In Perfect Harmony
I Must Be Dreaming
Grace's POV
About 20 minutes after we left my building, we pulled up in front of the club. There was a long line of people lined up, with a couple of bouncers at the door. Liam climbed out of the car and held out his hand to help me out of the car, not letting go when I was safely on the ground. Harry hopped out of the driver's seat and went around the car to get the car to get the door for Leah. Niall hopped out on his own before slamming the door. Liam led me to the door, the others following. When the bouncer saw us, he nodded and let us through right away. Harry stopped to talk to him, handing him the car keys and a tip. I should have known that the boys received special treatment, whether because of their celebrity status or simply because they went out a lot.
When we got through the doors, I was overwhelmed by the blasting music and hordes of people. My grip on Liam's hand tightened. I really preferred a night in to this chaos. The club was really nice, though. I could tell it was upscale by the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and everyone was dressed well. Liam turned to me.
"You ok, Grace?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, plastering a smile on my face. There was nothing wrong with nightclubs, they just weren't my cup of tea. I didn't want to tell Liam that, though. Would he really want to be with someone who had anxiety like me? There were a lot of girls out there who actually enjoyed going out. I was getting ahead of myself. I really didn't even know if he liked me like that.
"I see Zayn and Louis over there. Follow me." Liam let me through the crowd of people. After a lot of zig-zagging, we finally reached the two couples. My jaw dropped when I saw the girls. Perrie was in a one-shoulder black dress and heels, while Eleanor was in a light pink top with black leggings and platforms. They were gorgeous. I instantly felt self-conscious.
Perrie saw us first, rushing over to greet us.
"You must be Grace! I'm Perrie- I've heard so much about you!" She seemed so nice!
"Hi, yeah I'm Grace! Great to meet you! I absolutely love your music!"
Perrie laughed. "Thank you love!" She turned as Eleanor approached us.
"Hi Grace, I'm Eleanor! Great to meet you!
"You too!" I replied. I was still shell-shocked at the fact that I was having a conversation with Perrie and Eleanor.
Zayn and Louis came up behind them.
"I see that you three have become acquainted," Louis laughed.
"Yes, we have. Zayn and Louis, if you don't already know this, you should be aware that you have the sweetest girlfriends in the world." I smiled.
"Why thank you Grace. I have to agree," Zayn grinned as he wrapped his arms around Perrie from behind.
"Let's dance!" Louis exclaimed.
I turned to Liam, who had just stood next to me the entire time I was talking to the girls. He nodded his head, leading me onto the dance floor.
"Oh gosh Liam, I'm not much of a dancer. I hope I don't embarrass you," my cheeks turned red.
Liam found it amusing. "Grace, I'm sure you're a wonderful dancer."
I burst out laughing. "Eh, we'll see about that."
"Let me help. Danielle taught me a couple of moves when we were first going out." I was very close to peeing my pants as I watched him dance. He was purposely acting like an idiot for my benefit, and it was hilarious. He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the sea of people.
It took a couple of songs,but I was finally able to find a rhythm, and before long, Liam and I were actually having fun.
"Don't be self-conscious, babe. Just let yourself go." The words that Liam had whispered into my ear as we started dancing echoed in my brain. He was right- I was always worried about what other people thought of me. Dancing with Liam, it was a feeling like no other. We would never win Dancing with the Stars, but we didn't care how well we could move. I could finally let loose and be goofy, with someone who felt the same.
After a while, we both got tired and decided to make our way over to the bar.
"What do you want, Grace?" Liam asked.
"Margarita, please. I can get it though." I reached for my wallet.
Liam brushed my hand away. "Don't worry about it. One margarita and a beer, please," he told the bartender as he sat next to me. "So, Grace, tell me more about you. We really haven't had a chance to talk."
