Chapter 2: Locking Eyes

Tara arranged for an uber to pick her and Rachel up at the club. She stared at her poor friend, passed out in front of her, and affectionately tousled her hair. "Oh, Rach..." she muttered. Her friend gave a stifled 'hmm' in reply. Tara decided that they better wait inside the club for their car. She was going to assist her friend to the car once it arrived.

"Hey! Mind if I buy you a drink?" Tara looked up from the cell phone screen into the blue eyes of a handsome stranger.

Tara couldn't help but smile, " I won't be good company to you, my friend isn't feeling so well," pointing to Rachel, she continued "we are heading out, anyway."

"Well then, at least a farewell drink?" He pleaded.

"Um, sure, I guess." Tara reluctantly agreed.

"What'll be?"

"I am thinking...martini!"

"...With an olive?" He said playfully.

"Yeah!" Tara grinned and watched him rush to the bar for drinks.

When Jake reached back to Tara she had but a few minutes to chat up with him before her uber arrived. To Tara's delight he asked her for her number and assured her he'll give her a call.

He even helped her in putting Rachel in the car before their final goodbye.

"It was good meeting you, Tara."

"You too, Jake"

"I will call you, ok?" Jake said endearingly.

"I won't let my cellphone outta sight!" Tara replied, only half joking.

This made Jake laugh and he motioned to close the door of the car- this was when Tara heard a voice in the background.

"Heading out, man?", a voice called out to Jake. Tara couldn't immediately see who it was for Jake stood covering the car door while she sat inside.

"Tara, hold on a sec?" Jake requested of Tara and turned around.

"Ian, get in here man. Let me introduce you to someone." Jake signalled someone to come to the car.

Tara saw a man approach them. Sitting inside, she saw an incredibly tall, muscular man approach their vehicle, he then bent in order to look inside the car.

"Hello." He said monotonically. He was British, with a beautiful tan, and eyes a striking blue, with a stubble that did little to hide the fact that he had a chiseled face.

Tara had never seen a more gorgeous man in her life. She weakly mouthed, "Hi!"

Ian stared at her for what seemed like a long hard minute, and then shifted his attention to Rachel, "Had a few too many, this one?"

"Yeah, I am afraid so..." Tara replied to him, jolted inside.

"This is Tara and her friend Rachel. We just met, but unfortunately, they have to leave..." Jake told Ian smiling.

"Oh!" Ian replied as if her were not at all interested in their predicament.

Tara took this as a sign and told Jake that they really must get going. Both the men then stepped back from the vehicle and the car sped away.

Tara kept thinking about Jake the entire car ride home. She enjoyed their little run-in. She didn't know what to feel about his friend though, he came off as a cold, unfeeling man.

"Why do all the cold ones have to have it all?!" She mused to herself.

"Huh?" Rachel inquired in her drowsy state.

"Nothing, Rach. Nothing..." Tara told her, dismissing the thoughts of the 'cold' friend from her mind.