Through Your Eyes

by Shannyn Schroeder

  “Okay.”

  Tommy left the O’Leary house, happy to avoid another run-in with Mrs. O’Leary. He hadn’t been joking when he’d said Mrs. O’Leary scared him a little. He didn’t know how much influence she might have on Deirdre, and he didn’t want her to ruin what he and Deirdre had going. Maybe Jimmy would tell him how to win over Mrs. O’Leary.

  He was counting on the O’Malley charm to fix this for him.

  * * *

  On Sunday afternoon, Deirdre waited at the bakery longer than necessary, helping the owner, David, prep fruit for the next day. Even when he tried to shoo her home, she found some pans and trays to wash. She watched the clock and tried to determine the best time to leave. The O’Learys were having their family dinner this afternoon, and while she loved her family, being at a table with all of them was overwhelming. She’d rather do almost anything than attend a full family dinner.

  Added to that, Aunt Eileen might bring up her spending time with Tommy, which would definitely get her cousins talking. At least she knew Moira and Maggie would be on her side. And she was so nervous about her date with Tommy that she couldn’t face her family. So she plunged her arms deep in the sink to clean dishes, even though it wasn’t part of her job.

  A knock on the window caught her attention, so she went to the front of the store to point out to the customer that they were closed. In case the locked door wasn’t evidence enough. She saw Tommy’s face through the glass, his hands cupped around his eyes to see in. Her stomach dropped and her heart jumped.

  She unlocked the door and let him in. “What are you doing here?”

  “The bakery closed a while ago and you didn’t call. Maggie told me you weren’t home yet.”

  She swallowed hard. “You went to my aunt’s house to look for me?”

  He shook his head. “I caught Maggie outside. She said you usually don’t make it for family dinner.”

  Deirdre took a deep breath. So only Maggie knew she had plans with Tommy.

  “Anyway, I thought you could use a ride. You don’t drive, right?”

  “I know how to. But I don’t have a car and I’m not used to driving here. Right side of the road and all.”

  “Are you done?” He pointed in the general direction of the back, from where she’d come.

  She thought of the last few unwashed dishes. It would be rude to leave them. “I have a few things to finish up.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “I still need to go home and change.”

  “I’ll drive you.”

  “Then you’ll wait in my living room like a proper suitor?”

  “Suitor?” He gave her a crazy look. “I’ll wait in the car. Almost no chance of running into your aunt there.”

  She smiled. “Come on then. You can talk to me while I wash.”

  At the sink, she went back to work and Tommy walked around and looked at the equipment. “Did you think about what you want to do tonight?”

  “Not really.” She hoped he didn’t want to go to another pub. She’d spent enough time in pubs, but she didn’t want to make him give up something he might enjoy.

  “We could do dinner and a movie, but then we don’t get to talk much. And since you haven’t told me I can kiss you again, that doesn’t leave much to do there.”

  She paused in scrubbing the tray. “We could actually watch the movie.”

  “We could go to Dave and Buster’s.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s like an arcade. There’s a restaurant and bar, and then we can play games. It’s fun.”

  She’d told herself that she would be open to new experiences, to try new things as long as she was in Chicago. Tommy was making it easy for her. “Okay.”

  She rinsed the last tray and wiped her hands on a towel. “I’m ready. Just let me tell David I’m heading out.” She walked to the office and poked her head in. David was on the phone so she just waved and pointed toward the door. He nodded.

  Grabbing her purse and her jacket off the hook near the bathroom, she called to Tommy. “I’m ready.”

  He sauntered beside her, hands tucked in his pockets. He moved like a man comfortable in everything. He showed no signs of being nervous about their date, so she tried to take a cue from him. Outside, the sun was still warm, but the breeze held a chill, so she pulled her jacket on.

  Tommy drove them home in silence, the radio playing some rock music she didn’t know. The trip by car was quick and he pulled up in front of the O’Leary house. “I’ll wait here.”

  “I won’t take long.” She’d been up since four thirty and the bakery had been a madhouse this morning. What she really wanted was a nice, long bath, but she’d settle for a shower. “Would you be willing to wait for me to shower? It’s been a day.”

  He shifted in his seat. “Take all the time you need.”

  “You can go in your house if you’d like. I’ll ring when I’m ready.”

  He looked across the street to his house. “I’m fine.” He pulled out his phone and began tapping the screen.

  “Be back soon.”

  She went into the house and was relieved to see that the family was having dessert. A few said, “Hey, Deirdre,” as she walked into the room, but for the most part, they continued with the individual conversations. She moved past Aunt Eileen, hoping to go quickly upstairs.

  “Where are you off to?”

  Deirdre inhaled and bit her lip before answering. Sometimes she felt like she was still at home. “I’m going to shower and change. I have plans.”

  “Oh?”

  The single word was a loaded question, but Deirdre was experienced in evading it. “Yes,” she answered simply and took off up the stairs.

  She gathered fresh jeans and a shirt and locked herself in the bathroom. She tied her hair on top of her head because she didn’t want to leave Tommy waiting long enough to fix her hair properly. The hot shower relaxed her, and when she stepped out, she was refreshed and ready for a night of being in a crowded place.

