The peach-colored drapes, along with white and gold, suited the event. Above the tent, they strung brightly colored bulbs with party strands of peach, white, and gold hanging all around. White cloths covered the tables, and on each table stood a lovely flower arrangement of peach and white flowers with a gold ribbon tied around the vase. Balloons of white, peach, and gold hang all around the place, and a few others hang loosely around for the children to play with. Those invited to the party suited the color theme. Most of them, especially the women, wore white, peach, or gold dresses. The men either wore all white or with a beige or pink-colored jacket and matching white or beige pants. All this made the whole event look amazing and was captivating to the human eye. For the birthday boy, he never expected such a surprise, and his eyes filled with wonder like that of a little kid. However, out of everything all around him, the woman standing in front of him had him fixated, like there was nothing else worth looking at.
Angel wore a peach off-shouldered, hi-low hem flared dress. The higher hem of her dress reached her knees, revealing her stunning legs, and she wore white high heels. Beautiful, glittering white and peach-colored roses decorated the bodice above her bust line. The same color of flowers decorated the lower end of the hem, and the skirt of her dress glittered under the lights. She wore a Victorian pearl choker and wore matching white rose studs on her ears. Not to mention that she tied up her black and red hair in a ponytail that fell in curls, a few strands of her curly hair falling at the sides of her face. A few pearls were pinned onto her hair, making her look wonderful.
Leo was still lost for words as he continued to look at her, and Eric, right beside him, had complimented her. There was no denying that Angel looked amazing. Angel continued to look at Leo, who continued to stand there, stunned.
“Aren’t you going to say anything, Leo?” Diana asked as she gently nudged Leo’s shoulder. “Angel just wished you a happy birthday.”
Leo swallowed, and he felt his throat run dry. He cleared his throat. “Huh, thanks, Angel,” he managed to say. “You look amazing, by the way.”
Those who stood close by looked at Leo, surprised to hear him compliment Angel. Mrs. McDonell looked at her son and realized there was a look in his eyes that she had never seen before. She turned to look at Angel and then back at her son with questions starting to arise. Diana and Amanda silently squealed, Amanda holding on to Diana’s hand. No one paid any attention to them. Eric, with a smile on his face, turned to look at Leo and nudged him.
“Ooh, Leo,” said Eric, teasing him. “Did you just say Angel looks amazing?”
“Well, yeah,” said Leo, realizing what he had done. He started to blush. “It’s not a lie, is it?”
“No, Leo,” said Amanda. “You’re absolutely right. Look at Angel. Your compliment just made her blush.”
Angel, who continued to stand there, shook her head quickly. “No, I’m not,” she said.
There was simply no denying that she was, for when she blushed, she looked even prettier. She cupped her cheeks with her hands, feeling a little embarrassed. She quickly dropped them, realizing that she was only giving herself away.
“Well, Leo is here, and we better go and attend to the guests,” said Mrs. McDonell as she came over to Leo’s side. “Let’s go; everyone is waiting for you.”
Mrs. McDonell wrapped her hand around Leo’s elbow and started to lead him to the tent. As Leo bypassed Angel, he couldn’t help but give her a sideways glance before he was soon greeted by his father and a few of his colleagues from work.
Diana pushed Amanda’s chair to join the others in the tent. Mandy went on to serve, while Oliver, after spotting a few of his friends inside the tent, ran to join them. Angel turned around to do the same when she felt Eric grab her by the hand. She turned back to look at him.
“Wait a minute,” he said as he looked at her.
“Is there anything wrong?” Angel asked.
“Um…, nothing.” Eric shrugged his shoulders. “I just wanted to look at you. You look amazing.”
“Eric, you already complimented me.” Angel raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”
“No, no. I mean, you’re probably the most beautiful woman tonight, and I fear men will be swarming all over you. I mean, even Leo complimented you. That was shocking.”
Angel chuckled. “It surprised me too. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I know how to handle myself. Now, come with me.” Angel wrapped her arm around Eric’s elbow. “You don’t want to miss out on the party.”
Angel and Eric made their way inside the tent together with Leo now the center of attention. Everyone was coming over to him to wish him a happy birthday. His grandmother’s friends, his mother’s friends, and his father’s friends came to either hug him or shake his hand. Despite all the happy cheers and smiles, Leo almost found all of this overwhelming. These are too many people for a birthday party, he thought. Well, his family hasn’t had such a party like this in years, so Leo just had to deal with it. Besides, when the party’s over, he will have plenty of time to himself.
After greeting a few of his grandmother’s friends, he saw Kim, who had been sitting on one of the tables, stand up and approach him. She wore a white dress, a high-hemmed, flared dress with a pink waistband tied in a bow. She wore stunning white heels with pink polka dots on them.
“Hey, Leo,” said Kim as she stood in front of him. “Happy birthday.”
