by Kris Bryant
“I didn’t figure you would be alone. You are too…” I stumble and catch myself from saying beautiful so I stutter out a nondescript word. “…fair.” She busts out laughing.
“Fair? That doesn’t even make any sense.” I get caught up in her infectious laugh and chuckle, too.
“Okay, yeah, that was lame. I meant from what I know of you, you’re a catch. You will make somebody happy. You know?”
“Well, it’s too bad that you are leaving in what? Six days? Sad, actually.” She doesn’t elaborate and I don’t push her.
“I might leave a little earlier.” She jerks her head up and stares at me in surprise.
“Why? You should at least consider this a vacation and go do fun stuff,” she says.
“It’s not as much fun when I’m doing it alone.” I don’t give her a chance to offer because I’m afraid she will and then it will be impossible to keep my hands off of her if she is around me constantly. “It’s too bad Morgan couldn’t make it.” Now why did I say that? I can tell I’ve hurt her feelings. “And I know you need to work,” I quickly add. She gives me a non-committal half nod.
“So when would you leave?”
“Depends on what you need me for. I mean, what you need for me to do. Um, about the shop and anything that could come up.” I can almost see her retreating into her professional self and I feel like an ass.
“Technically, we’re done. I know that you want to sell the car, but we could make that part of the estate,” she says, her voice void of the playful Kerry I’ve gotten to know so well the last couple days.
“I’m not ready to leave just yet. I mean maybe leave Wednesday or Thursday. That would give me the weekend home to recuperate. Jet lag and I do not get along.” I try to add humor to our conversation, but it falls flat.
“We should probably get going if we’re to get home before dark. I know you aren’t entirely comfortable on the bike and besides, I made you a promise.” She gets up and pays the ticket practically ignoring me until we get outside. I don’t know what to say to her. I’m trying to protect myself, guard my heart because she is everything I’m attracted to, and completely out of my reach. I won’t do long distance, not that she’s asked. And I won’t do a one night stand, not that she’s asked that either. I have a feeling I will end up alone with twenty cats to keep me company in my old age. She hands me the helmet and slides forward to make room for me. This time I squeeze the seat with my knees for stability so that I don’t have to clutch her and feel her against me. When we make it home, she stays on her bike and wishes me a good night. I touch her arm before she leaves, getting her attention for the first time in over an hour.
“Thank you, Kerry. Today was very special for me. Ireland is beautiful and you were right about the bike. It was a lot of fun,” I say. She gives me a glimpse of a smile, like the one I saw on her face the day we met, and nods.
“Good night, Grace.” I watch her disappear into the twilight, my heart heavy in my chest because I know I can’t have her.
Chapter Ten
“So, are you just going to stay in Ireland? You know, I wonder if we could open an office in Europe. You could be our International Creative Manager.” It’s so good to hear Morgan’s voice.
“Ha. It is nice here, but I kind of miss the craziness of our world. Tell me what’s going on. I’m going to check in with my crew next, but I wanted to hear what’s really happening so that I can prepare myself. How’s the pancake account? Are they happy with the ads? I haven’t heard from Alisa since Friday.” I’ve done a few things remotely, but I’ve mainly left all of my responsibilities to my second in charge, Alisa. She’s competent and knows when to baby the accounts, and when to crack down. Funny how I’m forgetting about my job the longer I’m away from it.
“I think so. The changes were small. I’m sure they didn’t want to bother you. We landed two more accounts last week that will need your love and attention, but that’s about it.” Morgan is great at swooping in and securing deals, but really bad at following up with them. That’s where I come in. We talk about business until she’s bored. “Tell me about Kerry. What’s going on there?”
“We had a good day yesterday, but then I had to open my mouth and ruin it,” I say.
“Oh, no. Did you do that clingy thing again?”
“Shut up, no. I did not. I actually kind of turned her down.”
“No, you did not! Isn’t she really gorgeous with Ariel hair?” I laugh at her reference to Disney’s Little Mermaid.
