Halloween finally arrived, and the McDonell household was frantic when they woke up that morning. Oliver, being the only child in the house, couldn’t help his excitement despite it being a school day. Classes will end early, though. Even if he won’t be out trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, he would enjoy himself at the party. His happiness and excitement were so contagious that all the adults that woke up that morning got the infection when they got to the dining table. Despite the preparations for the Halloween party during the weekend, they all couldn’t wait for the evening.
Mr. McDonell, as always, drove off to work early on his own. After dropping off Oliver and Carly, it was Eric, Angel, and Leo now heading for work. The three of them couldn’t help but express how excited they were about the party.
“I swear, Oliver must have infected us with his happy flu,” said Angel. Afterwards, she yawned. It’s no surprise that on Mondays she would still wake up tired. However, today was different. It’s Halloween. Who wouldn’t be excited?
“You should see him on Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Eric as he was on the wheel today. “He can be so annoying, so be prepared.”
“Well, it’s good to have a child in the house,” said Leo. “You tend to feel the excitement and look forward to the day ahead. As annoying as it is, you just fall right into it.”
“I can only wonder how the workplace is going to be today,” said Angel. “Something tells me a lot of us will be running around like children.”
As Angel predicted, when the three of them stepped into the offices, most of their colleagues were up and about, looking all giddy and excited like children. Some colleagues walked around in pointy black witch’s hats, carrying bowls of candy and giving out candy to everyone. Despite the party, everyone was still to be dressed formally until the evening. Those wearing the hats for the time being did so with permission. Others huddled up in groups talking amongst themselves, especially in the corridors and the pool office. Halloween decorations had been set, giving the place a full-on Halloween vibe. As Eric, Angel, and Leo stood in the pool office looking around, they weren’t at all surprised at the pandemonium.
“I think I’ll be the one being serious today and get some work done,” said Angel as she turned to Eric and Leo.
“With you sitting in this pool office, I doubt it,” said Leo. “At least I know I won’t be disturbed by all these shenanigans.”
“Oh, you’ll see,” said Eric as he gave Leo a wicked smile.
Angel went over to her cubicle while Leo and Eric went down the hall together towards their offices. Angel found Halloween pumpkins, black bats, and ghost stickers lined on the walls of her cubicle. Also on her desk were some sweets. She found a white box at the center of her desk with a pumpkin-shaped sticky note on it. Angel took the note, and on it were the words “Happy Halloween.” When she checked the bottom of the note, a small smile played across her face. Derrick sent them. She placed the sticky note aside and got the box. She opened it, and inside were freshly baked cupcakes with Halloween stickers of monsters on each of them. Angel made a note to pass by his office to thank him later.
As Angel switched on her desktop to look through her agenda for the day, the pool office around her was slowly starting to fill up as some of her colleagues arrived. Others from other departments passed by to greet their fellows. Some stuck around to chat as they had their morning coffee. The place was buzzing about, and Angel only looked up to greet her colleagues and then went back to focusing on the screen. Sabrina magically appeared beside Angel at some point, wearing the black pointy hat. After saying her greetings and expressing how disappointed she was that Angel didn't get a costume, Sabrina went back to her cubicle. It wasn’t long till Angel heard Sabrina leaving, running over to a colleague to catch up with them over their weekend. It took some time for the pool office to settle as some people sat in their cubicles to try to get some work done.
It was close to ten when Angel opened up the box of cupcakes and took one. She had to admit, they were good, and she wondered if her cupcakes were any better. She replayed her weekend as she ate her cupcake and realized that she hadn’t had the time to do the things she wanted to do. She stopped chewing on her cupcake for a second as a random thought soon came to mind. Red Lion.
She remembered what happened on Saturday and how Carly had left the Home Depot store to meet with this Alex. Angel was curious as to who this Red Lion that Carly mentioned was. Is it a man or a woman? Why hide their name with such an alias? Angel looked at her desktop screen. Maybe she could find this person on the internet.
After finishing her cupcake, Angel quickly began using her mouse and keyboard to open her browser and search for the name. Her Google search came up with hotels and restaurants with the same name. She knew she had to be a lot more specific. She did just that and checked the social media. There were a few people calling themselves the Red Lion, and when she checked their accounts, they didn’t strike her as someone who would associate with Carly to get her mad like she did that Saturday. Despite that, Angel realized she still couldn’t figure out what she was actually for. Was she looking for someone who posed a threat? That left her wondering a bit, and she sighed. She really didn’t know what she was looking for. Without knowing it, Angel took another cupcake. While the wheels in her mind continued to spin, she took a bite out of her cupcake.
