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Mahogany Eyes – Book 3: The Ideal Man

Chapter 11: A True Friend – December 5

Yoongi was nervous.  Which was totally weird.  He’d been playing the piano in concerts for years, and he hadn’t felt this jittery for a long time.  He knew why he was feeling this way.

It was Alexis.  For some strange reason, he wanted to impress her.  Hence, it was that he found himself trembling slightly as he stood in front of her apartment door.  He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

This was ridiculous.  Why did he care so much about this girl’s opinion of him?

She was just a girl.  Who needed his help.  A girl he barely knew.  But he could tell that he was already developing feelings for her.  Was moving her in with him really such a good idea?

What if he fell in love with her?  Was he really ready to become a father?

It was a little too late to be having such qualms.  He’d already made a commitment to her.  As her host and roommate.  He took a deep breath.

Hesitantly, he knocked on her door.  A moment later, it swung wide to reveal…

…a beauty queen.

His eyes grew wide as he gaped at her.  And his heart began to race. 

Alexis had transformed her beautiful self into a truly captivating creature.  His eyes slid from her gloriously vibrant tresses – which she’d piled up into a mess of auburn curls on top of her head – down to her elegant, alabaster neck – which was magnificently displayed now that her hair was out of the way.  He swallowed as his gaze took in her milky shoulders which were peeping out of the top of her red dress.  Its scarlet straps covered a line a bare inch wide along the top of her arms.  Outside of those two small scraps of fabric, the entire length of each creamy arm was naked to his perusal.

He swallowed as his eyes continued to travel the length of her torso, finally falling to her toes.  Her simple yet sophisticated, vermilion gown clung lovingly to her curves and was the perfect complement to an evening spent at the symphony.  Its scarlet folds fell to her ankles.  Stopping just shy of her slender feet, which were clad in matching heels.  But Yoongi sighed with relief as he noticed how short those heels were.  He wouldn’t have to worry about her falling down in those shoes.  But he did make a quick mental decision to grab a cab instead of walking to the concert hall.  The distance was too far to traverse in those heels.

He swallowed as his eyes traveled back up her graceful form.  This girl was mesmerizing.  She had been from his first glance at her.  But it seemed to him that she became more so with every flash of her eyes.

He cleared his throat as those eyes captured his.  Then he pasted a smile on his face and croaked, “You look ravishing.”

Then he cringed.  Poor choice of words.  But she didn’t seem to notice.

She beamed at him, only increasing her allure.  “Thank you, Yoongi,” she demurred. 

He had no idea that no one had ever spoken such words to her until she’d met him.

“I just need to grab my coat and bag,” she mumbled as she turned away from him.

He stepped into her apartment and noticed the neat stack of boxes lined up against the wall near the door.  As his eyes took in the tiny studio that housed a bed only, he frowned. 

“Where’s the rest of your stuff?”

“Right there,” she pointed at the boxes.

“No.  I mean a dresser, a TV, a couch….  You know.  Your furniture.”

She shook her head.  “I don’t have any.  My original place fell through.  I had to find something in a hurry.  I took out a six-month lease.  I couldn’t find anything already furnished.  I had to buy my bed.  It was expensive enough. I didn’t want to burn through my money on furniture I really didn’t need.”

“You don’t have a television?”

“No.  I just watch things online on my laptop.  Truthfully, I have little free time.  I spend most evenings working on projects for class or grading papers.”

“Did you spend a lot of time with Frederick?”

She shook her head.  “He’s a very busy man.  He’s the vice president of a communications company.  I rarely saw him.”

He furrowed his brow.  “Then how did you…?”  But then he realized how inappropriate that question was, so he cut it off.

Her eyes speared his.  “You’re wondering how I had the opportunity to become pregnant, aren’t you?”

He just stared at her.  He wasn’t about to step into that minefield.

She sighed.  “In the beginning, we saw more of each other.  He was very charming.  Taking me out for dinner.  Holding my hand as we walked from the restaurant back to my apartment.  Let’s just say that he was quick to kiss me.  And even quicker to touch me.  And I was stupid enough not to tell him, ‘No.’”

