First Date Jitters
Part 3

Angie did not think she would ever be able to get home after Ronald Sikes would reward 100,000 electro-dollars for any information concerning her first date, particularly who the lucky man was and where the date would be.
Mona decided for her own safety to spend the night in the Magic Express, mainly because she had much of that information and because she would never give away Angie's personal information for all the money in the world. Mona cared about Angie far too much to allow that to happen.
When morning broke, Angie looked outside her window and noticed many people still unable to penetrate the electronic barrier Angel had set up the night before. "Great," said Angie with sarcasm in her voice. "I'll be stuck here for the rest of the week! I can't get out of here."
"Well, we won't have to leave the Express for the next part of the plans for your date."
"What do you mean, Mona?"
"Simple. With help from Angel's holograms, we can give you a distinctive hairstyle for Saturday night."
Angie realized how good of an idea she had. "Yeah, Angel must have hundreds or thousands of hairstyles in her system that would work for me."
The pinkish-purple dodecahedron appeared and said, "Yes, I may be able to help you there. Also, I can recommend the right hairstylist to see for the particular style."
"Thanks, Angel. You, too, Mona. I mean, I want this to be special, but I don't know how I'll be able to get even out of here."
"I can take care of that, with one hologram."
Outside, people continued trying to break the barrier in order to invade the Magic Express and get that information to win the large reward.
Less than 100 feet away, Mona's car suddenly appeared. "Yoo-hoo! We're over here!" She then sped away with Angie in the passenger seat.
The people suddenly started running after the holographic car.
Angie noticed it on the living room TV screen. "Angel, you are absolutely wonderful! I owe you one."
"No, you don't. Incoming telephone call from Victor."
"Patch it up in my room, please." Angie quickly ran to her room to take up the phone call. "Morning, Victor. Man, I've had a rough time."
"Yeah, I know. I heard that announcement on the radio yesterday. I can't believe he's trying to play on people's need for greed and would reward that much money just to get personal information. Sikes is proving to be worse than Paparazzo by leaps and bounds."
"Victor…are you sure you want to go through with this? I mean, all this publicity could destroy our relationship."
"Angie, listen to me, okay? You are the woman I love, and there is nothing, and I mean nothing, on this Earth that could stop me from loving you, not even this celebrity madness. I know…you're having trouble dealing with it right now because of what Sikes is trying to do to you."
"Um, what would you do in a sticky situation like this? Get the people and the rotten members of the media off your back or your father's back?"
"Well, when it comes to my father, he has his security guards around him like members of the Secret Service. Me, if there's a situation where I don't like a camera being in my face, I'll just push it out of the way. I know it isn't easy for you, but if you need a bodyguard, I'll be there in a moment's notice. Of course, I still would rather be surprised by what you will look like come Saturday evening."
"And the Planet Electric?"
"Reservation is still good, Angie. They're not going to bump us off. My father would go through the roof if they did that to us. Don't worry, everything will be fine. Just have faith."
"I-I'm sorry, Victor. Every day that gets closer I'm getting more and more nervous. I'm going to drive myself crazy, and what if something goes wrong?"
"Angie, just remember, play it by ear. Don't expect anything. If you go in with expectations, everything will go wrong. I have faith this will work out just fine. So, do you have a dress yet?"
"Yes, I do. I was lucky to find it despite Sikes showing up at the store I found the dress in. The hairstyle is next on the list, and I won't have to leave the Magic for that part. Only thing is, we're running low on groceries, and I must hit the supermarket today."
"Want me to come with you to protect you from…curious people?"
"You may have to. I can't drive the Magic Racer, and the Magic Bike can't hold everything."
"What time is best for you?"
"1:00. I usually go after lunch. Besides, I'll have a hairstyle and stylist chosen by then."
"You got it, Angie. I'll see you at 1:00. I love you."
Angie softly said, "And I love you. I'll see you this afternoon." She started shedding soft tears.
"Angie…are you okay?"
"Not really. It's just…everything going on right now is all so new to me. I really don't know if I can handle all this pressure from all sides, not saying you're putting any pressure on me."
