If This Isn't Love

10: NOVEMBER 2016 - Friendsgiving

Luisa entered the noisy restaurant and asked the hostess about Selina's party. She was directed to a party room at the rear of the establishment. Upon entering the room, she saw that everyone turned to look at her. Selina and Megan made a beeline for her and greeted her enthusiastically.

"You look hot," Megan said with a wink. "Maybe you'll get lucky tonight."

Luisa scoffed. "That's not in my plans." Her friends giggled.

The small party stood around the room chatting in small groups that disbanded and reformed every few minutes.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Seokjin laughing at something that Hoseok or Yoongi had said. She couldn't help looking at him; he was stunning. After all this time, he still took her breath away, which was something that she would never admit to anyone. She shook her head to dispel her thoughts. When she looked up again, he was looking directly at her.

She almost gasped before she controlled herself and sent him a half-hearted wave.

He smiled and waved back. She did not make any attempt to engage him in conversation, pretending instead to be engrossed in what the people around her were saying. Oh, but he looked too good for words, and if she wasn't careful, words would be the least of her problems.

After a while, it was time to eat. The servers brought in food plates, and Luisa was ushered to her seat by her overzealous friends. She reached her chair, and Seokjin sprang to his feet.

"Hi, Lu," he said with a bright smile. They leaned slightly toward each other then quickly moved back. They stood looking at each other for a few seconds before he pulled out her chair.

Luisa nodded. "Hello again." She sat down, and he pushed her chair gently forward.

Hoseok smirked in her direction. "Oh, come on, Luisa. You don't think Jin merits a kiss greeting after all this time?"

Luisa inhaled sharply, but she heard Seokjin shush his friend before she could reply. She wondered if he was going to say anything too personal, but to her surprise, he hardly talked to her at all during dinner. She was aware of how loud everyone else was, but Seokjin just seemed to be smiling and nodding at others and rarely turned to her. Maybe he wasn't happy to have been paired up with her, especially since Hoseok kept making suggestive comments toward them.

After the dinner plates had been cleared away, and everyone ordered cocktails, Seokjin finally turned his attention to her. He leaned his elbow on the table, his hand on his cheek.

"So, Lu, I hear that you're hosting a Christmas party in a few weeks. I thought you weren't a fan of parties."

She nodded. "I've sort of been corralled into it. I moved into a new apartment two months ago, and Sel and Meg said it would be nice to throw a small housewarming party."

"New apartment," he repeated. "It must be a nice place if they want to throw a party there."

"Maybe you should go check it out, Jin," Hoseok said loudly from across the table. "New apartments need some breaking in." He began to laugh. He was probably drunk.

Luisa glanced at him and then turned back to Seokjin. Her heart started beating faster as she imagined Seokjin in her apartment. Seokjin in her bedroom... She closed her eyes for a second.

He took a sip of his drink and shook his head. "Don't listen to him. He's had too much to drink."

"And you haven't had enough," his friend retorted. "That's why you should take her to her apartment. You're not too wasted, are you?"

Seokjin's eyes narrowed as he scowled at his friend, but the other man kept laughing until another conversation caught his attention.

"He's an idiot," Luisa said softly.