Escaping to Ireland

Vinessa

I woke with a killer headache. The light that was flooding into the room and put me in an instant bad mood. But then I felt the blankets and the man lying next to me.

At first, I thought I was dreaming again, but I never recalled any of my dreams having a room like this in it. I had always imagined him having a simple home, but the room I woke up in was not simple; it was luxurious. He was watching me as my head hit the back of the wall; it looked like he was enjoying my embarrassment from the night before. It was just very odd. I couldn't remember much after leaving Jennifer's house.

Liam was kind enough to find me a pair of under armor sweatpants. I felt like I was going to get lost just trying to find him. He kept yelling, "I'm in here." I was lucky I had stumbled upon him.

"You look ridiculous," he said as he bent down and started to roll his pant legs up to my ankles.

"That will at least make it, so you do not trip." He smiled at me as he walked back over to the stovetop where french toast was already cooking.

"I thought you would have a cook...." I said, looking around the massive kitchen; it was bigger than my Chicago apartment, which I was still paying rent on.

"I do," he said, looking back down at his french toast. "She is off on weekends," he said, filling in the gaps for me.

"That is nice of you," I huffed out at him.

"I am a nice guy, Vinessa," he said as he looked up at me, and I could tell he was trying to figure me out as much as I was trying to figure him out.

My phone started ringing from my pants pocket. "Jennifer," I said, clicking talk.

"Vinessa... Are you okay?" I could hear she sounded as bad as I. She was feeling it just as much.

"Yes. Are you?"

"I'm feeling it. I'm still with Robert." I looked over at Liam and mouthed the name, Robert. He shook his head yes as if he knew who that was. "Did you make it home?"

"I'm actually at Liam's," I said, turning my back to him and walking toward the windows to look out in his backyard.

"You are what?" Jennifer said, knowing that I still had never slept with anyone, including Shawn, my one true love.

"Not like that...." I said, not knowing if Liam was eavesdropping in on me.

"How about I call you later?" I said, wanting to get off of the phone.

"I want you to call me as soon as you get home." Even though she was hungover, I could still hear the urgency in her tone.

"Fine," I clicked off, walking back toward Liam. "It smells amazing."

"I have fresh strawberries in the fridge" Liam smiled at me; I walked over, opening the door.

"You seem to be in a chipper mood this morning," I said to him.

"I am usually a happy person," He said to me.

"You mean a serious person," I said to him, sitting the strawberries in front of him. I started opening drawers to find a knife. Liam opened the drawer next to him and handed me one. I wash and cut the Strawberries up while Liam cooked a sleeve of bread up. There was no way we would make a dent in the pile.

When we sat down at the kitchen island, Liam surprised me by asking if I would sit outside on the patio. "I know you said you were chilled this morning, but there are patio heaters out there."

"I would love to," I said, grabbing our plates and utensils while he opened the door for us.

He laughed a little. "It has been a while since I have appreciated this space at all," he said, and I know he is thinking about our conversation underneath Wanda's gazebo.