Rather than a hurricane, Emmaline arrived like a tornado, compact and powerful. She barreled through the gate to the pool, yelling "I'm here, hot mamacitas! Let's get this party started!"
A sudden silence descended as everyone stopped to look at the petite brunette.
"Hell's bells, AK! You didn't tell me you had company!"
The guys were angels though, and rushed over to help with her bags and introduce themselves. Emmi declared them all to be instant friends.
"Well, I reckon y'all will be talkin' bout this crazy Cajun for..ev..ah!!" Emmi laughed.
She was friendly and open, and never took herself too seriously. She changed conversation topics faster than anybody could keep up with. Her dark brown eyes twinkled when she laughed, which was basically all the time.
It was mid-afternoon when Hobi went hunting for Rachel.
"Hey...umm Rachel noona?" he began.
Rachel looked up at him and smiled. "What do you need, sweet pea?"
"I've got a ...a headache. Do you have something, any medicine?"
AK piped up, "Come here and let me try something first. Sit on the floor in front of me." She sank down in the club chair and put her legs on either side of him. She wiggled her fingers. "Get ready for the patented AK head rub."
Rachel hummed, "They are the best!"
Hobi, being Hobi, could not stay quiet.
"Aahhh"
"Mmmmm"
"Ooohhhh""
"Quit university and be my personal head massager. I will pay you whatever you want. Name your price. "
"Will you pay me in hamburgers and fries?" laughed Anna Kathryn.
"Yes! And Sprite!"
They laughed at the joke, having discovered earlier that they both adore Sprite with a singular devotion.
The afternoon wore on as everyone alternated between high energy pool games and peaceful lounging. The long sofa in the pool house and the two sofa swings were prized perches.
McKenna was leaning into the crook of the sofa arm with her legs taking up the length of the sofa. Taehyung had been pretty much avoiding her for about an hour. He'd been roughhousing in the pool with the other guys, mostly Jungkook. McKenna didn't know if it was because he was trying to avoid suspicion or if, with the other guys looking, he was embarrassed by her.
As every minute passed, it was harder to fight the crushing feeling that he didn't want to be around her.
She'd never acted this way with anyone. She was usually a good judge of people's true motives. What if she got played by an international playboy? Better a professional than a local ya-hoo fucktard from school, she guessed.
Suddenly Tae picked up her feet and slid into the seat, putting her feet in his lap. He was still dripping water from his hair, honey skin and broad shoulders on full display. Jimin, holding a beer, sat in the chair angled towards Tae. They were speaking in a mix of Korean and English, occasionally singing short riffs, sometimes singing the notes together in harmony. Tae absentmindedly traced patterns on McKenna's calves and ankles and feet while he sang.
Maybe he liked her a little after all. Always preferring to push the issue rather than wait, she wiggled her feet in his lap.
"Pop my toes," she demanded.
Tae gasped, "What? No!"
"But it feels good."
He looked skeptical, but grunted. He took the end of each toe and pulled gently. McKenna moaned in satisfaction. He pinned her with a dark look, lips parted, and said in his "are you calling me a sinner" voice, "I'm going to make you do that again."
Her breath caught. He smiled triumphantly and mouthed "later". She rolled her eyes, but he could tell she liked his flirting by the smile that fought at the corners of her mouth.
Hobi's eyes rested on Anna Kathryn. Earlier, he had taken a wrong turn into the laundry room with its drying rack of lingerie. He'd spotted a green swimsuit along with a lacy lilac bra the same size, and a matching lacy lilac thong. Now he could see that green swimsuit clinging to Anna Kathryn's voluptuous curves, and he just KNEW the lacy lilac bits were hers too. He couldn't stop imagining her in that sexy lacy underwear.
