From Co-workers to More (Agnores x Candira)

Looking good tonight, Liam thought, smiling to himself in the restroom mirror.

Liam was a thin, well-kept Southern man, his accent thin and barely noticeable. There was a light scruff adorning his cheeks, his hair kept short, light blonde streaks through his dirty blonde hair. His blue eyes shown with a smile that was mirrored by his lips, a casual, easy thing that brimmed with confidence and genuine happiness. He dressed rather casual for the party, wearing a black button up tucked into a pair of dark jeans. He knew he wasn't the only one of his co-workers who had a more casual appearance, all of them having decided that since they didn't dress up for normal days of work, they shouldn't have to dress up for the after-work party.

Liam was a programmer for Google HQ, a dream come true in a job. Despite the big business the company performed, the job itself was fairly laid back and simple, something that Liam enjoyed more than anything. A job fitting for someone as laid back and simple as himself. He straightened his shirt, smiled wider, and slipped out of the bathroom. They had a band playing, supposedly with some members of the Google workforce. He hadn't seen the band before, but from what he could tell from what he could hear, they were good. He moved into the main room, laying his eyes on the band for the first time this night.

Summer wasn't sure how her band had been roped into playing tonight, but she supposed it wasn't so bad. The money was great, and the exposure was probably better than what she could have hoped for, especially considering the company probably could have gotten just about anyone to play here. Really, it was a pretty sweet gig. Besides, it was an informal little party for the staff--not like a gala for investors. The worst that could happen would be someone who really hated the show would recognize her during her shift at the lunch counter. Even then, it wouldn't be too bad. She could always take a cook's shift that day.

The show was about half way through at this point. It was almost time for an intermission, and she really could have used a break. Summer was the lead vocalist and the keyboardist for "The GooGirls." Okay, so the name needed work. It seemed, at the very least, to amuse people. She stood before the crowd a woman of moderate height made tall by sexy but painful heels. The golden bracelets on her wrists jingled merrily as she led a clap-along session of one of their songs, her smooth, alto voice aided by many in the audience. As she danced around finishing the song with a few choruses, her green eyes shown with mirth. Despite the fact that she wasn't too keen on performing for her coworkers, Summer loved to entertain.

When the song was finally over, the singer held up her hands to quiet the cheering a bit. "Well, as much as we love playing for you, it's time for a little break. Please enjoy the playlist stylings of your Google HR department!" With that she flashed a brilliant smile and stepped off stage. She was a little pale in the spotlight, but her skin had a touch of gold left over from the dying summer. To keep her cool, Summer had tied her reddish brown hair back into a spunky ponytail. She made her way though the small crowd to the open bar and asked for some water.

From what he could see, they were great. The sound was good, and the face of the group, the lead vocalist, was drop-dead gorgeous. She seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place why right off. She obviously enjoyed her job, the way she moved and the smile in her eyes and on her face attested to such. He found himself dancing and trying to sing along with her songs, even though he didn't know them, just by the way she moved. When she stopped, citing needing to take a break, he watched the beauty move off stage and head over to the open bar, but Liam resisted the urge to go over to her, knowing that a whole crowd of men would likely beat him there. He didn't want to be labeled as one of those guys just yet. He still couldn't quite place who she was, and he didn't want to be that guy that approached her because she was good looking and then couldn't remember exactly where he had seen her before.

He found himself gravitating to the bar anyway, asking for a rum and coke. It was a simple drink, one of his favorites, and as he spun around to face the party, his eyes fell on her again. Suddenly, it hit him where he knew her from...she worked the line in the cafe, which explained why Liam was starting to feel slightly hungry. He smiled, happy with himself, before he remembered he still didn't really know her name. After a few seconds, though, he shook his head and sighed, stepping lightly over to the girl. "Hey," he said, his voice deep with just a bit of his accent breaking through. "Nice band," he continued, turning and leaning back against the bar. "Bit of a break from the cafe, hm?" He smiled one of his warm smiles, glancing over at her before looking back at the party in general. "This party isn't too bad, hm?"

