Chapter 4 Golden Boy
Golden Boy
The cool fall air brushed against my skin, my feet crushing the crispy orange-hued leaves beneath my boots.
Sydney and I walked hand in hand, as we usually did.
We were always particularly affectionate with each other, well, she was with me and I didn’t seem to hate it. Not entirely at the very least.
The shopping centre was bustling with people on this eventful September night, families, teenagers, and even little children walked past us as we made our way towards the luxury stores.
I agreed to accompany Syd on her way to the Versace store to pick up a bag she’d ordered for herself months ago.
She lived the kind of life where everything she desired was at the tips of her fingers.
There was no denying that her family was wealthy, perhaps that word was even an understatement.
I didn’t come from a lot of money—many times my family has been comfortable, many times they have not.
I always had a roof over my head, sometimes two.
I always had food on the table, wine glasses filled to the brim, pantries bursting forth with delicacies from all over the world.
I had nice enough clothes, definitely not the latest hot thing, but nice enough.
The thing with growing up around rich people when you yourself are nothing of the sort is that you constantly feel like a pig in makeup, but a pig nevertheless.
I felt like a chameleon, constantly changing my colours to match my environment.
I played the role, like a Broadway actress on her stage.
I got in, passed the audition, I followed the script, did everything by the book and did my best to play pretend.
Some would say I got far too immersed in my role; I learned a little too much about all the different types of cashmere, the right kind of spoons to use and in what order your cutlery should be, I never placed my elbows on the table.
I had grown far too accustomed to palaces and shimmering glasses of champagne that I was beginning to forget the barn and muddy waters.
All the designer clothing I had, I saved up for months for.
I had two pieces, one was a Prada coat I’d seen in a magazine when I was sixteen and I recalled promising everyone around me that someday I would have it.
Sydney’s mother offered to buy it for me on the spot, of course she did, that’s just the kind of generous person she was.
I knew there would’ve been no strings attached too, giving came as easily as breathing to that family—it was admirable.
Jax wanted to gift it to me for my birthday that year, but I assured him that wasn’t necessary and that I was certain to buy it myself someday.
At first they were all skeptics, and I don’t blame them for it.
I was a sixteen-year-old girl at the time, swearing on my life that I would soon purchase a $7000 coat from one of the most prestigious brands on the planet.
But I believed in myself and I was determined.
I recalled my mother’s words echoing in my mind, our darling family motto: ‘You don’t wish on shooting stars, you become the star’.
And so that very summer I took up my first job at Trudy’s diner, I worked five-hour shifts every other day and kept this big jar in my room that used to have marmalade in it.
I got a felt tip marker and wrote on a piece of paper that this would be my dream coat fund.
Every penny I got, be it from work, from birthday presents, or Christmas cards from my grandparents, would go in there.
Soon enough, I’d catch my friends and family glancing at it with a faint smile, shaking their heads as it slowly began to fill to the mark.
They wouldn’t say it, but I knew they were all rooting for me, and even in silence that meant the world to me.
Eventually, I was able to buy it for myself and I felt like I was on top of the world.
I did not plan on buying anything that day, I had to keep repeating that in my mind or I wouldn’t have enough money for groceries at the end of the month.
I wish I had the will to accept money for things like this from my father, but my pride would never allow it.
I took great pride in being able to buy these things for myself without having to ask anyone for anything.
My father covered my tuition and that was about it, I much preferred it that way.
I didn’t want to put any more demand on him than necessary.
Shopping with Sydney was like watching a kid in a candy store, she was absolutely fascinated by everything she saw, every little thing she came across.
The Versace store was a few steps down from Hermes, and it was definitely the largest department by far.
Suddenly, the children and teenagers were nowhere to be seen, their target audience was older women and men.
The store was ornamented in its usual glimmering gold and black attire, the curtains let little to no light in, but there were bright lights over the display tables and clothing racks so they were in the spotlight.
The AC was on inside as well and I clung to my coat feeling like I was in a freezer, luxury department stores were always dystopian in that way.
“Look at these stiletto heels!” Sydney gushed, showing the pair to me. “They’d be perfect for Momma’s birthday dinner next week, you know she says not to worry but secretly expects us all to dress to the nines.”
“Those are a size seven,” I reminded her before she got too excited. “And judging by the shelf they seem to only have them in bigger sizes and you have a foot the size of a kitten paw.”
“Hey! My feet aren’t that tiny.” She huffed in protest, then glanced down in defeat. “Fine I’ll keep looking.”
“Atta girl,” I encouraged her and watched her walk away to the skirts and dresses section.
She later came back and I followed her to the changing room where she modeled her potential purchases better than any Kate Moss ever could.
The first dress was a black mini dress with gold straps which complimented her figure, especially with how short she was.
The second was a mini skirt and blazer which gave her much more of a mature and classy look.
I told her I preferred the first option and she was quick to add it to her basket.
Sydney often did that, taking my word as gospel without ever second-guessing me.
“Are you seriously not going to let me get you anything, my sweet Yesoh, let me spoil my best friend in the whole wide world?" Sydney asked me from the confines of the changing room, peeking her curly blonde head out from behind the curtains.
“You flatter me, Syd, but I already told you it’s okay I don’t need anything new!” I assured her. She gave me a disappointed yet ever-so-understanding look.
