared at the clothes Carly threw onto the bed, and a sullen feeling came over her. It was going to be tough to sort out, but it is what it is.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aqlsoRqJR
“So, how are the preparations going?” Carly asked. This time she was rummaging through her shoes at the bottom of the closet.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBrerR2eLh
“For the party? So far so good,” Angel answered. “The decorator has been so helpful, and the designs are awesome. Right now, we want to sort out the food menu. I should’ve been with Diana and Mrs. McDonell today, doing all that. But I didn't think it was necessary."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1J4kc2zEDf
“Okay. Have you sorted out the cake, though?” Carly asked as she poked her head out of the closet to look at her sister.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GaUJCQ0yP
“There were a few bakeries Mrs. McDonell had gone to in the past week. Apparently, none of them impressed her. You should’ve seen the look on Diana’s face on Thursday when she found out that the cake hadn’t been ordered yet. She was furious. What’s a birthday party without cake?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVsk2z7izo
“Well, Mrs. McDonell is quite picky. Leo must have gotten that trait from her.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwq9sg5ql5
“Yeah, I just hope she sorts out the cake thing soon. The party is only days away.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfvGnA9ZqK
Carly went back to looking through her closet when she suddenly stopped and poked her head out again. “Why don’t you bake the cake, Angel?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqIw4qDMqO
Angel was picking out a set of vests from the messy pile of clothes on the other side of the bed when she stopped to look at Carly. At first, she was quiet, taking in what Carly had said. A few moments later, she felt her face grow hot in embarrassment.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9P98KelhD
“What? Me?” Angel asked.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQSUW4MmnM
“Yeah, you,” said Carly as she laughed at the look on her sister’s face. “You’re the perfect person to bake his cake. Plus, it will come at no extra cost, except for the ingredients.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHp2Eylu1q
“Wait a minute; I can’t be the one baking his cake. There are professional bakers out there that can do a much better job than I can.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvel6kxb1NB
“That’s not true, and you know it,” said Carly. “You’re a good baker, Angel. I remember you used to help Mum with baking some of the cakes. You can do a chocolate one. Everyone will love it.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwUiIcEsJW
“I can’t bake his cake. It might go horribly wrong. Besides, it’s been a minute since I last baked a cake. I don’t think I have it in me.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4LUQw3HOO
“No, you still do. Don’t doubt yourself. Hold on.” Carly got out of the closet and went for her phone on the small bedside table. She picked it up and started to tap a few times, and then she put the phone to her ear. Angel started to wonder whom Carly could be calling.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORzEcQjx75
A few moments later, the person answered, and Carly said, “Hi, Diana. How are you?” Angel’s eyes grew wide with shock. “I’m good. I want to ask if Mrs. McDonell has found someone to bake Leo’s cake yet.” There came a slight pause as Carly listened. “Okay, if that’s the case, I was wondering if Angel should be the one to bake the cake instead.” A smile came across Carly’s face. “Okay, we’ll discuss it when you come back home. Bye.” Carly cut the call and looked at Angel.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0yytCJdWv
“Without a doubt, you, Angel, will bake Leo’s cake,” Carly said confidently.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCFd27TPe3
Angel shook her head. "Why do you have to complicate things?" she asked. "We can just hire a professional baker. I bet Mr. Finn can bake cakes too."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VtDCsTpNS
"Yeah, we should have asked him first," said Carly as she put the phone back on the bedside table. "But let's be honest here. You are the perfect person for the job. Don't you think it would be nice if Leo knew that you baked the cake?"
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwReliB7hZ1
"It wouldn't matter because I'm not going to. I don't want to ruin his birthday by making an awful cake. Besides, if I do decide to bake it, then it had better not be in this house. Since the party is a surprise, he shouldn't know about the cake."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZz1HzlOOM
"I know you will sort it out." Carly went back to her closet. "If you ask me, that might just be the perfect present from you to him, don't you think?"
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzs0W2j9Yn
Angel didn't answer that as she thought about it. Could she really manage to bake a cake for Leo? She shook her head. As much as baking him a cake will do everyone good, will it fit as a good birthday present?
