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Mahogany Eyes – Book 2: The Gracious Gentleman

Chapter 6: The Solacing Scent of Sage – December 4

“Are you ready to check out your new apartment?”  A sweet smile rose to crown his face in a heavenly light.

She nodded her head. 

“It’s only a few blocks from here.  Do you think you can walk that far?” he asked with concern shining in his eyes.

She chuckled.  “I’m pregnant, Yoongi.  Not an invalid.  Of course, I can walk a few blocks.  I was on my feet all day at school, keeping up with twenty-five little kids.”

He frowned.  “Are you overly tired then?”

Her heart melted at his care for her.  “Actually, I am,” she sighed.  “I’ve been exhausted for three weeks.  I hope this symptom disappears soon.”

A ripple of unease flowed across his face.  “I’ll grab us a cab then.”

She reached out and touched the back of his hand which was resting on the tabletop.  “No, Yoongi, you don’t need to do that.  I’ll be fine.  Besides, the city is lit up for Christmas, and I really enjoy the lights.  Let’s walk.  The fresh air will do me good.”

A tiny smile teased the corners of his lips.  “All right.  If you think you’re up to it.  But if it becomes too much at any point, say the word, and I’ll find us a lift.”

She giggled.  “What’s the word?”

“The word?”

“That I need to say if I want a ride?”

“That depends,” was his teasing response.

Her titian eyebrows assaulted her hairline.  “It does?  On what?”

“How close we are to my apartment.  You might need to holler, ‘Uber!’ if it’s several blocks.  But if it’s just around the corner, I’ll give you a piggyback ride.”

A captivating trill of laughter escaped her then, and Yoongi stared in fascination at the transformation that overcame her countenance.  Lex went from being beautiful to breathtaking when joy transfused her face.

“So, I suppose in that instance, I’ll just yell, ‘Piggy!’”  She continued to giggle, and Yoongi had the frightening feeling that he’d just put himself into a very precarious position.  He could feel her smile tugging on his heart already.

He stood up.  She followed suit.  He nearly reached for her hand without thinking about it.  At the last moment, he dug his fingernails into his palm to prevent himself from touching her.  He didn’t want to do anything stupid.  Least of all, something that might be construed as him intimidating her.

He bowed to her instead and waved his left hand out towards the door in a grand, sweeping gesture.  “After you, my dear.  Ladies first.”

She grinned at him.  And had to resist the desire to rumple his floppy, midnight hair. 

Which was absolutely absurd.  Why would such an impulse strike her? 

Yoongi was incredibly kind.  But he remained a stranger still…. 

Didn’t he?

She gave him a bright smile before preceding him out the door that another customer had opened for her.  As they walked down the block, Alexis looked up and around at all the beautiful Christmas lights.  She sighed.  Then she began to speak.

“Christmas is usually my favorite time of year.  I was looking so forward to my first Christmas in Korea.”  She heaved a heavy sigh.  “Now it just feels ruined.  No one special to spend it with.”

“Hey, what am I?  Chopped liver?” Yoongi retorted.

She glanced up at him in surprise.  “What?  No!  I meant that I don’t have a boyfriend anymore.  I…I just assumed you’d be going to see your family for Christmas.”

“Not this year.  My work is keeping me in Seoul, and my parents live too far away to visit.  They have duties back home.”  His eyes traveled to her face as he explained, “They’re taking care of my aged grandparents.  They can’t travel,” he sighed.  “Nope.  Until you came into my life, I was planning to spend the holiday alone.”

Her face lit up.  “Then I can make Christmas wonderful for you!”

Surprised, he blinked as he stared down at her enthusiastic face.  

“I’ll make a traditional Christmas dinner!  And decorate a tree.  And…”

“Hey, you don’t need to go overboard.  A simple Christmas is just fine.  We don’t celebrate it like Americans.”

“But I am an American!  And I definitely celebrate it.”  A thundercloud suddenly struck her countenance, darkening it.  “Unless you don’t want me to do anything for you,” she finished sullenly.

