by Kim Desalvo
Sean put his hand over his mouth in an exaggerated gesture of self-imposed silence. Before Tia could say another word, he parted two fingers and muttered through the gap, “You’ve got some ‘splaining to do, though—and I’m all ears.”
Tia sighed, and pulled Sean into a hug. “I owe you an explanation and an apology,” she began, “and I need to get the apology out of the way first. I’m so sorry I lied, Sean,” she said sincerely. “I hated not being able to tell anyone the truth.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “No one except for Lexi knew about me and Dylan before today. The night you met Dylan? That was the first night I met him, too.” A look of confusion crossed Sean’s face. “I have a big confession to make, Sean,” she said sadly, looking down before continuing. “I was so afraid to come to the memorial that night. So scared, in fact, that I had no intention of coming. I was so worried that you’d all be mad at me for not being around, or even worse that you’d pity me…just when I was feeling like I could actually move on.” She caught the look on his face, and spoke before he could. “I know it was stupid,” she said quickly. “I should’ve known then, too, but it was all so much…” Sean pulled her to him, and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I was convinced that I had to do it alone, and that’s how I met Dylan. He was at this other pub in disguise, trying to have a normal night for a change, and through a crazy bunch of circumstances we ended up hanging out together and kind of accidentally ended up here…”
“Wow,” Sean said, bewildered. “I had no idea, guys.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Tia said. “And neither did we. At the time, I didn’t think I’d ever see Dylan again after that night; and certainly not after the weekend. He was only in town for two shows, and then he was doing the summer tour in Europe…I knew that if I told everyone who he really was, I wouldn’t have the chance to get to know him. We were getting on so well, and I was completely blown away because I thought it would take so much more time before I felt that comfortable with another guy…and so I kept him to myself. Plus, his original plan was to have a normal evening out, and he was having so much fun just hanging with everyone without the celebrity thing getting in the way…”
Sean turned to Dylan, who quickly agreed. “I don’t get too many chances to just hang out with people, as you might imagine,” he said, “and it’s one of the things I miss most about having a normal life. I really appreciated being able to do that. I couldn’t remember the last time I was just able to blend into a crowd—to play some darts, have a couple beers, and let someone else play the music…”
Sean blushed, remembering that he’d played some of the band’s music that night, and that Dylan had complimented him on his performance and his song choice. He smirked as the memory sharpened. “Shit. I asked if you were a fan of InHap, and you said something like you’d followed them from the beginning. How did I not figure that out?”
“Guess you’re not terribly observant,” Dylan joked, inciting another smirk from Sean.
“Or maybe the mullet just looked so natural on you…”
Tia put her hands on her hips and addressed the boys sternly. “Can we get on with this, please?” They both snapped to attention, facing her and trying to tamper down their sarcastic smiles. When she was sure she had their attention, she pushed back her own smile and continued. “Truth is, I kept the secret from everyone—Dylan just met my parents for the first time earlier today. But now that he’s back, we’re going public with our relationship. We leave for California tomorrow, and—holy crap, this scares me to death—we’ll be on all the talk shows and radio shows and God knows what else.”
“That’s awesome, really! Congratulations!”
“Thanks mate,” Dylan said. “But before we go tell the whole world, we wanted to make sure we told our friends. We want them to be the first to know. I just got back yesterday, and we have bloody little time, so here we are.”
Tia added, “Judging by the number of cars in the street, I’m guessing it’s pretty crowded tonight…” Sean nodded. “So I thought that maybe the easiest way to reintroduce him would be to do it in one shot—tell the story once, and then just hang out so Dylan can get reacquainted with everyone. Do you think you could get on the mic and get it done?”
“Oh, I can totally do that,” he grinned. “I’d be glad to.”
His enthusiasm gave Tia pause. “No celebrity stuff, Sean, OK? That’s not what this is about.”
“Don’t worry, I do have some class. I have to call it up from the very depths of my being, but I can pull it off, don’t worry.”
“Not worried at all, my friend,” Dylan said with confidence. “The thing is, Tia and I are serious about each other, and I want her friends to be my friends—not because I’m a fucking celebrity, but because I’m part of her life.” He smirked, and added, “And because I’m a hell of a guy.”
