Chapter 28: Compliment.

Day 5, Paris trip:

Morning 9 am,

The entire venue was busy with the preparation for the afternoon event- the charity banquet.

Mel stood at the counter of their store staring outside as, Lucas was busy arranging the items to prepare the refreshment drinks. Alex and Brenden were, suddenly, all friendly with each other forgetting their conflict yesterday. Bryan and Scarlet sat in the chairs in front of the store as they rehearsed their lines for the welcome speech. Hayden and Steph were quite into each other, in their own world, locking the others out from their counter.

" Didn't they have some stupid conflict yesterday? " Lucas asked as he saw Alex and Brenden working together.

Mel eyed them and shrugged, " I don't know. " Then she continued to put the sodas into the tiny fridge that they had rented from one of the shops.

" I don't know what goes on in her head for most of the time. " she sighed.

Lucas nodded and sighed along with her. Even he felt the same for Brenden...

Then, they were given some time to dress and get ready for the event.

....

11.00 am:

The guests that were invited, along with the social workers, arrived. They were led into the largest building where the speech hall was arranged.

Scarlet was dressed in an elegant silver gown and her strawberry blonde hair was embellished with pink and silver pearls around her bun. A few locks were left free to frame her gorgeous face.

Bryan was dressed in a silver suit with a black bow tie. He held an equally elegant aura as her, if not more. They both looked more of a gorgeous couple than Brenden and Scarlet together.

Bryan looked at Scarlet and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets .

' She looks gorgeous! ' he controlled himself from complimenting her and failed, miserably.

" You look gorgeous today, Scarlet. " he blurted out.

As only those two were present it was a little less awkward for Scarlet.

" Thanks, you look equally handsome too." She complimented and pulled out her speech paper to go through it again.

He flushed at her compliment. But then again, he knew that he never stood a chance against the gangster bas**rd! Nothing that he does would top that guy or replace him in her heart. Never...

....

Mel was dressed in a deep red shirt and black pants. Alex was wearing a black shirt and gray pants, as she worked for the kitchen team and Steph was wearing a short white half shoulder frock. The three had pulled their hair back, into a pony tail.

The boys matched their team mates. Lucas wore red shirt, Brenden black and Hayden white.

All were dressed and ready to serve for the day!!!

....

The event started and people arrived.

The speeches started, charity banquet had begun.

They all were quite into the refreshments, at the start of the ceremony, keeping Mel and Lucas busy. As the afternoon passed the people sort out in search of food and deserts. The counter was full as Mel and Lucas took chances, taking care of the main counter.

" Take a break, I'll handle the counter now. " Brenden offered to Mel as she seemed a bit irritated and started to intimidate the customers with her glare.

" Are you sure? Like, you're done with your work already? " she asked in a mocking manner, as a result of her already fowl mood. " Sh*t sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. " She sighed and left.

Brenden stared at her back, ' She sure has some temper! At least she has some control on it. '

" Brenden, come give me a hand in this. " Lucas called out.

Brenden put on a polite smile and joined him in the counter.

....

Mel roamed around the venue to find some place with some isolation and silence.

Suddenly, she heard some one breathing hard, gasping, almost like he was choking. She ran towards the sound, soon she reached the man, an old man.

He seemed to be one of the prestigious guests who were invited for the afternoon. His outfit spoke that for him. He crouched on the ground trying to breathe and seemed to be frustrated that he couldn't.

" Grandpa, I mean sir, who are you are you alright? " Mel asked holding his clenched hand. Concern plastered all over her face.

She pulled him up and let him sit in a nearby chair under the tree. She was so glad that they were present, unlike yesterday when she was quite pissed with the chair's existence.

" Do you need anything? what can I do? " She asked in a haste to help him.

" Why are you alone? Never mind, what should I get for you? " she asked irritated with her curious mind, for once.

" W..aa...ter " his voice cracked.

She nodded and ran into the venue to get some water. She ran back and found a bag as she passed, assuming that it was his, she picked it up and went to him.

