Secret For Vinhelm - The Prequel: A Rock Star Romance (5 page)

Vhynce was the kind of person who treated his co-workers – higher or lower than him – his family and that was what they love the most about him. Not only was their CEO a talented producer, songwriter, singer and a famous rockstar but also he was the most down to earth person they met.

All of them respect him and that was something money can’t buy. He was proud of what he and his family – family, friends, artists, Ryan, Peter, his staff and everyone else he worked with – had achieved.
 

“Hey boss, what time do you think she’ll arrive?” Rayle asked as he go through some magazine he saw on Vhynce’s table.
 

“We were meant to meet her by 1:30.”

He looked at his wristwatch and said, “It’s only 1:00.”
 

“Is this also your first time meeting her?” Rayle was still busy with the magazine. He looked like he was trying to keep his cool.
 

“You’re really excited to meet her, aren’t you?” He teased.

“Maybe.” Rayle tried his best to sound relax but failed. His excitement failed him. He put down the magazine and asked, “What do you know about her?”
 

“I don’t know much either. Therry only introduced her to me. You met him, right?” It wasn’t a question. After all, Therry had been dropping by RMM ever since the company was established so there was no way Rayle haven’t met the man.
 

“Yeah I met him quite a few times but I haven’t talked to him that much. Whenever he’s here, all of us are busy working on our own music.” He confessed.
 

“Well about her. Her name is Meahri Lyfheld. She’s half American half Korean. She’s a graphic artist. That’s all I know about her. I’ve seen her work and they’re impressive.” There was a hint of proudness in his voice.
 

He hasn’t met the girl but after he saw her works, he himself was impressed as well.
 

Truth was, those weren’t the only things he knew about her.

He knew that she wasn’t just a graphic artist. She was an illustrator for some of the famous brands for kids. She got the chance to work with some movies wherein she was the one who made the movie posters. She was also a cover artist.
 

After she graduated 3 years ago, Therry said it was probably the same time that Vhynce retired. She did freelance but after the success of the first movie poster she made, she found the joy and satisfaction in it. Through that she knew more people and eventually she got into the book world as well. And it was that same reason she decided to start her own company, a one-woman company.
 

In just 2 years, she was able to create a portfolio filled with not only amazing illustrations, professional-looking book covers but also breathtaking movie posters.
 

From there, she made her name in the art, book and movie industry that even some of the people from the music industry had their attention on her.
 

There was so much more he knew about her but Rayle didn’t have to know that.
 

********

Few weeks ago when Vhynce and Therry had a drink at his house, he mentioned that he was looking for a new artist to work on Rayle’s first full-length album. Not that the artists that he worked with in the past weren’t good. They were. He wanted to find some new talent and help them get more exposure for their works.

“I didn’t know her. I only met her through my younger sister, Thiara. You remember that she always had the passion in writing?” Therry asked and Vhynce nodded.
 

“There was this one time when Thiara asked my help in producing a song for one of her books. I think it was a rockstar book or something. I don’t know. I don’t have any idea about books… So I helped her with it.”

He drank the remaining of his beer and continued, “When we were talking about the design she wanted for the cover art, I was about to recommend Tyrone but she immediately declined. She told me that she have an artist of her own.”

He stopped when he saw the look on Vhynce’s face as if he was saying, ‘Oh really?’ But he simply ignored him and continued.

“She told me that she had been working with her for almost a year. She also told me that she’s the one designing everything she needs for her books so she wanted her to design the cover art as well.”

“Since it’s not my album, I don’t have any right to object. We sent her the song and gave her an idea of the cover that we want. We met her a few times and it’s amazing how she can seem to read what’s on our mind. It’s like she can see how we visualize the cover art in our heads.” He sounded so proud and amazed.
 

“You seemed like you’re impressed by her?” Vhynce flashed a grin.

“I am. There are a lot of great artists in this world. We both know that bro but we also both know that not all great artists are open to what the client wants. That’s the problem of some great artists. They tend to forget that they’re designing for a client. It’s cool if they’re working on their own artwork but it’s a different thing if they’re designing for someone else.”
 

“She knows how to compromise. She’s talented, professional, nice, friendly and most of all, despite her success, she’s down to earth.”

Just by talking about Meahri, he can’t help but smile.

“Is it just me? Or it feels like you have a thing for her?” Vhynce laughed.

Therry didn’t’ say anything. He simply smiled and took out his phone.

“Go look at her works. I won’t say anything. I’ll just wait and listen to what you have to say.” He gave him his phone.

Vhynce took it and browsed through it.

He too was smiling as he goes through her works. Therry wanted to say something but for the sake of his little brother he decided to keep it to himself.
 

“I have to admit, her works are pretty good.” He said while he was still busy browsing through Meahri’s works.

“I know. Her works are awesome, yes. But wait until you meet her. She’s more awesome than her works.” Therry confessed.

