I hope you enjoy meeting Landon Peters, our sexy British Billionaire as much as I enjoyed writing him...
Aurora's POV
Three hours later, I'm sitting in my favourite bar with my third margarita in front of me.
The bar is relatively new, literally only been open a month or so. Tallulah has never been before and she is still looking around in awe. I guess it is quite impressive.
"So, this is your new hangout?"
"Yeah." Cameron tells her with a grin.
There are red drapes hanging from the ceiling and books on the shelves around our booth.
I'm barely paying attention to their conversation but I can't resist adding my piece.
"We had to stop going to The Last Leg because Cam slept with the barmaid."
"Not the old landlady?"
Lou's eyes are wide with a mixture of fear and delight.
"God no!" Cameron shivers at the thought.
I let their conversation merge with the background noise as I return to thinking about my earlier conversation with Cameron.
"I'm just so fed up with all the rules," I accidentally say out loud.
"You do realise you are an adult, right?" Tallulah pipes up.
"Exactly! I'm an adult!"
It's different for Tallulah though. She hasn't got to live with my parents. As much as they love me, their expectations are crushing.
Cameron chuckles, his eyes shining with mirth.
"It's up to you what you do."
"Exactly! And I want to... I want to do tequila shots."
Cameron jumps to his feet and pulls out his wallet.
"Better get the lady some tequila," he says before making his way over to the bar.
"Do you think I'm being stupid?" I ask Tallulah. I feel stupid. I feel like I've wasted a lot of opportunities. It makes me feel a little bit sick.
"No," Lou sips her drink, "I think you need to live your life for yourself, not your parents."
I nod my head slowly.
"But how?"
I don't even think I know where to start. I've done everything I can to be exactly what they expect me to be for the last twenty-two years. I don't know how I'm supposed to go against everything I know now.
"Well... What do you want to do?" she asks seriously, more sincere than I've ever seen her.
"I want to break all the rules my parents gave me," I respond without stopping for breath.
"Okay then."
Tallulah opens her bag and pulls out her sketchbook and a pencil. I always find it a bit bizarre that she insists on taking them everywhere with her. As if she'd really start drawing in the middle of a dark nightclub.
"I think we need a list."
"A list?" I ask bewildered.
"A list of rules to break," Lou replies.
The irony isn't lost even on drunk me. I'm the queen of rules and lists and plans so of course, I'd need a list to help me break them.
When Cameron arrives back with our tequila shots, there are already seven things on the list and the list keeps growing.
"Don't swear."
"Yeah. You really need to break that one," Cameron laughs teasingly.
"Don't get drunk," I continue, watching Tallulah write down what I say. I can't help but wonder if this list will even be legible in the morning when we're sober.
"Well, you're starting on that one tonight." Lou grins as she continues, "Welcome to the world of too much tequila."
"Don't do drugs," I add calmly.
"As a med student, I really can't encourage the use of narcotics..." Cameron sits sniggering to himself.
"Don't smoke."
"Well, someone in this bar is bound to be willing to give you a cigarette," Tallulah replies.
"No inappropriate relationships... No SEX!"
"Again, there are probably at least thirty guys in here who would happily help you out with that one," Cameron says with a smirk.
"Hell – I'll be able to have a fricking lie in! No one telling me that it's a waste of valuable time that could be better used volunteering at church."
Not that I have anything against my parents' religion but it just isn't for me and yet I feel like I have no choice but to take part regardless.
"I think you mean a fucking lie in." Tallulah's eyes are glowing with laughter.
"Yes," I giggle, "I mean a fucking lie in."
"What about lying?" Cameron asks. "Don't you wish you could just say a little white lie once in a while?"
"Yup! All the time."
Tallulah stumbles to her feet with a mischievous smile, grabs my hand and pulls me out of our booth.
"Let's go find you a cigarette."
"What?" I'm shocked.
"Seriously!"
Tallulah is nodding now as she drags me through the bar towards an outdoor smoking area.
"It's against the rules and you've got to start somewhere... and it's not like we can get you a tattoo tonight!"
***
Cameron has disappeared off somewhere with a pretty blonde girl he found the last time he went to get us more drinks, so now it is just me and Tallulah.
I've drunk more tonight than I ever have before, I've smoked my first cigarette – although I think it will also be my last; I didn't really like it – and as Tallulah keeps reminding me the night is not over yet.
