by Caragh Bell
Colin locked the door of the flat. ‘Are you over your tantrum or not, Lyd? Time is ticking.’
She stuck out her tongue and squeezed into the back seat. Thank God Colin was a fast driver. She didn’t know how long she would last as a sardine.
Samantha had left hours earlier with her mother. She had taken a personal day at work, relying on the goodwill of her colleagues to cover her classes. They were staying near Ballsbridge which was about fifteen minutes from the centre of the city.
Colin chattered constantly as they sped up the motorway. Lydia tuned out, thinking of Luca. She would love to have the chance to tell him that she was sorry for breaking his heart. She was pretty sure that he wouldn’t care at this stage but it was important to her. She needed closure. The wedding would be the perfect opportunity. That is, if they didn’t cross paths this weekend.
Her stomach flipped at the thought.
She would love to see him. In fact, it was all she thought about. Would he look the same? Sam had mentioned that he had a job at his mum’s gallery and that he was all important now. She couldn’t imagine him in a suit, all serious and professional. The image that filled her mind when she remembered him was student Luca, casually dressed in jeans and hoodies. It was like he was frozen in time in her mind, forever trapped in the past.
She closed her eyes and began to drift back to the old days, indulging in memories, imagining the time they were together. It make her feel sad but also happy, an oxymoron of emotion that flooded her senses.
She ached to see him. It was intoxicating to think that he would be in the same city for the weekend. That thought made her nervous and excited simultaneously.
She would leave it in the hands of fate. This weekend was about Sam and her wedding, not about her complicated life. She was not going to make it about her. Her first priority was the bride.
‘Are you okay back there?’ called Colin, overtaking a lorry.
‘I’ll survive.’
‘Ty! We’re nearly there. Look out the window, bud. It’s so green.’
Tyler ignored his friend as he was chatting avidly to a pretty blonde air hostess in a green suit.
‘I’m pretty sure my grandfather was Irish. That’s where I get the red hair, I guess.’
‘Oh, really?’ She smiled sweetly at him. ‘Where in Ireland did he emigrate from?’
Luca stifled a smile. Tyler had no Irish ancestry. His family were from Norway. He waited to see what his friend would say.
‘Um, this place called Galway?’ He looked at her nervously. ‘That’s like a place, right?’
‘Oh, it is,’ she reassured him. ‘A lovely place it is too.’
‘You going out in Dublin this weekend?’ He gave her a cheeky smile. ‘You and me, we oughta hook up. You know, talk about Galway and stuff.’
‘But I’m from Kilkenny,’ she protested, her blue eyes wide.
‘Okay, Kilkenny then. No biggie.’ He wrote his phone number on a piece of card from his dinner tray. ‘Here’s my cell. Call me.’
She beamed at him. ‘I hope you like Ireland, sir.’
‘Call me Ty.’
‘Okay then, Ty.’ She blushed.
‘Are all the girls as pretty as you?’
She went a deeper shade of red. ‘Ah, stop it.’
‘Miss! Miss!’ A large bald man was calling her angrily. ‘I want some water when you’re ready.’
She tore her eyes away. ‘Coming, sir.’ She turned reluctantly away and walked up the aisle of the plane. Tyler cocked his head out to watch her move.
‘Look at the ass on that,’ he observed in approval. ‘I’m so hooking up with her when we land.’
‘Hey, no women allowed, Ty.’ Luca snapped his iPad shut. ‘This is a man weekend. Only strippers if absolutely necessary.’
Tyler sighed. ‘But she’s so hot. One hour won’t make that much of a difference.’
‘No.’ Luca was firm. ‘We’re here for Craig. No messing around. We’ve got to focus on him.’
‘It’s just a few weeks before we’ve got to focus on you, man. Are you excited?’
Luca smiled and closed his eyes. Tyler had organised a weekend in Vegas. He would have preferred a few beers and a Knicks game in some bar downtown.
‘Twenty minutes to landing, crew. Fasten your seatbelts.’