"I know. When you first get into it, it's never easy. When I pick you up this afternoon, I'll explain what I did to understand my status and deal with the media. Perhaps something like that can be of great help to you in dealing with your situation. But, I do recommend that you wear some kind of disguise when you do go to the store."
"Now that won't be a problem," said Angie as she dried her eyes. "I'll make sure I get into such a weird outfit no one could ever recognize me. Um, could I pass off as a cousin from Texas?"
Victor chuckled over the idea. "Why not? I'll just say you're my cousin Lainie from El Paso, Texas. Can you talk with a real Texan accent?"
"Yeah, I should have no trouble there. See you this afternoon."
"Bye, Angie." Victor hung up the phone on his end and then went to his father's room. "Dad, um, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Of course, Victor," said his father Robert Raven, owner of the DNA Club/Mall and very prominent businessman. "Is something wrong?"
"Angie's not used to all the media scrutiny around her. She even cried some because she's not sure she can handle the pressure."
His father nodded in understanding. "She became a star when she started working with Ace Cooper, but something like this is now going to place a lot of pressure on her."
"She needs to get to the supermarket this afternoon, but with the announcement over the radio yesterday, she may not be safe. I asked her to disguise herself as my cousin Lainie from El Paso. Does that sound silly?"
"No, I don't think it's silly at all. You would be surprised at how many celebrities put themselves in disguise to keep a low profile. When I was growing up, I remember seeing Diana, Princess of Wales, in a baseball cap, t-shirt, and blue jeans in a photo."
Victor was surprised, "A member of British royalty…wearing street clothes? That's amazing."
"Believe it or not, no one was able to recognize her. Angie should also have no trouble keeping a low profile. It's not like the people know her shopping list. Who would?"
"Ronald Sikes if he had his way."
"True. I think it's a good idea that you go with her because Ace attracts attention almost immediately. If you go with your…'cousin' to the store, that would make a difference. Must be her weekly shopping trip."
"Mm-hmm. I'm going to get her at 1 this afternoon, if…that's all right with you."
Mr. Raven walked to his son and said, "Victor, you're 28 years old. You don't have to ask for permission. Just stay close to her and make sure she doesn't get hurt. I know how much you care for her, magician, celebrity, or whatever."
"Thanks, Dad. I'm glad you're behind this."
"Angela is a genuine person filled with kindness and compassion. Even though you have had only two previous girlfriends, you saw their true intentions, only wanting to get to the money. Angie is not that way at all. She looks at you for you, and I believe she really is the right person to be with you. Is she…having trouble believing that herself?"
"Yes, I think she is at times. Remember, she's never had a real boyfriend before. I just hope things really will work out for us. Considering everything she's had to suffer through…"
"Don't underestimate her, son. She has her friends helping her, too. I know the date will come out fine in the end."

Back at the Magic, Angie went to the kitchen to make herself a bowl of cereal, since she had to practice her emotional control with Ace and try to choose a hairstyle with Mona all before lunch and her shopping trip. She was going to be in for quite a long day.
After finishing breakfast, she went to the practice room with Ace. She sighed, "I've got my work cut out for me. Today's my weekly shopping trip, and I certainly can't go as myself."
"What are you going to do?" asked Ace curiously.
"I'm going to disguise myself as Victor's Texan cousin Lainie, complete with Texan accent. Victor's going to take me—I mean Lainie—grocery shopping."
"Sure. But, what'll happen when you purchase ginger?"
"Don't worry, Ace. I'm also buying some jalapeno and habenero peppers for this hot chili dish I've been wanting to try out anyhow. The ginger and the peppers together could make this chili set off a four-alarm fire in the stomach."
"Oh, sounds exciting. I guess if you can do that, I don't see why you couldn't go shopping."
Mona then joined the two magicians in the kitchen. "You're going to try and make one of the hottest chilies around, huh?"
"Yeah, and habenero peppers are supposed to be the hottest chili peppers on Earth. I'd just love to give this to Ronald Sikes to eat."
Ace was pleasantly surprised by her attitude. "You seem to allow your darkness a little more freedom now, like you did in buying the dress yesterday."
"Darkness is an important part of me now," said Angie with wonder. "I don't want to bury it all over again and go through that dangerous cycle. I have to maintain the balance between the light and darkness within myself."