  As she left the bathroom, she let her hair down and almost jumped out of her skin when she got back to her bedroom. Maggie sat on her bed.

  “Sneaky.”

  “You almost caused a heart attack. You should warn a girl.”

  “Tommy O’Malley, huh?”

  “What about him?”

  “I assume he’s who you have plans with?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Have fun. Don’t let my mom give you a hard time. Tommy might still look like the troublemaker she thinks he is, but from everything Moira says, he’s a good guy. He works and plays hockey and stays out of trouble. There’s no reason why you can’t go out and have a good time.”

  She’d known Maggie would side with her. “You make it sound so simple.”

  “It is.”

  “I’ve only dated Rory. Before him, there were only a few random dates. That was forever ago. I don’t even know how to do this.”

  Maggie twirled a finger and Deirdre held her arms up. “Turn. Let me see how you look. Where are you going?”

  “Dave and something’s game place.”

  “Dave and Buster’s?”

  “That’s it.”

  “Oh, fun. I guess what you’re wearing is okay, but maybe something with a little cleavage. Give him a hint of what’s there.”

  Deirdre slapped a hand on her chest. “He doesn’t need to worry about what’s there.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes. “Remember what we said about Rory. He’s had years to make a move. He hasn’t. I’m not saying you need to jump Tommy, just flirt and have fun.”

  Deirdre took a deep breath. The thought of Tommy looking down her shirt and getting ideas did all kinds of things to her. Fear was her initial reaction, followed closely by intrigue. When he’d kissed her, it had been different from kissing anyone else. She imagined his hands on other parts of her and flushed.

  “Ooo . . . you’re having dirty thoughts.”

  “I am not.”

  “Y
ou can lie to my mother, but I know better.”

  “I’m nervous, Maggie. If he wasn’t sitting in his car waiting for me right now, I wouldn’t go.”

  Maggie grabbed her shoulders. “Don’t stress. You had fun dancing with him at the bar when we went out. You talked to him all night. And Mom told me he was over here the other day baking cupcakes with you. Don’t worry about what might happen. Let nature take its course.”

  Deirdre closed her eyes. Maggie was right. If nature took its usual course, she had absolutely nothing to worry about. Her past had shown her that regardless of how she felt, physical interactions didn’t go far.

  She reopened her eyes. “Thanks for the talk.”

  “Anytime.” Maggie moved toward the door. “Let me go down first. I’ll distract Mom so you can sneak out.”

  “This must be what it’s like to have a sister.”

  “Yep. You gotta watch out for each other, especially when you have so many brothers all up in your business.” Maggie waved and then ran down the stairs.

  Deirdre waited to hear her receding steps. Then she quietly followed Maggie and slipped out the front door.

  * * *

  Tommy watched as O’Learys left the house. He tried not to get impatient, but he was. He’d been looking forward to this date all week. Showing up at the bakery was probably a dick move, but he was afraid Deirdre would back out.

  Then the front door opened again, and she came through looking like she was sneaking out. He didn’t know how to feel about that. Thrilled that she would want to be with him that much, but fuck, why would she have to sneak out to be with him?

  She jogged over to his car, her hair blowing around her head, a huge smile on her face. She opened the door and slid in.

  “Were you just sneaking out of your house?”

  “How did you know?”

  “I’ve done my share of sneaking out. I know what it looks like. Why?” He started the engine.

  “Why what?”

  “Why did you have to sneak?”

  “Aunt Eileen was poking at me. I didn’t want to stir trouble.”

  “I don’t want to cause trouble for you.” He pulled into the street, thinking about offering to cancel to make her life easier, but he didn’t. If she wanted to call it off, he’d live with it. But he didn’t want to give her that out.

  “I think I’m due for a bit of trouble. It was Maggie who distracted her so I could leave without questions. Now, you’ll just have to keep me out late enough that she’ll be in bed.”

  “I think I can manage that.”

  While they drove to Dave and Buster’s, he asked her about her day at work and talked about his shift at the tattoo studio the night before. Their conversation always seemed easy.

  When they got to D&B, they decided to eat first. Deirdre stared at the menu. “Everything looks so good and interesting. I’ve no idea what to choose.”

  “Let’s get appetizers then. You can sample a ton of stuff.”

  Her eyebrows crinkled. “Are you sure?”

  “Why not?” When the waitress came over, he ordered nachos and sliders and wings. Then they both added a beer. Tommy always liked a girl who enjoyed beer.

  While they waited for food, he wanted to learn more about her. “Tell me about your family.”

  “What do you want to know?” She sipped her beer. “I’ve already told you I’ve three brothers. I live above the pub with my parents and my two younger brothers, Donal and Eamon. Brendan has already gotten married and moved out.”

  “Did you go to college?”

  “No. I enjoyed school well enough, I suppose, but not so much I wanted to continue. You?”

  “Nah. I didn’t like school at all. It was mostly a place for me to meet girls and socialize. Except art class. I always paid attention there. “

  “Did you ever think about becoming an artist? Other than tattoos, I mean.”