He puffed out a smoke from his cigarette and had a smile on his face. It was a kind of smile that Vhynce found very familiar.
 

“So do you?”

“I like her but only as a friend and a sister. I’m just amazed at how someone like her exist and to have achieved that much at a young age. I guess you can say I’m fascinated by her. You know how I am when I see real talent.” Therry’s smile was genuine. Vhynce knew the man damn well to know when he’s lying and not.

“Seems like she’s one hell of a girl especially hearing what you had to say about her.”

“I’m not kidding. Wait until you meet her. You’ll understand what I mean. I bet you a hundred grand for that.” Therry sounded confident.
 

He sounded too confident that you’d have second thoughts to whether accept the bet or not. It’s a fucking hundred grand! Who would decline, right?
 

“Are you fucking for real?!”

He was surprised but after he saw that wicked grin on his brother’s face, there was no place for doubt. Therry wasn’t the type to start a bet and whenever he did, he made sure that he wouldn’t lose a fucking cent.

Therry didn’t say a thing and nodded.
 

“She’s really that awesome huh?” He shouldn’t have asked. The answer was written all over Therry’s face. But of course, being Vhyncent Vinhelm, he had to ask.
 

“Just make sure she’s not that.” He reminded.
 

Silence filled the air.

Few minutes had passed before Therry talk again.

“I don’t think she is. She loves music, yes. But I don’t think she’s a fan or at least that’s what I know. Besides, are you still having that fucking principle?” There was a trace of annoyance in his voice.
 

“I don’t date fans. That’s all. That’s me. You know that.” Vhynce said flatly.

He didn’t want to get into another argument with the man about the same thing. They had the same argument for years.

So what if he didn’t date fans? What was the problem with that?

“I don’t know. It’s just that… You’ve been retired for 3 years. What’s the point in having that fucking principle? Besides, it’s all in the past. Can’t you give yourself the freedom to meet people and enjoy? You’re not getting any younger you know.”

Therry was making a point once again. Like what Vhynce had expected. It had always been like this whenever they get to this topic. He knew Therry had a point.
 

“I enjoy my life. I’m happy. I’m doing what I love and I have a great family with me. That’s all that matters. I don’t think I’m up for those complicated stuff.” He replied.
 

“Right.”

It was obvious that Therry wanted to say more but he chose not to. There was no point to explain to someone especially when that someone didn’t want to listen. They had been there for who knew how many times.

Vhynce loved Therry. He was his man.

They grew up together and he was like a real bother to him. The only difference between them and real brothers was their last names. He was one of the people who he knew even before he became part of that amazing yet crazy world of rockstars.

He knew it was all in the past but he don’t date fans. It was what he believed in. He always believed that if he started to date one of them, it would be a mess. It would be a complicated thing that even math and the smartest scientist can’t solve.

He didn’t have time for complicated things and that was why he planned to believe in the same thing - that Therry called his ‘fucking principle’ – for years.

********

Vhynce was deep in his thoughts when he heard someone knocked on the door.
 

“Come in.” He said.
 

The door opened and for the first time, he saw her. He finally met Meahri.

He was surprised. She wasn’t what he expected her to be. He knew Therry’s taste in women and this was definitely not his taste.

He expected so much more or maybe he expected so much from the girl in front of him who obviously didn’t reach his standards. He and Therry loved those super sexy girls with a very slim body and a beautiful face, like Therry’s wife, Anna, who was a famous model during her teens.

Meahri on the other hand definitely
wasn’t
.
 

She was more of the middle-sized girls. She’s not slim but she can’t be considered as fat either. She doesn’t have a model’s body but not bad either. She has a fair skin though.
Vhynce observed her. Or was he criticizing her?

Her hair was a mixture of black, red, and all shades of brown and bronze that fell a few inches below her shoulders. Her caramel eyes were round like the sun.

Her eyes have that shine but there’s something more to it. Something I can’t decipher. It was as if she’s not really what we think she is. There’s something else. I won’t know it until I find out myself and I will find out what it is.
He thought.

He looked like he criticized a song, not a person, that he needed to check each and every little part of it.
 

Her nose was small enough to compliment her cheeks that looked so soft and her lips were pale pink. Then he realized something.

She wasn’t wearing any make-up. That’s something new.
He smiled as he found it interesting. It was a first for him. At least since he was introduced to the crazy world he was in 3 years ago.

In their world, wearing make-up was like their underwear that they couldn’t leave their house without one, especially for girls.
 

She had a white backpack behind her that he found familiar since he too had a number of bags from the same brand. She wore a black long sleeves with a red shirt underneath it and partnered it with a black shorts and a pair of Jordan 4 Toro sneakers.
 

She doesn’t have a slim body and yet she pulled off that kind of top not to mention those shorts. Seems like she wasn’t that bad after all. Her fashion is simple and stylish but definitely not what I expected. Maybe it’s because I prefer feminine girls… Meahri… She was more of the not-so-feminine kind…
He was deep in his thoughts.