Liam
When I woke, it felt like any other morning. But, this morning, I didn't style my hair, just threw on a hoodie and joggers. With a cap pulled low, I hoped no one would see Liam Carrington, just some guy going out for a morning walk.
I was going to that Cafe early this morning because I wanted to see that brunette again. And get to know her this time. I'm not sure exactly what my motivation was to do that, but, as I said earlier, I was so intrigued by her.
I was hoping to leave my house stealthily without anyone recognizing me and wishing me a happy birthday.
As I stepped out of my room, my personal bodyguard was already waiting for me outside my door.
I noticed him look surprised at my choice of dressing. He greeted, "Good morning, boss."
I just said to him, "Take the morning off too."
He wanted to object again, but I just gave him a knowing look, and he understood it completely.
He backed off, taking a step back, "Yes, boss."
I walked away from him and down the stairs. My house was a buzz of activity that morning, people running around here and there trying to fix the place up for my birthday party that evening.
I sighed sadly. I knew I always had a birthday party every year, but it just felt wrong this year. My father had died just a few months ago, and here I was, throwing a lavish party.
But it was what people wanted, and sometimes, when you're living this life, you have to please other people, too. Even when you are displeased.
Luckily for me, none of the workers recognized me. First of all, my gait was different. I usually walked with authority, my head held high. But now, I was walking with hunched shoulders and my head low. Plus, my style was different. While I usually wore obviously expensive outfits, what I was wearing now looked like I was just another worker.
I had almost made it out of the door without anybody recognizing me to wish me a happy birthday or to greet me with "Good morning, boss." But then, I heard a familiar voice behind me, "Liam?"
I turned, a huge smile on my face even before I saw the face of the person who had just called me. I knew that voice anywhere.
Ethan Vale.
He was my brother from another mother. His father was killed when he was pretty young. Before his father died, he was best friends with my father. So, when he died, my father took Ethan in, and he grew up with me under the same roof as my brother.
Ethan grew to be a very handsome black American. His cocky yet charming personality made him irresistible to women.
"Brother." I smiled broadly at him, genuinely happy to see him. Plus, his smile was so contagious.
We walked towards each other and gave ourselves a hug with a pat on the back to follow.
"Happy birthday, brother. Happy birthday!" He grinned at me and gave me a kiss on my cheek.
I laughed, "Thank you. Thank you."
He released me from the hug and said to me, his brown eyes twinkling in mischief as they always do," You know I love you, right?"
I cringed visibly, "Yeah, I know that. I just didn't know you were in love with me."
"Oh, I am." Ethan nodded," Now, you know."
"Ugh, get off me" I rolled my shoulders, pushing Ethan's heavy hands away, "You ain't my type."
I turned and started to walk away from Ethan and towards the door, trying not to glance at my father's portrait on the wall so I don't remember our tradition of eating breakfast together on my birthdays even when I knew he didn't have the time for it.
I heard Ethan say loudly to me, "The fuck are you wearing, Liam?!"
"Bye, Ethan." That was all I said to him.
"Where are you going dressed like that and without security?!"
"Bye, Ethan."
"We need you to choose some colors for the decoration of your party!"
Oh, I'm sure you can handle that, Ethan.
I slammed the door shut before he could say another word.
***
I watched as Ava and the brunette danced towards me a few minutes after I had informed Mr Maurice that it was my birthday.
I tried to also watch Ava but my eyes were glued on her.
I so wanted to know her, but I wondered if she knew me already.
I mean, who didn't know Liam Carrington in New York City?
Even if I try to keep a low profile, the magazines and the internet won't stop splashing my pictures as the most handsome bachelor in New York.
I raised my head a bit higher to stare at the brunette to know if she recognized me. If there was one thing I was good at, apart from drawing and stoicism, it was reading people's expressions.
I could tell what people were thinking just by the expressions on their faces.
As I stared at the brunette, I could tell she felt nervous.
Her gaze flicked down for a second. Nervous. Perfect.
Nothing like a look of familiarity crossed her face and nothing made me happier that morning.
I let a smile cross my face because I could tell the way I was staring at her was affecting her big time. My smile worked. A light smile crossed her pretty face, too, and her smile only made my smile wider.
I watched her dance, her hips swaying from side to side with every move she took.
