CHAPTER THREE
Declan and I stayed at the bar for hours, talking and getting to know one another.
I learned that his full name was Declan McKenna.
He turned thirty-eight last month and worked for a marketing firm.
Or rather, he owned the firm. Though getting that part out of him was like pulling teeth.
He’d mentioned that his family came from complicated but humble beginnings.
And he was taught never to boast about his accomplishments, but instead allow his work and its impact on the world to speak for him.
Hence, his reason for not mentioning that he was the CEO.
His parents were both from Ireland. They’d moved to the States when he was a baby, and they’d recently retired and moved back to their home country.
He’d never been married, had no kids but hoped to someday, and yes, the carpet did, indeed, match the drapes.
The admission sent blood rushing to my face again—mortification renewed.
I told him about my job as a teacher and about some of my little ones.
We talked about my parents. I told him about my dad’s battle and subsequent death brought on by cancer.
We spoke about my mom, how she was now retired and still resided in our family home back in Texas.
I mentioned my visits to her a couple of times a year, and the joy I felt being able to curl up in her arms at every visit.
There was a natural lull in our conversation, and Declan asked cautiously, “I take it you haven’t told her about you and your husband?”
I shook my head.
I’d avoided any more mentions of Seth or my so-called marriage, and Declan hadn’t pressed any further.
“I don’t want to worry her,” I said honestly.
“Mom was always skeptical of me moving to Chicago right after college. She wanted me to come home, but I was young and in love. My husband and I met at NYU. I was an undergrad, and he was studying for his master’s degree, and we started dating almost immediately after we’d first met.
We got engaged pretty early, too. And after graduation, I didn’t question his decision to want us to move back to his home state.
He had friends and family he wanted to be close to, and I was going to be a writer.
I told myself I could write from anywhere.
That I could go see my parents whenever I wanted, as frequently as I wanted, and it wouldn’t be a problem.
Then Dad got sick, and the rest is history.
” I paused and took another sip of my water, then met Declan’s steely gaze.
“A part of me is also afraid to tell her the truth. I love my mom. She’s my best friend.
But this… if I told her how pathetic my life had gotten, it would kill her.
She’d blame herself for not being able to do more for me, and I don’t want that. I couldn’t break her heart like that.”
Declan nodded, looking resigned. “Based on what you’ve told me about her, I think she would understand, don’t you think?”
I shrugged.
I was sure she would. My mom was amazing.
But truth be told, I was too embarrassed to let my mom know that I’d allowed Seth to treat me this way.
Especially since she wasn’t fond of him to begin with.
She never explicitly said she didn’t like him, and knowing my mom, she wouldn’t.
She was too kind for that. But she never asked about him whenever we talked on the phone.
And whenever I visited home, she never asked why he never came with me.
Maybe she saw something in him that I was too blind to see, and that was why she hadn’t warmed up to him.
Still, I decided to steer the conversation away from the topic of my rocky marriage. I was actually having a good time talking to Declan. And I didn’t want to waste this rare opportunity where I felt like I mattered to someone, talking about the person who’d abandoned me tonight.
So, we talked about mundane things, like Declan’s childhood and growing up with an Irish accent.
He spoke about being bullied in school for his red hair.
And how he started bulking up at sixteen so he would stop getting his ass kicked whenever his bullies ganged up on him.
He talked a bit more about his company. The firm was fairly new and was doing better than he’d predicted, since they hadn’t hit the five-year mark yet.
Without citing names, he spoke about his employees, mentioning the ones he liked and the ones he was on the verge of firing.
Apparently, he was having some difficulties with one of the team leads in his finance department.
According to Declan, the employee was self-absorbed and lazy, and spent half his time flirting with the young women in the office rather than actually doing work.
A few of the women had even reported him to HR for inappropriate conduct.
Declan was at wits’ end, and was waiting for his board members to settle on a time when they would gather to discuss this employee’s future with the company.
He also mentioned wanting to do something special for his staff members, since ‘bring your kid to work’ day was coming up.
He wanted to plan some kind of outing to the zoo, or maybe a theme park, so the parents got the chance to actually spend the day with their kids.
“Because let’s face it,” he said, excitement radiating from him, “the parents won’t actually get any work done with their kids running around the office. So, why not make the most of it and turn the whole thing into a family day out?”
“Or, um… perhaps the parents wouldn’t want their kids to think that going to a zoo or theme park is what they do all day when they say they’re going to work. You know, considering it’s called ‘bring your kid to work day’,” I said, playing devil’s advocate.
Declan’s smile fell. “Oh, fuck. You’re right.”
I laughed. “I’m kidding. It sounds like a great idea.”
His smile returned. “You think so?”
“I do. It shows that you really care about your staff.”
“Very much. It’s only thirty-four of us, and I appreciate every single one of my colleagues. The company pretty much runs itself, so there isn’t a demand for more staff. Though that could change with future expansion.”
“Do you have plans to establish another branch?”
“Eventually. I do have other companies that require my attention, but this one is particularly important to me. It’s a dream I’ve had ever since I was a kid, and I’m aiming for us to be the leading firm in AI marketing.”
There was an honest excitement in his tone when he spoke about his company and staff, and a part of me yearned to see what he was like in a boardroom; all rolled-up sleeves and tattoos on display.
I was stupidly attracted to Declan, and the reality of those feelings had me considering things I’d never dared to before.
Like climbing onto his lap and straddling him right here in front of everyone.
Using the tip of my nose to trace a line along his strong jaw, before trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses up his neck to that full, pink mouth of his.
“Here ya go,” Frank chirped, setting down a glass with amber liquid in front of Declan.
That snapped me out of the lust-filled haze I’d fallen into, and I sprang to my feet.
Declan froze. Amber liquid halfway to his lips as he shot me a concerned look.
“I have to pee!” I blurted out.
Really, Melodie?
Although now that I thought about it, I really did have to go.
“Okay,” Declan said softly, rising from his barstool. “I’ll walk with you.”
I scoffed. “To the bathroom?”
Was he serious?
Expression unchanged, he said firmly, “Yes, I’ll stay outside while you go in. You were pretty drunk a short while ago, and I want to make sure you’re not impaired in any way. Plus, there are plenty of other people who witnessed you getting sloshed. I don’t want them to think you’re easy prey.”
I hadn’t thought about that. Declan had mentioned that there were other men in the bar eyeing me, but I hadn’t put much stock into it. I didn’t know anything about this bar—it was my first time here, after all—so it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.
I nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”