The doorbell at the front door rang, and Angel just happened to be passing by, making her way to the living room. It was a quiet Saturday morning. Everyone in the household was either fast asleep or silently in their rooms doing something. Angel happened to be up and about despite coming back so late last night.
She made her way to the door and asked who it was. What she got in response was an unexpected surprise.
“It’s Zac McAlister,” came the voice behind the door.
Angel opened it, and there in front of her stood Zac in a navy blue shirt and white cargo pants. His platinum blonde hair shone so brightly in the morning sun. With his perfect model-like face, Angel couldn’t resist looking at him.
“Zac, uh...” Angel was a little lost for words. His unexpected presence stunned her somehow. “Good morning. What brings you here so early?”
Zac gave her a smile, showing his dashing white teeth. “Good morning. I’m guessing Amanda didn’t tell you, then.”
“Tell me what?” Angel looked a little confused.
“Well, it’s about the bingo game that’s happening today.”
“Oh.” Angel’s eyes widened with shock. “No, she never told me anything. I thought she wasn’t going to attend.”
“Well, the old ladies agreed, and they said they needed a little help with organizing the event.” Zac’s dark eyebrows raised slightly as he spoke, making him look even more handsome. “My grandmother will be hosting it at our place again. It’s a grand occasion, so she needed help and asked me to do it.”
“Um, okay.” Angel felt all this was going too fast for her so early in the morning. “Does that mean I have to help out too?”
Zac nervously smiled. “I’m afraid so. Amanda said you would, and she would inform you about it. I guess she forgot.”
“It seems so. Moreover, yesterday was a busy night for me, and I got back home a little late. I found her already asleep.”
“You don’t have to bother. I can do it myself. It’s not the first time. I bet you also made plans for the weekend, and I wouldn’t like to intrude.”
“No, it’s okay. I might not have been informed about the game, but I’ll help out. I was just going to sit at home all day, anyway.”
“Great.” Zac looked relieved. “The event is supposed to take place this afternoon, which is why I came by early to pick you up and get things started on time.”
“Sure. Please, come in. Sorry for making you stand out here for so long.”
Angel stood aside as Zac made his way inside. She closed the door behind him.
“No worries,” he said. “You weren’t aware of the program, so I can understand why it took you by surprise.”
“Yeah, but I should be showing you some form of hospitality.” Angel led the way to the living room. “You can wait right here.” She turned to look at him. “Have you eaten?”
“Uh, no,” Zac replied. “I was actually thinking you and I could go to a café and have breakfast together. If that’s okay with you.”
Angel didn’t expect this, and she didn’t know how to respond. “Well, I guess it’s not such a bad idea. It will be nicer to be closer to town than to spend time here having breakfast. I’ll go get my bag real quick and be right with you.”
“Sure, I’ll wait here.”
Zac made himself comfortable on the couch, and Angel was about to make her way out of the living room when she saw Mrs. McDonell coming down the stairs in a white sleeping robe. She also wore matching white fluffy bed slippers on her feet, and she looked sleepy. She rubbed her eyes as she came down the stairs.
“Good morning,” greeted Angel.
“Morning,” Mrs. McDonell replied. “I heard the doorbell. Who was it?”
“It’s... uh, Zac McAlister,” said Angel, remembering his last name very quickly.
“Zac is here?” asked Mrs. McDonell as her eyes flew wide open in surprise. She quickly walked past Angel into the living room.
“Oh, how wonderful to see you, Zac,” said Mrs. McDonell so gleefully. Zac was already up from his seat to greet her. “Sit down, please. How is your father doing? I hear he travels a lot. I haven’t seen him in ages.”
“He came back a few days ago,” said Zac after he sat. “He’s well; thanks for asking. And how are you and everyone else?”
“We’re all fine,” Mrs. McDonell answered, smiling at him. “So what brings you here so early in the morning?”
“I came to pick Angel up. She’s helping me organize the bingo game taking place at our house today.”
“Another bingo game?” Mrs. McDonell didn’t look surprised. “I hear the last one was more of a party.”
“Grandmother has so many friends, and the simplest of gatherings turn out to be a huge event, if you know what I mean.” Zac smiled.
“Definitely. So what has your mother been up to lately?”
Angel didn’t waste any time as she made her way across the hall towards her room. Thank goodness, Mrs. McDonell had come over to talk with Zac. It would’ve been awkward leaving him all on his own.