“I get it,” Sean confirmed with an uncharacteristic seriousness in his voice. “Really. Consider it handled.” He shook Dylan’s hand again. “Really good to see you again, man.”
“You too,” Dylan said sincerely.
“You still owe me a poker night, you know,” he grinned.
“As soon as I possibly can,” Dylan smiled back.
Tia jumped in. “Why don’t you send Paddy and Siobhan back so we can say hi to them in private, too, before we do this whole thing.”
Dylan held up a paper shopping bag. “Good idea. I got a little something for Paddy that I picked up over in Ireland on the tour.”
Sean smiled. “If that’s what I think it is, then you’re fucking golden, man. I’ll go get them.”
“Young Master Dylan, I’m so glad to see you again!” Paddy exclaimed when he entered the kitchen. The two men shook hands, and Paddy pulled him into a rough hug. Siobhan hugged Tia and then Dylan in turn. “It’s been much too long since our paths have crossed. I must say, though, that with as much as Tia talks about you, it’s almost like you’ve been here all along.”
Dylan smiled. “There are few places where I feel so welcome, that’s for sure. It’s really good to be back.”
“I think this calls for a little celebration drink, don’t you?” Paddy said. “Still have a taste for the Tully? It kind of gets under your skin, doesn’t it?”
“That it does,” Dylan grinned back. “And I know it’s your favorite, so I picked these up for you when I was in Ireland a few months back…” he placed a bag on the counter top, and Paddy reached inside, holding up a bottle with a glint in his eyes.
“This is the liquid gold!” he said. “When were you in Ireland?”
“It was one of the early stops on the tour,” Dylan answered. “One of the stops Tia missed, unfortunately.” Paddy’s head turned in question, and Sean was quick to make the clarification.
“Uncle Paddy, this is Dylan Miller…you know…Incidental Happenstance?” Sean added, “That’s Dylan’s band!”
The recognition dawned on his face. “Well now, that name I definitely know! That was my Nick’s favorite group—I think I probably know all of your songs, too—they’re played on my stage all the time. Now that definitely calls for a shot of Tully!”
“At least one,” Dylan winked. “Once we get the introductions done I want to get another round for the house; but keep the good stuff for us, right?”
“This boy’s got to have some Irish in his blood somewhere!” Paddy exclaimed, smiling at Tia and pouring a round for the little group huddled in the kitchen. Sean downed his and headed out into the bar to make the announcement.
“Here Here!” Sean said into the mic, in his usual Paddy’s greeting.
“Where’s here?” came the standard answer from the patrons.
“Listen up, everyone,” he started. “I have some news to share with you and I need you to all pay attention!” Something like a moan came up from the crowd. “Seriously,” he continued, “it’s important.” He paused to be sure he had everyone’s eyes on his. “I called a lot of you today asking you to come tonight. I said I h
ad a surprise, but at the time, I had no idea how big a surprise it would actually be.” He scratched his head, trying to put together the right words as the crowd mumbled under its collective breath.
“I’m sure you remember when Tia brought Dylan here for Nick’s memorial. You all made him feel incredibly welcome, and he made an impression on all of us, especially because he was the one who made Tia smile again. I, for one, considered him a friend after just a few minutes of knowing him—he was a genuine guy.” A murmur of agreement rose from the ranks. “And God knows we’ve heard enough about him since then—even though he hasn’t been able to get back here, whenever Tia’s around, it sure feels like he is!” A few glasses were raised, and Tia couldn’t help but smile as Dylan pulled her close while they hovered at the entrance to the pub.
“Well, Dylan’s in town, and for some strange reason, he wanted to come hang out with you crazy people!” More glasses were raised, and few whistles sounded from the floor. Sean held up his hand for quiet.
“What none of us knew; what I just found out, actually, is that they’d only just met that night, the night of the memorial, and that the Dylan you met that night isn’t the same Dylan you’re going to see tonight. I mean, he’s the same guy on the inside, but the outside is very different.”
