Something Beautiful

Prologue

You'd spotted him as soon as you'd walked in. Something had drawn your eyes to look across into the far corner of the crowded pub. Your breath hitched in your throat when his blue eyes met yours. You'd seen celebrities before, you'd accidentally bumped into Damien Lewis on the tube just a few weeks ago. But you'd never felt your heart race like this before.

His eyes never left yours, it all felt too intense. Not wanting to seem weird and creepy you averted your eyes down to the floor where your cocker spaniel Monty was anxiously waiting for you to undo his lead. The silver dog bowl of water was left on the floor at the end of bar, ready for Monty as it was every Sunday. You were a creature of habit you admit it, but you'd never seen the blue eyed man in here before.

Shrugging yourself out of your hat and scarf, you ran your fingers through your hair that had been bundled up in your hat. It was warm in the pub, a roaring fire was burning, the seats near it all taken. After getting your pint you called Monty to follow you to an empty booth to the side of the bar.

Placing your coat over an empty chair you sat down and Monty happily jumped up next to you. The grey and black pup sat up next to you waiting for attention and a treat of course. You ruffled his ears and reached into your pocket for a small dog biscuit.

"You, my beautiful boy have been so good today. I know it was a cold one and you did scare those ducks but you were still good." You said smiling and stroking your hand down his back.

"You need a nap now Monty?"

Monty leaned his head towards your hand, desperate for more attention and another biscuit.

"Ok, one more. Just because you're cute."

When you turned your body around to take a sip of your pint, you caught him staring. He had looked away quickly but he had definitely been looking your way. Tilting your head you stared across at his table willing him to look over at you again. The others at the table were all in conversation, but the blue eyed man wasn't really listening. His face had a warm pink blush across it and it didn't take him long to give in and look across at you again.

There it was again, the breathlessness. The warmth spread across your body as you tried to take a deep breath. You'd seen many pictures of him over the past few years and he was even more gorgeous in the flesh. Your bodies reaction to him was something you'd never experienced before. The racing of your heart had it thumping so fast you couldn't think straight. How long had you both been staring at each other for? You knew why you were staring at him but why was he staring at you? Had his body reacted to you in the same way yours had to his?

That seemed highly unlikely.

The clue came when Monty quickly laid his head down on your lap and closed his eyes, clearly tired from your walk that afternoon. You saw him chuckle from across the pub and it was perfectly timed with Monty's dramatic passing out on your lap.

You'd had Monty since he was a puppy and in his two years with you he had attracted a lot of attention from people on a daily basis. Working from home meant you could get up and take him for a walk in the mornings where you would see the same people walking their dogs across Wandsworth Common. Then in the afternoon you'd do the same, Sunday's always meant a trip to the pub to.

Monty was a babe magnet as your friends called him.

Being young he was always bouncing around in the park, waiting for you to throw him his ball. He would attract the attention of everyone, desperate for them to make a fuss of him.

Seems he had done it again.

Even with this knowledge your heart still wouldn't stop racing, a tingling feeling was creeping up your spine as you took another sip of your pint.

You would not look back over at the blue eyed man again.

You must not do it.

But you did.

You gave him one last glance, shaking your head in amusement as you then reached into your bag for your book.

Niall was sat across the room discreetly watching you as you read your book, pausing occasionally to look down at the cute dog asleep on your lap or to take a sip of your pint.

Something was pulling him to you and he hadn't been able to look away.