She went to her room and got her white handbag and a white coat to go with her yellow floral strap dress that reached her knees. It might be summer, but the morning air was a little colder than usual. She wore white pumps after hurriedly looking through her closet. Before making her way out of the room, she looked herself in the dressing room mirror to check her hair. Zac appeared so casually but smartly dressed that he would put anyone to shame. She didn’t want to appear that way. After feeling like she looked nice enough, she started to make her way out of the room. When she made her way to the living room, she found Mrs. McDonell and Zac laughing. Zac noticed her presence and smiled at her.
“It was fun catching up with you, Mrs. McDonell,” said Zac as he stood. “But we should be leaving now.”
“It was nice seeing you after such a long time,” said Mrs. McDonell. “Regards to your parents.”
“You probably should come by the house in the afternoon. Mum will be happy to see you.”
“Thank you, Zac. I’ll see if I happen to come around with Amanda.”
“Ready to go?” Zac asked, turning to look at Angel.
“Yeah,” Angel replied, nodding her head.
Zac said his goodbyes to Mrs. McDonell. He and Angel made their way to the front door, and Mrs. McDonell stepped into the hall to watch them leave. Angel went ahead of Zac to open the door, but he insisted on doing it just when she reached for the doorknob.
He opened the door and stood aside for Angel to pass through. After the two stepped out, they walked side by side on the stone path, walking away from the house.
“You look pretty in that dress,” said Zac.
“Uh, thanks,” said Angel as she blushed. “I wanted to change out of it, but it looks like it was a good choice from the start.”
“It will get hot as the day goes on,” said Zac. “I think it’s okay.”
Angel didn’t know whether he was really complimenting her or if it was his way of flirting. She remembered the talk the old women had last Sunday about him and how much of a playboy he was. She didn’t seem that way to him, or was he just pretending?
When they reached the driveway, Zac pointed to the car in front of him. Angel was surprised to see a black Bugatti packed near the hedges of the driveway. Her mouth fell open upon seeing the vehicle in front of her, remembering that she last saw him in a Lamborghini. Just how rich was the guy? she thought to herself.
Angel followed Zac, who opened the passenger side of his car for her. Angel thanked him as she got in, and he closed the door. Angel looked around the luxurious car before Zac appeared at the driver’s side, opened the door, and got in. He started the car’s engine with a push of a button, and the engine smoothly roared to life. He turned to smile at Angel.
“Next up, breakfast,” he said.
***
The metal door creaked open, and Carlos walked into the dark room. He closed the door behind him. It only took a few seconds for the lights in the room to go on as he flipped the switch. He was standing in one of the rooms of the warehouse. Crate boxes stood neatly packed up in front of him. Business had to go on as usual, and the crates had to be delivered today.
He approached one of the boxes where a clipboard lay, and he went on to count the number of crates in the room. The person who counted before him recorded forty boxes. After counting them, Carlos found the exact number. The door to the room flew open, and Red Lion walked in.
“How are we doing?” Red Lion asked Carlos after closing the door behind him.
“Everything has been done accordingly,” Carlos replied. “Half of the shipment will be taken this morning and the other half later in the evening.”
“We should be weary of the routes the vans will be taking. We don’t want to easily run into the police.”
“Aye, aye, captain,” said Carlos. He later put the clipboard on top of one of the crates. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, everything is fine,” said Red Lion. “Why do you ask?”
“Judging by the look on your face, it looks like you argued with Matilda this morning.”
Red Lion rolled his eyes. “You have no idea. Ever since we came to New York, all she’s ever done is argue with me.”
“Can you blame her?” Carlos raised an eyebrow. “She’s just worried about you. It’s been a while since you were last here, and I did tell you that Hugo and I will handle the distribution in New York.”
“Yeah. But I’m here strictly for business, nothing else.”
“And you’ve been focused so far, like you’ve always done.”
Red Lion smiled. “Hanging out with Hugo is making you more sympathetic. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’m just looking out for you like you’ve done for me. Just in case anything happens, you know you can always count on me and Hugo.”
“Sure. Now…” Red Lion raised his wrist to look at his watch. “It’s about time these people came in to start loading these crates. Let’s see to it that they do.”
