Bridging Destinies

Chapter 40: Punctuated Romance

As we were planning our trip to Jeju Island, I had caught wind of the idea that Namjoon might plan something special for our time here. I wasn't certain what it was, as he had taken pains to try and hide his thoughts from me regarding his plans, and I did not want to pry. That the manager had later exposed his plans to me hadn't been that much of a surprise. I trusted him, so it wasn't necessary to see everything within his mind. Because I was still aware of the potentials, I had packed at least two dresses in my luggage. One was more casual, while the other was fancier. Namjoon was ready before I was, dressing in a suit, and I took my cue from him. Once he was ready, I sent him to wait in the living area while I completed my preparations for the evening.

I finished my assembly, grabbed a small evening bag and a light shawl, and went to meet Namjoon in the living room. He sat on a couch, scrolling through an app on his phone and looked up, sensing my presence. He began to stare at me with his mouth gaping open slightly. He slowly stood and looked at me from head to toe, taking in every detail.

I wore a sheath dress that fell to my ankles, hugged my curves and showed a portion of my leg, with a slit up the side of the dress stopping just above my knee. The dress was made of a deep royal blue silk, which brought a richness to my ice blue eyes, making them appear to have more depth. It also enhanced the creamy glow of my skin, allowing the contrast between the dark, richness of the royal blue, and the white, faintly tanned, hue of the exposed portions of my body to stand out with distinction. It was sleeveless and had a thin halter neckline of the same material, providing an elegant glimpse of the line of my collar bones, as they flowed into the curve of my shoulders. I did not need makeup and rarely wore it, but for this night, I had defined my eyes with a light mascara and eyeliner, shading my eyes so that it was almost indecipherable, yet still provided the definition I was looking for. A light colored gloss also graced my lips. On my feet I wore elegant sandals of a color matching the dress, with thin straps crossing over the top of my foot and around the heel and ankle. The base of the sandals sported a slight, raised heel. I was already tall, and didn't need to be any taller on my evening out with Namjoon.

My hair was up in a semi-elaborate braid, with tendrils of hair that fell down around my face, framing it. I smiled softly at the man before me and put my bag down on a table near the entry, then wrapped the elegant, silver colored, sheer silk shawl around my shoulders. He still gaped at me, and I glanced at him, raising a brow lightly, equally admiring him in his suit.

Namjoon appeared speechless, but somehow found his voice with a softly breathed word, "Wow." He paused, swallowing hard, and spoke again at a more even tone, "Just wow."

I half grinned at him and took him in fully, "I could say the same for you. You look good, Joonah."

He shook his head and came towards me, carefully sliding his arms around my waist as he brought me close to his body, "You outshine me. There's no doubt." He said, "So beautiful." He leaned down and kissed my cheek softly, then my forehead, lingering there. He gazed at my eyes, studying the work of lines I had created with the bare amount of makeup I had applied, "I'm almost afraid to touch you." He said as he studied my face, his touch light and gentle. He continued, "I am afraid I would ruin your makeup and outfit."

I laughed lightly and winked at him, "You may ruin me later, Joonah."

Namjoon flushed heavily, his cheeks turning a beat red and he groaned, moving his forehead to mine, leaning against me, "Or you are going to ruin me." He took a breath and let it out slowly, as he shifted slightly on his feet. "Damn, Lina." He breathed as he struggled to control himself. He half pulled away from me and dropped his hands to mine, holding them gently in his, "Let's go." He suggested as he swallowed visibly and dropped one of my hands, as he started pulling me towards the door, "An evening out is waiting."

~~~

The restaurant was fancy and lightly staffed. My glamour was in place and I had my mind open enough to hear the thoughts of the few people here, just to ensure our safety. The staff knew who Namjoon was and were curious about me, but I did not hear anything that caused me concern. The NDAs had been signed and silence was established.

We ate and enjoyed our conversation amidst low, overhead lighting, accented by candlelight.  The conversation between us was pleasant, and sometimes deep, punctuated by the heady tension of desire as we gazed at each other. The intimacy of the evening went a little to my head, and I was almost lost in the man before me.

As dinner began to wind down, I felt a wave in the weave and frowned, pushing my plate away. Namjoon had been in the middle of talking about a book he read previously, and when he noticed my changed mood he asked, "Lina? What's wrong?"

I shook my head and licked my lips, "I do not know yet. Maybe nothing." I said. I frowned more deeply and took a sip of water from my glass as I tried to look at the paths. They seemed clear, but I felt a shadow beginning to gather over them and it worried me. I sent a thought to Dana, but he was quiet and did not respond, which worried me more. I wasn't certain what would happen next, so I looked more deeply into the minds of the staff in the building, and even beyond to anyone who may be outside, lurking around corners.

Most minds were clear. Some of the staff had stood and peaked out from the kitchen, watching us, but none of their thoughts or intentions worried me. There was one mind that did bother me, however. A staff member was at the back of the restaurant and there was both a haze in his mind and a shield. His surface thoughts were innocent, but there was something about him, as I looked more deeply that disturbed me.

~~~

Namjoon studied Felina as she appeared to be deep in thought. He recognized the signs by now. She was following the paths, as she called them, and searching the minds and energies of the people around her. Her expression worried him and after a few moments he interrupted her ruminations, "Do you want to go?" He asked carefully.

She responded absentmindedly, "In a moment." She told him, as the waiter who had been serving them came to their table. He refilled their waters and asked if they would like desert. Namjoon glanced at the waiter and looked back at Felina, then shook his head.

"I think we will skip dessert." He told the waiter and finished his statement with a polite thank you for the other man. The waiter bowed and thanked them for their patronage, then left the couple alone. Namjoon gave a slight bow in return, then returned to watching the woman who held his heart. He watched as she shook her head, as if to clear it, took one last sip of water and looked at him fully, her eyes and expression seeming to clear.

"I'm ready." She told him, as if nothing had happened, "Ready to go?" She asked him, as she prepared to stand. He agreed and stood before she did, assisting her to stand, and put her shawl back around her shoulders. They walked out to the car, where the manager sat, waiting for them, Namjoon's hand at the small of her back as he appeared, to anyone watching, that he was guiding her out.