by Elin Peer
Charles stood outside talking with the guide while holding two cups in his hands. I knocked on the window and waved at him.
“How can you look so good this early?” he said as he came up the stairs.
“Oh, you like the jet-lagged look on me?”
“Here.” He handed me a cup. “Hot chocolate with whipped cream.”
“Aww, thank you. That’s so sweet of you.”
Charles sat down in the seat next to me and brought with him a scent of shampoo, coffee, and delicious cologne.
“Umm, you smell good.”
“Yeah?” He gave a shy smile, and it made me think of his diary where he’d described feeling blocked and limited because of self-doubt.
“Uh-huh. Are you ready to go on an adventure and see the rugged cliffs of Moher?”
He leaned back in his seat, placed his coffee in the cup-holder, and nodded. “I am. The question is, are you ready to go on an adventure with me?”
“Oh, so it’s not a date now?” I wriggled my eyebrows and grinned a little while holding up my phone for him to see me press send.
On the screen were his last messages from last night calling our day trip a date. My answer stood out in blue below.
Liv: I’d love to go on a date with you.
His eyes lit up as they shifted from my phone to me. “It’s been years since I’ve been on a date.”
“Me too, but my older sister taught me some tips when I first began dating. Would you like me to share them with you?”
“Sure.” He took off his jacket and placed it over his lap.
I held up a finger. “One, go out for drinks or coffee only. A meal takes too long if you have nothing to talk about.”
“You’re saying that now that I’m about to embark on a fourteen-hour day trip with you.” He grinned.
“Right, but you already know I’m great company. Two, have a friend call you twenty minutes in. If you need an excuse you can say that your friend needs you and it’s an emergency.
He looked down at my phone. “Is your friend going to call you in a few minutes then?”
I gave a playful smile. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” I held up a third finger. “Three, don’t shave your legs. That way you know you won’t be tempted to have sex on the first date.
“At least I have complied with that rule.” Charles raised his pants leg a little. “I didn’t shave my legs this morning.”
“No?” I leaned my head to one side and sighed. “I get it. You don’t want to come off as easy. Good call.”
Charles was just about to take a sip from his coffee and laughed into the cup. “Yup, that was my great concern. A man has to watch out for his reputation, you know?”
“Absolutely. A woman too, so let it be noted that my legs might be smooth, but that’s because I had permanent hair removal done a few years back, not because I shaved them for you.”
“I would never assume that you did.” He looked relaxed and amused and I found him incredibly handsome with his light stubble, amber-colored eyes, and dark eyebrows that were a few shades darker than his hair. We sat and smiled at each other while people were coming onto the bus.
“Did your sister have any other great rules that I should know about?”
“Yes, rule number four: always bring money for a taxi. You don’t want to be stuck somewhere and have to rely on others.”
Charles shook his head. “We’re going across Ireland. Do you have any idea how much a taxi would cost from the west coast to where I live? Nah, I would find a different solution.” He turned in his seat and looked around in the bus. “There’s a single woman a bit further down. I’m sure she would let me sit with her if I asked nicely.”
“Alright, but at least follow the fifth rule. It’s to take a picture of your date with your phone. That way if you end up strangled to death, at least the police will have an easier time finding the killer.” I took a photo with my phone and smiled. “Now, if you turn out to be a psychopath, at least the police will know what you look like.”
When Charles took a picture of me, I made a grimace, baring my teeth, and looking insane.
He chuckled. “Gorgeous as always.” Charles blinked his eyes and his shoulder lifted in a tic. “I’m surprised how much you can remember from your sister’s advice, since you seem to blatantly disregard it all.”
Around us, white noise quieted down as the guide came on board and took the microphone, telling us that her name was Sinead and sharing practical details about the trip. “You can expect to be home around eight o’clock tonight, but depending on traffic it might be nine or later. Yesterday we got stuck behind a farmer with his herd of sheep and it delayed us by quite a bit, but that’s Ireland for you.”
People laughed and buckled up as the bus began rolling down the street.
The first half hour was easy since Sinead pointed out sights in Dublin, from Temple Bar, an area full of bars and restaurants, to the Guinness brewery. She talked about the city, and sights not to miss, and all the time Charles and I sat and listened.
Then we hit the highway and Sinead said, “I’m going to be quiet for a while now. Our first stop will be in an hour and a half. If you’re tired and want to nap, this is a good time to do it.”
“Ah, a nap sounds nice.” Charles drank the last of his coffee and fished a packet of chewing gum from his pocket. “Do you want some?”
“No, thank you. I prefer the sweet taste of cocoa on my tongue, but it’s very considerate of you to use gum. I’m not a fan of coffee breath.”
Charles pursed his lips. “Sometimes I think you have less of a filter than me.”
“I’m just being honest.”
“And direct.”
“Is that bad?” My pulse sped up a little. From the moment I’d seen Charles yesterday, I’d been as eager to make a good impression as the first time I’d met him.
