Tangled Up in Daydreams (2 page)

“Sorry, didn't mean to startle you.” Apologizing. “Let me get you a napkin.”

He quickly walked back into the bar.

“Nice move, butterfingers.” Jaycee dissed her. “You're so smooth.”

“Fuck, why am I such a loser? I can't believe I just did that in front of such a god.” Molly tried to wipe the liquid off her chest. “I mean … guy.”

“So I take it this one is yours?” Jaycee asked as she winked at Molly.

“What do you mean, mine? I don't even know him,” Molly deflected and started to get flustered. “He's fair game.”

“Whatever. I know you, and you only pull the klutz routine when your pheromones start synapsing.”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Yes, but it's cute and he must think so too because here he comes with like a ream of paper napkins.”

“Here, will these work?” Thrusting about twenty napkins at her.

“I think so.” Molly laughed while holding the many napkins. “But I didn't fall into a pool.”

“I guess I got a little carried away.” He laughed with her. “My name is Liam.”

“Molly, and this is Jaycee.” Molly gestured next to her, but Jaycee wasn't there. “Well, that was Jaycee.”

“Nice to meet you. And her.” He smiled. “Sit down?”

“Sure.”

“I'll be right back. I'm going to go get you another drink. Martini?”

“Please.”

Liam vanished so Molly had to sit down alone at the small table. Two other guys and a tall, thin blond girl were sitting there already and as soon as Molly's butt touched the bench, they all cast this “What the fuck are you doing here at our table?” look at her. The attitude they shot at her could have laid the queen of confidence, Miss J.Lo herself, out on her ass'ets.

Molly wondered if people woke up in the morning and just decided to be mean for the hell of it. Like “Hey, it's Wednesday and I'm going to be a total asshole today just because.” Was it more fun to be nasty and cruel or was it just easier? Anyway, the guys leered and the girl sneered, and Molly began to shrink under their bitchiness. Before she totally melted into the seat and fell victim to these wannabes, Molly gave herself a little “You're cool, you're swell, you're the bomb” pep talk and decided not to cower. Instead, she sat up straighter, smiled, and then quickly looked for a cigarette in her bag. She had a cute guy coming back to talk to her and that was all that mattered. She pulled a Camel out, lit it, and inhaled. Nothing like the taste of nicotine to cover up the taste of nerves.

“Here you go, Molly.” Liam handed her a drink and then sat down. “Have you met my friends?”

“No, can't say that I have.” She smirked at them.

“This is Elena, Zander, and Elliot. Guys, this is Molly.”

“Hey.” The collective grunted. “Got any more smokes?”

“Sure.” Molly threw a pack down on the table and as soon as it landed, they lunged at it like wild animals.

“Easy there, kids,” Liam scolded his friends. “They aren't usually so misbehaved. It's just one of those nights.” Redirecting his attention back to Molly.

“It's okay. Sometimes when you're jonesing, etiquette flies right out of the proverbial window.”

“Exactly. So, Molly, should we have one of those bullshit conversations that people usually have when they meet at a bar?”

“You mean the ones that include the standard what do you do, where are you from, are you married type questions?”

“Yep. That would be it.”

“I don't know. That seems too mundane.” Molly, smiling.

“I agree. Why is it that people always resort to talking about the most meaningless subjects when they are trying to make a good first impression?”

“Probably because they are nervous and are just looking for common ground. It's not like you can randomly meet someone and start talking about Camus.”

“You've read him?” Liam's eyes widened.

“Sure, but just
The Stranger
.”

“I loved that book, all about man's identity and existentialism.”

“What are you reading now?” Molly asked.

“Well, I've forced myself to go a little more modern and at the suggestion of my sister-in-law, Anita, I'm reading this book,
High Fidelity
, by some British guy. I saw the movie, but she says the book is much better.”

“Well, I did like the movie, but I absolutely loved that book. This guy I met when I was traveling abroad recommended it as the quintessential book on a guy's psyche.”

“I'm only halfway through it, but so far it depicts exactly how guys think about relationships and love.”

“Every girl should read it then and get the insider's perspective. We need all the help we can get when it comes to men.”

“We aren't so complicated.”

“Yeah, right!” Molly laughed out loud. “Tell that to my girlfriends.”

“You just haven't met the right guy.” He smiled.

“Now you sound like my grandmother.”

“Sorry, but it's true. Not all guys have these whacked-out theories about coupling with someone.”

“Maybe, but I'm hesitant to believe that these days. I'm really an optimist, but that's getting tiring. You always face too much disappointment.”

“True, but you live a fuller life. Expecting the best from people and situations is always the way to go,” Liam continued.

“But a lot of times you live it alone because most people look at the downside of things and avoid emotional connections. Most expect to be hurt and alienated, so they bail before anything at all happens.”

“I can't imagine doing that. Sure, it is hard to be vulnerable and let yourself be open, yet that is the only way you get all the good stuff.”

“Most people are afraid to do that,” Molly pointed out.

“I don't know, Molly. I just don't believe in shying away from strong feelings whether they are good or bad. It's only through pain that you can live better.”

“That sounds a bit morbid.”

“I don't mean that only suffering and a doom-and-gloom attitude get you anywhere. I mean that all emotions, fear, pain, passion, love, are scary, but they are what make you alive.”

