Meanwhile...

"She don't play and she my type
She got brains and the tatas
She that lady
She gon' dance
Ain't gon' touch her phone
She gon' live this moment"

Jordan bobs her head and sways cutely from the corner of the balcony that she held up as Masego performed several feet away on the lower level of the club that Namjoon understated to be small.

"Soul" was far from small with its two-story interior, urban eclectic vibe and decor, and super diverse setlist. The few artists that were in the house performing were amazing but none of them had Jordan grooving more than Masego himself.

The one-man band was currently on stage with his gadgets and instruments, adding to a beat and improvising lyrics as if they were written to a song she loved.

"How many of my ladies out there know how to dance? Let me see......." He takes a break from the beat pad to speak into his mic. When his eyes scan the crowd, Masego grins and points at a particular group of women really showing out.

"I see yall! Work it out..." he chuckles as he resumed performing.

Jordan cranes her neck from the balcony to spot the area he'd just addressed and smiles at the sight of the young women dancing without a care in the world. They weren't graceful or sexy with their movements by any means but it was genuine. They were happy and didn't give a damn who saw.

Jordan's smile is almost melancholic as it fades to a smirk and she vaguely wishes that she could dance as freely as them without feeling anxious.

Maybe they were just drunk.

Yeah...they had to be.

"You look like you wanna go down there.." Namjoon says in her ear, making her jump in surprise. Not that he meant to startle her or invade her personal space. It was a little loud, though not as nearly as it had to be downstairs. Which was where was returning from with drinks in hand.

The fright in her expression fades once she realizes it is him and Namjoon smiles apologetically before lifting the pinkish orange cocktail in offering, making Jordan smile as she accepted it.

"Thank you." She mouths and Namjoon lifts his shortcut glass of some amber liquor concoction to clink it gently against her pink sugared rim martini glass before they both take a sip.

Namjoon swallows down his drink smoothly, probably being used to it since it was his go-to.

Jordan on the other hand grimaces slightly at the sweetness and tang of her drink of choice, having just ordered what sounded good from the menu. Namjoon chuckles at her expression.

"That bad?" He leans over to say in her ear again, this time touching her bare shoulder lightly. His large hand rests there for a moment, even as he leaned away to await her response.

"Um....no it's good. Just a little sour." She responds truthfully and Namjoon nods in understanding before gazing ahead. The hand that sat against Jordan's shoulder blade falls away subtly and she hated to admit how cold the air felt against her skin without it. Taking another sip from his drink, Namjoon bobs his head to Masego's performance.

"He's crazy talented..." he says over the music and Jordan smirks in agreement.

"He is! And I love this song.." she adds, taking a bigger sip from her drink as she resumed her little reserved groove to the beat. Namjoon takes note of her sense of rhythm and smirks.

"You sure you don't wanna go down there?" He lifts his brows. Jordan sways her hips a little as she leaned against the balcony, shaking her head bashfully.

"Hell no...I cannot dance.." she admits and Namjoon scoffs in disagreement.

"Not from what I've been seeing...You can groove pretty well.."

"Oh please.." Jordan rolls her eyes, making Namjoon laugh.

"I'm serious. You look like you're holding back some serious moves right now." He insists. Jordan shoots him a look of denial as she took another sip from her drink, shaking her head.

"Naw I'm not a dancer..." she says after swallowing, shivering a little at the zing of her drink again.

Namjoon isn't buying it one bit though. For a second he just squints at her, watching her continue to dance against the balcony as Masego switches the beat up.

"Come on, let's go..." he says suddenly, grabbing Jordan by the wrist to pull her away from her cozy little corner just as she was taking another sip. She nearly chokes on it from how Namjoon was leading her through the small crowd upstairs and her eyes widened when she notices him heading towards the stairs.

"What? No no no..." she resists his hold, stumbling a bit as he neared the top step. Namjoon regards her with amusement before stopping, having already stepped down one of them to descend towards the main floor.

"Why? You scared?" he teases and Jordan pulls her wrist from his hand with a stifled smile of embarrassment.

"No.....the painting event up here is probably about to start. That's what we came here for anyway. Not to dance..." she almost pleads, backing away from the stairs slowly. Namjoon's amusement is still plain on his face and after a moment of softly glaring at her hopeful features, he relents.

"You're right. Next time then.." he steps back onto the upper deck reluctantly, taking a quick sip from his drink. Jordan perks her brow curiously at his words.

"Next time? You were gonna dance too?" she asks and Namjoon snorts at the idea. The two of them step further away from the stairs just as a couple walks up and Namjoon places his large hand on the small of her back. It's almost protectively as the male rushes past Jordan and he guides her gently to the other side of him thoughtlessly as he responded.