Truthfully, she’d been desperately lonely.  And he’d been quick to part from his money for her sake.  She hadn’t been used to anyone spending money on her.  She had believed that it must have been a sign of his love for her.  Now, as she reflected upon his character, she realized that it was probably the simple fact that money meant very little to him because he had so much of it.  If it could be used to save him time or to acquire what he wanted, he was lavish in spending it.  He’d wanted her – for a little while, at least – so he had freely spent his money upon her for a time.

“He was different over the summer.  He had more free time.  Maybe he was taking some of his vacation then?” she asked as though trying to solve this mystery herself.  “After just a few weeks dating me, he proposed.  When school started, I was busier, and he buried himself in work.  By the time I realized that he was more interested in his job than he was in spending time with me, we’d already become intimate, and I…” 

She sighed.  “I don’t really have any friends here.  Frederick was my only true acquaintance.  The girls at work aren’t very friendly.  Several of them aren’t fluent in English, and I’m not very good at Korean yet.  The remainder are kind of cliquey.  I just…don’t fit in.”

What was new?  She hadn’t fit in at home either.  She had hoped that she’d just been misplaced.  That God had made a mistake when she was conceived and put a Korean spirit into the body of an American baby.  So an idea had struck her when she’d learned American teachers were sought after by Korean schools.  Perhaps she’d help Him rectify His mistake and move to the country into which she should have been born.

Only, she’d discovered that it hadn’t been God who had made the mistake.  But herself.  Her dreams of finding her perfect fit in Korea had fallen flat.  Completely and irrevocably last night.  Frederick wasn’t her fairy-tale prince.  Nor was he her knight in shining armor.  At this point, she would have settled quite happily for a simple boy next door.  Someone who would love her for her sad self.  But she was beginning to realize how unlikely such a circumstance was.  She had already survived nearly twenty-three years without catching the eye of a kind man.

Until Yoongi, that was.  But he wasn’t attracted to her.  He was simply a compassionate person.  Someone quick to help others.  Perhaps he recognized a kindred spirit in the lonely girl from America.  At least, that was something.  She might not have found a true love.  But she was pretty sure she had found a true friend.

Chapter 12: Chivalry Is Not Dead – December 5

Alexis bent over to retrieve her coat from the end of her bed.  She was surprised a moment later as she tossed it over her shoulders to discover Yoongi standing behind her, once again attempting to help her slide her arms into the sleeves of a jacket.  Her cheeks warmed as she allowed him to help her.  He pulled it up snug around her shoulders before stepping back.  They crossed the room together.

Yoongi watched as she picked up a large bag.  Wrinkling his brow, he asked, “Can I carry that for you?”

“Oh,” she glanced up in surprise at his gallant offer.  “It’s some of my books for school.  I thought I could do a little planning while you’re practicing.”

“Ah.”  Enlightenment flooded his face.  “A capital idea!”

She smiled faintly at his odd response.  Where had he learned his English?  Nineteenth-century, British romance novels? 

She giggled at the thought.

“What’s so funny?” Yoongi queried as he bit his lip to hide the smile that had formed at her response.

“Where did you learn that phrase?”

“‘A capital idea?’”

She nodded.

“I read it in a book once.  I thought it was funny.”

“Me too,” she chuckled.  He had been reading historical fiction!  She peered up at him.  “What novel was it?”

“Hmm.  Something by a lady named Georgette Heyer.”

“Georgette Heyer!  How on earth did you find such a book in Korea?”

“My English teacher loaned it to me.  She was from England.”

She giggled.  “Your English teacher was truly English.  Ahh, now it makes sense!”  She shook her head.  “Still, it’s pretty unbelievable!  She’s one of my favorite authors.”

“Really?”  He stared at her incredulously. 

She bobbed her head as she headed for the door.  Passing him the bag on her way.  A few minutes later, they stepped out into the frigid night air.

“Yoongi, thank you for getting me a seat tonight!  I’m excited to hear you play!”

“You really are?” he asked doubtfully.

“Absolutely!” she glanced at him in surprise.  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He shrugged.  “It’s no big deal.  Part of my pay for playing includes two free seats in the audience.  They’re usually empty.”

“Well, one of them will be filled from now on.  Unless you need it for someone else.”

His eyes flew to her lovely face again.  “You want to come to every one of my concerts?” he queried in disbelief.  “You haven’t even heard me play.”