“No, it’s… refreshing.” He rested his hands on his lap and spread his legs a little, making his left thigh touch mine. It released a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. I might be here by Mr. Robertson’s request, but the feelings Charles awoke in me were very real.
“Did you… did you want to sleep a little?” I asked. “You can rest your head on my shoulder if you want.”
“No, it’s fine. Why? Are you tired?”
“A little; it’s night in the US and I haven’t adapted to European time yet.”
“Then rest your head.” He patted his shoulder and the temptation of being close to him made me accept his offer.
The bus drove through Ireland and part of me wanted to keep my eyes open and take in the landscape, but the rocking movements and the warmth and closeness of Charles made my eyelids heavy.
He pressed a light kiss on the top of my hair. Acting on instinct, I took his hand and weaved our fingers together. It made his tics act out, and the shoulder I’d been resting my head on bobbed up.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” I smiled at him and looked deep into his light brown eyes. We hadn’t even been on the bus for more than an hour and we were sober, but I felt like we were on a dance floor, swaying from side to side in our own little bubble about to kiss each other.
CHAPTER 6
French Pastry
Charles
She wet her pink lips as if inviting me to kiss her. By default, I wet mine too and lowered my eyes to her lips and back to her eyes.
Does she want me to kiss her?
I was scared I’d misinterpret her signals or go too fast, so instead I let my thumb stroke over the back of her hand and squeezed our intertwined fingers. “Your eyes are so pretty.”
“Thank you.” With a soft smile, she returned her head to my shoulder. I focused on the traffic in an attempt to slow down my racing heart and I positioned both my arms over my jacket in my lap to hide the effect her closeness had on me. Dammit, there had been an invitation to a kiss, and I’d blown it.
After ninety minutes of driving we stopped at a gas station wit
h a restaurant and a mini-market.
Liv found a selection of French pastries and took forever to decide among the five different types of croissants. Biting her lip, she stood with the bag in her hand. “I’m torn between the almond and the strawberry croissant – look at how delicious that filling looks – but then I’ve never had a lemon custard croissant either.”
Picking up a bigger bag, I took one of each of the five croissants, and moved to the large fridge to get us two cold waters.
She beat me to the cashier and pointed to the items in my hands. “Five croissants and two waters, please.”
“I’m paying.” I looked at the man behind the counter.
“Nope, I’ve got it.” Liv waved her credit card with her right hand and held out her left to keep me from getting closer.
Shaking my head, I waited until the payment was done and she turned to me with a satisfied smile. “You’d better help me eat all those croissants.”
“I don’t like French pastries.” I kept a straight face and walked out of the mini-mart holding the door open for her.
“That makes no sense. Everyone likes croissants.”
“Nope, they’re too dry and sweet for my taste.”
With a hand to my elbow she stopped me. “Try one right now and tell me that it isn’t delicious. You can’t know if you haven’t tried it. Come on, I dare you.”
My lips lifted in a sly smile. “You dare me? All right, but then I dare you to taste something too.”
“Sure, bring it on.” Her face lit up with a mischievous smile that made tingles run up and down my spine.
Moving closer to her, I lowered my voice. “I’ll sample a croissant if you sample…” My nerves were making my tics act up and I blinked my eyes.
Come on, she called it a date and held my hand in the bus. Be brave!
She waited for me to push out the word.
“Me.”
Her answer came without hesitation and it made me widen my eyes in surprise when she said, “Deal!”
“Yeah?”
Taking the bag from me, she opened it. “Which flavor do you want? Plain, chocolate, almond, strawberry, or lemon?”
“Plain.”
“Okay.” She pulled it out and handed it to me. “It has to be a healthy bite. Don’t just nibble on it.”
I followed her instructions and ate half of the croissant. “You’re right; it’s delicious.”
Her satisfied grin spread from ear to ear. “I told you so.” And then she rose to her toes, her feminine scent engulfing me as she looked deep into my eyes. “So, tell me, how do you want me to sample you?”
Damn… With butterflies in my stomach, I lifted a finger and pointed to my mouth.
Liv’s lips turned upward and then she kissed me. It was slow and deliberate and lasted a lot longer than a simple peck. With the two bottles of water in my hands, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her back.
Her lips were as soft and amazing as I’d imagined they would be. We kept up the kiss for a long moment until she pulled back.
I couldn’t read her expression. “So? What do you think?”
“You taste…” She licked her lips. “Hmm… I don’t know. Can I have another taste to be sure?”
I was smiling when she kissed me again, and this time she sucked on my upper lip like she was really doing a tasting. After releasing it, she declared, “You taste of more. Yes, that’s how you taste.”
We laughed together and I tightened my hold around her. “That’s funny. I was just going to say the same about you.”
A loud honk sounded from the bus and made us look over; the guide stood in the door and waved for us to hurry.
Liv and I ran together, and we’d only just plunked ourselves down on our seats when the bus began rolling again.
“I do have a soft heart for people in love, but please make sure you mind the time at our next stop.” The guide gave us a smile before taking the microphone again. “And now with everyone on board, we’ll head for the old ruins of Kilmacduagh Abbey, which is also called the seven churches although not every building there was a church.
