Jimin buried his face into his sofa cushion with a frustrated moan. He was hoping to relax before the big event this evening, but when he looked at the ID of the person calling him, he knew his father had other plans for his ‘property developer protégé.’
There were proposals to renovate Park Grande Complex, which included expanding the tower to accommodate more tenants, as well as a new project to find a piece of land for the construction of the next neo-building.
Jimin cleared his throat and answered the call. ‘Yes, father.’
‘You sound as though you’ve just woken up.’
Dae-Jung’s response had Jimin biting his tongue, and through gritted teeth, he replied, ‘I can assure you that isn’t the case.’
‘I left the health and safety papers at the complex yesterday. You’ll need to pick them up at some point today.’
Jimin rolled his eyes; straight to the point as usual. He could not, however, decline his request. ‘Yes, father. I’ll head over now.’
‘Oh and, Jimin,’ Dae-Jung paused before disconnecting the line, ‘don’t be late.’
With a groan, Jimin dropped his feet from the sofa and begrudgingly climbed the stairs. When he reached the landing, he heard a deep voice drifting from inside Taehyung’s quarters.
‘I need you here by six pm. I’ll show you where to secure her.’
Taehyung’s order came as no surprise to Jimin; securing women had become part of their routine, and so he continued trudging to his half of the oversized house. There were things to do, and he was sure that his friend would fill him in on his latest capture when he returned.
Pulling on some jeans and an oversized jumper, Jimin ruffled his bleach blonde hair over his forehead and hurried out of his bedroom. He was half way down the stairs when Taehyung popped his head through his door.
‘Don’t be late, Jimin. We have a big night ahead.’
‘Me? Late?’ he chuckled, not stopping his rhythm as he ran down the winding staircase. ‘Never!’
Today's mode of transport was a blacked out Range Rover. He hit the gas pedal and accelerated out of the property, clearing the city and arriving at the complex in record time. Slamming on the brakes, Jimin bumped the kerb and brought the car to a sudden stop outside the entrance.
‘Really?’ he whined when he saw two men approach from the car park, ‘today of all days.’
The sight made him smile, though. One of them moonwalked to the invisible beat in his head, while the other - in fits of laughter - encouraged him along.
Jimin lowered his head and pretended to be on his phone. If he seemed busy, they might just ignore him.
‘Park!’ a nasally voice hollered.
Jimin looked up and saw a beaming smile and a nose pressed against his window that left an unsightly oily smudge. It was too late to pretend he hadn’t noticed them.
He and Hobi went way back. They hadn’t spoken in a long time due to their lives taking different directions, but two years ago, he’d bumped into his old friend and his sidekick Jin when they moved into Park Grande Complex.
Jimin enjoyed hanging with them and reminiscing over cold beers when he found the time. It was also refreshing to be around “normal” people every once in a while.
As fate would have it, he’d arrived at the complex one day last year to find a group of his staff had quit without warning, leaving him in need of urgent replacements. Through his frustration of interviewing dimwits, and covering the workload, he turned up at their door with a twenty-four pack and vented every one of his misgivings to them.
Hobi and Jin were still chasing their dreams in the entertainment industry, but between the part-time work and odd jobs, it wasn’t enough to cover their bills. Their savings eventually dwindled, so by the end of night, Jimin had offered both men a security position at the complex.
Today was their day off, leaving only one other loyal watchman to monitor the property. The cheerful twosome had no idea of the double life he led, so trying to find an excuse as they opened his car door and tugged at his arm, proved difficult.
‘Come on, Ballerina.’ Hobi poked at his ribs.
Jimin, unable to keep a straight face, held his hands up in surrender. ‘Okay, one drink. I just have to grab some papers.’
All three men walked through the lobby, and his friends held the elevator for him whilst he rushed to the office.
An hour later, Jimin found himself two drinks in and still inside their apartment. Their energy was infectious, and during their time together, it had slipped his mind what was on his agenda for tonight.
‘Thanks for the drinks, but I really need to get going.’ Jimin stood and edged towards the door.
‘One more, Ballerina,’ Jin cajoled as he slipped another bottle into his hand.
‘Food and drinks are on me next time?’ Jimin raised an eyebrow, hoping to appease his two buddies.
‘Well,’ Jin toasted the air with his beer bottle, ‘that’s an offer we can’t refuse.’
Hobi rested his arm on his shoulder and strolled with him to bid him farewell. ‘Later, Ballerina.’
The second he stepped outside the apartment and into the brightly lit corridor, Jimin flopped against the floral-patterned wallpaper and closed his eyes with a sigh of relief. Thank God he’d managed to slip away without a fuss.