“Then come home tomorrow. Why are you waiting?” She has a good point. I just don’t think I can leave Ireland yet. I feel unsettled and I need to find out why.
“Eh, I have a few things left to do like get rid of Aunt Nola’s car. And I’m thinking of taking a trip to Blarney. Come on. Who wouldn’t want the gift of gab?” I ask.
“You know the Irish urinate on the Blarney Stone, right?” she asks.
I hesitate in disbelief. “Really? No.”
“Truly. I’ve read all about it. I marked it off of our Ireland list. The castle looks cool, but I really didn’t want to put my lips on that.” I mentally mark that off of my list, whether it’s true or not. “I’m scheduled to see the Cliffs of Moher tomorrow. I just want to see a few more things before I head back.” I know I’m stalling to hopefully hang out with Kerry one more time even though it’s the start of the work week and I’m sure she’s going to be very busy, especially since I gave her the photos and she can now list the shop.
“Okay, well, let me know when you get in and I’ll pick you up. I’m proud of you, Gracie. You finally got away and are doing something fun and for you.” We say our good-byes and I spend the rest of the day reading work e-mails, reviewing products, and answering questions asked by my staff on ongoing projects. I’m surprised when there is a knock on the door.
“Grace? I’m shutting down the shop now. Would you like to join me and my husband for supper this evening? It won’t be anything fancy.” My stomach rumbles when I hear the word supper.
“I would love supper. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” I jump up and spend a few minutes primping. My slacks and blouse aren’t too wrinkled so I don’t worry about changing. Today isn’t as warm as yesterday, so I throw on a sweater and my jacket since we will be walking to Leigh’s house.
“I’m glad Emma took the day off. She’s going to have that baby any day now. She must be miserable,” I say, making conversation as we trek up the hill.
“I agree. I thought it would be today since she is so uncomfortable,” she says.
“Do you have any children?” I ask.
“None of my own, but my husband has two sons from a previous marriage. I helped raised them. Both boys are in the military, like their father was. I’m surprised you don’t have any children. A beautiful young woman like yourself should have children.”
“Thank you. I’m sure I will at some point,” I say. “I’m in no rush.”
“You work too hard.” She reminds me of my mother who tells me that over and over.
“I haven’t the last week and a half,” I say.
“You are still working, just in a different capacity. Tell me your plans before you leave.”
“I’m booked for a bus tour to see the Cliff of Moher tomorrow. Wednesday I need to clean out Aunt Nola’s car and get rid of it. Right now, I’m flying out on Saturday, but I might change my flight since Kerry was able to get all of the paperwork done so quickly. I’m thinking of flying out Thursday. That will give me time to relax and adjust to Texas time before I start work again Monday.”
“Well, it seems as if your trip so far has been nice. Kerry said she was taking you out yesterday. How was that?”
“She showed up on a motorcycle. At first I wasn’t going to get on it, but as soon as I did and she took off, I was completely at ease. We went to Wicklow and saw the giant waterfall there. It was a good time.” I don’t want to tell Leigh about Kerry’s special place because that’s private.
/> “Kerry’s a special lady. She has plans and is one of the hardest working people I know. Until I met you.” I laugh. Leigh doesn’t.
“Leigh, do you need a car? I’m more than happy to give you my aunt’s. That way you can drive to work instead of walking.”
“Thank you, Grace, but why don’t you give it to Emma or Conor? They need it more than I do. Charles always drives places. It’s not something I’m comfortable doing.”
“That’s a good idea. Since Emma’s family is growing, I’ll see if she wants it.”
“Perfect. With the bar and a new baby, that family has a lot going on. And the tiny car Keagan has is not designed for a car seat. Conor has a motorcycle and I can’t imagine he would want to give that up anytime soon.” We are at Leigh’s house in less than ten minutes, the walk not bad at all. We are greeted by a large dog and a burly man. I smile at Leigh’s blush when Charles kisses her.
