We quickly made it to the shopping area I witnessed from our suite at the hotel, and I couldn’t believe how bright and flashy everything was. It seriously looked like Times Square. I was excited to get my shopping on, and Drake took the camera while I took everything in. I was so surprised to see so many familiar stores. There was a Forever 21, The Limited, and The Body Shop among other things, and mostly all the signs down here were in English as well as Korean. Seoul really was English friendly.
I swiped the camera from Drake and zoomed in. “What’s this place called, baby?”
He chuckled, placing his aviators on to block the sun from his eyes. He looked deliciously handsome when he did that. “We are in what’s called Myongdong, the shopping district.”
I turned the camera, trying to repeat that, but when I flubbed I went back to him. He pointed out various stores for our documentary, and I got it all. I shifted focus to the vendors, and when I saw a particular stand, I shrieked. Pushing the camera into Drake’s hands, I bolted over to the display table.
Drake came up behind me, alarmed. “What is it? Are you okay?”
I pointed to the wallets, grinning. “Oh, my gosh it’s Hello Kitty! I loved this stuff as a kid. Pull the focus right here.”
Drake snorted, silencing oncoming laughter. Shaking his head, he did what he was told and watched me salivate over the merchandise. I came across a really cute wallet that looked like someone my age would carry. It was white and kind of had the look of a Louis Vuitton, but instead of the “L” and “V” they had “H” and “K.”
“I want this one.” I snatched it up.
Smirking, Drake dipped his hand into jeans. “I’d say it was cute and you made an excellent choice, but that might come across as weird.”
I laughed.
“I’ll get it for you if you want it,” he said, pulling out his wallet. “How much is it?”
I looked around for the vendor, but she had her back turned to me, helping another customer. Instead, I sought out a sign for a price, and when I found it, I practically dropped the wallet. “It’s five thousand dollars.”
Now it was Drake who almost dropped something. He had to do a double catch just to keep the camera in his hand. “What? No way.”
I pointed to the sign that clearly read the amount. “See. It says five thousand right there.”
Drake’s eyebrows drew in, but the moment he saw the sign I referred to, he chuckled. He brought me into him and kissed my cheek. “It does say five thousand, but that’s five thousand won, baby. Korean currency. It’s around five dollars U.S.”
“Only five dollars?” I turned to the wallets. “I love Korea!”
This made him smile. Perhaps moving here wouldn’t be such a hard change to make after all if we decided to do that one day. I took the camera so he could get his money together.
The small vendor finally turned. She had a black bob and was older. I tried to get her attention, but she looked over me and went straight to Drake. I’d be insulted, but frankly, I didn’t blame her. My eyes would beeline to that strong chin and those smoldering mahogany-toned eyes too. It may be a bit vain of me, but I loved how those eyes only saw me.
“Annyeonghaseyo.” She bowed, her eyes shining as she stared up at my man. I was happy to know that meant hello, but that’s where my Korean stopped when she continued on in a short phrase. The words were high pitched and excited, and I had to laugh. She looked at least fifty, but she was giving my guy the flirty voice behind her sale. What she said must have been something Drake understood because he didn’t look thrown by the statement.
He returned her friendliness with a bow just as she did. He greeted her and rattled off a phrase in Korean, but what was weird was what happened after he did. The woman’s upbeat expression wiped from her face. Her eyebrows narrowed, and she appraised him with her stare. Like she was trying to figure out what to make of him. It flashed in my mind that he may have accidently insulted her or something, and by the way Drake awkwardly stared at her, I bet he was questioning the same thing. Drake didn’t know much of the language, but what he did I was sure he had down pat. He prepared like crazy for this trip.
Out of nowhere the woman spoke. “Wallet five thousand won.”
I flinched. Why was she suddenly speaking English? Just a moment ago, she was all friendly, practically flirting with my fiancé in Korean. Now, she was shooting him English with a clear snap in her voice. Her body language was weird too. She was stiff and still analyzing him. What was her deal?
Drake’s reaction was a lot subtler than mine. He simply gave her a small nod, but the smile he gave seemed really tight, forced even. He took out the brightly colored won, exchanging it for the wallet that the vendor bagged.
He handed the small bag off to me, and I had to adjust the camera to slip it on my wrist. That was when I realized I got the whole thing on camera.
♥ ♥ ♥
We didn’t really discuss the woman’s weird reaction to Drake’s Korean at the stand. Mostly because it happened again. Every time I stopped to buy something, Drake would take the lead and pay. The vendors would be super nice to him, chatting him up in the language, then the moment he opened his mouth to speak, they’d analyze him and switch over to English. Some were more polite about it than others, but it still happened. I grew sick of it and decided to do the talking. The vendors automatically spoke English to me, and I didn’t want things to be awkward for Drake. He was taking it well, but he wasn’t as talkative as he was when we first started shopping. When he suddenly started engrossing himself in the merchandise, I knew he was trying to avoid talking. Shopping was definitely my thing and not his.