“On our way, try and notice the fairy forts on the fields that we pass. You’ll recognize them as circles of stones, earth banks, or trees that the farmers don’t touch. It’s said that they date back to the Iron Age and that we have more than forty-five thousand of them here in Ireland. You might wonder how so many have been protected and the short answer is that’s it’s not because of the law, it’s due to superstition. The fairies were believed to inhabit Ireland before they retreated to a different realm. All these sacred places are their portals and if you disturb one, the fairies will take their revenge. Cutting down a fairy tree might mean that a member of your family will die before the year is out. We Irish don’t mess with the fay. Personally, I’d never cut down a fairy tree or disturb a fairy fort. It’s just not worth the risk.”
Some people were laughing in the bus and it made our tour guide raise her brow. “It might be strange to you, but Irish people have a long tradition of embracing the paranormal. For instance, more people believe in spirits than not. Once we get closer to the abbey, I’ll tell you why the only door in the tower is seven meters above ground, but for now, I’ll leave you with some nice Irish music.”
Soft Celtic music began playing and Liv offered me another croissant. “Do you believe in ghosts?”
“Do you?”
She thought about it. “I’ll have to say yes to that. Not that I’ve seen any myself, but my mom did and she’s a very credible, no-nonsense person, so I believe her.”
“Hmm… I’m skeptical.”
“Because you never had a paranormal experience?”
“I lost my parents when I was a boy and I used to pray for them to come and visit me. I’d cry myself to sleep begging them to come and talk to me.”
Liv gave me a look of deep sympathy.
“If spirits were real, I would like to think that my parents would have answered my prayers.”
She nodded. “I’m sure they would have if they could. I’m so sorry that you lost them.”
“Thanks, but it’s been so many years that I only have scattered memories of them. I grew up with my grandparents in Chicago.”
“I’m from Chicago too.”
My lip lifted on one side. “I know.”
“You do? How? I didn’t tell you that, did I?”
“No, you didn’t.” I scratched my neck, hoping she wouldn’t take this the wrong way. “But after I met you that night outside the bar, I looked you up on social media and I saw that you’re from Chicago.”
“Why didn’t you connect with me?”
“You were in a relationship.”
She sat back and leaned against the window to face me. “I wish you had, though.”
She was so pretty with her long brown hair cascading down her shoulders and those eyes that had caught my attention the first time I saw her. Even now that I got to study them up close, I still couldn’t decide if they were blue, gray, or green. “Can I ask you a question?
“Sure.”
“What color are your eyes?”
She smiled. “My dad calls them marble balls because they are a bit of everything. It’s freaky.”
“No, not freaky. I told you. You have beautiful eyes.”
She smiled and reached for my hand again. “Can I make a confession?”
“Ahh… you’re finally ready to tell me what your fetish is. Let’s hear it then.”
“No, there was something else I was going to confess.”
“Geez, how many confessions can one woman have?” I teased and intertwined our fingers.
“My friends and I all thought you were super handsome and unattainable back at Harvard. That night at the bar they wouldn’t stop asking me about you.”
“It was the alcohol. You were all drunk and cross-eyed.”
Liv shook her head. “No. I think it’s because we were used to guys hitting on us, while you would hardly ma
ke eye contact. Sydney figured you were gay, but either way, you didn’t seem interested in any of us. The problem was I couldn’t get you out of my head, and I spent hours at the coffee shop, hoping you’d come by again.”
I frowned in confusion. “You did?”
“Yes. I tried searching for you on social media but the only men named Charles McCann that I could find were older or living abroad.”
“Damn. I wish I’d known.”
“Well, now you do.”
“Yeah. Now I do.” My heart rate was going at too high a pace for someone sitting still. The ball was in my court now, but it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since we first met at the university and we were moving incredibly fast. “Liv, I’m not sure what to say, except there’s definitely a mutual attraction here, but the thing is…”
The tension on her face when I said the word but was cute. “You promised me that if I came on this tour, you’d tell me about your fetish.”
Liv studied me with humor playing in her eyes. “It’s not easy to talk about that sort of thing. Maybe it would be better if I showed you.”
“Showed me?” I cleared my throat, which suddenly felt swollen, and then I whispered, “Are you suggesting sex?” My tics were acting up and my heart was racing when Liv leaned in and gently bit my earlobe.
“When we get to the abbey, I’ll show you.”
CHAPTER 7
Kilmacduagh Abbey
Liv
“In a minute, you’ll see the old abbey to your left. Don’t be afraid to wander around or crisscross the graveyards; that’s perfectly acceptable here in Ireland. Notice something peculiar about the large tower that you should all see now? The entrance is seven meters up from the ground. That’s because of the Vikings who used to raid our lands. The monks would use a ladder and when the Vikings came, the monks would barricade themselves in the tower, which by the way is over thirty meters high. That impressive height makes it the tallest pre-modern building here in Ireland.”