24K Magic for a Perfect Illusion

Ch 5: Head to Toe So Player Uh, Look Out

Men are territorial, they don’t like trespassers in their property!

Being the CEO of grand hotels in America, Hearthof knows how to determine a friend and foe in the industry, he doesn’t have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in NYU’s business school just for a certificate of recognition, he is intelligent since birth.

“I’m pretty sure that not all what’s written about me in those letters are good.” Ves shook hands with Hearthof. “Hearthof … Goddesseth …” he raised his index finger. “Are you the president of this luxurious hotel?”

“You’ve figured it out immediately, while Hestia here got mad at me for not informing her about my job.” Hearthof side glanced at Hestia who’s minding her own business and didn’t even spare him a glance when he came to their table.

“I won’t be a psychologist if I’m slow-witted.” Ves replied. “Please join us, President Goddesseth.” he gestured to Hearthof to sit down. “Since Hes, has been telling you about me, knowing how detailed she is, you must know that my mother works here as the restaurant manager and my stepfather is the head chef.”

“Oh yes, she mentioned that to me before in one of her letters, though I don’t usually show myself to my employees I make sure that they’re all been treated fairly. I assure you that Goddesseth Hotels are great place to work for the employees.” Hearthof said.

“Since the President of this hotel is in our table, it’s a free meal, right?” Hestia tilted her head to Hearthof.

“Haha, of course, what else do you want to eat?” Hearthof looked at Hestia dotingly as he stroked her head gently. “Order whatever you want, it’s on the house.” he glanced at Ves. “You too, Dr. Taz.”

“Oh, I don’t have a doctoral degree, I just had my master’s. I’m actually not a studious type of person and supposed to stop my university life after I had my bachelor’s degree but a certain Ms. Nevaeh offered to pay for my master’s degree just to extend my stay in the university and graduate at the same time with her.”

“Tch. But you didn’t take the scholarship that I offered instead you’ve worked part-time as a singer. I almost thought that you’ll be changing careers since you’ve got a lot of offers from the entertainment industry.” Hestia interjected.

“How can I let you pay for my studies when I’m an able body?” Ves snorted. “Also, I have a talent in singing, so why not make it for a living?” he shrugged his shoulders.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why would you do a part-time when you’re already a college graduate? And the fact that you’re from KU, that’s one of the prestigious universities in Korea, so it won’t be that hard to find a job once you have your diploma.” Hearthof probed as he doesn’t understand Ves way of thinking.

“Peer pressure.” Ves said flatly. “My high school friends formed a band after graduating, it just so happened that they’re in a brink of disbanding when the vocalist went solo, thus I lend a hand for two years as their temporary vocalist until they finally found a replacement through a variety show.”

“Now I know, Hestia wrote that she didn’t allow you to start your career in psychology until she graduates. Thus, she made you a singer first before you two start your real journey in the workforce.” Hearthof exposed Hestia’s lie right in front of her.

“Oh, I see what you’re trying to imply there.” Ves narrowed his big eyes to Hestia’s pretty face.

“That’s because I think it’s unfair! You’re the only friend I have but you’ve got a lot of friends aside from me.” Hestia retorted.

“Now, it’s my fault that I’m more sociable than you are.” Ves raised his hand to call a waiter to order a dessert because he knows exactly that sweets will prevent them from having unnecessary argument and him from coaxing a mad Hestia.

It was Lesley who came to their service instead, since she took their orders earlier and the fact that the hotel owner is sitting on their table aside from Ves is her son.

“Anything I can do for you, President?” Lesley stood beside Hearthof immediately with a cold sweat on her forehead as the man rarely show himself to the public.

“Mom, I’m the one who called, why are you ignoring me?” Ves cheekily said that earned him a glare from his mother.

“Get his order first.” Hearthof gestured his hand towards Ves.

“See, even President Goddesseth, knows that I’m the one who …”

Lesley smacked Ves head to cut him off. “Oh, my hand slipped. I apologized for my wayward son’s behavior, President Goddesseth.”

“That hurts.” Ves rubbed the back of his head.

“Pfft.” Hestia held back her laughter. “That’s a good one, Auntie.”

Hearthof glanced at Hestia as he thinks how familiar she is to Ves’ mother for her to call the woman Auntie, the Hestia he knows always treats everyone distantly except for her family.

“What did you order for lunch?” Hearthof took Hestia’s attention.

“Oh, this, I had the chef’s choice. Not sure what’s the dish called but it’s certainly delicious.” Hestia replied to him and turned to Lesley again. “Auntie, please tell Uncle that I like my meal.”

“Of course, dear.” Lesley beamed a smile on Hestia. “Would you like the same dish, President?”

