At 8 PM, Palisades Manor was already bustling with guests.
On the cliffside terrace, accompanied by mesmerizing lights and music, David Copperfield, whose fame had soared in recent years, conjured a towering, candle-lit birthday cake from beneath a silk cloth after a dazzling series of magic tricks. A chorus of celebratory songs erupted alongside a spectacular fireworks display that painted the sky nearby.
The fireworks lasted for a full half-hour, and the party atmosphere reached its peak after the birthday song.
Since his rebirth, almost all the parties Simon had attended had various purposes; celebration, socializing, business, or public relations. This one, however, was a pure, unadulterated revelry, a decadent carnival of extravagance.
Endless alcohol, exquisite delicacies, brilliant fireworks, captivating performances, dynamic music, and alluring women. The air itself seemed to drift with an intoxicating aura of ostentatious indulgence.
The party was Janette's brainchild; Simon didn't meddle in any of the arrangements, only signing a $10 million check beforehand. Ten million dollars, enough to buy a top-tier mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York in 1988, was all spent on this single party.
At some point, as he mingled through the crowd, Simon occasionally thought of Gatsby, the Great Gatsby.
However, he knew clearly that he was not Gatsby.
Gatsby's dream had been shattered.
Westeros's ambition was just beginning.
After 10 PM, older guests or those who had work the next day gradually began to leave. Still, hundreds of men and women remained in the manor, and the party was set to continue all night long.
In the front yard of the mansion, Simon and Janette saw off Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney Studios, and his wife. Noticing the frequent flashes from cameras beyond the wall, Simon beckoned a waiter and instructed, "Have someone send some food out there, but no alcohol. That way, we might read some nicer things about us in the papers tomorrow".
The waiter smiled and nodded, about to leave, when Janette waved him to stop, saying, "You stay here. I'll personally have someone prepare it".
The two returned to the villa, and Janette hurried to the kitchen, where a team of chefs was continuously providing food for the party.
Simon navigated through the crowd in the villa and returned to the still-boisterous backyard.
The pool directly behind the villa shimmered with colourful ripples under the lights. Simon chatted with people who approached him, and before he knew it, he was by the poolside, feeling a slight regret that this scene of dazzling lights and wine lacked a few mermaids.
Seeing Simon standing by the pool with no one else immediately beside him, several tall women nearby came over to greet him.
Simon looked at a familiar face with a mole at the corner of her mouth. Before they could introduce themselves, he smiled and gestured towards the swimming pool: "Care for a swim?"
The women were all momentarily stunned.
The woman with the mole was the first to react, asking in return, "Simon, are you joining us?"
Simon shook his head: "I'll watch you swim".
"Heh, then we're definitely not going in".
"How about this," Simon said, "If I can call out your names, you'll go in and swim for me".
The women paused again, exchanging glances, unsure whether to agree.
Simon, however, was already smiling as he spoke, pointing to the woman with the mole: "You are Cindy Crawford".
The women immediately showed surprised expressions. One of them said, "You must have recognized her beforehand, Simon. Cindy's looks are too distinctive".
Simon looked at the blue-eyed girl who spoke, saying, "You are Helena Christensen, from Denmark".
The women were again slightly astonished. Simon didn't pause, pointing to the other two girls: "You are Stephanie Seymour, and you, Paulina Porizkova. I must say, you really resemble Audrey Hepburn. If I'm not mistaken, you are all signed models with John Casablancas' Elite agency".
Cindy Crawford, Stephanie Seymour, Paulina Porizkova, and Helena Christensen were all very famous supermodels in the nineties. Although none of them had achieved their later fame at this moment, Simon easily recognized all of them.
Cindy Crawford listened as Simon named each of them, her expression a mix of surprise and faint excitement. Yet, she said, "Simon, you must have seen us in some magazine. And besides, we haven't agreed to anything yet, have we?"
Simon looked at the other three women, saying, "Cindy is trying to back out. What about you all?"
The other three women playfully nudged each other and giggled. Stephanie Seymour suddenly asked, "Simon, is there a reward if we go in?"
Simon nodded: "Of course".
Stephanie Seymour glanced at the pool and asked, "Then, do you have swimsuits here?"
Simon looked at the evening gowns the women were wearing and shook his head: "No, if you want to get in the water, you'll have to figure it out yourselves".
Saying this, Simon walked a few steps, sat down on a lounge chair by the pool, and watched the still-hesitant beautiful women with a smile. The women continued to giggle, but Stephanie Seymour quickly glanced at Simon and said in a serious tone, "Mr. Westeros, don't forget your promise".
As soon as she finished speaking, Stephanie Seymour, still in her black evening gown, slowly descended into the water from the edge of the pool. Many guests around noticed the situation and looked over.
Stephanie Seymour, however, paid no mind to the gazes of others. After fully immersing herself in the water, she indeed floated gracefully like a mermaid towards Simon. Then, very boldly, she slowly slipped off her black evening gown, retrieved it, and piled it at Simon's feet. She then leaned on the edge of the pool, giggling, "Simon, you wouldn't let a lady leave the pool without clothes, would you?"
The light in the courtyard wasn't very bright, but being so close, Simon clearly noticed that Stephanie Seymour's dress had been completely empty underneath. Many others around the pool had obviously noticed this as well; several men unconsciously edged closer, though they maintained their decorum by not getting too close to Simon's prime 'viewing' spot.
Seeing Stephanie Seymour in the water and Simon's clearly cornered expression, the other three women also shed their inhibitions and entered the water.
They certainly didn't mind leaving a deep impression on Simon Westeros, a young tycoon who lacked neither wealth nor the power to make them famous, and who, even rarer, was handsome and in excellent shape.
Soon, all four women were in the water. The other three also imitated Stephanie Seymour, deliberately taking off their soaked gowns in the water and piling them all at Simon's feet by the poolside.
The once cool and clear pool, now graced with four mermaids, instantly became a scene of boundless beauty.