Then her mind clicked. If Carly was involved with Andre—a drug lord—could it be that this Red Lion might be in the same line of business? Angel knew she might be wrong here, but it was really worth the shot.
She went back on her Google search and typed the name again in relation to any drug lords or criminal gangs. A few articles popped up, and she read one that talked about the mysterious drug lord with the name whom, till this very day, law enforcement has not been able to identify. Other drug lords and criminals in the past who have worked with him never revealed his identity. He kept his identity sacred, one of the criminals had once said to an investigator. It only took a few more dealings with him to show his face. Even those in his close circle kept themselves in the dark, making their lackeys visible to do their dirty work for them. For some reason, the criminals had the upmost respect and some sort of loyalty towards Red Lion that they never dared to reveal his identity. Though many claimed that they never dealt with him directly, so there was nothing to say.
Angel raised an eyebrow. Could this be the Red Lion Carly mentioned on Saturday? As she continued to read on more articles of the mysterious Red Lion, she realized that he wasn’t one to be dealt with lightly. He was quite dangerous and has been a pain for law enforcement for years. For some reason, every time they thought they had him and his crew, they always found a way to slip through their fingers. Angel gulped uncomfortably as she swallowed her cupcake. She really did hope that Carly and this Red Lion weren’t involved with each other. If so, then it meant Carly wouldn’t be the only one getting in trouble if she ever messed up. It meant Leo, Eric, and the rest of the McDonells were a target as well. Including Angel, herself.
“Hello, earth to Angel. Can you hear me?”
Angel jerked with a start and turned to see Derrick standing in front of her. She had been so focused on the article that she probably didn’t hear him the first time. Her eyes were wide with surprise, and she even stopped chewing on her cupcake. Derrick couldn’t help but chuckle at how she looked.
“You look like a chipmunk,” he said, as he couldn’t keep the comment to himself. “A cute one, as a matter of fact.”
“Oh.” Angel looked downwards in embarrassment as she quickly swallowed. She looked up at him, her cheeks already red-hot. “I didn’t see you there. Did I zone out?”
“Yeah, you did. You look so focused. Do you have a lot of work to do?”
“I was just reading something that caught my interest,” said Angel as she quickly looked at her screen and then back at Derrick. The last thing she needed was for him to ask what she was reading.
“I see.” He paused for a bit as he looked at her, leaning against the cubicle with his elbows on top of the wall panel and his hands in front of him. “Are you ready for tonight?”
Angel put up a straight smile. “I am,” she answered. “It’s just that so many people are already disappointed that I’m not going to be in costume, so… Anyway, I shouldn’t really let that bother me. I already have enough on my plate.”
“I met Sabrina, and she’s furious with me for not convincing you to get one.”
“You aren’t the only one who has tried and failed.” Angel said with a smirk on her face. “My sister has been on my neck the whole week. Eric tried as well, but I’m still stuck on my decision.”
“You really are a tough nut to crack. So, I take it that your sister will be at the party?”
“Yeah, she will be here.”
“Can’t wait to meet her.”
“Careful. She’s more good-looking than me. I’m afraid all the men here will be swooned by her looks.”
Derrick leaned in closer as he talked in a whisper, “That will be a good thing. That means no one will focus on the queen apart from me.”
Angel knew Derrick meant her, and now she wished she had kept quiet over her sister’s looks. She quickly looked away, her face heating up. Derrick couldn’t help but widen his smile even more. He looked down at Angel’s desk and noticed the open box of cupcakes in front of her.
“I see you’re enjoying the cupcakes,” said Derrick as he looked up at Angel. “They are good, yes?”
“Yeah, they are great,” said Angel, her face heating up like an oven. She felt if Derrick didn’t leave her alone soon, she was going to blow up. “I forgot. I wanted to come over to your office and thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I bet your cupcakes taste better than these ones. Can’t wait to taste them tonight.”
“Yeah, they will be good. Not as good as these ones, but good all the same.”
“Okay. Will see you later, then.”
Angel smiled at him. “See you later. Thanks again for the cupcakes.”
“You’re welcome.” Derrick straightened himself up. He winked at her before he turned down the aisle and walked away.
