"I only had the privilege of meeting Lalie once but I was able to glean that she was a very nice person just from that one time," Georgia told Lalie's parents with a smile.
"You are so polite, Georgia," Carole replied.
"I think you are polite," Georgia told her.
"What is this - Mister Rogers?" Marcia asked herself with a confused _expression on her face.
"Georgia is coming back to Pennsylvania with us," Kevin chimed in.
"Great!" Carole exclaimed. "At least you and James don't have to part ways."
"I'm glad about that!" Georgia replied. "I can't wait for you to show me around your area," she smiled at James.
"I can't wait for you to show me around your area," Marcia mocked outside in the hall, still listening to everything that was going on.
"Well," Georgia sighed as she looked down at her watch. "Eduardo is waiting for me in the limousine so I should be getting back down."
Marcia heard that and scurried back to her room.
"Have a good night," Carole and Harold told her in unison.
"Good luck in finding your daughter," Georgia told them once more in sincerity. "I hope everything works out."
Carole and Harold nodded with a smile as Georgia turned around to leave.
"I had a great time tonight," James told her before she left.
"I don't think you did… but thanks anyway!" Georgia laughed as she touched his hand.
"I'll walk you down," James offered as he opened the door and they left.
"They seem like a nice couple," Carole observed as they left as she looked over at Harold. "Almost ready to head down to our room?"
Harold nodded.
Next door, Marcia ripped the bedspread off the bed and fell onto the sheets, pounding the pillow with her clenched fist. Her frustrations were growing. How would she ever be able to win over James?
She stood up and grabbed her cell phone out of her purse. She dialed a number and waited for someone to answer.
"It's about time," Marcia yelled. "You should have the phone with you at all times," she ordered and then paused, the person on the other end must have been saying something. "Things are not fine. I hate Georgia Caldwell with a passion!" she cried out, as she ran her fingers through her hair.
Lalie paced back and forth in the room. She knew she had to think of a way to get out of there. There wasn't much to work from in the room, though. As her eyes surveyed the room for any resources, she heard Tony removing the chains and unlocking the door.
"You're still awake?" Tony asked her in disbelief, as he made his way into the room.
"I am," Lalie replied. "Were you coming in to watch me sleep all night again?"
"No, no," Tony quickly answered, smirking a bit. "Just checking up."
"I'm still trying to figure out who put me here," Lalie told him as she began to pace back and forth again. "It had to be someone with a name."
"Of course the person has a name," Tony replied, surprised that Lalie even said that.
"That's not what I meant," Lalie said, as she began to elaborate on what she meant. "Someone with money and power. I bet he or she is giving you a nice payoff in the end, right?"
Tony looked uncomfortable and turned around to leave. "I'm not hearing any of this," he said as he inched closer to the door.
"I'm right, aren't I?" Lalie called out, and Tony turned around. "Let me think of who has money, power and a motive to put me here. I wonder who it could be."
"I'm not saying," Tony told her in a serious tone as he once again turned around to leave.
"Stop right there!" Lalie ordered as an _expression of realization washed over her face. "I know who did this!"
Tony stopped dead in his tracks.
"It was Georgia!" Lalie yelled, evoking anger in her tone but also expressing a little relief now that she finally had figured it out… at least she thought she had.
Tony turned around, slowly. "I'm sorry," he started. "Did you just say Georgia?"
"Georgia Caldwell," Lalie replied as she walked over to him and grabbed his shirt. "Tell me that I'm right!" she demanded.
Tony's jaw dropped that she said that name, and he looked down to see her grip on his tee shirt.
"I didn't pick up good vibes from her the first day we met," Lalie started to explain. "The way she looked at Kevin and smiled at him throughout the meeting. Those loving stares during the presentation didn't sit well with me. Of course she wanted me out of the way! She must be paying you a pretty penny to keep me here, Tony," she paused to see his reaction, as she let go of his shirt a little and her face grew in desperation before she made an offer. "Whatever Georgia is paying you to keep me here, I will pay you double… triple… to let me out of here! Name your price!"
"Lalie," Tony started as he grabbed her hand and pulled it off of his shirt and backed away. "It wasn't Georgia... or that Vivian person you mentioned earlier," he replied as he tried to leave the door once more.
A look of despair returned to her face as she hung her head. "Who was it then?" Lalie managed to ask in a sad tone as she began to tear up.
Tony noticed Lalie's tears but didn't reply to her question. He turned around and left.
"Oh, my God," Lalie whispered to herself in tears, as she heard the latch and chains being put over the door.
Lalie wiped away her tears and felt anger towards herself. She had kept her composure throughout the ordeal thus far, she didn't want to break down now.
She surveyed the room once more with her eyes and stopped when she noticed something. She wiped away her tears once more to get a better look.
She tried to think of how she could take advantage of that.
"I have a feeling that I won't be by myself much longer," Lalie confidently told herself, still looking at what had caught her eye.
Chapter 18
Non-Nsync {Fiction}
I'll Never Stop {Fiction}
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