Kathleen, the airhostess, gestured at Tyler to put on his belt. He winked up at her and blew a kiss.
Luca smiled at his friend. Ty couldn’t help himself. His life consisted of parties, girls and beer. Once he was surrounded with all three, he was happy.
He stared out at the city as they started to make their descent. Dublin Bay looked blue and inviting as they turned around. It felt good to be coming back to Ireland; he felt positive about it. Craig had assured him that they would be miles from the bachelorette party so all was cool. They would just meet up, get wasted and party.
‘Do you like this colour?’ Lydia held up silver eyeshadow and waved it at Colin. It was the next day and they were getting ready in the hotel for the official party.
‘It’s gorgeous,’ he answered, buttoning up his pink Armani shirt. ‘I love your top too.’
Lydia straightened her sparkly silver string vest and smiled. It was definitely a party outfit: black leather pants, black heels, a silver top that glistened in the light and big hoopy earrings. Her hair, curled slightly, was tied up at one side, leaving the rest to cascade down her back. She had circled her eyes heavily with black kohl and painted her lips coral pink. Now, all that was left was the silver eyeshadow.
Samantha arrived out of the bathroom, shyly covering her T-shirt with her arms.
‘This is so embarrassing,’ she muttered, sitting on the edge of the bed. ‘I mean, why a T-shirt with the list of dares printed on it?’
‘So that you’ll be reminded to do them all,’ answered Lydia simply. ‘Try the first one now. Down a drink in one go.’ She popped open a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, poured a glassand handed it to her friend. ‘Down the hatch, Sam.’
Samantha grimaced and took the glass from Lydia’s outstretched hand.
‘Here’s to me,’ she said drily, pouring the liquid down her throat. ‘Ugh! It’s too fizzy!’
Colin poured himself a generous glass. ‘Have another, then you won’t notice.’
The night before had been a low-key affair. The group had gone for dinner and drank wine. It was mainly a precursor to the main event which was the Saturday night.
Lydia pulled out a plastic bag from her suitcase. ‘I have some small gifts for you. They’re kind of personal so I’d like if you opened them here.’
Samantha beamed at her friend. ‘Oh, I’m so excited! Give it to me.’
She pulled out a small box. Opening it carefully, she revealed a Pandora bracelet with one charm attached. It was a love heart with a keychain. Samantha gasped.
‘Oh Lyd! I’ve always wanted a Pandora bracelet. Thank you so much!’ She struggled with the clasp.
‘Do you want a hand?’ asked Lydia.
‘Nope, I’ve got it,’ she answered, eventually securing it on her wrist. ‘It’s so beautiful. Thank you!’
Colin winked at Lydia, holding his glass by the stem. He had suggested the bracelet. He just loved when he got it right.
Samantha continued to rummage through the bag. She pulled out a lacy thong and blushed. Then a sash which read The Future Mrs. Dillon.
‘You must wear that tonight,’ ordered Lydia, helping her to put it over her head. ‘Hen night rules, I’m afraid.’
Her friend giggled. ‘I look so chic! I wish Craig could see me now.’
‘Let’s take a selfie,’ suggested Colin, activating his iPhone. ‘We can upload it to Instagram.’
They all posed with puckered lips and made sure that the text on the sash was clearly visible.
Finally, Samantha pulled out the last package. It felt soft. She peeled open the sellotape and found a white lacy veil, complete with a mini tiara.
‘Oh Lyd, I love
it!’ she exclaimed, placing it on her head immediately. ‘Now, I really feel like the bride-to-be.’
She looked in the mirror and gasped. Lydia bit her lip. She looked so beautiful: like the perfect bride. Sam’s eyes filled with tears.
‘Can you imagine the state of me on the real day?’ she sniffed.
‘You’ll be high on adrenaline,’ Lydia consoled her.
They embraced and kissed each other.
‘Here’s to the best weekend of your life!’ said Lydia, accepting a glass of champagne from Colin. ‘Let’s go mad!’