“Hello, Grace. Welcome to our home. Don’t worry about Danga, he won’t hurt you.” Yeah, easy for him to say. The dog and I probably weigh the same. I’m sure his teeth are sharper than mine though. Danga is well behaved and sits down, waiting for me to pet him. A little bit of drool hangs from the corner of his jowls so I gently tap his head instead, purposely avoiding dog slobber. He seems fine with that and goes to sleep by the fire.
“Thank you for your hospitality. You have a wonderful and inviting home,” I say. Both of them beam at me. Leigh ushers me into the living room and tells Charles to keep me company while she prepares supper. Charles has a very strong brogue so I really have to concentrate to understand him.
“So where are you from in America?”
“Dallas, Texas. I have a condo there.” At his confused look, I elaborate. “An apartment that I own. I’ve lived there for about eight years.”
“Leigh says you work a lot. What do you do?” He’s genuinely interested in me so I take the time to explain what I do. He is very inquisitive and asks a lot of questions about advertising, especially television commercials. “Have you met a lot of famous people who work in commercials?”
“Most of our actors and actresses are just starting out and need a job or aren’t too ambitious and just want a job for extra spending money. Although we have landed a few models who are pretty well known in the fashion industry.” He smiles. I pull up our website and show him a few of the commercials we have posted.
“This is very good work. You should be very proud.”
“Thank you. It’s a job I really enjoy. I worked hard to get to this position.”
“Okay you two. Supper is ready.” I love how I’m already so comfortable in this home. We follow Leigh into the dining room. I’m surprised Danga hasn’t moved. The smells in this house are divine and I can’t wait to dig into whatever Leigh cooked.
“I started this stew yesterday. I hope you like mutton, dear,” she says proudly. Lamb isn’t my favorite, but it smells so wonderful that I graciously accept the large serving Leigh hands me. Charles passes around the bread. Before we start eating, they bow their heads for a dinner blessing. It’s Gaelic so I don’t understand it. Charles translates it for me.
“It means may you be blessed with a long life and good health.”
“I’ll drink to that,” I say. I toast both of them and drink the wine. It’s not a fancy wine, but a local one. Their daughter-in-law works at the winery and gifts them wine for any and every occasion.
“We don’t drink a lot of wine so come over whenever you can so we have an excuse to open another bottle,” Charles says. I find their conversation charming and I’m surprised when the clock strikes nine.
“I can’t believe it’s already nine,” I say. “I’ve had such a good night with you that I lost track of time. I probably should go and let you have some of your evening to yourselves.”
“I need to take Danga for a walk. Why don’t you let me walk you back,” Charles says. I offer to help Leigh clean, but she politely dismisses me.
“I will see you later, Grace. Thank you for being our guest.” I give her a quick hug and head out with Charles and Danga.
*
The bus leaves Dublin at eight in the morning so I catch the DART at six thirty to give myself enough time to find where I need to go. I know this will be a fun day trip for me, but I’m sad because I’m doing it alone. It’s good for my self-esteem to get out and entertain myself. It’s hard not to think of Kerry though since most of the fun stuff I’ve done has been with her. Our relationship is just confusing. I wonder if I will stay in contact with her after the shop sells. Maybe a few e-mails and only for a short time because I’m not convinced we really have much of a relationship. The tour bus is only a few blocks away from the train stop so I loiter for a bit. I make friends with a couple from Ohio who are also going on the tour.
“This is our fourth time to Ireland. I’m trying to convince Bob to retire here someday,” Michelle says, nudging her husband with her elbow. “We usually stay on this side of it, but I told him that we needed to check out the entire island if we plan on moving here.”
“Ireland is certainly different than back home. I find it refreshing,” I say.
“I’m sure the weather here is so much different than down in Texas,” Bob says. “We get the four seasons in Cleveland so we are used to it.”
“Thankfully, I packed accordingly. It hasn’t been too cold.” Funny how even in a different country, we still want to talk about the weather.