“Yes, please.” Hearthof nodded. “Also, do we have rice cakes? Hestia likes it.” he holds Hestia’s hand. “Have a dessert while I’m having a meal, alright?”

Hestia took away her hand, although she knew Hearthof since childhood, she couldn’t help but to feel anxious with his touch as it’s the first time they have seen each other after 11 years.

“I actually have another dessert in mind.” Hestia said timidly. “I would like to try the Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet.”

“Oh, not the purple potato pancakes?” Ves interjected.

“It’s on the menu??” Hestia widened her eyes in surprise.

“I just saw it when I browse the list earlier, I thought you’ve seen it too.” Ves responded with a helpless smile.

“I didn’t I just looked at it without reading much.” Hestia shook her head. “But I want the sorbet too. I think it goes well with the steak I just had.”

“Then have both.” Hearthof decided for her. “Just eat anything you want; you don’t have to contemplate on what to get for dessert. Manager Lesley, please get them for her.”

“Hey, I’m not a pig!” Hestia retorted. “I’ll just have the sorbet and the pancake for breakfast tomorrow.”

“You’ll be staying here in the hotel until tomorrow?” Hearthof asked excitedly as he thought that Hestia would leave to LA after their meeting.

“Mmm-hmm.” Hestia hummed; she almost spilled the surprise birthday party she has in mind for Ves.

“I see.” Hearthof nodded. “Benny.” he called for his personal assistant who’s standing by near their table.

“Yes, president?” Benny, a blue-eyed and blonde man, whom most people thought as the big boss, stood beside Hearthof.

“Please arrange the presidential suite for Ms. Nevaeh and a family room for Mr. Taz.” Hearthof commanded in a polite manner.

“That won’t be necessary, Ves can stay in the same room with me.”

Hearthof thought that he just misheard Hestia but she repeated her statement again that the two of them will be using one room.

“I know this is America, specifically in Vegas, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for the young lady of the Nevaeh to stay in the same room with a man.” Hearthof tried to hide his displeasure while talking some sense to Hestia, he definitely won’t allow his future wife to be with another man specially when he’s around.

“The presidential suite most like have two or more bedrooms so we’re not sleeping in the same room.” Hestia said in a matter-of-fact manner. “Besides I’ve been with Ves for over a decade, he’s not bad guy who takes advantage with girls, specially his friend.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust Mr. Taz, I know how cautious you are in selecting friends. It’s just that I don’t want people to spread rumors about you. We all know that you’ve got a reputation to take care of as the lady of the Nevaeh, and although there’s a known rule that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, people always talk that’s something we don’t have control no matter what we do.”

Hestia knows that Hearthof mean well so she decided to tell to him about her plan. “Can we talk for a moment? Just us two.”

“Sure.” Hearthof followed Hestia outside the restaurant, they really have to talk as he’s totally against her idea.

As the two walked away, Ves talked to his mother in serious tone.

“Spill it. What do you know about Hestia’s plan for tonight?”

“Plan? What plan??” Lesley feigned innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Hestia and I just met again today, how come we planned something for your birthday tonight?”

“Heh! Alright, I pretend I don’t know anything and act surprise later.” Ves stared at the direction where Hestia has gone to.

“Did you just use some trick to your own mother?” Lesley realized that she did what Ves asked unconsciously.

“Did I? I don’t remember doing anything at all.” Ves grinned.

“You’re scaring me. How can you control someone’s mind that easily?! You …” Lesley hits Ves shoulder. “Don’t you ever do that to me again! Geez, I’m having goosebumps because of you.”

“It’s not like it works to everyone.” Ves muttered. “If I can make Hestia fall in love with me that easily then I should’ve done it.”

Ves learned hypnosis in college, one of the perks being a psychology student aside from reading minds through human behavior, he didn’t study just to graduate but he’s applying what he learned for six years in the university.

Meanwhile in the garden near the restaurant …

“Look I know you’re worried about my well-being and I appreciate it but the real reason I’m insisting to stay in the same room with Ves is … I’m planning a surprise party for him tonight. It’s his birthday tomorrow, his parents will be there to celebrate with us and his friends that I called to get here in Vegas. Twenty of them confirmed their attendance, including his former bandmates, so it’s not just me and him.” Hestia explained the whole situation.

“Oh.” Hearthof sighed a relief inwardly. “Instead in the suite, do the party in the bar. I’ll tell Benny to reserved the whole bar for party tonight. That way you only have to prepare less because there’s already music and drinks.”

“That’s a great idea! Though I don’t usually like crowded, noisy, and dark places but Ves is someone who enjoys being surrounded by a lot of people, so I think he’ll have a blast tonight.” Hestia said excitedly as her eyes sparkles with a lot of expectations.