"Me? Well, I grew up in a town about 2 hours away from here. My family used to travel to the city a lot. When I was in high school, I realized my love of music, and decided that I wanted to be a singer-songwriter. My parents gave me voice lessons for my 16th birthday, and I taught myself to play guitar. I finished high school and went to college for 4 years. I graduated this spring with a degree in communications, and moved here with my best friend, Andrea in May." As I spoke, I watched Liam's face. He kept all of his attention on me, listening intently. He was truly interested in what I had to say.
When I had finished, Liam spoke up. "Wow, Grace, you certainly are determined. I think it's cool that you still went to Uni, even though it wasn't exactly for music."
"Thanks Liam. That was actually my parents. They've always told me that a college degree is so important nowadays. It couldn't hurt to have a backup plan." I looked up and saw a tinge of pain in his eyes. "Of course, if you're doing well without going to college, that's great too," I added quickly to fix my mistake. I could tell Liam felt a tad guilty for never finishing school.
Liam noticed my hesitation. "It's ok, Grace, you don't need to try to make me feel better. I'm really all good." His face spread into a smile as he put his arm around me. Gaaaah his arm was around me! Oh geez, I thought to myself. Way to be cool Grace.
"Okay, Liam, whatever you say," I teased. I felt like I could be open and honest with him, something I hadn't had with any of my past relationships.
Liam cracked up. "I like you Grace. Your sense of humor is sassy."
I smirked. "It will never be as sassy as Louis', but thank you, I try."
We joked around for a few more minutes before Liam looked at his watch. "We should probably get home. It's 2:00 AM and we've got studio at 9:00 today."
"I almost forgot about that. Yeah, I'm exhausted. I spent all of last night at the hospital with Andrea."
"That's right. Let's find the others and head out."
Harry and Leah weren't hard to find. They were dancing like crazy in the middle of everyone, obviously very drunk.
"I think I'm going to be driving," Liam said. The two of us, unlike many of the other people in the room, were sober.
"Ok you two, we're going home," Liam said as he and I were guiding Harry and Leah out of the crowd, when I caught the eye of a a sad-looking, intoxicated Niall. I motioned for him to follow us out. Within no time the car was at the curb and we were helping the three into the back, buckling them in. I started cracking up. Liam and I were both neurotic about safety. I admired that trait in a guy-not worrying about being judged for things like wearing seatbelts or helmets.
I jumped into the passenger seat before Liam had the chance to open the door for me, so he got in the driver's seat and off we went.
After dropping off Harry and Niall to their buildings (penthouses I might add), Liam helped me get Leah into my apartment. When she was passed out cold on my bed, I walked Liam to the door.
"I feel badly for leaving the other four without saying goodbye," I told him.
"Don't worry about it. Zayn texted me and said they all left about 5 minutes after we did. Believe me, they understand," Liam replied.
"If you say so." I had a tendency to feel guilty about everything.
"Anyways, I had a really great time with you tonight, Grace," Liam continued. "I was wondering if you'd... uh... want to go out again sometime... I mean... will you be my girlfriend? I mean I know we really just met but I feel like I've known you forever and..."
I stood there gazing at the beautiful boy rambling on in front of me. LIAM PAYNE WAS ASKING ME TO BE HIS GIRLFRIEND. AND HE WAS NERVOUS ABOUT IT. OH MY HEAVENS.
"Of course Liam! YES YES YES!" I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a hug. He hugged back, and in that moment, nothing could tear us apart.
****
After Liam and I had finally released each other from our embrace, he kissed my cheek and said goodnight. I watched him as he walked down the hall and out of sight . To say I was lovestruck was an understatement. I managed to regain my composure enough to slip out of my dress and into a t-shirt and comfy pajama shorts; I would deal with my makeup in the morning. I grabbed a blanket and crashed on Andrea's bed-she was in the hospital and wouldn't mind- because Leah was in my room. I fell asleep the second my eyes hit the pillow.
****
A/N
So I hope you liked this chapter :) The process of introducing all the characters is long I know but the storyline will get clearer soon!
Thanks for reading!
