by BLMorticia
Brody didn’t like how he sounded, but it was for the best. “Okay. I —”
“You can leave now…bodyguard.”
Brody winced at Kao’s tone. He got up from the couch and held out his arms. “I will, if that’s what you want, but can I have a hug first?”
“Bodyguards don’t hug the people they protect. I need you to leave so I can get changed.” Kao said matter-of-factly, not changing his expression.
Brody gulped hard and rubbed he back of his neck. “Okay. Um, we’ll revisit this after my…”
“There’s nothing to revisit. You don’t want our relationship, so.” Kao shrugged.
Brody let his head fall back and he exhaled. “All right. Bye Kao.” He spun on his heel and walked towards the door. When he got there, he stopped. “I do care for you, all right? I’m falling in love with you, but I need time.”
“Well now you’ve got all the time in the world. Please leave me alone.”
Fuck.
Kao’s last words felt like a sucker punch to the face, but Brody understood. Kao was hurt, but maybe after he had time to think about it, he’d realize that Brody was right.
Although the thought of not having Kao near pained him, Brody had to stop these assholes from getting to him. With their relationship on ice, he could concentrate finding the culprits and bringing them down.
Back in his room, Brody lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He’d already drank one beer, and almost thought of ordering another. Anything to take his mind off Kao dismissing him as well as what could possibly occur after his assignment was done. Would Kao hold this against him for the duration of the tour and beyond?
Brody could only hope he’d have a change of heart.
Brody finished the beer, then picked up the phone to dial room service. With Kao off the next two days, he could get sloshed and have plenty of time to recover.
Just as he was about to push the button, Brody leaned back on the sofa, thinking of reasons why this second beer might help. Yes, it could relax him, but would it make the problems disappear?
Would Kao walk through that door and apologize for pressuring Brody?
No, but the more he drank it would make him forget. Only until tomorrow, when he’d bump into Kao and the whole conversation would be replayed again.
Brody put the receiver down and got up to walk towards the window. The sight outside if the hotel was breathtaking with the colorful houses, cobblestone streets, and the bright moon providing light over this beautiful city. This trip was for work, but also to sightsee, something he didn’t want to do alone. Who else would show him all the tourist attractions? Even if someone was available, Brody didn’t want to see any of the without Kao at his side.
Although the rest of this tour would be difficult, Brody had to stay strong for himself and Kao. Despite Kao’s words he still believed they were going too fast when they should’ve been taking their time.
In Brody’s past relationships, things ended sourly because the other person wasn’t ready to commit, so he’d learned his lesson.
This might be the toughest one yet, but Brody was sure it would all be worth it in the end.
Chapter Nineteen
Kao hadn’t slept much.
The last two nights, he finished the mini bottles of liquor and ordered more drinks to stay relaxed. The pain in his heart from being rejected was a lot to bear. His first real relationship and the other person didn’t want him back. Despite the tough front Kao was putting on, not having Brody near proved to be harder to swallow than first thought.
Although a part of him still cared for Brody, he refused to get caught up in what he’d lost. Perhaps someday they could find a resolution, but for now Kao had to move on.
Besides, Kao had a tour to finish. Many people had left comments on his social media about how excited they were to see him perform. With that kind of love, who needed a freaking boyfriend? Not Kao which was why he was determined to forget it all for now.
“Kao, look at this.” Gaia placed the phone in front of him.
Kao tried his best to look without pissing off his stylist. He eyed the screen, noticing the video they’d put together of all his dance moves. “Well, damn. That was the Paris performance, huh? I gotta say, we slayed that night.”
“Sure did. It has plenty of likes too. You’re the hottest artist out there right now.” Gaia agreed with him and slapped Kao’s hand.
“Ehh, maybe.” Kao smiled and moved his head to the right to watch more. His stylist scowled at him in Korean.
“Sorry, Nuna.” Kao apologized in Korean then asked her to give him more color on his eyes.
