Chapter One #2
“Ah, you’re no fuckin’ still tryin’ to get your hole?!” I laughed.
Declan tightened his arm around my neck, muttering under his breath in Cant – the language travellers often spoke to one another, especially when trying to confuse or mislead a settled.
“She’d be eatin’ outta me hand and I’d be eatin’ more than that later, aye. Now feck off an’ let me land ‘er.”
I cast him a knowing grin and Declan headbutted me. It was playful, something we used to do as kids when one of us was playing up for the other.
I turned my attention back to the barmaid. “‘ey, where’s the jacks?”
She narrowed her eyes with confusion. “The jacks?”
“Toilets,” Declan clarified, before switching back to Cant. “I’d not be buyin’ ya any more drinks y’feckin’ langer. Y’off y’tits.”
“I’d not be thinkin’ that’s up ta yourself, now. Y’buyin’ until y’wee piece there rolls over f’ya! A deal’s a deal, y’prick!”
Declan gave me the finger with a laugh, and I stumbled into the gents.
There was an older fella at the urinal, and I made a beeline for the stall, keen for a spot of privacy.
I had a quick piss before closing the toilet seat to sit on and digging the baggie Seamus had given to me out of my jeans pocket.
With an expertise I should probably have been ashamed of, I poured a small amount of powder out onto the back of my hand, the flat area between my thumb and forefinger.
Without hesitation, I lowered my nose to it and sniffed vigorously.
It burnt like fuck, but I knew it would pass and be replaced with a nice wee buzz.
Still sniffing in a bid to rid myself of the irritation in my nose, I closed up the baggie and popped it back inside my jeans.
There would be enough left over for a few more hits later on, depending on where the rest of the night took us.
I allowed myself a moment to compose myself, already feeling the effects of the coke beginning to set in, before getting to my feet. I swayed, stumbling into the side of the cubicle with a chuckle. I was fucking steaming. No way I was avoiding one hell of a hangover in the morning.
I didn’t recall leaving the jacks, but I soon found myself beside Declan once more, my mate still chatting up his wee beauty behind the bar.
“Oi, ya’d not be pesterin’ y’girl there?” I shouted to him, speaking in Cant.
Declan grinned at me. “Aye, but I’d got a wee phone number outta her. She’d not be fighting me too hard, like.”
My head fell back with a groan. “Ah, she’s gone an’ given it? Y’feckin’ jammy shite.” I turned to the barmaid. “Y’were supposed t’ rinse him!”
She laughed and held up her palms. “Hey now, I’m not getting involved.”
I grabbed Declan, wrapping my arm around his neck. We roughhoused playfully for a moment before I eventually shoved him away from the bar.
“Go on, get, y’feckin’ langer!” I laughed, turning my attention back to the barmaid. “Looks like the round’s on me thanks to yourself!”
“Sorry about that.” She smiled, almost sheepishly. “What’ll it be?”
“Same again, darlin’.”
Whilst she got to work, pouring pints and totting up spirit measures, I glanced around the pub. It wouldn’t be too much longer until they called last orders and though it was still busy, the crowds had definitely begun to thin out.
It wasn’t unusual that we’d cross paths with people we knew here. The horse fair brought folks in from all over and Declan and I moved around more than most. I watched the patrons coming and going, scanning faces to see if I spotted anyone I recognised.
A group of fellas drew my attention. Some of them looked familiar, though I couldn’t quite place where from, but one in particular caught my eye.
He was cute as fuck, short – maybe five-seven at a push – but pretty heavily muscled to compensate for it.
A walking advertisement for short fella syndrome if I’d ever seen it, but that wasn’t a deal breaker.
I eyed him from across the room, taking advantage of him being completely unaware of my appraisal.
He had a lovely wee face, clean shaved but with a cute nose and dark eyes.
It was hard to tell beneath the backwards baseball cap, but it looked as though his hair was dark to match.
He was also covered in tattoos, even more so than Declan and that was saying something.
From his jaw down, it seemed there wasn’t a spare inch undecorated, and I itched to know just how far down those dark markings went.
“Here you go.”
The barmaid placed a handful of drinks down in front of me and I snapped back to reality. I sniffed, hoping I hadn’t been caught leering and dug out some money.
“Ya a wee star, that’s grand,” I replied. As soon as she’d passed my change back, I carefully gathered up the glasses. I caught her eye and gave her a wink. “Don’t go treatin’ me mate too mean now, y’hear? He might just fall in love wi’ ya.”
