Started With a Lie – Chapter Twelve

Lee’s birthday bash is today. We returned to New York City a few days ago. Lee checked us into the same suite again. Over the days, we didn’t really speak. He always left for work and I watched television, went on my phone, or slept. I also didn’t mind calling in room service whenever I wanted, or the fact that the hotel has arcades and an indoor pool.

            I stare into the dresser mirror and comb through my hair. I notice some split ends forming. I need a trim soon, I think.

            I’m in a light orange dress that goes up to my knee. It’s tight up to my torso before it frills out. There are no sleeves. This is what I’m wearing to the birthday bash.

           I feel so insecure, though. Am I dressed too much or too little? I’m too scared to ask Lee. It feels like after he’s been so nice to me at my house, he’s back to his old self: the cold-hearted CEO of the hotel business.

              “Ivory, are you ready?” Lee says through the door of my guest room.

I jump startled, and regain my composure. I put the comb down. I hadn’t done anything to my hair since it was behaving today, so I just let it down and just put in some clips here and there. “Yes, I’m ready.”

            Unlocking the door, I see Lee standing there in a dark gray suit holding an orange tie. How’d he know I was wearing an orange dress? I eye him weirdly. He just smirks. Yeah, definitely back to his old self, I think sadly.

            “You want to help me put this on, girlfriend?” Lee asks, holding the tie out to me. Now, I’m really confused. Is he making fun of me? Is this some kind of joke? I had already apologized about the last incident.

            “Can’t you do it yourself?” I ask with a straight face.

            “Well, we’re going to have to act like a couple later. Let’s get in some practice now so we don’t mess up. We wouldn’t want to get caught, right?” he says, the smirk never leaving his face.

            I snatch the tie out of his hand and wrap it around his neck, tight. Lee coughs and I let it go a little. I angrily fix the tie into place. Why couldn’t Lee just be nice? Why was he so bipolar that he couldn’t act nice to me unless we were alone?

         When I’m almost done with the tie, I look up and freeze. Lee’s staring down at me with the most intense look ever. I gasp. My hands freeze on his tie. His eyes look so… sincere. I realize I’m breathing hard now. What? I try to calm my breathing but Lee’s still staring at me and I don’t know why but it’s keeping me frozen into place.

       His hands go up and rest on my hands on his neck. It stays there for a moment and I’m so confused that my mind is blank. He moves my hands from him and says, “Are you done?”

          I snap back into reality and jump away. “Y-Yeah. I’m done.” Without meeting his eyes, I go back into my room to grab my coat and phone. When I’m about to reach my coat, I stop. What was that? It needs to stop. The awkward moments when we both just stay in place and this weird feeling is in the air. I don’t like the feeling.

          Maybe I should confront Lee about it. But then I think maybe not. It’s already so awkward between us after what happened at my house.

       I shrug it off and head back into the hallway. I don’t have time for silly imaginations. I don’t want to give myself false hope and just like Lee even more. It’s time to put my feelings away. I nod and tell myself, you don’t need him. You don’t need anybody.

          Lee is waiting at the door for me. My heels kind of make me tall as Lee, but not so much. We head out of his suite and into the elevator. It’s tense. The air feels so thick that when the elevator opens again, I feel so relieved that I run out of the elevator.

               The party is at some famous hall that Lee told me about. I didn’t really pay attention when he told me about it. There is a sleek, black car outside the hotel, which I think is for us. I hop into the backseat… only to find a stranger in it.

           “Um, who are you?” I ask the dark-haired man in the car. He’s handsome and young—cute, actually. But what was he doing in the car? Was he one of Lee’s friends?

        He chuckles. “Me? Who are you? You’re the one in my car.”

              “I don’t think so. This car is Lee’s, isn’t it?”

      “No, honey. This is my car. I’m Mark.” The stranger takes out his hand for me to shake. “Mark Zuckerburg. Just kidding. I’m Mark Welch.”

          I smile at his joke. Maybe all rich guys weren’t so rude. I shake his hand as I grin. “I’m Ivory. Sorry for my intrusion. I didn’t mean to hop into a stranger’s car. No hard feelings, right?”

            The door suddenly opens and Lee stands there. “Ivory, there you are. I kept trying to tell you that our car was on the side but you just ran into this car. Get out.” I listen and get out to his side. Lee puts his head back in the car. “I’m so sorry—Mark?”

            “So you’re the Lee,” Mark says, his voice cold and hard now. What happened to his goofy smile and fun personality earlier? He just sounded like he was staring at the person he hated the most.

         “Mark,” Lee says in a mutual tone. “How long has it been?” He doesn’t sound too happy. Why do they both sound so hateful to each other? Are they brothers? No, they don’t have the same last name.

           “Years, hasn’t it?” Mark says through gritted teeth.

          Their expressions scare me. I tug on Lee’s shoulder and when he looks over, his expression falters to a softer one. “Let’s go, Lee,” I whisper. “We don’t want to be late for your party.”

        “Of course, dear,” Lee replies. Wait, what? Why is he acting all lovey-dovey? “Mark, I see you’ve met my girlfriend, Ivory. We’ll see you later, okay?”

