I Stand Amazed
Chapter Fifteen
Niall maneuvered the large vehicle around the London streets, while the slightly cloudy afternoon sky filled with haziness. Free by Twin Atlantic came on my playlist and we both sang along, me mesmerized by his unique voice and him grinning at me. I knew I was a terrible singer, but I loved music, so I could care less what other people thought about me. We kept singing together to whatever else played until we reached an adorable little diner on the corner of a narrow road. Niall parked the car and while I bent down to tie my shoe, he walked around the front and opened my door for me, lending me his hand as I climbed out.
It was beginning to get chilly as we entered the restaurant and I was thankful for the warmth brought by a charming fireplace positioned on the far side of the main room. A waiter led us over to a booth near the fireplace and we slid into the seats across from each other.
Niall immediately opened the menu that was placed in front of him and began scanning it intently, while I observed the interior of the diner. It was warm and inviting and I always saw myself in a place like this. I’d grown quite fond of London in the short time I’d been here and it made me feel like an entirely new person, one who I thought I might actually like. The missing piece of my life, of myself, that I always felt, seemed filled when I was here.
Niall closed his menu and sat back, his hands behind his head, fingers clasped. I felt him watching me and I looked up. He smiled and asked me, “Know what you’re getting?”
I shook my head and opened my menu, skimming over the items. Everything sounded so amazing and I couldn’t choose just one thing to get. I groaned.
“What is it, love?”
I opened my mouth to reply, when the waiter appeared, his ticket book open and his pen hovering over it, ready to take our orders. Niall gestured to me, but I waved him forward. He shrugged. “Yeah, can I get the chicken parmesan with a side of spaghetti and also two orders of the garlic bread?” he asked and I chuckled at all the food he wanted.
The waiter nodded and scribbled on his pad and then looked at me expectantly. I groaned again.
“I can’t decide between the roast and potatoes or the grilled chicken…” I met Niall’s eyes and found he was laughing at me.
“What?” I demanded. He grinned. “Nothing, I’ve just never seen someone so torn between foods…besides me of course. It’s cute, no worries,” he assured me.
“Seriously, though, I can’t pick one.”
He looked steadily at me. “So get both then.”
I stared at him in surprise. “Really?”
“Why not? You aren’t paying anyways.”
I glared at him. “We’ll see about that.”
The waiter cleared his throat. “So both of those, then?”
I nodded. “Yes, please.” He jotted my order down. “I’ll have your food ready in about twenty minutes,” he told us.
I turned back to Niall to find that he was leaning toward me, his bright blue eyes beaming at me. They narrowed, him teasing me, while he said, “You had better eat all of that, we don’t want to waste all my money, now do we?”
I laughed loudly. “Please. I know you’ve got loads of money. And of course I’ll eat it all.”
He leaned back to size me up, his eyes running up and down my frame. A smile played on his lips. “I dunno ‘bout that. You are rather small aren’t you? Where will all that food go?”
I winked at him. “Same place it goes whenever you eat.”
He chuckled. “Well said. But seriously, though, you’re tiny. Have you always eaten a lot?”
“For as long as I can remember. With soccer, you know? I’m just always hungry, like all the time. People are always surprised at how much I can eat. It’s actually kinda gross.” I laughed lightly.
“Well, I am looking forward to seeing if you can eat more than this guy,” he said, pointing his thumbs toward his chest, puffing it out.
“You’re on, Horan.” I smirked and held out my hand, and he shook it. Just in time, the waiter appeared, with plates of food on a platter and placed them in front of us. We jokingly glared at each other and held our forks, poised over our plates.
“Ready? And….go!” Niall yelled, and we both began attacking our plates, shoveling in as much food as we could. I glanced up at him to see that he was truly trying as hard as he could, his brow furrowed in concentration while he ate. My eyes widened when I realized he was already half-way finished with his chicken. I still had so much food left…what had I done?
