Begin Again novel Chapter 3

Liam was the lucky random stranger.

Eden didn't care that another woman, a Barbie look- alike, dressed in the tightest, shortest, blackest latex dress she had ever seen, was trying to call dibs on him.-

"He's with me," she slurred as she propped herself between the two.

Barbie looked ready to murder her with her glacial stare, as she sized her up, her collagen-pumped lips curling with distaste.

"Yeah," Liam chuckled, his cheeks and ears matched his flame hair. "I'm with her!"

"Your loss," Barbie flicked her long blond extensions over her shoulder and pranced off, vanishing in the herd of vacant-eyed zombies swaying to the music.

"Thanks," Liam said with a smile. "You saved my life."

"I guess we're even now," Eden said softly. "Thanks for getting us in."

She wasn't planning to thank him. But, he did save her from the cold earlier.

"I guess being indecent helps sometimes?" He chuckled, and she liked him a little then.

A slow jam came on and out of the comer of her eye she saw Simon and Olive slink their way to the dance floor. She panicked and threw herself in Liam's arms.

"Just pretend you're my boyfriend, okay?" She smiled up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears she was struggling to contain. "Pretend you're madly in love with me."

"Whatever you want, Princess!" Liam pulled her close, his arms wrapped around her waist possessively. Eden, acutely aware of his every movement as they moved to the music, tried to ignore the tingling awareness rushing through her body at his touch. 'Tried' being the operative word.

She read somewhere you can tell a lot about a person from the way they dance. It was true. What she may have assumed to be arrogance earlier, was simply confidence on Liam's part.

"Am I a good boyfriend?" He lowered his head, their foreheads touching lightly. Her brain screamed at her not to get excited as his five o'clock shadow grazed her cheek, sending her quivering despite the warmth in the room.

"If your day job doesn't work out, you can always sign up with Rent-A-Boyfriend," Eden assured him as she hung her arms around his neck, taking him in.

With his thick wavy red hair, Liam reminded her of Will Halstead from Chicago Med, one of her favourite TV shows. He was too damn fine for his own good. And if she carried on clinging to him, it was only a matter of time before she jumped straight from the pan and into the fire.

"Is there such a thing?" His eyebrows shot up, and his face lit up with curiosity.

"I don't know," she laughed, throwing her head back. "I've never needed their services before."

Until now, she thought sadly. Until today.

They swayed in silence for a minute, maybe three. Eden was happy to be in his arms, even when the song ended, and another tune came on, she carried on moving, and Liam didn't seem to be in any hurry to let her go.

"Other than dancing with random strangers, why are you here tonight?" She asked, suddenly curious about him.

Crush was an okay nightclub for mere mortals like her. But she imagined filthy-rich gods like him have private clubs, where only black cards and eight-figure bank balances allowed you access.

Liam looked like an eight-figure bank balance type of guy. From his woodsy cologne tinged with the faint whiff of expensive bourbon, to the dark slim-fit jeans he paired with a denim button-down shirt and custom made sneakers. They had to be because she's never seen them on anyone before.

"Celebrating my last night of freedom," he murmured.

Of course, Eden thought. It explained his entourage of Calvin Klein models. It was his bachelor party. She instantly felt terrible for being rude to him earlier. If she was celebrating her last night as a single woman, she wouldn't want to waste half of it waiting in the queue.

"Are you happy?" She asked on his chest. "Should I congratulate you?"

Liam laughed in her hair. "Not really. But it is what it is. How about you?"

"I'm here to forget," she looked up, her heart jumping to her throat when she caught the intense look in his eyes. If he carried on staring at her like that, like she's the only woman in the room, she might forget her heartbreak and sadness.

"Forget what?" He asked, searching her face as if the meaning behind her words was written there.