‘How many dares left?’ asked Samantha with a hiccup. She staggered and was steadied by Laura. They were walking down O’Connell Street after an evening of shots and dancing.
‘Two or three?’ Lydia surmised, peering at the list on her T-shirt. ‘You exchanged your shoe with someone and you downed that cocktail. I’m pretty sure that all you have left to do is to swap your T-shirt with some random bloke.’
‘I’ll do it,’ offered Colin, unbuttoning his pink shirt.
‘Sod off,’ said Laura good-naturedly. ‘That’s no fun at all. Let’s go into this bar and find a victim.’
They stopped outside the Gresham Hotel. ‘How about here?’ Laura suggested.
Samantha shook her head slowly and slurred, ‘No, no. Craig is staying here. We can’t meet him – I promised him.’ She hiccupped loudly again. ‘Oops!’ she giggled, putting her hand over her mouth.
Colin groaned. ‘Oh, but Val is in there. I mean, I feel like I haven’t seen him in years!’
‘No, Colin!’ Samantha tried to look stern. ‘It’s bad luck to see the groom on the hen night.’
‘Who says?’ he demanded.
‘I’m not quite sure, but it is.’ She put her hands on her hips and stared at him defiantly. ‘Let’s find another bar.’
Lydia and Molly joined the group, having lagged behind. They had spent twenty minutes trying to find a taxi for Helen and Sandra.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Molly, giggling. ‘It seems pretty tense.’
‘I want to go in here for a nightcap, but apparently we can’t. Craig might be there,’ recounted Colin petulantly.
Lydia’s heartrate increased. In her drunken state, everything became simple. Her desires weren’t clouded by reason; she didn’t entertain the ‘what ifs’.
If Craig was in there, then Luca would be there too. It was a no-brainer.
She suddenly had to see him. It was like an urge, a powerful need to see his face. She knew it was madness but she wanted to hear his voice. Her fuzzy brain didn’t even think about the consequences; all she knew was that she had to find him.
‘Let’s go in for one,’ she said casually. ‘They’re probably not even there.’
‘I agree, cuz. One won’t kill us.’ Colin was adamant. ‘I need to see Val. I need to reconnect!’
Molly punched his arm, playfully. ‘You are too dramatic, Col.’
Samantha relaxed her stance and shrugged. She was too drunk to argue. Plus, her feet were bruised from all the walking. ‘Look, okay. One drink and that’s it.’
They all nodded furiously.
Lydia’s heart began to pound. The anticipation was building inside her like a tsunami about to strike. She could feel the butterflies darting around her stomach.
She needed to go to the bathroom and check her make-up. She didn’t want to meet him with a giant black blob in her eye or lipstick on her teeth.
‘Back in a sec,’ she announced breezily as they entered the foyer. ‘Order me a vodka and soda, Col.’
The bar was filled with a noisy crowd. She glanced over but failed to recognise anyone she knew. Maybe they weren’t around … Maybe this would be a non-event …
The Gents door opened and a guy walked out. His red hair was dishevelled and his eyes were crossed.
‘Hey, babe,’ he murmured in Lydia’s direction. ‘You wanna drink?’ His radar went off whenever a pretty girl walked past.
She looked at him from under her lashes. ‘Hey to you, too. Thanks, but my friend is getting me one.’
‘You’re super-hot. You wanna join me at the bar?’ He struggled to focus.
She giggled. ‘No, you’re all right. See you later.’
She pushed open the big oak door of the Ladies toilet. All the cubicles were occupied except for one at the end of the row.
He sounded American. Probably over tracing his roots. She smiled to herself. He looked like a right flirt. It might be amusing to chat to him later.
Colin had two drinks lined up when she returned. ‘Do you want a dash of lime?’ he asked, the bottle of cordial poised.
She nodded. ‘Just a tiny dash.’
