Page 30 of Fix Them Up
‘Thank you.’
As he walked away, I was tempted to fan myself. Had he… had he been flirting with me? It was so hard to tell. He kept his voice so even and his face so schooled. I watched the muscles in his back flex as he reached up for the port on the top shelf behind the bar and poured Dot a generous measure.
I blinked.
Was I attracted to Liam?
‘I give it a year,’ Dot said, shifting my gaze away from Liam.
‘A year?’
‘Until you’re married.’
I frowned. ‘Married? Oh, I’m not in a relationship—’
‘Our Liam.’
‘Oh. We’re not – We’re not together.’
Dot ignored me. ‘You remind me of Archie and me. We used to bicker too, but we’d always make up eventually.’ Dot waggled her eyebrows. ‘Making up was the best bit.’
I laughed awkwardly. ‘We’re not—’
The music grew louder, and I realised a little dancefloor had formed in the middle of the social club, just in front of the bar. Liam brought our drinks back, offering his hand to Dot and leading her onto the dancefloor, like they’d done this a hundred times. Other couples joined them, swaying to ‘String of Pearls’ byGlenn Miller. My heart gave a horrible swoop as Liam gave Dot a twirl, and her smile widened.
As the song faded and ‘Moonlight Serenade’ started, Dot leaned in and furiously whispered something in Liam’s ear, causing his forehead to crease. He shook his head, but Dot persisted, speaking more animatedly. Eventually, he nodded, then scanned the room. His eyes locked onto mine, that unreadable expression returning. With a determined, unwavering stride, he made his way over to me. He held my gaze as he stopped before me, and I felt the heat rising in my cheeks.
‘I’ve been told to ask you to dance.’
‘You’ve been told?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, that’s not a nice way to ask, is it?’
Liam’s jaw tensed. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, you could have asked me. You didn’t have to specify that an eighty-eight-year-old lady had strong-armed you to ask me. Besides, you don’t seem the type to cower to a demand like that. You seem all’ – I gestured to his face – ‘unmovable.’
‘Will you dance with me or not?’ Liam said, his voice low.
I laughed. ‘Not with that face. Seriously, I’m fine.’
‘Red. Please, will you dance with me?’ His eyes bore into mine.
‘You want to dance with me?’
‘Yes.’ The word came out strong from his chest, his eyes widened like it surprised him. He glanced away and added, ‘It will make a very kind, very sweet lady happy.’
I glanced behind him to see Sandra and Dot whispering, small smiles on their faces. ‘We’re being set up.’
‘Bingo. She gets it.’
‘Stop being a dickhead.’
‘Look. She looks frail, but I did all my piano homework for areason. She can be bloody terrifying when she wants to be. We’ll dance. Make her happy and forget all about it.’
Liam offered me his hand. It was the first time I’d actually looked at it properly. It was huge, tanned, and pale, white scars all over. How would they feel in mine? Warm, maybe.