“Why did you tell her that? Your eyes were fine.”
“Nah, I wanted more detail under my eyebrows. I’m wearing the fiery red jacket and I want it to match my face.”
Gaia shrugged. “Ooohkay, but it looked great. Um… Kao…” She straightened and her cell away from him.
“Hey, why are you moving? I wanted to see the rest of it.”
Gaia handed it to Kao and leaned on the dresser. “Just wondering is everything okay with you and Brody.”
“No. We’ve called it quits. He’s not ready for a real relationship, so I called it off.”
“Just like that?”
Kao eyed her and sighed aloud. “Yes. I’m not gonna beg someone to be with me when they don’t want to. I’m a catch and a half, Gaia.”
“I know, but…” Gaia dropped her gaze. “He’s so cute, and, damn, it just seemed like you guys were so happy.”
“I thought we were too, but I suppose Brody got cold feet when I asked him serious questions.”
“But maybe he needed time to think.”
“Well, now he has plenty.”
“Don’t be that way, Kao. I know Brody cares for you, okay?”
“Oh yeah? Then tell me why he wouldn’t commit to me? I care for him Gaia. I wanted him to be part of my world and he refused.”
“Kao, you’re being unreasonable. You haven’t known him long, and he has to um… he works for you.”
The stylist cleared her throat and stared at Gaia.
Gaia moved off the dresser.
Kao smirked, knowing how stern this woman was. She had a death stare that would make anyone quake in their boots. He shrugged. “Anyway, to answer your question, yes, he does, but both of us should be able to separate work from our relationship, I’ve got more on my mind than him. All he needs to do is protect me from crazed fans or freaking goons.”
“Which is a lot to undertake right now. You’re not being fair.”
Kao shook his head, not believing Gaia for pretty much taking his side. “Well maybe not, but he said himself he needed time, so I gave it to him.” Kao played another video. He winced when he watched one of his mistakes. “Dammit, I’m glad I corrected that last move. We’re all in sync now. Don’t you agree?”
“Yeah. Listen, Kao, I—”
The stylist growled at Gaia.
“Kao!” Lawrence headed into the dressing room.
Although he wanted to ask the stylist what crawled up her rear, he let it go for now. “What’s up, Lawrence?”
“Dude, what kind of fight did you and Brody have? He nearly growled at me when I mentioned your name.”
“We broke up. Anything else you have to ask me?” Kao handed Gaia her phone.
“Um, guess not.” Lawrence eyed him from the side. “You look great, man. Love that color on your eyes.”
“See, Gaia?” Kao laughed and leaned back, toying with his hair.
Again, the stylist glared. “Leave it be! Perfect.”
Kao and Lawrence laughed. “Yes, ma’am. “
She walked away, saying something about being a spoiled brat.
“Not spoiled, just know what I want. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.” Kao said in her direction. He chuckled and shook his head. “What the fuck Is up with her? Anyway, Gaia, were you about to say something?”
“Um, just think again about your decision with Mr.
Brody. I’m going to check on the lighting and VIP.” Gaia scurried out the room.
Both Kao and Lawrence observed her leaving quickly.
“What’s eating her?” Kao asked.
Lawrence shrugged. “Not sure. Listen, I’m uh, sorry things didn’t work out with Brody, but honestly breaking up was the right thing to do.”
“Yeah it was. He doesn’t want a real relationship. He acts like he can’t make decisions, or I’m sorry, he refused to make them because he said we needed to slow down.”
“He’s right. If you wanna go back to it later, then fine. There’s some things you’ve gotta work out before you jump into a serious commitment.”
“Ugh, you sound like him. We’re known each other almost three months. While I agree we haven’t dated, we still know each other. I wasn’t asking a complete stranger to live with me.”
“In a way, you were. Sex doesn’t really count as a way of getting to know someone, Kao. And although the two of you chatted, how much do you really know about him?”