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeNDTWomZx
The thought of it made Angel blush. Why was she acting as if she needed to go so far as to bake him a cake as a birthday present? It's not like she was his girl or anything. She could bake for him as a friend, right? Were they even friends? This was all so confusing to Angel that she decided to brush it off by continuing to fold Carly's clothes.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4QPRC9kbt
"So, have you thought about it?" Carly asked as she slowly poked her head out of the closet to look at her sister.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJGkw8P4mJ
"Forget it," Angel answered, not looking at Carly. "We just have to find a good baker."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0TRu4PpGU
Carly scoffed. "You're such a letdown sometimes, Angel. You know you've got it in you, but you're just too afraid to do it."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHvPHi2MBZ
Angel looked up at Carly, who had quickly gone back to picking out her shoes. It's not the first time Angel had received such a comment from her sister.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabMEkuvhcf
In as much as Angel seemed outgoing and smart to others, she was sometimes shy and a little too strict on herself. She wasn't one to take risks. However, when the situation called for it, she would gladly put her life on the line if she had to. Yet simple things always made her doubt herself sometimes. It was like the time she had to bake cupcakes. Because she didn't want to let anyone down, she went on and baked them. In the end, they turned out perfect.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTgImtIprk
Angel bit her lower lip as she started to reconsider baking Leo’s cake. As much as she would be doing everyone a favor, she would also make Carly happy. It's the least she could do for her since she wasn't going to be around. As for Leo, well...
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zz8DuhhwS
"Fine, I'll try and reconsider baking his cake," Angel found herself blurting out.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0btgFZxSj
"Really! You will?" Carly asked as she ran out of the closet to stand in front of her sister.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBD0SsFklSI
Angel looked at her sister with a grumpy look. She didn't want to risk making the worst birthday cake. At the same time, she didn't want to let Carly and the people who were doing their best to make the party happen down.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcapiIeISNu
"Yeah, I will," Angel answered, assuring her sister.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bxsA4Oy3D
Carly quickly hugged Angel, thanking her. Angel wanted to push Carly away, but it couldn't be helped. Carly had a tight grip, and trying to wiggle out of her hug was pointless.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1MdVcCefD
"You're the best sister ever," said Carly. "Diana will be so excited to hear this."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCk1jENLovg
"You're acting like I already agreed," said Angel as Carly finally stopped hugging her. "What if I say no?"
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGJZYwmzlh
"For you to say you'll reconsider means you're going to do it anyway. By doing this, you've just taken the weight off of Mrs. McDonell's shoulders."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZ4TRfp0xh
"And put it on me." Angel showed that she didn't like the thought. "Mrs. McDonell is already a hard person to impress. How do you expect me to make a perfect cake for her son with this much pressure?"
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDO44O0RKF
"You don't need to worry about that because you're already good. I bet she won't complain anyway, considering that there's only a few days till his birthday and the cake needs to be ready right away."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTBD6b50Yn
Angel rubbed her forehead. "This is too much. Anyway, let's leave it as it is for now. This birthday cake is going to make my head explode."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGZ5HL6jg0
"You'll be fine. I wonder why you worry too much over nothing. Gosh, I'm thirsty." Carly made her way for the door. "I'll be right back."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQY0aOUBY4
Angel continued to fold a few vests next to her, wondering what she had gotten herself into. So what if she made Leo’s birthday cake? It's not like it mattered, did it? She found herself pondering over the question, and it bothered her somehow. Why?
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRPPxYLc4l
It mattered to her sister, not to her, Angel concluded. She was only going to do it as a favor, not because she wanted to. Angel found herself thinking of what Carly said about baking Leo’s cake as a gift. Not most people will see it that way, she thought. To hell, he might not see it that way too.
Angel shook her head. Enough of the cake, she said to herself as she went back to folding clothes. It was a matter for another time.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIARyoobRy
All of a sudden, she heard something vibrate. It sounded like a phone. She looked around, and she was sure the phone ringing wasn't hers, as she had left it in her room charging. She looked towards Carly’s phone that she had left on the bedside drawer and noticed that the screen was black. It wasn't that phone either. Could there be another phone in the room?