“Like if you let yourself get involved, get torn to pieces, and get your heart broken, you wind up better for the trip?” Molly asked.

“Exactly. I can't live a safe life, a life blanketed to make everything balanced and boring. It's a waste of time to live with okay and fine. Why bother?”

“I agree with you, Liam, but it's hard to always pick yourself up. Defeat is not an easy thing to rouse yourself from because when and if you do live this super-charged give me pain, give me heartache, give me love type of life, you constantly get fucked because most people aren't doing the same thing.”

“Well, maybe then it's time for you to win a little,” Liam said.

“That would be nice for a change.”

“So, Molly, this is definitely not one of those bullshit conversations.”

“No, it certainly isn't.” Grinning at him.

They both smiled at each other and Molly knew that her troubles with men were over. For about five minutes they just stared and grinned and drank each other in. Nothing could interrupt the twirl between them. It was just Molly and Liam and they had just fallen for each other.

“By the way … are you?” Liam, breaking the silence.

“Am I what?” Molly looked at him funny.

“Married?”

“No! Are you?”

“Nope.”

“Good.”

“Ditto.”

“Last name?”

“McGuire. Yours?”

“Stern. And you are … ?” Molly asked.

“A musician.”

“Ahh, perfect.”

“Do I detect a note of sarcasm?” Liam asked.

“Not yet.” Smiling at him. “But, I'll get back to you later on that one.”

“Cute. You?”

“An artist trapped in the body of a salesgirl.”

“Painting? Sculpture?”

“A little of everything right now. I haven't found my niche just yet.”

“You will, one day it will hit you and then you'll be golden.”

“I'd like that. So, now what?” Molly wondered as she played with an olive in her drink. “Shall we continue?”

“No, I think now that we know each other so well, you should find Jaycee, say good-bye to her, and leave with me.”

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

“Okay.”

“I'll meet you outside.”

With that Molly stood up and headed back into the bar to find Jaycee. She had no idea what she was doing or why, but it really didn't matter. Her mind was swimming and she loved every minute of the dip. This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that she just had to grab. It was scary, potentially dangerous, and completely irrational, but it was also a must do. Even if he turned out to be a psycho, which was pretty much even odds at this point, she had to follow her gut and follow him out the door. Molly spotted Jaycee at the end of the bar talking to Mark and rushed over to her.

“I'm leaving.”

“What?”

“I'm leaving.”

“How?” Jay asked. “The band hasn't even gone on yet.”

“With Liam.”

“Who's Liam?”

“The god.”

“You're joking, right?”

“Nope. Is that cool?”

“No, but does it matter what I think?”

“Not really,” Molly answered. “And I know how bitchy and lame that sounds, but I just have to go.”

“What about John?”

“Wasn't it you who told me to drop the ball a little?”

“This is not dropping it a little, this is pretty much popping it and watching it shrivel up and blow right out of the stadium.”

“Don't be so dramatic.”

“Okay, okay, go, but leave your cell on because I'm going to call and check on you.”

“Thanks, babe.” Molly kissed her cheek. “Wish me luck.”

“Just get out of here, Mark will keep me company.”

Molly grabbed her coat from behind the bar and bolted for the door. She swung it open with such force that she almost took Liam out with the corner of the shiny edge.

“You are dangerous!” he exclaimed as he stepped backward to avoid the injury.

“I'm so sorry.” Molly blushed. “I'm having coordination problems tonight.”

“Couldn't tell,” Liam said with a straight face.

“Liam, I'm really sorry,” Molly repeated as she started freaking out. “I'm not usually such a disaster. I swear …”

“Relax,” Liam interrupted. “I'm just giving you a hard time.”

“Thanks. Not like I'm not nervous enough,” she muttered under her breath.

“Why are you nervous?”

“You weren't supposed to hear that.” She blushed again.

“But I did.”

“Let's just get out of here before I change my mind.”

“Sounds good. I wouldn't want to lose you now.”

Liam offered Molly his arm, and the two of them walked together to the parking lot, their streetlamp shadows blending into one. They made their way to his perfectly restored vintage muscle car and started driving.

“Where to?” Liam asked, pulling onto Sunset.

“Wherever. I got no plans.” Checking the side-view mirror to see if her scarf was secured. “Well, I had plans, but this tornado sort of swept through and turned them on their head.” Looking at him.

“I kind of like being a force of nature.”

“I bet you do.” Bantering.

Liam leaned his head out the window at the next stoplight and looked toward the sky.

“How about the beach? We can pick up some beers.”

“Sure.” Not knowing why she was so casually agreeing to drive to a deserted beach with a total stranger. Maybe it was the way Sunset Boulevard's neon lights framed his cheekbones.

“So, what's under there?” Tugging at the edge of her scarf.

“You don't want to know. My hair sometimes acts like a very stubborn two-year-old. It refuses to cooperate no matter how tender I am with my coaxing.”

“Let me see.” Trying to pull it off.

“I don't think so.” Dodging his hands. “The interior of your car is not big enough to handle it.”

“Please?” Grinning at her. “Now I have to see.”

“Nope, patience is a virtue, dear boy.” Grinning back.