The Foolproof Plan

Chapter 13: NOTHING GOING ON

I was the last one to show up for our Sunday brunch. It seemed that all conversation stopped as soon as I slid into the seat.

"Sorry I'm late?" I asked, wondering if that's why they were staring at me.

Namjoon narrowed his eyes at me over his coffee cup but stayed silent.

"Okay. What's going on?" I asked.

Hoseok cleared his throat. "Well, what's going on with you? And Minda?"

"Ah, is that what this is about?" I asked with a half-smile.

"Well, she drops your name into every sentence she speaks," Hoseok continued. "Allie thinks that it's strange that she talks about you all the time. She told Allie she was at your place last night, and now you're late."

"You're hitting that?" Yoongi asked.

"No!" I exclaimed. "Of course not! She's just been helping me out with something."

"I'll bet," Yoongi said with a smirk.

Taehyung stared at me. "But, cuz, what about Bella? You've truly given up?"

"That's what I meant," I said. I paused while a waitress came over and filled my coffee cup. "Minda is giving me some ideas about how to get back into Bella's good graces."

"What ideas could she possibly give you?" Namjoon asked.

"You're Kim Seokjin," Hoseok said. "Do you really need pointers?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's not as if she's teaching me how to fuck. It's not like that. We just talk...and whatever."

"It's that whatever that you need to watch out for," Namjoon said.

I laughed. "Wow. You guys really have a low opinion of me."

"You have a reputation, bro," Yoongi said. "This sounds sketch."

I slammed my cup down. "I can't believe you still doubt me. I'm not interested in chasing women. I've decided who I want, and I don't want to give up on her just yet. I know she has feelings for me, and I want to remind her of that."

"By getting tips from another girl? That doesn't sound like a great plan to me," Namjoon said. "If you keep spending so much time with her, people will start to talk."

"I've talked to her twice," I replied. "That hardly qualifies as a lot of time. Besides, she's Allison's friend. She's not some random stranger."

"Yeah," Hoseok added. "She might be friends with Allie, but I hear that Minda is quite the jumper." He noticed Taehyung's wide, confused eyes. "As in, quick to jump into bed or jump on a guy." He turned back to me. "Just be careful is all I'm saying."

I nodded. "Of course. I'm not interested in her. There's nothing going on."

"Whatever you say," Namjoon grumbled.

"There's nothing going on," I repeated and turned my attention to the menu. I placed my order and tried to join in with the conversation. Everything would be okay, I kept telling myself.