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRSMdP2H4c
Angel stood up from where she sat and started to look around, trying to hear where the vibration was coming from. She went towards the cupboard, but nothing. She went towards the bed’s headboard. It sounded like it was coming from there. There were piles of clothes on top of the pillows, and Angel had a feeling that the phone might be underneath the clothes. She started to move them aside when the pillows came into view. The phone continued to vibrate, and Angel was now sure that the phone was under one of the pillows. She lifted one and found nothing. It was then that the phone had stopped vibrating, but that didn’t stop her from lifting the other. She found the phone underneath it.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLROz05ktD
She took the phone in her hand. It was another iPhone. Carly never told her that she got another one. As far as Angel knew, Carly’s old phone was working just fine. Could Leo have bought this one for her? Maybe he did.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyq9kB0uJz
Before Angel could put the phone back where she found it, it started ringing again. When she looked at the screen, she saw the name “André” on the caller ID. Angel thought that she should answer it, but it was rude to answer people’s calls without permission. What if this André person was Carly’s classmate and needed something from her? Angel was just about to slide the answer button, but she bit her lip and thought better of it. She would simply tell Carly that someone called.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkd7eoq2fX
The phone stopped ringing all of a sudden, and Angel was a little surprised. It seems the person grew tired of calling, she thought. Before she could place the phone back down, a message popped up, lighting the screen. It was from André. Just before the screen blacked out, Angel was able to read the pop-up message. It was a short one, and it read:
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gAU8nhpRz
“Still thinking of what we will be doing in Mexico?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0yNMxnz2G
Angel felt there was something weird about the message. She concluded that the person who had sent her the message was a classmate of Carly's and was looking forward to the trip. However, the emoji at the end of the message got Angel worried. She saw a kissing emoji, and she didn’t know what to make of it. Did she have to be worried? Maybe Carly and André joked around like this. Yet there came an uneasy feeling.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydlcNR48qU
Angel shook her head, saying it was nothing. The sudden thought of Carly going out with other men when she’s dating Leo didn’t sit well with her. Should she confront Carly about it? She simply didn’t know what to do at this point.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xHLT3vr1t
Angel put the phone back where she found it and covered it with the pillow. A few seconds later, Carly walked into the room with a glass of water. She noticed Angel standing at the head of her bed.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHXFlzGS81
“Were you looking for something?” Carly asked as she closed the door behind her.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69oPIJ0CtI
“Uh, no,” Angel answered. “I heard a phone ringing, and it wasn’t yours.” She pointed at the phone on the bedside drawer.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZAnTB1hFK
“Oh, that must be my other phone,” said Carly as she walked up to her sister. “Did you find it?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6U1idUVW21
“Yeah, it was under the pillow. But it cut before I could answer it.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnBkKbjWUI
Carly bent over to remove the pillow Angel had held earlier. Angel looked at her sister, who looked at her phone and wondered if it was better to ask who André was.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgB7Tj0z2o2
“How come you have two phones?” Angel asked as she walked to the foot of the bed to continue folding Carly’s clothes. She felt it better to ask that first.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0oVYrHk64
Carly looked up from the phone, unfazed by the question. “My old phone has been malfunctioning lately, but most of my contacts are still in there, so I keep it around,” said Carly.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCcBwDCi6N
“Don’t you think it would be better to move everything on to the new one?” Angel asked, raising an eyebrow.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJgKI82vgw
“Oh, I will. You know how it is with old things; you become too attached to them. I promise I’ll move everything to my old phone soon. I usually use my new phone to stay in contact with my classmates.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9c0FHeEvid
“If you say so. Did Leo get it for you?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHMaTM3die
“No, I used the money from Mum’s trust fund.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB5xgOGdEG
“Oh, right. I was just surprised to see that you had another phone and I didn’t know about it. You should let Leo know, don’t you think? You don’t want him to be suspicious of anything.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnls0MNqCdZ
Carly smiled as she nodded her head. “I get what you mean. Don’t worry, I’ll let him know.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFoWConatl
Angel went back to folding Carly’s clothes. For a moment, she slowly looked up to see Carly looking at her phone, obviously reading the text from André. Carly had a smile on her face before turning around to head back into the closet, obviously replying to the text. Angel didn’t know what to make of what she saw. She only hoped it wasn’t what she feared. If Carly were seeing someone else, Angel would know, wouldn’t she? There was no telling if that was true. Angel told herself that Carly had hidden her other life as a call girl before their mother died. Could this be the same thing?
