"How're you and that guy you like?" Gina asked as she was getting ready with Nichole. "Last time we talked you were going through it."
Nichole sighed as she took a look over herself in the mirror. "We're fine, I guess." Nichole didn't feel like talking about the bad stuff that night. She just wanted to get this party over with but she also hoped to get Taehyung's attention. Nichole knew she was going at it the wrong way because she could just save all her energy to talk to Taehyung. Of course, Nichole didn't do that though.
"You're wearing Vuitton to a Gucci party?" Nichole looked down at her outfit and sighed. "Just asking."
Nichole muttered, "Well don't ask." Nichole knew she was right so she went back to change her outfit.
"Are we ready to go now?" Nichole asked as Gina was putting on nude lipstick. Nichole wore light makeup because she didn't really wear much makeup anyway. "Your lips are fine, Gina."
Gina popped her lips many times before she placed the nude lipstick and small travel mirror in her purse. Gina grabbed her car keys but Nichole told her to put them down. "But why?"
"Because I know how you get when you see liquor." Nichole had said as she grabbed her own keys. "I'll be driving. Now let's go." Nichole made sure to grab her wallet, phone, and her camera.
"You bring your camera everywhere you go, don't you?" Gina asked after they left the house and got into Nichole's car. "I'm not surprised though."
"Why do people ask questions that they already know the answers to?" Nichole questioned as she started to drive to the place. "Don't you think that's annoying?"
Gina scoffed, "People who want things but don't act upon them annoy me." Nichole felt her hands tightened around the steering wheel. She felt attacked. "Did I hit a spot?"
Nichole rolled her eyes as she stopped at a red light, "I know you're not dissing me."
"Not dissing you." Gina denied but then said smartly. "I'm directing everything I'm saying towards you."
Nichole rolled her eyes, "I don't even know what you're talking about but okay."
"I'm talking about the guy!" Gina exclaimed as Nichole continued to drive as the light turned green. "How long have you even liked him?" Nichole didn't answer which was leeway for her cousin to continue. "You want him but you still haven't told him how you felt. That's what's annoying. What's annoying is that you want him but how is he supposed to know that, Nichole?"
Nichole sighed, "Mind your business, Gina. You don't know shit."
"He better be this cute for you to be doing all of this." Gina commented slickly and the rest of the ride was the pop radio. Nichole parked near the front of the place because she knew that if Gina got too drunk, she'd want to just hurry and leave. Nichole called Mina when she arrived and Mina waited outside for her.
"Hello!" Mina enthusiastically greeted Gina. "You must be Gina. I'm Mina, Nichole talks a lot about you."
Gina enthusiastically greeted her back, "Oh hey girl! Our names rhyme ain't that about a bitch and Nichole told me a little about you as well." Nichole was grateful that they clicked along but it soon got a bit too much. Having someone as loud as Gina then someone as goofy as Mina could be overwhelming.
Once the three of them entered passed the bouncer, Mina took them to her table. "I saved us seats. Jungkook was sitting here as well but he went to get some drinks for us."
"Are all of them alcoholic?" Nichole asked a bit worrying. She didn't tell Gina about her past but she planned on soon. "I'm not a drinker."
"Don't worry!" Mina assured her as they all took a seat. "I told him to not get only liquor." The music that was playing was music that Nichole would hear on the radio. Like Drake and Migos, etc. Nichole wasn't much into Migos but Gina and Mina, on the other hand, were yelling the lyrics.
Nichole shook her head in amusement as she watched. She was surprised at how quickly they got comfortable with each other. Gina had her hands on Mina's wrists as they were reciting the lyrics to each other. As Nichole's eyes looked off to her left, she saw Jungkook. He was wearing an all black top, black pants, with black shoes. Nichole nearly gasped at the expensive looking Gucci watch on his arm and she noticed the infamous Gucci belt around his waist.
"Hey!" Jungkook grinned as he placed the tray of drinks on the table. "You look good, Nichole. I thought you weren't going to come to the party."
