Work Of Art

07. Over the Rhone

0 7

Twenty minutes and thirty seconds left until the doorbell of the apartment will finally ring.

Unable to deal with the undying amount of anxiety and stress coming right at me, I walk back and forth around the empty kitchen, talking to myself like a lunatic would at the corners of an asylum.

''Good evening sir, you look marvellous.'' I mumble to myself as my feet keep stomping relentlessly. ''Why do I sound like I just came back from the deepest parts of England in the 18th century?''

The heels clack in sync with the rhythm of my heart as I keep my eyes on the clock, still counting the minutes remaining. ''Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Erika. Lovely weather tonight isn't it?''

I shake my head at the tone that wraps up my voice. ''Now I sound like I'm meeting the queen of England herself, great.''

Seems that the panic slowly gets the best of me as I can hardly even concentrate on the speech I was preparing.

All I could think of were ways of trying to make myself look as bad as possible in hope that I would distance myself from Mister Gucci and hopefully be able to redeem the horrible mistake of ruining his belongings.

Though the empty apartment doesn't go in my favour as the echo of my mumbles only makes the time go even faster.

Now only fifteen minutes left until the doorbell rings and it makes me think how all of this would be so much easier if Haru was here; if she didn't go home for the weekend.

When the room fills with the loud ringing of the doorbell, my heart drops beneath my feet.

No, no, no.

He wasn't supposed to be here! I have fifteen more minutes dammit.

The air grows thick as my heels clack against the white tiles covering the small corridor floor and before I could bring my hand up to open the front door, I huff out the anxiety before inhaling a breath of weak bravery.

Once the doors were open, my jaw drops quickly after.

Before me stands a boy, his hair black and mussed by the wind as his pearl white bunny teeth show up once he smiles at me.

''Jungkook? What are you doing here?''

''Am I not allowed to see my girlfriend?'' He asks, sounding somewhat offended before his black boot drags forward, it being the only thing standing inside of the apartment as the rest of his body leans against the door frame.

''That's not the answer to my question.'' I whine, picking up my keys and the wallet sitting just at the edge of the kitchen table. And as my brain does a self-check, making sure I have all I need for tonight, I walk back to Jungkook, hip-bumping him away from the doors before I could close them shut.

''Why did you come here?'' With a quick turn of the keys, I hear the door lock. ''Weren't you supposed to have a night shift?''

''I told Jimin to take over.'' He explains as we enter the elevator, the slender finger of his presses against numbered buttons instead of me. ''Besides, there's a lunatic on the loose and I can't have my girl go anywhere without supervision, now can I?''

Of course not.

That would be entirely too normal for the usually overprotective Jungkook.

''What are you planning to do? Third wheel the tonight's date?''

A pair of eyebrows knit together. ''Now that you've mentioned it...'' His voice trails off, trapped in his own thoughts. ''I was thinking of maybe engraving a GPS tracking device underneath your skin.''

When the only reaction turns out to be me blinking in complete shock, his eyes sparkle like those of a child as his laugh makes the sound of the elevator opening almost inaudible.

''I'm joking Eri,'' sighs Jungkook. ''You know I just want to keep you safe.''

And he wasn't lying.

All he ever did was trying to protect me, fighting whatever the amount of possible danger there was waiting behind the corner, even if it was a small night walk to the nearest store: it couldn't happen without me pressing the phone against my ear and let his voice speak until there were no words left to be said.

It was obvious.

I loved the feeling of safety.

Even now as we stand outside, in complete dark with the wind being the only thing keeping us company, I felt safe. And when his arms wrap around my waist, a force pulling us closer, I can feel my body relaxing with his touch being like a blanket, wrapping me whole.

The air between us is frozen still and I can almost feel his heartbeat through his shirt, the thin material perfectly melted into the ridges of hard chest muscles that follow down on his broad shoulders.

And then, just then, when his body leans forward even more, when my eyes close and my lips are ready to feel his, a piercing sound rips through the heavy air.

Both of our hearts almost jump out of our chest when a pair of headlights tears through the night.

''I thought you said you were going on a date with a gallery owner?''

''I am.''

''Then why does it look like you're going on a date with somebody who owns a damn country.''

Now unsure, a dark Rolls Royce pulls up in front, its lights causing me to squint my eyes in attempt to figure out the outlines of a person driving it.

And I wait for the doors to open, for the person to come out and to say something, to say anything, but it was dead silent.

The feeling that floods through my being is silent as well - anticipation, perhaps even fear of the unknown, not much like the safety I felt a few moments ago.

Though it doesn't go away completely, as the grip around my waists tightens just a bit as if Jungkook was trying to give me a sign that he was still with me, still protecting me.

That, I soon break, when I free myself out of his grip.

Careful enough, I walk over to the car, my heart threatening to jump out of my chest at any given moment.

After putting even more distance between our bodies, I give Jungkook one last glance before I open the passenger door.

Once my bare back was met with the seat covered in cold leather, I shiver, but not at the cold touching my skin, but at the person staring back at me.

Even if the inside of the car was as dark as the night - a person couldn't properly see their very own finger right in front of their eyes, but somehow, I was able to make out the way his bangs hung down his forehead, even the little luster of his earring that was swaying side to side; a movement caused by his head turning towards me.

It's safe to say that every muscle of mine was completely clenched, forcing me to stay silent, to act as cool as humanly possible, but that soon was ruined when a battle against my tongue end up with me losing once again.

''Nice to see you.'' Before I can mentally slap myself I give a smile too sweet for his liking and the man simpers, the deep rumble of his then followed laugh causing my throat to thicken and my stomach ending up in knots.

''That's your boyfriend?''

Before I could realize that this was a rhetorical question, the engine roars and his eyes divert from me, a sinister smirk curling up his lips. ''Cute.''