Angel couldn’t help but watch him go, her face still red-hot with the way he spoke and winked at her. Thank goodness, he was gone, she said to herself as she took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She went back to looking at her screen, and for a moment, she forgot that she was looking into a notorious criminal. She told herself to lay it off for now as she minimized her web browser to get back to work.
Down across the hall stood Leo with a document in his hand that he had just received from a colleague who had walked past him a few minutes ago. From where he stood, Angel and many others in the pool office couldn’t see him. At first, he was thinking of passing through the pool office, as he had an agenda with the finance manager, but the sight of Derrick at Angel’s cubicle had stopped him. He had watched Derrick and Angel’s conversation the entire time, and he couldn’t help but notice how Angel blushed so often. As much as seeing Angel with Derrick annoyed him a little, he wondered why he continued to watch on. At some point, he hadn’t realized how tightly he held the papers in his hands. He soon told himself he needed to be somewhere. Before he could bring himself to move forward, he stopped himself and decided to use another route to the Finance department. For some reason, he didn’t feel like passing through the pool office.
Leo turned around, and he surprisingly found himself face-to-face with Sabrina. She had been leaning against the wall, and she seemed to have been watching him for a while.
“Hi, Sabrina,” Leo said, maintaining his composure.
“Hi,” Sabrina greeted him. “May I ask why you’ve been standing there?”
“Nothing. Was just trying to gather my thoughts.” Leo looked up at the hat on Sabrina’s head. “I see you’re in the mood for the party.”
“Of course.” Sabrina briefly looked up at her hat. “I feel tonight will be fun; don’t you think?”
“Yeah, it will. Will see you later, then.”
Sabrina wanted to ask something, but Leo was quick to bypass her and walk out of sight. A sinister smile played across her face as she stood where Leo had been a few seconds ago. She noticed Angel looking straight at her screen, seated in her cubicle and eating a cupcake. Tonight was going to be fun indeed, Sabrina thought to herself.
When the clock ticked 5 A.M. to mark the end of the workday, all the employees in the McDonell offices grew excited. The Halloween party was to begin two hours later. Those who had their costumes already with them could help clear the pool office to create space for the party. The place was big enough to push aside some of the cubicles. For others, they had to leave the office to go home to bring their families or friends over to the party.
Setting up the place didn’t take too long. Bill had come along with Oliver and Diana to bring up the food and the cake, even food from Mrs. Lance’s house. Those who were present when the food was brought in were excited to see the cake, and they couldn’t help but comment on how Angel had done well in decorating it to suit the Halloween spirit.
Carly had taken a cab to come by the offices, and Angel had gone downstairs to receive her. Along with her books in her bag, Carly had managed to pack up her costume. Her broom was in the office, as Eric had packed it in the car that morning. He brought it up as he went to change into his costume after working on the final preparations.
Angel and Carly walked through the front doors of the office. Angel took Carly around, and along the way Angel introduced Carly to her colleagues. Many of her colleagues, especially the men, couldn’t help but comment on how pretty Carly looked. Carly in return thanked them as she blushed.
Just as Angel had finished showing Carly around, they were in the pool office making their way to the ladies’ room when Derrick appeared already dressed in his costume for the night. As he had told Angel last week, he was to dress up in a superhero costume. He dressed up as Batman, and Angel couldn’t help but feel the costume made him look buff in the arms and shoulders.
“Is this who I think it is?” Derrick asked as he approached the two sisters.
“Yes, this is my sister, Carly,” said Angel. “Carly, this is Derrick.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Carly as she smiled at Derrick.
“The pleasure is mine,” said Derrick as he smiled back. “Angel wasn’t lying when she said you’re pretty. To put it bluntly, you sisters are really good-looking.”
“Thank you. Though, I feel Angel is prettier than me.”
“Mm. That I agree with you one hundred percent.” Derrick threw Angel a smirk. “It was nice meeting you, Carly. I’m glad you came for the party.”
“Same here. Thanks.”
“Angel, I’ll see you later,” said Derrick, and he bypassed the sisters.
Carly couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Derrick walking away behind her. She looked back at her sister biting her lower lip, and her eyes were wide with envy.
“Oh my gosh, Angel,” said Carly as she whispered. “I never knew that Derrick was such a hottie. I see why Eric doesn’t like him. He might just steal you for himself. I know he’s wearing a costume and all, but I can tell he has a body.”