Nichole raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
Jungkook answered with a chuckle, "I mean you always stay home." Jungkook sat down in the empty chair beside Nichole and Mina.
Nichole nodded then remembered she had to introduce Gina. "Oh, Jungkook this is my cousin Gina." She pointed to Gina. "Gina, Jungkook is a friend of mine."
Gina waved at Jungkook with a small smile on her face. "Hello, Jungkook."
"Nice to meet you, Gina."
Everyone at the table kept a small, friendly talk until the host of the party started to speak. Nichole was surprised when she saw Selena and Taehyung on the stage. They were both wearing the colors red and black. Nichole used the black straw in her up to stir up her lemonade as Selena spoke.
"Hello everyone!" Selena said in her high pitched voice. "It's so amazing to see everyone here at our party. It's no surprise that the Gucci brand has changed fashion forever and has set standards all over. I'm honored to be the female face for Gucci Collection 2019 in Santorini." She finished speaking into the microphone and the room clapped. Nichole clapped stiffly and sipped at her drink.
"Hello," Nichole's head snapped towards the stage at Taehyung's voice, "I'm Kim Taehyung—" He paused as he got applause which he wasn't expecting. You could tell by his face that he wasn't expecting any. "I'll also be a face for the Gucci 2019 Spring Collection. Thank you for attending as we all celebrate years of success and impact that Gucci brings." He bowed his head then took Selena's hand in his as they walked off the stage.
The music resumed after they exited the stage. Douglas was walking around the room, answering questions so was Selena and Taehyung. Jungkook leaned over to Nichole's ear to ask her. "Are you okay?"
Nichole turned her head and leaned back as a reflex, "Yeah, I'm not used to partying at all." Jungkook nodded and then told her about how he loved to go to party to release stress. "Maybe you could teach me how to party someday." Nichole told him as a joke but was surprised when he took it seriously.
"You already know my number," Jungkook told her with a smile, "whenever you're ready I am." Before Nichole could say anything, she spotted Jin walking towards the table she was at.
"Jin!" Mina exclaimed out as they hugged and then she hugged everyone else. Jimin, Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok were also trailing behind Jin. Nichole got out of her seat to hug everyone and to introduce them to Gina and Jungkook.
"Your cousin is cute." Yoongi had said to Nichole as they all moved to the floor where a few people were dancing. "Think she'll give me a chance?"
Nichole patted his shoulder and teased him, "Smile more and hell yeah. She loves happy men." Yoongi flicked her shoulder before she walked off. They played Party by Beyoncé and immediately Nichole started to sing. She felt comfortable around the people she was with and took her camera out of her bag. Nichole snapped photos of Mina playfully dancing on Hoseok and snapped photos of Jin.
Jin posed for the camera in an enthusiastic matter. Nichole laughed a couple of times as she flicked many pictures. They played two other songs that Nichole didn't know then Man Down by Rihanna played. That had to be Nichole's favorite song of all time. Nichole grabbed onto the person near her which was Jungkook and started to sing the lyrics with Rihanna. Jungkook was reluctant at first but he just laughed and kept his hands on her shoulders.
The main people who were singing the song were people that she didn't know, Mina, Jimin, and Hoseok. At the end of the song, Nichole noticed Yoongi and Gina talking amongst themselves laughing. "They seemed to have clicked." Jungkook said to her and Nichole just nodded. It was time for everyone to eat which was perfect because she needed to calm herself down. Everyone went to the buffet table but her and Jungkook.
"Do you want me to get a plate for you?" Jungkook asked Nichole who was mainly staring at her phone.
Nichole shook her head, "No, I'm good. Thank you though." She smiled sweetly at Jungkook who returned the smile and left to get to the table. Nichole looked around the room, mainly looking for Taehyung. All she found was Selena and the intern that Taehyung talked too most of the time. Maybe he was around that corner of the room, Nichole thought to herself and got up.
"Excuse me." She said as she was walking through people and Nichole ended up walking too far. Nichole's head was extended as she searched for Taehyung but he wasn't there. Instead, Selena was now in front of her. "Oh hey, Selena!" Nichole greeted with some forced happiness.
