Blind Date

"I'm telling you Meg, you'll love him. You guys were practically made for each other."

Liam's words rang in Meghan's head as she tried to prepare herself for the date she'd somehow agreed to. She was going to say no, tell Liam that she really wasn't interested in dating.

Especially anyone who wasn't Liam.

She had been so excited a week ago when Liam called her. He'd told her that he needed to talk to her about something important. He was finally single and Meghan seriously hoped that it was going to be some revelation about how he'd always loved her and he was stupid for dating those other girls.

Except that wasn't it. Liam had called her over to his flat so she could go out with some guy he thought she'd like.

Meghan knew she shouldn't have been surprised. Ever since she started university in London and met Liam he'd been trying to get her to go on dates with random, unnamed men. It was always the same thing. Liam would be newly single and tell her about a friend he'd been hanging out with lately that would be perfect for her. Every time Meghan declined the offer of a date with some random bloke for school or a job or even a tv marathon.

Liam had practically begged this time.

"He's really great though. I mean, he's a real proper lad. I've see some of those uni guys you've gone out with and he's far better. I mean, he's real trustworthy and nice and he's good looking too," Liam tried, following her toward he door of his flat.

"Liam, if you like him so much, maybe you should date him," Meghan laughed a little.

"No I just, I really think you should give him a chance, for me?"

"Fine," Meghan rolled her eyes, unable to resist the puppy dog face of one Liam Payne.

That was how she found herself in the situation she was in. Terribly nervous for no reason as she prepared for dinner with an unknown friend of Liam. She already knew what was going to happen. She would go, meet this friend, have dinner, and then, at the end of the night, politely decline ever getting together again.

Because she was hopelessly in love with her best friend.

The restaurant Liam had planned the date at was fancier than any she's been to before. The taxi dropped her off outside and she walked up the couple steps to the door. The hostess smiled and asked what name the reservation was under. Meghan was sure no one could even get in here without a reservation.

"Payne," Meghan answered, "for two."

"You're the first to arrive," the hostess smiled and walked her back to her table.

The table was one meant just for two, tucked in the back for privacy and close to the kitchen. It looked cozy and quiet and Meghan had to commend Liam for at least booking a good date for her and this mystery guy.

"Can I get you anything? Champagne, wine?" The hostess smiled.

"No thank you, not yet," Meghan declined.

"Have a good evening," The hostess walked away, leaving Meghan to get her coat off and sit down.

She felt nervous again. Maybe she should have showed up a little later. Liam had told her that she should be at the restaurant at 8. It was 8:05 now, still no date. Maybe he'd backed out. Maybe that sweet, trustworthy, awesome guy Liam had promised decided to stay home or hit a club.

Meghan fiddled with her napkin, folding it and unfolding it as she waited. Finally she dropped it into her lap so that she could check her phone. No messages from Liam telling her the guy had backed out. It was 8:10 though.

"Meghan,"

She looked up at the sound of her name falling from a familiar British accent. Liam was standing there, dressed rather nicely and holding on to the back of the chair opposite her. He had a nervous smile on his face and he kept gripping and un-gripping his hands, seemingly waiting for something.

"Liam," Meghan forced a smile. She could already hear her adorable best friend apologising profusely for the guy who was supposed to show, "I guess your friend backed out."

"Um," a hand went up nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "not exactly."

Liam's cheeks had turned a rather tomato-esque shade of red as he stumbled around what he wanted to get out, what he'd been trying to achieve since he met Meghan. He always rehearsed what he would say when she agreed to the blind dates he tried to set up. He imagined the shocked look on her face and then the sudden realisation that Liam had been the mystery boy all along because he didn't have the courage to just ask her flat out. But now all those wonderfully rehearsed hours were out the window because Meghan was just smiling and she hasn't figured it out and he looked like an idiot.

"Oh?" Meghan waited for Liam to explain.

"Well uh, kind of, I mean..." Liam sighed, "he wanted to make it, family emergency. But I figured, I couldn't leave my best friend here alone."

Neither noticed the unintentional cringe at the word friend because they were both too busy being disappointed in their own way. Meghan had so hoped that Liam would tell her he'd sent his friend off when he realised how perfect they would be together.

"Sit then," Meghan pushed the chair a little with her foot, "I haven't ordered yet."

"Thanks," Liam nodded, taking a seat at the table with her.

"You alright Li?" Meghan asked. He seemed more nervous then she was.

"Fine, great, just, sorry...about your date being ruined," he lied.

"Well I'd rather spend the evening with you anyway," she smiled.

Liam blushed again, his brain already imagining this as a date. He would bring some flowers, roses maybe, and she would blush in excitement and thank him. He'd have picked her up from her flat, not left her to find her own way. On the way to the restaurant he'd hold her hand and when they got there he'd tell her how beautiful she was.

"You look great tonight," Liam stuttered out around a glass of water.

"Hmm?"

"You look great...very beautiful," he repeated.

"Oh thanks, it's the dress you got me last year, for that Christmas dinner. I figured I might as well wear something that looks good on me," she laughed. Really she'd just wanted her date to report back to Liam how fit she was. Maybe make him the tiniest bit jealous.

"I didn't even realise it was that dress."

of course not.

"Listen, Meghan, I need to talk to you about something," Liam began.

"Who is she?"

"What?"

"Your 'I need to talk to you' speeches always end with you telling me about a girl you like, so who is she?"

"No that's not...well...it's about your date tonight."

"Oh, okay, what about it? I don't really know if I feel like going out with this bloke again Liam," Meghan answered. She could do without being stood up twice.

"I um, see I never really actually sent you out with anyone," Liam admitted.

Meghan frowned for a moment. He hadn't planned a special date for her with a friend of his?

"That's awfully mean of you Liam," she put her napkin back on the table and grabbed her purse.

"Wait, no! It's not what you think!"

"I'm sure it's just like Halloween when you told me you had something important to tell me and I waited upstairs for half an hour for you just so you and Andy could rig my dorm room with traps," Meghan muttered.

She was sure Liam had been drunk that time but it'd taken days to get the mud from the bucket above the door out of her hair. She had spoken to Liam for two weeks after that. It took Andy apologising and blaming the whole thing on himself for her to finally forgive them.

"No, no, this isn't like that," Liam promised. He reached across the table, trying to get her hand. When she pulled away he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, determined to have her hear him out.

"Then what Liam? What reason could you possibly have for getting me excited about a date and then telling me it was all fake?" Meghan kept her voice low because she didn't want to make a scene or make Liam look bad but she was genuinely upset. In fact, she was fairly close to crying.

"I'm the date," Liam answered quickly, letting out a breath along with the words.

"What?"

"I didn't want you to say no if I asked you out and I figured, if I tricked you into a blind date you couldn't just slam the door in my face and never speak to me again." Liam released the grip on her wrist but Meghan didn't move.

"You went through all this, trying to set up blind dates for like a year, just to go out with me?" Meghan felt like her head was spinning.

"Are you angry?"

"No, but you're stupid," she laughed, leaning over to gently smack his arm, "I would've gone out with you. I've been dying to have you ask me out!"

"You were?"

"Yes you," she rolled her eyes, "I was dropping hints like crazy, ask Andy, even he noticed!"

"I feel stupid now," he blushed.

"Well you're cute when you're stupid."

Meghan leaned across the table, kissing Liam on the mouth gently before sitting back. Liam grinned, leaning back against his chair.

"So uh, what are you thinking of for dinner?"

Meghan laughed rather loudly, making Liam smile and a couple people around them glance over at the noise. Meghan just smiled, not caring what they thought. This was the best blind date she'd ever been on.