Whirlwind
Wren
After a whirlwind romance with my favorite singer Liam LaGrange, I’ve just told him that I will go on tour with him. It’s been a wild ride since he came into my life, but somehow it seems like he was put here to make me live again and I love him more than I thought was possible.
After I lost my fiancé, Kilian, just over five years ago I thought I’d never be able to live fully again or fall in love, but Liam has changed all of that for me. I couldn’t be more excited to experience what’s next with him.
After facing my mom in the hospital and singing in a recording studio today I was feeling really brave and ambitious so I dragged all of my friends to an open mic night. I realized when I was on stage that everything in my life has come full circle. Liam is doing for me what I did for Kilian, it’s like my soul is alive again and for the first time in a long time, I’m really excited about what my future might hold.
My little sister Quin is dating my best friend Declan and they just left together, and my other buddy Gael is flirting around the bar.
“Jones looks lonely…” I notice as Liam and I approach our table.
Liam checks his watch, “It’s getting late, I should probably let him off the hook, are you ready to go?”
When he looks at me with those green eyes my knees feel weak, “Yeah, I’ll just go check on Gael, I’ll meet you back at the table in a few minutes.”
I need to get some space from Liam before I jump on him, my head is a bit all over the place right now but it’s mostly consumed with desire for Liam. I spot Gael chatting up a girl at the bar so I walk up to him and try to look as platonic as possible.
“Hey Galy, we’re going to head out but I didn’t want to leave you on your own,” I smile in a way that feels sweet.
“I’m all good Wrenny, thank you,” he runs a hand through his hair like I threw him off.
“Don’t drink too much and drive. Text me when you get home,” I give him a stern look.
He forces a bashful smile, then I make my way back to Liam who is now sitting at the table with Jones, “Alright, all set?”
“You have to help Jones drink this beer,” Liam says as he gestures at the nearly half-full pitcher on the table.
“Why don’t you do it?” I giggle at him.
“I’m driving,” he reminds me with a handsome smirk.
“I’m not saying no to beer but if I get sloppy and crazy tonight you can’t hold it against me, it’s been a big day,” I laugh as I sit down beside him.
“Maybe I have a secret wish to see you all free and uninhibited,” Liam says as he pours me a glass of beer from the pitcher on the table.
I drink it while the three of us talk, this is a rare time I get to interact with Jones as a friend instead of his employer’s girlfriend.
“So this fool says he’s convinced you to go on tour,” Jones laughs before he takes a sip of his drink.
He looks younger than I thought he was with his tie undone and his collar loose.
“I don’t think it took much convincing,” Gael jokes as he sits down.
“I give him a hard time but I think you can tell he’s a good guy,” Jones chuckles.
“Yeah, it’s not hard to tell. He did a good job with the convincing, I don’t know how I could have said no,” I smile at Liam with flirty eyes.
Liam smiles and blushes a little bit so I sneakily run my hand over his thigh and squeeze until he takes in a sharp breath.
“I thought you were out of here,” Gael questions.
“Liam is making us drink this beer,” I tell him.
“I’ll call an Uber, hand it over,” Gael reaches for my mug.
“What happened with your new friend over there?” Liam asks.
“Meh, she was just a bit of fun I guess but nothing worth really pursuing,” he says.
I take this opportunity to tease him, “So you struck out?”
“I’m sure you coming over there didn’t help me,” he pouts.
“I guess you earned this then,” I hand Gael my beer, and after we say goodbye, Liam, Jones and I head back to Liam’s car.
After we drop Jones back at the hospital where his car is, Liam drives me back toward my apartment.
All of the drinks and the stress relief are hitting me all at once, I feel invincible, “Babe! We have to get some 40s!”
“What?” Liam chuckles.
“There is something I’ve always wanted to do. Let’s get drunk tonight, it’s the perfect night!”
“This is a change from earlier,” he hesitates.
“I’m kind of a lightweight, but my head is in a million places and I just really want to let loose.”
“Okay, baby but I don’t think I’ve been drunk since I was twenty,” he lets out a laugh before he explains, “On tour, you build up quite a tolerance but I’ll have some drinks with you.”
After Liam and I stop at a convenience store and get some drinks and snacks we end up back at my apartment. It always amazes me that when Liam puts on a ball cap he doesn’t get noticed. I guess that it’s so far out of the range of his normal attire that it helps him blend in.
“Okay baby, why did you want these huge bottles?” Liam asks as he tries to put them away in the fridge.
“Edward 40 hands!” I tell him in a singsong voice.
“What? Never heard of it, are you telling me you know a drinking game that I don’t?”
“Maybe, it’s more of a challenge. Let me go to the restroom, I’ll be right back,” I say before I sway my hips into the direction of my bathroom.
Ever since Quin started dating Declan she has barely been home. I’m not even sure what to call this place anymore because it feels weird to say it’s anything but mine and Kilian’s. The bed and furnishings have changed, it’s been years since he’s been here but I don’t know if I want to make it my place with Liam.
At the same time, I don’t know how I would ever let it go. That’s part of the reason I agreed to go on tour. I need to find out if Liam can be my home the way it was with Kil. Maybe I’m hoping for an unachievable goal but I don’t want second best. I want real and true love again or I want nothing at all.
With Liam, it feels like it could happen, we’re in puppy love now but I’m ready for the real and deep stuff.
At the same time, tonight I’m overwhelmed and my head is starting to hum with a pleasurable buzzed feeling. All I want to do is let go and have fun with Liam. Instead of focusing on what everything means and how it will pan out, I want to live in the now.
Somehow completing the challenge of Edward 40 Hands seems like it’s going to make me feel accomplished so that’s what I’m going to do. At the very least it will give me bragging rights the next time I see my cousins.
