As I’m waiting, I look to my left and that’s when I see him.
He’s standing at the other end of the bar facing another man as he talks to him. I can only see him from the side but it’s enough to draw me in.
His dirty blond hair is cropped close on the sides with the longer strands in the middle sticking up all over the place. He’s tall at least six foot two or six foot three with broad shoulders and muscular arms. Tattoos are woven down the one arm I can see all the way to his wrist. The guy standing in front of him is still talking when suddenly he looks over and directly at me. A gasp leaves my lips and my eyes widen.
Holy shit. He is gorgeous.
If I thought he was attractive from the side, having the full force of him looking directly at me, even from across the bar, has a flush heating my cheeks. My heart rate spikes, and a swarm of butterflies take up residence in my stomach.
I don’t know how long I stand their staring at him. It could be a few seconds or a few minutes, but once I realize it embarrassment rushes through me and heat scalds my face. Hastily I look away just as the bartender reaches me.
“What can I get ya?”
I fumble through the drink order. I can feel him watching me. Probably trying to figure out why a random chick at the bar was staring at him. Although with his looks, I’m sure he gets stared at all the time. I shift from one foot to the other.
We’re not even standing next to each other, yet I can still feel his gaze on me. It’s unnerving. I’ve never felt this awareness of another individual before. Relief feels me as the bartender comes back with my drinks. It takes everything in me not to look back as I make my way across the room to the table Lisa and Jayden are sitting at.
Unsurprisingly there are a few men and women standing around the table trying to get the attention of both of my friends. I shake my head, a smile forming on my face. Some things never change. Back in college guys would flock to Lisa and girls would flock to Jayden any time we went out.
I set our drinks on the table just as Jayden is saying “I’ll come find you in a little while, I want to hang out with my friends.”
The two women pout a little but nod and walk away. The two guys talking to Lisa leave as well after she murmurs something to them. Immediately I feel guilty.
“You guys didn’t have to send them off” I say
“It’s alright. Besides, we’re here to hang out with each other” Jayden says taking a sip of his drink.
“Girl, do you see who’s staring at you?’ Lisa asks, her fingernails digging into arm.
“What?” I look around and that’s when my eyes collide with Mr. Gorgeous from the bar. I hastily look away again as butterflies swoop and swirl around in my stomach.
“Oh my god! He’s still looking. Do you know who that is?” Lisa asks excitedly.
“No.” I pry her fingers off my arm.
“That’s Liam Trace.”
When I just stare at her blankly, she gapes at me.
“Oh, come on, Av I know you don’t pay attention to social media and the blogs, but you have to have heard of him and his family. Right?”
“No, I don’t think so.” While the last name does sound vaguely familiar, I can’t put any faces with it. Especially that face. There’s no way I would forget it if I’d seen it before.
“He’s like a freaking billionaire. His dad is a self-made millionaire who owned two clubs, including this one and a restaurant. When Liam graduated from college, he took over the businesses; expanded and opened two more restaurants, including Tempest and three more clubs in other cities.”
My eyes widen with every word out of her mouth.
“Hey, didn’t he use to date that model Isabelle Rodriguez? I think I saw it on one of those blogs. Man, she is fine.”
Lisa and I both pause to look at Jayden.
“You were reading gossip blogs?” I ask incredulously.
Jayden is the most laid-back person I know. He doesn’t like drama and rarely pays attention to gossip and magazines, which is why him picking up one and reading it is so surprising.
“What? I was in the checkout line at the grocery store and it just happened to be in front of me,” he says defensively.
“Anyways, he was totally checking you out a minute ago.” Lisa grabs my arm excitedly.
“I doubt it, besides you just heard Jayden he dates models. Why would he be checking me out?”
Lisa’s eyes narrow on me. “Because you’re fucking hot. He or any guy in here would be lucky to catch your eye.”
“Yeah, Av you’re beautiful and if a guy can’t see that then he’s not worth your time anyway,” Jayden adds.
I can’t help but smile at their words. These two have come to mean so much to me over the past five years. They are the family I wish I’d had growing up.
Just then Cardi B’s latest hit comes on and Lisa jumps up, “Oh, I love this song. Come on yall let’s go dance!”
I shake my head, “I’ll sit this one out. You two go ahead.”
“Are you sure?” Jayden asks.
“Yeah, I’m good here.”
“Okay.”
They both take off to the dance floor and I settle back into my seat content to people watch. As I look around the club, I find myself looking over at the bar to see if Liam is still over there, but I