Angel snapped her fingers in front of her sister. “Focus,” she said. “The last thing you need is for Leo to know that you’re drooling for someone else.”
“Well, lucky for Leo, I’m already his.”
Angel smiled as she rolled her eyes. She and Carly went on to the ladies’ room to change. They found other women in there, dressing up and applying makeup. Sabrina happened to be there and was just as excited to meet Carly as the other women were. Angel, who carried casual clothes to change into, started to do so as Sabrina and Carly talked and laughed.
After changing, Angel left the ladies’ room and went to the pool office. She looked at the clock on the wall. Only thirty minutes for the party to begin. Slowly, but surely, the place started to fill up as her other colleagues started to come in, most of them in costumes, with their family and friends. Oliver ran past Angel dressed in a brown teddy bear costume, with two other children running with him. How easy it is for him to make friends, Angel thought as she watched him run down the hall. She called out to him and the other children, telling them to be careful. As soon as she turned around, she found herself bumping into someone.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” said Angel, as she backed away a little. Who she saw standing in front of her shocked her a little.
“Are you okay?” Leo asked. “I hope you aren’t hurt or anything.”
“No, I’m good.” Angel couldn’t help but smile at him. “That Harry Potter outfit is just awesome.”
“Thanks,” said Leo as he looked down at himself. He also wore fake glasses to look the part. “I thought everyone would be laughing, but it seems everyone likes it.”
“Oh, I know of one person who would.” Angel was thinking of Sabrina. “Carly is already in. She’s in the bathroom.”
“Okay. Um, I know you aren’t in costume or anything, but you look great,” said Leo as he looked at Angel.
Angel wore a long-sleeved, white button-down shirt with black jeans. Her white shirt had imprints of orange and black Halloween pumpkins, witches on broomsticks, and black bats. She wore black boots and wore an orange bracelet on her right wrist. The white studs on her ears were of the white ghosts. She might not have dressed up in a costume, but her outfit showed that she was really into the Halloween spirit.
“Thanks,” said Angel as she blushed. “I much prefer dressing up like this than in a Halloween costume.”
“You look great. If Eric sees you, no doubt he’s going to drool.”
“Well, I hope not. This is just simple clothing.” Angel looked around. “Is your dad here yet with your mum? The party will start soon.”
“I bet they should be here by now. My mother isn’t a fan of Halloween, as you already know, so I’m guessing Dad is having a hard time trying to force her into the car.”
Angel chuckled. “That does sound like it. Let’s hope they will be here. I’ll be at the reception with Mrs. Lance to receive everyone.”
“Wait,” said Leo as he stopped Angel from leaving by raising his hand.
Angel could only wonder what he could be up to as he started to look around one of the small tables they had set up around the place. He approached one of the tables where he found a few of the black pointy hats and took one. He came to Angel and held up the hat.
“You should wear this,” he said. “I think it will look good with what you’re wearing.”
“Really?” Angel asked as he looked at Leo.
“Yeah, trust me.” He went on ahead to put the hat on Angel’s head.
Angel looked at Leo as he did so, and for a moment, she couldn’t help but realize how handsome he looked with glasses on. She blushed at the thought of it and looked downwards. What the heck is wrong with me? She asked herself.
Leo backed away from Angel a little after making her wear the hat. She might not be in a witch’s costume, but the hat on her head added on to her look. Now she looks like a pretty, badass witch, he thought to himself.
“There,” said Leo as he smiled. “You look even better.”
“You’re sure?” Angel asked as she held the brim of the hat.
Leo gave a nod of his head, and that gave Angel all the assurance she needed. She smiled shyly as the two of them looked at each other. Until…
“Oooh! What’s going on here?” Sabrina asked as she appeared behind Angel with Carly following behind her. Sabrina was dressed in a short green dress with lovely green leaves and flowers around her dress and on her arms and shoulders. She had a flower wreath above around her head, and she wore glittering green eye shadow over her eyes. She was simply dressed up as the Lady of the Forest, and it suited her.
“Nothing,” Angel answered as she looked at Sabrina. “Leo thought I would look better in a hat. Do I?”
“I didn’t see what you were wearing when you left the ladies’ room, but damn, girl,” said Sabrina, as she looked Angel up and down. “You look awesome. The hat is a lovely touch. I take back what I said about you not wearing a costume. If I had known you were going to look this good, I wouldn’t have said a word.”