The girl laughed, her cheeks flushing. “Well, we can’t be having that, right? Thanks for the heads up.”
With one last glance across the pub to my handsome friend, I returned to the others.
A drink or two later, the burly fella behind the bar called last orders and it was time for us to decide where the rest of the night was going to take us.
“A’right, y’feckin’ langers,” Seamus shouted. “Where to? There’s a wee place next town over that’s bangin’.”
When the rest of the group yelled and jeered in response, I glanced to Declan.
“What y’thinkin’, fella? Ya up f’it?”
To my surprise, my mate shrugged and scratched the back of his head. “Nah, I think I’d be hangin’ about here f’a while, like.”
My brows rose. “F’ya wee piece?”
Declan grinned, uncharacteristically sheepish. “Worth a shot, aye? Hopin’ t’ persuade her t’ take me home, like.”
“Like a wee stray dog?” I teased, shoving Declan with my shoulder.
“I’d be humpin’ more than her leg, now,” he replied with a laugh.
Still chuckling, I shrugged. “S’pose I’ll head out wi’ the lads then, aye? No point hangin’ about if y’gettin’ the ride in.”
“Ya’d be used to that by now, aye?” Declan smirked. “No bother. I’ll come a’knock ya in the morn?”
“Sound.” Declan and I bumped knuckles. My gaze flitted over his shoulder as the handsome wee fella I’d spotted earlier made his way outside with the rest of his mates. “Maybe I’ll get a wee chance t’ get lucky meself without y’handsome arse t’ compete wi’, eh?”
Declan laughed. “Aye.”
We filed out of the pub and into the night. It was still as humid and stuffy as it had been when we’d come in. The night air just served to remind me of how hammered I really was.
With one last farewell, Declan disappeared into the dark, heading for the back of the pub to wait around for that pretty wee barmaid. I patted down my pockets, hunting for my cigarettes.
Despite being tanked up, Seamus was swinging his keys around his finger. “I’ll go grab the van an’ bring it ‘round front, aye?”
“Aye.” I nodded, popping a smoke between my lips. “I’d be havin’ time t’ finish this up.”
The rest of the group followed behind Seamus, leaving me behind. I held my lighter to the end of the cigarette until it caught and sucked in a deep lungful. I slipped my lighter back into my pocket, resting my hand there too whilst I smoked.
I wasn’t alone out here, crowds of travellers were all around, laughing and joking as everyone’s night wound down.
Just as I was taking another long drag, a large group exited the pub.
They were drunk and a wee older lady stumbled, her ankle twisting beneath her.
She slammed into me, and I lost my footing, stepping back and colliding with another group of fellas.
“Ah, shite!”
“Feckin’—”
“‘Ey! Watch it!”
I just about managed to stay upright, holding the woman by her elbow. I glanced back over my shoulder, keen to apologise to the folks I’d unwittingly crashed into. My eyes locked on the wee cute piece. He scowled at me and shoved me away.
“Sorry, fellas,” I muttered, mouth suddenly dry. I turned my attention back to the older woman. “Y’alright there? Got y’footin’ now, aye?”
She laughed, too drunk to even be embarrassed. “Aye, I got it. I got it. Thanks, love.”
“No bother,” I replied, straightening up and brushing myself off. Before I could stop myself, my gaze returned to the handsome stranger. To my surprise, he was looking right back at me, and I faltered as he eyed me up and down.
“Watch where y’goin’, eh?” he muttered tersely.
“Wasn’t me, fella,” I replied with a shrug. “The wee old bird fell inta me, but aye…” With booze and coke bolstering my confidence, I raked my gaze over him hungrily. “I’ll watch meself next time.”
He didn’t respond and despite his scowl, I was sure I saw the corner of his mouth curl into a smirk. It was barely perceptible, but I’d long since grown adept at reading even the most subtle of signals.
Before I had a chance to think about it, Seamus’s van pulled up, brakes squeaking. I flicked my cigarette away, sparks flying, and shoved my hands into my pockets. As I moved to stroll away, a deep voice spoke at my back.
“Be seein’ y’around, like.”
I glanced over my shoulder with a heated glance. “Y’can count on it.”
The tattooed stranger held my gaze for a moment longer than was truly necessary before turning away and I rushed off to join Seamus as the others in the van.