Alarmed by the sudden change in her demeanor, he replied, “I don’t want to put a damper on your celebrations.  I just don’t want you to wear yourself out for me.”

“I won’t.  I promise.”

“All right,” he murmured with a tiny smile as their eyes collided again.

They walked in silence for a few moments as he watched her face light up every time she noticed a new luminous Christmas display. 

“You really do love Christmas, don’t you?” he muttered.

Her glowing face turned his way as her happy voice filled the air around him with her joy.  “What’s not to love?”

He shrugged.

“Oh, come on!  Who doesn’t love a cup of hot chocolate?  Or a tin full of Christmas cookies?  The smell of a pine tree?” she queried as he didn’t respond.  “The glow of the Christmas lights?  The wonderful feeling that fills your heart when you find the perfect gift for someone and you watch them open it?”

“I guess,” he responded lamely.

Her heart sank.  He watched it slide down her countenance and disappear below the darkened horizon.

“Hey, don’t mind me.  I’m just your neighborly grinch,” he responded jokingly in an attempt to cheer her suddenly dampened spirits.  Spirits he had dampened.  Without meaning to.

She glanced sharply at him.  “You’ve seen The Grinch?”

He nodded.  “Who hasn’t?”

She laughed.  “But it’s an American movie.  I didn’t think it likely you’d seen it.”

“Well, I have.  And it fits me perfectly.”

“You lie!” she exclaimed suddenly.  “I don’t believe you’re that anti-Christmas.”

He shrugged.  “I’m not, I guess.  I just don’t see what all the fuss is about.”

Her face fell again.  “You don’t?  But Christmas is a time of wonder…a time of love….”  Her voice trailed off.

He studied her face.  “Even with what just happened with your fiancé, you still believe that?”

Her eyes probed his.  “Of course!  Why would his attitude change the way I feel about Christmas?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem to me that he loved you.”

He watched a crack surface in her countenance.  It split in half, and the divide seemed to swallow her whole face with its grief.  “I’m sorry!” he was quick to add.

She turned away from him.  “No,” she choked back a sob, but he still heard it vibrating her vocal cords.  “No, you’re entirely right.  He never loved me.  I was a fool for being with him.  An utter fool.”  Her heart was broken, and it was bleeding into her voice.

“Hey,” he stopped suddenly and reached out to lay his hand on her arm, but she kept walking.

“Come on.  Let’s get to your apartment.  I’m suddenly very cold,” she admitted as a great shiver rippled through her torso, making her shoulders shake.

Yoongi’s heart sank as he watched her striding ahead of him.  He shrugged out of his coat and quickened his pace to catch up with her.  He reached out and draped his jacket over her shoulders. 

“Please.  Put this on,” his gruff whisper teased her ear as he bent over her from behind. 

She stopped abruptly.  Shocked.  And stood still for a moment.  As the waves caused by his breath sliding over her skin assailed her senses with a strange delight.  She closed her eyes to savor the moment.

And then berated herself as she realized what she was doing.  She’d already crawled into bed with one guy.  And look where that had landed her.  The last thing she needed was to be devastated by another man. 

She stiffened and turned towards him.  “I don’t need your coat.”  She pulled it off her shoulders and held it out towards him.

“You might not,” he replied, suddenly stung by her sharp words and her even sharper tone, “but your baby needs you to stay well.  It’s quite cold out here.  Please.  Wear it.  If you got sick when I could have given you my coat but didn’t, I would feel just horrible.”

Her eyes fenced with his for a moment, but she saw only sweetness in the depths of his, so she finally heaved a deep sigh before swinging his coat back up over her shoulders.  As she tried to slide her hands into the sleeves, she felt him holding the jacket at just the right angle to assist her in maneuvering her body into his warm coat. 

It was warm.  Really warm.  And it smelled like him.  She found her eyes fluttering shut again as the comforting scent of sage mixed with bergamot and cedarwood overwhelmed her.  She would have happily been wrapped in that comforting smell forever.

“Thank you, Yoongi,” she sighed on a deep exhalation.  She was still hiding from his gorgeous eyes, though.