Selena greeted her with a hug which Nichole returned back, feeling a bit tensed. "How are you? You look, good girl!" Selena complimented and Nichole kept that wooden smile on her face when Selena released her.
"Thank you," Nichole answered as she brushed her hair from her face, "I'm doing good. Do you know where Taehyung is?"
Selena paused before smirking, "Oh, look at you!" Nichole was confused but kept a smile on her face. "Taehyung stepped outside, I think? Taehyung isn't sitting at this table tonight with us so I don't know." Nichole thanked Selena before she made her way to the glass double doors that led outside. Nichole pushed the doors open and stepped outside. To the side of the building, there was Taehyung sitting down on his phone.
Nichole sat on the bench and made sure there was room in between them for one person to sit. Taehyung looked up from his phone and looked at Nichole, disinterested. Nichole hated it, she turned her body all the way in the seat. Now one leg was on the bench. Taehyung didn't hold eye contact with her, he just went back to look on his phone. Nichole wanted him to speak first but at that rate, she knew it wasn't going to happen.
"I'm surprised you aren't with Selena."
Taehyung still didn't say anything, just kept typing on his phone. Nichole huffed and cleared her throat before she tried again, "Wasn't expecting to see that intern here either." That seemed to tick Taehyung off because he hastily shoved his phone in his pocket and got up. "No— wait! Taehyung—" Taehyung looked down at her with an annoyed expression. Even though he wasn't speaking it was like his expression was screaming, WHAT?!
Nichole stood up too and turned to face him, still leaving space. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't want you to leave me alone and I don't want you to."
Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest then asked calmly, "We're both adults and yet we're acting like kids. I don't understand Nichole, what happened?"
Nichole sat down on the bench and patted the spot next to her, "Sit down." He sat down but scooted over so he wasn't touching her. "It wasn't you, I wasn't mad at you. You didn't do anything but your parents did."
"Huh?"
Nichole took a deep breath before she continued, "You know that dinner we did?"
"Yeah, when you left and I was so confused." Taehyung recalled. "What happened? My parents said that you had to leave early for business."
"They asked me about my profession," Nichole explained as she playing with her nails, "I told them I was a photographer and they panicked. They assumed that we were together and I assured them that nothing was happening." Nichole closed her eyes as she thought back at the moment. "Then they were rambling on about how they wouldn't accept you dating black women. That wasn't the part that made me upset though, it was the constant undertones of racism and classism."
Taehyung's eyes widened at that. "Nichole, I'm so sorry. Fuck! I wish I would've known what happened before they left. I apologize—"
"Don't apologize for something you didn't say." Nichole waved him off. "I'm fine. I need to apologize for not telling you. I was thinking that I would be fucking up your relationship with your family and—"
"— if my family is racist I would like to know that." Taehyung argued back but with a gentle tone. "I don't accept that and I'm tired of them thinking they can control me."
Nichole warned him with a stern expression. "Taehyung, that's your family and you—"
"— Nichole, are you hearing yourself? I don't care if they are my family or not. I don't want to associate myself with that."
"Family is important though!" Nichole stressed as she scooted closer to him. "You can't throw it all away because of their opinions or beliefs."
Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows before he leaned back away from her, "Nichole, you sound stupid right now. Stop worrying about what my relationship with them is."
"I just don't want you to feel alone," Nichole looked down at her legs, "I might not even be in your future for you to do this. Having nobody to be with is scary anything could happen." She was close to crying right now because she was afraid anything could fly out her mouth.
She heard Taehyung sigh and she felt his arm around her neck, "I'm fine and who's to say you won't be in my future, Nichole. Stop speaking like that. I'm going to be there for you if you allow me to."
"I know—"
"— you had enough to say." Taehyung stopped her from speaking. "I don't give a shit about my racist ass family. They only want to come back to my life when I'm succeeding and doing fine without them. I'm going to be there for you, Mina is going to be there for you, you also have other family members who more than likely love and care you who will be there."
"I just don't want you to be alone by a mistake you done."
