Chapter 2 (1/1)

Standing in front of the full length mirror, Raymond adjusted his black bow tie as he admired his own reflection.  The tux fitted him perfectly as he knew it would.  He had personally requested the famous designer who also designed the line of wear that Andy Lau wore to design this particular tuxedo for him.  Raymond was impressed with the cutting and the quality was superb compared to those you buy in stores.  Money does get you everything Raymond thought with a self satisfied smile.  Now if only he could get through the evening without being vexed by the female assistant that Jazz had at the last minute shoved his way.  He was definitely going to have a nice little talk with Jazz in the morning about the consequences of repeating this.Giving the bow tie one final tug Raymond turned from the mirror and left his apartment.  He paused at the lobby and peered out through the glass exterior of the building for a sign of a white mini van.  None was in sight.  Muttering a curse he took out his cell phone with every intention of calling Jazz and blasting him for the lateness of his replacement.  He had pulled up Jazz's name in his contacts and was about to press the send button when a flash of white appeared before him.  It was a white mini van.  Through the tinted window he could barely make out the person sitting behind the steering wheel and who appeared to be waving a hand at him to come over.  Now this was a first, Raymond thought with displeasure.  How dare she beckon him over when she should have immediately gotten out of the car and open the car door for him.  He was going to let her have it right after he lectures her on the importance of being punctual.  Advancing towards the car he forcibly slid the door open and jumped in.  Before he got a chance to say a single word the car surged forward throwing Raymond back against the seat.  "What the…"Charmaine darted a quick glance at the rearview mirror and smiled happily to herself.  She can't believe it's him.  Raymond Lam!  Raymond Lam was in her car!  He was the most famous and popular star in Hong Kong at the moment.  How often she daydreamed about seeing and meeting him.  This was definitely a dream come true for her.  Wow, she can't wait to tell Natalie about it afterwards.  Natalie would be so jealous.  At a red light Charmaine darted another quick glance at him and seeing the hard set of his face and the intensity of his eyes as he met her gaze through the rearview mirror sent an electric shock through her.  He was even more handsome than from pictures!  Giggling with excitement, she asked casually, "Are you comfortable back there?"Sitting erect in his seat, Raymond glared at her profile as he counted to ten to calm himself down.  When he reached that number he asked tersely, "Why are you late?""Late?" Charmaine glimpsed at the time on the dashboard and it read 7:01.  She wasn't late.  In fact, she was early or rather on time.  "I'm not late…""No excuses," Raymond cut in rudely.  Crossing his arms over his chest, he continued to glare at her and said in a condescending tone, "You are supposed to wait for me and not the other way around.  Didn't Jazz tell you this?"Charmaine shook her head and the cheeriness she first felt at seeing her idol was now dwindling down.  Keeping her voice neutral she said, "Jazz just told me to be downstairs your place at 7:00pm.  He didn't say anything else."Raymond glanced around the mini van and didn't see any cooler in sight.  Glaring at her profile again he asked roughly, "Where are my juices?"Stumped by the question, Charmaine gave him a puzzled look through the rearview mirror but quickly looked away when she saw the scowl on his face.  Oh boy, she thought uneasily, I am definitely not getting on his good side.  In a low embarrassed voice because she felt like an idiot for not understanding what he was talking about, she asked timidly, "What juice?""The grape juice you were supposed to stock up before picking me up," Raymond responded with agitation.  "Don't tell me Jazz didn't mention that to you?  Or it is that you simply forgot and that's the reason for the guilt on your face?"Guilt?  What the heck is he talking about?  Feeling her own mood ruined by his obvious ill-mannered behavior, Charmaine suddenly pulled the van to the curb and turned to face him.  Pronouncing each word carefully and slowly, she said, "Jazz didn't mention anything about getting Your Majesty any juice."  Pointing a finger at her own face, she added heatedly, "And this is not guilt you see on my face.  It's embarrassment for the way you're behaving!""Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Raymond asked in a low, deceptively calm voice when in truth, he was more than furious with her for her lack of social etiquette.  Didn't she know that he was rich and famous and she was hired to do his bidding?  There is a social gulf between them and how dare she cross that gulf and talk to him like that.  Assistants simply do not talk back to their bosses, much less celebrities, in that manner regardless of who is right or wrong.Charmaine looked him up and down and sarcastically replied, "I'm talking to someone who needs lessons on how to treat people."  Not wanting to spend another second arguing with him, Charmaine abruptly turned her back on him and instantly merged the van back into traffic.  Better to drop him off quickly and get the evening over with.  