“I know enough to fall for him.”
“Yes, but maybe he doesn’t know enough about you. Relationships are a two way street, my friend. It took Dorian and I almost six years before we finally decided to be together. Do you know how many times I refused him?” Lawrence laughed. “It took me a long time to wake up and realize, hey I really like that man. That’s what’s happening here, Kao.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“No ones. My main thing was I thought the two of you being involved was a distraction. However, once his contract is up, give him a shot to prove himself, for the two of you to date. Despite being somewhat of an ass, I want to see you happy.”
Kao re-crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair. Maybe Lawrence had a point. Honestly, Kao couldn’t see himself totally giving up on Brody, but he had to for now.
“Kao? Were you listening?”
“Yeah, I heard. I’ll worry about him later. Actually, I was thinking we should let his agency know he’s fired after the Italy stint.”
“Kao… c’mon.”
“No, I mean it. It hurts to have him around.”
“How?”
“I keep thinking about what we could’ve had and… dammit, I just don’t want him around anymore. I thought that would make you happy too.”
“No, it doesn’t. He’s on the case to find these jerks that are threatening you. We can’t cut ties with him or his agency now.”
“He’s not supposed to be but, all right, fine. Hire someone else to guard me so he can play private detective. I’m sure finding someone else shouldn’t be hard.”
“But, Kao…”
“What’s the problem, Lawrence? Just do it, okay? I know you’re the manager, but I’m your boss. If I want the guy gone, then you’ve got to get rid of him.” Kao snapped.
“Okay.” Lawrence held up his hands as if he was pleading. “I’ll start looking tomorrow.”
“Thank you. Now, I gotta meet with the band and dancers.” Kao got up and grabbed his earpiece as well as his mic. When he opened the door, Brody was standing across the hall, looking at his phone.
“Sooo, um… why aren’t you watching the door?” Kao asked.
“I was. I got a message from security.” Brody put his phone in his pocket.
“Oh, I see. Well, anyway, you won’t have to worry about me after Italy. I’m replacing you.”
Brody cocked an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“You’re being replaced after Italy. I’ll be hiring someone else for the rest of the tour. Then you can play semi amateur sleuth all you want.”
Brody dropped his head. “Kao.”
“Nope. Nothing to say. I figured, since you needed time to think about what we could’ve had, past tense, I’d give it to you. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you all of what’s owed and give Arturo a great recommendation.” Kao spun on his heel, heading in the other direction.
“Hold up, Kao. Just… fuck, stop.” Brody walked in front of him and stood. “You can be mad all you want but replacing me isn’t smart.”
“I didn’t say right now. I said after Italy. That gives you four days. Like I said, you can still work with the authorities to find my boogeymen, but I don’t need you guarding me anymore. Period. I’m sure I can find someone else to do the job… effectively.”
“Kao, you’re taking this too far.”
“Oh, I am?” Kao ran his hand through his hair and pulled. “I don’t think so. Why should I have you aboard when all it’s doing is reminding me how big of a fool I was to think you’d take time out of your busy schedule to love me?”
“C’mon, Kao, keep your voice down. Everyone can hear you.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck. Everyone should know by now, we’re over. If they didn’t, they know now. Let’s go, bodyguard. It’s almost showtime.” Kao strolled around him, keeping his eyes focus on the hallway in front of him.
Damn did it feel good to stun Brody and put him in his place.
So why do I feel like a fucking heathen?
Kao brushed off those bad feelings. Bottom line, he felt he should make the man suffer.
If that didn’t send him a message that Kao wanted action sooner than later, he wasn’t sure what would.
* * * *
Brody couldn’t believe it.
Kao was using his pain as an excuse to fire Brody. It was an unprecedented move, but he understood. Still, it cut like a knife and he wished he’d never gotten intimate with the man in the first place.
