Darien smiles from across the bar and waves.

I, too, smile and wave back, although no where near as suave.

Before I can register what the hell are the odds of me being in the same bar as Darien Shields and his scantily clad date, having a front row seat of the events leading up to the personal afterparty they're likely going to be having, I see him get up. I watch him move, in my general direction, the blonde left in her chair.

My heart races with each step he takes, how the black material of his dress pants ripple against his thighs with each motion of his leg. How relaxed he looks with his sleeves rolled up. How his hair, loose from the comb job he had earlier this morning, makes him look more youthful, boyish as opposed to the styled locks I see on a daily basis.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you right now," he says as he approaches me, his eyes shifting around nervously. I take a quick glance across the bar and notice that the girl across the way is watching us, her eyes observing our interaction. Before I know it, he embraces me.

Dear God! My heart is pounding at the feel of his chest against me, his arm wrapped around my shoulder, the warmth he radiates.

"Help me," he pleads into my ear, and I'm all too willing to oblige. I wrap my arm around his, closing my eyes as he sways me as a lover would. He smells like a combination of spice and cocoa beans, reminding me of Mexican hot chocolate, and I feel myself melt into him.

When he pulls away from me, I feel a pang of disappointment. I never thought in a lifetime did I think I'd ever feel his body pressed up against mine, and now he has given me a hug?! I don't care what the reason is, I'll take some of that any day!

"Thank you," he thanks in a hushed voice. "I can't stand that girl."

I raise my eyebrow. "Really?"

He shakes his head adamantly. "God, no. Look at her."

I purse my lips in disbelief. "You looked like you were having a good time over there."

He smiles, the one that I've been accustomed to, but it still gets me every time. "Spying on me?"

I sputter. "No! Not at all! I, well, her tits! They were, ya know, just, out there for anyone to see! Like, in my face, even though I'm, uh, over here! And this conversation has officially become inappropriate," I trail off, looking away from him in embarrassment.

My cheeks immediately flush when I hear him start to laugh. "Oh, shut up," I pout as I swat at him. He continues to laugh, but not before putting his hand on my forearm.

"I'm just teasing you," he says with a chuckle, the skin where his hand briefly touched me tingling from the rush. "Trust me, they were out. Too out."

"Right?!"

"I'm all for women dressing sexy, but there's a way to doing it. It's an art, in my opinion," he states while taking a sip of his drink, mirroring my own thoughts I had a few moments ago.

"I agree completely," I say with a head nod. "I was worried that I was going to have to start dressing like that or something."

Darien's eyes snap up at me, immediately making eye contact. "Wait, what?"

I tense my jaw. "Eh, uh, nothing. It's nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

My mouth presses into a thin line. Fuck. Why do I keep saying stupid lines about my failing… no, failed marriage in front of him?

I sigh. Why lie? "Seiya and I separated."

Surprise cloaks his face. "What? Really?"

I nod my head. "Yeah, over Christmas break," I add to my confirmation.

"I'm sorry," he responds sympathetically. I don't know if it's the booze or the fact that I've been pity-partying enough for myself, but I don't want his sympathy. I want to appear strong in front of him, not weak. Not sad.

I shake my head, dismissing his apology. "It's okay, it's for the best."

He gives me a half-smile, as if he's telling me it's okay to say more. When I turn my attention back to my drink instead, he lets out a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank god, she's gone," he suddenly says. I chuckle at his reprieve.

"Glad to be of service," I say as I salute two fingers towards him, tossing in a wink for good measure. He laughs again, that deep, luscious melody warming my soul.

"Oh, I see, eager to get rid of me already?" he asks.

"Wait, what, no?" I sputter at his question. "I just assumed?"

"Yeah, yeah," he dismisses, finishing off his drink in one swoop and placing it on the bar top. "I owe ya one. When you're ready for your next drink, come find me and I'll get you one." I feel my heart pounding as I watch him stand up to leave, desperately seeking words to try to get him to stay, but I'm stunned silent when I feel his fingertips graze my shoulder. They brush against me slowly as he walks away, leaving a tingly path in its wake. I peek my eyes over my shoulder, watching him walk away, his backside more delicious than his front. When I lose him in the crowd, I shake myself out of whatever trance I allowed myself to fall into.

"Someone's got it baaaaaaad."

I frown. "Shut up, no I don't."

Lita grins behind her martini glass. "You're a bad liar."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. You're wrong."

"And who wouldn't have it bad? Man, he is one find specimen of man meat. Dear God, I can only imagine what he looks underneath that shirt," she muses while taking in a lengthy sip of her green tinted drink. I drop the mock-annoyed face, unable to stop my own trailing thoughts. Considering how firm his chest felt in that brief, faux hug, I'd love to see just how sculpted he is underneath.

"Yeah, me too," I whisper into my drink, my eyes floating back in his general direction. He's clearly moved on from conversing with me, his attention on a group of four well dressed men. I watch for a few moments longer before I turn back to my own group, the individuals I once was having a fun time with now seeming to dull in comparison.