Someone yelled out, “Please tell me he got a haircut!” Giggles of exaggerated approval rose up from the group, and Dylan and Tia shared a knowing glance.
Sean waited for the laughs to stop, then he continued. “Yeah, yeah,” he said. “You’ll be thrilled to know that his hair is different…” more mock cheers filled the room. “…but that isn’t the first thing you’ll notice—trust me.” He waited for the room to quiet before continuing. “Maybe some of you saw the news today, about how everybody’s favorite singer, Dylan Miller, is involved in a sordid love triangle with a bitchy Hollywood starlet who shall remain unnamed and a mystery woman who has yet to be named…” Murmurs rose again. “Well, I might not have believed it if I hadn’t just seen it with my own eyes, but…” he paused for effect, “…our very own Tia is that mystery woman, and they’re here tonight. They’re going public with their relationship in a big way tomorrow, but they wanted to come here first, so Tia could formally introduce him to her friends. Apparently, you clowns made some sort of impression on him, and he wants to count you as his friends, too.” Heads turned, scanning the room, most of them not putting it past Sean to stage an elaborate hoax.
“One of the things Dylan appreciated the most about that night, because he was disguised when he and Tia first met, was that we all treated him like one of the family. He’s the same guy on the inside, and he wants it to stay that way. He doesn’t want to be treated any differently than you treated him then, so don’t make asses out of yourselves, OK? So I’m going to let them say a few words that’ll be easier to say once to all of you rather than a thousand times over.” He turned to the entryway, where Tia and Dylan still stood. “Shit, I feel like a fucking talk show host here, but I’m happy to be the one introducing them as a couple for the first time—Tia Hastings and Dylan Miller!” He stepped aside as the couple mounted the small stage and stepped up behind the mic. Thundering applause and catcalls bounced off the walls, and the couple just smiled, waving them away.
“Wow. This isn’t awkward at all,” Tia said sarcastically into the mic as a hush fell over the room and she took in the wide-eyed looks of her friends. “First off, I need to say that I’m incredibly sorry I kept all of this from you—you are my dearest friends, and I felt horrible lying to you all. Like Sean said, the last time Dylan was here was the night of the memorial, and we’d just met a few hours before that. At the time I had no idea that things between us were going to progress like this—in fact, I didn’t think I’d ever see him again after that night. It was a fluke that we even met, and then he was heading off to Europe for a tour, and I didn’t see how...anyway, that’s a long story; one that I’m sure I’ll be telling at least a thousand times in the next few weeks.
“Much to my obvious delight things did progress, and Dylan invited me to Europe. But after the tour, when Dylan had to go film the now infamous movie in New Zealand, we agreed that it would be better if we waited to make the announcement until we were at least on the same continent. No one knew who he really was—except for Lexi…” She pointed to her best friend, who was doing a fine job on her own of calling attention to herself. “Even my parents just met him earlier today.” She paused and took a breath. “But finally, after a whole lot of time apart and an incredible amount of bullshit courtesy of the...” she looked at Sean. “What did you call her? The “bitchy Hollywood starlet?” we are back together and ready to tell the whole world.
“Dylan wanted to come here tonight because he counts you as his friends, and I hope you’ll do the same. He really is the nice guy you met back in May and, well,” she said, the grin stretching across her face, “he’s also the man I love, and neither of us could think of a better way to celebrate than with all of you incredible people….the most important people in my life.”
Applause rang through the pub, and Dylan stepped up to the mic.
“It’s so good to see you all again,” he said. “I have to tell you that the last time I was here, I had the best time meeting all of you and seeing the love you have for my girl here. I had no idea that night that she’d become the love of my life, or that I’d feel guilty for deceiving you.” He paused, taking in the sea of faces that were staring at him, dumbstruck. “Bloody hell, this is awkward,” he said smiling at Tia and tucking his long hair carelessly behind his ears. “I can’t really add anything to what Tia just said—I do count you as friends, and I hope to get to know you all better. So, I’m just Tia’s boyfriend, OK?” Nods of agreement filled the room. “Alright, so at the risk of it becoming ‘my thing,’ I’d like to buy a round of Tully for all of you—the traditional friendship drink to mark the start of an honest and true friendship.”