Red lion started to make his way to the door when it flew open and three men entered the room. They were supposed to bring the crates out and pack them in the trucks waiting in the loading bay outside. They greeted Red Lion as they passed and went to work. A fourth man entered the room. It was Hugo.
“I was looking for you,” said Hugo. “It’s Andre. He’ll be coming in from Mexico tonight.”
“Well, that’s good,” said Red Lion. “Did he inform you?”
“Yeah, he texted. He plans to meet with you soon.”
“Do you think he’ll visit Carly first?” Carlos asked.
“I guess so,” said Hugo. “But I’ve been monitoring Carly’s phone. He hasn’t contacted her yet.”
“I know we just made things difficult for Carly yesterday, but do you think she’ll choose Andre over her boyfriend?” Carlos asked.
“Who knows?” Red Lion asked. “Whatever decision she makes better be a good one. If she does decide to stay with her boyfriend despite Andre’s jealousy, then she better not mess things up.”
Red Lion started to make his way out of the room when Carlos asked him where he was going. Red Lion turned to look at his comrades.
“I haven’t had a peaceful morning; hence, I haven’t had a bite to eat,” he answered. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
With that, Red Lion walked out of the room and started to make his way down the quiet, gray hallway to the loading dock outside. The gates were wide open, and the cold morning air made its way inside. When he stepped out of the warehouse building, he took out his phone and looked through it. After doing a few things, he put the phone back in the pocket of his jacket and started to make his way to his car, parked a few meters away from the building.
***
Carly had been awake for quite a while, tossing and turning in her bed. Whatever happened last night kept playing in her head, and the thought of putting Leo and Angel in danger kept her anxious and worried. There are many ways in which things could go wrong, and it all came down to her decision: whether to date André or not.
She quickly sat up on her bed and checked the time on her phone, which lay beside her pillow. It was a quarter to eight. She arrived a little late last night, before Angel and the others got home. She had come straight to bed, but since then, she hadn’t slept at all as she kept contemplating her life if she made that one wrong move.
After deciding that she needed a break from her thoughts, she made her way to the shower, dressed up, did her bed, and decided to go downstairs for breakfast.
When she reached the dining room, she found Leo, Oliver, Amanda, and Eric having their breakfast.
“Morning, everyone,” said Carly.
Everyone else greeted her back. She made her way to the chair next to Leo and sat. Leo looked at her and smiled. Carly did her best to smile back. She could feel her heart aching a little. The thought of breaking up with Leo was getting too much to bear.
“Has anyone seen Angel today?” Eric, who sat opposite Leo and Carly, asked. “Could she still be asleep?”
“No, she’s not around,” said Amanda, who sat beside him.
“What? Where did she go so early in the morning?” Eric asked.
Carly and Leo also didn’t take the news lightly. It was strange for Angel to leave without saying a word to anyone.
“There’s going to be a bingo game at the McAlister’s this afternoon,” said Amanda. She put her cup of coffee slowly and carefully back on the table. “I was invited, and Mrs. Harris insisted that Angel help Zac with the arrangements.”
“How come we didn’t know about this?” Leo asked.
“You missed church; that’s why,” said Amanda sternly. “And I was supposed to inform Angel later on in the week, but I kept on forgetting. I heard Zac come by the house to pick her up. She must have found it all a surprise, but decided to go.”
“Oh, Zac was here?” Eric asked, not sounding too happy about it.
“Yes,” Amanda answered, not paying Eric too much attention. “And Bertha couldn’t help but mention that he came in his Bugatti too.”
Leo rolled his eyes, and Carly noticed. It sent her laughing.
“And what’s wrong with you?” Carly asked.
“You don’t want to know,” Leo answered.
“I’ll answer that,” said Oliver. “Leo and Eric find Zac irritating. The guy owns so many cars that he happens to drive a different one every day. They think he does that just to show off.”
“You should see his grandmother,” said Amanda. “She’s worse than he is.”
“Wow, they sound like a mega-rich family,” said Carly, raising her eyebrows.
“I would really like for someone to escort me to the bingo game,” said Amanda. “Apart from going with Bertha, I would really like it if you could come with me.”
“Oh, I would love to,” said Carly.
“I’m coming too,” said Eric. “I was there last time, and they held the event like it was a party.”
Carly and Leo knew better. He only wanted to go and check up on Angel.
“The more, the merrier,” said Amanda. “We do need more young people to help out with the elderly. How about you, Leo? Do you want to come?”
