Inspiration

Chapter 4- My Precious

She hadn’t come in today.  Liam realized she was becoming a bit of an obsession for him, but he didn’t mind it.  He loved the way she made him feel.  She was inspiring him, to write more music.  They’d barely spoken, but those gray eyes, and that smile, that cute laugh that sent shock waves through his body, the shy smiles, the way she bites her lip.  All of it.  All of it was causing his heart to melt, his mind to race. He looked forward to seeing her everyday, finding out which fictional character she was going to be that day, seeing that adorable shy smile light up her face as she accepted her drink, and that time their fingers touched ever so lightly, and her cheeks turned this delicious shade of pink, is a moment that runs through Liam’s head on a constant loop.  To say he was disappointed at not seeing her, would be a massive understatement.  Today, he was going to talk to her.  He wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to say.  Not sure at all.  But it was going to happen.  He’d promised himself this morning before he left the house, that he was going to put a name to that beautiful face.  And she hadn’t come. 

            Fink had disappeared 2 hours ago, to ‘grab some more flour’.  Liam wasn’t expecting him back.  Oliver had taken the day off, he had an exam later today, and needed to study for it.  He had come straight to Liam for permission.  It doesn’t take long for people to realize that he’s the rational one.  The compassionate one.  The heart of this place, that’s keeping it running, keeping it all together, even if Fink thinks they’re equal partners.  No one would dare tell him different. 

So Liam was alone, sitting up on the counter next to the sink, reading Lord of The Rings for probably the fourth or fifth, or 18th time, who’s counting?  He’s almost done, having read during almost every break he’d had for the past week.   That’s when he heard the little bell on the door ring.  He glanced up, and his heart started doing cartwheels.

  It was her. 

She was here. 

She was here, and he couldn’t seem to get himself to move.  It was only a few seconds, but it felt like hours before Liam managed to slowly push himself off the counter.  He set his book down next to the register. 

“Hey” he said.  Has his voice always been this low and gravelly? He was so lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice her eyes linger on his lips before she replied. 

“Hey”

“Usual?”  she nodded, blushing slightly.  He gave her a smile, grabbing a cup, and turned away. 

“So, who are you today?” he teased, finding it much easier to speak to her, when her gray eyes weren’t locked on his.

 “Frodo Baggins” she replied almost instantly.  Liam couldn’t resist his smile.  She’s been different characters from Lord of the Rings all week, Gandalf, Smegal., Aragorn, Legolas and Liam knew it was because she’d noticed the book he was reading. 

“You a Lord of The Rings fan?” he asked, putting in a little extra chocolate syrup,

“definitely”

            He turned around, to reach for a lid, and felt her eyes on him, he moved his eyes to lock with hers.  “Why all the aliases?” he asked, holding out her drink.  It wasn’t exactly the smoothest thing he’d ever said.  It definitely wasn’t what he would have planned to say.  But now it was out there. 

“It made you notice me, didn’t it?” She asked, it was almost painfully shy and there was that blush again.  Liam’s eyes didn’t leave her, as they widened slightly, his heart was racing, and he lost his voice.   He knew he needed to react, he needed to say something.  He needed to flirt back. Say something! Anything! Come on Liam!

“LEEEEEEYUMMMMM!!!!!”  Fink was shit-faced drunk, as he burst into the shop.

“Oh god.” Well he got his voice back.  “You said you were getting flour”

“I may have taken a small detour, and had a drink” he motioned with his hands, animatedly.

“a drink?”

“or 2.. or so”

“it’s 3 in the afternoon”

“Liam?”

“yes?”

“I think I’m drunk”

“I think so too”

Fink had slumped down in a chair nearby. “Leeee-um” now he sounded like a child

“Yeah?”

“Are you mad at me?”

“no”

The girl watched the whole scene, and then started to leave the shop. 

“Wait!” Liam hated the desperation in his voice.  She looked at him, turning slightly.

 “You still haven’t told me your name”

She smiled, a small, sweet smile, her eyes sparkling.

“Bye Liam”