Taehyung pulled away from Nichole and she looked at him. "If this is about your mother then I hope you know that it wasn't your fault."
"I know, I know, I just—"
"— I get what you're trying to say." Taehyung assured her. "You didn't know how your mother was feeling and you couldn't stop what happened. You can't stop things from happening if you didn't know."
Nichole nodded with a small smile, "I'm learning that every step of my life I am. I just don't want you to stop having a relationship with your family and something happens to them."
"Well," Taehyung began to speak again, "it's my choice. They haven't been in my life for a while and I don't really wanna talk about it any longer."
Nichole remembered that something happened with Taehyung and his family. She didn't want him to feel uncomfortable so she left it alone and they sat in comfortable silence. "Why do you think that I have to always be with Selena?"
"I don't know." Nichole sarcastically responded. "Maybe because you love her." Nichole watched as Taehyung looked to his side then back at her. "What? Am I lying? You two are connected to the hip."
"Please." Taehyung as an indication for Nichole to stop talking.
Nichole just smirked as she continued to speak. "I see the way you care for her. Why won't you tell her how you feel?" Nichole used this antic so she could push aside her feelings for Taehyung.
"Nichole."
Nichole threw her hands up in defense, "I'm just saying. What's stopping you?" This time she sat up a little on the bench to face him completely.
"Nothing," Taehyung sputtered out then corrected, "I mean something is but..."
"But?"
Taehyung muttered, still facing forward. "A person came into my life and let's just say I'm unsure." Nichole raised an eyebrow at that.
"Unsure about what?"
"Unsure if I still love Selena." Taehyung said with ease. "If I loved her I wouldn't have time to like somebody else."
"That makes sense."
Taehyung smartly replied as he turned to face her. "I know. Did you bring your camera?" Nichole nodded then looked down, she didn't have her bag.
"I left my bag at the table." Nichole sighed and tried to get up but Taehyung stopped her. "Want me to go get it or not?" Taehyung shook his head and took his phone out his pocket.
"I like how the sky looks right now." Was all Taehyung said and Nichole just watched as he took pictures of different angles of the full moon in the sky. Nichole stared at him in a disconcerting matter. It wasn't until she saw the flash blare in front of her face that she noticed he was taking pictures of her. Nichole stuck her tongue out but then used her hands to cover her face.
"You're so annoying," Taehyung tried to pry her hands off of her face, "move your hands."
Nichole moved her hands from her face and quirked an eyebrow. "If I'm so annoying you wouldn't be sitting by me right now, forcing photos of me in your gallery. Think about that."
Nichole moved her hands and Taehyung shoved his phone back in his pocket. "I know that." Taehyung was smirking and Nichole didn't even notice that he was close to her face. Their noses were nearly touching and Nichole's gaze was faltering from his lips to his eyes.
"Your hair is getting longer." Nichole nervously pointed out then she reached her hand out to touch the hair at the back of his neck.
"And your face is getting prettier." Nichole almost choked at that. "I got you flustered?"
Nichole bit at her lip as she dropped her hand from the back of his neck. "For someone who's not your type, you're all up in my face."
Taehyung chuckled then tilted his head to the side. "When did I ever say you weren't my type?" Nichole didn't say anything as his hand was now at the back of her head. "My parents said it but I didn't."
"Oh." Nichole was speechless.
"Yeah, oh." Taehyung said then stared at her lips. "I feel like I should do this." Nichole had no idea what he was talking about but she nodded and watched with wide eyes as his lips were close to touching his.
"— Taehyung, there you are!" Nichole pulled back and looked to see who was interrupting them. It was Selena, Mina, and Gina with her. Nichole felt her stomach twist and turn in embarrassment. Mina and Gina were never gonna shut up about what they witnessed. "Douglas wants us to talk with very important representatives." Taehyung got up and stared at Nichole who was instead looking at her fingers.
"Okay." Taehyung said with a bit of laziness then he spoke to Nichole. "I'll see you later, Nic."
Nichole didn't say anything and just watched as he walked side to side with Selena.
"Girl..." Gina was the first to speak.