The Bodyguard ✔

Chapter Fourty-Eight

We arrive at the building the party is at, and Frank drives up to the front behind other cars, which are also waiting in line. He hasn't said anything back and I didn't feel like talking either. Every time I think I'm getting to know him, he says or does something that makes me change my mind.

I am aware that Frank has these... problems to connect, so I let it rest. He has its good moments as well, beside the bad ones.

Frank gets out of the car and gives the keys to some other man in a suit. I collect my long dress and mentally prepare to hoist myself out of this car and onto my heels. Maybe I shouldn't have chosen the prominent color red after all.

When I open the car door, I first notice Frank standing in front of me, his hand reaching out. I hesitate for a moment, but I let him take my hand. With only a slight pull, I'm standing on my feet.

Woah. I forgot how it felt to be walking on heels among so many people.

Frank shuts the car door and the man he gave the car keys to, drives away with it to a parking spot.

Ladies in fancy gowns and men in handsome suits find themselves standing everywhere outside and in the building. As an eighteen year old, I should be of the youngest category present. Luckily, I'm not the only one. I spot Vicky in front of the entrance, elegantly waving into my direction. I walk up to her. "You look gorgeous!"

Vicky takes my hands "Oh shut it."

She really does look amazing. Her red hair and pale skin contrast beautifully with the sophisticated dark green dress she's wearing. She is going to turn some eyes tonight, I have no doubts about that.

I was so fixated on Vicky and her stunning appearance, that I completely overlooked the man standing notably close to Vicky. In the meantime, Frank catched up with me. "Jabari, what are you doing here, man?"

Jabari, a friend and sort of Franks' colleague, one of the guys Frank found necessary to bring along when Vicky and I went shopping, happens to also be here?

Vicky lightly places her hand on his arm. "I was in need of an escort." She says, while casually lifting up her shoulders. Jabari explains further. "Debbie got me an invite."

Okay. I'm baffled. I'll just accept that.

I look at Vicky in a meaningful way. Jabari is a very handsome guy. She's not doing that bad for herself, I see. Vicky understands what I'm trying to communicate and waves it away. "Shall we?"

Jabari offers me his other arm and I take it willingly. He looks over to Frank, who's crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Sorry man, you're the one on bodyguard duty tonight." and ends the sentence with a bright smile. "Ladies..." and so we enter the building. I like Jabari already.

As soon as we step foot into the hall, we enter a sphere of class and decadence. Everywhere I look, people are chatting, laughing and rattling their heavy jewelry. Champagne and small biscuits with caviar are surfing through the crowd on silver plates, carried by stoic men and women, all in black.

We join a queue and I turn to Jabari. "So, Jabari, how did you meet Frank?"

Jabari glances at Frank, who's just a little behind in the queue, but the noise of people chatting makes it almost impossible for him to understand us. "We trained together as GSG-9's, back in Germany."

Vicky and I look at each other. "What's that?" She asks.

Again, Jabari glances at Frank before answering. "It's the special forces unit of Germany."

Vicky smiles. "That's impressive. What happened?"

Jabari shakes his head. "What do you mean, what happened? We trained together in Germany."

Vicky nods. "Yes, but what happened after your training? Did you not get stationed? Because you're here now, aren't you?"

Jabari takes Vicky's hand, squeezes it and winks. "Who's says we're not stationed?"

Hm, alright.

Vicky smiles back at Jabari, but she's cautious. As her best friend, I know she's smart enough to be at least a bit suspicious.

The queue shortens, and it's our turn to be checked in as guest. A friendly and beautiful, but serious-looking, woman asks us our names. Each one of us tell the woman our name. She has to look for it on a printed list, consisting of a number of papers. When she finds mine, she asks me to wait.

She speaks into a device, some kind of walkie-talkie, and turns to me. "You're the pianist, right?" I nod. I have difficulty understanding her, with the noise of the queue and the surrounding people all around me.

"Okay. We have a room for the musicians, we would like you to be there until you're done with performing." I nod again. The woman continues. "It's just a formality, we don't want to lose anyone." I nod for the third time. "It's okay, I understand." Right in time, a small woman appears, dressed in black, just like all the waiters. The woman behind the lists gives her instructions, and I think I heard her call 'Grace'.

After the instructions have been given, Grace beckons me into a certain direction. I say goodbye to Vicky and Jabari. I'll meet them after I've performed. I follow Grace, although we're moving slowly through the packed crowd. I look back to the queue for a second and see Frank talking to the woman with the lists. I keep walking and following Grace. I accidently bump into a man and apologise when he turns around. "Excuse me, sir."

I keep walking and turn around again. This time, the queue is further removed, but I can still make out Frank, although barely. Why is he still standing there? I halt and move a bit around, in order to obtain a better view at the queue. Frank seems to be explaining something to the lady, but she shakes her head. Damn, is he having a problem getting in?

I leave Grace behind, and make my way through the same crowd I just passed, in direction of the queue in the front of the building. I watch Frank starting to lose his patience as the woman calls for someone on her walkie-talkie.

"Frank!" I call his name, but he doesn't hear me, of course.

Frank throws his hands into the air and turns away from the lady behind the lists. As he does so, he sees me. I hold up my hand. "Frank!"

Without hesitation, he walks towards me. The woman directly reacts by saying something to Frank, but he ignores it and keeps struggling to find his way through the jungle of a crowd, just like I am.

It takes us around twenty seconds to reach each other. "Frank, what's wrong?"

He shakes his head. "They won't let me in, they think I'm someone else"

What? "How so? They must've made a mistake."

Frank shakes his head. "Listen, they think I'm an employee who got fired by the company hosting this party. By the way they're talking to me, they're expecting me to become aggressive."

I'm shaking my head. "I'll call someone, just stay put and be calm."

Frank takes my hands and comes closer. "Giselle, it's probably nothing, but be cautious." He looks very seriously, so I nod. "If there's something wrong, go to Jabari."

Just when he said that, Frank gets pulled away by security guards. He holds his hands up and tells them to calm down.

Fancy ladies and gentlemen around us utter surprised 'oh's' and 'uh-oh's' and throw me demeaning looks.

I sigh.

One group of ladies in particularly looks at me like they're almost disgusted.

People can be so... I don't have the words.

I turn around and find Grace to be in sight. I walk up to her and she leads me to a room, not far from the stage. It took us five minutes to get there.

I hope Frank's instincts are wrong.

I hope nothing is going on.