"Mrs Music"

Chapter 20

*Yoongis pov

I listen to her tell her story. She is very animated, the love she felt for my father very evident on her face. Sadly, the pain he caused her is also very clear to see. I believe everything she tells me.
My father has always been a charismatic man. Handsome, distinguished and strong. He has an air of confidence that makes him attractive to women. They all seem to fall for his charms. I always thought it it was just harmless flirting, but since finding out about 'Kenzie and her kids, I'm not so sure.

On the night of the awards ceremony my father had told me that 'Kenzie had packed up and left with the kids without telling him where she was going. He tells me he was devastated, and tried to find her, but with no luck. He was so convincing, even producing tears to illustrate his sadness and feelings of loss.

Seeing my father so sad made me utterly furious. How dare she take my fathers kids from him. How dare she keep my siblings from me.
Being an only child was both a blessing and a curse for me. I was the centre of my mother's world, she doted on me and I loved her so much. We spent so much time together, but I would have loved a sibling, often feeling lonely. My mother obviously had her hands full running the home and attending functions with my father. I would have loved someone to share everything I had with, someone to play games with, but it was never to be. My father was not home much, often abroad at summits, meeting world leaders, trying to assist in finding peace for nations at war, organising aid for those in need. I have always been so proud of him. I think he is the reason I want to help my community now I am able to.

On the day I went to Shauns company for our meeting about my future I found out something that changed my opinion of my father, and the path of my life completely.
I had been waiting in the outer office, Shaun had someone with him I was told by his secretary. He buzzed from his office and she rose and went into the room, returning a couple of minutes later with a cup of coffee for me and an apology. Shaun was in a very important meeting and would still be a little while before he was free to see me. I was happy to wait, this was my future I was here to discuss after all.
I felt awkward sitting opposite the secretary. She was making her attraction to me very obvious, leaning forward at her desk to show off her cleavage, pouting her lips and even winking at me once too!
I asked if i may look around. She looked disappointed, but allowed my request.
I walked along the corridor, eyeing all the gold and platinum sales discs lining the walls, some of the biggest names in the music industry recorded with Shaun.
I go back through the outer office and find myself in a smaller seating area. Some trophies are arranged on some shelving. The door to the adjoining room is open ajar. As I hold these Grammys, Brits and American music awards in my hands, imagining they are my own I overhear voices. One of them sounds like my father!!
I put down the statuette I was holding and moved closer to the open door.

"I've told you my price. I will not negotiate further. I will fix our problem, PERMANENTLY, all you have to do is get me Big Hit" the voice I believe to be Shaun says aggressively.

"I will make it so, as long as I see evidence that Mackenzie is no more a threat to my future relationship with my children or my career. She needs to fall victim to an accident maybe?"

That IS my father!

"No accident. That doesn't benefit me. She will be found murdered, the victim of a failed ransom attempt. I may have to sacrifice a man or two setting the scene, you know......... she's taken, I get ransom demand blah, blah, blah........ at arranged money drop the kidnappers panic, Mackenzie is shot, but so are the kidnappers, etc, etc.......
No witnesses. No tales to be told. Normal life resumes for you, and a new life begins for me"

I have just heard Shaun and my father planning to kill Mackenzie!!

It is now past midnight. We are both physically and emotionally exhausted.
What we have just recalled to our minds, the feelings we have had to re-experience and then had to share with another person have taken their toll on us.
'Kenzie is fighting hard to stay awake, her eyes getting heavier and heavier. I myself have to be up at 5am as I have some early meetings I can't avoid, they've already been rescheduled once. I need some sleep.

"'Kenzie, let's get some sleep. We can talk again tomorrow." I tell her, whilst rising from the sofa and holding out my hand to her.
She regards it for a brief moment before reaching out and taking my hand with hers. I help her to her feet and we walk towards our room. Three things strike me hard at this point.
One, we are still holding hands.
Two, I just called it 'OUR ROOM', and Three......... I definitely have feelings for this woman!

Fucks sake!! Do I know how to make my life complicated!!

We both change out of our clothes into nightwear in our separate dressing rooms. I've chosen to wear shorts only, i feel very warm tonight.
As I exit my dressing room and close the door Mackenzie enters the room from the bathroom.
I almost lose my balance! I feel like I have just walked into a closed glass door! She must feel hot too tonight if the tiny outfit she has chosen is any indication! She continues across the bedroom to her side of the bed, and I cannot help but follow her with my eyes, taking in the shape of her body in the mint green silk shorts and camisole she has chosen to wear. The colour highlighting perfectly her milky pale skin. The shorts fit especially well, cupping her perfectly, the leg cut so high that the naked curve of her buttocks is visible, the cami moulding itself around her boobs, her nipples very erect.
My temperature is definitely rising. Strange, I recall the weather report earlier today suggesting that tonight was going to be one of the coolest so far this year, with a very strong possibility of storms.
I manage to avert my gaze from her to look out of the window. Sure enough, it is pouring with rain outside.
I watch the fat drops hit the smoked glass, making their way down the window, like tributaries into a larger river. I track one droplet on its journey, noticing how it grows in size and speed due to collecting up other small drops on its way, appreciating how the lights of the city are magnified and made brighter, shining like stars, reflected in the water droplets.
I close my eyes and rest my head forward, looking down at my feet, then slowly lifting my head while taking a very deep but slow breath in.
I repeat this a few times, focussing on all five of my senses, then open my eyes and turn to face the bed.

'Kenzie is sitting up in bed, her legs covered with a fluffy grey blanket. She is watching me.

"Are you ok Yoongi?" She asks me

"I am, why do you ask?" I return

"It's just that you seemed to be doing some mindfulness techniques just then. Were you?"

I am a little embarrassed that she knows what I was doing, but then remember that I have made no secret of the fact that I have suffered with anxiety issues, and these techniques help me remain in control of those feelings. I'm also a little surprised she knows about them too. I thought it was all 'New age Hippy' when I first learned about mindfulness but I'm a believer now. It always makes me feel better.

"You practice mindfulness too?" I ask

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do, often. It has helped me cope with the loneliness and fear of living in an abusive and loveless marriage, with a man who only cares for himself. Who only keeps people around who can benefit his life. Anyone else is erased from memory immediately he has used them up" she says

"It's not only memories he erases people from" I spit back, far more snappily than intended.

"What does that mean?" she questions me further.

"Forget it, never mind. I'm tired and that makes me snappy" I answer

She narrows her eyes at me and purses her lips together, tilting her head ever so slightly to the right and raising her eyebrows, in a gesture of enquiry.
I it wasn't so late I'd tell her right now what I know.

"'Kenzie, we really do need to continue this conversation, there's lots we still need to discuss, but I really don't think now is the best time. It's late, we're both tired and I have to get up early to go into the office for some meetings I can't avoid. If you sleep in then I'll probably be home before you wake up, then we can go out and get some lunch and continue this. What do you say?"

She gives me a curt nod and lays down on her pillow, her hair framing her face. I think she is still angry with me, her breathing is quite laboured for someone who is lying down.

I climb into bed and set my alarm for 5am. I begin my nightly squirm around the bed to find the sweet spot that is the perfect resting position for me. I wriggle around for what seems like hours and cannot settle in any position. I glance over at 'Kenzie and find she is watching me. I apologise for keeping her awake with my fidgeting.

"It's not your fidgeting that's keeping me awake" she says huskily