Before Leo could respond, Kim got closer and hugged him. For a moment, Leo continued to stand there. He didn’t try to hug her back; he just stood there. After Kim pulled away, she smiled at him, but Leo remained as stoic as ever. Mrs. McDonell, who had been talking to a few friends, saw what happened, and a smile came across her face. Amanda, who sat a few tables back, felt she was going to throw a fork at Kim, but her closest friends sitting beside her cooled her down when they noticed the murderous look on her face.
“Trina couldn’t make it, but she wishes you a happy birthday too,” said Kim.
“Thank you, Kim,” he said. He was just about to turn away when Kim gently placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.
“Before you leave, I was thinking that maybe we can talk for a bit,” she said.
“I still have some more guests to attend to,” said Leo. “We’ll talk later.”
Kim gently squeezed his arm. “Please, it won’t take long.”
Leo didn’t like this at all. Why is she even here? he asked himself. He already knew the answer to that. With people around, he couldn’t brush her off like he always had. It would look rude on his part. What a bad time for this to happen, he thought to himself. He rolled his eyes. There’s simply nothing that could save him now.
“Okay, fine,” he said. “But let’s be quick about—”
Leo felt someone closing in beside him, and the sweet smell of strawberry and cream filled his nostrils. That’s odd, he thought. The only person who carried around such a scent is-
Before Leo could turn to the newcomer standing beside him, he felt a gentle hand wrap around his hand, and her voice felt like the only sound he could hear in the room.
“Leo, let’s go,” said Angel. “The photographer wants you by the birthday tapestry to take some pictures.”
“Huh?” Leo got lost for a moment as he turned to find Angel beside him. She was smiling at him, and that got him blushing again. He didn’t expect her to be so close to him that he could smell the strawberry and cream from her hair.
“We’ve got to get some photos,” said Angel. “I told him it was better to do that towards the end of the party, but he insisted on doing so now. You know how it gets when everyone wants to take a photo.”
Leo snapped out of his head as he realized that this was his escape route. He gave a nod of his head. “Sure, we better go, then,” he said. He turned to look at Kim. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Kim looked a little disappointed but tried to hide it with a smile. She gave a nod, and when Angel took Leo by the hand and walked away with him, Kim couldn’t help but feel a little bit of resentment.
Leo couldn’t wrap his head around what was going on as Angel led him to the other side of the tent. Her hand still held his, leading him where they had to go. Leo couldn’t help but watch Angel walk in front of him, and the way the skirt of her dress moved with its glittering shine almost put him in a trance. When they reached the tapestry where there were a few people taking pictures in front of the “Happy Birthday, Leo” banner, Leo snapped out of his trance.
“Good,” said Angel as she looked behind Leo. “You can chill around here for now.”
“Wait, I don’t need to have my picture taken, do I?” Leo asked.
“Yes, and no,” Angel answered nervously. “It’s your grandmother. I saw a dark cloud over her head, and when I saw what she was looking at, I knew I had to step in. Besides, you needed the help yourself. You didn’t look too comfortable standing there with Kim.”
“Thanks. I tried to turn her down, but she wouldn’t budge. I’m glad you intervened.”
“Okay, let’s try to make you look occupied.” Angel went over to the photographer and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. “I believe the man of the hour would like to get his picture taken.”
The photographer was pleased to have Leo come over. After taking pictures of those already standing by the tapestry, he would allow Leo to step in. Angel went over to stand next to Leo as they waited. Those having their picture taken were some of their colleagues from work.
“I hate having my picture taken,” said Leo as he watched his colleagues make funny faces.
“Really?” Angel asked with an eyebrow raised. “Your IG account says otherwise.”
Leo looked at Angel, surprised. “You’ve been looking through my account?”
“Well, yeah. I have seen your pictures.” Angel smiled at him. “If you weren’t a businessman, you would’ve been a fashion model. Or an actor.”
“I hate acting.”
“Typical of you to say that.”
Leo raised an eyebrow. “Is that obvious?”
Angel shrugged her shoulders. “Kind of. You’re a pretty serious guy, so acting isn’t for you.”
“And what of modeling?”
“If that’s what you’re aiming for as a hobby, then you can do it well. It’s not a big deal if you don’t have to model in a runway show. Plus, you have the looks for it. Many agencies would want to sign you in a heartbeat.”
“Are you simply telling me that I’m handsome?” Leo smirked.
“Uh…” Before Angel could respond, she stopped herself. I’ve just dug myself into a hole, haven’t I? she asked herself. “I guess so.”
Leo chuckled. “If I am to be a model, you should too.”
“Nah, I don’t think I have the looks. I only look this good because of makeup. I’m not as photogenic as you are.”
“We’re yet to find that out, aren’t we?” Leo asked as he noticed the people taking photos move aside. The cameraman motioned to Leo to step forward to have his photo taken.
Leo stepped in front of the white tapestry with the words written in gold letters with balloons and confetti everywhere. Leo took his spot, and he posed in front of the camera first with his hands in his pockets and staring intently at the camera. His colleagues couldn’t help but stay back and watch. Angel stood next to the cameraman as she watched Leo pause for the camera. The way he looked at the camera made her blush all of a sudden.