"Not at all. I would have had just as much fun watching though." He shrugs again, tipping his glass back. Jordan glances up to watch his adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallowed and she bites her lip when a thought occurs to her that she refused to indulge. It was enough that his little touches here and there were already getting her hot, but her gutter thoughts weren't helping.  She blinks away the idea of trailing her tongue over his throat like a knife as she lifts her martini glass to her lips.

"What the hell is in this...." She says to herself.

"Watching what? Me embarrass myself?.." she says aloud before sucking in the alcohol and Namjoon glances over just as she swallows. The sugar from the rim stuck to her lips and she thoughtlessly licks over them. Liking the flavor, she commenced licking at what remained on the rim. Not in a seductive way at all.

Totally not.

Namjoon found himself watching the soft pinkness of her tongue coast over the glass with interest. Her lips glistened from her gloss before but now they sparkled from the alcohol and sugar, a sweetness he would have loved to suck off of plump flesh if given the opportunity. Finding him staring, Jordan looks up with a lifted brow at Namjoon's distracted features curiously.

"Namjoon.." she says flatly, smirking when he blinks up to match her eyes.

"Hmm?" He furrows his brow and Jordan smiles.

"I asked you a question.." she giggles and Namjoon's expression softens at what he could hear of it.

"Oh, yea......Naw. That's not why id watch you.." is all he says, his tone dropping an octave as his eyes linger on Jordan's lips, and at his short response, she glances up at him and her amused expression melts when she notices the way he's looking at her.

She gulps subconsciously, feeling the heat between thickening the longer they stared. It wasn't a lingering stare that would draw attention or cause someone passing by to frown at them weirdly. But it was enough for each of them to know what the other was probably thinking and why it would be a good idea to look away now before a line was crossed.

This wasn't a date.

This wasn't a date.

This wasn't a date.

Right?

Just then they're both gratefully distracted by the clattering steel triangle as it's struck to pull the attention of everyone on the upper deck towards away from the main stage. Both Jordan and Namjoon tear their eyes from each other reluctantly in the same direction as every other pair in attendance, all regarding a woman standing up on a stool so that all could see her.

"Ok, everyone! Gather around and take your seats! We're about to begin. Welcome to this month's "Painting With a Twist".  I'm so happy to see all of your beautiful faces. My name is Natia and I will be your painting instructor this evening..."

The gorgeously curvy woman with lightly toned and freckled skin, and sandy brown locs adorned with tiny sea shells stands among the scattered seats and canvases, speaking over the live band that followed Masego's set. She instructs everyone on the upper deck towards her, encouraging them to find their seats so the event could begin.

Namjoon is first to move, blushing and avoiding eye contact when he turned to Jordan.

"I....um...guess we should find our seats." he stammers, offering to take Jordan's empty glass. Her eyes widen slightly at the fact that she'd gulped down the entire thing without realizing it and she sheepishly hands it to Namjoon before following behind him with the crowd.

A few minutes later, Natia is giving detailed guidance on how to achieve the beautiful sunset landscape masterpiece they would be creating tonight. Jordan scoots up to her canvas and listens intently to Natia's instructions, already excited to begin replicating the example piece of art she placed on the easel for everyone to see.

From beside her, Namjoon struggles to keep his eyes ahead or even on his canvas.
Because from the moment she met him in the parking lot to the moment they entered the club and the lighting changed, he was overwhelmingly distracted by Jordan's appearance. He was grateful she allowed him to step away to get them drinks so that he could will his hormones and thoughts to chill the fuck out. As if that could happen.

Sure, he respected Jordan and genuinely liked her as a person. She's smart and funny. She had a magnetic energy that he loved being around or interacting with.

But fuck he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't overwhelmingly attracted to her.

Seated beside him in her seat with her back arched slightly, she wore a beige knitted halter top that showed a sliver of mid-drift and her tattooed back paired with hip-hugging ripped jeans that gave teasing glimpses to the smooth skin of her thighs.

Her curly mane was pushed up and split into two large puffs, a few coilie tendrils falling from her nape. Her makeup was simple, earthy matte with a shimmer and a glossy nude lip.

Though he'd made it clear that this wasn't meant to be a date, Namjoon made a point to dress impressively in his button-down and dark jeans. Smelling good and feeling good.

But damn.

Catching him staring for the third time in the past few minutes, Jordan side-eyes him as she picks up her paint-coated brush to slide over her canvas.