Cheers rang out through the bar, and the patrons lifted their glasses to the couple. Tia and Dylan clasped hands and bowed slightly, accepting their congratulations, and when someone in the crowd started clinking silverware against a glass in the old wedding tradition, others joined in. Dylan obliged them by pulling Tia into his arms and tipping her back for a kiss, to the delight of the crowd. Then he hopped off the stage and made his way to the bar to help Paddy and Siobhan distribute the trays of shots.
When everyone had a shot glass in their hands, Paddy stepped up to the mic. “I’m going to take the liberty of making this toast, because it’s my damn bar,” he said laughing. He held up his glass, and the others followed suit. “Here’s to happiness, love, friendship, and second chances,” he said. “In life you can’t ask for anything more, but should never settle for anything less.”
He raised his glass to Tia and Dylan, and they stepped up to toast with him. Then they raised their glasses to the rest of the crowd, and the shots were downed, glasses clunked, cheers raised.
Tia turned to Siobhan and whispered, “I promised Dylan that you make the best corned beef brisket sandwich in the world, and that he could have one. I need one, too.”
“Oh,” she smiled, “I can definitely handle that request!” she said as she hustled back toward the kitchen.
They made the rounds of the tables, greeting everyone and sharing bits of their story. They would have liked to have stayed longer—Tia was truly impressed with the way her friends treated Dylan. There were some star struck looks, some nervous giggles, and plenty of batting eyelashes; but that was par for the course whenever Dylan was in a room, and she’d have to get used to it. Time after time Tia looked around the room and smiled—she considered most of the people here family, and she relaxed and actually enjoyed herself. This was how she’d envisioned going public with Dylan…a gathering in a safe place full of her friends and family…the genuine pleasure of introducing the people she loved to each other and building friendships. Her work friends mingled with her pub friends; Lilly, he
r school secretary, took charge and introduced everyone, and Lexi rode on the high of being the only one who knew about the relationship from the start. Sean, Dave, and Tim dragged Dylan into a dart ‘rematch,’ and she joined friends at a group of tables to ‘dish scoop’ and share pictures and videos from her incredible summer; finally able to put it out there. It was reminiscing and new beginnings, and more than once Tia glanced over at the table where she and Dylan had sat that first night, remembering when Sean had strummed the first chords of Pull You Up from the little stage on the other side of the room and Dylan had asked her to dance; singing the song that had been so instrumental in her healing into her ear. She’d felt something incredible that first time he took her into his arms, but never imagined then that she was on the verge of the most amazing journey of her life. It felt strange. She was the same person, but she felt so different, and even her closest friends saw her differently. She could see it in their expressions; hear it in their voices as they sat entranced, waiting to hear the story of how she won the heart of the “Sexiest Man on Earth.” Things wouldn’t be the same and Dylan was right—what fun was a life that never changed; never offered challenges and makeovers and do-overs? Paddy was right, too. You couldn’t ask for anything more, and shouldn’t settle for anything less. She was at home here with these people, and Dylan would be too. These were her true friends and she was lucky to have them.
Ryan sat by himself at a small table at the back of the pub, sipping a Harp and watching Lexi flit about the tables chatting and telling anyone who’d listen how she’d been the only privileged one in on the secret of Dylan’s true identity. He smiled to himself as he watched her over-exaggerated gestures and the pure joy on her face as she shared her own versions of stories about the couple; clearly enjoying the spotlight thrust upon her. She’d been waiting for this day for a long time, he realized, and although it wasn’t her who slept with Miller, she was certainly thrilled to talk about her connection to him…and to the rest of the band. He still felt like a bit of a fool when he remembered how he’d first reacted when he saw his fiancé in the arms of the rock star; and although he was relieved that it wasn’t Lexi that Miller had come to see, part of him was kind of pissed off that she’d kept the information from him—that she’d not shared with him that she was on tour with one of the world’s biggest bands over the summer instead of just hanging out with her friend and engaging in the usual tourist rituals.