Chapter 9 #2
It took a painful minute, but then I saw him.
He was at the far end of the bar closest to the dance floor, laughing at something a customer said as he filled a mug with the perfect balance of beer and foam.
He looked radiant, completely in his element, exuding confidence.
Liam was handsome this morning, but seeing him work the bar was sexy.
Before I could stop myself, I was crossing the room and standing right in front of him.
When he saw me, his face lit up. “Holly! Twice in one day. How lucky am I?”
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady but the word soulmate kept flashing before my eyes in bright gold letters.
I felt like I was going to puke, cry, and pass out all at once.
But I didn’t want Liam to know I was freaking out.
So, I put on my best smile and said, “Maybe I’m the lucky one. ”
Liam leaned forward, resting his hands on the bar, his eyes locked on mine. There was an intensity in the way he looked at me. It drowned out everyone and everything around us. A girl could get used to a guy looking at her like this.
“What brings you in tonight?”
I hesitated, wondering if I should come up with some excuse, but clearly, I still had some alcohol in my veins because the truth slipped out before I could think of something smart to say. “I wanted to see you.”
His grin softened into something warmer, something that sent my stomach flipping in the best way.
“I’m glad you did. Is it lame to say I missed you?
I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to talk since breakfast. We had two bartenders and a busboy call out tonight.
Thank God it’s Sunday. We’d be dying if this were last night. ”
Before I could say anything else, Autumn's voice cut through the moment. “Holly!”
I turned to see her pushing through the crowd. “What are you doing? I was ordering drinks, and then you disappeared. You can’t do that to me! I nearly had a heart attack! I nearly…” She looked past me to Liam and said, “Oh! Hi. Who are you?”
“Autumn,” I said, shooting her a warning look. “This is Liam. Liam, this is my sister.”
“Liam?” She questioned, her eyes raking over his crisp white button-down and the way he’d rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. “Are you flirting with my sister, or are you on a first-name basis with all the pretty girls tonight?”
My jaw dropped. I was shocked. Mortified! I couldn’t tell if Autumn was trying to size Liam up or see if she had a chance with him. I didn’t know whether to laugh off the comment or scold her. I didn’t get a chance to do either because my other sisters decided to join us.
“Found them!” River shouted, and a second later, she and Dahlia were beside us. They both had drinks and when River noticed me looking at her hands, she added, “If you wanted a drink, then you shouldn’t have run off.”
And now we could add public scolding next to humiliation on the checklist for tonight. And here the adventure had started so well.
“Ignore them,” I said playfully, but really, I was begging both Liam and the universe to listen. “In fact, ignore all three of my sisters because they are evil judgey sprites.”
Dahlia arched her eyebrows, trying her best to give the warning look Mom used to do when one of us took things a step too far.
I ignored her because, in my opinion, they had gone too far!
Bringing my sisters out semi-drunk to unintentionally meet my potential soulmate might have been the worst mistake I’d made this decade.
Liam gave Autumn one of his easy, disarming smiles and handled the insult with ease. “It’s safe to say the regulars know my name, but I don’t give it out to just anyone.” He reached for a glass and effortlessly filled it with ice as he said, “It’s nice to meet you all.”
“How do you know Holly?” River asked.
“The short answer is, we met at a bar.” Liam turned and grabbed two bottles off the shelf behind him and filled a shot glass, then emptied the liquor into the cup.
He added a dash of grenadine and then filled the cup with fruit juice.
He then topped it with an orange slice and handed it to me.
“Here. Can’t have you being the odd one out. ”
“Oh. Thank you.” I dug in my purse for my debit card, which had buried itself somewhere beside my wallet, three pens, a condom—that magically found its way into my purse, likely due to a little minx named Dahlia—and a half-eaten snack-sized bag of Cheetos. “I’ll start a tab.”
“Your drinks are on me tonight," Liam said, refusing my card. “Theirs too, if they’re nice to you.”
“Well, aren’t you sweet?” Autumn leaned on the bar. Her gaze noticeably dropped to his ring finger. “And single?”
“Currently in an unofficially exclusive, complicated entanglement.” He winked at me and I felt like I could die. Seriously. I’d rather the floor open up and suck me into the Otherworld than live through this moment.
Autumn stared at Liam, confused, and said, “Oh.” But then a moment passed where she looked at me and she figured out what he meant, and then shouted, “Oh! OMG! You mean with Holly. You and Holly!”
If I could have run away and hid, I would have.