“Leo is such a stud, isn’t he?” Sabrina asked as she came over to stand next to Angel. “He looks gorgeous. You go, boss!” Sabrina cheered.
“Hush, what’s your problem?” Angel asked as she laughed at Sabrina’s cheers.
“It’s a party, Angel. Leo can scold me if he wants to back at work.”
As Leo continued to have his pictures taken, his colleagues couldn’t help but cheer him on as he posed. At first, Leo looked serious, but soon that tough exterior broke into a smile as his colleagues continued to cheer him on. Angel couldn’t help but smile seeing just how much fun Leo was having.
A few tables back, Amanda couldn’t help but look afar at the photoshoot. If Angel hadn’t dragged him away from that witch, he wouldn’t be smiling like he is right now, she thought to herself. Soon a hand waved in front of her face. Mrs. Wilkinson (June) waved her hand in front of Amanda’s face to bring her back to reality.
“Can you stop looking over your grandson and focus on having a good time with us?” June asked. “You don’t have to worry about him. Angel is there.”
“I know,” said Amanda. “God bless her soul. She at least made him happy. Kim was going to ruin everything.”
“You, my friend,” said Mrs. Bolivar, “are worrying over nothing. The man knows how to handle himself. And we can always count on Angel to save the day.” She looked behind her and called to one of the servers walking about with glasses of champagne. “You should enjoy yourself. Here, have a drink.”
The server served the women their glasses of champagne, and they gave themselves a toast to a good time.
Eric soon came over by the birthday tapestry to see the spectacle that was going on. He saw Angel standing next to the photographer along with Sabrina and went over to join her.
“I’m guessing that you’re the one behind all this,” said Eric.
“Maybe,” said Angel. “I had to get him away from Kim. I didn’t expect to make a spectacle.”
“I think that’s enough, thanks,” said Leo to the photographer. “You probably should’ve taken a hundred photos by now.”
“Not that much,” said the photographer. “I wanted you to take photos with this young lady here.” The photographer gestured at Angel.
“Me?” Angel couldn’t believe her ears.
“Yeah, is that a problem?” the photographer asked.
“There’s no problem here, sir,” said Sabrina as she held Angel’s shoulders and pushed her forward. “Go on, now.”
It was too late for Angel to do anything as Sabrina pushed her towards Leo. For a moment, Angel almost lost her footing, but she managed to balance herself just in time. She looked behind her at Sabrina and threw her a look. Sabrina really knew how to push her buttons.
Angel turned to look at Leo, and for a moment, the two of them looked at each other. They had no idea how to pose for the photo.
“How would you want to pose?” Angel asked.
“I don’t know; I thought you might have an idea,” said Leo.
“This is so embarrassing. Um…, let’s just stand close to each other, then.”
Leo agreed, and the two of them stood side by side and smiled at the camera. Soon after the photographer took the first shot, Angel posed with one hand on her hip, giving out a sassy look. Leo, who stood next to her, looked surprised. He didn’t expect her to make such a pose. Angel looked at him.
“What?” she asked.
Leo almost laughed out loud but covered his mouth with his hand. “Nothing,” he said.
“Yeah, continue making those funny poses,” said the photographer as he took another shot.
Leo and Angel continued to take pictures, making funny faces and some nice, cool poses. Those who looked on couldn’t help but cheer them on, including Eric. Amanda, who continued to watch at a distance, was oblivious to the story Mrs. Harris was saying as she looked on at the photoshoot going on. Mrs. McDonell was still attending to some of the guests when she also noticed the commotion going on at the tapestry. When she looked, she couldn’t help but notice the smile on Leo’s face as he took pictures with Angel. She turned her head and noticed Kim, who stood at a distance with a glass of champagne in her hands, looking over at the photoshoot. Mrs. McDonell started to make her way towards her.
“Kim?” Mrs. McDonell called out to her. Kim turned at the sound of Mrs. McDonell and tried to put a smile on her face.
“What is it?” Kim asked.
“I didn’t expect Leo to be over there with Angel taking pictures,” said Mrs. McDonell. “I left the two of you talking.”
“Well, the photographer wanted to take pictures of Leo first,” said Kim as her eyes fixed on Leo again. “That’s what Angel said.”
“They should be getting pictures after the party. I know people would want their pictures taken by then, but I feel all the guests are here and the party should begin.”
Mrs. McDonell started to make her way to the tapestry, and Kim watched on, taking a sip of her champagne. As she continued to look at Angel and Leo, she couldn’t help but feel Angel only took Leo away from her on purpose. Kim raised an eyebrow. But for what exactly?
“I think we’re done here,” said Angel. “We’ve taken enough pictures.”
“Wait,” said Sabrina, holding up her hand to stop Angel from leaving Leo’s side. “There’s one more photo the two of you haven’t taken yet.”
“Which one?” Leo asked.