          Mark keeps his fists clenched by his side. “Bye, Ivory. Nice meeting you.” He throws me a smile. “And, see you soon, Lee.”

        Lee slams the car door—a little too hard—and we both walk to the car we were supposed to be in. He takes a seat with me in the backseat and he remains silent, calming his breathing. I don’t say anything. I think it might be a touchy topic with him. I remain silent to the ride there.

          Throughout the ride, I think about Mark. Who could he possibly be to enrage the youngest billionaire on Earth? Is he a past friend that ended their friendship roughly? About a million possibilities run through my mind.

            I’m in the middle of one when the chauffer opens my side of the car door. I thank him and step out only find raindrops hit my head. I stand before a beautiful tall building with all the lights on. It’s starting to drizzle and it feels amazing. The air smells like wet pavements and lights blur into one.

       New York City is beautiful under the rain.

          I would stay here a bit longer if it wasn’t for the fact that Lee was already inside and waving over to me to come inside. I ran inside and thankfully my dress or hair isn’t ruined too much.

           Lee gives his name and party name and the person at the desk gives him a room number. He walks to the elevator and I step in with him. The doors close and leave us to ourselves.

           “Who’s Mark?” I blurt out.

          Lee looks a bit taken back. “Nobody important.”

           “Oh,” I say, disappointed into not being able to get information out of Lee. If he wouldn’t tell me, I’d have to take matters into my own hands.

         “Now, remember everything on the script? The people and what you’re supposed to say to them? Don’t mess up on this. It’s too important,” Lee informs me. “Just remember the person I told you about. Madam Jin.”

           “Thanks for the encouragement. You’re such a good boyfriend,” I say sarcastically. “No pressure, right?”

           “I’m serious, Ivory.”

        “Sorry,” I say as the elevator doors open and lead us down a hallway. There are two, white French doors at the end of the hallway—where I’m guessing we’ll be going. There are two guards at the doors and they open each door for us.

         The first thing I notice is an orchestra playing on the side of the large hall. Violins and flutes. There are people chatting and drinking wine. Some are dancing in the middle. The room has large windows draped with light pink curtains. There is a large chandelier on the ceiling. Snacks and drinks are served by waiters, who walk around holding large trays. It smells delicious.

           “You ready?” Lee asks me as he slips his hand into mine.

          I’m surprised at first but then realize we’re a couple now—well, pretend couple. I firmly hold his hand. “Ready.”

           Lee leads me to people I should talk to. We talk to non-important people about small things. We try to dodge their questions about our relationship as most as possible. Lee does most of the talking, thankfully. It’s mostly talk about business anyways.

        And then it’s my turn.

          We’re walking towards Madam Jin—an important lady that’s supposed to make an upcoming business deal with Lee’s company. I don’t know who she is personally but she’s the most powerful Asian lady in the economy. She runs almost every chain of business in Korea, China, and Japan. I heard she even controls Thailand resorts and what not.

          “She’s in her late fifties but she’s not to underestimated,” Lee had warned me earlier. As I grew closer to her, I got more scared. “Just act like a couple in front of her. She’ll be leaving for Japan in a couple of days, anyways.”

          “Hello, Madam Jin,” Lee greets politely. He takes Madam Jin’s hand and kisses it. “It’s been a while.”

         Madam Jin doesn’t crack a smile with her completely red lips. She has thick eyeliner, which makes her eyes seem even scarier. Her long, black hair is into a tight bun at the top of her hair. She’s wearing a dark purple dress with a fur coat on. “Lee,” she says. “It has been a while.”

            “Yes, it has, Madam Jin.”

            She turns to me and my eyes widen. “Is this the girl you were talking about?” Madam Jin moves closer to stares straight at me.

            “Yes, Madam Jin, it is. Isn’t she beautiful?” Lee says, a nervous look on his face. He puts an arm around me and squeezes.

            And then Madam Jin cracks a smile. Her eyes become teary. “She reminds me just of my daughter-in-law.” She takes my hands. “Do you mind if I talk to you alone?”

            What? Wait a minute. Lee never had this in his script. I stare at him and he just nods. My eyes widen and glare at him. Lee just nods and mouths to go.

            “S-Sure,” I respond to her. Madam Jin grins and takes my hand and pulls me along to a side table in the room. She gets a waiter to get us some European crackers of some brand I don’t know. A waiter brings a basket full of them and sets it between us.

            “What’s your name?” Madam Jin asks me.

            “I-Ivory. Ivory Flores,” I answer.

            “Don’t be scared, Ivory. I don’t bite,” she jokes, chuckling. Madam Jin pushes the crackers to me. “Here, take some. They’re really good.”

            “Thank you.” I take a cracker and chew. It’s actually really good. I eat some more crackers before I look up and realize Madam Jin is staring at me with a smile. She’s resting her head on her arm and leaning on the table. I cough when I see her staring at me.

            Madam Jin looks startled and hands me a glass of water. I chug it down and sigh with relief when I’m done. She looks at me worriedly and asks, “Are you okay?”