“Angel always dresses up in casual clothes representing Halloween,” said Carly as she looked at her sister. “She never misses the chance to look good.”
Angel looked at her sister, and she couldn’t help but feel there was something off with the way she spoke. It was almost as if she was upset about something.
“Now I will admit that Leo does have a taste for fashion after adding the hat,” said Sabrina as she turned to look at Leo. “I was going to laugh at you because of the Harry Potter costume, but it suits you, Leo. Did you pick out the costume yourself?”
“No,” Leo answered. “It was Angel who picked it for me.”
“Oh?” Sabrina raised an eyebrow in a curious fashion as she looked at Angel, then at Leo. “Giving each other fashion tips, I see. Sweet.”
Angel knew where Sabrina was going with this by the look in her eyes. Now was her time to bounce.
“I’ll go meet Mrs. Lance,” said Angel. “I’ll see you later.”
Angel walked away, bypassing Leo. She was unaware that she was slowly drawing attention from her other colleagues in the room, who noticed what she was wearing. Leo himself couldn’t help but turn his head to look at her as she walked away. The way she walked in those jeans was a remarkable sight. He quickly stopped himself as he turned back to look at Carly, who had been watching him the whole time. He could tell she was somewhat mad at him. Before he could say anything, Sabrina quickly wrapped her arm around Carly’s, dragging her away. Sabrina was in charge of taking care of the food, so she needed help and company to help set the tables for the buffet. Carly just so happened to be nearby, and from the looks of things, Sabrina liked Carly and wanted to get to know her better.
Leo breathed a sigh of relief when the two women left. Inasmuch as no one knew about his relationship with Carly, he felt tonight wasn’t the right moment to showcase that he was interested in her after all that’s happened.
Angel stood at the entrance with Mrs. Lance, who wore a lovely lace black dress. Like Angel, she didn’t need to be in a costume to show her Halloween spirit. They welcomed their guests invited to the party. Angel was happier to receive the children and gave them lollipops and sweets as they came in. Soon enough, Mr. and Mrs. McDonell arrived. Mr. McDonell still came in his black suit that he had worn this morning, except that he wasn’t wearing a tie, and he looked relaxed and comfortable. Mrs. McDonell, just like Mrs. Lance, wore a long black lace dress. She adorned herself with a stunning black beaded necklace, and she wore a black fascinator hat with black and orange feathers on it.
“You look really beautiful tonight, Mrs. McDonell,” said Mrs. Lance.
“You too, dear,” said Mrs. McDonell, smiling. “I’m not a fan of Halloween, so I couldn’t bring myself to wear these costumes.”
“Oh, I understand. You and I are in the same boat.”
“I see you were serious, Angel, when you said you weren’t going to wear a costume,” said Mr. McDonell as he stood in front of Angel.
“Costumes aren’t my thing,” said Angel. “I prefer wearing shirts like these instead.”
“Casual but still showing your love for Halloween,” said Mrs. McDonell as she came to stand next to her husband. She looked Angel up and down. For a second there, Angel thought the worst and that Mrs. McDonell would say something awful. Instead, Mrs. McDonell smiled.
“I like it,” said Mrs. McDonell. “The pointy hat makes your look even more defined.”
“Thank you,” said Angel as she blushed at the comment. She was not expecting that. “You look lovely tonight as well, Mrs. McDonell.”
“Thank you,” said Mrs. McDonell as she smiled proudly. Both she and her husband continued their way into the reception.
The party started at exactly 8 P.M. as the DJ hired to play for the party started to play the music. As usual, Eric was the MC. After a few minutes of the music playing, Eric welcomed everyone to the party and wished them a happy Halloween and that they should enjoy themselves. Afterwards, the music continued to play, and people either danced or simply huddled up in groups to have lively chats and comment on each other’s costumes. The drinks were served, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.
Angel was moving about, as she was in charge of gathering the children and taking them to the boardroom to play. She wasn’t alone, as she had two other colleagues doing the same. The adults will also be playing their games soon. The plan was for the children to go to the boardroom and play their own games. Angel also had Oliver help gather his peers and led them to the boardroom.
As Angel moved about the pool office, she heard someone speaking to her in a Spanish accent behind her.
“Is it just me, or you, senorita, are the most beautiful flower in the room?”
Angel smiled, as she knew it was Eric. She turned around to see him in his Zorro costume.