“Where the two of you are really close,” said Sabrina, bringing her open palms together. “You know, like Leo putting his hand on her back and Angel getting in a little close. That kind of pose.”
Angel and Leo looked at Sabrina, wide-eyed. Eric raised an eyebrow at her instead.
“That’s exactly what I was going to say,” said the photographer. He went into looking through his lens. “Come on, you two. Get a little closer.”
Angel looked at Leo, her cheeks starting to blush. This is not what she wanted. What would people think if they see her and Leo that close? Leo also blushed, and he looked the other way, clearing his throat.
“No, I think we’re done here,” said Leo.
“It will only take a second,” said the photographer. “Just come a little closer.”
Mrs. McDonell was a few feet away from reaching the photographer to tell him to stop with the photoshoot when Diana suddenly came in front of her, blocking her path. Mrs. McDonell scowled.
“Can you move out of the way, Diana?” Mrs. McDonell insisted.
“I just wanted to tell you that Fred has changed his mind and wants to be the MC for the night,” said Diana.
“What?” Mrs. McDonell looked shocked. “I thought Eric was to take up that role.”
“Well, you better talk to Fred yourself. He’s the one holding the mic, and he’ll be making an announcement for the party to begin.”
“This is silly.” Mrs. McDonell now looked irritated. “I’ll talk to him. You go stop that photoshoot and tell Eric to get ready.”
Diana gave a nod that she’ll do so. When Mrs. McDonell left in search of her husband, Diana turned around and headed to the tapestry and watched on for a moment as the photographer insisted that Angel and Leo take one last photo together.
“Come on, you two,” Sabrina insisted. “It will all be over quickly.” Their colleagues who watched on urged them to take the photo. Their chants were slowly getting louder.
Leo sighed as he closed his eyes. “Fine. Let’s get this over with quickly.”
Without thinking twice about it, Leo wrapped his arm around Angel’s waist, bringing her closer towards him. Angel found herself leaning against him. She looked at him, surprised that he had overcome such pressure and agreed to take the photo. Leo looked at her, and for a moment, he paused.
Everything around him stood still as his eyes took in the beauty of Angel’s face. The last time the two of them ever stood this close was in his room when they were trying to hide from his mother. Now, they were out in the open, and for once, Leo didn’t care who was watching them. The pearls in Angel’s hair stood out, adding to her already glowing face. Her eyes looked at him with such surprise and intrigue. Leo’s hand on Angel’s lower back gently pushed her against him, bringing her chest ever closer to his. His heart raced as he continued to look down at her, feeling his body get excited at having her so close. What’s happening to me? he wondered.
Angel blushed as her heart started to pound when she felt Leo’s hand pressed on her back, pushing her against him even more. What’s going on here? she asked herself. This was a bad idea.
“Perfect,” said the photographer after taking his shot. “That’s just the kind of pose I was looking for.”
Leo came back down to reality at the sound of the photographer’s voice and turned to look at the camera. Angel also did the same. The photographer took another shot of them. Afterwards, Leo let go of Angel, and she couldn’t help but feel more relieved.
“That was lovely,” said the photographer. “You two look great together. Are you dating?”
“No,” Angel and Leo answered at the same time. The two of them couldn’t help but blush and, at the same time, give annoyed looks at the photographer.
“Okay, I was just asking,” he said, defending himself with a shy smile. “Maybe you would want to think about it.”
“We will see about that,” said Diana, appearing on the scene as if she hadn’t been watching the whole time. “Okay, people, the show is over. The party will begin soon, and we’ll take pics later.”
Angel, who was glad to get away from Leo, charged towards Sabrina, who couldn’t help but giggle. Angel dragged Sabrina away from the scene.
“You and I are going to have a little talk,” said Angel as the two of them walked away.
“Talk about what?” Sabrina asked. “I for one thought the two of you looked great.”
“But that isn’t right, and you know it.”
“Well, what has happened has happened.” Sabrina stood at a halt, with Angel doing the same. “Relax, will you? It’s not like the two of you are going to be a couple. That’s if you’re feeling something for him.”
“No, I’m not.” Angel was doing her very best not to blush.
“See! You’re overreacting. Escort me to my table, will you? But to tell you the truth, I thought you two made a lovely couple.”
Angel rolled her eyes. “I’ve had enough,” she said as she started to walk away. “You’ll find your way to your table.”
Meanwhile, back at the tapestry, those who had gathered about to watch the photoshoot had walked away. Leo went over to Eric, who hadn’t moved from his spot. For once, Leo didn’t know how to explain himself to Eric, feeling embarrassed.
“I’m sorry that things went out of hand, Eric,” said Leo.
“What do you have to be sorry for?” Eric asked with an eyebrow raised. “Your pose with Angel?”
“Well, yeah. Aren’t you mad that I had to hold Angel like that?” Leo asked, looking a bit confused.
“Well, yeah. I won’t lie, I’m a little jealous that the two of you took cool pictures without me.”