"Of course. I'm proud of you, Angie. It's definitely a step in the right direction."
"Come on, let's practice."
As they passed by Mona, she was happy to see her friend feel better about herself. "She really deserves to be around all of us. We're like another family to her, and who knows…Victor could become a part of it, too."
Practice went very well for her, as she was able to keep her anger in check and soon started creating more items of beauty and peace.
Her next step for the day was to go into the computer room and work with Mona to decide what hairstyle would be most fitting for the special occasion.
"Okay, Angie," said Mona straightly, "it's time to choose a hairstyle fitting for you. There are lots to choose from, just like the dresses. That's why Angel's going to project holograms of your head with all the hairstyles. What you'll get to do is to tweak your holographic hair to fit whatever style you want."
Angie nodded with some excitement. "I get to make my hairstyle any way I want?"
"That's right. Angel will then give us a print out and look up the hairstylist that can get this as close as possible. We won't take care of the actual hairstyle until the day of your date."
"Why do you do that?"
"If you do it now, the hair won't look as…easily flowed by Saturday. It's better to let the hairstylist do it then."
"I get it. Better to have the hair fresh and not stale."
"Exactly. Now, Angel, please project a hologram of Angie's head only."
"Very well." Soon, a small hologram of the female magician's head could be seen in front of her.
"Wow…cool. I never thought I'd get to mess with my own hair."
"Let me see your head for a sec, Ang," Mona requested. "Okay, you have naturally curly hair. I think we need to add some highlights to the front part of your hair. Perhaps just a little bit of blonde. Only thing is, I'm worried you could have an allergic reaction to the use of some type of coloring agent."
"Good point. I've never used any type of color-changing stuff on my hair before. Angel, could you test me to see if I have some kind of reaction?"
"Yes, I can. Put out your right arm. I will put some color solution on your wrist. The reaction will not occur right away, though. It will take about an hour before we know if you react to it or not."
"While I'm at it, I can go ahead and start tweaking with my hair. What reaction will I have, if any?"
"A rash just on that spot. That will determine if you are allergic to the solution."
"Sounds good," said Angie with some type of relief. "Now, let's see what I can do to my hair."
For the next hour or so, Angie and Mona kept changing bits and pieces of the holographic hair while waiting to see if Angie had any allergic reaction to the color solution.
Angel scanned the affected area, which did begin to turn red and itchy. "You do have a reaction, Angie. I would not recommend using any color solution on your hair."
"Well, that solves that. Now I have to come up with a useful style with no color change." After a few more minutes, Angie came up with what she needed. "There it is. I like this style…wavy towards the bottom and plenty of body in there. What do you think, Mona?"
She looked at Angie, and then her holographic head. "Yes. It looks just right. Now, Angel, please create a print out and locate a hairstylist that will do the job as best as possible."
Angie then noticed the clock. "Oh, I need to get lunch started. By the way, won't your father be worried about you?"
"Don't worry. I called him last night about the situation. He detested the fact I was here, but he also praised me for trying to look out for your own safety. You have my father's respect for sure."
"We don't see eye-to-eye on everything, but he is your father before the crime boss in my eyes."
Mona smiled with appreciation. "Thank you. You get lunch started while I contact the hairstylist to make an appointment on Saturday."
After everyone enjoyed lunch, Angie learned her hair appointment would be Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Madame Scalia's Hair Salon, not too far away from her date at the Planet Electric. "Mona, I want to thank you for helping me out on this. I just don't want anything to go wrong."
Noticing it was almost 1:00, Angie knew it was time to go into disguise. "Victor's going to be here any minute. It's time to become Lainie." With a couple of quick spins, she made herself into a woman truly from Texas, with snug blue jeans, boots, a collared shirt, and a cowboy hat. "Well," she said with a Texan accent, "what do ya think?"
Cosmo laughed. "You could fool anybody in that get-up. It's cool."
"Let's see if Zina thinks so. Zina?"
The black panther came into the living room and noticed "Lainie." Zina started growling at her appearance.
The female magician put her right hand out for Zina to sniff, which made the panther realize it was Angie. "Well, Zina, I guess I fooled you some. But you'd pick up my scent. My idea is to fool people."