I wondered what this was. I couldn't take my eyes off her and she couldn't even look anywhere else but my face too. In fact, it looked like she couldn't even breathe. But then, she had a way of centering herself when she was nervous.
She reached my table and placed the cake just in front of me as other customers sang along and clapped for them both; she said to me in that sweet, calm voice of hers, "Happy birthday."
I stared at her fingernails. They were cut short and clean. I looked at her fingers and she had the prettiest fingers that she could be a ring model. There was also something graceful in the way her fingers moved–careful, composed– like someone used to holding things together.
That was when I realized that I probably seemed like a creep as I kept staring down like that. So, I looked up and gave her an easy smile. She gave a forced nervous smile in return.
I didn't dress the way I usually do; I wasn't staring down at her as I usually do at people, so I wondered why I was making her so nervous.
I wanted that nervousness gone. I wanted her to look at me like I wasn't some stranger or celebrity. Just a guy.
I wanted to get to know her and I knew that wasn't going to be possible with her being all nervous and stiff.
I looked over at Ava and smiled at her, too, and gave her a nod that meant thank you.
She was already giving me a weird stare with her dangerous beautiful face. When I smiled at her, she only raised a brow queerly at me and then, turned to leave with the brunette.
I stared at both of them till they were out of sight and then, I smiled to myself.
I looked down at the cake in front of me. I didn't even eat cake. I hated it. Yet, here I was in the Cafe, sitting in front of a small round cake while I wondered what I could do to make her less tense around me.
I didn't know what I was doing– chasing a girl who clearly didn't know who I was. Maybe that was the point. Maybe, for once, I didn't want to be Liam Carrington.
By the time I looked up, she was standing behind the counter. I took in her soft features. She had a very calm aura and somehow, her presence just interrupts my grief.
She went straight to writing something in a book. She wouldn't even glance at me, but it was a small Cafe, and I was giving her such a penetrating gaze, and I was sure she could feel it.
I noticed the way she was distracted as she was writing though. For many seconds, her biro just kept floating over the surface of the paper and not actually touching the paper.
I decided to use the excuse of telling her to package the cake for me to go as a means to talk to her.
So, I picked up the cake and walked to the counter where she was standing.
I placed the cake on the counter and balanced myself on one of the stools at the counter.
She finally looked up at me with her dreamy almond sea-green eyes.
I smiled. Her eyes were so pretty.
"Hello." I said to her, and then I paused.
That…didn't sound like me.
My usual voice was deep, low, and unbothered. But, it seemed my subconscious knew I was not trying to be Liam Carrington at the moment, so it gave me some weird voice. The voice sounded…normal.
"Hello." She replied back.
"What's your name?" I asked her the question I always wanted to know since I set my eyes on her the previous night.
"Olivia."
Olivia.
So pretty. The name suited her.
I could tell she was interested in the conversation from the way she smiled lightly and asked, "What's yours?"
"Andy." The name was out of my mouth before I even knew what I was doing.
Huh? Where did that come from?
"Olivia is a pretty name, by the way." I said to her.
A tiny blush crept up her face and I could notice her nervousness start to disappear, "Thanks, Andy."
I liked how she pronounced Andy, and it made me regret not telling her my actual name just to hear how my name sounded on her lips.
But I knew why I did what I did. So many people have faked who they actually were, their personalities and all, because they knew I was Liam Carrington.
But Olivia, I wanted to really know her. To what ends? I wasn't sure yet.
She creased her brows a bit and that was when I realized that I had been staring at her, saying nothing.
I then went, "Oh, by the way, I wanted to know if you could help me package the cake as a takeout?"
She nodded, "Sure" She then paused and asked me, " Wait– is it actually your birthday?"
"It is."
"Oh." She then looked genuine as she said," Happy birthday."
I smiled to the side, "Let me guess, you thought I was just another guy pretending it's his birthday to see the show, didn't you?"
Except, I wasn't guessing. I had heard her the previous night.
She looked at me like she was trying to figure me out. Then, she laughed and said, "Exactly." She then pointed her thumb behind her back as she said, "I'll be right back. Just wanna grab a box for the cake."
"Olivia?" I called her before she could leave.
"Yeah?" She threw me a side glance.
Here goes nothing.
"Would you like to go get drinks with me later this evening?"
She paused. Just for a second.
Then–