She had a feeling that moving in with him was going to test her in ways she couldn’t even begin to imagine.  She fervently prayed she had the constitution to overcome them all.

Chapter 7: Refuge – December 4

A few minutes later, they arrived at his apartment.  He ushered her into the living room and shut the door, sealing off the cold hallway.  Still, Alexis shivered again.

Yoongi glanced at her with concern.  “Why don’t you sit on my couch for a few minutes?  I’ll get you a blanket.  Once you’ve warmed up, I’ll take you on a tour of the apartment.”

Too chilly to argue, she just nodded as she headed for his loveseat. 

Yoongi was true to his word.  He was back in a flash with a warm, fleece blanket that he draped over her.  She huddled under it while he stood awkwardly in front of her.  Then his face brightened as an obvious thought occurred to him.

“Can I get you some tea?”

“Oh!  That would be delightful!  Do you have any Lady Grey?”  Then she frowned.  “Of course, you don’t!  This is Korea, not Ireland.  I’ll take whatever you have.”

“What is Lady Grey tea?” he asked as a crease deepened the divide between his eyebrows.

“It’s a black tea with citrus notes.  Orange, I think.”

“Ah.  I have citron tea.  Maybe it has a similar flavor?”

“Possibly.  I’ll try some.”  She smiled up at him.  “Thank you.”

He bowed to her and headed for the open kitchen.  As he heated the water in his electric kettle, he kept his eyes on the back of her head.  She was still hiding under the blanket.  But he watched her head sink deeper into the top of his couch cushion.  He wondered if she’d fallen asleep.

He returned to her a few minutes later as he carried the steaming cup of tea towards the coffee table.  He set it down there after glancing at her face.  She was asleep.  He felt his heart sliding towards her.  His eyes devoured her vulnerable countenance.  A face that had been made even more fragile by the defenselessness of slumber.

She looked like a china doll.  Her pale complexion enhanced the illusion.  Her bright auburn eyelashes formed thick, little fans crowning her ashen cheeks.  Her pert nose tilted up at the end, and her rosy lips were relaxed into a straight line that couldn’t detract from their natural Cupid’s bow. Only the small sprinkling of a few freckles dotting her nose lent her an air of reality.  The remainder of her face seemed lost in some ethereal existence.

As he stared down at her, he knew he was catching a glimpse of her childhood.  Her relaxed face appeared at least a decade younger.  He wondered briefly if she was carrying a girl, and if this daughter would one day wear a matching façade.  If so, she would be a lovely, little girl.

Yoongi felt a wave of sorrow flood him for a few moments as he watched her sleeping on his couch.  She seemed so vulnerable.  Like a tiny wave could drown her.  And she wasn’t just facing one little stream of water.  She was confronting a whole ocean of challenges right now.

He suddenly felt very thankful that he’d decided to eat ramen for dinner tonight.  He had a burning desire to comfort her.  To care for her.  To lend her the shelter she needed.  To be the friend he suspected her heart was craving.

God knew his own heart could use a little companionship.  He’d endured a lonely existence since moving to the city eight years ago.  He often missed his eomma’s warm hugs.  Or the gentle clasp of his appa’s palm on his shoulder. 

But his most safely guarded secret was his desire for his grandmother’s sweet smile.  It had always accompanied her famous tea cookies.  Those two fond memories were inseparable in his heart.  She’d always made the delicious dasik for their lunar new year parties.  And for Christmas.  Just because she knew how much he loved them.  He had a yearning for them every time he saw Christmas lights twinkling on the street front.  But more than that, he longed to feel her frail arms around him again. 

Those arms hadn’t always been frail.  He remembered a time when they had scooped him up off the ground after he’d fallen and skinned his knee as a tiny tot.  His loud wail had brought her miniscule feet running to his side that bright summer’s day.  He’d felt engulfed by her huge heart that morning as she’d held him to her bosom and shushed his fear with her reassuring murmurs. 

Waves of comfort had forever emanated from her presence.  Harmony had always adored him.  He had never doubted her affection.  Not for one instant.  She had long been his safe place.