Just then, Victor entered the Magic Express. "Hello, everyone. Hi…Lainie."
"Hi, Vic. What do you think?"
"You look like a real Texan. Ready for grocery shopping?"
Using her accent, she answered, "Of course. Let's round up them groceries!"
Everyone chuckled over her use of language.
"Sounds like what Dad used to hear before when someone named Jimmy Johnson coached the Dallas Cowboys. He would say, 'How 'bout them Cowboys!'"
Victor escorted Angie—"Lainie"—to his car and were soon off to the supermarket for the weekly groceries.

Meanwhile, back at the offices of The Inquisitive, Ronald Sikes was getting a lot of calls about Angie, but none of them led anywhere. "People are so dumb! They think I'm just going to give them the money? I want the proof."
Just then, Victoria Corliss entered his office. "Any luck yet?"
"No, just a bunch of false leads. People are going to great lengths to get that money, even fabricating their own stories."
"Listen, I just remembered. Today is normally Angie's day to shop for groceries, and she goes down at 1:00 every Tuesday afternoon."
"How'd you know that?"
"You think I don't have spies in that supermarket? I want you to go down there and look for anything or anyone suspicious. More than likely, Angie's in some kind of disguise, but she won't get away this time. We'll get that information and the exclusive." She then gave him a unique device. "Here, take this."
"What does it do?"
"If I know her, she'll probably call that Magician to come pick her up. This device will pick up her distinctive voice patterns and let you know anything. Who knows…she may give away the information we want."
Sikes smiled wickedly. "Thanks, boss. I'm on my way now."
"I want that story, Sikes! Don't let me down!"
He quickly jumped into his car with the special device in hand and took off for the supermarket.

After parking the car, Victor and Lainie entered the store.
"This place is huge," she said in her Texan accent and trying to act like it was the first time she was in a larger market. "I hope I can find what I need."
"Don't worry, Lainie. We'll get what we need for that four-alarm chili."
The pair went up to the fresh produce section of the store, where the produce manager recognized Victor. "Hey, Victor. I—hey, who is she?"
"This is my cousin Lainie. She's visiting for the first time from El Paso, Texas. Lainie, this is Pete."
"How do you do, sir," she said as she took off her hat in salute. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Same here, Lainie. Your first trip here to Electro City?"
"Yes…I never knew it was this big. El Paso is a decently-sized city, but nothin' compared to this."
"How long are you staying?"
"Only a week. I've been here since Saturday, and I promised I would cook a four-alarm chili filled with jalapeno and habenero peppers and an additional spice, ginger. Someone recommended adding ginger for more natural spice."
"Wow, you're serious. I hope it won't burn through bowls."
"I did bring special bowls from El Paso so I could make sure that doesn't happen."
Pete laughed. "Okay. Well, I don't want to hold you up, so I'll tell you, the peppers are over there past the bell peppers, and the ginger root is sitting at the end."
"Thank you very much."
As the pair got out of his range, Victor whispered, "Looks like your disguise is working so far."
"Yeah, it is. I just hope we can get out of here safely."
Within an hour, the shopping was completed. They waited patiently at the check-out line.
"Vic, I hate to ask you this, but could you pay for this? I'll pay you back."
"Hey, no problem. You don't have to pay me back. I'll just tell them I'm paying for my cousin."
"Thanks."
When they reached the front of the line, Victor paid for the groceries and gave them his explanation about her first trip to a bigger city than her own.
As soon as they were done, they took the shopping cart out to his car.
Little did they know that Sikes was sitting in his car just across the street. "She said the range on this thing is two miles. I sure hope she's right about this. We need that information."
Lainie looked at Victor. "I'm going to call home, okay?"
"Sure thing." He then looked over across the street and noticed someone looking at him and Lainie rather strangely. "Psst, Lainie, come here, quick."
"What's wrong, Vic?"
"That car over there. Someone's watching us. I think he also has some kind of bugging device."
"We'll see about that," she said in subtle anger.
"No, don't. You use your magic and you'll give yourself away for sure. Try to think of a fake place when you call."