“Hi, Zorro,” said Angel. “Enjoying the party?”
Eric brought himself, raising an eyebrow. “I am, if you are,” he said, still with the Spanish accent. “If you prefer, you and I can skip this place and go somewhere even more private.”
He said those last sentences with a whisper, and he seductively bit his lower lip as he stared Angel up and down. Angel couldn’t help but blush at his gesture. There was something about what he said that made Angel realize that he might very well mean it. To try to make it seem like everything was just a joke, she laughed, a little.
“Nice try, Eric,” she said. “You know I need to be here for the kids.”
This time Eric genuinely smiled at her. “I know,” he said, this time in his normal voice. He came in closer to whisper in her ear. “Let me know when you change your mind.”
Angel felt a chill run down her spine with the way Eric whispered in her ear. She felt her face heating up a little as Eric pulled away and winked at her under the black facemask he wore. Angel quickly looked away and talked about looking for more children. She started to go in the opposite direction, as far from Eric as possible. Eric couldn’t help but watch her go with a smirk on his face.
Angel found herself by the table where the drinks were, and she thought she needed to have something to cool her throat. For some stupid reason, her throat had suddenly run dry after interacting with Eric. There was no denying that her heart was beating so fast and that she could still feel her cheeks blush. She went to the fruit punch bowl, took a cup, scooped some of the juice with a ladle, and poured it into her cup. Afterwards, she took a sip, and the juice cooled her throat a little. She suddenly felt herself calm down. This is some good punch, she thought to herself.
She turned around from where she stood, and she couldn’t help but take notice of the entire room. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, she concluded. She noticed Carly talking not only to Sabrina but also to some of Angel’s female colleagues she worked closely with. They positioned themselves in a circle, and they seemed to be having fun talking about who knows what. A good number of colleagues were dancing around. Angel watched on and noticed Leo talking to other colleagues. For a moment, all she could do was focus on him as if there was something that drew her eyes to him alone. As though he knew that Angel was looking at him, Leo turned his eyes on her. She suddenly felt embarrassed about the whole thing that she waved at him, trying to make it look like all was okay. Leo raised an eyebrow at her and slowly waved back. He probably thinks I’m weird, Angel said as she turned around to put her empty cup back on the table.
Satisfied that there weren’t any more children in the pool office, Angel decided to go to the boardroom. Just as she was making her way out of the room, she came face-to-face with Derrick. There was no avoiding him, as he already saw her.
“Hey, Angel,” he said as he came closer with a drink in his hand. “Are you enjoying the party so far?”
“Yeah, I am,” said Angel, giving him a nod. “Sadly I have to go to the boardroom and take care of the children, so… it looks like I’m going to miss out on a whole lot of fun out here.”
“You look great, by the way. I didn’t think you would dress up for anything concerning Halloween.”
“I did say I like Halloween.” Angel looked behind and saw Francesca, who was also supposed to be taking care of the children with Angel, beckoning at her. “I better be going, Derrick. Once we’re done with the kids, we will definitely be back here.”
“Well, you better. You and I still have to dance.”
Angel raised an eyebrow at Derrick, surprised that he said that. She laughed. “Now you want to dance? At Leo’s birthday party I had to drag you to the dance floor.”
“Well, it’s because you’re the only one I want to dance with.”
“Oh.” The smile on Angel’s face disappeared, as she didn’t know what to say next. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, careful not to tip the hat off her head. “I’ll see you later, then.”
Angel bypassed Derrick, and she couldn’t help but feel his eyes on her as she walked away. What the heck is going on today? She asked herself. First Eric, now Derrick. There was so much going on, and she knew she couldn’t deal with it all tonight. Right now, she had to focus on dealing with the children in the boardroom.
Carly had just seen Angel walk out of the room. Before that, she had been talking to Derrick. There was no denying that Derrick really liked her. Carly now understood why Eric didn’t like him very much. Through her interactions with Sabrina and Angel’s other colleagues, Angel was almost every man’s crush in the office. For some reason, it didn’t surprise Carly; however, there was something about this that unsettled her a little. Leo.
Even when she was engaged in conversation with Sabrina and the others, she would dart her eyes towards Leo every now and then. When Angel had left the buffet table, she noticed how Leo had his eyes on Angel. That bothered her a little. Even when Angel and Derrick talked, Leo eyed them from time to time. Carly could tell from his body language that he looked a little restless. With all this going on, she only hoped not to make silly assumptions. Then she remembered when she saw him put the pointy hat on Angel’s face and the way he looked at her.
