Pulling up to the parking lot of the closest oceanfront, Beth spotted Liam leaning against his sportscar. His eyes were shielded by sunglasses despite the purple quiet of the setting sun. He was wearing khakis, again, but this time with a loose white button down. It accentuated his tan, but most importantly, it reminded her of his uniform at Dalton Academy. Liam had been such a different man when she had first met him.
Beth’s sundress flew in the wind as she ran to Liam and jumped a little to grasp his strong shoulders. Spinning her against the quiet hum of the ocean waves crashing against the shore, Liam knew he couldn’t let her go again.
“Happy birthday,” Liam whispered in her ear when she was still high in the air. Looking around to make sure there weren’t any men with camera’s following them around, the pair slowly descended the wispy wooden boardwalk stairs towards the calm waters. An air of tranquility floated over them, as the salty sea spray left their skin damp.
After a slow, quiet walk with their footprints lingering in the sand behind them, Liam led Beth to a bench. Their usual bench. In the small etching on the side of the old, sea-worn wood, there was the phrase for my love, my life, my serenity. The small quote had been a joke to the couple at first, but on that bench, a force had seemed to come over them. Beth had developed deeper feelings for Liam and she'd suspected that he had the same kind of thoughts too.
“So, I think I’ve decided,” Liam announced once they became comfortable on the bench. He seemed more tense than usual. His shoulder muscles protruded out of his chest as he tried to straighten his back.
“Decided what?” Beth asked delicately, meeting Liam’s eyes.
“I've decided to go with you on your backpacking trip.” Liam turned toward Beth expectantly, eager to see her reaction. Beth lit up with a smile, her eyes squinting from the sudden news.
“But what about your family’s business?” She rested her head against his chest, and felt his pulse quicken at the mention of his family.
“I can’t do it anymore," he confessed. "I just can’t. It’s not who I am. I’m going to tell my father I don’t want to be a part of it.” Liam held Beth closer, as if using her as a shield. Beth had never met Liam’s parents, but she had heard enough stories about them to understand the nervous sheen that now graced Liam’s forehead.
“Are you sure, Liam? What are you going to do instead?”
“I'm not sure. All I know is the vineyard business."
“It's going to be a huge sacrifice for you," Beth responded. "They might cut you off. What will you do for money?" Looking up at Liam, Beth saw a hint of inquisitiveness cross his face, but only for a moment. His stern expression made it clear that this wasn’t just a spur of the moment decision.
“I don't know but you’ve inspired me to go after my dreams. Ever since we met in that photography class I’ve dreamed of being a photographer like you. We could work together, maybe. You and photography are the only things that had made me really happy.” Liam bowed his head at the confession, he had never told Beth this before.
Beth’s eyes filled with tears, mingling with the sea sprayed salt already clinging to her face. She grabbed Liam tightly, not just to comfort him, but also to show him that his words had meant something to her.
“You know, you’d have to get used to the starving artist lifestyle,” Beth said with a laugh. She noticed that his eyes too were stinging red with the presence of tears.
“I could pull it off.” Liam smirked, regaining his usual haughty demeanor.
“We'll see on the backpacking trip. We’ll be staying in hostels and buying food on a budget, not five-star hotels with room service,” Beth said jokingly. She looked up in time to see Liam laughing, a sound she had grown to cherish.
“As long as I'm not alone," Liam responded, staring off into the distance.
“You won’t ever have to worry about that so long as you're with me,” Beth whispered.
She leaned in toward his lips and kissed him gently. Beth ran her fingers through his hair, and then gently rubbed his strong, athletic back. Liam caressed her face with the back of his palm and pulled her in closer. Perhaps it was the bench or the entrancing sky, but at that moment, Beth knew that this is what being in love felt like.
Chapter 6
“Hey Beth, looking lovely as always tonight. I’ll have my usual.”