“Alright, let’s go back inside. I’ll tell Benny what we’ve talked about. Might as well let him arranged everything so you don’t have to do anything else.” Hearthof put his hand at Hestia’s back as they return inside the restaurant.

If Ves was a woman and not a man, Hearthof would be more relieve, he still doesn’t like that Hestia is having a close relationship with another man aside from him.

The fact that Ves is taller than him and though he doesn’t want to admit that the guy is good-looking, physically he’s no match on him as obviously the man must be popular with women because of his handsome and youthful face, and those big eyes, oh he envies those eyes the most.

His only advantage was he knows Hestia first, they shared childhood for five years, and he’s the first and only friend that Hestia ever made when her family migrated to Korea.

Even though they’ve been separated for over a decade, they maintained their long-distance relationship through letters and phone calls, they weren’t completely out of touch from each other.

After having lunch and chit chat, Hearthof gave Hestia and Ves a tour around the hotel and spent the rest of the day in the casino.

When the evening comes, Hestia told Ves to go to the bar and wait for her there while she talks some business with Hearthof.

Ves knows her lies but he doesn’t want to spoil her mood as most likely she’ll be mad at him; thus, he went to the hotel’s bar as what Hestia told him to go.

At the bar’s counter, after having a light drink to passed up time while waiting for the surprise event for him, a woman with familiar face sat down at the high stool beside him.

“Angelina … right?” Ves recognized the woman immediately as she was the maid who led him to the guest room at the Nevaeh mansion yesterday though her hair and eye color are different as of today, he can’t never go wrong identifying people faces.

The woman had a shocked expression but she concealed it right away and jokingly said, “Is that a new way of picking up girls?”

‘This is the first time someone recognized me right away, but it’s not a good thing at all, I have to be careful with this man.’ the woman thought as she keeps her act straight.

“Oh, no please, you misunderstand.” Ves waved his hand to deny.

“It’s alright.” the woman shrugged. “I’m Joanne, by the way.”

“Ves.” Ves turned to the bar counter as he thinks deeply. ‘Angelina has brown hair and hazel eyes but this Joanne has blonde hair and blue eyes, how come their physical appearance aside from hair and eye color are exactly the same?’ he thought to himself as he took a sip on his bourbon.

“So … Ves, where you from? You look Asian but Ves sounds a western name to me.” Joanne tried to keep the conversation going.

“I was born in Russia then moved to South Korea, but my name has nothing to do where I came from. It was my parents who couldn’t decide what to name me, my father wanted Vesa it’s a Finnish language for young plant, while my mother preferred Veselin, it’s Slavic for merry one. Although my father almost won in naming me, my mother won’t settle for the ‘a’ as the name Vesa may sound confusing for a boy, thus I got the name Ves.”

“I see, so your name’s almost Finnish?” Joanne probed.

“Yeah, though my surname Taz is from Ukraine.” Ves smiled playfully. “As to my physical appearance, I’m more of a Korean, both of my parents are half-Koreans.”

“I guess I’m not the only one with a complicated ethnicity.” Joanne took a sip of her cocktail before she continued. “I got Italian, French-Canadian/French, English, German, Scottish, Swedish, Irish, and Dutch descent.”

“That’s why you don’t look like a stereotype American girl.” Ves nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking, do you have a sister?”

“Younger sister … but her name’s not Angelina.” Joanne replied truthfully. ‘I’m that Angelina and it’s not a fake name, as my parents gave me three names, so I’m not lying to this man.’

“Haha, then it must be one of the mysteries in the world. You really look like her only that she has brown hair and hazel eyes.”

“Is she your woman? Do I look like exactly the love of your life?”

“No, you got it all wrong. I don’t have such relationship with her, I honestly barely know her … it’s just that you two are like twins.”

“Haha, I can assure you I ain’t got no twin sister.” Joanne laughed as she glanced at the man that sits behind Ves.

“Piña colada, please.” a man with a suave voice ordered his drink.

Ves subconsciously glanced at the man behind him and saw that the latter is wearing dark shades in the club.

‘Can he see anything with those shades in this dark place?’ Ves thought but he doesn’t like to dwell onto someone else sense of fashion. ‘This man puts his looks first above anything else.’

“I can see ya lookin’ at me.” the man slid down his shades and winked at Ves. “Am I more interesting than the Barbie doll on your other side?” he put his megawatt smile on that always work for the ladies and gays.

“Head to toe so player.” Ves sneered as he scrutinized the man but before he made a word, he heard Joanne said, ‘Uh, look out!’