The trip is long and totally worth it. I’m so glad everybody suggested taking the tour bus. There is just so much beauty throughout the land and I can’t take enough pictures. By the time we reach the cliffs, I’m exhausted. I set out on my own to hike for a bit and set up a private picnic for one far enough away from the rest of the tourists. I’m in complete awe. I know love brought my aunt to Ireland, but it must have been the beauty and inspiration of this country that made her stay.
*
I fall asleep for the last two hours on the way back to Dublin. I wake up to a buzzing on my phone. Kerry texts me that she loved the photos and the listing is now live. I thank her and ask about her day. The desire to stay connected to her is strong now that I’m really not needed anymore.
Let’s have supper tomorrow night. To celebrate.
Her invitation gets my heart racing. I play it cool and wait thirty seconds before responding.
Okay. Sounds good.
I will phone you tomorrow then. Sleep well.
You, too.
*
My second wind hits right as my head sinks into the feather pillow. I toss and turn for a bit, then decide to get up and get some work done. I check my e-mail and I download all of my pictures from today. My direct boss, Sherry, has asked me to take the lead on an account we’ve been trying to land for months. She has asked that I get back by Saturday so that I can relax before the dinner with our new potential client on Sunday night. Holy crap! I don’t know if I’m ready to leave that soon. I check for flights out Thursday and Friday and find a red-eye Friday morning. That gives me tomorrow and Thursday only to say my good-byes. My first thought is Kerry. Not that there is anything there, but I was kind of hoping for a little bit more time just in case. Logically, I know that’s stupid. Trying to start something with only a few days left is not smart. I’m not that kind of girl. I was the one who stopped her from kissing me in Wicklow. I can’t even make up my own mind about her. I sigh and send my boss an e-mail that I have changed my flight and will be back on Friday so that I will be well rested in time for the meeting. I check in with Alisa, answer a few questions from one of the teams, and send my brother a quick e-mail. I gloss over the details and downplay the inheritance. I don’t need that grief. It’s two in the morning and the only thing left for me to do is sleep, something that still doesn’t come easy.
Chapter Eleven
I take extra care for my date with Kerry. It’s not a date, I tell myself as I carefully apply just the right amount of makeup and twirl one last time in the mirr
or. I’m wearing slacks and a blouse, the nicest things I brought with me. My jacket is a bit casual for the outfit, but I know the nights get cold so I’m stuck with it. I open the door and am greeted with a low whistle.
“Well, look at you. All cleaned up and looking very nice,” she says. I blush.
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure where we’re going and you’ve seen me almost exclusively in jeans and boots.”
“You look great. Are you ready?”
I nod and grab my purse. “Where are you taking me?”
“Hopefully, giving you a taste of Ireland that you won’t forget,” she says, her accent strong on purpose. I laugh and follow her out. I’m not sure if she’s aware of her innuendo, but I certainly am.
“And here I thought you were picking me up on your motorcycle,” I say. She opens the door for me and I slip into her recently repaired Volkswagen.
“I suppose I could go home and get it,” she says.
“Don’t you dare. I like being warm,” I say. I put my hands in front of the vents, happy to feel the heat right away.
“Agreed. Do you want to know where we are going?” The twinkle in her eyes is adorable. I nod. “Nah, I’d better just wait and show you instead.”
“You tease,” I say. She winks at me. We head into light traffic and our conversation is smooth and easy. I honestly feel like I’m on a date. I’m nervous and exhilarated. My hands are sweaty and my mouth is dry. Yep, all the classic signs are here. This is a date. She surprises me by driving through Dublin and not stopping. “Are we leaving Dublin?” She smiles at me.
“Our dinner will be in a little town just south of here. Dun Laoghaire. But that’s all I’m telling you,” she says. I’m intrigued, even though we did drive through it on our trip down to Wicklow. She tells me some history about the town. I now have an excuse to look at her while she drives and talks to me. Her hair is loose and flows in waves over her shoulders. The gray cashmere sweater shows off her curves and I’m trying not to look at her body, but failing miserably. “So what do you think?” I look back up at her eyes.