Leo became even more confused. “Wait a minute… you aren’t mad that I held Angel like that? I thought you liked her. If I were you, I would be mad if another man held her like that and not me.”
“Those are just pictures, and you were under the influence of our colleagues, who would’ve called you a coward for a long time to come. I am envious that you got to hold her like that instead of me, but no hard feelings. Another time, I suppose.”
“Eric,” came Diana, behind him. “We better start with the party. Your aunt will kill me once she finds out what I’ve done.”
“What did you do?” Eric asked, turning to look at his mother.
“Just go, please.” Diana insisted. “Leo, come. Let me escort you to your table.”
Diana wrapped her arm around Leo’s elbow, and the two of them walked over to the table up front. Eric watched as they went, and before he could think of anything else, he looked around the nearby tables for the microphone. As soon as he found it, he started to make his way to the front of the tent to the dance floor, which looked more like a center stage.
Leo and Diana settled on one of the front tables. Mr. and Mrs. McDonell were to sit with them along with Amanda. However, Amanda earlier refused, saying she would want to sit with her friends. Diana looked for her brother and sister-in-law and spotted them a few tables back. They were talking, and judging by the looks on their faces, Diana could tell they looked confused. The two of them started to make their way to their table, and Diana prayed that whatever excuse she was about to tell Bertha wouldn’t blow up in her face.
Leo, who sat next to his aunt, turned to look to his right and found Angel sitting on the table next to his. She sat alongside Mrs. Lance and her husband. On her other side was Mrs. McAlister, who continued to talk to Angel with an excited look on her face. Zac sat next to his mother, and judging by the direction of his eyes, Leo could tell Zac’s focus was on Angel. Angel, who continued to listen to Mrs. McAlister, was oblivious to Zac looking at her. Leo frowned at what he was seeing and drew his eyes away. But no sooner did he do that than his eyes drew back to look at Angel, who was laughing along with everyone seated at that table.
Kim, who sat a few tables back, had had her eyes on Leo from the time he left the photoshoot with Diana and settled at his table. Following his eyes, Kim knew Leo was looking at Angel seated at the other table. It was already painful enough that she saw the two of them having fun together. Thoughts started running around her head. Is it that Angel and Leo are secretly dating each other? What if I’m just overthinking things, and they are nothing more than friends? No, the way he looks at her is something I’ve never seen before when he looks at any other woman, she thought. What could be going on?
Eric’s loud voice coming through the speakers interrupted Kim’s thoughts as he told those who were still up and about to settle down in their seats. Mr. and Mrs. McDonell soon arrived at their table and sat down. Mrs. McDonell turned to face Diana.
“Diana, I thought you told me that Fred wanted to be MC,” said Mrs. McDonell.
“I must have misheard wrong when Oliver was telling me,” said Diana. “It’s been a pretty hectic day. I bet he was just blabbering about or trying to prank someone since it’s Leo’s birthday, after all.”
“Well, now that Eric is up there, I’m not worried,” said Mrs. McDonell, slowly relaxing herself.
“Could you imagine if I were the host?” Mr. McDonell asked. “I would actually bore the whole crowd.”
“Yeah, you definitely will,” said Leo.
“Okay, now everyone’s settled,” said Eric through the mic, and after the DJ turned the music down. “We can begin Leo’s birthday celebration. First of all, on behalf of the McDonell family, we would like to thank all of you for coming. We haven’t had a birthday celebration for Leo like this in a long time. And I mean a very, very long time, so… this means a lot to us that you could come here and celebrate with us. Leo has always been a big baby about how to celebrate his birthdays, but you can’t deny that it’s good to have a big celebration once in a while, right?” The people in attendance mumbled in agreement. “So, Leo, you’re a long way overdue, but it’s better late than never. Without further ado, I would like Mrs. McDonell to come up front and say a few words before we dig in to the lovely food. Please, don’t cry, Aunt. No one wants to see you all emotional.”
Mrs. McDonell threw Eric a look as she stood up from her seat. She went over to him to grab the mic. She started off by saying thank you to everyone and also then sent a heartwarming message to Leo. She almost got teary-eyed, but she controlled herself well. Though there was no denying that if she didn’t end her speech soon, she would bring down a waterfall of tears. As she ended her speech, she announced that the buffet was open for everyone to get his or her food, not forgetting to enjoy himself or herself.
In an orderly fashion, servers directed people from each table to the buffet on the other side of the tent. There were lovely dishes of food to choose from. Not forgetting that at the end of the table were beautiful desserts of all kinds, which amused the children most of all, since they could have all the sugar they wanted without much supervision from their parents.
After everyone was at their table, having their meal, there was a soft chatter going all around the tent, as it seemed everyone was engaged in some conversation. Others laughed merrily. Women, especially at Amanda’s table, giggled every now and then. Everyone was having a good time. Even Leo, who had Eric sitting beside him at the table, was enjoying himself too as Diana told them a funny story about what had happened to her at her massage parlor. Apparently, she had an angry customer who wasn’t happy with the services being provided. As time went on, it turned out that the customer was the one with the problem.