            I nod. “I’m fine.”

            “I’m sorry for the weird staring,” Madam Jin says, apologizing with a smile. “It’s just you remind me of my daughter-in-law so much.”

            “Oh, really? Where is she?”

            “She’s… dead.”

            My eyes widen for the millionth time this night. “I-I’m so sorry.” I take her hands. “I didn’t mean to bring back painful memories. I’m so sorry.”

            “It’s okay,” Madam Jin says with a wry smile. She runs her hands over mine. Her hands are soft and smell like lilac. Do all old women smell like that? “She died in a car accident. Or so we think. My son, her, and their children went on a road trip. They never returned.” A tear drips down her cheek, which she quickly wipes away.

            “I’m so sorry for your loss,” I say from the bottom of my heart. I pull her in for a hug and she hugs me back. We hug for a moment before we pull away.

            “I’ve always wanted a daughter so when my son got married, I was so happy. His wife and I got along pretty quickly. Soon, she got pregnant and had a beautiful baby boy and soon a girl. Police found their car on the side of the road, but they were never found. It's been a cold case since.”

            I find tears in my eyes, too. Imagine losing almost half your family. I hold her hands. “That sounds miserable. I am so sorry. I bet your daughter-in-law is in a better place, now.”

            “Thank you, Ivory,” Madam Jin says. “I feel like you were sent to me. You look just like her. Maybe, we’re meant to be good friends. Maybe I'll stick around in America.”

            I grin. “I think we are.” Madam Jin and I laugh and share some jokes and small chat. She’s pretty cool for an old lady. My grandmother died before I could meet her so Madam Jin really patched up that empty hole in my heart.

            I’m still talking to her when someone taps my shoulder. I think it’s Lee but when I turn around I find Mark standing there.

            “Hello Madam Jin,” Mark greets her and kisses her hand. “May I steal this beautiful young lady for a while?”

            “You may, Mark,” Madam Jin responds. “But don’t you try anything. You’re quite known for your charms. Don’t try anything funny.” Mark chuckles but doesn’t respond as he takes my hand and drags me to the place where everyone’s dancing.

            “What are we doing here?” I ask him as he puts my hand in his and places my other hand on his left shoulder. He slips his free hand on my waist and starts swaying.

            “What do you think we’re doing, Ivory?” Mark grins. “We’re dancing.”

            “But, I’m not really good at dancing,” I tell him.

            “Don’t worry. You’re doing fine. But, try not to step on my feet, please?” he asks, wincing. I laugh and step on his foot on purpose. “Ow!” he cries. I laugh again as he cries in pain. “You want to play dirty, huh?”

            He suddenly grabs my waist tighter and tilts me to the side so I’m balancing off one foot and staring right up at his face. Mark suddenly pulls me up and twirls me.

         “Mark!” I exclaim. “Stop! That wasn’t funny!” I say that but I’m laughing as he dances along with me. It’s actually fun. Suddenly, a slow song comes on. I prepare to let go but Mark just pulls me closer until my face is in his shoulder and both his arms are around my waist.

         My cheeks redden. I’ve never been so close to a guy before. I smile into his shoulder. Mark is a pretty sweet guy. I dance slowly along with him but I feel like someone’s watching me. I scan the room and find Lee glaring at me. Not usual glaring, like you’re-going-to-die glaring.

         What’d I do this time?

         I step back from Mark. I need to go see what’s bothering Lee. We’re supposed to be a couple. “Mark, I’ll be right back, okay?”

             “Don’t take too long. I’ll go get us a drink,” Mark says, winking. I smile as I go through the crowd to where Lee is. When I reach him, his arms are crossed and he has a very angry look on his face.

          “What’s wrong?” I ask him when I get close enough.

      Lee doesn’t say anything for a second but then he says, “Why are you dancing with him?” His voice is filled with so much disgust and hate that it surprises me.

         I take a step back. “What’s wrong with dancing with him?”  Lee opens his mouth to talk but then I notice something—someone behind him. He looks familiar. Too familiar. I ignore Lee and chase after the man.

             I hear Lee shouting at me and asking me where I’m going but I ignore him. I ignore everything. I ignore the crowd. I just run because what I’m chasing is too scary to handle. Who I’m chasing is too important. It might not even be the person I’m thinking about but I have to check.

        The man goes into the hallway, the door closing behind him. I run faster and open the door. But when I walk into the hallway, there’s nobody there.

          I stomp my foot, frustrated. I walk back into the party and notice that Lee’s calling everybody because he’s going to cut the cake. But I can’t focus right now. I can’t focus on anything.

                Because that man looked exactly like my father. My dead father.

Hello hello. The action is finally starting! Yes! Anyways, here's my gift to you. A suspense-ish filled chapter. Well, I tried. Ooooh, Lee's jealous. LOL. What a possesive guy. Bipolar, too. I don't know why I created such a stupid character. Oh well, he's fun. Anyways, new thoughts on Mark? He's pretty hot. I told you that this isn't exactly like Lie to Me. More surprises to come. ^_^

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