The Bodyguard ✔

Chapter Fourty

Frank drives onto the highway, but almost immediately has to slow down, because of the traffick.

Just perfect.

"Frank?"

He makes eye contact in the driving mirror as a sign that I have his attention.

"Where did you grow up?"

For a second, he furrows his dark eyebrows in confusion. Then, he answers. "I grew up in various places."

"What kind of places?" I immediately fire away.

His look shifts from the rearview mirror to the traffic surrounding us and then back to the rearview mirror. He's silent for almost a whole minute and when I think he's just going to ignore my question, he answers. "I was born in Venice, Italy, but my parents lived in Saint-Petersburg in Russia. We moved to Hong Kong when I was seven and stayed there for five years. When I was twelve, we moved to Berlin and I've lived there until I became eighteen."

The car in front of us slowly starts driving again, after being forced to stand still for some time. Frank follows.

For a moment, I hesitate to ask him more questions. He sounds quite emotionless and I'm not sure why. I'm too curious though, and I wonder how much he will tell me before putting up an emotional blockade again. "How was it, having to move around all the time?"

Frank lightly shrugs his shoulders and he stoically looks around. "It was difficult in the beginning. I was forced to adjust to a new place, different kinds of people and cultures. In the end, I've always learned some valuable things."

I wonder what he means by 'valuable things', but I've got so many more questions to ask.

"How is your family like? Do you have any siblings?"

The highway is finally free again and Frank starts accelerating. "I have two brothers."

I'm not sure, but he seems to be driving faster than the allowed speed limit.

"How come you're suddenly so interested?"

Oh, is he tensed?

"I just want to get to know you a bit better, that's all. It's only fair, to be honest, as you seem to know everything about me."

I said it with a tone dripping of sarcasm before I could stop myself. I look outside when Frank turns off at the exit.

"But then again, you're supposed to know a thing or two about me. After all, I'm 'the job'." I quietly said it in a sorrowful way, but the echoes resonate like church bells in my head.

Silence fills the car, but this time, I'm beginning to mind the tension brought along with it. I am so painfully aware of Frank's presence and the fact I can't escape it for the next few minutes, that I don't dare to look in front of me, afraid I might make eye contact. Instead, I stubbornly force myself to look outside, where the trees rush by.

Maybe I shouldn't have said all of that.

I look at my hands.

I wasn't even aware that it bothered me that much, him being what my dad pays him to be. After what we've been through, he can't just be my bodyguard. But if I meant something more to him, he surely would try to open up, wouldn't he?

I cast a look at my knees and suddenly, the painful sensation of embarrassment rises to my head. Red blushes color my cheeks.

What am I even thinking about? Do I really expect something from him because of the things that have happened?