Leo had just finished his meal, listening on to the story when he found himself drawing his eyes over to the next table. Angel still sat in between Mrs. Lance and Mrs. McAlister. She was slowly chewing on her food, as she had her eyes on Zac, who was talking about God knows what. Leo continued to gaze at Angel as she held her fork and knife to cut herself a piece of steak. Just as she was about to put the piece of meat in her mouth, it accidentally fell back onto her plate. Angel even had her mouth open to receive it. She was oblivious to the meat falling back onto her plate, so when she put the fork in her mouth, she was surprised to realize that there was no meat. She quickly looked down at her plate, seeing the piece of meat there. She scowled, her eyebrows furrowing, and her lips pressed tightly together. Leo started to laugh but stopped himself. Her expression was hilarious, and he couldn’t help it. He covered his mouth. Those at his table thought he was having a hiccup.
“Leo, are you okay?” Mrs. McDonell asked.
“No, I’m fine,” he said, removing his hand from his mouth and turning to look at his aunt. “Please, Aunt, continue.”
Leo had a huge smile on his face, still trying his best not to laugh at what he had just seen. Diana continued her story when Leo slowly looked up towards Angel’s table and found Angel looking at him. She was directing her scowl at him now. This meant one thing. She knew Leo was silently laughing at her. Angel had seen him just in time from across the table looking at her when she had noticed her piece of steak had fallen back on the plate. After the two of them had locked eyes with each other, Angel continued to scowl, and Leo’s smile grew even wider. Despite Angel looking at him like that, Leo couldn’t help but feel all of this was hilarious. If he were alone at the table, he would’ve gladly laughed. He then looked up at the ceiling and went back to looking at Angel. This time, she looked relaxed, picked up the piece of steak on her plate with her fork, and held it up. She looked up at Leo with a smile, and as though cheering to her stake, she lifted her fork up a little higher and later put the piece in her mouth. Angel chewed on a piece with a smile, hence ending their little silent moment.
After the meal, Eric went back on as the host, announcing that there was going to be a game. Everyone couldn’t help but wonder what it could be until the servers came towards the dance floor with white garden chairs, arranging them in a circle. Musical chairs. Leo raised his eyebrow. There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to participate.
“Yes, folks, it is indeed musical chairs,” said Eric through the mic. “I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I know it’s a game only meant for kids, but who says adults can’t play, huh?” A few murmurs and cheers came from the people. “Trust me, I didn’t want to play this game, but let’s not forget that we haven’t had a big birthday party for Leo in a while, so I thought it will be nice for us to reminiscence over the good old times. As usual, Leo, you’re playing. Come over here, please.” Leo rolled his eyes at Eric as he stood up from his seat. “Any adult who would want to come and play too, please step forward. Let me make this clear, first. No kids are allowed, and to their elderly, I suggest you sit where you are. Young adults are most eligible, including our notorious teens. Ah, I see Sabrina making her way over. Way to go, Sabrina!”
Sabrina was making her way to the front when she stopped at Angel’s table and urged Angel to follow. At first, Angel refused, but Eric probed her over the mic.
“How could I have forgotten about the most beautiful woman in here tonight?” Eric wondered as he looked at Angel. “Come on, Angel. Get up here. This is going to be fun.”
“Fine,” said Angel as she stood. “If I’m going, Zac, you’re coming with me.”
“What?” Zac looked up at Angel, surprised. His mother probed him to go on ahead. He couldn’t argue with her, so he stood as well and joined Angel and Sabrina, walking to the dance floor.
Apparently, a few of the people from work came up to play. A few of Leo and Eric’s younger cousins also came to join. They were starting with eighteen chairs, and they were a little above twenty. It would be easy to eliminate a few people in the first round. Eric, as the host, reminded them of the rules of the game and told them to take their positions, surrounding the chairs. No was to hold any of the chairs, and as soon as the music stopped, they had to sit as quickly as possible.
“Okay, is everyone ready?” Eric asked.
Those playing the game responded with enthusiasm. Eric signaled to the DJ to play the song and to stop as he pleased. As soon as the song started, those surrounding the chairs started to walk around the chairs in one direction. They had to be alert to the music, and for the first round, the DJ made the song play a little longer. As soon as he hit the pause button, there was pandemonium where those playing the game had to be quick to get to the nearest chair. With all the chairs occupied, those who remained standing were eliminated. Those watching on couldn’t help but laugh and cheer at the whole thing.
“Wow, I’m surprised Leo still has it in him,” said Eric as he looked at Leo who managed to find himself a seat.
Leo frowned at him, a sign telling Eric that after the party he will be dealt with. As soon as everyone stood up from his or her seat, Eric removed one chair from the circle, and the DJ continued to play the song. This time around, he made the song play a little shorter, catching those playing off guard. Only those who were fast to react found themselves seated on a chair. A cousin from the McDonell was the one eliminated this time around.
