Day of Dating Pt. 2

Liam blinked. Then blinked again. Then, slowly, he leaned forward, resting both elbows on the small Starbucks table as he gave you a look that was an equal mix of amusement, disbelief, and pure, unfiltered exasperation.

“So let me get this straight,” he said, stirring his drink absentmindedly, his eyes still locked onto yours. “You crushed this guy’s foot with your heel—on purpose—and then proceeded to verbally obliterate him in front of his friend? And then, as a finishing touch, you just… spat in his face?”

You took a long, slow sip of your drink before shrugging, feigning innocence. “I mean, yeah. That’s pretty much how it went.”

Liam let out a low whistle, shaking his head in what could only be described as deep admiration. “Jesus. You’re a menace. An absolute terror.” He paused, then gave you a slow, approving grin. “And I’ve never been more in love with you.”

Your heart did a weird little jump at that, even though you knew it was just his way of speaking. Still, you rolled your eyes, leaning back in your seat. “You should’ve seen his face. Pure horror. Like he just realized his entire life had been a mistake.”

Liam snorted, shaking his head. “God, I wish I had. I mean, I knew you were scary, but like… that’s next-level unhinged.”

You took another sip of your drink, satisfied. “He deserved it.”

“Oh, no argument there. Just remind me never to piss you off.” He glanced down at his cup, then back up at you, his smirk shifting into something a little softer. “Seriously, though. That’s kinda hot.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Me verbally eviscerating a guy?”

He grinned. “Yeah.”

You smirked. “Good. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Your drinks sat between you on the table, the condensation beading on the plastic cups. Liam had gotten a simple iced vanilla latte, his usual no-fuss order, while you had opted for a caramel macchiato, your go-to when you wanted something just the right mix of sweet and strong. When the barista had called your name—Luna—you’d felt a small, weird little jolt in your chest. Not good, not bad. Just… something.

And now, as you absentmindedly twirled the cup in your hands, staring at the name written in black marker, you found yourself frowning a little.

“You know,” you started, tilting your head, “this name kinda sounds like I should be swinging around a pole for dollar bills.”

Liam nearly choked on his drink. “What?!”

You gestured vaguely at your cup, like it should be obvious. “I mean, just say it out loud. It’s totally got stripper energy.”

Liam squinted at the name written on the cup, then repeated it under his breath. His lips slowly curled into a grin. “Holy shit. You’re kinda right.”

“I know.” You sighed dramatically, setting your cup down. “I mean, it’s fine and all, but if I had to pick, I’d probably go with something else.”

Liam leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. “Alright. Hit me. What’s the ideal non-stripper name?”

You thought for a second. “Okay, what about… Lena?”

Liam immediately wrinkled his nose. “No. Absolutely not.”

You frowned. “What? It’s cute!”

“It’s the name of my cousin’s dog.”

“…Okay, next idea.”

You tried again. “Sophia?”

“Too formal.”

“Bella?”

“Too basic.”

“Raven.”

Liam gave you a flat look. “Are you secretly in a 2005 emo band?”

You huffed. “Okay, genius, what would you pick?”

Liam smirked. “Tiffany.”

You grimaced. “No. Absolutely not.”

“What? It’s cute!”

“It sounds like I should be in a reality show about spoiled rich girls.”

Liam chuckled. “Fine. What about… Daisy?”

You stared at him. “Do I look like a Nintendo character?”

Liam threw his hands up in defeat. “Okay, you know what? Maybe your name is fine as it is.”

You sighed dramatically, slumping onto the table. “You know what? Forget it. It’s all pointless anyway. In nine days, I’m going back to Lucas, and that’s that.”

Liam leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a slow smirk. “Yeah. But you’re the one who started this ridiculous conversation.”

You gave him a flat stare. “And?”

“And,” he said, reaching for his drink, “you still didn’t find a name that wasn’t stripper-y.”

You narrowed your eyes, then took a long, slow sip of your macchiato before muttering, “I hate you.”

Liam grinned. “Love you too, babe.”

You tried to let it go.

Really, you did.

You sipped your macchiato, let the caramel sweetness settle on your tongue, leaned back in your chair, and focused on Liam, watching him scroll through his phone absentmindedly between sips of his own drink. Totally normal. Totally casual. Nothing to think about.

And yet.

Your gaze flicked to the side of your cup again, to the name written in rushed black marker—Luna—and a little itch formed in your brain. An irritation. A sense of… something. Like wearing a shirt that didn’t quite fit right. Not uncomfortable enough to rip off, but annoying enough that you kept adjusting it.

You stared at it. Swirled your drink. Tapped your nails against the plastic.

Liam, without looking up, sighed. Deeply. “You’re still thinking about it.”

You snapped your head up, caught in the act. “What? No.”

Liam’s gaze lifted. He gave you a slow, knowing smirk. “Liar.”

You huffed, tapping your cup. “Okay, maybe. But, like, it’s not my fault! This stupid name is just… I don’t know. It’s fine, but it’s not me.”

Liam set his phone down and leaned forward, interest piqued. “Alright. So let’s figure out what is.”

You groaned, already exasperated with yourself. “We literally just did this.”

“Yeah, but we were throwing out random names. Now we can do it right.”

You hesitated. “You’re just humoring me.”

Liam shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee. “Probably. But if it’s gonna be bugging you all day anyway, might as well just settle it now.”

You sighed, leaning your cheek against your palm. “Fine. But we’re not doing another round of ‘let’s name me after a Disney princess.’”

Liam grinned. “Damn. There goes my top pick.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t fight the smile creeping up.

“Okay,” you started, determined to do this properly now. “We need rules.”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Rules?”