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSO5yjDxrY
Taking a deep breath, Angel told herself that it wasn’t the case. Carly did promise to change herself for the better, and she could see that Carly had been taking school seriously. Maybe this André was just some person at college trying to flirt with Carly. I really hope she isn’t entertaining him, Angel thought to herself. As much as she was folding the clothes, the thought of that message never left her mind for some reason.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MBk1tqz7M
Carly almost breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the closet with her phone and the glass of water in the other hand. It was hard enough for her to lie about the phone. What more if Angel had seen who had been calling? No doubt if she had, she was going to ask who André was. Carly closed her eyes in frustration. She really shouldn’t be leaving the phone out in the open. She might have gotten away with it now, but who knows what would happen in the future?
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOehPOjDUx
She looked down at her phone at André’s message and quickly texted him back. She told him she would call him sometime later to talk. Since Carly came up with the excuse of leaving Mexico for academic purposes, she told André that her uncle had allowed her to go over there. He has been so excited about it that he always called to go over their plans. Now his excitement almost got her into big trouble. No matter what, Angel shouldn’t know about André, especially Leo for that matter.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHHIoPjuAZ
Carly put the phone in the pocket of her shorts. She had to keep it close and hidden from now on because there was so much at stake. She went back to looking through her closet. Picking shoes for her stay in Mexico was proving to be a lot harder than she thought.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtTaupG1sD
***
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaOfkS2txA
For a Saturday night, the club was packed and busy as usual. Miranda had just come off stage after delivering her dance number. She could already tell a number of their loyal customers were begging for her attention as she walked past them. She was making her way to the back end of the club. She needed a change of attire, and to get away from the noise.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZZ6ifD1NL
After passing the bar area, she entered the corridor heading towards the locker room where she and the other call girls changed into their clothes for the night. When she entered the room, she found it empty. She went to her locker. Before she could open it, she took long, deep breaths. She felt sweaty and hot. When she opened her locker, she took out her towel to wipe herself. After a minute of standing there, she suddenly realized that she wasn’t herself. She might have put on a performance tonight, but she felt she hadn’t been at her best today. When she got the chance to go back out there, she felt she needed to tell Mr. Walters that she wasn’t going to be taking in any clients today.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA6MqW9skR
Today was her last night here before heading to Mexico. As the days drew closer, she felt overwhelmed with what was to happen in Mexico, and she had to work with Carly for that matter. Carly. Miranda felt she was the reason why she had been feeling frustrated lately. She had no idea what power Red Lion had over Carly to find herself involved in all this. But Miranda couldn’t help but feel it was something serious. Could it be that he had threatened Carly about her past? Miranda couldn’t be too sure.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYXKMYfEml
Everything started to become clear to her now. At the boat cruise party, it had been Carly in that gorgeous dress dancing with André. Red Lion’s plans had been in motion from the very beginning. Now, with this trip to Mexico, Miranda, along with other people, had to help him carry out his plans.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2U1F44epI
It was strange that Red Lion had chosen Carly to be the one to distract André. Miranda would’ve done a way better job than her. All this felt like it did before when Carly was working at the club. When she thought she had finally gotten rid of Carly, she was back into her life again. Nothing has changed. Carly still got special treatment which made Miranda envy Carly and hate her even more.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QktbZKZ0G
The door to the room flew open, and the loud, blaring noise of the music found its way into the room until the door closed, muffling out the noise. Miranda didn't turn around to see who could have come in as she threw the towel back into the locker.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcPhyGqgcQ
A loud, annoying laugh came from behind her, and Miranda didn't have to turn to see who it was. The person went straight for her locker. Judging by the movement of their feet, they probably had too much to drink for the night.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HWzwmhtWZ
"You know you shouldn't be drinking too much on the job, Bubbles," said Miranda as she turned around to look at Bubbles.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkd2aKvxgH
Bubbles was leaning against the lockers as she could barely hold herself up. She wore a short white tank top that showed a good amount of cleavage, a short mini skirt, and black high heels. As usual, she had her blonde hair tied in pigtails. This time around, the mascara around her eyes made her look gothic. Miranda couldn't help but feel like she was staring at Harley Quinn from the Suicide Squad movie.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3LoNZ7jVu
"Oh, I know that," said Bubbles as she tried to stand straight while leaning on the lockers. "But I don’t feel like working today. And many men are ignoring me, so..." she hiccupped. "I can do whatever it is that I want."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbTlBstjFm
"You're just like me then. I am also not in the mood to work at all."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLFlqPU7At
Bubbles gave Miranda a wide, sheepish smile. "Yeah, it shows. You haven't been yourself lately."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7EhiTeJFb
Miranda raised an eyebrow at Bubbles. "You can tell?"
