Call Me Liam
1380 Words
It was almost 8 p.m., and I didn't know what to wear.
I felt like I was going crazy.
All the dresses I had were not suitable for a date night.
Well, I had never dated anyone before, so how could I have those kinds of dresses?
And then I remembered that Molly had always insisted that I buy them just in case, but I didn't listen.
And here I was!
She even once gave me one as a birthday present.
A beautiful red dress.
"Whoa!" I gasped, my eyes widening.
"How could I be so stupid to forget," I said excitedly.
I jumped out of bed, and started looking for it.
I found it.
It was buried deep beneath other clothes. I pulled it out immediately.
I needed to call Molly.
I quickly snatched my phone, which was lying on the bed, and dialed her number.
"Tarry... hey babe."
"Ooh, God bless you Molly! you are a lifesaver."
"Wait! What happened?" she asked excitedly.
"I have a date at eight, and the dress you gave me just saved me from embarrassment," I said as I placed the dress on my body while looking at myself in the mirror.
"You are going on a date?" she yelled.
"How come I'm only finding out about this now?"
"I'm so sorry, my friend. Everything happened so fast. I promise to tell you everything when I am done with this."
"Who is it?"
"Liam Willostones."
Molly screamed with excitement until I could barely hear anything else.
"Girl! I got to go. I'll call you later."
I hung up the phone. I knew Molly well. If I kept talking to her, I would be late.
In a few minutes, I was ready.
I wore my hair down that day.
I even applied makeup, just like Molly had taught me.
I looked different.
Would he like it?
I heard someone knocking at the door.
It was Milo.
I quickly left my room. I didn't bother saying goodbye to Ciro.
"You look amazing, Miss Derva," Milo said to me after I opened the door.
"Thank you," I said, rewarding him with a smile.
The drive didn't take long. In no time, we arrived at the hotel.
As soon as I got out of the car, I felt like I did not belong there.
Classy places like those were meant for rich people, and I wasn't one of them.
I was sure anyone could tell it was my first time in a place like that.
"Mr. Willostones is waiting for you inside," he said, closing the car door behind me.
Milo escorted me inside, directly to where Liam was.
Then I saw him.
His sparkling eyes landed on me.
And for a moment, I felt important.
No one has ever looked at me like that before.
Liam stood up as we got closer. "Thank you, Milo," he said to him, but his eyes were still on me.
"At your service, sir." He then walked out, leaving us staring at each other.
"You are breathtaking, Tarisa," he said, lifting my hand, and kissing it.
"Thank you, sir," I replied.
A soft laugh escaped his lips. "I took you out on a date and you still can't call me by my name."
I became speechless, unable to look him in the eye.
He came closer and pulled out a chair for me.
"I am glad you came," he whispered in my ear.
After we both sat down, he didn't stop looking at me.
I couldn't tell if he liked what he saw or if he was disappointed that I wasn't looking beautiful enough.
"You should wear your hair down more often," he said
So he loved my hair.
I couldn't help but smile. My heart was finally at ease.
In a moment, we were ready to order.
The food was amazing and so was the man sitting in front of me.
No man had ever treated me like I mattered, not even my father.
We talked a lot about many things. I got a chance to know him better.
Behind the fame and riches, he was just a normal guy.
He had simple hobbies, and loved helping people in need.
He founded several nursing homes and orphanages.
What a kind heart he had.
"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.
"Of course, anything," he replied while using a tissue to wipe his lips.
"Who is in the picture frame hidden behind Ciro's bed?"
Liam took a sip of wine from his glass and adjusted his tie. "Well..."
"Well?" I asked anxiously.
"Emma. That's her name," he finally said.
"She was Ciro's fiancée until she broke off the engagement," he added.
"What happened between them?"
Liam cleared his throat. I sensed he wasn't comfortable with the topic.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," I said quickly.
"No..." He held my hand. "You need to know about this."
I took a deep breath, ready to hear the whole story.
"We knew Emma our whole lives, we grew up together and years later during highschool, Ciro and Emma fell in love," he paused.
"After high school, they got into the same college and their relationship continued to blossom. I was in a different college then so I wasn't close to them like before, but whenever we got together during the holidays, I saw how happy they were together," he loosened his tie and took another sip of wine.
"A few years after we graduated, Ciro proposed to her and she said yes, but after the engagement everything changed, they argued constantly, then one day... she was just gone. She disappeared without saying goodbye," he paused, again.
"And Ciro has never been the same since then."
I didn't know what to say. For a moment, I felt sorry for Ciro. I could also see the pain in Liam's eyes.
"Look at the time..." he said, his voice chasing away the awkward silence.
"We should get you home before anyone notices you are missing," he said with an effortless smile.
"Thank you so much for tonight, sir."
"No, thank you for being so good at your job, Tarisa."
I replied to him with a warm smile.
"But we can't leave yet. We haven't paid for the food."
I said in a low voice, but Liam only smiled.
"We don't have to. I kind of own the place," he said confidently.
Of course he did.
I lowered my head in embarrassment.
I was sitting there with the son of a billionaire.
That was the last thing I should have said.
Milo was already waiting for us outside the hotel when we came out.
Liam opened a car door for me and we sat in the back seat.
"What about your car, sir?" Milo asked, already sitting in the driver's seat.
"You will come back later to get it," he replied, but his focus remained on me.
"For now, let's take this beautiful woman home."
His sweet words left me blushing the whole drive.
Everything that happened tonight was too good to be true. I had to pinch myself a couple of times to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
When we reached the estate, it was quiet, so we had to sneak to the guesthouse silently.
It was fun.
We laughed and teased each other along the way.
"Today was fun. We should do this again sometime," he said as we stood by the guesthouse door.
"Absolutely! good night, sir."
As I turned to open the door, he pulled me closer and kissed my cheek. He smelled so good—an expensive, addictive cologne that made it hard to think straight.
My heart stopped.
He then whispered in a low, deep voice into my ear. "Call me Liam."
I stuttered.
"Say it!"
"Liam," I said, finally.
"Good girl," he said with a smile.
"Good night, Tarisa."
He pulled himself away from me and walked off.
I stood there, watching him disappear into the darkness.
His scent lingered on my dress, as if he were still close to me.
I walked inside, smiling.
After I turned on the lights, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
The last person I expected to see was sitting in the dark, staring at me.
- Writer
