Kiss Me If You Can [NOVEL] - Chapter 7

On the morning of the wardrobe fitting day, everyone seemed to be nervous. Security surveillance was required several times more than usual. In any case, they were under threat of kidnapping or even life. It didn’t seem real.

Josh thought so sarcastically. Remembering his ability to shoot a Desert Eagle with one hand and the harsh punishment he gave the paparazzi, that it was not necessary to protect him. However, hiring them at great cost may be because he doesn’t want to deal with “the vulgar ones ” himself, or because he needs someone to amuse him.

Each packed their own weapon just in case. Josh, who was fixing his gun, suddenly frowned. Chase Miller appears to be able to stab and kill enough people with a butter knife. So why should I carry a gun? I can not say profanity, got up and went to prepare the car.

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“Did you suggest additional security?”

Josh asked, squeezing the hood of the car he was supposed to drive.

Mark sighed briefly and nodded.

“Yes, it was mercilessly dismissed.”

“It’s not about cost.”

“Of course, no.”

Mark spoke after the cold denial.

“Because it was very difficult to find staff I thought I could use a watchdog. I thought it would be correct, but I did not imagine that I would be so mad at the idea. When I looked at him, I realized that he was killing people with his eyes.”

It was common to let go of some sturdy, trained dogs, but in Chase Miller’s case it was absolutely impossible. There were so many things he hated, including a dog, they told us before we started working. Mark’s courage was very admirable, because he dared to suggest using a dog. Although the results clearly failed.

“I don’t know why he hates dogs so much. The dog is the closest animal to a person.”

Josh had asked him that too, but he couldn’t know the answer. He supposed that among the many things he hated, because he was such a demanding man, there was a dog included. Instead, he turned the subject and asked:

“That was it?”

“Yes.” Mark nodded, muttering to himself. “How do you know what is in his head? You ask useless questions and you don’t care what is really important.”

“Are you asking useless questions?”

Josh asked, Mark nodded.

“When I went to say hello for the first time, he reviewed the information of our members. I didn’t know what would matter to him.”

Josh thought out of nowhere: Is it a criminal record or something? But Mark’s response was totally unexpected.

“He didn’t have much to say, so he asked if the members of the security teams were Alpha or Beta.”

When Josh looked him in the face, Mark replied casually:

“So I said just you and I were Betas and the rest were Alphas. And after that, he just wasn’t interested in knowing anything else.”

“… Seriously?”

Josh asked nervously.

Mark laughed at Josh, who was pretending to be calm.

“Don’t you think you should be Alpha from your face? Even C didn’t seem to believe you were a Beta, he asked twice if you were.”

It’s a story he’s heard all his life and Josh was very grateful for the misunderstanding. Especially now.

“I like being a Beta.”

“Sure, what’s not good, having your face?”

Mark smoked the cigarette in his mouth and squeezed it a little. Josh finished his final inspection without saying a word. Once Chase Miller showed up, there would be at least ten people with him. With the exception of security, he was followed by a personal secretary who generally manages schedules or runs errands, as well as an agent, stylist, and sometimes, an assistant to his secretary. There were three cars, including a pickup truck. Although they had reduced the number of people to a minimum. It was also Josh’s job to check all the cars one by one to make sure they were okay.

“I changed a wheel because it looked like air was leaking. Everything else is fine except that.”

When Josh made a solemn report, Mark blinked as if curious.

“Even a thousand dollar car has tire leakage?”

“Even an actor with hundreds of millions of dollars has a bad personality.”

Josh said without thinking, and his back stiffened just then.

When he hurriedly looked back, he found Chase leaving the mansion. It was the first time they met face to face since the day they met. Of course, it was thanks to Josh’s hard work. He didn’t want to be threatened with death again.

Chase wore an outfit that made him look tough. It was a suit without a tie, with a light jacket, button-down shirt, and a custom-made watch, shining as always on his wrist.

Once he liked that brand and looked for a place to sell it, but remembered that he had given up unnecessary expenses, in addition to that the watch was more expensive than his salary, he quickly gave up.