“I’ll think about it,” said Leo. “I still feel a little tired from last night’s game.”
“If you change your mind, you know what to do.”
“Can I come too?” Oliver asked.
“That’s if you promise to help and not hide in the corner drinking out of juice boxes like last time,” said Eric.
Carly laughed as Eric went on to explain what happened. Oliver agreed that he would be sure to help this time around. Amanda told Eric that he was being too hard on his brother and that he should enjoy the event. Eric wasn’t having any of it, and Leo also chipped in.
While Leo and Eric talked, Carly went on to eat her breakfast. The sudden thought of what she had to do came back to her. Though she ate, a sickening feeling welled up in the pit of her stomach. What was she to do? Should she really end things with Leo just to keep him safe? Not to mention that she had everyone else to think about.
Leo stood up from the table as he finished his breakfast. “If you need me, I’ll be upstairs,” he said.
“You go, dear,” said Amanda. “Maybe you can join us when you’re rested.”
Leo went up to his room, and Carly watched him go. When he walked out of view, her heart couldn’t help but ache a little. How would she feel if she did let Leo walk out of her life? It would be tough, she said to herself. One thing is sure now: She didn’t want to lose Leo. Not like this.
“So, Carly,” Amanda called out to her. “What do you think I should wear for this bingo game? The last time I went there, I felt a little underdressed.”
“Now you’re just exaggerating,” said Eric. “Don’t listen to her, Carly. We’ll be casually dressed.”
“Oh, before we head there, we can give Angel a call and ask what the guests who arrive early will be wearing.”
“That’s brilliant,” said Amanda, smiling at Carly. “I knew you were going to be helpful. You, on the other hand, Eric, are such a bum.”
“Me?” Eric was shocked at the statement.
Oliver and Carly laughed. For now, Carly put the tough decision she had to make out of her mind, as she had to focus on the task ahead. But sooner or later, she’ll have to come back to it, unless it comes to mind on its own.
***
Zac had taken Angel to a lovely café downtown. It wasn’t too fancy, like the one Angel went to last time when she was meeting with Kim. It was like any other normal café, with its coffee-brown tables and chairs and the sweet, strong smell of coffee filling the air.
Both Angel and Zac had ordered pancakes and coffee. They had just finished their breakfast when Zac decided to go pay for the bill.
“Thanks for the breakfast, Zac,” said Angel. “I feel stuffed.”
Zac laughed. “You’re welcome,” he said. He turned to look at the counter behind him when the phone that lay beside his empty plate on the table rang. He looked at the phone and didn’t pick it up. Angel raised her eyebrow as she looked at his phone, then at him.
“Are you going to get it?” she asked.
“Yeah, I probably should,” he said. He picked up his phone. Angel noticed that he didn’t look too happy about picking up the call.
He slid the call button and placed the phone in his ear. “Hello?” he answered.
What came next wasn’t what Angel was expecting. A woman’s voice came out loudly from Zac’s phone. It didn’t take her long to realize that Zac was talking to his girlfriend.
“Good morning to you too,” Zac answered in a sarcastic tone. “Can you at least not talk so loud early this morning?”
“How can I when I know you didn’t pick up any of my calls yesterday?” his girlfriend asked. Angel felt like she shouldn’t be listening to the conversation. Unfortunately, she happened to be there.
“I told you, I was busy. I’m with someone right now, and you’re talking really loud.”
“If it’s one of those girls you plan to take back to your apartment, then over my dead body. She should know that I’m your girlfriend, and I’m going to ruin her if I find you with her.”
“Great.” Zac rubbed his forehead. “I seriously can’t talk to you like this. I’ll call you later.”
“Don’t you dare hang up on me, Zac!” his girlfriend threatened. “Or else you will...”
Angel didn’t get to hear the rest of her threat as Zac cut the call. He dropped his phone onto the table and sighed heavily.
“I’m sorry you had to hear that,” he said, looking at Angel.
“Oh, don’t apologize,” said Angel, shaking her head. “You must be going through a tough time with her.”
“You have no idea. I swear, she’s going to give me a heart attack.”
“I know this is none of my business, but why is she upset? Did you do something wrong?”
“No. She’s just paranoid, that’s all.”
