The Pilot || MinJoon

Chapter 4

"Be my personal pilot," Jimin said with a hopeful smile. Namjoon laughed, but his laughter abruptly died down once he saw that Jimin was seriously offering him a job. The pilot picked up his wine glass and took a healthy swig of the red wine, which was a delicious-- and very expensive-- 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon.

"Yeah, I'm gonna pass," Namjoon answered. "I told you this on the plane, but in case you've forgotten, I'm still working with Air Korea."

Jimin rolled his eyes at that. "I'm not telling you to quit your job," he retorted. "I'm saying that you should work for me in addition to working for Air Korea."

Namjoon eyed the silver-haired boy incredulously, wondering if this beautiful man was a little off his rocker. Did he think that he could be in two places at the same time?

"Unless you have a Time-Turner or something like that, I don't see how that would work out," Namjoon replied.

Jimin set down his wine glass and put both of his hands on that table. He could see that it was going to take some convincing to sway the pilot. And what better way to convince him than to let him know that he's being dead serious about the job offer? 

"You know," Jimin began, while idly tracing circles on the tablecloth with his finger. "You don't have to work for me full time. In fact, truth is, I'll only need you during the weekends."

Namjoon snorted and gave the younger boy a teasing look. "Just the weekends? No offense, but that makes it seem like either you're having an affair, or maybe you're running a drug cartel."

"Please," Jimin shot back. "If ever I'm gonna be seeing someone, the whole world is gonna know it. I don't hide, that's not my style. And drugs, nah, that's not my cup of tea. Do you want to know why I need you to work for me?"

"I'm all ears," said Namjoon.

"I'm expanding ARCADIUM," Jimin explained. "I'm planning to go to underrated vacation destinations and see if I can build a few boutique hotels there this year, just to get a feel for the market. In three years, my goal is to have ARCADIUM hotels in major cities like New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo."

Namjoon nodded, fascinated by the boy. Who knew that underneath Jimin's idol-like visuals is a savvy businessman who's planning to take over the world?

"So, I take it that you need me to fly you to these destinations during the weekends?" Namjoon asked.

"That's right," Jimin said while giving the pilot a slight nod. "You saw what happened earlier when I was late for boarding. I can't afford to be on someone else's time. It's just not convenient. If I'm gonna make this happen, I need to be able to go anywhere and anytime I choose."

"First, congratulations on the expansion," said Namjoon. "But I don't think--"

Jimin abruptly placed his hand over the older boy's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Leaning closer to Namjoon, the young CEO gave him a coaxing smile while slowly entwining his delicate fingers with the pilot's longer digits. 

"I'll make it worth your while," Jimin said encouragingly, while making soothing circles on the other boy's palm with his thumb. "Whatever the airline's paying you per flight, I'll triple it."

"I'm confused. You're offering me job but then you asked me if I'm seeing someone," said Namjoon. "What's that got to do with everything?"

"Simple," Jimin answered. "I wanted to know because if you end up working for me and Air Korea, you won't have time for anything or anyone else. I don't want to hear any excuses why you won't be available on the weekends." 

Namjoon couldn't believe it. Do all rich people operate this way? His mind was racing-- he was tempted to take the offer, but he had to give it a lot of thought. He liked working with his best friend at the company, and he wasn't sure if taking on a side job would be in his best interest. 

At the same time, Jimin's nearness, plus the touch of his hand, was distracting him and keeping him from thinking clearly. The way the businessman caressed his palm was highly suggestive, and Jimin was boldly staring at him, as if daring him to look away first.

You want to play, Mr. CEO?  Namjoon thought to himself while holding the pretty boy's gaze. Fine, two can play this game.  

He reached out with his other hand, and ever so slowly, Namjoon delicately used his thumb to caress the side of Jimin's lips. 

"You've got a crumb, right there," murmured Namjoon, his eyes never leaving the other boy's face. 

If Jimin was flustered by the raven-haired boy's actions, he never showed it. As if to prove a point, Jimin stilled Namjoon's wandering hand by gripping it tightly. Then gently, the younger boy kissed Namjoon's palm. 

Heat pooled in the lower part of the pilot's belly as he watched Jimin kiss his palm, his plush, soft lips teasing the sensitive skin. And to make things even sexier, Jimin never broke eye contact with him.

Fuck, Namjoon thought to himself. He knows what he's doing.

"Captain," Jimin purred. "Don't start things that you can't finish. Unless you want to end up in my bed, I highly suggest that you don't toy with me while we're talking business."

"Who says I'm toying with you?" Namjoon huskily said. 

Jimin said nothing while he continued to hold Namjoon's hand. Rising from his seat, Jimin made his way to the other side of the table so he could sit beside the pilot. 

Transfixed, Namjoon said nothing as Jimin held his face in his dainty hands. 

"Listen," Jimin said, keeping a gentle yet firm hold on the pilot's face. "I'm not looking for a one-night-stand, nor am I interested in fucking around. I don't invite people into my life just for kicks. And that applies to friends and the people I work with. Believe me, Captain, I gave it some thought. At first, it was just a passing fancy, but after the flight, I knew I had to make you a part of the ARCADIUM team. I want to work with the best of the best, and from what I heard from those gossipy flight attendants, you're the best pilot in that airline. Were they lying?"

"Depends," Namjoon said evenly. "Were they talking about my skills in the cockpit or in the bedroom?"

Shaking his head, Jimin let go of the older's boy's face. "Jeez, and people think I'm the easy one. Namjoon, I'll be very clear-- this isn't like a scenario in some terrible fanfic where the heir of a multimillion dollar company sleeps with whoever he likes just for the hell of it. I'm incredibly selective with everything that I welcome into my life, so whatever preconceived notion that you have about me, you can forget it. I'm not promiscuous, I'm not easy, and I'm not looking for a good lay. I just want a pilot."

Shamed by his actions, Namjoon looked down at his lap, thinking about what to say. Jimin put his hand under the pilot's chin, forcing the older boy to look at him.

"I think I lost my appetite," Jimin murmured. "I'll leave your bag with the guard at the front of the bistro. If you want to take the job, show up at the office and I'll have you sign a contract. If not, please don't contact me at all."

The silver-haired boy flashed him a wistful smile before standing up and walking away, away from Namjoon and his barely eaten dinner. 

As Namjoon watched Jimin walk away, the beginnings of something unknown stirred in his heart. Without thinking about it, the pilot made his way to Jimin and grabbed the younger man's wrist before he could take another step towards the door. 

Confused, Jimin looked at his captured wrist and asked, "What?"

"Don't go," Namjoon whispered. "I'll take the job."

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Well. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

I love when they're so touchy feely towards each other 😁