Two Wrongs

Under Pressure: Liam

*** TRIGGER WARNING- THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF PAST CHILDHOOD ABUSE. PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION***

"I have zero fucking idea what to do, Lana! I don't... I don't even know what a good date looks like! Fuck, I barely know what A date looks like, never mind a good one!"

I was pacing back and forth across the linoleum in my kitchen, dressed in nothing but my underwear. It was late the next morning, almost noon. Allegra had already left for the day, which I knew only because I couldn't see her supped up purple car in the back drive. It was probably better she wasn't around. She definitely didn't need to see my Kitchen Underpants Breakdown.

I needed to trademark that.

I heard a soft giggle from my phone on the table and glanced at the screen to see Lana shaking her head at me over FaceTime. "You remaking Risky Business over there?"

"Shut up," I snarled. "Will you just fucking help me, please? What do girls want to do? What would YOU want to do?"

"Well, you're not taking me on a date, so..."

"LANA! Please!" I exclaimed. "I really don't want to fuck this up."

Lana blinked at me for a moment, like I'd just confessed I was an extraterrestrial or something. "Wow."

"What?" I asked with a groan.

"You really like her."

I sighed. Considering the never-before-seen amount of effort I was currently putting in, there was really no point in trying to deny it. I liked Allegra, a lot. Definitely a lot more than I had expected. "I do."

"AND you're admitting it?"

I gave her a deadpan stare. "I am FaceTiming you, in my underpants, in my kitchen, while I pace a fucking hole in the floor. Do you really even need to ask?"

Lana just continued giggling at me as she shook her head. "No. No, I don't. But its fun making you admit it."

"Ya know, I'm regretting calling you."

"Who else are you gonna ask for help? Her brother?"

"Yeah, not sure how that would go over."

"Look, Li," Lana began. "You don't have to go all out. She doesn't seem like a girl that needs to be wined and dined. Take her... take her some place that means something to you. Somewhere you go when you want to be Liam Cohen, not Liam the movie star."

I huffed out a laugh. "Not sure that place exists."

"Yes, it does. You've taken me there."

I sort of scrunched up my nose as I looked at her. "You mean Neptune's?"

"Yeah! That little crab shack on the beach, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't know..."

"Liam, trust me. She's not looking for STK and expensive wine. She wants YOU. She wants to get to know you. She wants to feel different from all the girls you take to dinner just so it looks better the next morning. She wants to feel special and last I checked; I was the only one you've taken there."

"You are..." I responded softly. I sighed, mulling over the thoughts in my head. "It takes almost an hour to get there."

"Perfect. More time to talk on the drive." I stayed silent, but I could feel Lana's eyes boring into me from the screen. "Liam, trust me."

"I do, I just..." I took a beat. "Do you really think that's enough? I mean, its not even expensive or all that nice. There's a barefoot fucking bar for God's sake. I feel like I could do better."