Chapter 7
Kasia looked Joey up and down. “You’re dressed the same as you do every day on the boat, but cleaner. Do you own anything that isn’t made of wool?”
Joey laughed. “How dare you? These are my best Levi’s. I’ve never worn them anywhere near the boat.”
Kasia tossed Joey a folded sweater. “Here. You left this after our last swim, and I washed it for you. It’s a lovely blue; it brings out your eyes.”
“Must look my best for the Emerald. You never know who might be there. Oh no, hang on now. We know exactly who’ll be there.” Joey chuckled and lifted the sweater to inhale the fragrance. “Ooh, it’s so soft, and it smells of flowers. Can you wash all my clothes, please?” They took off the olive-green sweater they’d been wearing and pulled on the cornflower blue version.
“That’s better. Now you look as if you’re going out for the evening.” Kasia reached up on tiptoes and gave Joey a peck on the cheek. “Enjoy catching up with Tierney.”
As she turned away, Joey caught her by the elbow. “Come later. Just have a few drinks with us, please? I hardly ever go to the Emerald. I need all the friends I can get.”
“No, Joey, you enjoy your evening.” Work was piling up, and she didn’t have time to entertain Tierney or listen to her tales of woe.
“Plea-ease?” Joey’s eyes were wide under their shaggy bangs.
Kasia knew she was being played, but it was flattering Joey was so eager to have her company.
“I know Tierney gets on your nerves, but?—”
“She doesn’t.” Kasia rolled her eyes. “Well, she does a little. She’s spoiled and entitled, and as far as I can tell, work-shy. And the thing that really annoys me about her is that along with the rest of her family, she doesn’t have any loyalty to the hotel her grandmother built from nothing. And did you hear what she said the other day about not costing her family any money? I worked my ass off all summer to make them a profit, and she had the gall to say that!” She took a long breath to regain control.
“Not much against her at all then.” Joey held her hands. “She’s not comfortable in this employer role. She’s never wanted it, and now she’s stuck in an awkward situation just like you are. She’s so much more than you can see, Kasia. It’s not all been an easy ride for her, even on the island. Yes, she’s part of the big Walsh clan, but the rest of the family has stayed close to Inishderry. Des is in the UK, but he has business interests here, and all his kids have holiday homes. Tierney was always the outsider with an absent father and an American accent. When we were kids, she was always being challenged to prove she was really a Walsh. You’ve probably got much more in common than you think. Just come and have a couple of drinks with us and get to know her a little better. It can’t do any harm, can it? And it might even open up some doors for progressing things with the hotel.”
Kasia let out a breath. “I doubt that. Okay, just one drink, but not until I’ve completed all the preparations for tomorrow.”
“Grand. We’ll wait for you.” Joey wrapped her in a hug then left.
Kasia went to make up the beds for tomorrow’s large group. Their stay would be hard work on her own, but she didn’t feel she could refuse bookings. Surely it was best to keep the hotel as profitable as possible in case it might influence Kevin Walsh’s decision. She’d hoped she could talk to Tierney about it, but going through the books with her today had taken all the patience Kasia had left. It wasn’t that Tierney didn’t understand the finances. In fact, she’d appeared to grasp it all very quickly. She just had no interest in doing anything other than the bare minimum so she could get out of there.
When she was satisfied all was prepared for the next day’s visitors, Kasia locked up the hotel and took the short walk to the bar. The light from the full moon glinted off the road and made a torch unnecessary. She hoped they’d finished whatever it was Tierney had been so eager to talk about with Joey. Joey had never shared much detail about their lifelong friendship, but they’d told Kasia how much they missed having Tierney in their life in recent years. Kasia couldn’t quite grasp why, but Joey was never one to think the worst of people or hold a grudge. Their kindness and open heart had drawn Kasia to them when she first arrived. That and the unexpected joy of finding another queer person her age residing on the island.