Summer smiled and took the water, pleased to hear it was on the house. She was just about to find a place to sit down when a handsome stranger spoke to her. The deep voice and the little twang of an accent were nearly enough to make her swoon right then and there. If she had one weakness it was an accent. She smiled at him, trying to remember where she'd seen him before. He looked familiar, but tonight he was especially handsome. When he mentioned the cafe, however, she immediately knew.

"Hey there. Thanks for the compliment. Yeah, the party's great so far. Everyone's being really nice to us, considering one of us works in the cafe." She smiled and blushed a little, taking a sip of her water so she wouldn't ramble. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

He smiled at her, taking a sip of his drink. "I am, actually. Enjoying myself a lot, with the good music and drinks." He took another sip before turning only enough to sit his glass on the bar. "My name's Liam," he said, his accent once more breaking through, though it remained light. "I'm going to assume your name is Beautiful, but feel free to correct me." He looked at her, his eyes resting on her's. There was a cool confidence there, mixing with a mischievous and playful demeanor. He glanced away, taking a sip from his drink, and as he sat it back on the bar, he continued. "If that was too cheesy, I can tone it down. I am a fan of cheesy lines," he said with a laugh.

The party was moving around them, people coming and going from the bar. For a second Liam was surprised by the amount of people who worked here and how few he actually knew anything about.

Liam with the sexy voice was charming, if not cheesy. "Well, you could probably tone it down a little," she said with a chuckle. Her smile stayed firmly in place and she stood next to him, leaning against the bar as well. "My name is Summer, by the way. It's nice to meet you, Liam. So, which department do you work in here?"

"Research and Development," Liam replied, smiling and shaking his head. "Basically I sit around researchin' consumer trends to try and find new and better ways our products can serve others. See how people are usin' our products, search for new projects and potential cash cows I can find." He gave a soft shrug, then smiled at her. "Nothin' too interestin', I assure you." He took another sip of his drink, before glancing back down at Summer. "So, Summer, you are responsible for keepin' me fed and nourished while I stare dumbly at a computer screen, right?"

Summer nodded as he told her about his job in R and D. It sounded boring, but in an interesting kind of way. Like watching a documentary on...well, just about anything. It was interesting, but not generally something to get excited about. In any case, it didn't seem like a big deal to Liam, so she just nodded, accepting it. "Something like that. I work behind the counter at the register, in the kitchen as a line cook and dishwasher, and in the lobby, cleaning up from time to time. I do a lot of things because I've been here for awhile and I'm probably the most reliable person there. If someone misses a shift they can pretty much always count on me to take it unless I'm sick or have a show planned. It doesn't pay a lot, but it pays my bills. And it's a lot more steady than gigs like this." She smiled and shrugged a little.

"So what's the thing you order most at the cafe? Maybe I've made it for you."

"Oh, nothin' big," Liam replied, after another sip. "Just a spicy chicken salad, with Italian dressin', no tomatoes, cucumbers, or croûtons, and made by someone especially pretty." He gave a small smile over to Summer when he said that, turning to look away from the party and at her. He kept his voice low, tinging it with his playfulness. "So how often do you end up playing shows and missin' work? Your band sounds really good, but I hadn't heard it before." He leaned back onto the bar again, this time a bit closer to her. "I wanted to be a singer when I was younger, never quite made it that far. End up here, in the great ol' Google HQ." He smiled warmly and sipped at his drink once more.

She smiled at Liam and took another sip of water, glad that he seemed to enjoy her lunch services and her band. A slight blush crossed her face as the veiled compliment hit her, but it was very nice to know that he thought she was exceptionally pretty. "Well, we aim to please," she said, flashing him a smile. When he gave her all his attention and leaned closer to her, though, she was pretty sure she never wanted to move from that stop again. "Oh, it's not often that we get booked during the day--but we do covers at functions sometimes. We usually have evening stuff, but we sometimes practice during the day. I almost never miss work for it," she said with a little wink. That he wanted to be a singer at a younger age made her smile. "Well, one day, we'll have to do a duet together." She grinned at him and stayed close as he took another sip.

