Tae rested his head on the strong back of the man whose motorcycle was carrying him to safety. He was so tired. The burst of adrenaline that had poured through his veins and communicated itself to every cell in his body several minutes before had been expelled by his several-blocks-long run. In the wake of its dispersal and death, he was exhausted. He closed his eyes for a few moments. When he opened them, he saw Paris whizzing by, a blurry cacophony of beautiful sights and beckoning sounds and comforting smells. Momentarily, he wished he was relishing them in the usual manner. But then his unique sense of perspective kicked in, and he chose simply to enjoy the ride. He grinned thinking that was a joke Jin would have told him.
After several minutes, the motorcycle slowed down as its driver maneuvered it into a parking space. Tae looked around. Good. They were near a clothes shop. He needed to buy a hoodie. He was sure there were already pictures of him dressed in tonight’s clothes and hat plastered all over the Internet. He inhaled and once again smelled the delightful savor of French bread. Jungkook would have to wait. Tae’s stomach gave an angry protest. He’d already been so hungry when he and Jimin had left for the restaurant. After running more than two miles, he was famished.
He climbed off the motorbike and turned to thank the guy. He took off his helmet and shook out his long, chestnut hair. It fell in loose curls nearly all the way down his back. Wow. It was beautiful hair, though unexpected. Tae did a double take as his eyes collided with amber eyes. Such unusual eyes! They appeared to be glowing with the flames of a passionate fire. But it was the heart-shaped face of his rescuer that stilled him to his core. She was stunning! A girl was his timely savior! He hadn’t seen that coming! Though as he reflected upon his time with his arms about her waist, she had been well-padded by her quilted jacket. And this odd twist of fate appealed to his unusual sense of humor. He grinned at her.
She continued to gaze into his eyes as she spoke, “You should be all right now. They couldn’t possibly follow us. You…”
Her voice trailed off as she was momentarily blinded by that gorgeous grin. She took in the extremely cute face of the guy she’d picked up off the street. He was absolutely adorable with intense, chocolate brown eyes and the most darling fringe of dark hair that threatened to flop into those eyes at any moment should he move his head the wrong way. Just then he did so and was stabbed in his left eye by one dark lock. She reached up and brushed it across his forehead.
Tae had just been struck by lightning. He was sure of it. The ground beneath him was smoldering. Had his feet left burn marks in the street? The blood singing through his veins was carrying electricity to every nerve ending in his body. They all seemed to be celebrating something with ecstatic tumult. Floored by the party going on in every cell of his system, all he could do was stare at the captivating creature in front of him.
After several moments, they were jostled by a casual passerby, and when their eye contact was broken, Tae noticed the camera hanging around her neck.
“Are you a photographer?” She appeared to be about his age.
She nodded. “I’m a photojournalist.” She looked up and around, spying something she wanted to photograph. “Exploring Paris for the first time.” She aimed and snapped a picture of a couple walking by, their fingers interlocked.
“Would you like a tour guide?” Where had those words come from? He needed to find Jimin.
Her head pivoted towards him again. She smirked, “Would I be safe? You seem to attract trouble.”
“Hey! I don’t! It’s just a casualty of being fam—.” Wait a second! She didn’t know who he was! Well, it wasn’t that surprising. They weren’t in South Korea anymore.
She tilted her head to the side, studying him. “It’s just a casualty of being, what? Were you going to say ‘famous’?”
As Tae’s silence persisted, she studied him. “Hmm…you might look vaguely familiar…Nope. I don’t see it. Can’t find it. Who are you?”
Not wanting to reveal that answer in its entirety, he stalled with, “Who are you?”
“I thought that was obvious. Your rescuer. Can we just agree to be friends?”
She held her hand out towards him. He sighed with relief. She didn’t yet know who he was. Her treatment of him would not yet be altered by the impression his fame would eventually make upon her.
Surprised, Tae slid his palm across hers. There it was again. Lightning finding its origin in her hand before arcing through his body. Her ardent eyes widened slightly, and he knew she’d felt it too. He grinned with satisfaction. Right before his stomach let out an angry reply. Suddenly smiling, she looked down at his abdomen.
“Hungry?”
“You try fleeing from an angry mob for miles and see if you’re not!” But there was no heat in Tae’s voice.
“Want to grab a baguette? The smell has been enticing me ever since we drove through this neighborhood.”
“Yes!”
Jungkook would have to wait. So would Jimin. In the excitement of meeting this delightful girl, Tae had momentarily forgotten about him.