I started eating again, but I remembered that I said I could more food than Niall, not anything about how fast I ate it. I slowed down and took my time, cutting my chicken into little pieces and dragging them through the sauce. I savored each bite; it was delicious.
I heard Niall mumble something around a massive mouthful of pasta. I raised my eyebrows at him and he forced a swallow. “Given up already?” He smirked, and then shoved a piece of bread in his mouth.
I just smiled at him, popping a potato in my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. He looked a bit confused and I had never seen anything so cute.
A few minutes later, he heaved a sigh and pushed his empty plates forward, rubbing his stomach. “There. Done. I believe I won, yeah?”
I held up my hands and shrugged. “If you want to tell yourself that.” I continued eating and eventually finished everything on both plates, Niall watching me intently all the while. He seemed amazed that I actually was eating that much food.
I sat back, my stomach aching, but it was all worth it to see Niall’s face when I told him, “I believe I won, actually.”
His mouth dropped open and a crease formed between his brows. “The deal was who could eat more, was it not?”
His eyes widened and he frowned, grumbling to himself. I grinned. “Awwh, is little Nialler upset?”
He swiftly glared up at me and a devious grin spread across his face. Suspicion ran through me as he stood up and joined me on my side of the booth. His face was so close to mine, and I tried to scoot backwards, but I couldn’t and I felt a panicked feeling beginning to rise inside of me. I wasn’t used to being this close to someone, but he boldly wrapped his hand around my wrist, holding me there.
His eyes bored into mine, and I was frozen. There was something about him that just made me weak and I didn’t know why. “Yes, I am very, very upset. And I’m going to get my revenge.” He growled softly in my ear, sending shivers through my body.
“How?” I breathed.
He smiled, his eyes darker than usual. “You’re my hostage now.” And with that, he stood up smoothly, pulling me up with him. I gasped as I bumped into his hard chest. He steadied me by placing a hand on the small of my back. He handed me his keys and whispered into my ear, “Go wait in the car for me.” He turned around and sauntered to the front counter, to pay, I assumed.
I nodded weakly and stumbled out. The frigid air hit me and it contrasted with the burn I felt along my cheeks and neck. I quickly unlocked his car and slid into the passenger seat, shaking ever so slightly. I shook my head, confused. What was that about?
It was beginning to get chilly as we entered the restaurant and I was thankful for the warmth brought by a charming fireplace positioned on the far side of the main room. A waiter led us over to a booth near the fireplace and we slid into the seats across from each other.
Niall immediately opened the menu that was placed in front of him and began scanning it intently, while I observed the interior of the diner. It was warm and inviting and I always saw myself in a place like this. I’d grown quite fond of London in the short time I’d been here and it made me feel like an entirely new person, one who I thought I might actually like. The missing piece of my life, of myself, that I always felt, seemed filled when I was here.
Niall closed his menu and sat back, his hands behind his head, fingers clasped. I felt him watching me and I looked up. He smiled and asked me, “Know what you’re getting?”
I shook my head and opened my menu, skimming over the items. Everything sounded so amazing and I couldn’t choose just one thing to get. I groaned.
“What is it, love?”
I opened my mouth to reply, when the waiter appeared, his ticket book open and his pen hovering over it, ready to take our orders. Niall gestured to me, but I waved him forward. He shrugged. “Yeah, can I get the chicken parmesan with a side of spaghetti and also two orders of the garlic bread?” he asked and I chuckled at all the food he wanted.
The waiter nodded and scribbled on his pad and then looked at me expectantly. I groaned again.
“I can’t decide between the roast and potatoes or the grilled chicken…” I met Niall’s eyes and found he was laughing at me.
“What?” I demanded. He grinned. “Nothing, I’ve just never seen someone so torn between foods…besides me of course. It’s cute, no worries,” he assured me.
“Seriously, though, I can’t pick one.”
He looked steadily at me. “So get both then.”
I stared at him in surprise. “Really?”
“Why not? You aren’t paying anyways.”
