Chapter 148 Lies and fairytales
We found our rhythm that Christmas in Seoul.
Hale left for council sessions at the convention complex right after breakfast. The organizers of the summit had promptly adopted him as resident expert on urban cultural districts the moment they realized he was there.
Mordaine generally departed the suite shortly after, and Finn and I would watch him slip into the back of a limo with his P. A, Samhain, driving off to a rented office space in Central Seoul. He seemed to care less about anonymity these days, Limo and all.
“You’ve become my self-appointed bodyguard.” I batted my lashes at Finn, as he draped the scarf he’d chosen for me one of those mornings, around my throat.
“You said this whole thing's like… old London, right?” he offered me his arm, turning towards the door. “It was a big deal to be out without a chaperon.”
“But I’m not an unmarried miss.” I gave a gentle smile.
“Yea… right.” He rolled his eyes, drawing a giggle out of me. “Public opinion says you are though.”
“Public opinion says you carry my bag too?” It was a relief to see he handled rejection well. That we could still joke around like this without awkward tension. After that night, I again told him no.
“How did you know?” he quirked an eyebrow, slinging my purse into the crook of his elbow. “Asian men carry their women's purses. I've got no idea how Americans forgot that part of, uh... chivalry, but I'm never stopping now.”
We were in front of an elevator now. A shard of warm light bounced off my chrome nail as I jabbed the button. “Am I your woman then?”
“Working on it, baby.” Our eyes met, and I felt the effect of his wink in the folds between my thighs.
Like every other morning, Kathy met up with us just outside the studio with piping-hot cups of aromatic Korean coffee. Yes, they were special. She had to stand in a long queue to get them before the shops even opened.
My friends swept Finn out of my arms the moment we stepped into the temporary studio blocks away from our hotel. At this point, they were probably as in love with Finn as I was.
And there was no doubt why.
Besides being arguably the most beautiful man in the world, Finn had a natural charm. It was not like Hale's seductive elegance, but more the reckless, youthful kind. And there was also the sadness in his eyes that made him look like a heartbroken French actor.
He watched us practice, sometimes taking Kade's place to practice with me, other times just sitting on the studio floor till I was done for the day, and then he would ballroom dance with me across the floor, all the while whispering dad jokes in my ears that were extra hilarious because of how deliberately cringe they were.
It was a fairy tale. Those hours before two pm. It soothed a quiet ache in my heart to see him move through the studio, to feel the open warmth people gave him so easily, to know the prejudice against vampires held no weight here.
“You really should take up ballet,” Coach said to him one of those afternoons. Finn made a contemplative sound where he was, bent over, lacing his shoes up.
“And leave me jobless,” Kade brushed past us, and threw an arm around Finn's shoulder just as he straightened up. “I think not.”
Finn shrugged now. “Sorry Coach, I'll only dance with Lys, but that spot…” he put Kade in a headlock. “Is gone.”
We left the old man smiling, and with my arm around Caroline’s waist, all four of us set off for the city as has become our ritual.
“Gianna?” Caroline squinted at me as we climbed out of the taxi.
“Think she got bored and left.” I avoided her gaze as Finn took my hand in his, stepping onto the sidewalk. That night of the opening ceremony was the last time I saw my sister, or even spoke to anyone back home.
My guess was Mom and Dad found a way to get her back to the US. My guilt at the whole messy business did not taint my relief though. I could perform flawlessly every evening and take excursions like these during the day only because my mind was at ease that my crazy sister was far away, and on a tight leach.
We made our way through the narrow streets of Ikseon-dong, like we did every afternoon. It was sometimes out of our way, but the historic air of the neighborhood was addictive even though we never vocalized it, so all of our afternoon trips began here.
I was planted between the three of them as we moved down the paved streets, between their tiny designer boutiques and crafts shops while Caroline moaned about yet another failed talking stage. Just as she began to ask if Finn had no brothers I could introduce her to, the man in question ducked into a shop.
“He is not about to buy you something again, is he?” Caroline gawked, and I pulled her out of the way, and we stood waiting.
“Heard of love language?” Kade frowned, hands deep in his pockets. “You probably haven't.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Caroline pretended to bristle.
Finn stepped out again, a wide, pleased smile on his face as he held a shopping bag up. I could not have contained my smile even though I tried. Because as much as I did not understand it, this seemed to be his love language. Gifting.
But as I unboxed this gift back at the hotel that evening, I considered begging him to get no more as Hale watched me. He and Mordaine were back, although the latter was glued to his computer.
The box contained a silver binyeo that I imagined the trader must have gotten from a real queen’s hair in the Jeoson dynasty, thanks to its careful details. Then I pulled out a modern Handbok made for everyday wear.
I looked up at those aqua-colored eyes, wondering where I could possibly wear this back home. But he gave me a full-toothed grin, killing all my protests.
A giggle escaped me. Mordaine shot me a glance and I hurriedly jerked my gaze away.
But it was Hale who spoke up when I pulled out a pendant. “Are you planning to get her pregnant, darling?”
“What?” Finn flushed crimson, the exact shade I suspected was now painted on my flaming cheeks.
“The Noriega pendant is a very symbolic gift,” the deep bass said for the first time. “It’s not entirely for fertility, but also for longevity, luck and… protection, I believe. But yes,” his eyes darted towards Hale, exchanging a loaded look. “It’s suspicious that you will give that to my wife.”
It was a joke. They were obviously ribbing him like they did to each other all day. But that was the last time Finn got me an Asian-themed gift.
On a painfully cold afternoon, we docked into one of the smaller shops and settled for a hot pot. Tamar and Kathy were with us today, curious to see what about the city had us vanishing like shadows the moment the clock stuck two.
“You’re not friends,” Caroline bumped my shoulder as Finn and Kade moved away from the table in search for the bathroom.
“What?”
“Lys Astre Grunder.” She read like she was my mother, her eyes suspicious slits. “Don’t you dare deflect.”
My cheeks were on fire now, and under the table I was tugging on my nails. Caroline leaned in and pumped her brows suggestively. “I have seen the way you look at each other, like you need a room.”
I brought a hand up to her temple, as if to feel for a fever. But she swatted my hand off.
“You are beginning to say weird things, Caroline.”
Our waiter was here, with cocktails balanced in hand. And I grabbed a glass, greedy for a drink. “I’ll work extra hard on finding this boyfriend you need.” I said around the glass. “Anything to stop this hallucination.”
“You cannot even meet my eyes. You are such a bad liar.”
“I won't bother trying to prove you wrong, because I know you are.” I carefully set the glass of freshly juiced mangoes down.
The waiter said our shabu shabu would not take long, and Tamar conveyed our excitement at making our own meal ourselves.
But she gave me a mildly curious glance as the waiter turned away from our table, and then looked away. My shoulders trembled.
On the first night of my performance, Tamar had walked into my private dressing room while I was changing into my belle dress. At the sight of the cupping marks on my skin, a sharp gasp escaped her.
But as I reassured her that I was not a victim of domestic violence, she laughed.
“I had no idea Fentone could get freaky like this. He always struck me as a gentleman.”
The fact that she thought it was Fentone who did that to me, frightened me. I did not think she would ever bring it up before him, or tell anyone else. She was too professional for that.
But I could feel the walls closing in on me now. It would not be long before something or someone exposed this lie I was living.