“It doesn’t matter.  Clearly, you’re brilliant, or you wouldn’t be part of the orchestra.  And I am not about to let that seat go empty when I could be filling it.”

His heart warmed at her words.  A spasm of vulnerability passed over his countenance.  She didn’t miss it as she glanced up at him. 

“Every talented performer should have – at a minimum – one tireless fan.  Don’t you think?”

His brow crumpled as he nodded dumbly at her.  No one had ever shown him this much support.  He wanted to thank her, but she’d robbed him of speech with her kind words. 

Just then, his hand brushed against hers as they stopped to wait for a traffic light to change before crossing the street.  Without thinking, he reached for her hand, and his fingers curled around hers.  Her cheeks flushed in response to his affectionate gesture.  And her hand clung to his as he pulled her forward into the crosswalk a moment later.

Chapter 13: The Dangerous Man – December 5

As they closed the remaining distance between them and the nearest taxi, she glanced up at Yoongi.  And felt her heart swell with some tender emotion that melted her insides.  He pulled her to an abrupt stop as a car came to a screeching halt behind the waiting taxi.  Yoongi threw himself between her and the cab to shield her from any fallout resulting from that speeding car. 

She stared up at him in awe.  And felt tears stinging her eyes.

Who was this man?  Who would put himself in harm’s way for a stranger?  And offer her other forms of protection?  And a room under his own roof?  A secure place to raise her child.

As he released her hand to open the door of the taxi for her, she reached up to wipe away the tear that was now sliding down her cheek.  She smiled sheepishly up at him as he bowed over the open door to gesture her into the backseat.  A moment later, he followed her. 

They rode the few blocks in silence.  His hand resting on the seat next to hers.  They were so close that they were nearly touching.  But not quite.  Still, she could feel the heat rolling off his fingers a mere millimeter from hers.  She was itching to reach out and touch them.  But she resisted the allure of those elegant digits, choosing to stare out her window instead.  So it was that she didn’t miss how short was the distance to the auditorium.  As the taxi pulled up in front of the Lotte Concert Hall, she turned her eyes towards the quiet man sitting next to her.

“Yoongi, why didn’t we walk?”

He glanced down at her vibrant vermilion shoes. 

“My shoes?” she asked incredulously.

“No one’s ankles need to endure that much punishment,” he murmured cheerfully as he paid the driver.

Her heart quaked again, making her decidedly uneasy.

Oh, dangerous man!  Why didn’t I meet you my first summer in Seoul instead of Frederick?

She sighed with grief as she tore her eyes away from his glorious, mahogany orbs.  And pushed against the tears threatening to overwhelm her lids again.  She felt swamped by regret.  And shame.  Here was a perfectly wonderful man sitting next to her.  Nearly holding her hand again.  Yet she sat pregnant with another man’s child.

She knew why she hadn’t waited for such a prince.  She hadn’t known he existed.  She would never have believed a man could treat her as sweetly as this one had.  In her experience, men were rarely that considerate.  Certainly, not towards her. 

So when she’d found a man who had paid her a modicum of respect, she had given him her all.  And received a precious gift from him.  One that would alter the course of her life forever.  And make it difficult for her to find another man willing to give her a chance.

She could not reverse all the poor decisions of her past.  She could only embrace the future with hope and a resolve to avoid such stupid mistakes in the future.  She would never again wish to put another child in such a precarious position as this one was facing.  But as she felt her heart yearning for the kind of love that she suspected this man would one day lavish on his beloved, she felt herself growing jealous of that future woman.  And so very sad that her own choices had exempted her from taking that honored place at his side. 

Yoongi deserved a girl who had waited for him.  Someone who hadn’t acted out of her heart’s wounds.  Someone whose past was clean of the kind of trauma that had caused Alexis to fall into bed with a man she barely knew.  Yoongi was worth so much more than Alexis could ever give him.  What guy would wish to be saddled with another man’s child?

She anticipated that her own future would be bitterly lonely.  She would be raising a precious child alone.  She pictured the inevitable day when Yoongi would escort a girl back to their apartment.  Perhaps, he’d ask Alexis to take her child out for the evening so he could spend some time alone with his date.  Of course, Alexis would jump to do his bidding.  After everything he’d done for her, she had no wish to prevent him from living his life.  Or from loving someone he found worthy of him.

