Voir Dire (N.H.)

eleven

Kelsey was surprised when a familiar brunette head slid into the bar on a late Tuesday evening. Her heart fluttered a bit at the sight of him, but she tried to ignore it. Kelsey doubted he would even remember the awkward girl he spent a night with a few weeks prior.

Instead of greeting him, Kelsey continued to attend to her patrons at the bar. Watching out of the corner of her eye as her fellow bartender for the night, Tony, got Niall's order. She tried her best not to look over at him, lest his eyes might capture hers and pull her down the road she had desperately been trying to avoid. But as she pours the businessman in front of her another glass of whiskey, she feels as if eyes are lasering into her back.

Niall felt his pulse quicken when he spotted Kelsey's brunette waves behind the Manhattan bar. He hadn't expected her to be here, or maybe he had, but suddenly the idea of coming here seemed ridiculous.

It had seemed like a good idea earlier today, when Niall couldn't seem to locate his favorite black sweatshirt in his laundry bin. That's when he'd remembered the beautiful girl that he easily let waltz out of his apartment with.

Kelsey had been on his mind a lot throughout the past several weeks, but Niall had tried to rationalize with himself. Hanging out with another girl, even as friends, wouldn't be great for keeping up appearances. It could be a proper PR nightmare with just one paparazzi shot.

But then Niall had realized that he was thinking like Mr. Michaels and the Captial Team. The people that were pupeteering his life  by the minute. No, Niall couldn't let them control one more aspect of their life. If he wanted to be friends with someone he would be friends with them. And there's was nothing they could do about it.

"What can I get you sir?" A tall man with dark facial hair and a freshly buzzed head asked. Niall was a bit disappointed that Kelsey hadn't served him first but sighed and gazed across their beer collection.

"I'll have a pint of your most popular on tap," Niall declared. He glanced over to see Kelsey still blatantly avoiding his existence. Maybe she didn't want to see him and maybe this had been a disastrous idea.

Niall gave a nod of thanks when his beer is set down in front of him. He took a sip, wishing it was a pint of Guinness instead but trying to remind himself of the reason he was there in the first place.

Kelsey tried her best to pretend Niall wasn't sitting a few feet away. But when she had to add an empty glass sitting on the counter to the sink to be washed, she realized that this confrontation is going to be unavoidable. She took a deep breath and walked towards Niall, deciding that it would be up to him to acknowledge her presence

"Well aren't ya gonna say hello," Niall teased, watching as Kelsey came within a few feet of him with an empty whiskey glass in hand. He'd watched her painful attempt at avoiding him from across the bar. He wondered if this avoidance was the reason she hadn't even sent him a friendly text over the past couple of weeks. Maybe the chemistry he had felt from their encounter was all in his own head?

"Didn't think you'd remember me?" Kelsey stated, although by the way Niall was greeting her she doubted that was true.

"You think I came all the way to the Manhattan for a pint of this shitty upperclass beer? C'mon love."

Kelsey felt her cheeks flush. Niall had come all this way here to see her, which meant that in some way, she must have been on his mind as much as he was on hers.

"So you're a stalker now?" Kelsey laughed.

"Not a stalker, just a lad who was hoping fate would be on his side and you'd be working tonight. I thought you would call," Niall said, the disappointment raining from his voice.

"I thought we said the timing wasn't right," Kelsey argued back with a raise of her eyebrow. The truth was Kelsey had wanted to call, many times in fact. She'd spent several nights with her fingering hovering over Niall's contact in her phone, telling herself that maybe she should just give it a chance.

But then her rational side had kicked in, reminding her of how easily she could fall for someone like Niall, and how easily she could be hurt. So she'd closed out of her contacts list and threw her phone aside with a sigh, knowing that even being friends with someone like Niall could be dangerous for her heart.

But now he was here, sitting at her bar. His charm and glowing blue eyes seemingly enchanting her all over again. She watched as he scratched his head, as if trying to find an explanation for why he thought showing up would be a good idea.

"We did. But that doesn't mean we couldn't be friends? I mean, honestly Kelsey I can't remember the last time I got along with someone so well. I mean conversation with you is just so..."

"Natural," Kelsey finished for him.

"Exactly."

Kelsey grazed her eyes from Niall's hand on his beer up to his face. She wondered if being friends with Niall was really that bad of an idea. "So say I agreed to becoming your friend..." she paused, leaning against the bartop with her elbow. "What exactly would being your friend entail?"

"That's a good question," Niall replied, scratching his head. "I suppose it might include hanging out at my pool during these warm Los Angeles summers, and maybe if you're a good friend, an invite to my house party next weekend."

"A house party? That's the best you've got for me," she teased.

"Oh but this isn't just any house party Kelsey," Niall said dramatically. "This is a house party with a personal DJ, bartender and fancy catering. Maybe a celebrity sighting or two."

"Hmmm...." Kelsey murmured, feigning contemplation. There really wasn't much contemplation in her mind. What could it hurt to attend a house party with Niall or to attempt being his friend? It would clearly have his perks, and she figured if she saw this friendship ending in another heartbreak, she could easily bail.

"Suppose at some point I might be able to get you some passes to performances," Niall added, beginning to sound more like a salesman than someone looking for a friend.

"So your bribing me to be your friend now?" Kelsey teased.

"I just want you to see all the benefits our friendship could have," Niall responded.

"Benefits?" Kelsey grinned, watching Niall flounder at his poor choice of words.

"More like perks. Being my friend would be fun you see. But if being friends with the annoying Irish lad isn't your thing, I get that too."

"I guess I could agree to it. A strict friendship that is."

"Friendship it is," Niall replied, holding out a hand for Kelsey to shake. He couldn't help but grasp Kelsey's hand a second too long before letting go. He gave Kelsey a cheeky smile and she smiled back, although in her head she's wondering if she's made some terrible mistake.

Kelsey fell hard and she fell fast, and there were few guys in her history of dating that had managed to stay in the friend zone. But this was before Kelsey's heart had been broken. Now, she knew better than to let her feelings get in the way. A friendship was the perfect solution.

"Can I text you then?" Niall asked, pulling out his iPhone. Kelsey pulled out hers as well, typing quickly with a smirk on her face.

Niall's phone vibrated in his hand as he received the notification of a new text message.

Hi friend 👋

When he looks back up, Kelsey is back to work, refilling the drink of another angry looking businessman in a suit. Niall smiled to himself, taking another sip of his very mediocre beer. Maybe this hadn't been a mistake after all.