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPUOyMwjP1
Bubbles sniffed before walking over to the other end of the room where there stood a bench to sit on. She staggered a bit, almost falling to the floor. Before Miranda could help her up, she managed to balance herself in those heels and went over to the bench to sit.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkoiIYgJ5A
"I might be the dumb blonde of the group, but I know you all better than you know yourselves," said Bubbles, as she chuckled. She leaned against the wall for support. "So, what has been bothering you lately?"
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75LrLH5uEm
Miranda found herself walking over to the bench and sat right next to Bubbles. She had been drinking. The strong smell of rum filled Miranda's nostrils as she sat next to her.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlWmllRnwW
"A lot has been going on in my life lately," said Miranda as she stared at Bubbles, who looked back at her sheepishly. "Just when I think I've life all figured out, something or someone tears it all apart."
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXa2snuFbg
"Sounds to me like you've got a problem with someone," said Bubbles, slurring her words. "Who is it?"
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbyetVi8rx
Miranda found herself opening her mouth to reveal the name, but she stopped. Should she tell Bubbles that it's been Carly who has had her all worked up? If she did, then she would've had to reveal the reason why. Yet, if she didn't let go of what's been bothering her, she felt like her chest would explode.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJpD8ylOVR
“It’s Carly,” Miranda found herself blurting out.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzmIcezWX7
“Carly?” Bubbles raised an eyebrow as she stopped leaning against the wall. She swayed a little. “What has she done to you this time? I thought you got rid of her because she was your competition.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlV1z8BVI5
Miranda couldn’t believe what she just heard. “Wait, how do you know that?” she asked. “I never told anyone, not even Walters, that I was the one who called her sister to get her kicked out.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6WJb0Ldmy
“It’s not news to everyone,” said Bubbles, slurring her words again. “A lot of us guessed that you were behind it.” Bubbles laughed. “It seems like we weren’t wrong. Carly is long gone from this life of yours. How can she still be bothering you up till now?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJiJkGMDJl
“Well, I simply can’t get rid of her. There’s this person Walters is working for, and he got me on board to help. It seems Carly has been working for the man too. And to make matters worse, she’s getting all the special attention.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxSvrfJ2IB
Bubbles chuckled. “You’ve always been jealous of Carly. It was evident when she first came here and gave a stunning performance in front of the crowd. It seems to me you will always be second to her or whatever.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhfu7bQQP7
Miranda wasn’t expecting such a comment from Bubbles, and it made her upset. She quickly stood up from the bench and went over to her locker. Seeing that Miranda had reacted the way she did made Bubbles laugh hysterically.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPh3f7ijCs1
“You’re upset because I told the truth, huh?” Bubbles asked. “It’s unfortunate that you will never be better than Carly in any aspect. And you’ll strive to, but you’ll always fall back down again.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JiCVDaKun
“What are you now, some kind of guru or something?” Miranda asked as she turned to look at Bubbles.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHTcY5yh5J
Bubbles leaned her head back onto the wall. “No, I’m no guru,” she answered. “But I know a jealous person when I see one.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcFwboHuy1
“You’re just spitting nonsense.” Miranda looked into her locker, reconsidering if she needed to change out of her clothes. She couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Bubbles any more.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzLoGUwna8
“Don’t worry; if you think I’m going to say anything to anyone, I won’t,” said Bubbles, speaking as though she was trying to whisper. “You know me. I’ll probably forget all this tomorrow.” Bubbles ended up laughing.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChGmdSg9pM
Miranda rolled her eyes. But she knew what Bubbles said was true. The best time to tell her a secret was when she was heavily drunk. By the time she’s recovering from her hangover, she will barely remember anything. Even if she did sometimes, she wouldn’t blurt out anything to anyone.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YSnzmFZ61
