Closer than Ever

Chapter 80 - Tigers Smoke Pipes

Work is a slog the next day, because we are going over one of the songs with a new in-house producer, so we have to act professional. We have lunch together in the lounge and quietly arrange for me to leave about 15 or 20 minutes before Tae at the end of the day, and then wait at the meeting spot, so it won't look too suspicious. After all, we both left at the same time just yesterday.

When Taehyung finally pulls up around seven pm, I am so ready for alone time with him. It's becoming harder and harder to not call him "love" or accidentally touch him in front of other staff members - the effort is literally exhausting. He grins as I climb into the passenger seat, waiting until he hears my seatbelt click before he cranks up the tunes and pulls out into the summer Saturday evening traffic in downtown Seoul.

I study his profile out of the side of my eyes. The fluffy hair pinned down by a baseball cap. The strong triangle of his nose, his lips that are full without being puffy, his squared off chin, and his adorable high cheekbones and bread cheeks. 'How can a person be so gorgeous?' I wonder. His eyes flick over to meet mine and he grins mischievously, almost as if he can hear my thoughts. He has sunglasses on even though we're going to be heading east, but that and the cap are the only measures he has taken to avoid being recognized. I see people in other cars glancing over, pointing, some even whipping out phones to take photos when we stop at red lights. I have sunglasses on too, and a scarf wrapped around my hair, babushka-style, but I feel very exposed.

Once we hit the open highway, Taehyung seems to enjoy the drive immensely, smoothly switching lanes and driving just a little faster than I would. He looks so at ease, confidently guiding the SUV through traffic, a slight smile quirking his mouth. I can't help reaching over and placing my hand on his thigh, and he turns to give me a quick smile and eyebrow wiggle before looking at the road again. "You're amazing," I tell him.

"I know," he responds, laughing as I lightly pinch his leg. "Don't, Birdie, I'll wreck the car!" he says.

"Oh, yeah? What if I do this?" I ask, sliding my hand slowly upward and inward.

"Aish!" he curses, sucking in his breath loudly, "I'm really going to wreck if you do that. Hajima!" But he's chuckling.

I giggle and still my hand, but leave it resting on his upper thigh. I'm feeling a familiar throbbing ache just below my stomach, and I know that we're still more than an hour from our destination, wherever that may be. I lick my lips and think, 'I hope it's somewhere with some privacy.' My mind drifts off to all the things I'd like to do to him, my hand ghosting slightly higher on his leg.

Aretha Franklin's "Think" comes up on the playlist, and the two of us launch into song, full voice, with dance moves. I'm playing piano on the dashboard with my right hand. Tae hits all the high notes right along with Aretha and me. "You need me, and I need you! Without each other, there ain't nothin' either can do!" I let him be the lead singer, and I hit all the backup vocals: "Whatcha tryin' to do to me!" I belt. "Think about forgiveness!" He insists on high-fiving me at the end.

The playlist slows things way down with the next selection, which is "Beautiful" by Crush, from the Goblin OST. I would probably skip that one if I was in the car alone, to be honest, because it's very sentimental and mushy. But Tae starts singing it with so much emotion that I'm actually entranced. "It's a beautiful life, beautiful day. I loved you like crazy. Beautiful life, beautiful day. I don't wanna lose you!" he sings, in his rich, husky voice that's even better than Crush's, in my totally prejudiced opinion. I actually feel the prickle of tears trying to escape my eyelids, as I join in on the chorus.