Zac went on to explain to Angel that he had been busy for the past month. He was working on real estate with his mother, and there was a lot to do. He had been dating his girlfriend, Felicity, for two months now. His personal work required that he go out of the country sometimes, so that meant spending less time with her. Not to mention, he also had his father’s affairs to take care of from time to time. He did his best to hang out with Felicity, but it seems even that wasn’t working out for them.
“That’s sad to hear,” said Angel. “You two haven’t been dating long, and she should be a little understanding. I’m starting to imagine how it would’ve been if you’d been dating for so long.”
“She would be throwing things at me, that’s for sure,” said Zac as he shook his head. “What do you think I should do?”
Angel didn’t expect Zac to ask her for advice. She wasn’t a love guru or anything, but she could tell Zac’s relationship with Felicity must be affecting him a lot.
“You really like her, don’t you?” Angel asked, smiling at Zac genuinely.
“Well, I do,” said Zac, sounding almost hesitant. “I feel like when I’m with her, we really connect. I’m not so sure if that’s the right way to put it.”
Angel chuckled. “I think it is.” She paused before asking, “Why don’t you invite her over for the bingo game?”
“Why? So that she could pour wine all over my head?” Zac asked with an eyebrow raised.
“No. The two of you need to talk this out. By the look of things, it seems you haven’t had a lot of that lately. Am I wrong?”
Zac leaned back in his chair and contemplated. “Uh,” he said, realizing something. “You’re right, we haven’t had a one-on-one talk in a while. Moreover, I’m so busy that we don’t talk so much over the phone. You’re right. I’ll text her to come over.”
“Good,” said Angel, beaming as Zac picked up the phone to text Felicity. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect you to be such a thoughtful guy.”
“Let me guess,” said Zac as he looked up from his phone, mid-way through typing his message, “the old ladies that day must have said I’m more of a playboy, right?”
“Yeah,” said Angel, feeling a little guilty for admitting it.
“They aren’t wrong there,” he said after putting his phone down. “I was like that, or at least I’m trying not to be. That’s why I want this thing I have with Felicity to work out. I really like her.”
“Well, if you feel that way, then it’s worth it, right?”
“You can say that. If it doesn’t, I might as well date you, right? My grandmother really likes you.”
“Huh?” Angel blushed and felt confused as Zac stood up from his seat. Zac smiled at her.
“I’m joking,” he said as he laughed. “But, seriously, if things don’t work out, I might give you a call. For advice on how to deal with a heartbreak, I mean.”
Before leaving for the counter, Zac winked at her. As Angel watched him go, she couldn’t tell if he really was joking. She gave herself a mental note not to take her guard down around him. Who knows what he might be plotting?
Angel pulled out her phone from her bag to check for any messages when someone happened to walk by the café outside. She didn’t notice them through the huge glass window to her side. She and Zac had been sitting in the middle of the café. There weren’t many people that morning, so it was a little quiet.
Red Lion stopped in front of the café door. He wasn’t the kind to stop by a café. Usually, he goes to the nearest diner to have his breakfast. However, today, he felt the need to go to a café for no apparent reason. It just came to him naturally, and it’s been a while since he last went to one.
He entered the café. Before he approached the counter in front of him, he looked around. When he looked to his left at the tables and chairs in the dining area, he noticed a young woman with black and red hair. It took him a minute to realize that it was Angel Barclay. What a funny coincidence that she’s here, he thought to himself.
Zac had finished paying off his and Angel’s breakfast and was about to make his way back to the table when he noticed an African American man in a black jacket looking over at the dining section. When he followed the stranger’s eyes, Zac realized that the man was looking at Angel, who was staring at her phone, oblivious that she had eyes on her.
“Excuse me,” said Zac as he approached the stranger. The man turned to look at him. “Is there a problem?”
“Does it look like there’s a problem?” Red Lion asked, looking at Zac.
“You were staring at my friend over there,” he said, looking over at Angel. “Do you know her?”
“Oh, no.” Red Lion shook his head. “She’s your friend?”
“Yes, she is.” Zac’s jaw grew tense. There was something about the stranger that Zac didn’t like. He also couldn’t help but feel he was getting a dangerous vibe from this stranger.
“She’s very pretty. Are you sure that the two of you are only friends?”
Zac didn’t like where the stranger was getting at, and he came a little closer to make a stand. “I don’t like your tone,” he said.
Red Lion smirked. “Sure, you don’t. Why don’t you go back to your friend, and I’ll be minding my business over here?”