I stretch out a smile and force myself to engage, but I can't help but feel a sense of longing. I know that we've been kind of awkward with one another since the Christmas party, and that surely doesn't help much, but still, Darien and I held a great conversation before. At least, from what I recall of it we did. It flowed. I don't think I was boring. Maybe I was. Maybe he only stuck with me that night out of pity, not because he wanted to be my friend.

Sigh. I've officially bummed myself out.

"Excuse me?"

I whirl my head around to a new voice, a smiling face complemented with brown eyes behind thick black frames and shaggy hair standing next to me.

"Uh, yes?"

He smiles wider. "I noticed your drink was getting a little low, so I ordered you a new gin and tonic."

I return a polite smile and accept the drink, despite it being incorrect. "Why thank you, that's really nice of –"

"And," he interrupts, "I can't help but notice you look like my next girlfriend."

I blink a couple of times from the horrible pick-up line. "Come again?"

"You have lovely eyes," he randomly adds. I continue to sit in my seat, completely puzzled by this bizarre encounter.

"Um, thanks?"

"You're welcome, beautiful," he purrs as he moves in closer to me. I try to move myself a bit away from him, finding his distance a little startling.

"Call me Mel," he suddenly informs me. "Do you have a band-aid?"

"Huh?"

"Because I scraped my knees falling for you."

My jaw slackens slightly. "Uh…."

"Do you believe in life… after love?"

"What?" Is this guy for real?

"I can feel something inside me say—"

"Are you quoting Cher to me right now?"

"—I really don't think you're strong enough… to be without a real man tonight."

Okay, I've had enough. "Um, listen, Mel," I respond flatly, "this," I point my finger between him and I quickly, "isn't gonna happen."

He drops the goofy grin. "But, why?"

"I mean, I appreciate the effort here of you coming up to me, but, I'm just, ya know…" I trail off, trying to find a way to get him to leave me alone. I turn to Lita for help, but she's currently fastened to Ken's face.

"Do you like Indian food?

"Uh—" I stammer out, slapping my hand on the bar to desperately try to get Lita's attention.

"Because I know a great little place nearby."

I shake my head. "Mel, like I said, this isn't going to happen."

He purses his lips. "Are you always so shut down, and—"

I squint my eyes while talking over him. "Why do I feel you are quoting the movie Hitch? I seriously feel like I'm living that scene out right now."

"—afraid that the right man might make you feel like a natural woman?"

"That line is from Hitch," I state.

"Well, let's go to dinner and debate if it is or not," he suggests yet again.

"I'm sorry, she's not available," a familiar, angelic, savior of a third voice interjects, and my heart swoons, especially when I feel his presence behind me, hovering over me, guarding me.

Mel pulls his attention off of me and looks above me. "Oh?"

Darien places his hand on my shoulder, and I can't help but feel my heart leap at the skin-to-skin contact I'm experiencing again! "No," he reaffirms strongly. Man, I wish I could see the look on Darien's face, because the look of fear I see flicker across Mel's features is downright hilarious.

I capitalize on the opportunity. "Bye bye, Mel." He shuffles his feet before turning away from us and losing himself in the crowd. I turn my body towards Darien, tilting my head up at him.

"Hey, you're nice!" I exclaim.

"You looked like you needed some saving of your own tonight," Darien mused with a headshake. "What, is it weirdo's night out or something?"

I giggle slightly. "Wouldn't that make us weirdos then?"

Darien shrugs. "I guess so. What the hell was that guy saying to you?"

I shake my head, still in disbelief from the shear stupidity of the conversation. "Ever seen Hitch?"

"Yeah."

"Literally, it was the scene from the bar. I mean, verbatim."

Darien winces his face. "Ouch."

"Yeah. I must have 'desperate' tattooed on my head or something to attract that kind of attention."

"Nah," he says with a dismissive wave. "He saw a pretty girl in a bar. I must say he has some confidence approaching you."

My heart skips a beat. "Huh?"

Darien noticeably stills. "Uh, um…"

I grin, covering my mouth as I chuckle at his embarrassment. Finally, I'm not the only one who has said something stupid!

"What I mean is, uh…"

"It's okay," I reassure him, still swooning from the complement.

"Well, it's true," he says matter-of-factly, "and as an attorney, I am obligated to say the facts."

I laugh, fluttering my eyes up towards him, my heart warmed at how awkward he looks. It's absolutely adorable. "Okay."

He sits down beside me, placing his drink on the bar. "I've had, one too many of these tonight it seems."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Because I'm normally not that, um,"

"I get it. Trust me."

"Not that I'm discrediting what I say—"

"I know," I reassure.

"—because you're beautiful—."

There goes my heart swooning again. "Thank you."

"—but I can't say that stuff out loud—"

"It's okay, really."

"—because then I look like I'm trying to hit on you after that weird guy totally did, and failed, but regardless—"

"You're rambling."

