Friday Fix

♚ | eight

JUNGKOOK completely obliterated him.

Luca could dance, that was clear, but in the end I suppose it all boiled down to the chosen discipline. Jungkook was majoring in urban dance after all, and unlike Tae, Luca had not yet learned how to play his fluidity to his advantage. Where softness made Tae came across as passionate and expressive, it made Luca's gestures looked slightly weak. Especially since Jungkook was apparently giving it all he got - his muscles locked and popped in time to the music, the footwork so in sync that the thump of his shoes as they hit the ground seemed to fit into the melody perfectly like an extra beat. And then there were the little details, the way he leaned across with just the faintest touch of aggressiveness, as if showing Luca just who was the boss here on the dance floor. When the music ended, and all the Ryuk-il boys whooped, Luca gave a willing bow from the waist, which Jungkook returned, albeit with less sincerity.

"I concede," Luca said. "That was very well done." A pause, and a new strength in his voice. "But now, it is our forte."

With a hand behind his back, Luca took hold of the girl's hand with his other and they moved out to underneath the lamplight. Jungkook stepped back. They struck up their pose, beautiful and regal.

The girl cast Jungkook a sly look. "Well?"

An almost pissed-off look of realization dawned on Jungkook's face. "I don't have a partner."

"I know," the girl said sweetly. "But you were being all macho and insisting, so I thought you would be able to pull her out of somewhere. Or maybe one of your audience would like to help you out?"

The watching Ryuk-il boys shifted, uneasy. Jungkook's face looked almost as if it had flamed up from embarrassment.

My feet shifted – one, two steps forward. My fingers itched.

I knew ballroom dance. Before I became convinced that urban dance was my jam, I'd tried out a variety of styles. Especially tango. Who hadn't had the urge to learn it after they watched Selena Gomez and Drew Seeley dished it out so deliciously on the dance floor? Or after watching that scene in "Take The Lead" with Antonio Banderas? Seeing Tae practiced it in the room had only further confirmed my stance that tango was one of the sexiest dances out there.

Next thing I knew I was walking toward the alley, confidence from somewhere I did not know present in my every stride. Right hand slightly raised, I said, voice clear,

"I'll do it. I volunteer."

Eight pair of eyes fell on me. s**t, that was too Katniss, wasn't it?

I cleared my throat, and some of the confidence slipped away, as if it was ashamed. "I - I mean, I'll be his dance partner. I'll fight for Ryuk-il."

They all peered as me as I walked near. Jungkook looked startled, but mostly suspicious. Belatedly I realized just what kind of danger I had thrown myself in. If he recognized me . . . if they all recognized me . . . this is why you should think before you act, Lee Haneul. But part of me was certain they wouldn't. I had a wig, I had a dress – plus the male makeup had been rubbed off, and I looked nothing like what they saw me on a daily basis.

I should be fine.

I took my spot next to Jungkook. It was getting hard to look him in the eye, probably since the lack of proper lighting made his eyes appeared hooded, and dangerously attractive. As if he wasn't attractive enough already.

The girl in the dancing dress and heels looked at me - who was wearing sneakers and a dress only half an hour old. She sniffed the air delicately.

"Well then. Let us begin."

Luca took out his phone, selected a song and connected it to the portable speakers someone had brought along. Faint strains of a melody began to play, gradually growing louder. It was a cover of Beyonce's Crazy in Love, but slower, more sizzling than the original.

The girl and Luca were already swaying to the beat, eyes half-closed, corners of lips upturned slightly in what could have been a smirk. I looked at Jungkook, and tried not to let my nervousness show.

"Well?"

His eyes dragged the length of me for a moment. "I hope you know what you're doing, baby girl."

Baby girl. I ignored the quick, short flutter in my stomach.

I took his hand. His grip on my fingers was firm but gentle, and the hand he had on my hip strayed only a palm's breadth away from my thigh.

"You lead or me?" His breath tickled wonderfully in my ear, and I could smell his cologne. Black vanilla and gardenia.

Mmm.

I swallowed, remembering what he had said earlier about sleeping in the top bunk. "You lead."

With the Ryuk-il boys watching and another couple dancing only five feet away, I couldn't help but whisper.

"Tango?" Please say yes, because that's the only style I'm confident in.

A smile in his murmur. "I like how you think, baby girl."

The grip on my fingers tightened, and with a sharp pull, he pressed me against him. I couldn't help the involuntary gasp that escaped from my lips. With us this close, our breaths mingled. His eyes bore into mine, all business, though there was a ghost of a smile somewhere within. The first word of the song floated into the air.

Bold. That was the word. The way he looked at me, the way he held my hand and waist made every swing of my hip wider, every step filled with more confidence. Dancing with Jungkook made me feel bold, as if I could try out everything and do everything and he would match it with perfection.

Lazily, my right leg shot out and trailed a circle on the grimy alley ground, before coming back to tap him lightly against the ankle. The grin that had been forming on his face broke into place.

