The Bodyguard ✔

Chapter Twenty-Three

Frank's preparing two cups of tea. A European habit?

I investigate his actions silently. He pours boiled water into the cups. I notice his strong and large hands. Hot air rises like smoke and then vanishes into the air. He picks up one cup and places it on the counter between my elbows. I'm resting my chin on my fists. Our eyes meet for a brief moment before he steps away. I hold my silence. He leans with his lower back against the opposite kitchen counter, folds his arms and looks at my cup, before being the first one to speak. "Couldn't sleep?"

I, again, notice the bags under his eyes. "I could ask you the same thing."

He chortles almost unnoticeably and shifts his look to the floor on his right. His miniscule smirk quickly fades. "I need to know who drugged you."

Why? So you can stalk him like you're stalking Lucas?

Maybe that's not a bad thing. Maybe Victoria's brother is more dangerous than he looks. But then the memory of Frank punching Lucas pops up in my mind. Even if Vicky's brother did drug me, I don't want to hurt him. And I don't know how far Frank might go with this. So I lie.

"I don't remember." I do remember I haven't told Frank anything about Vicky's brother.

"Giselle, I need to know who drugged you."

I cast him a daring stare. "I'm telling you: I don't remember."

He sighs and slightly shifts his position, still not looking at me. "Lsd kicks in after at least thirty minutes, but not later than an hour. You must've been drugged at the end of the party, just before we left." I notice he hasn't touched his cup of tea yet. "Who gave you something to drink?"

I slowly take a sip from my tea, pretending to be thinking about his question. The tea actually tastes very nice. "I'm sorry." I shake my head and lift my shoulders. "It probably just was a stupid prank, there were a lot of frat boys walking around at the party."

He doesn't look satisfied with my answer.

I take another sip of my tea. It's really good. "If you believe I was drugged just before we left, maybe you've seen who did it." I'll give him something to chew on.

He still doesn't look at me. "That drunk kid?"

Again, I lift my shoulders and drink my tea. I don't want to admit to myself I'm enjoying manipulating Frank like this. It's me who's having the control now, who's knowing more than you.

"What's his name?" He asks, irritated.

I look at my cup, half-empty, and exhale. Maybe a bit dramatically. "Hm..." I play with the spoon resting inside of the cup. "I'm not sure, I met a lot of people that night." I sigh again. "I think his name started with a 'T'." I suppress a smirk while playing with my cup of tea. How funny I find myself. "Tom..., Thomas? Tim, maybe?"

Too late I notice him rapidly taking two large steps in my direction as he bends towards me over the kitchen counter, lays his forearms on it and grabs my slender upper arms, just above the elbow, preventing me from leaving.

My cup of tea falls on its side and the spoon on the ground. Tepid fluid drips over the counter on my naked legs. His eyes, piercing into mine.

My heart starts bouncing violently in my chest. He whispers threatening. "You think you can play games with me?" I'm too shocked to say anything. I just look at him in terror, uncomfortably aware of his forceful grip.

He rapidly pulls me closer towards him over the counter. "Do you?!" My ribs get crushed against the sharp corner of the kitchen counter. His face is just inches away from mine, making his powerful physical features intensively visible.

In a reflex, I push him against his chest. I'm not able to move him with the little muscle strength that I have, but he got the message. Frank lets go of me and I immediately jump back, distancing myself from him.

There we stand, in the kitchen, merely two meters apart.

I've laid a hand on my painful ribs. My legs and short pyjama shorts are covered with tea. My shoulders grow and shrink on the rhythm of my heavy breathing.

I stare at him like a young deer at a lion.