Carly took a deep breath. She excused herself from the small circle, saying that she needed to go get herself a drink. She felt like she needed it. The last thing she needed was to start making assumptions. But with what she has seen so far, who wouldn’t?
In the boardroom, Angel, Francesca, and David from the IT department were with the children. There weren’t many children around, so it was easier for them to be controlled. They first played pin the tail on the cat, where the child had to play the game blindfolded to pin the tail on the picture of the cat Angel had stuck on the wall. Next, the children were divided into two teams as they were to play wrap the mummy in toilet paper. Whichever team managed to wrap their friends the fastest wins.
Almost an hour had passed, and Angel wondered if the adults had also finished playing their games in the pool office. They would have to start serving the food soon, and the children had to be there. The children were playing the monster freeze dance. They had secured a little stereo for the kids to use, and David oversaw the stopping and playing of the music. Angel told Francesca that she would be right back, and she left the boardroom.
As soon as Angel stepped out of the room, she heard footsteps running down the hall. Turning to where she heard the footsteps, a blonde girl in a pink and white dress with a tiara on her head came running towards Angel.
“Hey, what are you doing out here?” Angel asked the girl. The girl looked to be Oliver’s age.
“Oh, I went out to go use the bathroom,” the girl answered.
“Alright. You can go back inside; I’ll be right back.”
“When I was coming back here, I noticed something just now.”
“What is it?”
“One of the rooms to the offices was open, and I saw a computer screen was on.”
“Was there someone in there?” Angel asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“No, and the room was dark too. And something was wrong with the screen. So I wondered if there was someone working when everyone else was out here having a party.”
“Strange. No one is supposed to be working at this hour. You said there was something going on with the screen?”
The girl nodded her head. The computer must have some sort of malfunction, Angel thought to herself. She decided to check it out anyway. She told the girl to lead her to the office where she saw the computer. The girl quickly turned around and walked back the way she came. Angel followed her, and they turned round the corner. Down the hall, Angel noticed one of the doors remained open, and it’s the same door the girl was leading her to.
At the door, Angel looked before entering; the only light in the room came from the computer screen at a desk situated on the right-hand side of the room. Even from where she stood, Angel could tell the girl was not lying when she said there was something wrong with the screen. The light coming from the screen seemed to be flickering.
Angel turned on the lights and told the girl to stay at the door. Angel approached the desk, and when she finally got to look at the computer screen, she noticed that many random pop-up boxes were flashing up on the screen. Angel tried pressing on the keyboard at the desk, but the pop-ups kept coming. She noticed there was something unusual about these pop-ups, and when the realization finally came to her, Angel knew she had to rush for help.
Angel made her way out of the room, taking the girl back with her to the boardroom. When the two of them entered, Angel told the girl to join her friends. They were still playing the monster dance freeze, and David was still in charge of the stereo. Angel quickly called out to him and beckoned him to come to her. David left the music playing and went over to Angel by the door.
“David, I need you right now. It’s an emergency,” said Angel.
Francesca noticed the urgency with Angel and came over to the door.
“What is it?” David asked when Francesca joined them.
“Something only you with your expertise can handle,” Angel answered. She turned to Francesca. “Look after the children, please. I’ll be back. David, let’s hurry.”
Angel and David rushed out of the room. Francesca closed the door behind them and went on to continue playing the game with the children.
Angel led the way down the hall with David behind him. She entered the Accounts office where the flickering screen was, and she pointed at it.
“Check that computer,” said Angel. “I fear something is wrong.”
David went over to the desk, and immediately he looked at the screen; a look of horror came on his face. He grabbed the chair behind him and sat. He started to tap away on the keyboard, but just as Angel had experienced before, the keyboard wasn’t working. Despite that, he continued to work on the keyboard, tapping at it for a while. Angel came to stand behind him as she also looked at the screen. David somehow had managed to get the keyboard to work and was doing all he could to stop the pop-up boxes from showing up on the screen.
“What could be going on, David?” Angel asked. She wasn’t the type to bother someone when they were at work, but she had to ask.
“It isn’t good, Angel,” he replied, his eyes locked on the screen and his fingers working tirelessly on the keyboard. “We’re being hacked.”
ns216.73.216.238da2