But she knew that facing such a day – and such a woman – would be extremely difficult.  For she was already becoming quite attached to the kindest man she’d ever met.

Chapter 14: A Gallant Gentleman – December 5

Yoongi was oblivious to the pitiful, self-condemnatory thoughts with which Alexis was struggling.  He pulled her bag from the car and lugged it into the concert hall as she followed closely on his heels.  He carried her bag to the front row and plopped it down in one of the seats.  She glanced down at it.  Then she gazed up at him incredulously.

“Is this where I’m going to sit?” she breathed.

He nodded.  “Yes.  Both of these seats,” he gestured towards the seat to the right of the bag, “belong to me.  You can use them both.  So, you see,” he gave her a gummy grin suddenly, “even your bag has a seat.  There’s plenty of room for it!”

Just then, someone began to tune a violin.  Yoongi straightened and turned towards the stage. 

“Enjoy your work.  I’m headed to do mine.” 

Then he was gone.  Climbing the steps of the stage before striding across it towards a grand piano.  Alexis lifted her eyes to watch that already beloved back depart from her.  She shivered, fervently hoping that such a picture wasn’t a foreshadowing of her future.  She prayed that Yoongi would always be a part of her life. 

She heaved a deep sigh as he settled himself on the piano bench.  He glanced up and straight into her eyes momentarily before flashing her a wide grin.  Then his mahogany eyes embraced the keys of his piano as his fingers found their places.  Soon, he was coaxing the most beautiful melody from those keys.  It was immediately clear to Alexis that Yoongi was already embroiled in a passionate love affair.

With his piano.  And it was just as clear that that noble instrument returned his ardor.

She leaned back and closed her eyes as she drank in the peaceful music the two of them created together.  She was very glad that she’d claimed this seat every night he would play.  She was looking forward to those future performances.  Yoongi’s music was definitely one of the joys that had been missing from her life.  She would gladly lose herself in it.  Forever.

––

A couple hours later, Yoongi descended the steps to join her.  He sat down next to her.  He studied her bent head.  She was engrossed in paperwork.  He waited quietly for her for over a minute. 

Finally, she dragged her eyes away from the form she’d been filling out.  She smiled at him.  “Yoongi, your music is glorious!”

He blinked.  He had no idea how to respond to such an accolade.  “Are you hungry?  We have time to grab some dinner before I have to be back to warm up.”

Her eyes lit up.  “I’m ravenous!”  She began to collect her papers, shoving them into a folder before adding it to the other things in her bag. 

When she was done packing up, Yoongi reached out to grab the handles of her bag.  Her eyes lifted to meet his. 

“Yoongi, you don’t have to carry my bag all over town.”

“I most certainly do!  A pregnant lady shouldn’t be toting this around!”

She chuckled.  “I’m carrying a baby already!  I’m not an invalid.  Besides, I have to haul it all over the school building.”

“Alas!  I cannot follow you there,” he whispered on a sigh.

Her lips twitched.  “I’d be the laughingstock of the school if you followed me everywhere.”

Yoongi puffed out his chest.  “I beg your pardon!  You’d be the envy of the school if I did so!”

Realizing what she’d intimated, she felt her cheeks growing warm.  “Oh, Yoongi!  I didn’t mean that the way it sounded!  I just meant that everyone would find me pitiful that I couldn’t carry my own bag.”

He watched a delightful flush spreading across her pale cheeks.  “Lex,” he murmured in that wonderful rumble. 

She averted her gaze.

He reached out and touched her hand.  The one that was resting on her bag.  “I was just teasing you, you know.”

That blush deepened.  She nodded her head.  And swallowed.  Hard.

Why did she feel so embarrassed? 

Perhaps because – as intimate as she’d been with Frederick – she had never been as vulnerable with him as she felt she already was with Yoongi.

“Come,” he breathed as he picked up her bag.  “And no argument from you!  I’m carrying your bag.  And that’s the end of it.  So, you’d best get used to it.  I won’t let you dissuade me from my gallant tendencies.  No matter how you complain.”

