Chapter Three #2
Seamus shrugged. “Ah, that’s a fair point, like.” His expression brightened and he smacked the back of his hand against my chest. “‘Ey, but ya wi’ me too, now. How’s ‘bout we ditch Dec an’ get on the town without him later, aye? See if we can’t land a bit o’ fun.”
I ran my hand through my hair, memories of fucking Ronan drifting through my mind once again. I knew without a doubt that no girl I met at this fair would come close to matching that.
“Aye,” I replied, hoping I was masking my disinterest. “Quality idea fella.”
Before I had to think up a way to change the subject, Declan caught my attention.
“Oi, me cup’s empty,” he shouted, waving his plastic glass back and forth. “Top up?”
I nodded, digging my hand into my jeans pocket before heading up to the nearest bar.
Using my forged notes and making sure to order from a different server each time, I continued to get the rounds in for the lads and by the time the sun was setting, the summer sky burning pink and orange overhead, we were all beginning to feel a little tipsy.
“Y’lads up f’a wee bit o’ fun?” Seamus asked us, draining the dregs of his drink, his phone in his hand as he frantically tapped his thumb against the screen.
“Depends, now. What y’thinkin’?”
“Couple o’ us headin’ ta Newcastle later if y’up f’it.”
I scratched the back of my head. Newcastle was the nearest big city. The night life there was certain to be pumping with a vast array of pubs and clubs to choose from.
Seamus met my eye. “What y’be sayin’? Y’in, like?”
“Aye, we’ll see, now.” I turned to Declan beside me. “Y’fancy it, fella?”
Declan didn’t answer me, turned away and staring off into the distance. I scowled and nudged him with my elbow.
“Oi, y’listenin’ t’ me or what?”
Declan seemed to snap out of a trance. “Ah sure, sorry?”
I leant around him, following where his attention had been fixed through the crowds.
The pretty bartender Declan had had his eye on the first night we’d got to town.
Her name was Tess, and she was trouble if I’d ever seen it – just Declan’s sort of girl.
She and a friend were chatting, drinks in hand, oblivious to our presence.
For now. I knew Declan – there was no way he was letting her give him the slip a second time.
Not only was Declan painfully into her, but I’d also foolishly made a bet with him that he wouldn’t be able to get her into bed.
I’d thought that was as good as won, but I hadn’t counted on us crossing paths with her again.
“Well now, how’s ‘bout that. There’s me fifty quid,” I laughed.
Still watching the girls through the crowds, I did a double-take as I caught Tess’s blonde friend giving me the eye.
There wasn’t anything subtle about it and my mind turned back to my conversation with Seamus.
The blonde was a decent enough looking girl.
It wouldn’t be too painful to make a run at her and maybe I’d get my mates off my back for a while longer.
“‘Ey, I think we need t’ go say hello, what says yourself?” I said to Declan, almost laughing when he cocked a brow at me with surprise.
“Y’feckin’ coddin’ me?”
The blonde friend caught my eye again, licking her lower lip suggestively. Aye, I was fucking in there.
I scrubbed a palm over my chin. “The feek she’s wi’ is a bit o’ talent, doncha think?”
“The blonde?” Declan asked, looking back. “Aye, she’s not a bad sight. Y’gonna take a run at it?”
“Just might, aye.”
Before we had the chance to look away, the girls caught us watching them. Whilst the blonde seemed titillated, Tess’s face paled, her body language instantly shifting. It was clear to anyone that she wasn’t best impressed to see Declan again and I chuckled.
“Oh, y’rumbled. Gotta say she looked happier before, fella.”
“Aye, she did, but that’s all part o’ the game we’d be playin’.” Declan downed the remainder of his drink. “Ya’ll see.”
“C’mon then, before they’d be slippin’ away, like.” I jostled Declan with my shoulder, and we weaved our way through the crowds towards them.
“Well now, aren’t ya a sight f’sore eyes, eh?” Declan said, closing in on Tess.
She crossed her arms with a playfully defiant glint in her eye. “Wish I could say the same.”
Jaysus, if that’s the way she was planning to go about it, there was no doubt she’d have Declan eating out of her hand. I fought a smirk, shifting foot to foot and making eyes at the wee blonde.
“Ah, c’mon now,” Declan laughed. “That’s just feckin’ mean. Ya the one who gave me the runaround, if y’recall. Y’could stand t’ be a wee bit sorry, doncha agree? Y’remember John-Francis?”
At the mention of my name, I cast Tess a grin.
“Sure, though you were looking a little worse for wear when we met that first time,” she replied with a smile.