Tallulah keeps trying to hook me up with every random guy that comes by our booth to hit on it. It's a tad embarrassing and I think I might have spent most of the night blushing.
"What I don't understand is how it is so easy for Ali..."
We finished writing the list about an hour ago and now several drinks drunk and a few rules broken later, I'm complaining about the unfairness of the whole thing.
"I just don't get how she breaks all their rules without a second thought."
"Do you know what I've never understood? Why doesn't she live in the flat? She's at the same university as you so why don't you live together?"
"She refused to accept any help off our parents. They own the flat."
Tallulah cocks her head to the side, clearing thinking about something.
"She really is nothing like you, is she?"
"Nope. We're nothing alike. But for all that... She's happy. She's not miserable. She does what she wants when she wants, and she doesn't worry about what our parents think."
I've always worried far too much about what our parents think.
Lou nods.
"That must be pretty great."
"Yeah..." I nod my head slowly before making a decision. "I want to make a toast."
I lift my glass.
"What sort of toast?" Tallulah's eyebrow has shot up.
"To being more like Aileen."
I lift my glass before drowning the rest of my drink. Looking over at Tallulah, my expression turns serious. I've been so selfish, focused completely on myself.
"Are you okay, Lou?"
"Of course!" She gives me a smile but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I'm worried about you," I say with a shrug of my shoulders. "You're important to me."
"I know. Thank you. But really, I'm okay."
"How long are you staying?" I ask her.
"I'm not going back."
"Are you sure? Tallulah, you were so excited this summer. Why did you leave?"
"Rory, just drop it. Please." She's whispering, almost begging me.
I nod because there's nothing else I can say.
"Are you thinking of transferring?" I'm scared to ask but I don't want her to just abandon her masters.
"I don't know yet."
"Okay." I smile at her before taking pity on her, changing the subject. "So... How's Nathan?"
If I thought that talking about her brother would cheer her up, I couldn't be more wrong.
"Urgh! He's going to kill me when he realises I'm not in Brighton."
***
Lou is laughing and it's kind of infectious. I give her my biggest smile before glancing down at my empty glass and then up to the bar, where my eyes land on a guy.
He's watching me or maybe not.
He might be watching Tallulah. Yeah. He's probably watching Tallulah.
He's gorgeous. He's got dark, messy hair. The sort that Tallulah would say just screams at you to run your hands through it.
His eyes are immense; I feel like their piercing into my soul from across the room but that's impossible.
He's not even looking at me. He's looking at Tallulah or someone behind me, but I can't help but blush because there's a chance that he's looking at me.
Historically, if this sort of thing happened, I would ignore it and return to my conversation, completely pretending nothing had happened. But the problem is that I've just made that list and I have to try and change if I'm ever going to break those rules.
I glance back at him and he's still looking this way.
He's not smiling. He's looking at me or at least in this general direction with an intense look that makes him seem a little cold, intimidating, unapproachable.
But underneath that there is something else.
His eyes. They are intent on whatever has his attention; perhaps me. That look is enough to make me silently beg whatever god is listening that he really is looking at me and not some other girl or worse Tallulah.
It's now or never.
Do I go for it or not? I want to. I feel like I might need to. I can't keep being scared to break my rules.
I look back at my empty glass, and in that split-second, I make a decision.
"We need more tequila!"
I'm on my feet and making my way towards the bar before Lou has time to respond. I've never done this before. I've never tried chatting a guy up before.
I stop when I'm standing right next to where he's sitting on one of the bar stools. I don't look at him. I don't speak. I just wait for the barman.
My heart is racing with excitement.
I don't know what to do next. I wonder if I should introduce myself or just start up a conversation or maybe I should just glance his way.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can tell his body is leaning towards me, our shoulders touching gently in the crowded space around the bar. I can feel a palpable tension radiating off him and it affects me in a way I've never known before.
I need to say something.
I can't let the opportunity pass me by; I won't waste it. Not this time. Just as I'm about to say something the barman arrives and asks for my order.
"Two margaritas and two shots of tequila with lemon and salt."
I'm ridiculously proud of myself when my voice doesn't screech.
The guy chuckles. His laughter is deep and rich and I like it. It causes me to smile instinctively as if it's an intrinsic part of me to be happy when he's happy. But that's just absurd.