I approached a sunglasses stand and decided to make it my last vendor. It was about time for our nap anyway before dinner and I was tired of people treating Drake weirdly. This whole outing went from being fun to really uncomfortable for Drake, and I wanted to end it.
Drake studied some bracelets that he said he wanted to get for his sister and mom while I thumbed through the glasses.
“Hello, Miss.”
Another tiny vendor approached me. It was hard not to smile at her. She radiated enthusiasm. “You from here or just visiting city?”
This encounter was the first time someone was actually interested in my purpose in town. My smile went genuinely wide. “I’m visiting.”
“Oh, good. Business? Pleasure?”
The vacation part of our trip was starting to bust, but that was still part of the reason why I was here. “A little bit of both actually. I’m here with my fiancé.”
My eyes went to him and hers followed. Her eyes lit up. “Oh. He Korean?”
I nodded.
She clapped her hands like I just granted her a wish. “So you be local soon then? Congratulations on engagement. I welcome you to Seoul.”
My lips parted. Why would she assume just because Drake was Korean that he was from here? “He’s actually Korean American. We’re both from America.”
Her face fell into that familiar confusion that we’d been getting all day, and it was like awareness clicked for me. They all believed since Drake looked like them that he was one of them. Then the minute he’d speak, they knew there was something different. This place was his home, but then again it wasn’t. That was when I realized something. Through Drake’s adoption, he’d been disconnected from Korea, and because of that, he was separated from his culture.
Chapter Six
“Are you going to record?” Drake asked, referring to the camera resting on my lap.
We sat in the backseat of Jason’s car he loaned to us for the duration of our trip, Han at the wheel.
I simply stared at the closed camera lying on the skirt of my black dress. I didn’t feel up to recording anything after this afternoon. It just wasn’t fair how people were treating Drake. He did nothing wrong but be born. He didn’t have a choice that he was adopted. That he was taken. I wanted acceptance for him. I wanted him to have something that I took for granted everyday.
It pained me that I had. I felt incredibly selfish and terribly heartbroken for him.
I took his hand, rubbing with my thumb. Did he know that this separation from his culture existed? He had to. He wasn’t naïve. “I just don’t know if I should. After this afternoon… How people were treating you…”
I edged a look his way. He was staring down, studying the connection of our hands. His large and mine small. His rough and mine soft. His light and mine dark.
He kissed it, brushing the back of my hand with his lips. “We said we’d record everything. Today was unfortunately part of it.”
So he did know. I sighed. “It’s just not fair. People shouldn’t treat you differently. It’s not your fault you were adopted. It makes me so mad. I wish you didn’t have to go through this. That I could somehow fix this for you.”
He brought me in close under his arm, comforting me when I should be doing that for him. “You can’t fix it, but maybe you can help.”
I looked up at him. “How?”
He bit his lip, thinking over his question. “Your dad is white. Your mom black. Did people treat you differently because of… well, what you are? Straddling a line of two worlds?”
His voice was so vulnerable in that moment, so thin and fragile. He was right. In a way, I could help him. I had to.
Before I began, Drake reached over to my lap. He opened the camera and pressed record.
♥ ♥ ♥
I finished right as Han pulled us up to the restaurant we were supposed to meet Jason at. Before we got out, Drake kissed my forehead and I held him so close in return. The struggles I had growing up, being biracial, were very different from what he was dealing with now. But I think, through my words, he felt a small bridge between our experiences, and because of that, I never felt so connected to him. We were closer than we’d ever been before, more intertwined in every way. I was so ready to marry this man. I couldn’t wait to be his forever.
We only separated from each other because Han opened the car door. He apologized profusely for intruding, but we assured him it was okay. He told us Jason was already here. We just had to mention his alias to the hostess. Han told us he used a fake name since he had a fan base on this side of the world. After he said that, I remembered Jason once told me he did some television shows in East Asia. Jason Harrison really was an international celebrity. He may have been an Englishman, but he had fans all around the world.
I was so excited to see him again and get updates on the show. I wanted to know how everyone was doing since I left. I decided to leave the Parisian opera after suffering from homesickness and having a change in career path. I didn’t regret it, but I did miss everyone. All my thoughts left the moment Drake and I crossed the threshold of the restaurant.
It was so extravagant. The room was dark with sparkling fountains and had shimmering silk draping the walls. The easy listening music only added to the ambience.
I tugged on my skirt, flattening it out. “I’m glad I decided to dress up.”
I said this more to myself, but Drake heard and pulled me close. “You always look gorgeous. You never have to try.”
He always did know how to make the heat flood my cheeks. He didn’t look so bad himself in all black with his shirt collar open. I told him that and he smiled.
The hostess led us away, but not into the main dining room. We went behind a wall and into a small version of the main room with high tables. Water cascaded down the walls and the handsome Jason Harrison stood from his seat at the table when we entered.
“Lacey,” he said, my name sounding so proper in his English accent. “It’s so good to see you.” That deep dimple of his showed on his face before he brought me tight into his arms.
I couldn’t stop smiling. “Hi, Jason.” I pulled back, taking him all in. “You look so good. What are you even doing in town? You’re supposed to be in Paris.”
