Lifetime

Groupie

I watched my phone for the next two days, looking for a call or text from him before realizing that we never exchanged numbers. I could have easily asked Faye for his, and even though she insisted that she would berate him until he reached out, I declined, busying myself with editing photos and my shifts at the library.

At the end of the week I spent the morning with Joseph, a regular at the library, helping him fill out a few job applications, read to the afternoon children's group, and sorted through returns, stacking books by genre on the counter with a tiny space clear for customers.

"I'm looking for a book, it should be in the young adult section but I haven't been able to find it." I would have recognized his voice anywhere, but more than that the feeling that rose in me at his presence.

I peeked from around the stacks of books in front of me, eyeing him as he leaned across the counter. Despite being irritated that I hadn't seen him in a few days, I couldn't hold back the small grin that graced my mouth at the sight of him.

"What's the name of the book?" I asked, though I could have predicted his answer.

"Beautiful Disaster, a friend recommended it to me." He replied. There was that word again. I swallowed my frustration, stepping away from the counter and leading him to the exact spot where my favorite book was kept, the binding worn since it was the book I recommended most.

I had to stand on my toes to reach it, my breath catching in my throat when I turned around, Yoongi directly behind me, so close that he had to take a step back so I could move. I handed over the book, watching as he looked around for an empty corner.

"Thanks." He smirked, taking a spot in a chair near the media section of the library. I kept my eyes on him for another second, watching as he crossed his legs, reading over the back cover of the book before cracking it open to the first page.

He'd come into the library to pick up my favorite book and read while I worked. Knowing he was there kept me a little distracted as I carted returned books back to their sections, catching glimpses of him while I walked the aisles of shelves.

An hour before my shift ended there was a small commotion that caught my attention, and I left the counter again, following the pair of voices to where Yoongi sat. Joseph had him locked in a handshake, the two smiling at each other as if they were old friends.

"I've been gigging more, but let me know where you're sleeping. I'll bring dinner over sometime." Yoongi spoke to him, cuing Joseph's smile to widen.

"Sorry guys, I'm going to have to ask you to keep it down. We are in a library." I interrupted, Joseph laughing loudly and then correcting himself by putting a hand over his mouth.

"Of course boss lady. It's my fault, I haven't seen this guy in over a year so I got excited." Joseph replied, standing. "I'll see both of you around." He could be sure that he'd see me at the library next week but raised his eyebrows to Yoongi, his statement more of a question to him.

Yoongi seemed to know everyone we ran into together and assured Joseph that they'd talk again soon. When we were alone again Yoongi grabbed the book, giving it back to me. "I'll come back next week to read some more, but I wanted to see if you're free tomorrow night. I'm doing a show with a few other artists and want you there." He was always direct in expressing his desire to see me again, standing and digging his keys from his pocket at the same time.

"I'll be there." I responded automatically.

The kiss he pressed to my cheek was quick as he moved past me toward the exit, always either in a complete hurry or no rush at all. "It's at The Hideout, eight o'clock!" He called back to me, laughing as I held a finger to my lips in a silent scolding. When he was out of sight I touched the small space on my cheek that his lips met, honing in on the second we touched and letting the shelves puddle around me.

After picking up groceries I headed home, finalizing the photos from Erica's shoot and kicking back to relax with a box of cookies tucked in my arm.

Faye was making a huge deal out of me going to Yoongi's show, letting me know that he rarely invited people to his shows personally, often letting the word spread through others. She obsessed over putting together an outfit for me that she described as simultaneously laid back and jaw dropping, her and Lee joining me for the trek to The Hideout the following night.

The building was already packed with people, but the man acting as security, upon recognizing Faye, put together that I was set to be escorted to a small table that had been reserved, Faye playfully raising her eyebrows a few times as we took seats at the barstools.

"It's just a table." I laughed.

"It isn't, most of the girls you see in here would hate you for having this table if they knew it was from him." She replied, my gaze turning to the crowd and wondering if her statement was true. If it was, he was surely humble about his success and had downplayed it during our talks.

There was a little more commotion among the crowd as the first artist took the stage, a woman I recognized from a show we'd seen a few months back, her sultry voice filling the now quiet room as she crooned into the microphone. We vibed to her set, singing going to a couple of the songs we'd been obsessed with after her first show.

The next two artists that took the stage had a more upbeat sound, Faye and I standing and dancing together to the music while Lee guarded our drinks. When Yoongi stepped onto the stage, introducing himself and starting his first song, I realized it didn't matter the level of success he had. Seeing him perform and catching his eyes on me every now and again made me feel just as special as the girls called Y/N in every fanfiction I'd read. 

It took him another half hour to emerge from the back after he finished. The crowd thinned after the show, though some stuck around as a DJ took over, spending more time drinking and on the dance floor. I hadn't even seen him walking to our table until I heard multiple people call out his name through the crowd, giving him hugs and handshakes as he made his way to us.

He stood next to me at the table and despite there being no physical contact between us, I could feel people's eyes turn toward me. "How did you like the show?" He asked, nudging my shoulder with his.

"You were great, and I loved seeing Evelyn again." I raised my voice over the music, referencing the opening artist.

He leaned close to my ear so I could hear him, not wanting to yell. "Let's go back to my place." My heartbeat quickened at his words and proximity.

There was no way I could have resisted him, nodding immediately and turning to whisper into Faye's ear that I wouldn't be home, her eyes sending me a sparkling look of understanding and excitement. He stepped away for a few minutes, collecting his payout for the show before helping me into my jacket, seemingly ignorant to the attention cast on us as he did.

When he grabbed my hand, the feeling made everyone in the building disappear, but not before I had a moment to scan some of their faces, envy and judgment that made me question the situation and wonder if to him I was just another groupie.