Chase simply walked down the few steps to the front door with a blank face and approached the car. After sweeping his hair with a cigarette that was not lit on his lips, he frowned slightly, looking irritated.

“It took me a lot to get it out. Every time I try to take him to work, I have to go to war …”

The manager sighed as he finished speaking with one of his secretaries.

Josh took the candy out of his pants pocket and popped it into his mouth. Mark opened the car door and Chase slipped inside. A faint sweet scent brushed the tip of his nose, even though he was far away. Josh desperately rolled his tongue and melted the candy. Seth and Henry, who are in charge of nearby security, would travel in the same car. He got into the back car and opened the driver’s seat door.

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The office of the designer in charge of the outfit was almost a two hour drive away. When they reached their destination among the tall rows of buildings, the tension increased even more.

“Hoo”

Isaac, sitting next to Josh, took a deep breath.

Josh came out with a hardened face. After checking the area, he opened the front door and Mark got out of the car first, after doing a tour in all directions, he stepped aside. Before appearing, the scent spread. Josh felt embarrassed as his heart pounded at the unbearable sweet fragrance. For a moment, he almost touched his ear that was covered with the receiver.

As long as he has this mark, he’ll be doomed forever, even if that guy is trash.

Josh felt pathetic and looked at Chase getting out of the car.

The man, who was as perfect as his skin, stretched his body to get out of the car. There was a moment when their gazes seemed to meet, but Josh thought it might be an illusion. Chase passed Josh and entered the building.

“Oh seriously?”

“Really?”

The surprised exclamations continued. Everyone, quickly circling around Chase, was the natural response of those who recognized him. He hurriedly hid inside the building, but the crowd began taking photos and waiting outside the door.

“It is sinister . “

Mark opened his mouth as if Josh’s thoughts had passed.

“You better keep your surroundings under control. Check for a back door or emergency exit in case of trouble.”

“I’ll find the manager in charge and ask him if he has a plan for the building.”

Josh replied to Mark, who just nodded and then hurriedly followed in Chase’s footsteps after assigning his own work. Meanwhile, people continued to gather in the surroundings.

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Josh got the building plans easily. The manager, who identified him with the guarantee of the agent who was with him, soon showed the drawings. Josh, who quickly scanned the building on screen, immediately contacted Mark.

“I’m in the monitor room checking the surroundings. Would you like to come?”

“Very good,” Mark answered.

“You have an hour from this moment, check that there is nothing suspicious in the vicinity.”

Mark instructed Isaac over the headphones and soon asked Josh:

“You listened? Bottom up.”

Josh, who cut off contact, left after explaining Mark’s words to the manager. The subsequent work was simple. Once he was done checking, he could plan how to exit the building down the hall, where to park, and how to get Chase out safely. After that, he would go to the monitoring room and share his opinions with Mark. Why is he so demanding when it’s just a wardrobe fit? Josh frowned, but he already knew the answer.

“The outside looks dangerous, the whole crowd wants this guy.”

Josh accepted it, remembering that Chase Miller was a narcissist. He even often heard comments about his nice looks, and when he saw Chase, he felt so ordinary. He will never love anyone but himself for the rest of his life. With that thought he opened the exit door and looked up the stairs. He got in, climbed two or three steps at a time, reached the next floor, turned, checked for anything strange, and returned to the emergency exit. So he continued for several more floors.

To the sound of “Josh!” instinctively raised his head. Isaac was going down.

“Did you look around you? I didn’t see much from my side.”

“Oh? Oh, more or less.”

He was about to open the exit door. Now that he knew Isaac had checked the top floors, the job was done. Soon Isaac also noticed the situation and started walking next to Josh.

“I heard they check people in and out very carefully. All the outsiders who came today have already verified their identities. Everything else is said to be personal, so I don’t have to check, right?”

“Yes of course.”

Josh said dryly and rolled the candy into his mouth.

Isaac smelled faintly of Alpha pheromone. It wasn’t just the candy in his mouth that so reassured him with the scent of pheromones. After that day, the only scent that seduced Josh was that man’s pheromone  The only problem is that it was so sweet as if it was torture.