“Aye, ain’t that the truth.” My gaze returned to the blonde curiously, pleased to see she was still eyeing me up in return.
“This is my friend, Sarah,” Tess said.
Sarah – a nice, simple, boring wee settled name. Great.
“Sarah, is it? Could I buy a fine piece like yourself a drink?”
Sarah floundered, looking between me and Tess. “I mean, uh, thank you but I think we were just leaving?”
She wanted to, that much was clear. The girls seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes and when Tess sighed and shrugged, I knew it was on. Sarah beamed and turned back to me.
“Sure, that’d be lovely.”
Declan caught my eye, and I winked at him. I’d keep the wee friend busy, leaving him plenty of time to attempt to get one over on Tess. When he smirked, I knew he understood.
“Sound.” I stepped aside to allow Sarah to lead the way, my hand falling to the small of her back out of habit as I guided her away through the crowds to another bar.
“What’ll it be, now?” I asked her, fishing out a few of my forged notes.
“A white wine if you please. Thanks.”
Fucking white wine… I barely resisted rolling my eyes. Why the hell Declan was so interested in these wee settled geebags I’d never know. I held my tongue, ordering up Sarah’s drink and another vodka and Coke for myself.
“So, how’s ya enjoyin’ the fair so far?” I asked, taking a sip. “Been before or?”
Sarah flicked her hair over her shoulder. “I’m Appleby born and bred. I’ve been coming to the fair since I was a kid. This is Tess’s first time though. I’ve been showing her around.”
“Aye, that’s nice o’ ya, like.”
There was a stiff silence, and we both hurriedly took a sip from our drinks in an attempt to diffuse it. Shit, I was rusty. I used to be able to talk the knickers off any wee girl, but to say I’d let things slide of late was an understatement.
C’mon, get it together, now.
“Y’lookin’ lovely if ya don’t mind me sayin’,” I said, hoping my voice wasn’t croaky.
Sarah batted her lashes at me. “Why, thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”
Another sip from my drink. A couple more of these and I wouldn’t be worrying about anything anymore. That was my game plan. To my relief, this time Sarah filled the awkwardness.
“Do you and Declan come to the fair every year?”
That was a heavy question. I sucked in a breath, masking my discomfort. “Aye, mostly, like. Been a few years here an’ there where we haven’t made it, but…” I trailed off.
“Where are you guys from originally?” Sarah asked, eyeing me over the rim of her plastic wine glass.
“Ah, all o’er really, like. Declan was born in Cork an’ me family hails from Dublin, but we rarely stay put long enough ta call any place ‘home’, now,” I replied, glad for a slight subject change.
“How exciting. I can definitely see the appeal of travelling around. I’m no stranger to a bit of wanderlust.”
Sarah yapped away, telling me about her expensive foreign travelling experiences as if they were something I could relate to in any way.
I found my attention drifting. Tess and Declan seemed to be getting on alright, and the rest of the lads had disappeared off someplace – maybe making tracks to Newcastle already.
It was fair to say Declan and I wouldn’t be joining them after all.
I wasn’t sure there was much anyone could do to distract him from that pretty, wee barmaid of his.
I found myself thinking about Ronan for the millionth time.
What was he doing with himself tonight I wondered – was he still at the fair or had he headed back to the camp?
There was a big party planned for tonight.
Would we run into one another there? Just the thought of it had excitement fizzing in my gut.
I continued to let Sarah talk at me, plying her with glasses of wine. The drunker she got, the easier it was for me to zone out. She sure liked the sound of her own voice and was more than happy to chat a load of shite whilst I pretended to be listening.
“This is nice,” she slurred, reaching out to squeeze my bicep where the edge of a tattoo was peeking from underneath my sleeve.
I had one or two, but I was nowhere near as covered as Declan…
or Ronan. Visions of his muscular, tattooed back, flexing as I fucked him against the toilet wall flashed before my eyes and I coughed into my fist.
“Y’like it?” I peeled my sleeve back to show her the rest of it. Sarah squeezed me again, stroking her fingers over the muscles.
“Really hot,” she purred.
That was my green light. I steeled myself. A shag was a shag. Sure, it wasn’t going to be as satisfying as it could be, but getting off was never a bad thing.
“Aye, ya’d know a lot ‘bout bein’ hot,” I replied, keeping my voice low.
Sarah flushed, giggling and stroking me. Her hand drifted from my arm to my chest, and she moved in close, craning her neck to look up at me. She wanted me to kiss her, the signal was clear as day, and yet I found myself hesitating.
“Y’want another drink, like?”