CHAPTER THREE- Name of a Heart

"OH!"

"LIA KIM"

"....is that your name?" Eric retorted.

"Yes" she replied back softly.

"Are you a Korean?"

"Um Yes?"

"Why are you here, perhaps are you following me, from the airport to the meet and now here to my room?"

"..Huhhhh....Are you my stalker? What do you want from? Is it money? Oh it has to be money-"

"I am sorry but it is nothing like you think....Sir!! " she interfered before he could complete the sentence"

"What were you doing at a place like that? Who are you in the first place. And now how do you know my room number...Who is sending you.. be honest with me or else I'll call the police"

"Would you like your food served at the table Sir?" she replied completely dodging away from his questions.

"You won't reply?"

"Sir!" she let out a long exhale.

"We belong to the special trained staff hired by the chairman of BBA (Bangkok Business Administration) especially to serve the International guests that have come from around the world for the business meet, that is the reason why you were seeing me everywhere, the meting at the airport was completely coincidental please pardon me for my rude behavior, but you would probably see me more often during your 21 day stay. Please help yourselves"

"Okay Okay I get it, so you are a professional waitress. Well alright!" He mockingly replied.

She nodded her head and lowered it down.

"If there are any doubts regarding that you could reconfirm from the management"

"That I will regardless, and your dad? does he work here too?"

"Certainly he does. Please refrain from any further personal questions Sir, we are not allowed to have personal conversations with our guests here"

"I. am. not. interested. in. that... serve me the food..." he replied back.

Eric is sure talkative with an absolute stranger and a waitress at that.

The waitress began serving starting from placing white porcelain plates on the table then plating the dishes starting from Foie gras from France along with Almas beluga caviar the most expensive caviar from the Caspian Sea, Ragu alla Bolognese from Italy, Arborio rice served with Samundari Khazana Curry, and the dessert being; a Frozen Haute Chocalate Ice cream Sundae the most expensive dessert in the world with a fine blend of 28 cocoas there was a tiny refrigerator where she kept the dessert.

"Excuse me but I am allergic to ducks" Eric said.

"Sorry?"

"The Foei Grass"

"Oh!" " I am sorry Sir. I will prepare it according to your preference" she replied.

She called an assistant waiter and told him about the replacement talking in the native language of the country.

"I have ordered a replacement of the Foie Gras instead we'd serve you with France's finest Chicken with Morrel Mushroom and sherry wine sauce."

"You speak fluent English, fluent Korean and even Thai you are talented at your work." Eric seemingly praising her which was unusual.

"Yes!" she sighed.

He kept looking at her as she was arranging everything and then said..

"France, Italy, North-America..."

"..Why not any Thai food? If this is a Thai hotel why is there no Thai food, I've come here after a long time...I crave for the original Thai cuisine, he said making weird hand gestures...bring it to me!" Eric demanded.

"As you wish Sir" the waitress replied in a jest.

She went all the way back bringing another gueridon of exclusive Thai cuisine. Plated everything And poured the empty glass with water.

"Ah...Is that mineral water?... Cause I only drink filtered mineral water"

"THE WATER IS FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF SWITZERLAND! ! ! IT IS NATURALLY FILTERED VIA ALPS WATER FILTRATION, WHICH IS A TEN STAGE WATER FILTRATION PROCESS!!!!

....anything else Sir?" she replied raising her voice tone as if in an advertisement.

"Hmm...I like the service...I'll give you full stars at the rating after I check out"

"My pleasure" she replied back in her 'I am already done' voice.

"So are you going to stay here and watch me eat?"

"No, Sir!" she replied, coming into senses after spacing out for a second there.

"I'll leave... you can press the special bell button next to the bed on the side table given to you and someone will come and clean up everything for you"

"Will the someone be you?" Eric mocked.

"Most certainly the other 25 waiters that handle this floor along with me....Sir" she replied.

"Then I'll take my leave" She said and left the room in hurry.

"INTRESTING" Eric smirked.

.

.

.

*A FEW MILLISECONDS LATER*

Ahhhh!!!!.....Who does that man think he is??????? ....arrogant rich bastard...Eric Jiseok!!!! I really hate you!!! I AM GONNA KILL YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU WILL CRYYYYY IN FRONT ME, STUPID MAN Lia Kim yelled, practically speaking to herself in anger, she most probably.... maybe... kind of.... somehow.... doesn't like Eric, our handsome rich CEO (retired CEO)

Later that night

"Beom-ji! Are you awake? "

"Ahh.. yes Sir?"

"There's something I need you to do."

"Yes I am listening."

"About the assistant who was hired for me ,tell the hotel management to replace it with someone other."

"What happened Sir did he do something wrong? We can just fire him if so."

"No it's nothing like that, I ummm....just want to replace him"

"Perhaps do you have any particular person in mind Sir?"

"Do you remember that woman we met at the airport?"

"Uhhhh...ohhh that long hair woman who spoiled your clothes." his manager exclaimed.