"Good idea. I'll send Ace a telepathic message while I'm on the phone." Lainie then went to the Pay Vid-Phone to contact home.
Ace sat in the living room and petted Zina comfortably. "I hope Angie's doing all right."
Then, Angel stated, "Angie is on the line. Or, should that be Lainie?"
"Patch it through, Angel."
Lainie soon appeared on the screen. "Hi, Ace. Listen, we'll be on our way home shortly." Ace, someone's watching us and has a special bugging device. I think it's Sikes up to no good again.
"Okay. How long will you need?"
"Probably about 20 minutes."
"All right, I'll see you here." So, you need a phony place and name of the date, huh? Okay, I have the perfect suggestion for you.
"I want to make sure I'm ready for my date with Sonny Boy Surge at the Sunset Casino on Saturday night."
Sikes heard exactly what he had hoped. "Finally, I got it! Now to intercept Sonny Boy Surge and get that exclusive!" He then sped off, not realizing he was completely tricked.
After Lainie hung up the telephone, she returned to Victor. "Did he drive off?"
"Yeah. What'd you do?"
"I stated a fake location and person. Sikes thinks I'm going with Sonny Boy to the Sunset Casino."
"Good. While he's on a wild goose chase, we can get home safely. Let's go."
Victor and Lainie soon left the supermarket to reach home…the Magic Express.

Sikes, in his car, got on the telephone with his editor-in-chief. "Miss-Miss Corliss! I got it! I got the info!"
"Take it easy, Sikes, calm down. What information did you get?"
"Everything. She's going with Sonny Boy Surge to the Sunset Casino!"
"That's fantastic, Sikes! Get down there and make Sonny Boy spill the beans. We'll have that exclusive out by Monday!"
"Get that front page ready, Miss Corliss. The scoop is ours!"
He then got to the Sunset Casino but was immediately stopped by the two bouncers at the door. "Let me in, idiots! I have a story to get and Sonny Boy's got it for me!"
Tiny made sure he would not get in so easily. "Sorry, pal, but Mr. Surge is a busy man. You'll have to come back later."
"I want that exclusive or I'll sue for violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution!"
While Tiny kept him busy, Glare contacted Sonny Boy. "Boss, there's a man saying he'll sue if he doesn't get some kind of story from you."
"Story? What story? Get some info from 'im."
Glare then looked at Sikes. "Tell us about the story."
"No way!"
"If you want to keep your arms, buddy, you'd better tell us about this story."
Realizing Sikes was outsized and outnumbered, he said, "I want the information concerning his date with Angela Jacobs."
Up in his office, Sonny Boy overheard the statement. "What!? Who said I was going out with Jacobs!? I'm headin' down there. Shades, wait here."
"Okay, boss."
Sonny Boy steamed with anger about this developing problem. When he reached the door and got outside, he said, "So, Ronald Sikes. I hear you're even worse than Paparazzo. Now what's this about a date with Angela Jacobs?"
"I overheard Angie on the telephone talking with her friend Ace Cooper about the first date on Saturday night. Here's the evidence to prove it." He played the micro disk, containing the information.
The younger crime boss laughed it off. "You are really dumb, you know that."
"Spill it, Surge! What are the details of your date here Saturday!?"
"There are no details, idiot! In case you forgot, Angela Jacobs is a magician. She more than likely relayed the wrong information on purpose to throw you off the track. She wants you to think I was going with her on Saturday night, but the truth is I will be at the Sinsun Hotel on Saturday night, not here! Boys, throw him outta here. And Sikes, I will hit you and that Inquisitive paper of yours with a major lawsuit if you try to fabricate anything! I respect Jacobs, but she'll never be a girlfriend of mine! Now buzz off!"
The two bouncers threw him hard to the bottom of the staircase. "You can't do this to me!"
"Oh, no. Just try it again, I dare you."
His two henchmen popped knuckles on each hand.
Sikes decided this would not work out and left. When he got to his car, he said, "I don't get it. I distinctively heard her voice, and she said the date would be here…unless she knew I had that bug! I wonder if…that girl I saw with Bob Raven's son. No, it couldn't be. She's from Iowa, not Texas. Then again…of course! That girl with Raven's son was Jacobs in disguise! Nice try, my dear, but I know part of the truth now. All I need is the location, and the story is mine!"