"—I'm going to go over there now."

I can't help but smirk as he shuffles off into the crowd, losing him again to a sea of people, but this time I'm smirking. I'm not sure if it's from the save, or the complement, or how adorably awkward he was, but I'm grinning ear to ear.

"What'd I miss?" Lita suddenly chimes in, her lips obviously swollen from attacking Ken's mouth for the entire duration of the events that just unfolded. I can't help to roll my eyes at her, but I'm still smiling regardless.

"How did you miss all that? Geez, way to be a failure of a wing woman, Lita!" I say, but my words hardly hold weight over her girlish giggling.

"Sorry!" she giggles as she flips her chestnut ponytail over her shoulder. "Girl, fill me in!"

#

It's 1:00 when I decide to finally call it a night. My ride is about 10 minutes away, so I make the decision to grab my coat from the coat-check and wait for my Lyft to pull up.

And, of course, in line, grabbing his coat as well, is Darien.

"We seem to have a habit of running into one another, it seems," I muse as I approach behind him. He turns around with a low chuckle.

"It would appear so. Leaving?"

"Yeah, my ride is almost here," I say as I lift up my phone to show him, like I'm trying to validate the coincidence. He smiles and nods before turning back to the line. We move up slowly, two girls behind the counter grabbing tickets and exchanging coats. When we start to approach the counter, I can't help but pay extra attention when Darien is next. I'm eyeing him, trying to count the amount of tickets he is handing over, when I'm startled out of my scoping mission by a very insistent "next!"

"I, uh, yeah, sorry," I stammer as I hand the visibly irritated woman behind the bar. She disappears to the closet behind her, just in time for the woman helping Darien to return with what I see as only one coat. Meaning, he's probably going home alone tonight! Which also means that hussy across the bar really was a desperate floozy trying to proposition him! I can't help when a smirk slithers on my face.

"So," Darien begins as he grabs his coat, "do you come here often?"

I shake my head no. "This is my first time, actually. Lita invited me."

"Ah. I didn't think so," Darien replied as he began to put his black, wool trench coat on.

"Why, do you?"

He nods. "Yeah."

"It's a nice place," I add.

"Yeah."

"Here you go," the impatient woman says as she passes my coat over to me with a huff. I frown at the obvious rude behavior, but quickly move on as I shuffle out of the line and into the hallway. I attempt to balance myself and put my coat on while holding my purse, phone, and walk at the same time, but to add insult to injury, I stumble in my heels and wind up falling into a wall. Of course, a graceful way to the end my evening.

As if this night couldn't get any more strange in front of Darien.

He must be thinking the same thing, because I hear a soft chuckle before he holds out his hand. "Let me help you with that," he offers as he reaches for my coat.

"Oh, thank you," I say as I turn my back to him, reaching my arms backward so I can slip them into the sleeves.

Such a simple, kind gesture, really; a man helping a woman with her coat. It shouldn't be a big deal, right?

So why do my arms tingle as I feel the liner of the sleeves grace my bare arms? The material slides up slowly, tantalizing my senses, until I feel the weight of the jacket upon my shoulders. His fingers graze my neck as he removes his hands, brushing against my skin softly. Unexpectedly, I feel his hand sweep under my hair, pulling the trapped length out from underneath my collar, my scalp tingling at the motion of movement. I don't know if it's the lack of intimacy in my life, or the alcohol, but this moment feels so god damn erotic that I might bust.

For a second, I think I'm imaging things, that I'm convincing myself of these feelings fluttering inside of me, but I feel his fingers smooth my shoulders. They trickle down my arm, to my sides, to my waist; delicately, softly, like an angel's touch. I close my eyes to the sensation, pins and needles flowing through me, my breathing quickening under his touch.

I hear him take a breath behind me, and I'm about 99.9% sure he's about to say something, when the phone in my hand goes off.

Damn it.

"My ride is here," I say in a voice that sounds like I've just run a marathon. I internally whimper when I feel him remove his hands quickly. I turn my head towards him, peeking over my shoulder, drinking in the sight of him. The way his bangs are falling over his eyes, the gentle smile that is painted on his face, the deep, rich blue hue his eyes, and how they're looking at me. Only me.

"Thank you."

"Have a good night, Serena," he says huskily. I suck in a deep breath, the tone of his voice sending shivers down my spine. I nod quickly, erratically even, as I make my way to the doorway, my heart pounding louder with each step I take.

As I approach the red sedan parked at the curb, I shake my head in disbelief. All he did was help me into my coat. He was being a gentleman. He was being kind after a klutzy moment of me fumbling with my stuff. It didn't mean anything.

So why do I feel like this?

So…

So…

Turned on?

A/N: I had way too much fun thinking about this chapter that I couldn't wait to write it XD From the awkwardness to the start of the sexiness, I hope that you had fun reading it!

Sorry to everyone who thought this was the prelude to the scene from the prologue XD I promise, it's coming soon!

Thank you everyone for reading! Let me know how you'd liked it!