Was her entire face kin to a tomato now?  With every word, she felt increasingly mortified.  “I didn’t mean to…”

Yoongi took pity on her.  “It’s all right.”  He reached out and clasped her hand with his own.  He tugged her towards the door.  “Let’s go.  You’re not the only one who’s starving!”

She slid a surreptitious glance his way.  Their eyes bumped, and he grinned at her.  She couldn’t resist the appeal in them.  Her lips quirked upward in a petite smile.  His grin widened. 

“There’s the sweet girl I’m growing accustomed to,” he muttered before leading her down the aisle towards the door.

Chapter 15: Just a Backward Glance – December 5

Alexis sighed with relief as she took her first bite of japchae.  Yoongi had insisted on buying her meal.  Claiming that if she was willing to “suffer through” his performance, then she deserved a treat.  He owed her dinner.

Now he grinned at her as he watched her eyes flutter shut in bliss.  “Apparently, you enjoy bulgogi as much as I do,” he murmured as he watched pleasure lighting up her face.

Her eyes popped open, and she bobbed her head.  “It’s one of my favorite Korean dishes.”

He tilted his head to the side. “What are your other favorites?”

“Bibimbap.  Kimchi.  I know that’s a side dish.  But it’s so good that I made myself sick the first time I ate it.”  She was flushing again.  

And Yoongi realized he was delighted by those blooms in her cheeks.  “You ate too much, and it made you sick?”

She nodded as she took another bite of her dinner.

He grimaced then chuckled.  “It’s those weak American stomachs.  Can’t handle all the probiotics!  Try a tablespoon a day for a while.  Build up your resistance.  Then you’ll be able to handle a bit more.”

She nodded as she chewed her sweet potato glass noodles.

“What’s your favorite kind of kimchi?” he asked curiously.

“I like the regular kimchi.  With the cabbage.  But my favorite is the cucumber kimchi!” A huge grin lit up her face.

“I’m partial to the one with radishes.”

It was her turn to grimace.  “That’s my least favorite.  But I also really like mung bean sprouts.”

Yoongi nodded.  “Me too.”  He glanced down at his japchae.  “But not as much as I love bulgogi.”  Then he spent the next few minutes concentrating on consuming his. 

They ate in silence for a while, both satisfying the demands of their stomachs.  Finally, they finished and stood up to head for the concert hall again.

“Yoongi!” a delighted voice sounded behind Alexis.  

She turned her head in the woman’s direction, and her heart fell as she took in her stunning beauty.  Waves of gleaming, midnight hair cascaded to her waist.  A waist that was so trim that Alexis bet Yoongi could span it with his hands.  The woman had huge, dark eyes that seemed to be begging Yoongi to adore her.  A wide grin eclipsed her face with joy.  

For his part, Yoongi simply glanced at her in surprise.  “Minyeon?” he queried.  

“Oh, Yoongi!  I have missed you!” She threw her arms around him and pulled him close to her until he was inhaling the pungent gardenia perfume in which she’d doused her skin.

Alexis closed her eyes as a wave of fierce jealousy engulfed her.  She was shocked at its sharpness.  She’d had no idea she felt this strongly about her new roommate already.  Now she felt doubly uneasy.  She backed away from them and headed for the bathroom.

Yoongi watched her go in some consternation.  He had been hoping that Alexis would protect him from Minyeon.  

As she drew back from him, she boldly asked, “Are you free tomorrow night?”

With relish, Yoongi answered, “No.  I’m moving Lex in with me.”

Her forehead failed to shrink into a pile of wrinkles when she frowned.  Too much face cream had armored her against such an atrocity.  “Lex?”  She glanced around.  “Who is Lex?”

“The girl who was just standing here with me.”

Her face fell.  “Lex is a girl?  She’s moving in with you?  Yoongi, when did you get a girlfriend?”

He swallowed.  There was such an easy out here.  He was so tempted to take it.  But he couldn’t do that to Alexis.  He opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly a soft voice sounded behind him.

“Yesterday.”

Astonished, Yoongi turned towards Alexis.

Minyeon narrowed her eyes.  “You started dating Yoongi yesterday?  And now you’re moving in with him?”

“No.  I decided to move in with him yesterday,” came her gentle reply.

Minyeon huffed.  They both heard it.  Then she turned towards Yoongi and rudely murmured, “Look me up when you’re done playing house with this,” she threw a spiteful glance at Alexis, “child.”  Then she flicked a wave of her hair at him before sauntering towards the order line.