Now it was time to pass that gift on to someone else.  As he stood gazing down at the beautiful girl slumbering on his couch, he acknowledged a new truth.  He wanted to be her sanctuary.

Chapter 8: Sleeping Beauty – December 4

Yoongi debated how long to allow her to sleep.  But he found that he didn’t have the heart to rouse her.  Instead, he knelt in front of her and picked up her feet to drag her legs up onto his couch, then he maneuvered her shoulders gently until she was lying across that loveseat.  He made sure her head was resting on a comfortable pillow.  Then he tucked not one but two blankets in around her.  She was clearly exhausted.

He sat down in his recliner to study some sheet music.  He really ought to be practicing his piano, but he was hesitant to disturb her.  After a couple of hours, he decided that he could risk a little tinkling of the keys.  He sat down on the bench that rested in front of an upright piano that took up one wall of his living room.  He began to play as quietly as possible.  Still, Alexis slept on.

She was floating in a marvelous dreamland.  The most glorious music was surrounding her in this heavenly place.  And a soothing scent enveloped her.  It reminded her of the bright oranges she’d sampled once when she’d visited a citrus farm in Florida one sunny summer’s day as a child. 

But there were deeper memories that it also unearthed.  The comforting flavor of sage that had infused her grandmother’s roasted chicken.  Alexis had been just a tiny child the last time she’d sampled her grandma’s food.  But the memory of that sage chicken tasted as crisp and clear as the ramen she’d eaten a couple of hours ago.  And it was the cause of the tear that slid down her cheek.

Yoongi felt something shifting in the atmosphere.  He straightened as his fingers stilled on the keys.  He glanced back over his shoulder at the sweet girl sleeping on his couch.  He was startled to discover a bead of moisture traveling towards her chin.

Lex was crying?

He stood up and wandered over towards her.  “Lex?” he whispered. 

He had no wish to disturb her, but if she was distressed, he wanted to help her.

However, she made no sound.  A moment later, she shifted in her sleep, and a tiny snore escaped her lips.  Convincing him that she was still sleeping. 

Unsure of himself, he stood watching her for a few moments as he pondered what to do.  He really didn’t want to wake her, but he was concerned that she would be alarmed later if she awoke in a strange place.  And what if she needed to use his bathroom? 

He’d never even taken her on a tour of the apartment.  Its bathroom was connected to his bedroom.  Its door easily visible from his bed.  It also had a door that connected to her bedroom.  The one he was hoping she would choose to occupy over the coming months.  A bedroom that was void of a bed right now.

He sighed.  The most sensible choice was to let her sleep in his own bed.  If she awoke, she’d find the bathroom immediately.  And his bed was infinitely more comfortable than his couch.  Having decided on a course, he headed for his room to draw back the covers on his bed.  Once this was done, he readied himself for bed and collected a couple of items he thought he might need from his bedroom before returning to the living room.

He set his belongings on the coffee table before turning to gaze down at Alexis.  A sweet smile curved his lips as he took in her relaxed countenance.  Then he bent and pulled one of the blankets off of her.  He folded it and tossed it on the back of the couch before bending again, this time to slide his arms under her and lift her up.  He was surprised at how light she was.  He’d recognized how tiny she was, but he’d never considered himself very strong, so the ease with which he lifted her astonished him. 

He strode towards his bedroom.  A few moments later, he bent to settle her in his bed before pulling the covers up over her. 

“Sleep tight, beautiful girl,” he murmured softly.

He left the little lamp on his nightstand glowing before heading to the other room to write her a note.  After he’d accomplished this task, he returned to his bedroom to tuck the slender piece of paper into the corner of his nightstand, directly beneath the glare of that little lamp.  After staring down at her for several silent seconds as his heart yearned for things for which he had no words, he headed for the living room to catch some of his own z’s on the couch.

Chapter 9: Wonderful Tonight – December 5

Alexis awoke to nature’s call at three-oh-nine in the morning.  She knew this because the first thing her eyes alighted on was the bright blue digital numbers of the clock sitting next to the lamp on Yoongi’s nightstand.  She stared at those unfamiliar numbers as a shiver of unease slid through her.  She blinked as she gaped at those brilliant blue bars invading her vision. 

