Sun-kissed

Chapter 21

The familiar touch of his arm around her waist caused Amina to instinctively melt against his side. Amina closed her eyes and breathed him in; his light cologne, warmth, and even his sweat comforting to her. She could feel the tension vibrating off Youngbae’s body as she ducked her head underneath his chin, waiting for the stranger to leave.  Amina peered back over her shoulder, checking to see if the guy got the message. Apparently, he did not.

“Why don’t you let her decide,” the stranger tested, causing Youngbae to smirk.  Youngbae’s grip around Amina’s waist tightened, pulling her closer to him.

They were causing a scene. Amina turned back towards Youngbae and grabbed a handful of his shirt near his abdomen. She tugged slightly so he would look at her.  His face was flushed, his jaw hard.  Amina stared into his eyes, the coldness there taking her breath away.  “Just let it go,” she pleaded.

Youngbae searched her face briefly before removing his arm.  He appeared annoyed by her presence at the night club.  “What are you doing here?” he sneered. 

Amina hadn’t expected a warm welcome from him, but neither was she prepared for his anger.  She felt vulnerable all of a sudden; unable to say all the things she wanted to say.  She blurted out the only thing that came to mind.  “You didn’t text me back,” she said lamely. 

“So you followed me here?” he asked incredulously.

It wasn’t far from the truth.  Although Jiyong and Seungri had told her to come, it was ultimately her decision to be there.  Amina swallowed an invisible lump and nodded her head, “Neh.”

Youngbae scanned the crowd, looking for someone.  His blood-shot eyes narrowed at the guy still standing behind Amina, waiting in the shadows.  He grabbed her hand and tugged, not saying a word.

Amina didn’t know where he was taking her, but the determined look on his face kept her from asking.  She kept her head down and ignored the curious glances they received from people they passed by. His grip on her hand was firm and strong as he led her upstairs towards the VIP lounge.  Amina glanced around, briefly noting the surprised looks of Jiyong and Seunghyun as they passed through another corridor, into a dark hallway.  She kept pace with him as he pulled her along until the sounds of the music could only be vaguely heard, the bass of the music thumping in the background. Youngbae opened another series of doors before pulling Amina in, shutting the door behind them. He let go of her hand and leaned against the doorframe, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.

The private room was small and dark, the black light barely illuminating the room in hues of dark blue and purple.  A black leather sectional backed up against two adjoining walls.  The couch was surrounded by side tables while one floor-to-ceiling lamp sat in the corner directly adjacent to the door.  A modern cut white coffee table sat in the middle of the room, facing the frosted glass wall that peeped into the hallway.  From her perspective, Amina could see faint shadows of people as they walked by, their bodies dimly lit by the minimal hallway lights. She glanced back at Youngbae, finding his eyes on her.

Feeling uncertain, Amina nervously fingered the oversized cowl neck of her cashmere sweater dress.  Under the black lights, the camel color tone of the dress blended seamlessly against her skin.  The dress was tight fitting and short, riding high against the top of her thighs and making her legs appear longer than they really were.  She had black suede ankle boots on and suddenly wished she had worn tights or a different pair of boots to keep her legs from being so exposed. She crossed her ankles self-consciously under his gaze.

Youngbae glanced away, appearing disgusted with the situation before straightening and moving towards the couch.  He took off his cap, tossing it on the coffee table, and proceeded to lie down, without saying a word. He covered his eyes with his right forearm while his other arm idly rested on his stomach. Within moments, he felt himself black out.