“It wasn’t nice to see you either,” Yoongi muttered under his breath.

Alexis nervously burst out laughing.  A beautiful sound which drew not only Yoongi’s attention but also Minyeon’s.

He reached out and took Lex’s hand.  After he’d drawn her outside and the door had safely sealed off any chance that Minyeon would overhear them, Alexis queried, “Who was that?”  She left off the words obnoxious brat.  But they were burning in her throat.

“My ex-girlfriend.”

She stopped short as her eyes grew wide.  “She’s quite lovely.”

“I think you’re referring to her looks.  I can assure you that there is nothing even remotely lovely about her.  She cheated on me with my best friend back when we were all in high school.”

“What?” she gasped as she glanced, horrified, at her savior.  “Oh, Yoongi!  That’s horrible!  You did not deserve that!  She’s not worthy of you!”

His lips twitched before giving in to the impulse to transform into a wide grin.  “Ah, but you are, my dear.  You came to my rescue in there!  Quite magnificently!  She thinks we’re dating!”  He began to chuckle as relief spiraled through him.

Alexis had just saved him from his worst nightmare.   

Now she glanced at him with wide eyes.  “You’re not upset with me?”

“Upset with you?  Why would I be upset with you?” he asked dubiously.

“For implying that I’m your girlfriend.”

“I would gladly accept you as my girlfriend if it kept me safe from her!”

Alexis blinked.  The implication, of course, wasn’t that Yoongi felt a special affinity for her but rather that he despised his ex-girlfriend and would gladly run down any road that would rescue him from her dogged pursuit.  Alexis sighed under her breath.  

“But,” Yoongi cocked one midnight eyebrow at her, “how on earth did you know I needed rescuing?”

“I saw your face send up a distress signal as I turned to glance back at you.”

Yoongi’s interest was piqued.  Why had Alexis turned back to look at him?

Chapter 16: Behind the Curtain – December 5

He lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips delicately across her silky skin.  “Thank you, my dear, for returning to rescue me.  I am in your debt.”

Alexis tried in vain to steady herself as a thousand sharp, tiny tingles glittered through her skin at the touch of his velvet lips on the back of her hand.

I’ll never wash it again, she thought dramatically before stifling a giggle at her own silliness.

“Hardly,” she muttered.  “It is I, sir, who am in your debt!  You are, after all, moving me in with you in the morning.”

“Best decision of my life,” he murmured as his eyes seemed to caress hers. 

She stared in dismay at him under the glow of the Christmas lights lining the street.

He tugged gently on her hand again as his face split into a gummy grin that seemed to engulf her with his affection.  Then he led her back to the concert hall.

Four hours later, another hand – this time, a tiny one – was tugging her up onto the stage after a massive crowd had mostly cleared out of the concert hall.  Alexis was ushered behind the velvet curtain by an adorable, little girl with raven pigtails.  She drew Alexis backstage and right up to Yoongi’s side.  

He glanced down at the child and flashed his pretty teeth at her.  “Thank you, Aecha,” he murmured affectionately before raising his gaze to meet Lex’s.  “Lex, you’ve met Aecha, I see.”

“We haven’t been formally introduced,” she murmured with a smile.

“No?”  He quirked a dark eyebrow at her.  “Aecha, you’ve met my new friend, Lex?  Lex, this is Aecha, my favorite girl in the whole wide world…” The tiny girl giggled as Yoongi wrinkled his nose up at her before continuing, “…and the daughter of our conductor.”

“Ah.  It’s wonderful to meet you, Aecha.”

“Likewise,” the tiny darling bobbed her head at Alexis who stared at her in shock.  What child used the word likewise?  And what seven-year-old Korean spoke English fluently enough to even know such a word?  Alexis glanced at Yoongi for enlightenment.

“Her father was the ambassador to America until a few months ago,” he murmured in explanation.

Lex’s eyebrows flew into the next galaxy.  “You know the former ambassador?”

He bobbed his head.  “I do.”

She shook her head in wonder.  “Wow.”

“Bye, Yoongi.  I’m going to find Eomma!” Aecha declared before throwing one last glance at Alexis.  “It was wonderful to meet you,” she asserted politely before wandering off in search of her mother.