“Yes. No pet names. No stripper names. No dog names.”

Liam smirked. “Daisy is a lovely name.”

“For a Golden Retriever.”

“Alright, alright,” he chuckled. “Continue.”

“No names that sound like I’m a Victorian ghost child, no names that belong to anyone either of us hate, and no names that make me sound like I run a mommy blog.”

Liam mockingly crossed his heart. “Scout’s honor.”

“Okay.” You exhaled, thinking. “What about… Samantha?”

Liam scrunched his nose. “Too long. And it shortens to Sam, which is just…” He shrugged. “Doesn’t fit you.”

You pouted. “I could be a Sam.”

“No, you couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re not a Sam.”

“That’s not a real answer.”

Liam just shrugged again, sipping his drink like his argument was law.

You narrowed your eyes. “Fine. Olivia?”

Liam made a so-so gesture with his hand. “Better. But I don’t love it.”

You sighed. “Okay, your turn.”

Liam leaned back, considering. Then, slowly, he smirked. “Mia.”

You blinked. “Mia?”

“Yeah.” He tapped his cup. “Short. Sweet. Cute. And, unlike some of your ideas, it doesn’t sound like either an old lady or an NPC from a bad dating sim.”

You frowned, rolling the name around in your head. Mia. It was… okay? It was fine. But did it feel like you? You weren’t sure.

“It’s not bad,” you admitted slowly.

Liam grinned. “Oh? Are we finally onto something?”

You made a face. “I don’t know yet. It’s… close. I think. But maybe too soft?”

Liam snorted. “Too soft? You literally named yourself Luna.”

“Exactly! And look where we are right now!” You threw up your hands. “I need something with more edge!”

Liam chuckled, but then tilted his head, actually thinking. “Okay, so something with more bite. What about… Nina?”

You considered it. “Maybe. Nina’s not bad.”

Liam smirked. “You’re saying that like you’re about to rip it apart.”

You sighed dramatically. “It’s just… I don’t know. Nina’s cool, but is it me?”

Liam leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

You drummed your fingers against the table. “What about something like… Tess?”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Are we starting a detective agency?”

You groaned. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” He smirked, then shrugged. “Tess isn’t bad. But I still think Mia suits you better.”

You frowned again, staring at your cup. Mia. Nina. Tess. Nothing was sticking.

Maybe that was the problem.

Maybe it was never going to stick.

You let out a long breath, shaking your head. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter. In nine days, I’ll be Lucas again, and this’ll all be irrelevant.”

Liam leaned back, watching you. Then he smirked. “So, what I’m hearing is… we’ve spent all this time arguing, and in the end, you’ve accomplished nothing.”

You deadpanned. “I’m going to strangle you.”

Liam grinned, taking another sip of his coffee. “You love me too much.”

You narrowed your eyes. Then, reluctantly, you sighed and leaned back, mirroring him. “Yeah. Unfortunately.”

The sun hung high in the Toronto sky, casting a golden hue over the bustling streets as you and Liam strolled out of Starbucks, the remnants of your playful banter about names still lingering in the air.

You glanced at Liam, a mischievous glint in your eye. "So, what's next on our grand date itinerary?"

Liam feigned deep contemplation, rubbing his chin theatrically. "Well, we definitely aren't gonna go shopping..."

Before he could finish, you perked up, excitement evident. "Ooh, shopping sounds fun!"

But Liam's expression shifted dramatically, placing a hand over his heart as if wounded. "No, no, anything but that. I’m still recovering from our last shopping escapade two weeks ago. My feet have PTSD."

You laughed, nudging him playfully. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad."

He raised an eyebrow. "You tried on like seventeen different dresses. Seventeen."

"And I looked fabulous in each one," you retorted with a grin.

Liam chuckled, shaking his head. "How about a movie instead? Less walking, more sitting."

You pondered for a moment before nodding. "A movie sounds perfect. Let's see what's playing."

Pulling out your phone, you navigated to the Cineplex Yonge-Dundas showtimes. The list of movies was extensive, but none immediately caught your eye. After a few minutes of scrolling, you sighed. "There's nothing I'm dying to see."

Liam leaned over, squinting at the screen. "How about this one? 'The Monkey.' It's a horror-thriller."

You tilted your head, considering. "I'm not usually into horror, but it could be fun."

He smirked. "I'll protect you from the big bad monkey."

Rolling your eyes with a smile, you checked all the showtimes for everything playing. "There's this one here, and looks like there's a VIP showing at 2:00 PM. And... wow, no seats have been sold yet."

Liam's eyes widened. "An entire VIP theater to ourselves? Sounds like a private screening."

You grinned. "And with those comfy couch seats? I'm sold."

Decision made, you both set off towards the Yonge-Dundas Cineplex. The streets were alive with the usual Toronto hustle, but there was a certain magic in the air—a blend of the city's energy and the shared excitement of an impromptu date.

As you walked, arms occasionally brushing, Liam glanced at you with a playful smirk. "So, if the movie's terrible, do we get to demand a refund from our private screening?"

You laughed. "I think the experience alone will be worth it. Plus, we can always make our own commentary if it's bad."

He nodded, eyes twinkling. "Mystery Science Theater style. I like it."

The conversation flowed effortlessly, filled with shared jokes and light teasing. Every so often, you'd catch Liam looking at you, a softness in his gaze that made your heart flutter. The city around you seemed to blur, the noise fading into the background, leaving just the two of you in your own little world.

As you approached the theater, Liam squeezed your hand gently. "Ready for our exclusive cinematic adventure?"

You smiled, warmth spreading through you. "With you? Always."

Together, you stepped into the theater, anticipation bubbling, ready to add another memorable chapter to your shared story.