‘Time to get this show on the road,’ he muttered.
‘Whatever you’re selling,’ a female voice drifted his way, ‘I’m not buying.’
Jimin whimpered and thumped the wall with a tight-lipped smile.
Does it look like I’m selling something? Jimin thought, I own the place, for crying out loud.
His patience was already wearing thin after having his day hijacked; first by his father, and then Hobi and Jin. The last thing he needed was another interruption. If he was late for tonight’s showdown, he’d never hear the end of it.
‘Unless the sweater you’re wearing is for sale? I’ve been trying to get my hands on one of those for months.’
What the...? Frowning at the strange question, Jimin opened his eyes and rotated his head to face the relentless woman.
Fuck.
Stunned by the playful smile not two metres away, he stood to attention in an eighth of a second and flashed the lady a dazzling smile.
‘Hi.’
How had he not noticed her before? The ample cleavage spilling over her tank top, the small waist and wide hips accentuated by a pair of tight jeans that had him stirring. She didn’t reply, but when their eyes met, she sent him a cheeky smile before giving his body a languid once over.
Jimin returned the gesture, his tongue swiping over his bottom lip as his gaze lingered somewhere between her waist and curvy hips.
‘Hey,’ she snapped her fingers, ‘up here.’
Jimin composed himself, but purposefully took the time to let his eyes travel back up her gorgeous frame.
‘Sorry,’ he cocked his head, ‘I didn’t catch your name.’
‘That’s because I didn’t give you the pleasure.’
Jimin exhaled amusedly through his nose, his tongue swirling the inside of his mouth open as he thought of how to reply to her teasing words. ‘Would you rather have the pleasure over dinner?’
The alluring woman dropped her gaze, and Jimin took the opportunity to steal another glance at her curvaceous figure.
‘Maybe.’ His eyes snapped back to her face when he realised she was looking at him again, but this time, she sassily held a hand on her hip and shrugged at him indifferently. ‘I’ll have to check my diary.’
Tensing his jaw, Jimin enjoyed her resistance. ‘So, that’s not a no, then?’
‘It’s not a yes either,’ she retorted.
Well, this was different. Park Jimin had never had to work for a date in his life; they practically begged him to take them home.
He wasn’t modest in the slightest. With his thick head of hair, features cut to perfection, and a luscious pair of lips, many people - including himself - considered him to be the epitome of beauty.
Taking a deep breath, Jimin pondered over his next choice of words. ‘Okay, Miss No-Name, but I didn’t give you a date and time.’ He then took a step closer. ‘Dinner. Tomorrow at eight?’
The woman smiled at him, matching his boldness as she too shimmied a little closer. ‘You’re going to have to work a little harder than that.’
Jimin stroked his chin and quirked his brow; she had a little spunk to her, and he liked it.
Gifting him with a cute wave, the woman moved away from her apartment door and sauntered along the corridor. ‘See you around, Mr Ballerina.’
Jimin shook his head, scoffing as he watched her leave, entranced by the swaying arse packed into her tight jeans.
She’d totally rejected him.
When he noticed her looking over her shoulder as she turned the corner, it satisfied him to know that she was checking to see if he was still watching.
God, he wanted her.
Jimin gave chase, slipping into the elevator before the doors could close.
‘I like your efforts, Mr B,’ she tittered with a coy smile as her finger hovered over the numbered buttons. ‘Which floor?’
‘Mr B, now?’ Jimin glanced her way as he deliberately obstructed the panel and reached behind him to smack every level. ‘I’m going down.’
From floors fourteen to seven, he remained in her personal space. She would meet his gaze for a couple of seconds, and then turn her head away. When his new target of lust looked at him from the corner of her eye, she said, ‘You do realise you’ve made me late, right?’
‘That’s your fault for not saying yes.’ Jimin’s eyes trailed over her figure again. ‘But I could take you to your destination if...’
Catching his eyes briefly, she asked, ‘If what?’
‘If you say yes to dinner.’
He knew he had caught her off guard, and she looked as flustered as he felt, but Jimins’ body tingled when she put her lips to his ear and whispered, ‘Ask me again when we get to zero.’
He still didn’t have the answer he wanted by the time the doors slid open, and so - out of options - he blocked the exit with his arm. ‘You haven’t given me your answer yet.’
Her eyes were seductive as she prodded his chest with her finger and walked them out into the lobby. ‘Thanks for the elevator ride, Mr B.’
Bopping his nose, the enigmatic lady pivoted on her heels and left him standing alone. Jimin refused to give up, though.
When he wanted something, he would find a way to get it.
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