The present
Ceremony of the handing over.
“I need white bouquet flowers on each table and all the food laid on the serving table, let’s go, let’s get this going guys!.” Kaycee yelled to all the staffs. As the hotel manager and supervisor, he has to make sure everything was perfect and in order. The Chester family were no ordinary rich people they were wealthy public figures, the first top partner to support and grow the Sweet Dreams hotel to the fame it is today.
“Kaycee where should the carpet go?” A worker asked him.
“let’s roll it all the way from the double door to stage, come on people we need to hurry up it’s almost seven. Kaycee had gathered both morning and evening workers to set up for the event they needed more helping hands to make it work.
“Kaycee… lights, music and party time all set!” The DJ yelled from the corner giving Kaycee a thumbs up. “We are good to go.”
“Okay DJ smooth.” He moved to the kitchen seeing Thelma and Emma serving different foods and dessert in various plates and dishes on a long dishing table. “How are my beautiful chefs doing, especially you Thelma.” He winked seductively at Thelma. She just rolled her eyes at him and continued her work.
“We are busy Kaycee come back never.” Emma grumbled as she applied some cream to the steamy cake dessert.
“I need the food to be on the table now, hurry up chefs, we have less than thirty minutes before they arrive.” He urged them to quicken their serving and left the kitchen so he could oversee the other operations and guests arriving.
‘Where the hell is that woman?’ Kaycee thought and checked his watch, after doing proper checking of all the arrangement he went outside to wait for the first arriving guest. Checking his phone for any missed calls or incoming, waited impatiently for the model he hired as an escort and partner for one of Isaiah sons as told by Isaiah himself.
“Get my son an escort and she would also be his partner preferably, let her be famous and beautiful I want the whole city to hear about my son’s arrival.” The elderly man told him, that was a week before the ceremony.
“Has anyone one seen a black SUV arrive in the hotel?” Kaycee asked the door man when he didn’t see the expected car parked at the lot.
“No sir.” He replied and kept his post at the door.
“Okay, but if you see any do not hesitate to inform me.” Kaycee tells him urgently and the door man nods and replied.
“Will do sir.”
“Good.” Kaycee breathes out and left.
The entire arrangements and organizing where finished on time before early guests started to arrive in their expensive car. Kaycee checked his watch for the tenth time that night 7:15 pm he was getting anxious and distressed she wasn’t there yet.
“She has to be here by now, it’s past the time she was supposed to arrive.” Kaycee muttered to himself. He hoped she would come but his mind said she wasn’t. ‘What am I going to tell Isaiah senior’ panic began to rise inside his chest as he thought of what to come if Isaiah and his family arrives without seeing the escort. It will be a disgrace to them and a letter of retirement for him.
Time was running out and he needed to provide a substitute escort now, there was no spare time to hire another one except he could snatch one from the street. He then left the underground garage he planned to wait for the SUV and entered the hotel using the back kitchen door.
“Hey Kaycee since we are done here for the night and we aren’t allowed to show our faces at the event can I retire for the day?” Thelma asked him innocently. Her reasons were so she could get to her darling daughter with a surprise but little did she know an idea sparked into Kaycee’s mind as she spoke. A smile creeped on his lips making Thelma to frown at him.
“What up with you, I don’t like that smile, it’s creepy and weird.” Thelma flexed her muscles with the frown still showing on her face.
“What if I told you there was a special ticket reserved for you, to join this fabulous party would you take it?” Kaycee ask her and points to the front door awaiting her response. Thelma was confused at first then got the clue on second thought. She began to weigh her options between going home or attending a wealthy man’s party ‘yeah, taking that ticket could expose me to the top partners of the hotel maybe I can also talk to them about my talents, and opportunities like this comes once in a lifetime’ Thelma thought hard about it and made her choice.
“Yes I would take it, what’s your point?” She ask him.
“I need you to do me a little favor and you get that ticket.” Kaycee promised.