-Katie
About 20 minutes after we left my building, we pulled up in front of the club. There was a long line of people lined up, with a couple of bouncers at the door. Liam climbed out of the car and held out his hand to help me out of the car, not letting go when I was safely on the ground. Harry hopped out of the driver's seat and went around the car to get the car to get the door for Leah. Niall hopped out on his own before slamming the door. Liam led me to the door, the others following. When the bouncer saw us, he nodded and let us through right away. Harry stopped to talk to him, handing him the car keys and a tip. I should have known that the boys received special treatment, whether because of their celebrity status or simply because they went out a lot.
When we got through the doors, I was overwhelmed by the blasting music and hordes of people. My grip on Liam's hand tightened. I really preferred a night in to this chaos. The club was really nice, though. I could tell it was upscale by the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and everyone was dressed well. Liam turned to me.
"You ok, Grace?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, plastering a smile on my face. There was nothing wrong with nightclubs, they just weren't my cup of tea. I didn't want to tell Liam that, though. Would he really want to be with someone who had anxiety like me? There were a lot of girls out there who actually enjoyed going out. I was getting ahead of myself. I really didn't even know if he liked me like that.
"I see Zayn and Louis over there. Follow me." Liam let me through the crowd of people. After a lot of zig-zagging, we finally reached the two couples. My jaw dropped when I saw the girls. Perrie was in a one-shoulder black dress and heels, while Eleanor was in a light pink top with black leggings and platforms. They were gorgeous. I instantly felt self-conscious.
Perrie saw us first, rushing over to greet us.
"You must be Grace! I'm Perrie- I've heard so much about you!" She seemed so nice!
"Hi, yeah I'm Grace! Great to meet you! I absolutely love your music!"
Perrie laughed. "Thank you love!" She turned as Eleanor approached us.
"Hi Grace, I'm Eleanor! Great to meet you!
"You too!" I replied. I was still shell-shocked at the fact that I was having a conversation with Perrie and Eleanor.
Zayn and Louis came up behind them.
"I see that you three have become acquainted," Louis laughed.
"Yes, we have. Zayn and Louis, if you don't already know this, you should be aware that you have the sweetest girlfriends in the world." I smiled.
"Why thank you Grace. I have to agree," Zayn grinned as he wrapped his arms around Perrie from behind.
"Let's dance!" Louis exclaimed.
I turned to Liam, who had just stood next to me the entire time I was talking to the girls. He nodded his head, leading me onto the dance floor.
"Oh gosh Liam, I'm not much of a dancer. I hope I don't embarrass you," my cheeks turned red.
Liam found it amusing. "Grace, I'm sure you're a wonderful dancer."
I burst out laughing. "Eh, we'll see about that."
"Let me help. Danielle taught me a couple of moves when we were first going out." I was very close to peeing my pants as I watched him dance. He was purposely acting like an idiot for my benefit, and it was hilarious. He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the sea of people.
It took a couple of songs,but I was finally able to find a rhythm, and before long, Liam and I were actually having fun.
"Don't be self-conscious, babe. Just let yourself go." The words that Liam had whispered into my ear as we started dancing echoed in my brain. He was right- I was always worried about what other people thought of me. Dancing with Liam, it was a feeling like no other. We would never win Dancing with the Stars, but we didn't care how well we could move. I could finally let loose and be goofy, with someone who felt the same.
After a while, we both got tired and decided to make our way over to the bar.
"What do you want, Grace?" Liam asked.
"Margarita, please. I can get it though." I reached for my wallet.
Liam brushed my hand away. "Don't worry about it. One margarita and a beer, please," he told the bartender as he sat next to me. "So, Grace, tell me more about you. We really haven't had a chance to talk."
