Love Again

The Dinner pt. 2

In a split second, Jung Kook's expression morphed from irritation to shock and then to calculation. Anne could see the challenging gleam in his eyes and immediately knew that he was up to no good.

"Ah, the famous Dae! It's nice to finally meet you," JK said, plastering a pleasant look on his face.

"Er, yes. You as well...Jung Kook-ssi," Dae responded before looking at Anne in bewilderment.

"Okay, well, I think it's time for us to go, so if you'll just excuse us," Anne said as she got to her feet.

"Sure, sure. Don't want to keep you," JK murmured, keeping his eyes locked on Dae.

Anne snatched her purse from the floor and then scurried over to where Dae was standing in the doorway, looking back and forth between her and JK warily.

"Let's go," she hissed at him, taking a hold of his arm and pulling him back out into the hallway. But it seemed her quick escape was doomed for failure because her uncle chose that moment to saunter around the corner.

"Ah, Annie Bell! Just who I was looking for!" he exclaimed as he approached the couple.

"Uncle, we were just leaving but-" Anne started before he cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Pardon me, Annie, but is this perhaps the elusive Guem Dae?" he asked pointedly, as he examined the man standing next to her.

"Yes, sir. It's nice to officially meet you," Dae responded before bowing respectfully to the older man.

"Glad you finally join us," her uncle responded with an expression that looked anything but glad.

"We really do have to go-" but Anne was cut off once more by JK's appearance in the door behind them.

"Ah! Jung Kook, my boy! Didn't see you there! How are you?" her uncle cried out happily.

"I'm good, depyunim! Just catching up with Cheon-sa here," he responded.

"Good good. Well, I'm glad you're here. I was just about to tell Annie Bell about the annual HYBE subsidiary dinner tomorrow night."

Wait. What?

Anne turned to look back at JK in confusion but he just smirked knowingly at her before turning his attention back to Uncle Ju-won. "Well, I won't hold you up. I know how busy you are here, but I'm looking forward to seeing you and Annie both tomorrow night."

"Yes indeed! We'll see you then!" her uncle told him with a grand smile.

With that, JK brushed past Anne, letting his fingers subtly graze over the curve of her waist as he walked away. The brief contact caught her off guard, causing her to flush, but luckily no one else was paying attention to her.

Her uncle had turned the full force of his gaze onto Dae and was asking him about his trip and if he was sure he had everything squared away back in the States.

"Yes sir. I wanted to make sure everything was done so that I didn't leave Annie alone for too long," Dae responded smoothly.

Her uncle simply hummed before glancing back at Anne. "Alright then. Annie, make sure you're here for dinner tomorrow at 7:00 PM sharp. Come up to the top floor for cocktails when you arrive."

Anne narrowed her eyes at her uncle before asking, "Why is this the first time I've heard of this dinner?"

This was the last thing she needed. To be stuck at a dinner with Jung Kook and most likely the rest of BTS, who would no doubt pounce on her the moment she entered the room.