“Yes but don’t you want anything?” Sydney rephrased. “You’re allowed to want things for yourself, I hope you know that.”
Her words lingered in the air with me, branding themselves onto my skin, denying me any chance at ever forgetting them from this point onwards.
You’re allowed to want things, you’re allowed to want things, you’re allowed to want things for yourself.
All my life everything had always been about what I needed; I needed to follow my father to the United States and leave my mother behind, I needed to follow in my brother’s footsteps and get into Julliard, I needed to practice ballet every day so I didn’t lose my balance or break any bones, I needed to spend every summer at Mirrorball House to feel closer to the sea…
all my life I always needed. Never wanted.
I recalled a time when I got close though, the one time I’d allowed myself to long for something more than what was expected of me.
The one time I let myself wish on a four-leaf clover instead of simply skipping through the fields of grass, the one time I’d hoped to turn my grapes to wine and slip into a drunken daze on it, to let it stain my white clothes and have no desire to wash it off.
The one time I longed for something outside of myself.
The recollection of the memory made me feel like I’d just gotten the wind knocked out of my chest. I stepped away from the changing rooms to get some fresh air under the air conditioning in the store.
All at once when I closed my eyes, I saw glorious technicolour bursting behind my lids.
I saw a vision of dark almond eyes with such depth you could swim in them, the warmth of the sun on my skin and the tan on his.
I saw ice, miles and miles of it, and felt a chill cascade down my spine and recalled a cold gaze.
Just then, I realized I was in the jewellery section and glanced down at the glass display box below me, and there were undoubtedly many beautiful pieces, but my gaze met this one necklace and I was immediately starstruck.
If I thought I had my breath taken away before, then I damn near would’ve fainted just then.
It was a pure gold necklace with a North Star charm that had a white diamond at its center. I couldn’t help but smile.
“You want it, don’t you?” I heard Sydney’s voice behind me. I whipped my head around trying to feign nonchalance. “And before you lie and say you don’t, I already called the clerk over to take it out.”
“God, Sydney, you—” I began, but the store clerk interrupted us.
“My sincerest apologies, ma’am, but the particular piece you have your eye on isn’t officially launched to the fall collection yet and is reserved,” he disclosed just as a lady came along to take it off display and place into a huge gift box with other Versace pieces from their upcoming collection.
“Reserved?” I repeated, wondering what he was talking about.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Reserved.”
“For who?” Sydney scoffed. “Are you waiting on the queen or something? Our money is just as good as anyone else’s.”
Our money, she said Ours. She always did that.
“It’s reserved for our newest appointed global ambassador to the Versace family,” he affirmed, “again, we apologize for any inconvenience, is there anything else you need assistance with?”
“No, nothing at all, thank you,” I responded before Sydney got angrier than she needed to over this situation—it was clear that she was someone who was used to always getting her way.
“I didn’t know Versace had a new ambassador,” she wondered, “and I’m usually up to date with everything.”
“It’s a shame, it’s a beautiful necklace. Whoever gets to wear it is incredibly fortunate.” I shook my head in awe. “Must be someone very special.”
“You’re special!” Sydney insisted, grabbing ahold of my hand. “You deserved it more, I don’t care.”
“Bless your heart, Syd.” I chuckled at how worked up she was getting over this little thing. “Come on, let’s go check out the stuff you bought so we can head back to campus.”
We made our way over to the counter, and I waited as Sydney got everything sorted out, but just then from the corner of my eye I saw a herd of staff bustling around and scrambling for clothes.
They seemed nervous in one way or another—it made me wonder what or who they were anticipating.
And then the backdrop door swung open and first came two stoic and muscular bodyguards, and trailing behind them was…
no it couldn’t be. It absolutely couldn’t be who I thought that was, it was impossible.
But I could recognize him from a mile away.
I could know him by the gentleness with which the soles of his feet brushed the ground and the confident stride with which he walked like the earth and everything in it was once his own.
He wore only gold and black from head to toe, dripping in the kind of luxury that appeared innate to him.
He wore a long black trench coat and shirt that rested barely above his trousers revealing a sliver of skin.
He wore dark sunglasses that shielded his eyes, his naturally light brown hair tied back leaving two single strands in front of him.
There had to have been at least hundreds of thousands of dollars around his neck, including the very necklace I’d been admiring earlier.
And ironically, it was the least pretty thing about him, it paled in comparison.
Suddenly that North Star diamond didn’t seem so shiny when he was the real star, and I fought the urge to shield my eyes from how bright he shined.
“Oh my God,” Sydney said, clearly realizing just as I did. "It can’t be…”
“That’s what I thought, it cannot be,” I responded, fixed in a trance.
“But it looks just like…”
“I know.” I nodded.
“But he doesn’t live in…”
“I know,” I repeated, then turned to the clerk for answers. “Excuse me, sir, who is that?”
The clerk immediately perked up at the question, beaming with glee as the machine churned out the receipt.
“Ah!" He smiled, “That’s our latest ambassador I informed you about earlier, Wynter Kwon. He’s an Olympic champion and Donatella’s latest muse.
She met him once at an event and knew she had to have him as part of the family. Stunning isn’t he?”