"You sure like your tequila."
I turn to face him, completely speechless. I didn't expect him to speak first and I'm nervous.
"It's a new preference." My voice is quiet, timid.
"I see," he grins, "so before you turned to tequila, what were you?"
"Pardon?"
I'm confused and I'm pretty sure he can see it all over my face and that embarrasses me.
"A gin girl? A vodka girl?"
"Neither; I've never been much of a drinker."
I'm blushing. I can feel it.
I can't decide if it's from embarrassment or something else, something hotter. It's most likely both.
"I'd usually just have a single glass of whatever everyone else was having. I've never had a preference."
"Really?" He doesn't really sound convinced, and in fairness, it is quite unbelievable when I think about the girls that attend my university and even the girls I went to secondary school with.
"Really... This is the first time I've ever been drunk."
"You're not serious?"
His eyebrow is raised, a look of barely concealed surprise on his face. I blush as he looks me over thoughtfully. I don't respond, partly because I don't know what to say and partly because I think he finds me amusing.
I can't help but feel cross that he might be laughing at me.
The barman returns, saying, "That's eighteen pounds, love."
I open my purse but I'm not quick enough.
"Put it on my tab."
I turn towards the guy once more.
"You don't have to do that."
"I don't have to do anything," he retorts with what I can only describe as blatant arrogance. "Enjoy your drinks."
I don't seem to be able to look away from him. I'm confused. I can't tell if he's just dismissed me with that 'enjoy your drinks' or if he wants to talk more, like his body language is suggesting.
"Thanks."
Up close, he looks even better than he did from across the room. He's got broad shoulders and he's wearing a white shirt. His shirt sleeves are rolled up to just below the elbow, showing off strong, powerful forearms.
His top button is undone.
I can see a suit jacket over the back of his bar stool. It looks soft – expensive. His tie is peeking out of the breast pocket, a deep, rich emerald green.
His eyes are bright with excitement and they seem to twinkle as he looks me over.
I'm awkward and completely at a loss as to what to do next. I've never really known how to flirt. I've not ever really tried.
I try to think of something, anything to say but nothing comes to mind, so I decide to settle for another slightly over polite thank you but as I open my mouth to speak, Tallulah grabs me from behind, taking me by surprise.
My eyes are still on the guy beside me as Lou starts nattering about some guy she's just met while I've been distracted at the bar with HIM.
I don't know anything about him. I don't even know his name. I don't know what I'm supposed to do next.
The alcohol in my system is supposed to help with this, right?
Make me less inhibited or something but no, I'm still just Aurora Stone, the girl who hasn't got a clue what to do.
"I'm going to go dance with him," Tallulah is saying. "Will you be okay for a bit?"
I laugh because other than the fact that I'm completely overwhelmed, I couldn't be more okay.
"I'm great. Go! Have fun."
For once, I'm telling the truth. Sort of.
Normally, I'd have said those words and then proceeded to sit alone, bored out of my skull, but this time it is different.
I haven't told her what I'm really thinking, that now I have an excuse to sit here with perhaps the most gorgeous man I have ever met.
I just need something to say to him now.
If I was a bit more like Tallulah or Aileen, starting a conversation would be a lot easier.
Lou looks unsure but when she sees the guy beside me, she gives me a massive grin and a wink before flouncing off.
"Your friend is certainly excitable." He sounds slightly mocking.
I look up, back into his eyes.
"She's..." It's hard to describe Lou. I really don't know what to tell him so instead, I shrug. "She's Tallulah," I tell him as if that answers all his questions.
He grins.
"And who are you?"
"I'm Aurora. Rory."
I feel like I should be offering my hand for him to shake. That's what my mother would expect me to do. She always makes such a fuss about how you should introduce yourself with confidence.
I settle for rubbing my neck and giving him a big smile as I lean slightly on the bar before taking a sip from my margarita.
It's delicious. Amazing, in fact. I think I've found a favourite drink.
"I'm Landon. Are you going to drink those shots?"
He raises his eyebrow again. I feel like he's challenging me.
"Well... I did get one for Lou but it doesn't look like she wants it."
I glance towards where Tallulah is dancing with a blonde man.
"Would you like one?" I offer him.
"Alright," he says, his eyes twinkling with laughter.
👔 If you saw Landon Peter across a bar how would you try and pick him up?