"What?" She mouths, furrowing her brow. Namjoon feigns innocence and shakes his head, also smirking as he resumed his attention to begin painting. Jordan bites down on her smile as she looks away as well, but she can't help but sneak a few looks his way to admire how fine he looked tonight. Even in simple and casual attire, there was just a vibe about Namjoon that was so attractive to her.

But this wasn't a date.

They agreed.

But damn...

The tension was ever apparent and tantalizing and the fact that they refused to acknowledge it made it more potent. Since the event was meant for couples, their seats were placed closer than the others. So close that every time Namjoon moved, a part of him brushed against her. So close that every-time Jordan inhaled, she could smell Namjoon's heady scent.

It was indescribable.

It could have been expensive but he didn't seem the type to splurge on such things. He seemed more like the type who just rolled out of bed smelling good, naturally exuding a soft masculine musk with undertones of sandalwood and some type of citrus.

It does something to her. Something that made it increasingly difficult to pay attention to Natia's instructions.

"...Alright and after just barely dipping your brush into your warm tone of choice, gently pull the color over the horizon. Back and forth....soft gentle strokes...." her voice trails off with focus as she demonstrated the technique. Namjoon leans over to see what Natia is doing through the space between his canvas and Jordan's. He furrows his brow and mimics intently what she's doing, pulling his paintbrush over the canvas slowly. His fingers hold the brush delicately in his large hands, moving with confidence as the fibers cascaded his landscape with an ombre of oranges that bled into the pinks of his sunset.

Jordan found herself watching him instead of Natia, her gaze lingering on the way his knuckles moved with every stroke of his brush. The way he scowled slightly and narrowed his eyes at what he was doing. The way his jaw clenched a little when she could tell he was focusing on blending the scenery as seamlessly as their instructor did.

Back and forth.

Stroking gently.

Slowly.....

Not realizing that her own paintbrush had been pressed motionlessly against her canvas long enough for her coral tone of choice to drip a little, Jordan blinks herself from her lustful trance to save her painting from being ruined. She quickly begins stroking the shade over the canvas, silently scolding herself for being so easily distracted and aroused by the smallest of things.

"Its gonna be a long night.........." she mumbles to herself as she painted, thankful the music was loud enough for Namjoon not to notice her.

So she hoped...

"... I need to pick up some batteries on my way home..."

"You hiding from me?"

Demi flinches in surprise at the voice in her ear, and she whips around to find none other than the man she'd been avoiding all night behind her. She's retreated from the loudness of the main floor of the crowded frat house to the deck upstairs that overlooked the backyard, mostly occupied by the smokers in attendance since it was technically as outside as anyone could get without leaving the house.

"You would think that." she denies and Seokjin smirks. He takes up the little gap between where she leaned and some guy dressed as Shock G with a vape in his hand, glancing over at the luminescent blue glow of the swimming pool just below them. No one was swimming though, mostly standing around on the lawn in groups or tossing footballs around like jocks would do.

"Oh? so you're just up here drowning in smoke for the hell of it?" He chuckles and Demi rolls her eyes, being pleasantly reminded of the pungent scent of it in the air.

"I don't mind it." She lies, despite waving her hand to swat the polluted air from her face. Seokjin's smirk prevails as he watched her, tilting his head and narrowing his gaze.

"Right.." he says.

"So, what.... you've been looking for me or something?" she counters his original question to change the subject. Seokjin shrugs nonchalantly

"Maybe. Maybe not...perhaps I'm just doing my rounds. Being a good host..ya'know.." he hums thoughtfully and Demi ignores how attractive his obtuse arrogance was to her at that moment as she resumed her gaze ahead at the glimmering waters.

"Mmmhmm..." she hums absentmindedly, vaguely wishing she could just climb over the ledge and land smack dab in the middle of this big ass pool to douse the fire growing from deep inside of her right now. The fire that only Seokjin's presence could ignite.

Something she'd rather die than tell him.

"It's good to see you here though. I didn't think you'd actually show up."

"Well, you know how much I love to prove you wrong." She gives him a cheeky fake smile, which is still as attractive as her genuine one.

"That is true...well...You look amazing." He states smoothly, relishing in the way she side-eyes him with slight interest.

"Thanks...I like your outfit too." She says, almost reluctantly. Not that she was lying. Seokjin looked damn good leaning beside her in his fresh prince steez. As if it were created specifically for him.

From her indifference, Seokjin could tell there was more going on in her mind than what she allowed herself to express. But he doesn't press her. He wasn't in the mood to push her buttons tonight.

At least not in that way...

"Appreciate it. So...can I get you a drink? Or maybe you wanna dance? Or go somewhere less smoky?" He suggests, stifling a cough for emphasis. Demi shrugs in denial, doing her best not to cough her damn self.