  “Not really. If my dad taught me nothing else, it’s that I have to be able to support myself and my family. I wasn’t sure I could do that through art.”

  “Do you like tattooing?”

  “I love it. Sometimes people can be assholes—I’m sure you know that—but for the most part, people are happy when they come to me. They’re sharing an important piece of their lives, their story.”

  She ran a finger down his forearm. “So all these have stories?”

  He was momentarily distracted by her cool finger on his skin. He blinked to focus. “Mostly. Some are there just because I like the design.”

  “How many do you have?”

  “It depends on how you count. My sleeve tats I count as one even though they’re full of multiple designs.”

  “How many hours did it all take?”

  “Too many to count.” He eyed her over his bottle of beer. “Do you have any?”

  “Tattoos? No.”

  “Have you ever wanted one?”

  “I’ve never thought about it. I don’t much like pain.”

  “The pain isn’t that bad.”

  “I don’t like needles.”

  “It’s not the same as going to the doctor and getting stuck.”

  The waitress arrived and set down plate after plate of food. His stomach growled. Deirdre wasted no time digging in.

  “I’m starved.” She loaded her plate with a helping of everything, and they quieted while they ate.

  As he munched on a chip, Tommy realized that she’d managed to ask more questions of him but told very little about herself. “Tell me about life in Ireland.”

  She swallowed and said, “Not so different from here, I suppose.”

  “Do you miss it?”

  She sighed and looked past him, unfocused. “There are some things, sure. But I enjoy being here because of the differences. I feel peace here.”

  She suddenly sat straight, almost as if she’d been caught off guard. Or maybe she hadn’t wanted to let that slip.

  “Peace from what?”

  “The pub, my family.” She stopped. “I love them, of course, but they tend to tell me how to live and it gets old. I’m sure you get a bit of that being one of the youngest.”

  “Yeah. Everyone’s always up in your business telling you what to do because they know better. And sometimes I find myself doing things because they want me to more than because I want to.”

  “Like hockey.”

  She didn’t miss a beat and she’d paid attention when they talked. “Yeah. But I have to hand it to my dad and Sean there. I do really enjoy hockey.”

  “At least enough to mark your body with it.” She pointed to the crossed hockey sticks on his forearm.

  He and Sean had gotten matching tattoos after they’d won their first season. There weren’t too many things that he loved more than being on the ice with Sean at his side. The camaraderie with the team was an added bonus. They were like a second family.

  “What do you do for fun?” he asked.

  “I bake.”

  “That’s your job.”

  “Not at home, it’s not. I work at the pub. Baking is relaxing and challenging and rewarding all at once.” She took a huge bite of a slider and moaned. “This is so delicious,” she said around a mouthful.

  He reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling the burger close and taking a bite. She stared, wide-eyed.

  “What? You said it was good. I wanted to try.”

  She pointed at the mound of food on the table. “You have your choice.”

  “So you don’t like to share.”

  “I guess not.” She said it with a smile, but she seemed serious.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  They finished their meal and Tommy paid the bill. Before deciding on what games to play, they walked around to see their options. “See anything you like?” he asked.

  She stared directly into his eyes. “Yeah.”

  Oh, man. She was going to make this no-kissing thing difficult if she kept looking at him like that. “Lead the way.”

 
Blushing, she reached out and interlocked her fingers with his. Her palm was warm, her pale skin a contrast against his tattoos. For a second, all he could do was stare. “Well, then. How about some air hockey?”

  “I feel like you’re setting me up to lose.”

  “It would be stupid to piss off the girl I want to kiss.” He led her to one of the air hockey tables.

  “But you’re a hockey player. I’m not.”

  “Air hockey isn’t the same.” At the table, he slid his hand from hers. “Wait here.” He left her near the table to watch the ongoing game while he went to get play passes for them. When he returned, Deirdre was standing with her arms crossed, staring intently at the game.

  “Problem?” he asked as he slid a careful hand on her hip.

  She shook her head. “Just watching. All you have to do is slide that circle to the other side and get it in the slot.”

  “And stop me from doing the same.”

  “Sounds easy enough.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Chapter Six

  Deirdre couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard or so much. She loved that Tommy didn’t treat her like she was incompetent. He might’ve taken it easy on her for the first game, but after that, there was true competition. By the end of the night, she didn’t know how many games she’d won or lost. She was happy she’d decided to take him up on his offer for a date.

  A good portion of her night had been spent battling a swarm of butterflies in her stomach as she thought about kissing Tommy again. But he’d managed to push all her nervousness aside. They’d enjoyed a whole night of laughing and drinking and playing games. She’d never been on a date like that and it was fun.

  But now they were driving back home and the butterflies came back tenfold. She wanted to kiss him again, but she had no idea how to approach it. Should she wait for him to make a move? Tell him? Just kiss him?

  She locked her fingers together in her lap and looked out the window.

  “Something wrong?”

  “No.”

  “You got real quiet. I was pretty sure we were having a good time.”

  “I had a lovely night. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a fun date.” The words were true, but she felt bad saying them because it made her relationship with Rory sound horrible.