"Well, Liam. As much as I really want to stay here and keep talking to you, my break is almost over. But if you're here later on, maybe I'll see you after the show." She took another sip of her water and watched him, wondering if he would be disappointed or excited to see her again later.

At her mention of doing a duet, Liam smiled, shaking his head slightly. "I don't think I could compete," he replied, but smiled warmly. "I'll be here later," he continued when she mentioned seeing him after the show. "We can talk more then," he said with a nod. "Break a leg," he added as she went off to join her band on the stage. He leaned back against the bar, watching her, a warm smile on his face. He was kind of sad he hadn't noticed how beautiful she was before now, because now he knew he had seen her around almost every day. Still, he was glad he got the chance to talk to her, in an almost macho "I've marked my territory on the most beautiful girl here" kind of way. He began to wonder how jealous his co-workers were of him, and that thought made his smile widen.

He finished off his drink as she got on stage, and smiled. He would have to slow down his intake by far. He wanted to remember their conversation in the morning. Hell, he'd even follow it up.

Summer smiled at his compliment, glad to hear that he would be around later. The idea of talking to him again brightened her night a little. Once she was back on stage she spotted him in the crowd again. She grinned and gave a little wave as they started up the second half of their set list. The rest of the night passed in a series of fun songs, dancing, and people enjoying themselves. When the final song came, Summer was glad to see that she could still find Liam in the thinning crowd. She smiled at him and finished the set, helping with breakdown. When that was through, she came back into the building to find Liam again. She wondered if he was still around. If he wasn't, she supposed she would see him in the cafe before too long. After all, the man had to eat.

Liam waved back with a smile when Summer waved at him from the stage, and he stayed by the bar as she finished her set. The songs they played were, to say the least, fun, energetic little numbers. Liam found himself tapping his foot on more than one occasion. Thoroughly enjoying her music, he made a note of his favorites so he could find ones that may be worth buying if possible. When they finished their set, he watched as she helped break down the items, standing alone by the bar. He had only finished one other rum and coke, enough to make him feel at peace and happy, but not much more. When the break down was finished, he sought her out, finding her near the entrance to the building.

"If you have a CD, I want one," Liam said in greeting, his smile big and genuine. "You had me wantin' to dance a couple of times, and I don't even dance." He continued, with a laugh.

She smiled when he met her in the lobby, glad to hear that he'd enjoyed himself. It was great to know that he was interested in her music, but it was better to know that he liked her. "I'm sure we can hook you up with one. I don't have any on me, but maybe I can bring one to work with me." Summer took a quick study of his face, enjoying his eyes especially. He was a handsome man, and she was pretty lucky to be talking to him. "I'm glad you had fun. You should have danced! I would have loved to see it."

"That sounds good," Liam stated with a smile.

At the mention of him dancing, Liam laughed aloud. "I'm fairly certain there are actually a set of laws out that state I am to be arrested and flogged on sight if I attempt anythin' even remotely resemblin' a dance." He shook his head, wiping a tear from his eye that had sprung form his laughter. "So I think I'll pass on dancin'." Liam looked around, noting the almost non-existant crowd now. It was fairly late, but Liam knew a place or two...if Summer was willing and not too picky about her environment.

"So what are your plans for the night?" Liam asked, fixing her with his gaze. He let more of his accent flow through his voice. "I know a coupl'a places that'd still be open, we can grab a cuppa coffee and we can talk, maybe get to know each other better."

Summer chuckled at his excuses for not dancing and made a note to ask him about it again later. Leaning against the wall, she tilted her head a little as the thinning crowd made its way home. She would be heading there too, sadly, unless this Southern gentleman asked for more of her company. She looked up at him as he asked what she was up to for the rest of the night and flashed him another smile.