Beth snapped out of her daydream and smiled back at the man looking at her from across the bar. He was a regular. She made some small talk as she poured him a glass of whiskey. This was the usual repertoire with many of her regulars, who quickly became much more like friends than customers. Beth had that way with people, her soft-spoken nature and her trusting eyes allowed others to talk to her easily. Everyone at the bar loved her, and it showed by the amount of tips she received at the end of each night.
Beth instinctively looked up every time the door swung open. She secretly prayed that every person who entered wasn’t Liam. Beth wasn’t ready for their conversation and she needed more time to mentally prepare. Luckily, Beth saw a woman in a long black pencil skirt enter. It was Jojo, and Beth sighed as her sister took the open spot across from where Beth usually stood.
“Do you need a drink?” Beth asked, studying her sister. She saw the dark purple half-moons relaxing under her eyes, and her cropped hair was pulled back into a very messy ponytail.
“Yes, please. These papers are killing me. Grading is an absolute nightmare.” Jojo slumped her head onto the bar in a huff, strands of her light hair landed in piles on the marble countertop.
“Yikes, that sounds rough,” Beth said, shaking up a Cosmo to take some of the edge off.
Jojo peeled her head from the table and dramatically leaned her head on her hand, making her look much younger than she was. Suddenly, Jojo’s body perked up, and a light came back into her face. She sat up straight and flashed Beth a huge smile, her tired eyes lighting up. Oh no, Beth thought. This was never a good sign.
“Oh, that's right," Jojo said loudly. "You never told me what happened with Liam yesterday.”
“Nothing really, “ Beth answered nonchalantly, pretending not to notice her sister’s smirk. She tried not to blush at the mere mention of Liam’s name, instead focusing all her energy on carefully pouring her sister’s drink into a tall martini glass.
“Come on. You never tell me anything about Liam.” Jojo whined, grabbing the drink from Beth’s hand and taking a sip that, in Beth’s opinion, was much too large.
“Yes, I do,” Beth said in opposition, but she knew that wasn’t entirely true.
Beth had always told her sister when Liam was in the picture and when he wasn’t in the picture, but that was the extent of what Jojo knew. Looking at her sister’s eager eyes, Beth felt a twinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach. But she and Liam had always been so private and so secretive. It was second nature to her.
“That’s a lie," Jojo argued. "All I know is the last time you saw Liam King you came home absolutely heartbroken. And then I see you two in the hallway yesterday.”
“I know. I know. Fine. I’m meeting him for drinks because he wants to talk. Nothing else." Beth acted like their meeting was meant to be a casual affair, but everything was complicated when it came to Liam King.
Before Jojo could respond in a way besides rolling her eyes, a tall, young man sat on the barstool next to her. His brown hair was slicked back to show off his sculpted face, and he was wearing a fitted suit with a pink bow tie.
“Hey, there.” Jojo nodded and smiled at the attractive stranger before her. “Not to brag or anything but my sister makes a mean Manhattan.” Jojo pointed at Beth, who rolled her eyes. She knew what Jojo was trying to do, and she was not interested.
“Oh, really. I’ll definitely take one then. Thanks for the tip.” The man responded, his voice strong and clear.
Beth made and handed the man his drink.
“My name’s Carter, Carter Vanderson.” The man shook Beth’s hand vigorously before finally letting go. Beth couldn't
deny that the man was attractive.
“Nice to meet you, Carter," Beth replied. "I’m Beth Davis, and this is my sister, Jojo.” Beth pointed to her sister who suddenly wasn't so exhausted anymore.
“So Carter, are you from around here?” Jojo asked.
“No, not really. I’m here on business checking out the local art scene.” Carter took a sip of his drink.
“What sort of art are you looking for?” Beth asked.
“Everything," Carter answered. "I own a gallery in L.A., and I like to show off the diamond in the roughs, so to speak.” Carter's eyes locked on Beth and Beth's stomach filled with butterflies.
“Well, this is your lucky day," Jojo chimed in. Beth knew that her sister wouldn't be able to resist saying something about her portfolio. "Beth here is a fantastic photographer. You have to see her work.”