He poured a shot of green liquid into her glass and she watched it dissipate slowly, colouring the clear soda. She really had had enough but she didn’t care. Her eyes darted around the bar. There was no sign of the boys, much to her chagrin. She was pumped up and ready to see him. If only he would appear.
Chapter 21
Craig spotted Samantha first.
‘Sam! Holy Jesus, what are you doing here?’ He rushed up to the group and picked her up into his arms. ‘You said we wouldn’t meet.’ He twirled her around and kissed her on the lips.
‘Please put me down,’ she pleaded, with a green face. ‘I’ve totally overdone it.’
‘You look so beautiful,’ he crooned, rubbing her cheek. ‘I’ve had such a laugh today. The motor racing was so cool. Luca won, of course.’
She rested her head on his shoulder. ‘Is this bad luck, Craig? Us meeting like this?’ Her brown eyes were troubled.
‘Not at all,’ he reassured her. ‘It’s only bad luck on the wedding day. Want to head upstairs for a quickie?’ His eyes gleamed.
Her lips parted. ‘Are you serious? Do you think anyone would notice?’
‘Not at all.’ He clasped her hand in his. ‘Let’s run up now before anyone sees.’
They disappeared into the crowd.
Val sidled up behind Colin and shouted ‘Boo!’ Colin yelled and then threw himself on his boyfriend. ‘Oh Val, I’ve missed you so much,’ he wailed, kissing him over and over.
Val pushed him away gently. ‘Calm down, for Christ’s sake. We’ve only been a day apart.’
‘He’s pissed,’ mouthed Lydia, grinning.
Val nodded and rolled his eyes to heaven.
‘Tell me all about your day,’ suggested Colin, rubbing his arm. ‘I want to know everything.’
Lydia drifted away. She could see that Laura was nose to nose with a man in a suit. He looked like a banker or something. She looked stunning in a short red dress and Louboutin heels. He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. They both laughed.
‘Hey, you!’ The red-haired American was back. He gave her a lopsided grin and took a swig of his beer. ‘Can I get you a drink or something?’
Lydia beamed at him. Why not? He seemed nice enough.
‘Okay, a vodka and soda with a dash of lime, please.’
He repeated her order slowly, trying to remember all the different components. Taking her hand in his, he tried to lead her up to the bar, but she pulled it away in confusion. She was perfectly capable of following him; holding hands was far too intimate. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea.
He ordered two drinks and turned towards her. ‘You’re real pretty. Are you from Dublin?’
She shook her head. ‘No, I’m not.’
He paused for a moment. ‘You are Irish though, right? I mean, you’ve got that accent going down.’
‘I am Irish, yes.’ She scanned the bar, her chest heaving in excitement. He was here somewhere; she just knew it.
‘I’m from New York,’ he added, waiting for a reaction.
Her heart constricted. New York. Luca’s city.
‘I’ve never been there,’ she replied lamely. She sipped her drink and winced. He had forgotten to add lime.
He knocked back a whiskey and slammed the glass on the counter with such f
orce that Lydia jumped.
‘Look, are we going to hook up or not?’ he demanded. ‘I don’t wanna waste my valuable time.’
Lydia stared at him incredulously. He looked serious. Did he honestly think that she would drop everything and head home with him? He flicked his red hair out of his eyes.
Slowly, she began to laugh. She clutched her sides in mirth.
He looked bewildered for a moment, but then joined in.
‘I’m funny, right?’ he said grinning.
‘Hilarious,’ she agreed, wiping her eyes. ‘To answer your question, no. I don’t see anything happening between us. We could have another drink though. I owe you one. That is, if it’s not a waste of your precious time.’
He called the barman. ‘One thing Tyler Trenton never does is refuse women or liquor. Same again?’
Luca stood frozen to the spot. He could see her at the bar. Laughing and smiling with Ty. She looked amazing, sparkling under the lights. Her hair was curled; he had never seen it like that before. He stood there, motionless, drinking her in. Tyler reached out and rubbed her arm. She threw her head back and laughed. He wanted to kill him.