For anyone who didn’t know, I had five levels of embarrassment.
One was mildly embarrassed, like when I had food stuck in my teeth while running a meeting.
I was okay because we had just finished eating but it was still embarrassing.
Level two was a hair worse. It was the type of embarrassment where you cringe a little harder, but it’s manageable and usually laughable later.
Forgetting someone’s name mid-conversation and awkwardly trying to avoid admitting it would classify as a two.
Level three was noticeably uncomfortable, like when you laughed too loudly at a joke that wasn’t that funny and realized everyone was staring at you.
A level four was legitimately mortified, like the time I accidentally hit “reply all” on an email that was only meant for one person and filled with painfully personal information.
And then, finally, there was a level five.
Five was full-on humiliation. The kind of embarrassment that made you want to change your name and move to another country.
I was currently at level three-point-five and creeping toward a four. But Dahlia kept me rooted in my spot by throwing her arms around my shoulder and whispering, “You're glowing. Don’t run from this.”
She knows me too well.
I squeezed her arm and then took a sip of my drink. It was like a tropical paradise in my mouth. The perfect balance of sweet and sultry with no hint of liquor. Too many of these, and I’d be in trouble.
Without warning, River perked up at the opening cords carrying over the noise of the bar and shouted, “I love this song!”
She grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the dance floor, our sisters in tow.
I looked over my shoulder apologetically, but Liam just grinned and waved me off.
I watched him go back to working the bar for as long as I could until, eventually, there were too many bodies between us.
And then, my sisters and I danced like we were still in my living room and no one was watching.
The night flew by in a blur. My sisters and I had been dancing for what felt like hours, our laughter echoing louder than the music. At some point, the heat of the dance floor became too much, and I leaned into River’s ear. “I need another drink,” I said, fanning myself dramatically.
“Don’t take too long!” she called back, spinning toward Autumn as they got lost in the rhythm of the song.
I meandered my way back to the bar, taking my time as I tried to cool down. But when I reached the counter, I didn’t order anything right away. Instead, I lingered, my fingers brushing the worn edge as I let my eyes wander back to Liam.
He was moving with practiced ease, pouring drinks and flashing a casual smile that seemed to make everyone around him feel like they belonged.
But it wasn’t until his gaze caught mine that my breath hitched.
He smiled—not the one he gave his customers, but something softer, warmer, like it was meant just for me.
I stayed at that spot longer than I meant to, sipping my drink and stealing glances in his direction. Every time our eyes met, my stomach flipped.
A little while later, Liam crossed the bar toward me, his steps slow and deliberate. He leaned on the counter, his piercing eyes never leaving mine. “Are you Enjoying yourself?”
“More than I thought I would,” I admitted, the honesty surprising me. I set my drink down and decided I needed water for the rest of the night. Being this open and honest was dangerous.
“Good. I’m glad.” Liam extended his hand, palm up. “Would you like to dance?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
Liam rounded the edge of the bar and then held his hand out to me again. “I’m friends with the boss. He won’t care.”
I hesitated, then slipped my hand into his and let him lead me onto the dance floor.
His fingers curled around mine, and when he pulled me close, the rest of the room seemed to disappear.
Liam held me close, slow stepping to a song that was made for bumping and grinding.
I didn’t care. I was just happy to be in his arms.
“You look happy,” he murmured, that low rumble sending shivers down my spine.
“Funny enough, I am.” I looked up into his eyes and the space between us grew charged with the kind of electricity that made it hard to think clearly. I didn’t overthink. I just leaned in.
Liam met me halfway and pressed his lips to mine.
The kiss was soft at first, testing, but it quickly deepened, stealing my breath and grounding me all at once.
His hand tightened slightly on my waist as if to keep me close and in that moment it was just him and I.
No bar. No bet. Just us. I could have stayed there forever, floating in his arms, but the overhead lights flickered, signaling last call.
Liam pulled away first but he didn’t let me go.
I blinked, momentarily disoriented, as the noise and bustle of the bar came rushing back. Though as the world came into focus I noticed Liam’s gaze stayed on me, steady and unwavering.
“That was…” he whispered, and I would have done anything for him to always look at me the way he was right then. He kissed the tip of my nose once before my sisters butted in and ruined the moment.
“Are you ready to head out?” Autumn called from behind me.
I spun in Liam’s arms and rested against his chest. Our hearts raced in synchronized rhythms, singing the same song. I looked up at him right as he looked down at me and said, “I think I’ll stay.”