“Really?” Carter asked, never taking his gaze off of Beth.
"Tell him, sis." Jojo raised her eyebrows. Bragging wasn't something Beth did well, but she knew she had to say something about her work.
“Well, I studied art in college," Beth explained, trying to sound humble. "I've since built up a portfolio, and I've had my photographs displayed in a few places."
“I guess I walked into the right bar. We should chat. Let me take you to dinner.” Carter reached into his pocket and pulled out his business card. He slid it across the bar.
“Thanks.” Beth hesitated, cradling the card in her hand. She felt the cold sting of Jojo's glare.
"She'll give you her number," Jojo volunteered, nodding at her sister.
“I would love that,” Carter said, patiently reaching for his cell phone.
“Okay, dinner it is,” Beth finally responded, punching her number into his phone.
"I look forward to it." Carter grinned and took another sip of his drink.
After Carter had paid and left a very generous tip, Beth put the business card in her back pocket. Her mind was a maze, trying to process what had just happened and how she felt about it. In the mess, she'd almost forgotten that Jojo was sitting right in front of her.
“I can't believe you almost let that guy get away” Jojo scolded her. "He's perfect for you. He's hot, and he owns an art gallery. What more could you want?"
“Yeah, I guess he was good-looking,” Beth said meagerly. She didn't want to be too quick to agree with her sister, even though she was right.
“Beth, you're killing me. This could be your big break. You should be jumping up and down right now." Jojo shook her head.
“I am on the inside,” Beth said quietly compared to Jojo’s boisterous gestures.
Beth was too lost in daydreams of the man who had already changed her life. The man who was supposed to meet her tonight. Liam King.
Chapter 7
After her sister had left, Beth stood behind the bar. Most of her regular customers were gone by now and only a small crowd of local college students remained. This was the crowd Beth would’ve hung out with if she had the time. She rested her head on her palm and leaned over the bar.
Before Beth had the chance to finish her cleaning duties, the front door swung open. She glanced up and saw Liam enter the room. He smiled when he saw her, his eyes never straying from her face.
Beth smiled back, and tried to hide the rose bud glow that began burning on her cheeks. It wasn’t because she had seen his face. Beth was accustomed to being taken aback by his genuinely charming features, his retroussé nose, and perpetual smirk. This time, she gawked at his surprising choice of attire. Liam looked like a normal guy from northern California in his jeans and casual shirt. He fit right in with the locals.
“Beth,” Liam called to her. He made his way to the bar stool adjacent to her.
“Hi.” Beth greeted him.
“How about a drink?" Liam offered. "My treat, of course." He pointed to a bottle of vodka behind the bar.
“Okay, but just one for me. I have a busy day tomorrow.” Beth poured two vodkas into small glasses. She carried them out from behind the bar and joined Liam. They faced each other, and Beth couldn’t help but smile. There was something about the energy Liam emanated that made her excited.
“Still the responsible one,” Liam said, taking a swig.
“I'm not in high school anymore.” Beth shrugged and took a drink. She swallowed more than she'd meant to.
“How is everything going?” Liam asked. "Are you still into photography these days?"
"I'm a freelancer," Beth answered. "Nothing amazing but it pays the bills. Like always, I'm still waiting for my big break."
"I've always admired the fact that you've stuck with it all of these years." Liam cleared his throat, studying Beth's expression. "Something is bothering you, isn't it?" He had always been good at noticing when she had something on her mind.
“I just … well, when I read about your engagement, I never thought I'd see you again,” Beth said shyly. "Ever."
“I'm the one who ended it,” he added. "Of course, my family has been keeping it from the press in hopes that I'll change my mind."
“I guess you want to talk about it?” Beth nursed her vodka, twirling the small, red straw against the ice cubes. "You were always a sucker for my advice."
"Yeah, I am." Liam grinned.
"Well, then." Beth nodded, proud that she had been right. "Go ahead. Talk away. You know I would never go to the papers. I never have, and I don't plan to anytime soon."