He then contacted his boss by cell phone again. "Miss Corliss, Jacobs set me up. She stated the wrong person and location, but I know at least with whom her date is. It's Bob Raven's son Victor."
"Excellent work! I thought there was something going on between those two. All we need now is where the date will take place. Can you find out any information?"
"I'll try my best. I'll first get to his father, Bob Raven himself."

Victor and Lainie arrived back at the Express, where everyone had waited to help unload the groceries.
As soon as that was accomplished, Lainie spun around a couple of times and reverted back to being Angie again. "Wow, it worked. Everyone thought I was his cousin Lainie."
She explained the whole story to her friends, all except Mona, who left earlier to tend to her father's casino.
"You did great, Angie," Ace stated proudly. "You managed to get all the grocery shopping done and got home safely."
"Dudette, you rock," said Cosmo with a chuckle. "I wish I could do that…really."
"I know what you mean, Cosmo. At least things are starting to look up for me. As for Sikes, he's on that wild goose chase after Sonny Boy Surge."
Victor then looked at his watch. "I'd better get to the DNA Mall. Dad said he was going to need me for a few tasks this afternoon. Angie, I'll be tied up the rest of the week working for Dad and those riding courses. I'll see you on Saturday night."
"Okay, Vic."
After a heartfelt kiss to each other, he left the Magic Express to go join his father at the DNA Mall.

As for Bob Raven himself, he called the Planet Electric restaurant to double-check the reservation. "Yes, my son's reservation is still good for Saturday evening, right?"
"Relax, Mr. Raven," said the owner, "the reservation for your son and Angela Jacobs is still good. And, I'm making sure I don't tell anyone about it. In fact, I'm the only person here who knows. I know they're both under constant media scrutiny right now, and the last thing I want is a media blitz."
"Good. I appreciate that. They want this night to be special, and it won't be if the media's all over them."
"I completely understand, Mr. Raven. We'll see to it that everything is done in secrecy come Saturday night."
"Thank you."
Meanwhile, his son Victor had just entered the mall to join his father at the security office.
Sikes, though, noticed and came in from a safe distance behind. "You're mine, Victor Raven. I'll get the real scoop of the century."
Victor took out his security clearance card and entered the office on the fourth floor. "Hi, Dad."
"Son, how did the shopping trip go?"
"It went just fine. Everyone thought 'Lainie' was my real cousin from El Paso. She even bought jalapeno and habenero peppers. She said she wants to make the hottest chili ever attempted."
"Oh, boy, that'll be a stomach-burner for sure."
Sikes soon was at the door of the office and quietly knocked.
"I wonder who that could be?" asked Victor curiously.
"Maybe it's a lost child."
The second Victor opened the door, though, he noticed. "Sikes!"
He tried to slam the door, but Sikes pushed his way past Victor. "Nice try, but I know part of the truth now. You're the lucky man for Miss Jacobs's first date. Now give me the details as to where your first date will take place."
"For your trashy publication…never! You can't force it out of me."
"Or me," said his father, coming to his defense. "You can't just burst in here asking for information that is not any of your business."
"Listen, old man!" Sikes shouted angrily. "The public has the right to know! You are not going to hide this from me! Either tell me now, or I'll make you talk!"
"You can't make us," said Mr. Raven.
Sikes then said something horrifying. "If you don't tell me right now…I'll go after Angela! I know she was in disguise when she went shopping earlier!"
Victor became concerned for his girlfriend's safety. I can't believe this. I've got to think of something, but not the Planet Electric or Sunset Casino. Wait…I think I've got it. "All right, I'll tell you where the first date is."
"Victor, no. If you do that, then she may never forgive you."
"I'm sorry, Dad. I have to protect Angie. I don't want her to get hurt." He then gave a wink to his father.
Mr. Raven nodded, realizing his son was about to play a trick of his own.
Victor then turned to Sikes. "Our first date is Saturday night at 7:00 at the Croesus Palace casino. That's the honest-to-goodness truth."