Alexis simply stared after her in awe.

“She’s smart as a whip,” Yoongi explained.

“Indeed, she is.”  Her eyes slowly traveled back to his face.

He was gazing silently at her.

“Yoongi…”

He blinked.

“Your performance was…stellar.  Fascinating.  Wonderful,” she gushed.  “I could listen to you play forever!”

He tossed his eyebrows up in the air.  “Could you really?  I guess that’s a good thing.  Because I’m going to test that assertion every day with my incessant practice.”

“Excellent!” she opined with zest.

He chuckled.  “I should get you home.  I’m going to arrive bright and early tomorrow morning to help you load the moving truck.”

“The moving truck?  Oh, Yoongi!  I didn’t schedule one.”  Truthfully, she hadn’t the foggiest notion where to find one.

“I did,” he replied sweetly.

Her face filled with amazement.  “You rented me a moving truck?”

He nodded.  “I’ll pick it up in the morning and head to your place around nine.  If that’s all right?”

“If that’s all right?” she echoed in disbelief.  She felt tears pricking her eyes.  “Yoongi, are you real?”  She reached out and touched his arm, pinching his skin between her fingers.

“Ow!” he exclaimed as he reached up to rub the offended spot.  “What did you do that for?”

“To make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”

“You’re not supposed to pinch someone else.  You’re supposed to pinch yourself!”

Regret flooded her face.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to hurt you.”  She reached out and rubbed his arm.

He flashed a pretty smile at her.  “You didn’t.  Not really.”

She offered him her arm.  “Here.  You pinch me.  Then I’ll know I didn’t just dream you up out of desperation.”

He stared in bewilderment at her creamy, proffered arm.  Then his eyes flew to hers.  “Lex, I could never hurt you!”

Something sweet and fragile danced across her face.  “Yoongi, I—”

“Yoongi, son, you were simply marvelous!” Another voice broke into their conversation to congratulate the young pianist.

They both turned their heads towards the older, blonde gentleman.  His eyes perused Lex’s face.  “And who is this enchanting creature?” he murmured in a thick French accent as he turned towards her and held out his hand.

Without thinking, she slipped hers into it since that seemed to be what was expected of her.  Still, her eyes widened in shock when he bent over her hand and kissed it.  He lingered there for a moment as his eyes delved the depths of hers.  She swallowed as she tried to ascertain his age.  Possibly close to forty.  He was a dashing gentleman and quite handsome, but she wasn’t in the least attracted to him.

“Look at all that gorgeous hair,” he murmured as his eyes slid over the top of her red head.  That, at least, was preferable to other places upon which she had endured a man’s gaze touching.

Smiling at her one more time, he released her hand and turned towards Yoongi expectantly.

“This is my friend, Lex.”  At a loss because he’d just realized he didn’t know her last name, Yoongi glanced her way.

“Campbell,” she murmured.

“Ah.  Enchanté, mademoiselle,” the strange gentleman murmured.

“Lex, this is Jacques Dupont, the conductor for the premier orchestra in Paris.”

“Speaking of which…Yoongi, are you ready to come work with me?” the man’s smooth voice didn’t allow the conversation to waver.

Yoongi grimaced.  “I’ve told you, Jacques, Seoul is my home.  Lotte is my life.”

“Ah, well, you cannot blame a conductor for trying.  You have a rare talent, my friend,” he murmured fluently.  “I must go say hello to Jiji.  Mademoiselle Campbell, it was a true pleasure to meet you.  Should you ever tire of this virtuoso, please cast a glance my way.”

“Oh!” Lex exclaimed.  “I’m not—”

But Yoongi reached out and slipped his hand into hers to silence her.  She glanced sharply at him as Jacques wandered away.  

Yoongi bent over and whispered into her ear, “He’s not the man for you, my dear.”

Her eyes widened in dismay.  “I didn’t think he was!”

“Good.”  Yoongi grinned.  “We’re in agreement then.”

There was a sweet sparkle in his eye.  And…

She glanced down.

He was still holding her hand.

Chapter 17: Utter Folly – December 5

Yoongi insisted on escorting her home.  In a taxi.  Then he walked her to her door.  Carrying her mammoth bag the whole way.  Like the gentleman he was. 