As Brody walked behind Kao, he wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him. He truly didn’t understand how big of a moment this was. With so little time to spend together other than few days they had alone, they didn’t know each other. Why couldn’t Kao get it in his thick skull that this wasn’t a marathon?
Hell, it wasn’t even a sprint. They’d only just begun this race.
For some people a small amount of time might’ve been enough, but Brody knew better. The tough lessons of the past were constant reminders of love gone wrong. Wanting too much too soon led to a world of regret and heartache.
Although Brody kept in touch with two of his boyfriends, he didn’t want anything from them other than sex. Neither wanted a commitment and that caused friction in their relationship. Both said, he was forcing them into something when they weren’t prepared. Funny, that Kao was doing the exact same thing to Brody.
Karma is truly a bitch sometimes.
At first, Brody thought they were overexaggerating. He asked the same questions, raised the same concerns as Kao had. After dealing with Kao, Brody understood where they were coming from. In order to make things work, both people had to be on the same page.
Brody hoped with more time going by, Kao would eventually understand.
As Brody observed Kao talk with his band and dancers, he still saw a man he wanted to fall in love with. The take charge guy, who knew what he wanted. So talented and attractive, he could captivate audiences everywhere.
Although that same person pretty much told Brody to take a hike, he knew there was some softness under that tough front he was putting up. Brody only had to have the patience to uncover it again.
Before Brody knew it, the music started. He took his place stage side, watching Kao get ready. The crowd chanted Kao’s name and clapped in unison. When he peeked from behind the curtain, he noticed that every seat was filled. All of them waiting for Kao to begin his performance. It was enough to give Brody chills and goosebumps. He imagined Kao felt the same way.
And when Kao walked out, the place went dark. The lights beamed from the top of the arena, shining down on a beautiful man that could sing and dance his ass off. Despite never being into the music, Brody was an even bigger fan of Kao’s than anyone in this venue.
Heck the world.
Never would Brody have thought he’d fall for someone so attractive.
Forceful.
Beautiful.
Kao Jung-Sik was everything he wanted wrapped
up in one delicious package.
Brody was truly a lucky son-of-a-bitch who’d gotten an opportunity to love the hottest KPOP singer in the world.
So why wasn’t he running with that chance?
Maybe just this once Brody should take the risk and let his feelings be his guide.
Chapter Twenty
Kao sang his last note for the second encore.
People cheered and chanted, waving signs, letting him know how much he was loved. This had happened in every town, but he felt Italy gave him more love that anyone else. They were passionate about his music, dancing and singing every song, even remembering his solo tunes for SK4. Hearing them recite the words was overwhelming to say the least.
After Kao bowed with the other dancers, they all stood back and let him say his goodbyes. They continued cheering and calling his name, as he left the stage.
Overjoyed about the turnout, Kao ran to the opposite side, instead of where Brody stood. He wasn’t sure where it led, but he figured, if he got lost, he’d ask someone to point him in the right direction.
Kao was surprised he still had energy. Everything ached, but the adrenaline pumping through Kao fueled him. As Kao ran, plenty of people clapped, shouting congratulations in Italian, to which he said thank you in English. His heart filled with pride and he was floating on cloud nine. The euphoria from this performance seemed to be bigger than any other. There was just something about Italy, he supposed, reminding Kao why he loved this place.
Feeling more than satisfied, Kao wanted to get out of there and find the nearest party. Perhaps Gaia or Lawrence would accompany him so he could leave Brody behind. Thank goodness he’d informed the guy his services were no longer needed because he was truly a mood killer.
Not knowing where the hell to go next, Kao skidded to a stop. He wasn’t sure if the way to his dressing room was right or left. Even worse, the lights appeared dimmer, which sent Kao into a slight panic.
“Oh fuck.” Kao looked to the left, not seeing anything or anyone. That way wasn’t familiar, but neither was the other direction. Now he wished he hadn’t bypassed Brody. “Hello?” Again, Kao peered to the left, wondering if someone could hear.