Five days later, I calmly entered the venue of the party where Carson Gao was due to attend as its esteemed guest.
I almost felt naked in the thin silk material of the pure white dress Kaiser had got for me. The material tickled every time it came into contact with my bare skin. Shrugging away the feeling of nakedness, I was confident I would be able to carry the elegant yet scanty dress.
For Kaiser and the ultimate revenge in my hands, I would do it, even if I had to cheapen myself. I was that determined as a person.
“You’re Shea Tay? The guest introduced by Kent Kai?”
Kaiser had even come up with a false name for me, as well as for himself. I went with it. With my fair looks and minimal Asian roots, I would be able to convince a crowd of my fake persona.
“I’m Oscar Zion, welcome to my party.”
The host was a black man wearing an outfit that looked more suitable for a dance performance coupled with magic tricks. I held back a giggle to realise how his hat looked like one of those magicians’ who pulled rabbits out of their hats.
Oscar escorted me amiably to a section at the back of the party, past the dance floor where I sat at an empty table. The venue was similar to a bar. I didn’t know much about my host, other than he loved to mix with people of foreign races. He began a short account of his purpose of the party, and as much as he was articulate about it, I wasn’t listening.
My mind could only think of how I was going to get Carson’s attention, due to how eccentric he was, and how to get him on my side. From the days I worked as a ‘sales executive’ at Kaiser’s company back home, I met several men who all had different tastes and sexual preferences. Some liked penetration, while others just wanted a little touching. What was Carson like in that department? Did he have a strong aversion to being touched?
I nodded and smiled politely.
“Thank you, Oscar.”
He was about to say something when a beep in the distance awakened him to his senses. “I hear a guest coming, I have to go. I’ll see you around, Shea.”
As soon as he was gone, I scanned the distance for any signs of Carson Gao, but he didn’t seem to be around. As a hotshot, I wasn’t surprised that he was late.
After half an hour had passed and all I did was sit vigilantly listening to the background music, some sexily-dressed girls assembled near the drinking area. I accepted a glass from a waiter, as the whispers around me intensified.
“He’s here. I want to have my first dance with him!” One young woman chattered excitedly.
Another was shouting incessantly about his designer attire that probably cost thousands of dollars apiece. Honestly, I wasn’t interested in what he chose to put himself in, all I wanted to do was finish my task and be done.
But seeing him with my own eyes, made me cower, not from him, but from the man he was with. After so long, to be able to meet with the person who inflicted all my pain on me was a harrowing feeling to have.
Lenard Lee, who abducted, confined and ruined me, was connected to Carson Gao? The fact was hard for me to accept. Just how could I make my presence without being recognised by my tormentor?
Just then, a waitress on a self-balancing scooter whizzed past, distributing feather masks to everyone regardless of gender. I picked up the mysterious-looking silvery feather mask that covered more than half of my face, put it on and glanced at my reflection on my phone’s selfie camera.
With the mask on, I was unrecognisable. But I still had to wait for the perfect moment to approach. The two were just inseparable, although I knew Lenard Lee, apart from Lee Jung, had no other close friend. This led me to deduce that this companionship had to be a new one that was formed in the last two or more years that I returned.
But, if so, why was Lenard Lee here and not back in the city? If it was a coincidence, then it must be an ill one.
Or did Kaiser have any intention of putting me up here so I could have my revenge? Even then, what was in it for him?
I had to react quickly to seize the opportunity to seduce Carson, and it couldn’t happen with Lenard around him. So, I looked around me until I found an innocent girl sitting by a table. In front of her, her mask lay on the table, untouched.
I took a glass from a nearby waiter and approached. Heaving a quick breath, I slipped off my mask and introduced myself.
“My name is Cho... Cho Cho…” She sounded very innocent. This was no place for an innocent person like her.
“What brings you to the party?”
“I’m attending on behalf of my… my boyfriend..”
She didn’t seem very smart and was incapable of long sentences.
“Do you want to leave this place early?”
For her to help me, I knew it was possible by negotiating a deal with her.
“I can help you.”
She didn’t seem to notice anything was amiss. In other words, she was naive and gullible. I assured her, with a friendly smile, that if she helped me, I would find a way to help her escape the party in return, without affecting the man she was substituting for. I took her hand carefully and she let me take her to the scene, where we stood behind the crowd.
I pointed towards Lenard.
“I just need you to distract the man in red.”
“That seems so hard… I don’t know if I can…”
She was already blushing so hard that I needed to try harder to convince her.
“You just need to learn to strike a good conversation. Try after me.”
I egged her on, “You’re a very beautiful girl, Cho Cho. You just need more self-esteem. Think of why your boyfriend fell in love with you in the first place, and why he asked you to go in his stead. If he didn’t think highly of you, would he ask you to go?”
She smiled bashfully and nodded. “Shea, I think I know what to do now.”
“We’re friends now, right? Later, give me a missed call when you want to leave.”
I swiftly entered my number into her phone and saved it as Shea. Then I watched as she clumsily approached Lenard and in the process, spilt wine on him.
I whipped out my phone and dialled Ice’s number. The Smart Alec had the means to get into the electrical control room and turn out the lights later. But before that, I needed to approach Carson. From what I read of Carson, a typical conversation wouldn’t get his attention.
The naive girl was successful and led Lenard away with her. Carson moved away, heading towards the drinking area. He was tall and slim, rather than muscular, and he walked fast, ignoring the cries of the crowd.
I put on my mask and slid behind him stealthily. As I was slim and petite, I easily found myself next to him. When we both reached for the same glass, our hands touched.
However, he wasn’t annoyed. Instead, he enjoyed brushing his hand over mine, pretending that it was accidental.
“Ladies first,” he rasped, purposely getting closer to me. My heartbeat sped. This was the first time I was in such close contact with an Asian man, and he wasn’t a turn-off like the other Chinese men I met before, particularly, Sherry’s husband Anderson and the half-Chinese and half-Korean man who was the cause of my demise, Lee Jung. His hand felt warm and his touch, comforting.
I took the glass and put it to my lips, my fingers trembling.
“Relax, is this your first time or something?”
I uttered a made-up alibi in response. Kaiser had planned for me to act as his assistant, so I said that I was filling in for him as he had a clash with another event at the last moment.
“Ah, Kent, is it? That fellow always makes blunders.”
I just smiled innocently. “I haven’t been his assistant for long, but enough for me to realise that.” I pretended to tousle my hair unintentionally, and apologise.
Then, those words I anticipated came. He said in a deep voice, “Actually, like you, I hate these meaningless events. Why don’t we go somewhere quiet? We’ll make it to Oscar another time.”
I couldn’t have felt any happier than how close I was to fulfilling Kaiser’s mission. But I hoped tonight would go as planned, and I would succeed.
This way, I believed Kaiser would think more highly of me.