The game went on, and a few of Leo’s colleagues dropped out like flies, and a few more of his cousins. Soon enough, the people who remained were Leo, whom everyone was surprised had managed to still stay in the game; Sabrina, who was actually very fast with her reaction time; and Zac, who by luck had managed to make it this far. Angel also happened to be among them.
“Wow, we’re down to four people,” said Eric. “Okay, but seriously everyone, who would’ve thought that Leo was going to make it this far? Show of hands, anyone?”
Many people in response to the question raised their hands. Leo wasn’t the least bit surprised. He might not look like the competitive type, but he wasn’t going to back out from this competition. It was his birthday after all. He had to show just what he was made of.
“Honestly, I’m surprised that you’ve made it this far too,” said Angel, who sat right next to him.
“Didn’t think I was competitive?” Leo asked.
“I know some men like games. But who knew you excelled in musical chairs?”
Zac, who sat on Leo’s other side, laughed. “If you ask me, I’m surprised I even got this far,” he said.
“Yeah, you should’ve been kicked out with that last one,” said Leo.
“We’re heading towards the finale, guys,” said Sabrina as the music started to play. “We better get ready.”
The four of them all stood, and Eric went over to remove one chair. Who was the next person to be eliminated? The game was fun and laughable at first. However, as soon as the numbers dwindled, it slowly became competitive with each chair that was removed. The four of them went around the chairs, carefully listening to the music and making sure they could get a chance to sit on a chair.
“Who do you think is going to win?” Diana asked Mrs. McDonell.
“Leo, of course,” said Mrs. McDonell.
“Please, you’re only saying that because he’s your son. I’m impressed, though. I didn’t expect Leo to reach this far. I wish I had joined the game.”
“You were going to be eliminated in the first round. This game is for young people who are quick on their feet. Though, I won’t deny that Sabrina is witty.”
“That’s how she is,” said Mr. McDonell. “You should see when it comes to work, though.”
“Angel has also surprised me that she’s reached this far,” said Mrs. McDonell as she watched the game in front of her. “She seems quick on her feet too.”
“I know. I can’t ignore the fact that she looks stunning tonight, though,” said Diana.
“Courtesy of a dress you chose for her.”
“Yeah, I do have good taste. Moreover, it suits her perfectly.”
The DJ stopped the music, and there was a scuffle over who would sit on the available chairs. As soon as it ended, only one person remained standing.
“Dang it,” said Zac, as he dropped his shoulders. “Well, it was fun while it lasted.”
“Better luck next time,” said Angel, smiling up at him.
“Okay, and then there were three,” said Eric. Zac went back to sit at the table. “It’s getting even more exciting towards the end.”
“If I win,” said Sabrina, “you two are going to treat me to dinner.”
“Not a chance,” said Leo. “Because I am going to win this.”
“I’m not going through with this bet, Sabrina,” said Angel, raising an eyebrow at Sabrina. “I’m still mad at you.”
“Fine,” said Sabrina. “If I win, will you not be mad at me?”
“I’m not betting with you, Sabrina,” said Angel, warningly.
The DJ played the song again, and the three of them stood. Eric, likewise, removed a chair. Two left. They started to move about. Now that there were three, they looked on seriously at the chairs available and at each other. Even those who were watching watched in anticipation. A few people stood to record the scenario on their phones. The DJ played the song a little longer, making the whole ordeal even more competitive.
All of a sudden, the music stopped, and the scuffle for the chairs began. Leo was lucky enough to find himself seated. That left the other chair. When Leo looked to see who sat behind him, it was Angel, and Sabrina was surprisingly on her hands and knees on the ground. Angel apparently had a little more grit than many people had thought.
As soon as the music stopped, Angel knew she and Sabrina would end up fighting for the same chair. With Sabrina behind her and just about ready to take a seat, Angel pushed Sabrina aside with her backside with so much force. Sabrina didn’t see that coming and lost her balance, hence falling to the ground. It took Sabrina a second to realize what had just happened. She turned to look at Angel with a surprised look on her face.
“Wow, Angel,” said Sabrina, bringing out a laugh. “I didn’t know you had it in you to do that.”
Angel smirked. “Well, someone needed to get rid of you.”
“That was awesome,” said Eric as he came over to help Sabrina up. “You’re so bad-ass, Angel.”
“I was never good with musical chairs when I was young,” said Angel. “So I learned a thing or two just by watching on the sidelines.”
“So, I’m guessing we’re even then?” Sabrina asked.
“We will see about that.” Angel smiled. Sabrina smiled back as she stepped aside to see how the last round would play out.
“Okay, folks,” Eric addressed the crowd. “Now we’re down to two. The birthday boy himself and the lovely Angel Barclay. Let’s see who will win this game.”
“Are you ready?” Leo asked, smiling.
“We all know who’s going to win this one,” said Angel, raising an eyebrow.
“We’ll see.”