Where was she?

She sat up abruptly, thankful for the lamp burning on that nightstand.  She glanced around the unfamiliar bedroom.  As she did so, the events of last evening suddenly tumbled through her consciousness. 

The beautiful man from the ramen joint.  Smiling at her.  Befriending her.  Generously offering to share his apartment with her.  Enjoying her dinner with her.  Walking her to his apartment.  Inviting her to warm up on his couch.  Bringing her a blanket.  Heading for his kitchen to make her a cup of tea.

She couldn’t remember anything after that.  And now she’d just woken up in his bed.  That ache of discomfort in her soul instantly amplified.  Had she…had she slept with him?  Had he possibly drugged the tea? 

Alarmed, she turned her head to the right.  To the empty side of his bed.  She sighed with relief as she realized that the covers were undisturbed on that side.  It was very clear he had never occupied this bed with her.  Unless he was a complete neat freak who insisted on making his bed right after he’d…

She let that thought slide away from her.  She didn’t want to think of Yoongi in such terms.  Not if she was going to consider sharing an apartment with him.

But if they hadn’t consummated a relationship in his bed, then why was she in it?  Had she fallen asleep on his couch?  And he’d carried her into his room?  So she could sleep alone in his bed?

That seemed the most plausible explanation.  The man was eternally sweet.  And she’d been positively exhausted.  Most likely, the heat of his coat coupled with the warmth of his blanket had lulled her to sleep.  And he had been too considerate to wake her up.  She glanced down at the nightstand, and for the first time noticed the note he’d left her.

“Lex, welcome to my bedroom.  I’m sorry, but I just didn’t have the heart to wake you up.  Please spend the night in my bed.  The couch is good enough for me.  I wanted you to be near the bathroom in case you woke up needing it.  Feel free to set my alarm.  My phone will wake me at five thirty.”

He hadn’t signed it.  But she smiled as her eyes were caressed by the gentle strokes his pen had made on the paper.  His handwriting suited his personality.  She felt oddly embraced even by those dark marks on that white paper.  And she marveled at the wonderful providence that had maneuvered her into Yoongi’s path last night.

She felt truly hopeful for the first time in a long time.  Considering her present circumstances, that bit of elation was remarkable.  

Realizing how thirsty she was, she wondered if the tea he’d made her was still sitting in a cup somewhere waiting for her lips to embrace it.  She wandered out to his living room in search of that drink.  She found it resting on the coffee table. 

But her eyes were instantly drawn to the man slumbering on the couch.  He was lying on his back, so she had a shadowed view of his face.  He’d left a tiny light on in the kitchen.  It helped to dimly illuminate this area.  She stood, arrested, gazing down at a face that she instantly recognized could easily become beloved.  Especially if the man who owned it continued to be so incredibly sweet to her.

After a few silent moments of drinking in that beautiful countenance, she bent to retrieve the cup of tea before returning to his bedroom.  As she reflected upon the wonder of finding such a sweet guy, she took a few sips of the cold liquid before setting the cup on his nightstand.  She sighed happily and headed for the bathroom before returning to Yoongi’s comfy bed.  Thankful that she had somewhere solacing to spend the night.  She did remember to pull her phone from her pocket and set her alarm before she slid off to dreamland one more time.

Chapter 10: A New Lease – December 5

Yoongi rose early.  Before the sun.  To a quiet apartment.  He wandered towards his bedroom and peeked through the open doorway. 

Alexis was still sleeping soundly.  The poor girl must have been simply exhausted.  He wandered over towards the bed.  The room would have been completely dark but for the burning lamp that lent its glow to her countenance.  He smiled down at her before heading for the shower.

Alexis awoke to the sound of running water.  Frederick must be showering already.  She opened her eyes and blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling.  For a moment, she’d forgotten. 