"I didn't have any plans, but I could definitely go for a cup of coffee and some conversation. Where did you have in mind?" she asked, curious to know more about the man that had caught her attention and kept it all night long.

Liam's smile widened in genuine happiness at Summer's response. "I know of a little place, run by a family. The children run it over night, and its kinda like Waffle House minus the chance the food will poison you. They make better coffee, too. Consider it my treat, for the show." It also happened to be one of the top places for bikers and truck drivers to stop, but he didn't think he should mention that, lest she decide against going. "You want to follow me there? Its right down the road a bit." Liam found him self excited. Where he had been tired just moments before, he was now wide awake, and happy. It wasn't often you get to take a pretty girl out right after a work party.

"Sure, I'll follow you there. It sounds like a nice place," she said with a little grin. He seemed very happy that she wanted to stick around. He was a sweet guy, on top of being sexy. And that accent just kept pulling her in. Summer only hoped that she was as appealing to him. "Or we could walk there together if you wanted. It's only a little ways away, right?" The idea of walking with him was a happy one. Whatever they decided, Summer was pumped for the night to continue.

"Walk?" He hadn't honestly considered that. It wasn't that far of a walk, truthfully, but Liam was the guy who had seriously considered buying a scooter for his house so he didn't have to walk from the living room to the kitchen, and he lived in a relatively small apartment. He had, of course, decided it against it, but only because he couldn't find a place to store the thing when it wasn't in use. Plus, gas prices were high enough as is without adding laziness to his bill. However, this part of the city around Google HQ was a fairly nice part of town, well decorated and well-lit. They would even pass by a park on the way there. On all accounts, it sounded like a win to Liam.

"Sure," he said, smiling wide and stepping forward, offering her his arm. "Its not a short walk, but it'll be a pretty one."

"Great," she said, practically beaming. She slipped her purse over her shoulder and linked arms with possibly the sexiest man she'd ever met. How was it fair that he even smelled good? Maybe all those years of not spitting in people's food at the lunch counter had paid off and this was karma coming back to her. Whatever the reason, Summer was determined to just enjoy what she had at the moment.

As they walked along, she looked at the neighborhood, finally having time to appreciate how lovely it really was. "I never noticed on the drive in, but this is a really pretty place. I'll have to take more of my breaks outside," she said. "So, do you come this way often?"

If she thought she was lucky, Liam felt like he won the lottery after absent-mindedly buying a lottery ticket just to clear out his cup holder from the all the change left in it. He was smiling from ear to ear, and his step had a certain bounce in it that he hadn't felt in quite some time. How come he hadn't noticed this beautiful little lady before, he wondered. He went to the cafe literally every day he worked. Then again, he had a lot of other things on his mind during his lunch, and salads were usually pre-prepped. So that might of had something to do with it.

"I actually live not too far from here. Too far for a walk, but not a long drive. But yes, this is a pretty nice place. Google picked a good spot to house up." He laughed, smiling down at her. "During the day though, its super busy. All the noise and cars really takes the beauty out of a place." He generally ate inside, but that really had more to do with wanting to talk with his friends than anything else. "At nights like this, though, it is a really beautiful place. I do find myself coming through here often to go to this place a lot."

It was a nice night--clear, with just a hint of a breeze to move the air around. It was serene in this neighborhood. Mostly businesses and corporate headquarters took up space around here--but it was a beautiful place. All of the businesses seemed to chip in to make sure that people were impressed and employees were happy. The businesses gave way to apartments and condos, as well as little restaurants and other curiosities. Closed down for the night, they all looked so different.

"Really? I live a little further off. I don't get paid as much working at the cafe. It must be really nice to live around here though." She smiled and looked up into his eyes as he looked down at her, telling her about the bustle of the day and the calm night. "It's nice to know that someone like you comes around here. It's fun to imagine you walking around here or doing business." She smiled and squeezed his arm a little as the continued to walk down the road.

"So, tell me. Do you like your job?"