Who would have thought that the famous Raymond Lam, envied by his own sex and desired by the opposite, could be just a first class jerk!  A snobbish, rude, egoistical jerk!  One thing for sure, the moment she gets home Charmaine was going to take down all the posters she has of him on her walls.  And tear it into shreds!Thrown back against his seat by the sudden jolt of the car pulling out, Raymond opened his mouth to hurl a curse at her but stopped himself.  No sense getting all riled over a nobody like her.  It was only going to be a few hours and after that he won't ever had to see her again.  He was going to give Jazz a piece of his mind for getting this hellcat to assist him.  Giving her profile one last glare, Raymond turned and spent the rest of the ride looking broodingly out the window.---------------------------------------------Myolie arrived on scene and was immediately greeted by herds of reporters that lined the entrance into the Peninsula Hotel.  She smiled prettily at them and waited for Kenneth to come around to her side so that they could walk in together.  Linking her arm with his, they smiled and waved to the paparazzi, pausing every now and then to have their pictures taken.  A reporter on her left called out to her and with her smile fixed in place, Myolie turn towards the female reporter."Tell us Myolie, is it the network's idea to have you come to this event with Kenneth Ma or are you two really dating?"Smiling warmly at the reporter, Myolie then turned to look at Kenneth and said furtively, "Do you want to answer this question or shall I?"Kenneth laughed slyly and looking down at Myolie with an enigmatic grin, he said, "I'll leave it up to you to tell them the truth."Facing the female reporter who was now surrounded by other reporters who were just as intrigued by the question, Myolie said, "That's for us to know and you guys to find out."The reporters groaned simultaneously at her vague response but the female reporter who posed the question persisted, "What about Raymond Lam?  You were seen with him going into his apartment building one day last week and you didn't leave until early next morning.  Did you spend the night with him?""Of course not," Myolie responded instantly.  "I barely know Raymond Lam.  I mean we are acquainted but we are not close at all.  I was there visiting a female friend of mines who by coincidence lives in the same building as him.  In fact I didn't even know that he lived there until I bumped into him downstairs the building.""But according to the picture, you and Raymond were laughing and holding hands," the pesky female reporter pointed out.Myolie's express faltered for a second and she felt Kenneth's fingers pressing gently into her arm.  Regaining her composure, she continued to smile at the reporters and said in a light reprimanding tone, "You reporters should know that pictures can be fake.  You guys photo shop pictures all the time to suit your articles."Again, the pesky female reporter fired, "There's also a rumor going around that both Kenneth Ma and Raymond Lam are courting you.  If you had to choose between them who would you choose?"Myolie looked at Kenneth and raised her eyebrows.  Suppressing a giggle she kidded, "Kenneth, how do you think I should answer that?  Any answer would scare you to death, am I right?"Laughing softly, Kenneth spread his hands out in surrender, "I think you should stop these questions before Myolie and I become too embarrassed to even be seen standing together.  If you're really interested in knowing the truth, just wait and see what happens in the future.  Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a party to attend."  Taking Myolie's elbow he guided her towards the glass doors and into the safety of the hotel.Once out of earshot, Myolie whispered, "Thanks for doing that."Staring straight ahead, Kenneth murmured, "Think nothing of it.  The next time you decide to pay Ray a visit at his place, remember to stay low key.  The paparazzi are like vampires.  They won't stop until they draw blood."With her face hardening, Myolie mumbled, "There won't be a next time."Her response caused Kenneth to turn his head to look down at her and her expression made him ask curiously, "Did something happen?""Let's just say I learned my lesson the first time and have no desire for a repeat where Raymond Lam is concern," Myolie said bitterly.Sensing the anger in Myolie, Kenneth knew it was best to keep his mouth shut right now.  He'll get everything out of Raymond when he sees him tonight.  Then again, Kenneth already has an idea what happened because it happens all the time.  Raymond sweet talks all these women and they fall for his lines.  The moment he gets tired of them, he leaves them for a newer face.  This was a never ending cycle.  The most outrageous part in this cycle is not Raymond's treatment of them but the fact that all these women seem to think they're 'the one' who can change him.  Knowing Raymond the way he did, Kenneth can honestly say no woman can ever be 'the one' to change him because although Raymond enjoyed being with them, he held no respect for them."Kenneth?" Myolie said his name.Coming out of his thoughts, Kenneth looked at Myolie, "Yes?""Why did you stop?" Myolie asked with surprise.Realizing that he was standing right smack in the middle of the entrance to the ballroom, Kenneth smiled apologetically to the people behind him and led Myolie in.  "Sorry," he muttered.