But as her eyes focused on the room around her, she remembered Yoongi.  And being in his bedroom.  She glanced at the bathroom door.  It was closed.  Yoongi must be getting ready for the day.  Thankfully, she didn’t have to go to work.  Today was Saturday.

She closed her eyes again.  Her eyelashes unfurled abruptly when the door to the bathroom opened a few minutes later.  She felt awkward as her eyes found his across the distance separating them. 

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” Yoongi murmured in a gentle rumble.  “I forgot my shirt last night.  I thought I’d grabbed one, but I must have put it down when I opened the drawer to find my pants.”  He glanced at his dresser.  “Ah, yes.  There it is.”

Alexis averted her eyes from his bare torso.  But a smile teased her lips in response.  She had appreciated that lovely view.  “It’s all right.  This is your room.”  She paused.  “Yoongi, you could have woken me up last night.  I didn’t need to steal your bed from you.”

As he shrugged into his shirt, he glanced sharply at her.  “You didn’t.  I gave you my bed.”  His lips tipped upwards in the hint of a smile.  “I was happy to.  You were clearly exhausted.  And I figured you didn’t have to work today since you’re a teacher.”

“Do you?” she asked in surprise.

“But, of course!  I have a concert tonight.  And practice this afternoon with the group.  Which means practice this morning by myself.  Since you’re awake, I’ll feel free to get started.”  He turned towards his bedroom door.

“Yoongi?”

He pivoted to face her again.  “Yes?”

“Is it possible for you to get me a seat at your show tonight?”

His face lit up.  “You want to come?”

Her lips broke apart as her teeth displayed themselves in a sympathetic grin.  “Of course, I do!”  As she studied his face, she frowned and queried, “Does that truly surprise you?”

He nodded.

“But…why?”

He shrugged.  “No one but my family has ever had any interest in what I do.”

“No.  That can’t possibly be true!”

Again, those shoulders slid up before falling down.  “I don’t really have any friends.”

“How is that possible?” she asked incredulously.

“What?”  He was clearly confused.

“How can a man as wonderful as you not have any friends?”

He simply stared at her.  She thought he was wonderful?  He had no response for that.

“Yoongi.  You asked a stranger to move in with you.  And then offered to charge her a fraction of the cost of your extra room.  How can I think of you as anything other than wonderful?”

Blushing, he turned towards his door.  “You’re welcome to anything you can find in the kitchen.”

“You’re not going to give me the grand tour of your apartment?” she asked to draw his attention back to herself.

He stopped walking and pivoted her way again.  “Right now?”

She nodded.  “If you have time.”

He chuckled.  “Uh, yeah.  You’ve seen it all.  Except for your room.  It’s on the other side of the bathroom.  There’s a connecting door.”  He led the way through the bathroom and ushered her into a room identical in size to his own.  It was virtually empty.

She glanced at him.  “How long have you lived here?”

“Four years.”

Surprised, she sent her eyebrows flying north.  “You’ve never used this room?”

He shrugged again.  “Not really.”  He glanced at her and read the surprise on her face.  “I’m a minimalist.  And I’ve never had anyone to host before.”

Her eyes left his to peruse the room one last time.  “I’ll take it!” she declared.  It seemed to her that this bedroom was nearly the same size as her own studio apartment.

A deep smile spread across his face, showering it in his delight.  “You will?”

She nodded.  “Thank you, Yoongi!  When should I move in?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

His head bobbed up once.  “I can help you tomorrow.  I have the day off.  And that way, we’ll get you moved before Friday.”

“All right.  Then I need to head home and finish packing.”

“If you don’t mind sitting through a practice, I can pick you up this afternoon and take you with me to the concert hall.”

“Name the time.”

“Two o’clock.”

She nodded.  “Here.  Let me write my address down for you.”  But then she had a second thought.  “Shouldn’t we exchange numbers too?”

“Oh, yeah,” he grinned lopsidedly.  Then he turned to head to the living room where he had left his phone.

A couple of minutes later, she bid him goodbye before heading back to an apartment that she knew she wasn’t going to miss.  Nor would she miss the memories of Frederick.