I glared at him. “We’ll see about that.”
The waiter cleared his throat. “So both of those, then?”
I nodded. “Yes, please.” He jotted my order down. “I’ll have your food ready in about twenty minutes,” he told us.
I turned back to Niall to find that he was leaning toward me, his bright blue eyes beaming at me. They narrowed, him teasing me, while he said, “You had better eat all of that, we don’t want to waste all my money, now do we?”
I laughed loudly. “Please. I know you’ve got loads of money. And of course I’ll eat it all.”
He leaned back to size me up, his eyes running up and down my frame. A smile played on his lips. “I dunno ‘bout that. You are rather small aren’t you? Where will all that food go?”
I winked at him. “Same place it goes whenever you eat.”
He chuckled. “Well said. But seriously, though, you’re tiny. Have you always eaten a lot?”
“For as long as I can remember. With soccer, you know? I’m just always hungry, like all the time. People are always surprised at how much I can eat. It’s actually kinda gross.” I laughed lightly.
“Well, I am looking forward to seeing if you can eat more than this guy,” he said, pointing his thumbs toward his chest, puffing it out.
“You’re on, Horan.” I smirked and held out my hand, and he shook it. Just in time, the waiter appeared, with plates of food on a platter and placed them in front of us. We jokingly glared at each other and held our forks, poised over our plates.
“Ready? And….go!” Niall yelled, and we both began attacking our plates, shoveling in as much food as we could. I glanced up at him to see that he was truly trying as hard as he could, his brow furrowed in concentration while he ate. My eyes widened when I realized he was already half-way finished with his chicken. I still had so much food left…what had I done?
I started eating again, but I remembered that I said I could more food than Niall, not anything about how fast I ate it. I slowed down and took my time, cutting my chicken into little pieces and dragging them through the sauce. I savored each bite; it was delicious.
I heard Niall mumble something around a massive mouthful of pasta. I raised my eyebrows at him and he forced a swallow. “Given up already?” He smirked, and then shoved a piece of bread in his mouth.
I just smiled at him, popping a potato in my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. He looked a bit confused and I had never seen anything so cute.
A few minutes later, he heaved a sigh and pushed his empty plates forward, rubbing his stomach. “There. Done. I believe I won, yeah?”
I held up my hands and shrugged. “If you want to tell yourself that.” I continued eating and eventually finished everything on both plates, Niall watching me intently all the while. He seemed amazed that I actually was eating that much food.
I sat back, my stomach aching, but it was all worth it to see Niall’s face when I told him, “I believe I won, actually.”
His mouth dropped open and a crease formed between his brows. “The deal was who could eat more, was it not?”
His eyes widened and he frowned, grumbling to himself. I grinned. “Awwh, is little Nialler upset?”
He swiftly glared up at me and a devious grin spread across his face. Suspicion ran through me as he stood up and joined me on my side of the booth. His face was so close to mine, and I tried to scoot backwards, but I couldn’t and I felt a panicked feeling beginning to rise inside of me. I wasn’t used to being this close to someone, but he boldly wrapped his hand around my wrist, holding me there.
His eyes bored into mine, and I was frozen. There was something about him that just made me weak and I didn’t know why. “Yes, I am very, very upset. And I’m going to get my revenge.” He growled softly in my ear, sending shivers through my body.
“How?” I breathed.
He smiled, his eyes darker than usual. “You’re my hostage now.” And with that, he stood up smoothly, pulling me up with him. I gasped as I bumped into his hard chest. He steadied me by placing a hand on the small of my back. He handed me his keys and whispered into my ear, “Go wait in the car for me.” He turned around and sauntered to the front counter, to pay, I assumed.
I nodded weakly and stumbled out. The frigid air hit me and it contrasted with the burn I felt along my cheeks and neck. I quickly unlocked his car and slid into the passenger seat, shaking ever so slightly. I shook my head, confused. What was that about?
5/19/13