"Somebody wants to play."

My heart was thudding like a runaway train. "Well we want to give a good show now, don't we?"

Three quick steps forward, our bodies never once allowing more than an inch's worth of distance to come between us. He dipped me, and my back arched for a moment before he pulled me back again, so strong that we almost kissed. His lips were ajar and I was sure I was pretty breathless myself - though from what exactly was hard to ascertain.

The chorus hit and his arm snapped straight, pushing me out. I twirled, round and round and round, and at the end of my tether, executed a high kick that nearly took the Footlights girl's ear off. Her eyes narrowed at the challenge. If I had been usual me I would have apologized and return back to a more conserved state. But I was not the usual me, because I was dancing with a boy whose wild nature was contagious.

So I blew her a kiss, and the watching Ryuk-il boys cheered.

When I was back in Jungkook's embrace once more, he had an eyebrow raised. "You just taunted her."

The next sentence came out without much thought. "So you better watch your back, pretty boy."

His jaw clenched pleasantly and something close to a growl emitted from his throat. He spun me then, quick and furious, and I ended up with my back pressed to his chest. With his chin brushing my cheek I could hear the jagged unevenness of his breathing. His fingers trailed along my collarbones, and I shivered. We moved, swift lilting steps in horizontal fashion, and his fingers teased the length of my arm as they moved downward before planting themselves at the hip.

I broke away, the first time we came apart since the song had started. Jungkook reached out a hand but instead of taking it, I pushed his palm to the side with a finger and skipped teasingly to the back, further away. His eyes darkened and with unhurried steps he closed the distance. Along the way he retrieved his previously abandoned jacket in one smooth motion. I thought he might swing it and slip it on, all cool and professional, but instead he did what I did not expect.

He stopped three feet away and flicked the jacket out. It caught behind my waist, he grabbed the other sleeve, and just like that - jerked me back into kissing distance.

The jacket dropped around our feet and I couldn't help smiling.

"Very nicely done, Mr Ahn."

By the time the music ended we were both a hot, sweating mess. The Ryuk-il boys were applauding like mad and even the Footlights girl had an expression of grudging acceptance on her face. But I couldn't focus on them, couldn't focus on anything other than the fact that we were still not separated, Jungkook had still not let me go, we were still close enough for our bodies to be touching and for me to see the intensity that was just burning in his stare.

I was the first to break away, clearing my throat and moving out of his reach. Jungkook’s hand lingered at my hip for a moment before dropping to his side.

"It seems that Ryuk-il Academy actually has students who live up to its reputation. Though in terms of skill I will still insist that Footlight was better, but expression-wise . . . that is some serious chemistry right there.” Luca inclined his head. “Shall we call this a tie?”

Jungkook did not respond, his eyes still locked on mine.

“We’ll take that,” a Ryuk-il boy said.

“Rest assured however, that we will return again, and this time we will be better. Come, Ahri.”

The girl gave a haughty flick of her hair and they both left. The boys crowded around Jungkook, talking nineteen to dozen in amazement.

Still, Jungkook had not taken his eyes away from me.

My heart was refusing to slow down. If he kept his look up, that look up, I didn’t know what I was going to do next. His gaze locked me in place, rooting my feet and accelerating my heart. The moment could have gone on forever, if he had not opened his mouth to say,

“Wanna grab some coffee, baby girl?”

That was all it took. That one question, and immediately I remembered who he was and what he tended to do on Friday nights. My face contorted in offense – what, was he actually targeting me as his Friday fix now? Boy, did he had another thing coming –

Coldly, I crossed my arms and sent him a glare. “Absolutely not, thank you.”

And before anyone could say otherwise, I took off at quick pace. The second I was out of sight I sprinted. Two minutes and one block away later I came to a stop, huffing and panting. Sinking to the ground, I placed a hand on my heart and tried to convince myself it was only thumping hard because of the running.

He’s a good dancer. My mind flashed back to the way he had held me. Better than that, he was also a good dance partner. He led, but allowed me flexibility to improvise and didn’t dictate my every motion. With great vehemence, I shook my head. It wouldn’t do for me to develop any romantic notions for a boy who wanted to kick me out.

Sighing, I looked at my watch. Barely past midnight. Another two bloody hours before I was allowed to go back. I dragged myself to my feet, and began looking for the tteokbokki vendor my brothers and I had visited just the other day.

It wasn’t until the very next day did I noticed that my necklace had gone missing.

❈

Phew, what a dance! Truly, I had to fan myself a few times while writing this . . . for those who were wondering which Beyonce cover I was alluding to, it was the Kadebostany version. And for those interested in sizzling tango, Antonio Banderas in "Take The Lead" does serve up a pretty good one.

Till the next chapter, my dear readers! And to my six new followers - welcome to the club ;)

Yours in seduction,

Lady Godiva.