"Thank you…very much, Victor Raven. You see how easy that was? Now I have the story of the century! Farewell, friends, and thank you again for all your support." He then ran out of the room to the relief of father and son.
"That reporter is really stupid," said Mr. Raven. "He didn't even bother verifying that your date isn't at the Croesus Palace at all. It looks like things will go as planned."
"I hope so. I just hope Angie won't be mad at me about him finding out I'm her date."
"Sikes has a true reporter's senses. He can tell when someone's in disguise. It's not your fault."
"I'd better at least notify her of this situation." Victor then went to the telephone to call Angie.
At the Express, Angie picked up the line. "Hello?"
"Angie, it's Victor."
She could tell the distress in his voice. "What happened?"
"Sikes figured out that I'm your date. He saw through your disguise after you called the Magic Express earlier. I'm sorry."
Angie shook her head but was not angered. "It's not your fault, Vic. I should have used telepathy instead of the phone. We both made mistakes, but we can learn from them. Did he get our location, though?"
"Nope. I told him our date's at the Croesus."
"Wonderful! That's at least one thing on our side."
"So, you're not…angry with me?"
"Victor, of course not. The one to be angry at is Sikes, not you. You're doing the best you can, but Sikes is a seriously ruthless reporter. He obviously said he would threaten to harm me if you didn't say anything."
"Yes, he did. Thanks, Angie. Thanks for understanding."
"Victor, I love you, that's all that matters. There's no such thing as a perfect relationship. There are bound to be bumps in this road, but we'll deal with them together."
"That's why I love you. You're truly one-of-a-kind to me."
"I'll see you on Saturday, Victor. 7:00 at Planet Electric, right?"
"Right. Bye, Angie." He calmly hung up the phone.
"So?"
"She's not mad at me at all. It's Sikes."
"Good. See, she loves you for being you, not for money or fame. Boy, won't Sikes be surprised when he goes to the Croesus and learns you and Angie are not there?"
"Exactly. There's no way he'll ever know for sure now. Spade and Diamond will have a good time with him."
"Well, we need to get back to work."
Victor nodded with a smile. "Sure thing, Dad."

Sikes quickly drove back to his office at The Inquisitive and spoke to his boss. "I've got it. Victor Raven and Angela Jacobs will be having their date Saturday night at 7:00 at the Croesus Palace!"
With a wicked smile, Corliss stated, "Well done, Sikes. You will be rewarded handsomely with this information. Besides, we don't even have to give away the 100,000 electro-dollars now. We'll have the exclusive story out by Monday. Now let's see cute little Angela's reaction when she finds out."
"Right. We've got the story of the century right here, and Jacobs can't stop it, neither can Cooper or any of the Raven family. She'll be covered for life."
"Okay, but let's lay low for now. Her date is Saturday evening, so we'll strike then. I can't wait to see the look in her eyes when we find out what she's up to on her precious first date."
"We'll be raking in more dough than we can count!"
Corliss then stood up and waved her arms while stating, "I can just see the headline now…Female Magician with Businessman's Son. It must be a prize-winning story!"
"Agreed. We've got her in the net now."
"I personally want to go with you, so I can make certain you get that byline."
The two of them considered throwing a huge celebration for what they thought was going to be the tabloid story of the year. However, they had no idea what was in store for them on Saturday evening…

As for the remainder of the week, things were incredibly quiet. For Angie's personal safety, she did not venture too far away from the Express, in case people were still after the information about her date.
Also, Angel made sure the only calls going through were between Ace and his friends. No strangers or reporters could call into the Express at all.
Angie did the best she could to remain calm about her growing media scrutiny, since she had a lot of trouble adjusting to it. During her control practice on Thursday, she lost control of the magic temporarily, which caused a short in the phone line in the practice room.
Ace knew this was not going to be an easy process and understood she could not maintain 100% control all the time. At least the only damage that could be sustained would be in the practice room and not the entire Magic Express.
On Friday night, as Angie went to sleep, she knew she was less than 24 hours from going through something so important in her life, it ranked near the top with graduation. To keep herself calm, she was able to think pleasant thoughts, like the times she had with her parents. The next day could possibly change her entire life…by just one date…