Just then she turned and, catching his eye, smiled back at him with a warm, open smile. Hobi grinned back but inside, was chastising himself for such dirty thoughts. Anna Kathryn was so innocent and cute. She had been friendly, but not flirty. He wanted her all to himself, so he could listen to her laugh and gaze into her dancing brown eyes. Maybe he could have a relationship like that in several years... when he wasn't an idol. For now, the very infrequent one night stand was the extent of romance. Anna Kathryn was definitely not a one-night-stand kind of girl.
The music on the speakers had switched from reggae to Latin. The guys were complete crackheads when Airplane 2 came on, goofing and singing each other's parts. They were loving the variety, having broken out into dancing several times. Hobi wanted the playlists.
Rachel explained, "They're from my best friend's son, the same one that introduced me to BTS. We send stuff back and forth. He's on a German EDM kick this week." She pulled a face. "But K-pop is his favorite."
"Oh really?" asked Kookie.
"He's truly partial to BTS. And we really like rap. I know ...stereotypical soccer mom listening to gangster rap..."
"What?!" Hobi looked baffled.
"It's a thing... there's memes about us," quipped Rachel.
"I'm diggin' Drunken Tiger. Joon, I love his new album that you're on.
Then there's this young solo rapper... the song is awesome. It's not on Spotify so I've only seen the video... ... he is DEEE-LICious!"
They started teasing her and laughing. Emmi hollered "Cougar alert! Rrrawrr!!!"
And Tae was waggling his perfect eyebrows.
"What?! He is a cutie pa-tootie!! I call it like I see it. Oh ... I can't think of his name... darn it...
he's got white blond hair... ahhh! ...oh... oh!! Agust D!!"
After a brief second of silence, the guys fell out laughing. Hobi and Jimin yeeted themselves onto the ground, howling with laughter.
"What? Do you know him?"
Namjoon said, "We do," as Tae and Kookie nodded.
"What's so funny?"
The laughter only got louder.
"Am I being a perv? Is he like 16?"
"You know him too" Jin wheezed out between windshield wiper laughs. Tae and Kookie were hooting and Jimin was still hitting Hobi's leg.
"I don't understand!!" Rachel whined, getting frustrated, and looking from one to another for answers.
Yoongi had his hands over his face not at all concealing the gummy smile he was wearing. "Don't" he moaned.
Taehyung ignored his plea. "It's Yoongi hyung!! "
"What?!" Rachel was still looking from face to face, trying to make sense of the nonsense.
Hobi explained, "Agust D is Suga's solo project."
"That's you?!" Rachel couldn't believe it.
Yoongi nodded at her.
"But your hair's not blonde!"
He shrugged.
"But you play the organ?!"
He nodded again.
"You're a RAPPER?!" Rachel was flummoxed.
"Why is this harder to comprehend than K-pop idols hanging at our house?!" McKenna said sassily.
"So you think Suga hyung is a ... What was that?" JImin cooed before dissolving into giggles again.
"Cutie ... pa..tootie," sang AK.
"Wait, wait! Don't forget DEEEE-LICIOUS!!" added Emmi.
Everybody was howling with laughter. Yoongi's hands were covering his face, and his gummy smile, again.
Rachel stood and mustered her most dignified pose. "Thank you all for coming to my TED talk. I am goin' now ...to DIE of embarrassment. Please enjoy the rest of your day."
Jin jumped up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "No ...no ...you're staying. Just have a shot of tequila. This is nothing compared to when my pants came down on stage," he chuckled.
That unleashed the telling of "most embarrassing moment " stories. Fueled by a naturally competitive spirit and alcohol, the guys' stories got wilder and wilder, and funnier and funnier. The girls had a few to share too. Everyone was out of breath, holding their stomachs, and wiping tears from their eyes.
Yoongi had been carefully avoiding eye contact with Rachel since the DEE LICIOUS incident. Their eyes met briefly but she couldn't figure out what he was thinking.
"Again," Rachel thought, "with the enigmatic looks! Is he pissed?" She hadn't said anything mean. He was just too complicated for her present level of tipsy.
"TIME TO ORDER PIZZA!!"