“So, what do you plan to do with Carly now?” Bubbles asked, looking up at Miranda. “I know you. You’re probably going to do something stupid.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15SXV3tCzl
“Well, if I’m going to get rid of her, I have to be smart about it. I won’t tell you, though. I fear you might remember what I’ll say and spill the beans.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJNnB7QyHy
“Suit yourself,” said Bubbles. “But I fear you’re only going to get hurt. Just let it go and live your life without caring about what happens in the lives of others. You’ll be much at peace that way.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mSL5dBzMU
Miranda thought about what Bubbles said. She closed the locker and turned her body around to lean against the lockers. “The only time I’m ever going to be at peace is if Carly gets what she deserves.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3xSTOsfWV
“I sure hope you’re right about this. Don’t be surprised if you get hurt in the process.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1bVUOetBI
The door to the room flew open, and this time Candy entered the room along with Emma. When they saw Bubbles drunk on the bench, they rushed towards her.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50jR7Hb3eY
“How did you get this drunk?” Emma asked as she knelt beside Bubbles.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTm51ntPVU1
“Huh? What do you girls want from me?” Bubbles asked. “I just want to have a good time. You should too.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQK03Y6jfu
“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” said Emma. “You’re done for the night.” She turned around to notice Miranda still standing in front of her locker. “Have you been standing there the whole time, leaving Bubbles like this?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMBHv6oaRL
“She’s not my problem,” said Miranda. “You can take care of her. Besides, I need to get back to work.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS63iSA8Rgl
Miranda started to make her way to the door as Emma and Candy watched her go. Bubbles let out a laugh, finding all of this hysterical. Emma and Candy shook their heads as Miranda closed the door behind her.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TSQdlPqYb
“What the hell was that about?” Candy asked.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tt76MsRWA
“She’s been in a bad mood lately,” said Emma. She turned to look at Bubbles. “What the hell were you talking about in here?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijWCWyR7Ca
Bubbles giggled and put a finger to her lips. “Sssh, I’m not going to say anything,” she said. She laughed again, the alcohol messing with her head. “Just know she’s angry at someone.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfBUoD3YN2
Emma shook her head. “She always has to lay out her anger at everyone as though she’s more important. Come, Bubbles. Walters won’t like to see you like this. Let’s get you out of here.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdfp3DES0a
Emma and Candy stood on either side of Bubbles to lift her. The two women did so without any difficulty, for Bubbles wasn’t too heavy. They walked up to the door and Emma opened it. The sound of the loud music coming from the club rang into their ears. They entered the corridor. They started to make their way to the back exit door when one of the doors flew open. The three women stopped in their tracks, scared that it might be Walters, but they relaxed after seeing who it was.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsr6a8d36KW
“Oh, it’s you,” said Candy, sighing in relief. “You gave us quite a scare, Robin.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9luuki18YP
Robin carried a heavy crate of beer. “I came here to get these,” he said. He looked at Bubbles. “I see Bubbles is drunk again.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOa4n0x6ez1
“This time around, tell the servers at the bar not to serve her any drinks from now on,” said Emma.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFXPjOrK77
Robin gave a nod of his head. “Will do so. Do you need me to help with Bubbles?”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkSgjc01TE
“Nah, we got it all handled here,” said Candy. “You go back to work.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NcYbIFypa
Robin moved aside to make room for the women to pass. Bubbles was singing along to the song playing through the speakers. Robin watched as Candy and Emma dragged Bubbles to the exit. He turned back to the noisy area of the bar. When he made his way to the bar counter, he noticed Miranda approaching one of the tables of one of their loyal customers and taking a seat. The man offered her a drink, and she smiled, agreeing to the offer. He looked at her for a bit before looking away, making his way behind the bar with the drinks. There was too much to do today, and he had to focus on keeping the customers happy.
ns 15.158.61.19da2