Zac’s eyes never left Red Lion’s, and the two men stared at each other. The woman at the counter thought they might get into a fight. However, Zac backed away from Red Lion a few steps before turning to head back to the table. Red Lion smiled. He was fired up for a fight there, and he thought Zac would come swinging at him first. He’s smart for a kid, Red Lion thought to himself. He looked at Angel, who hadn’t seen the encounter, as her eyes were glued to the phone.
Angel looked up at Zac and noticed the expression he had on his face as he came closer to the table.
“Hey, are you okay?” Angel asked, looking worried.
“Nothing; I’m good,” said Zac, trying to smile.
“No, you aren’t fine. What happened? You took longer at the counter than usual.”
“Uh…” Zac rubbed the back of his neck. “There was this strange man standing by the counter, and he was looking at you all funny.”
Angel looked behind Zac at the counter, then back at him. “Whoever you are talking about must have left,” she said. “There’s no one there.”
Zac turned around. For sure, the stranger was gone.
“I must have scared him off,” said Zac as he turned back to look at Angel with an embarrassed smile.
Angel raised her eyebrow. “Something tells me he seemed pretty tough,” she said. “Anyway, we better get going, shall we?”
“That’s supposed to be my line.” Zac playfully pouted his lip. “You’re right. Let’s get the stuff we need and head to my house for preparations.”
Angel laughed at his playfulness as she stood up from her seat and prepared herself to leave. The two walked out of the café, with Zac opening the door for her. As they walked to his car parked outside the café, he talked to her about the places they would be going to get some of the items for the bingo game.
Across the street stood Red Lion, and Zac didn’t notice him there as he and Angel entered his Bugatti. Red Lion continued to look at them, and as he watched the Bugatti drive off down the street, a smile came upon his face.
***
Zac and Angel spent three hours downtown. They first had to go to the craft store to buy a number of bingo cards and markers. It was surprising how many of these items they had to buy. Zac explained that probably many people were going to attend. They never really had a guest list for how many people were invited. They might have more people like last time, Zac told her. It was better to get enough than be embarrassed when the cards couldn’t cater for anyone.
They bought as many cards and markers as possible. The store manager wasn’t too surprised, since it’s the same place Zac had come to when they hosted the first bingo game on such a large scale. The young teenager working at the game store for the first time was surprised to see them buy so many bingo cards and markers. He almost passed out when Zac mentioned the number of items he was buying.
They also went ahead to a store where they sold sporting goods. There, they happened to borrow a round bingo ball cage used to put in the bingo balls. They borrowed the balls as well. Afterwards, Angel turned to look at Zac in the car, as they were now heading out.
“Is that all we’re getting?” Angel asked.
“Yeah,” Zac answered. “My grandmother and my mum are taking care of the preparations at the house. We might help out a little, but they already have things under control, I bet.”
Angel gave a nod of her head. “Alright,” she said. “If we’re done here, then we better be going to your house then.”
They left the city and started to make their way upstate to where Zac lived. Angel noticed that the neighborhood had luxury condominiums and mansions with large plots of land. With what Angel was seeing, she wondered if Zac lived in similar houses as she looked out of the window. Soon enough, the car made a turn towards a huge black gate. A white wall fence surrounded the premises, with security wires perched on top of the walls. At the gate was a security camera and an automatic operating system that took a finger print scan. Zac placed his finger on the scanner, and the huge doors slowly flew wide open. What Angel saw in front of her left her amazed.
At a distance stood a white mansion, bigger than the McDonell’s, sitting atop a hill. The drive through to the house had trees lined up on either side of the road, and the grounds were well maintained, lush, and fully green. Angel thought she saw a flower garden in the distance, but she couldn’t be too sure.
The gate closed behind them as the car drove into the premises. As they slowly approached the house, Angel couldn’t help but notice a few people moving about. Most of them were dressed in white shirts and black trousers for men and black skirts for women. She noticed some on the lawns near the house, with white garden tables and chairs all around. Some were handling some garden lighting.
“Will we be holding the bingo game outside?” Angel asked as she looked at the busy men and women at work.
“No,” said Zac. “We fear that if we do, the wind can easily blow away the papers, and we wouldn’t like that. We have a ballroom for that. Here we are. Welcome to my home, Angel.”
