Redemption

5 - Intriuging

Chapter 5 - Intriguing

I study my appearance in the mirror, smoothing down my black dress for the tenth time in the past five minutes. It dips down slightly, revealing cleavage. Way more than what I would normally wear.

The thick straps wrap around my neck creating a nice bow. My bare back is exposed so far down my back dimples are almost visible. Niall said we were eating downtown on a rooftop, and it's pretty fancy. Jasmine's mom gifted me this dress a couple years ago for Christmas, and I'm pretty sure the only time I've worn it since was with them. The dinner tonight is supposed to be a celebration for his friend getting into medical school. I'm not complaining if I'm not paying.

I grab my purse and shove my phone in, seeing the text that Niall sent. He says he's out front. I make my way down, taking the elevator.

I spot him in a red Lexus. I make my way over to him, the cold hair nipping at my skin. He looks up, seeing me approach the car and smiles. I smile back, opening the car door to get in.

He's dressed in khakis and a dark blue button up shirt. He looks very presentable. "Hey," he breathes, putting the car into drive.

"Hi," I reply, smoothing down my dress. Light music dances in the background as we take off toward the restaurant.

"There's going to be about five people there. The one who got into medical school, Liam, is phenomenal. You'll love him."

Niall talks about his friend Liam with so much adoration it hurts my heart. "Can't wait," I say. We have a lighthearted conversation before pulling into the parking ramp of the restaurant. It's busy, of course, it's Friday night.

We take the elevator to the top, my ears popping on the way up. Niall is on the phone, asking Liam to come meet us at the front. Once we get there, there's a tall brunette waiting for us at the entrance. He's dressed in black slacks with a white button down. I can tell he was wearing a suit today but it got to be too uncomfortable.

"Niall!" he exclaims, grabbing Niall's hand and pulling him into a half hug.

"Hey, Liam. Congrats," Niall says. Liam laughs, blushing slightly at the praise. His brown eyes trail to me, lightly slimming down my body. "This your new girl?"

Now it's Niall's turn to blush. "She's a friend. Amber, meet Liam, and Liam, meet Amber." Niall introduces sheepishly with red cheeks. Liam holds out his hand. I take it, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Nice to meet you," I say.

"Likewise."

Liam takes us through the restaurant to our table outside. Lights hang across, glowing vibrantly along with string lights of the other building. The view is more than breathtaking.

My amazement is cut short when I see an all too familiar curly-haired brunette. He's laughing with unfamiliar people, using his hands to tell a story. Everyone else looks like their on the edge of their seat.

Wow, so he can be charismatic when he wants to be.

When we're about five feet from the table, he looks over at us. His eyes bounce from Liam, to Niall, to me. He looks down to see Niall's arm wrapped around my waist, and I can't read the emotion behind his eyes.

"Everyone, this is Amber. Niall's friend," Liam announces to the group. Two girls and two guys sit at the table, one of them being Harry. One girl has circular eyeglasses with a black dress more sophisticated than mine. Her long dark hair is almost as black as her dress. She looks innocently cute. The other girl has silver hair, obviously dyed, cut right below her shoulders. The stud in her nose looks as silver as her hair. The man sitting next to Harry has bright blue eyes with tousled light brown hair. He sends me a smirk when he realizes I'm staring.