"I trust you," Liam admitted. "But there's not much tell really. My parents set the whole thing up. I got tired of pretending I was in love with Francesca, and I didn’t want to live my life like that.”
Beth’s heart sank. She knew his parents were pushy, but she never knew the extent. Liam had talked about them once in a while, but he'd kept all of the nasty details to himself.
“I'm surprised your parents are even speaking to you,” Beth said, gently putting her hand on top of Liam’s. She felt herself falling into the same trap she always did with him. Beth couldn’t resist him.
“I'm not going to repeat the words that came out of their mouths. I'm sure you can imagine. I’ve been really unhappy these past few years. I had to do something to save my sanity." Liam stared at Beth's hand.
“You'll be just fine, Liam,” Beth cooed, unable to pull herself away. "You always are."
“I hate that saying that money doesn’t buy happiness. It's completely right. The only time I've ever felt free to be myself was with you.” Liam took another sip of his drink.
Beth looked at the despair floating around in Liam's eyes. She remembered looking into those eyes just a few years ago. Oh, how much hurt and heartbreak they had caused her. She had loved Liam, and he had let her down. There was no way Beth could put herself through that again, no matter how much she wanted to be with him. Beth gulped. She wasn't sure how much of this her heart could take.
"Liam …" Beth's voice was quiet.
“Beth, do you think … I mean, is there any way that you and I …” Liam had a hard time spitting out the right words.
“You and I were nothing more than a fling,” Beth admitted. "That's what you said to me once, remember?" It was true. Their on and off relationship had lasted ten years, and nothing had ever become of it. Beth didn't have time for relationships like that anymore, and a fling here and there wasn't what she wanted.
“It doesn’t have to be like that this time.” Liam was hopeful that she would give him another chance.
Beth didn’t know what to do or what to say. Before she could convince herself to say yes to Liam King, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
“Liam, listen, I’ve met someone else,” Beth lied, causing Liam’s face to crumble in disappointment. She felt bad, but there was no other way.
“Is it serious?” Liam asked, dejected.
“I think it could be." Beth's mind landed on the last guy she had spoken to which had been Carter Vanderson. "He owns a gallery in L.A.” Beth trailed off, noticing Liam break apart their
hands. His body slumped, and Beth wanted to cry. She hadn’t even gone to dinner with Carter yet, and she hated lying to Liam. But to avoid another heartbreak, lying was necessary. Otherwise, Liam would not have taken no for an answer.
“I see,” Liam said. “Then I guess it would be inappropriate for me to ask for one last kiss for old time's sake?"
“That's a horrible idea, Liam.” Beth knew that if she kissed Liam, she would end up falling for him all over again. She couldn’t take that chance.
"Then how about another drink and some laughs with an old friend?" Liam eagerly waited for Beth to reply.
"Okay." Beth poured them each another drink. "For old time's sake." She raised her glass and took a swig.
After a few more drinks, it seemed as if there was no stopping them. Beth and Liam couldn't stop laughing as they reminisced about high school, college, and old friends. For that brief moment in time, Beth felt as though nothing had gone wrong between them.
Beth had more to drink than she'd realized, feeling dizzy and giddy at the same time. The way they laughed together sounded like a choir in her head. Beth and Liam finally stumbled out of the bar. The peaceful was the perfect end to their meeting.
Without any warning, Liam kissed Beth. It sent chills down her spine. Her heart pounded as she longed to be held by him again. One last time won't hurt, she thought.
Chapter 8
Beth awoke the next day and found herself lying on her unmade bed in her small, one-room apartment. Beth slowly sat up but a pounding headache forced her back down. She had a massive hangover from the night before.
“How many drinks did I have last night?” Beth whispered to herself. Her room looked blurry and out of focus. The kitchen was a complete mess, and Beth wondered if she had tried to cook up everything in her cupboards last night.
The Forever Fling: A Billionaire Love Story Page 3