" Here" she said handing the uncorked bottle to him along with his bag.

" Thank you, " he said after some time as he calmed down. He added some water and his tablets into his system that he could manage to talk now.

" Aren't you some prestigious guy? shouldn't there be people surrounding you? " She asked a bit angry, " What if no one had found you? "

" Well, I thank you for your concern for a stranger. I'm Rick. You can call me Grandpa Rick if you want. " he said with a small smile.

" Ok, but..." She wanted to ask more but she was altered by a call from Lucas. " Excuse me, grandpa Rick. Will you be alright?" she asked and left hesitantly when he nodded.

" Hey! " she greeted.

" I want some ice, could you buy some for me? Please, I need them soon. Ok? Bye. " Lucas said and hung up without anything more.

Mel blinked at the phone and shook her head, ' Such a wonderful way to ask for help. Wow, never thought of that! ' she complained sarcastically and went to find some ice.

...

Rick found his spare mobile from his business bag and called his assistant.

" Flynn, it's me, come pick me up from the outskirts of the venue for the banquet."

" Are you alright sir? " he asked worried.

" Yes, someone helped me. Stop the search for me and find this place immediately. " he said hanging up.

Then he sighed, looking up at the sky. He remembered how the little girl saved him, well, he missed another person, a young lady who had saved him in his youth, his young lady, his wife, Deetra!

....

Mel returned, when a few guests had already retired for the day. The banquet still continued as it was just 5 pm and it went on still 7 pm.

By the end of the day the sodas, deserts, refreshments, food, all were wiped clean. The day was a lot productive and they had received a lot of profits, thankfully.

At the end, the host thanked them all for their help and awarded them all a token of thanks- a small basket filled with different types of sweets and candies. Each team received two of them.

The meeting concluded and the results for the most productive and efficient donator would be announced at 9pm after the dinner at the banquet hall in the resort.

....

" Ah, such a day! " Lucas sighed, opening a soda for himself and passing one to Mel. He chuckled at how she worships her soda before drinking it.

" What? " she whined " It's such a good thing to have a thing called cola flavored soda, alright. You must savor each and every drop of it. You wouldn't understand! " she harrumphed and continued to drink her ' holy drink '

Alex was busy, eating chocolates from the basket, as she shook her head in disbelief that her cousin was still so childish!

" Why does she like it so much? " Brenden asked Alex eating his own vanilla ice cream.

" Nothing much. It's the only drink that her dad drinks with her. She loves him a lot and has her own obligations to fulfill her expectations with the family. She seems to feel like she owes them- our family, " She sighed, " You might think that she is all cool and without a worry but you must see Mel in front of her dad... " She said gesturing towards the now Mel, who was scolding Lucas in 'very good' words (as per Mel).

Brenden smiled and said nothing else.

" Hey! you better hand me back my donut you, bloody a*shole!!! " Mel screamed at Lucas as he stole her donut.

" You better watch your tongue with your brother, I tell you! " Lucas warned back.

" Yeah? like hell, brother!!! " She screamed back snatching back her donut. " At last! " she bowed, pleased with her victory.

Lucas smiled at her childish behavior shook his head.

Hayden and Scarlet were busy feeding each other brownies with ice cream. They were sitting further apart from the others to have some privacy.

" Woah! Someone is maintaining some distance around here! " Lucas nudged Mel.

She giggled and spoke loudly, " It's a pity that people pollute, us, single's with such adultery, I pity us all. People such as Hayden never change, not even for this world's innocence. "

Alex and Brenden chuckled while Scarlet and Bryan looked totally confused.

" It's nothing but this! " Hayden explained to them and pulled Steph in for a French kiss. She struggled at start and gave in as he put his tongue into her mouth.

Mel and Lucas almost puked at the sight!!! They arose from their seats and left by exchanging knowing looks. Alex and Brenden were no where to be found!!!

Scarlet and Bryan understood the importance of 'world innocence.' They nodded and left, the two who were now moaning into each other's mouth, giving them some private space.

' Really, ruin's the world innocence!!! '