The two of them stood, and Eric removed the other chair. Now only one chair stood. The DJ started to play the music. Angel and Leo started to walk round the chair. At first, they looked at each other, then down at the chair. They knew a lot was at stake here, and Leo told himself that he couldn’t afford to be distracted by Angel right now. He looked down at the chair, telling himself to pay attention to the music. Positioning also mattered. If he stopped with his back to the chair, then he would win the game. However, if he were to find himself in the opposite side of the chair, then Angel would have a better advantage. Therefore, Leo prayed he would find himself in a much better position.
The music stopped, and everyone held their breaths as they watched Angel and Leo fight over the remaining chair. Leo found himself in a better position to take the seat, but Angel was quick enough to intercept him, and they pushed at each other, Angel with her backside and Leo with the side of his hip. He didn’t want to push her aside too roughly, but he was the stronger one, so he gently added a little more force. Soon enough, he found himself seated on the chair. He looked up at Angel, who looked at him with her mouth ajar. Leo won the game.
“And we have a winner, folks, the birthday boy himself,” said Eric as he walked up to Leo and held his shoulder. The people clapped and cheered for Leo.
“You got me good there,” said Angel. “It was fun, though. I really enjoyed the game.”
“We should be playing this game more often at parties,” said Leo.
“Ah, you’re finally getting into the party spirit,” said Eric, clearly mocking Leo. “Who knew this day would come?”
“Okay, enough, Mr. Wise-guy,” said Leo. He stood up from his seat. “You’ve mocked me enough for one day.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Eric. He turned to address the crowd. “Okay, everyone, we’ve all enjoyed ourselves with that lovely spectacle of a game, so now… we PARTY!”
A loud cheer came from the crowd as the DJ played a grooving pop song that got everyone up from their seats and to the dance floor. Leo found himself dancing along with his mother, while Eric happened to catch Angel off-guard by holding her hand and spinning her around. Almost everyone was on the dance floor, and only a few people, like Amanda and her friends, stayed in their seats and watched people as they danced about.
Kim also happened to be one of the few seated, looking on at the people having a good time. She saw Leo dancing with his mother. He really was having a good time; everyone was, except for her. Now she started to think that coming over to the party was a mistake. But she had to come. At first she wanted to because she thought she could try to get close to Leo and agree with him to be close friends. But after what she has seen so far, she now has another motive.
Leo acts differently when he’s around Angel, Kim thought. Could Angel be the woman Leo said he was in love with? No. She had gone down that route before, and the timeline just didn’t add up. What if he broke up with the woman and now he was starting to have feelings for her? Kim turned to look at Angel, who was laughing along with Eric as she danced with him. There was no denying that she’s beautiful. And probably the best-dressed woman in the party, Kim snorted. However, there was something going on between Angel and Leo, she thought. She would never know until she got to the bottom of this.
A little while later, with the DJ still entertaining the people with his good music, Diana approached Angel, who happened to be dancing around with Sabrina. She gently took Angel aside and whispered in her ear. Angel gave her a nod and started to make her way out of the tent towards the house. She entered through the back door of the kitchen, where she found the servers placing glasses of wine and champagne on serving trays to go out and serve to their guests. When she noticed the chef, she told him it was time to bring out the cake. He said he would bring it out as soon as possible. After leaving him a few set of instructions, Angel turned around to head back outside, when Mandy entered the kitchen. Upon seeing Angel, she called out to her.
“What is it, Mandy?” Angel asked.
“There’s a man at the door,” said Mandy. “I’m not sure if he had been invited to the party, but he asked to be let in.”
“Let me go see who it is,” said Angel.
Angel made her way out of the kitchen with Mandy following her. They made their way to the front of the house. As they approached the foyer, the front door stood open, and there stood a man in a black suit on the doorstep. Angel couldn’t see his face clearly as he was looking outside at the front lawn of the house.
As soon as Angel and Mandy approached the door, the man turned to face them. Angel’s eyes grew wide with surprise.
“Mr. Chang,” said Angel, greeting him with a smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here. As far as I know, you had gone back to China.”
“I just flew in this evening and thought of passing by,” said Mr. Chang. “I hear you’re having some sort of celebration?”
“Yes, it’s Leo’s birthday party. Please come in.”
“No, I’ll come another time. I simply didn’t want to intrude like this.”
“Don’t worry, you aren’t. Mr. McDonell will be happy to have you. Please, do come in.” Angel turned to face Mandy. “You can go and help bring out the cake. I’ll handle it from here.”
Mandy left the foyer as Mr. Chang stepped inside, looking around. Angel closed the door behind him.
“Well, this is a lovely house,” said Mr. Chang. “Are you sure that I’m not intruding?”
“Not at all,” said Angel. “You brought yourself here, and it will be rude to turn you away.”
“How kind of you, Angel,” said Mr. Chang. “I feel honored. And may I say you look lovely tonight.”
“Thank you. Please, follow me.”
Angel started to lead the way out of the foyer, and the smile that Mr. Chang had on his face turned into a smirk as he followed Angel.
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