Page 65 of My Killer Blind Date

‘No …’ I whine. I thought she forgot. I forgot.

Suddenly, a guy is handing her a mic and the music cuts. Uh-oh. This can’t be good. Is she about to give me a car? For some reason that’s all I can think of.

‘Hey, everyone!’ says George. ‘Hey! Thanks for coming!’

The eruption of cheers is so deafening I cover my ears even as I’m laughing.

‘So we’re going to play a song, and Arjun and I are dancing this one together. But I’d like to invite one other couple to the floor with us—’ She turns to me. ‘My best friend Margot and—’ She holds out an arm, the crowd parts and suddenly, a man is walking toward us – toward me.

Blond. Tall. Impeccable in a tux.

Liam.

Blood rushes into my face, my knees go weak and I grab George’s shoulder before I fall to the freaking floor, because he’s the last person I expected to see tonight, and also he looks so good, and also, being seen as a couple in front of all my friends is suddenly intimidating as hell.

Liam is at my side in a flash, a hand at the small of my back.

This is the first time I’ve seen him since the meat testing came back. The first time since our very first encounter that I can look at him and truly just see Liam instead of a potential serial killer.

‘I’m sorry to surprise you like this,’ he whispers with a cute little grin. ‘George invited me and—’

I gasp out a laugh. ‘All good.’

‘This is your surprise!’ cries George, obviously so pleased with herself. ‘I invited your hot new boyfriend! You were so worried about the cost per head, which is adorable, but I couldn’t let that stop you, babe.’ She turns to the crowd. ‘Let’s hear it for loooove!’

The crowd goes wild, and suddenly Yerba Buena’s ‘Guajira (I Love U 2 Much)’ is pounding, Arjun is spinning George and Liam is holding out a hand to me.

Suddenly, I’m frozen in time between the beats.

In a whisper only I can hear, he says, ‘Trust me, Margot.’

It’s one thing to tell myself I’m ready to move forward. It’s another to actually do it.

The crowd starts chanting and clapping. It’s directed at us. Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!

It was one thing to blow off steam in a random salsa bar. It’s another to publicly pair myself with Liam. If I do this, it’s like I’m saying, yes, I trust you.

Blood punches its beat into my neck. Liam’s gaze is fixed on me. And then, I decide.

No more fear.

I grab his hand, and before I can catch my bearings, he spins me in. I collide against his body with a gentle oof, and then his arms are locked around me, my back is pressed against his torso and we’re sinking our hips down to the rhythm, swaying from side to side. I’m practically sitting in his lap.

‘You never answered my question from Monday night,’ he says as he spins me out.

‘Huh?’ I say, too dazed to think clearly.

‘Do you want to be my girlfriend?’

Now we’re facing each other, as in step as we were at the salsa studio after the torrential rain, and just as sweaty. His palm is firm on my back, his other hand resting on my hip. I put one hand on his chest, and his heartbeat rises up to meet me.

Is this too fast? Can we just … do that?

No. We are letting go. We are moving forward.

‘OK,’ I breathe.

He spins me out again, then back.