Angel wasn’t fully paying attention, but when she turned her head to look in front of her, they came into view of a roundabout in front of the mansion, with a huge fountain of a white dolphin in the middle. She couldn’t help but admire how magnificent it looked. Later on, she wondered why they put up a statue of a dolphin. That’s a question for another day, she told herself.
The front of the house was bustling with people, and there were three loading trucks in front of them. One of the trucks was from a catering company. Cooks dressed in their white and black attire with half aprons and hairnets came out with serving dishes. She wondered what the other vans were for.
“Well, this must be some bingo party,” Angel said, turning to look at Zac with a surprised look.
“Trust me, my grandmother and my mother always like to take it a little too far,” said Zac. “It’s just a bingo game.”
“This looks more like an afternoon party, if you ask me.”
Zac looked at her with a surprised look on his face. “That’s what my dad said. Trust me, he’s not as excited about this as I am.”
“Well, the women want to make a big event out of it, and the way I see it, there’s no stopping them.”
“Yeah.” Zac looked ahead at the busy van. “Let’s get going inside.”
Angel got out of the car and looked at the beautiful mansion in front of her. Wide stone steps lead to the front door. She stood as she looked around, and for a moment, she almost felt intimidated being there.
Zac opened the door to the passenger side to remove things from the car when she saw Angel staring at the house.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, looking concerned.
“Oh, I’m good,” answered Angel. “It’s really a big place.”
“Yeah, you’ll be surprised. Let’s get these things inside, and I’ll show you around.”
Angel carried the bingo balls and markers, while Zac carried the bingo cage and the bingo cards. As they made their way to the front door, some of the workers passing by took the items off their hands and brought them inside. Angel looked a little surprised, and she followed Zac inside the house.
Angel stepped into the large foyer of the house, and the high ceiling with a beautiful glass chandelier caught her eye. The white walls matched the white tiled floor. Beautiful paintings draped the walls of the foyer, and for a moment, Angel thought she might have entered a castle. Up ahead were glass doors that led to the back of the house. The room was bustling with workers organizing the place. A flight of stairs stood to one side at the far end, and before reaching the stairs, to the left was a big room where most of the workers were coming in and out. A few were coming from the back.
As Zac led her into the wide foyer, standing to what felt like the center was a woman in a silk tiger print robe in a black vest, black loose slacks, and white house slippers, ordering the workers where to go. She had red hair tied in a messy bun. It didn’t take Angel time to realize who she was when she turned to see Zac.
“Zac, you’re back,” said the woman with a smile. “That was quick.”
“Oh, it wasn’t much of a task, mum,” said Zac. He soon turned his attention to Angel. “Mum, this is Angel Barclay.”
“Oh, it’s finally nice to meet you, Angel,” greeted Mrs. McAlister. “My mother couldn’t stop talking about you when she came back from church that Sunday. She wasn’t lying when she said you’re very beautiful. And my goodness, your hair gives you such a unique look; has anyone ever told you that?”
“Oh,” said Angel, too fluttered for words. “It’s nice to meet you too. I honestly don’t have any words to say over that.”
“Don’t be shy, dear. You’re extremely beautiful, and you should be proud of it. I see why my grandmother won’t mind if you date Zac. I feel you’re a wonderful person.”
“She is,” said Zac, “and I don’t think she’ll be dating a guy like me anytime soon.”
“Oh, stop joking around.” Mrs. McAlister gave Zac a look. “I wish I could show you around the place, Angel, but I’ll let Zac do the honor. Please feel at home.”
“Thank you so much, Mrs. McAlister,” said Angel.
“Please, call me Darlene.” Mrs. McAlister smiled at Angel before turning her eyes to what was coming in at the front door. She excused herself and quickly left.
“She seems nice,” said Angel.
“I’m just surprised she gave you permission to call her by name,” said Zac. “She’s picky on that. So… I suggest we pass through the kitchen to grab a snack first before looking around. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” said Angel.
“I must warn you,” he said as he led the way to the kitchen on the opposite wing of the house. They first passed through the luxurious living room, where they found people cleaning and arranging the plush leather chairs. “The kitchen is extremely huge, and that surprises most people. It’s almost like a chef’s kitchen, but three times bigger.”
Angel told herself that she shouldn’t be. She wondered what else was in store for her while exploring the McAlister mansion.
ns 15.158.61.23da2