An awkward moment occurred as they stood in front of her door.  She glanced sheepishly up at him before digging her key out of her bag.  She turned towards the door and slipped the key into the lock.

“Lex?”

“Hmm?”  As the doorknob turned under her fingers, she lifted her head to gaze into his deep, mahogany eyes. 

“Thanks for coming tonight.”

“Every time, Yoongi.  I mean it.  I truly enjoyed your performance.  I already know that your concerts are going to be my new stress relief.”

“I think…that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” he murmured roughly as he continued to gaze intensely down at her.

The corners of her lips lifted in a shy smile.  “Goodnight.  I’ll see you in the morning,” she whispered.

He inclined his head towards her as she slipped inside her apartment.  She sent him one more sweet smile before closing the door.  He turned on his heel and headed for home, leaving her to lean against the other side of her door with a dreamy expression on her face.  But she indulged in her bliss for only a few seconds.  Then, she reminded herself that tonight hadn’t been a date and Yoongi was not her boyfriend. 

He was her new roommate.  An acquaintance.  Nothing more.  But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wished their burgeoning relationship would develop into something more.

Which was, of course, complete folly.

––

Yoongi was wired tonight.  He hadn’t ever enjoyed a performance this much.  Not once.  Not even when his parents had come to see him the first time.  He felt like he was soaring.  But…why?

Just because Lex had been there for him tonight?

He lay in bed, wide awake for a very long time.  His mind kept replaying scenes from today.  Lex in the audience during practice.  Lex rescuing him from Minyeon.  Lex beaming down at Aecha.  Lex being kissed by Jacques.

Yoongi grunted as he remembered that scene.  He disliked that memory.  As much as he had despised the twinkle in the French conductor’s eyes as he’d gazed down at Lex.  The man was a notorious flirt.  Yoongi had felt the need to shield Lex from his attention. 

Then his mind returned to the moments Yoongi himself had held her hand within his own.  It had seemed to him that her hand was a perfect fit for his.  It had been an odd thought.  Such a thing had never occurred to him when he’d dated Minyeon. 

The curve of Lex’s smile kept lighting up the corners of his mind as he tried to drift off to sleep too.  His heart was buzzing with excitement.  Because she was moving in with him in a few hours.  He sat straight up in bed.  He needed to get her room ready!  He’d been so busy this weekend that he had forgotten to move his boxes out of there. 

He jumped out of bed and headed for her room.  And realized that, starting tomorrow, his apartment would no longer feel so empty.  His heart rejoiced as he contemplated her sweet presence in this room.  He glanced around at its white walls.  Lex was about to fill this space with her lovely self.  With all the belongings that would scream her name.  Reminding him that he had finally met a woman who intrigued him.

He pictured her bed in that room.  And her lying on it, her lovely, auburn locks fanned out above her on the mattress, crowning her head in their vibrant glory.  Her great sky-blue eyes staring up at him.  Her pink lips parted as her breath…

He grunted as he bent to pick up a box.  He had to get his thoughts under control.  Right now.  He was wading into extremely dangerous waters.  And the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt this precious girl.

He sighed as he carried the boxes into his room.  He stacked them against the far wall.  Was he about to make the smartest move of his life?  Or one that would set them both up for heartbreak?

He was already fascinated by Lex.  But he wasn’t sure he wanted the added responsibility that would soon appear in her life.  Was he ready for fatherhood?  Such a charge would have been a lot to contemplate had he gotten her pregnant.  But the fact was that this child wasn’t his.  And no matter how captivating the girl was, loving her child would require more layers of his soul than he was sure were present right now.

Honestly, it was absurd that he was even thinking along these lines.  What utter folly to consider himself already interested in a girl he had met only a little more than twenty-four hours ago!

But he was.

He couldn’t deny it.  At least, not to himself.  He was quite drawn to her.  More so than he had ever been pulled towards anyone at any point in his entire life. 

He drew a deep breath as his eyes scanned her now empty room.  Tomorrow, Lex would fill this room with her bed and her boxes.  And the true test would begin.  The challenge of keeping his hands and his heart to himself.

He sighed and turned out the light before he headed back to his bed.  Where he would toss and turn until the sun broke through his shades in the early morning.