"Me? Well, I grew up in a town about 2 hours away from here. My family used to travel to the city a lot. When I was in high school, I realized my love of music, and decided that I wanted to be a singer-songwriter. My parents gave me voice lessons for my 16th birthday, and I taught myself to play guitar. I finished high school and went to college for 4 years. I graduated this spring with a degree in communications, and moved here with my best friend, Andrea in May." As I spoke, I watched Liam's face. He kept all of his attention on me, listening intently. He was truly interested in what I had to say.
When I had finished, Liam spoke up. "Wow, Grace, you certainly are determined. I think it's cool that you still went to Uni, even though it wasn't exactly for music."
"Thanks Liam. That was actually my parents. They've always told me that a college degree is so important nowadays. It couldn't hurt to have a backup plan." I looked up and saw a tinge of pain in his eyes. "Of course, if you're doing well without going to college, that's great too," I added quickly to fix my mistake. I could tell Liam felt a tad guilty for never finishing school.
Liam noticed my hesitation. "It's ok, Grace, you don't need to try to make me feel better. I'm really all good." His face spread into a smile as he put his arm around me. Gaaaah his arm was around me! Oh geez, I thought to myself. Way to be cool Grace.
"Okay, Liam, whatever you say," I teased. I felt like I could be open and honest with him, something I hadn't had with any of my past relationships.
Liam cracked up. "I like you Grace. Your sense of humor is sassy."
I smirked. "It will never be as sassy as Louis', but thank you, I try."
We joked around for a few more minutes before Liam looked at his watch. "We should probably get home. It's 2:00 AM and we've got studio at 9:00 today."
"I almost forgot about that. Yeah, I'm exhausted. I spent all of last night at the hospital with Andrea."
"That's right. Let's find the others and head out."
Harry and Leah weren't hard to find. They were dancing like crazy in the middle of everyone, obviously very drunk.
"I think I'm going to be driving," Liam said. The two of us, unlike many of the other people in the room, were sober.
"Ok you two, we're going home," Liam said as he and I were guiding Harry and Leah out of the crowd, when I caught the eye of a a sad-looking, intoxicated Niall. I motioned for him to follow us out. Within no time the car was at the curb and we were helping the three into the back, buckling them in. I started cracking up. Liam and I were both neurotic about safety. I admired that trait in a guy-not worrying about being judged for things like wearing seatbelts or helmets.
I jumped into the passenger seat before Liam had the chance to open the door for me, so he got in the driver's seat and off we went.
After dropping off Harry and Niall to their buildings (penthouses I might add), Liam helped me get Leah into my apartment. When she was passed out cold on my bed, I walked Liam to the door.
"I feel badly for leaving the other four without saying goodbye," I told him.
"Don't worry about it. Zayn texted me and said they all left about 5 minutes after we did. Believe me, they understand," Liam replied.
"If you say so." I had a tendency to feel guilty about everything.
"Anyways, I had a really great time with you tonight, Grace," Liam continued. "I was wondering if you'd... uh... want to go out again sometime... I mean... will you be my girlfriend? I mean I know we really just met but I feel like I've known you forever and..."
I stood there gazing at the beautiful boy rambling on in front of me. LIAM PAYNE WAS ASKING ME TO BE HIS GIRLFRIEND. AND HE WAS NERVOUS ABOUT IT. OH MY HEAVENS.
"Of course Liam! YES YES YES!" I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a hug. He hugged back, and in that moment, nothing could tear us apart.
****
After Liam and I had finally released each other from our embrace, he kissed my cheek and said goodnight. I watched him as he walked down the hall and out of sight . To say I was lovestruck was an understatement. I managed to regain my composure enough to slip out of my dress and into a t-shirt and comfy pajama shorts; I would deal with my makeup in the morning. I grabbed a blanket and crashed on Andrea's bed-she was in the hospital and wouldn't mind- because Leah was in my room. I fell asleep the second my eyes hit the pillow.
****
A/N
So I hope you liked this chapter :) The process of introducing all the characters is long I know but the storyline will get clearer soon!
Thanks for reading!
-Katie
you should update...
12/17/13