“So much better.”Sierra grinned.“She goes into a full-on trance where she fantasizes about Alan Rickman.”
I rolled my eyes but grinned at her exaggeration.I’d never once gone into a trance while thinking about him.I may have missed a few things that happened around me when listening to my playlist with my noise-cancelling headphones, though.
Liam turned to me with amusement and confusion all over his handsome face.“Alan Rickman?He played Snape in those kid magician movies, right?”
I jolted upright, so offended that the entirety of Alan Rickman’s illustrious career was being reduced to a single character that I momentarily forgot my embarrassment.I levelled Liam with a glare.“Alan Rickman was an incomparably talented actor who deserves far more than being remembered for only that role.”I had a serious issue with Mr.Rickman being associated with only that body of work for all time.“Don’t get me wrong.He was excellent in those movies, but he had many other—I would argue better—roles.Like the Metatron.Or Hans Gruber.Or, or … Sir Alexander Dane.By Grabthar’s hammer!”I slammed a fist on the table and filled my lungs to finish my tirade.“It fills me with rage that Snape is the role people think of when Alan Rickman is mentioned.He was a classically trained actor who played so many other incredible characters.”
Silence descended.
I looked around at the sea of stunned faces surrounding me.If my impassioned speech didn’t land me solidly in demented, obsessed celebrity stalker territory in Liam’s mind, nothing would.Why was I like this?
Smiling indulgently, Sierra and Andie shook their heads, already familiar with this particular Alan Rickman diatribe.Kai and Greg seemed amused—whether by my unhinged confession of love for Alan Rickman or Sierra and Andie’s quiet acceptance of my tirade, who could say?
Liam stared at me, his face unreadable.He cocked his head.“That’s … interesting.”
My face contorted into a grimace.Yep, he thinks I’m nuts.Way to go, Maya.I braced for the teasing that usually followed my word-vomiting of Alan Rickman’s accolades over unsuspecting bystanders.
“Tell me more.Why do you like him so much?”
My shoulders sagged in relief that the expected teasing didn’t appear to be coming.At least, no from Liam.And yet, regardless of my feelings about Liam, I didn’t want him to know the real reason Alan Rickman was so dear to me.Not yet.Possibly not ever.“Oh.No reason, really.”
Liam narrowed his eyes and regarded me silently.
“I just think he’s great,” I added, when I could no longer hold my tongue under the weight of his icy blue gaze.“He has a pleasant voice.”
He watched me for another beat and grinned.“How about you show me some of your favourite Alan Rickman movies sometime?Since Snape is the only one I can think of.”
“Oh, yeah.Sure thing,” I said, not believing for a second that he was interested in Alan Rickman.I’d never met anyone who had more than a passing interest in him, aside from curiosity about my obsession.Which was mind-boggling to me.Alan Rickman was a genius, and his voice was … everything.
“How about tomorrow night?”
My brain short-circuited and I questioned what I'd heard.Had he asked me to share my favourite Alan Rickman movies with him tomorrow?As in, the day after today?Was that the tomorrow he meant?
Had Liam Bishop asked me out?I swallowed roughly.That couldn’t be right.I was imagining things.Maybe I did go into trances like Sierra said, and this entire conversation had been nothing but an Alan Rickman-induced hallucination.
“She’d love to,” Sierra said when she saw I was too busy overthinking to answer for myself.
I whipped my head toward her, my eyes screaming,what are you doing?!
“Great.It’s a date.See you at eight.”He gave a short nod, as though he considered the matter settled, and walked away, leaving me with my jaw hanging open, thoroughly flabbergasted.
That was not cool, Maya.Not cool at all.
Andie watched me for a moment, her head tilted.“I think she’s broken.Look at her.She’s stuck.”
Sierra tapped my forehead with her spoon, and a drop of liquid dribbled toward my nose.“Nah.She’s probably in another reverie.”She smirked.“Too busy thinking about Alan Rickman to register what’s going on around her.”
“Shit!”I snapped back to reality, eyes wide as I swiped coffee off my forehead with the back of my hand.
“What?”Andie asked.“Isn’t this a good thing?”
I grabbed their arms, frantic.“You guys.”My voice dropped to a whisper.“Is this adate?Does this mean I’m going to find out hownotill-equipped he is?”
Andie patted my hand.“Only if you want to, Maya.You don’t have to do anything but watch a movie.”
Sierra grinned.“But I’m voting you get that dick out and—”
“Okay, that’s enough, Sierra.”Andie cut her off.“This is a family establishment, remember?”She turned back to me and whispered, “But she’s not wrong.It’s time to open that abandoned mineshaft you call a vagina and get yourself some of Liam’s majestic D.”