“No, no, I will not be your one-night stand neither will I be your mistress.” Thelma immediately disagrees. Finally she could get that word off her chest, something she had always wanted to say to him all those months he had been harassing her with his words.
“Oh… no I am not proposing, or else you want to-” His tone changed from serious to flirty in a second and then gave her a wink.
“That’s it!!! I’m leaving.” Thelma angrily stomped away into the kitchen lockers to grab her stuffs and slammed the lockers loud before trying to leave.
“Hey, hey, hey, Thelma don’t get upset I was only kidding.” Kaycee followed behind and grabbed her by the elbow. Thelma looked at his hands then at him raising one of her eyebrows before realize and he released her hand.
“What do you want now?” She asked.
“First of all, you got to promise you will help me, please promise me.” He pleaded to her.
“I can’t promise you because I don’t know what kind of help you want me to do and how do I know it is not one of your dirty games?” Thelma eyed him.
“I promise it’s not, please Thelma you are my last hope you are the last hope for the existence and success of the Sweet Dreams hotel. This hotel needs you Thelma, the decision you make now can either saved or crash this hotel, forever.” Kaycee held her small hands in his soft ones, pleading to her with his eyes.
She felt compelled to help but thought deeply about it ‘what if he was lying?’ Kaycee would never go on one knee to beg a woman rather they come crawling to him, for a whole womanizer and top-class playboy to beg her then he is been serious.
“Fine I will help you. What do I need to do?” Thelma agreed.
“Thank you so much Thelma you just saved our assess.” Kaycee showed his gratitude and smiled genuinely at her. “Don’t worry about anything, what have to do is very simple, you only need to dress as Ava Elizabeth Sambora.” He said and she looked at him like he just grew three heads.
“Uh what?” Thelma was shocked by what he was asking her to do. That is totally illegal.
“Ava Eliza-“ He tried to say but Thelma stopped him.
“I heard you the first time, are you crazy?” Thelma exclaimed. “Stealing someone’s identity, that’s not right!”
“Thelma listen, to me you are not stealing her identity you are only borrowing it.”
“What is the difference? We are doing the wrong thing.”
“I understand what you are saying Thelma. The deal here is that I hired a famous model for Ivan Senior son, she was supposed to be the escort for tonight’s party but she hasn’t arrived and she is not picking her calls. The ceremony starts in twenty minutes and I have no one to replace her.” His eyes stared into her soul begging her to accept and work this out.
“How does that have anything to do with me?” Thelma voiced her confusion.
“Your hair color.” He spoke.
“My hair color?”
“Yes, your hair matches her hair perfectly.”
“I am sure her hair is not this white or this blonde, Kaycee what are you up to?” Thelma confronts him.
“Nothing I swear, all I need is for you to be an escort, only for this night and I won’t bother you anymore.”
“But I don’t look like her, I am sure she is one top super cute attractive woman but I have none of those qualities don’t you think they will suspect?”
“Thelma you are beautiful than you think why do you think I wanted you for myself the first time I laid my eyes on you.” He covered her hands with his and rubbed circles on the back of her hand. Thelma got flushed by his compliment she had no idea why that affected her, maybe it was the fact she hadn’t gotten such compliments in years.
“Th…that’s enough. How will I get a dress I can’t afford an expensive one.” She tells him and he smiled boldly.
“Piece of cake. Are you in?” He asked her.
“Well, there is no harm doing something different. Yes, I am in.” She told Kaycee.
“Now, that’s how you take advantage to an opportunity!” Emma exclaimed and they both looked at her surprised to see her there. “Oops I wasn’t supposed to be listening my bad.” She slid away smoothly outside the kitchen.
“That woman is one hell of a case.” Kaycee commented.
“I agree.” Thelma said.
They went silent for a second then burst into laughter. Thelma never imagined she would have a normal conversation with Kaycee this felt unreal and strange.
“So, you ready?” Kaycee stood straight holding out his palm for her.
“Yes.” Thelma replied and carefully placed her hand on Kaycee opened one.