"For what? I like it up here.." she deflects again. Seokjin scoffs at Demi's stubbornness., shaking his head.

"That's a damn lie and I know because your left eye is twitching. Let's just go somewhere and talk Demi. Have an actual conversation that isn't full of snarky comments and soft insults...mainly from you." he tips his chin in her direction, his eyes falling unsubtly over her body. Feeling exposed under his gaze, Demi fidgets a little where she stands and plays it off by tossing her long braids over her shoulder.

"And what makes you think id be interested in that?" she laughs, her tone making Jin roll his eyes.

"So you'd rather stay up here and dry out your contacts than come with me? That's what you're saying? Look at me and say it so I can watch that eye twitch and catch you in another lie.." he commands softly, playfully tossing her braids back over her shoulder again to annoy her.

"Shut up...I shouldn't even be seen going anywhere with you. You know how people talk.."Demi swats his hand away with a frown. Up until then, Seokjin did a pretty good job in rolling with the punches that Demi dealt. He knew it was her pride more than anything that kept her from acknowledging what was between them and he's grown to find it kind of charming. But tonight was different.

He was buzzed and feeling good, and she had the nerve to be standing there looking good enough to eat. He wasn't in the mood for playing cat and mouse tonight.

"Oh my God...Would you shut up? Like just for once..." he blurts out, catching Demi off guard. She turns to him fully, folding her arms over her chest.

"Excuse me..." she perks her brow and Seokjin mimics her stance, tilting his head and looking her up and down just as she did him.

"Yes...you. Just stop it, alright? My god woman...Nobody cares more than you about this stupid ass shit...It's like you're making it up at this point.."

Demi's frown deepens, as does the crease in her brow.

"That's not true..." she begins, trailing off at the skepticism in Seokjin's expression.

"Oh, it is...because I know for a fact that a good grip of your sisters have been or are currently fucking with a couple of my guys. Publically.Probably right as we speak. So you don't have to keep acting like you hate me. No one gives a fuck...Especially tonight."

Demi stammers for a moment. parting her lips and pressing them together when every response she could think of fell flat. With every attempt, Seokjin's eyelids would bat slowly in expectancy. When she knew she had no dog in this fight, Demi's next tactic is to retreat.

"Ugh...You're so dramatic and seriously need to get over yourself... I don't hate you." she says as she attempts to turn and walk away. Before she can take a step away from him, Seokjin boldly reaches out and grabs her by the wrist. As he pulls her back, Demi stumbles a bit and is forced into his body. Out of reflex, her hand comes out to rest on his chest and grasps slightly at the material of his windbreaker. The smarter part of her would have resisted him just now, pulled away from him, and given him a piece of her mind for handling her like that.

But she couldn't move. She couldn't speak. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she'd taken a breath since Seokjin pulled her into his soft yet smoldering gaze. The grip on her wrist loosens but his touch trails up her arm until he's pushing her braids over her shoulder to fall down her back.

"Believe me...I know you don't. I said acting like you do...I know you feel something for me...."

"Now you're reaching because I never said that.." she says just above a whisper, her voice breaking

"Yeah? Then why haven't you walked away yet?"

He pauses to watch the way Demi's brow crinkles a little at his candidness, finding it hard for her to argue with the facts. He wasn't holding onto her with anything more than his eyes and his words. Yet she remained pressed against him with her hand still clutch in the front of his jacket as if she were afraid to let go.

Finding nothing to say in response, Demi just pouts sulkily and looks away. Seokjin follows her eyes with his head with a lifted brow.

"So maybe for just tonight...we call a truce. I'm not Seokjin the Gamma and you're not Demi the Theta. Just normal Jin and Demi..living in the moment in like Costa Rica. Come on. Stop being like that...we can go to the third level where the view is even better, less noise. Zero smoke...and we can just talk."

Demi glances up as the words left his mouth, only to find him gazing down at her softly. His jaw clenches subtly as he smirked and Demi has to mentally fan herself from the heat in his eyes.

"Just talk?" she manages to ask and Seokjin nods slightly.

"Just talk. Promise."

Demi sucks her bottom lip in between her teeth and she exhales slowly through her nose as she lifted her hand from his chest.

"Fine...Talking. That's all we're doing, Ok? Don't get any ideas beyond that..."

Seokjin lifts his hands in surrender.

"I'll be a perfect gentleman. Come on, it stinks out here."

Demi matches eyes with Seokjin, a tiny smirk of defeat and arousal tugging at the corners of her mouth as she stepped back to put some space between them. She eyes him expectantly, lifting her hand to gesture for him to lead the way and she follows him back into the house.