"Yes"

"Surprisingly she works as a maid at this hotel, so tell them I want her to be my assistant." Eric demanded.

"Yes sir as you wish. Do you perhaps know her name?"

" Her name is Kim Lia, make sure you get that done."

"Yes! Don't worry it'll be done till tomorrow morning itself Sir!"

The very next day

"ROOM SERVICE ! ! ! !"

"It's open." Eric replied

"Kim Lia enters the room bringing along the breakfast in complete annoyance which could be seen clearly on her face."

She glared at him in anger and said,

"Here is the complete..... vegan,.....non-....allergic,.... all-...Thai.... breakfast you ordered. We have arranged it according to your preference Sir! ! ! ! Would you like it... s-e-r-v-e-d .....at your...t-a-b-l-e...Sir ??? ! ! ! !"

"Yes !!! ..."

"You look really passionate today...." Eric taunted.

"Yes of course!! Because there is someone who happened to especially want Lia do their work among all our staff of One-thousand-one-hundred-ninety-nine talented workers..... So I was apparently substituted, and took the place of Mr. Kang who is the head of our complete 1199 staff!!!!!! I really feel special.....Because I am getting so much attention from the entire hotel....!!!!! Thanks to a certain someone." She replied in a raised hyper voice ,obviously irritated again speaking like she is in a TV advertisement.

"Does that mean you would get a promotion because of me." Eric replied mockingly.

"It certainly doesn't Sir!!"

*While eating his breakfast*

Q/A session

Q1. "Oh yes where do you live in Korea?" Eric questioned

Ans. "That's personal information Sir"

Q2. "Hmm.. How long are you here at Bangkok?" he continued

Ans. "For 21 days..."

Q3. "I haven't seen your father around where is he ?"

Ans. *sighs* "He is working at the 102nd floor under Song-Gong's Chairman."

"Oh I see."

Q4. "What's your age? You look young."

Ans. "It won't concern you sir..."

"Oh okay..."

(THIS MAN SURE TALKS A LOT DOES HE NOT HAVE ANY SELF RESPECT CHIT-CHATTING WITH A MAID) Lia's thought were wilding in annoyance.

Q5. "Why do you work as a maid ? You are talented you could get a better job, maybe a tour guide or a translator or something."

Ans. "Its our financial conditions...so we can't help. I want to support my dad because he is old so I follow him everywhere."

"So...Family reasons...?"

And the Rapid Q/A results..... Ting Ting Ting .....Kim Lia Wins because Eric goes speechless.

.......

"Is there anything else you want Sir?"

*remembers something*

"Ah Bring me a cup of hot coffee." Eric demanded.

"What kind of coffee would you like to have?"

"A caffe latte ! !"

"Anything else?"

"Oh yes and make it sweet. I like my coffee sweet."

"Yes Sir!"

'Sweet coffee wouldn't suit a bitter man like yourself' Lia murmured to herself.

She went all the way to the hotel kitchen steamed the milk, brewed the coffee and went up the elevator to the 97th floor again and bought the steamed milk and the espresso in a big tray.

"Would you like a tulip art or a Rosetta art on your latte Sir?" Lia queried.

"A heart !" he replied.

"Well that wasn't an option but still..." she answered.

'There was an unusual calmness on Lia's face when she was professionally pouring the milk and making the latte art.'

'Eric was amused.'

"Do you like making coffee?" he suddenly questioned.

"YES!" she said in a gentle voice with a little smile on the corner of her lips.

Eric was flustered. The sight of her smiling the same Lia who appeared to be so bitter and lifeless held him captive for a moment.

"A caffe latte with a heart and extra sugar...Sir"

"Well... good... its the average latte. I'll give you a 7/10 based on how it looks ." he lied, obviously he was amazed by the perfection.

"7/10 ? ....ahaa..thank you. " She replied bewildered.

"I'll take my leave if you may please"

"Ah...you are my assistant now...you must be around me all the time...do you know the places around Bangkok?"

"Umm yes Sir I know Bangkok a bit."

"Well fair enough I'll take you with me I wanna take a look around here. You are my tour guide."

"Umm....sorry?... I cannot do that, the hotel wouldn't allow us to leave besides going out personally with the guest is forbidden."

"Well I'd look into that don't worry."

"Huh? "

Lia seemed to be completely uninterested and fore more disturbed by Eric.

Like he was causing her some personal troubles, like he was getting involved in her life, willingly choosing to getting intertwined in her fate.

The seeming dislike for each other had already been engraved in the two hearts during their first meet. But what destiny does everyday encounters set? Slowly getting used to each other...slowly coming closer...and gradually falling apart.

"My curiosity whenever I look at her face is unending, she seems like she hides so many stories behind her face, this was the most human interaction I ever had with a person, unrelated to business, unrelated to work or profits and gains just a casual conversation, something this little could fill your heart with a weird sense of humanness."