“I’m sick and tired of him.”

” …?”

He looked at something strange. Isaac looked at Josh. He opened his mouth as he continued to watch him.

“How is Pete?”

“Huh?”

“How are you?”

The happiest time of day was calling before bed to hear Pete’s voice. When he remembered the voice of the child he had heard the night before, his mouth naturally curved. Isaac followed Josh as he continued speaking:

“You want to see him?”

“Of course yes. But there is nothing you can do about it.”

Josh opened the emergency door, looked around once more, and closed it again. Then Isaac asked him as they walked:

“When this is over … Canada or Alaska?”

“…”

“… And good? Why?”

Only then did Isaac mumble, avoiding meeting Josh’s eyes.

“That’s … when is Pete’s mother coming? Does the whole family go together?”

For a moment Josh turned his head.

Will he make up a lie? How did he invent it? Should I make an excuse? Should I pretend not to know?

A few seconds later he replied nonchalantly.

“I said that then but we still have a long way to go.”

“…Yes.”

Isaac spoke vaguely.

“Are you worried about the team breaking up?” Josh patted him on the back.

“The future is uncertain, right? Do not worry about it.”

When he opened the door to the opposite emergency staircase, a sound was suddenly heard in the headphones.

“Where are you? Are you still far away?”

It was Mark.

Josh replied, touching the earlobe-attached headphones, checking again.

“I’ve almost checked everything. Can I go to the studio after this?”

“Isaac?”

Josh answered Mark’s question:

“He’s right next to me.”

“… You are with him? Anyway, it’s done. All good?”

“Yes, nothing special.”

When he looked to Isaac’s side, he gave the same answer. Mark after confirming what he said, spoke:

“I’m speaking from the security office with CCTV looking in and out of the building.”

The two looked at each other in amazement.

“Something happened?”

As he walked after Josh, who had taken the first step, Isaac muttered to himself. Josh nodded.

“I don’t have a good feeling about it.”

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When he opened the door, Mark, who was staring at the screen with a serious face, came into view. Josh crossed the monitor room, his gaze drifting to Mark and he spoke:

“What’s going on?”

Mark asked without answering Josh’s question:

“Something special? How is the copper wire? It’s okay?”

“Yes, there were no objects, no suspicious people …”

Josh, who saw him nodding, tried to explain the route he identified. But Mark raised a hand and rubbed his brow.

“Heard it’s almost over … fans are coming in from outside and they’re making a fuss. The agent told me that there were people who were injured, and that someone was taken by ambulance earlier, so I think we need a solution.”

“Is it impossible to get out?”

Isaac asked in a tight voice.

Mark watched silently. Of the many monitors, the moment the screen showing the exterior of the building entered the field of view, all were silent. Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered. Josh went pale.

“… I can’t compare it to Times Square on the New Years.”

Mark groaned at Josh’s murmur.

“That was a few years ago. There are more fans than there were that time”

Then everyone sighs.

Isaac asked urgently:

“Are there any countermeasures the security team is considering? At this rate, things are likely to get worse if someone is injured.”

Mark nodded and replied seriously:

“I’ll call the police first and … I think I only need to work in two areas because the security team is supporting us.”

“I think the western emergency exit will be punctured.”

An employee spoke, Seth looked at the screen at the same time.

“What is that? Are they zombies?”

Another employee spat with a tired face. There was a scene on the screen that was reminiscent of a movie where his zombies crawled up the wall and covered the screen.

“The police don’t… Shouldn’t you call the SWAT?”

Isaac asked, looking at the people clamoring to enter the building.

Half would be a joke, but the other half was serious.

Meanwhile, the guards blocked the front again, and lowered the thick barrier used in case of fire. But the crowd was already surrounding the building.

“Anyway, let’s discuss a solution. I can’t even shoot everyone.”

Mark, who had said in agony, looked at Josh.

“Stay behind me. I will see the situation.”

“Good.”

After the answer, Josh rushed out and heard the screams outside the building.