“It’s our week off. Unfortunately, time off is never actually time off for me. I do believe it’s Fubu and Nike print adds tomorrow. Commercials in China the next. Then I hit Japan for more print. My publicist wanted me to get some exposure here before Red Thief’s theatrical release in the States at the end of the year. It goes worldwide shortly after, and since I already have a fan base here, I needed to get some buzz going.”
My mind was a whirl. I guess time off really wasn’t time off for him. He didn’t look saddened by the information though. This was his life, and he genuinely enjoyed it.
He glanced over my head to Drake. “Is this your boyfriend?” he asked, reaching for his hand.
“Oh.” I giggled, lifting mine. I flashed my jade ring, surrounded by sparkling diamonds. “It’s fiancé now.”
His eyes widened in delight as he shook Drake’s hand. “Congratulations to you both. It’s so nice to meet the man that holds her heart.”
My face radiated in heat. He was just so nice.
The smile Drake had on his face only widened. “The honor is mine. You looked after my girl while she was in Paris. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Drake tugged me to him, and Jason stared warmly at the pair of us.
“Lacey is very special. Though we all miss her terribly at the show, I think she is just where she needs to be.” He winked at me, then gestured to our table. “I hope you don’t mind being out of the main restaurant, but people know me because of my previous work so this can’t be helped. I’ve booked the VIP room for us to dine.”
I could definitely say I didn’t mind. This place was fabulous. We were about to take our seats, but another person was led into the room by the hostess. He could only be described as tall, dark, and handsome. With a set of perfect teeth, he exuded the confidence and swagger of a brother. He immediately saw Jason and the pair gave each other a hug that felt so intimate, I just about told Drake we should give them some privacy. If there was ever a question that this man was Jason’s significant other, that was answered now. Back in Paris, Jason showed me a picture of him, but it was a small shot as he performed behind shades. His partner was a DJ.
Pulling Drake’s arm, I let him know who the man with Jason was, and he lifted his head in recognition. His lips tipped up, smiling at the two as I was.
As if they both remembered we were here, Jason introduced us. “Lacey. Drake, this is my boyfriend, Trent. He is spending my week long ‘time off’ with me.” He laughed, referring to his break time from the opera. “I invited him to join us. I hope you don’t mind. I had to rush over from my shoot so I had him meet us here.”
I waved him off. “Of course. The more the merrier.”
The four of us quickly settled into the semicircle booth. Drake was on my left with Jason and Trent on my right. I suddenly felt very lucky to be surrounded by so many fine men. If Margot were here she’d flip. She would be feasting on both Jason and Trent. It didn’t matter what team they played for.
Jason’s attention went to my camera when I set it on the table.
I laughed. “Oh. Drake and I decided to record our time in Seoul for memories. I don’t have to record this, though. It’s okay.”
He lifted his hands, protesting. “It’s fine. Shoot all you want. I trust it won’t end up on a celebrity gossip site tomorrow morning.”
His reference had me smiling now, but that would have been another story back in Paris. The two of us being attacked by paparazzi was my reality check that I enjoyed my simple life. The situation was definitely something I could laugh about now, though. I opened my camera and hit record.
The waitress came in and took our order. Drake actually took the lead with mine, ordering in Korean, while Jason and Trent ordered separately in English. The waitress didn’t seem to mind.
Jason took a sip from a small glass of a clear, alcoholic liquid he called soju. “So are you both here on vacation? A short holiday before your wedding?”
He’d explained we were getting married to Trent, so he was awaiting our response as well. I didn’t know if I should tell them all the details of our business here
since it wasn’t really my place to tell. But when I looked to Drake for reference on how to answer the question, he gave me the okay with a nod.
“Something like that,” I said. “Drake’s actually adopted from Korea. We’re here to see about seeking out his birth family.”
“Wow, that’s a big step,” Trent said.
Jason set down his glass. “Very. Do you mind me asking how the process has been so far, Drake?”
His expression told he didn’t. “Just started it actually. I meet with the adoption agency tomorrow.”
“Well, I wish you luck. Couldn’t have been an easy decision to make. Is it your first time in Korea?”
With a nod, he let him know it was.
“How are you liking it so far?”
I paid close attention to Drake’s reaction to the question in that moment. If he was displeased with his time spent here so far he gave no read of it. “It’s been interesting. I know I’m from here, but I’m still waiting for that feeling of ‘home.’ If that makes sense.” He gave a short laugh.
“I would give it some time. You just got here. Things could change.”
I slipped my hand into Drake’s under the table. I hoped Jason was right.
Chapter Seven
After dinner, Jason invited Drake and me to go to a dance club with Trent and himself. With our jetlag, the two of us had to decline, but I promised Jason we’d see him again soon. I made sure of that when I asked him for an address to send our wedding invitation. I wanted him and his boyfriend both to attend the wedding if they could.
Drake and I thanked Jason graciously for the use of his car and driver, and the pair wished Drake well on his journey tomorrow.
Heart & Seoul Page 3