Warm yellow light from the windows of the pub spilled out into the dark, and the sound of laughter and music drifted out. She pushed open the door to find it busy for a Sunday evening. There was often an early evening music session for the remaining weekend visitors, but the last ferry had left, so the crowd was all locals or long-term visitors.
Both older Walsh brothers were at their preferred table by the window. Tierney had said she would speak with them about finding a housekeeping assistant for the hotel. Kasia was pleased Tierney had shown some concern over her workload, but that wasn’t the answer. The brothers had shown little enough interest in the running of the Waterside all summer when the estate had yet to be settled. Now that they had no financial interest in the hotel, they would be no help at all.
The brothers ignored her, but she got a nod from Christy who was sitting with them. She looked around the other tables until she spotted Joey and Tierney in the corner. Tierney had her back to the door and was hunched over the table talking close to Joey’s ear over the noise of the pub. Joey saw Kasia over her shoulder and waved her over enthusiastically.
When Tierney turned, her smile faded, but as Kasia approached she said, “Hi, Kasia. Why don’t you join us?”
Joey jumped up. “Come and sit ’round here. I’ll get the drinks.” They shuffled around the cramped table until Kasia found herself wedged into the corner, sharing a small bench with Tierney.
“Well, ain’t this cozy,” Tierney muttered.
Joey returned with the drinks. “Two Guinness and a vodka.” She deposited the glass of clear liquid in front of Kasia.
She lifted the glass. “Is that a double?”
Tierney groaned. “We’re four ahead of you. Just relax and enjoy your drink.”
She turned. Who was Tierney to give her orders about what to drink? “Some of us have a job to go to tomorrow.” It came out as more of a hiss than she’d intended, but Tierney’s smug, laid-back approach to the world was annoying.
Tierney’s mouth dropped open.
Joey grabbed her hand. “Hey, Kasia, a friendly drink, remember?”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re right.” She turned to Tierney and tried not to grit her teeth. “I apologize, Tierney. I have no right to make any judgments about you. I hardly know you.” Because you rarely bothered to come and visit your granny. “Let’s drink.” She held up her glass.
Tierney studied Kasia for a moment before she lifted her glass and cracked a slight smile. “Sláinte!”
“Na Zdrowie!” She clinked glasses and downed her vodka. It didn’t have the smooth, buttery taste of Polish vodka, but it went down quickly enough. “I’ll get us another.”
She squeezed her way between the table and Tierney and escaped to the bar. The buzz of the alcohol helped her relax slightly. Maybe another couple and she could get home to bed. She ordered another double.
Joey appeared beside her. “Please don’t get one for me. I’ve got to be out on the boat early, and I’ve already had too many trying to keep up with Tierney. I’ll finish this one and go.”
That was good news. She had hoped her evening with Tierney wouldn’t drag on too long.
Joey put their hand on her arm and forced her to make eye contact. “Please stay for a while. You need to get to know Tierney. It’ll be good for you both.”
“I’ve got to know her this week while she’s been hanging around at the hotel, getting under my feet and never offering to help with anything.”
“When you’re in work mode, you can be pretty intimidating. Did you find out anything about her?”
“I discovered she has no interest in helping rescue the hotel.”
Joey raised an eyebrow. “No interest? Or a lack of confidence that her dad will listen?”
Kasia didn’t like her opinion about Tierney being challenged, but Joey knew her best. And they were right. “Both, probably.” She let out a long breath. “Okay, you’re right. I have to keep trying. I’ll stay for one more drink.”
Returning with the drinks, she found Tierney tucked in the corner, her legs tucked up under her, allowing Kasia a little more space on the bench. Tierney’s glass was empty. As she handed over the fresh drink, she noticed her gaze was a little unfocused. Perhaps she’d be less annoying drunk. “Have you spoken to your uncles?”
Tierney shrugged. “I spoke to them when I arrived. They said they’re not talking business tonight, and that I should catch the first ferry in the morning and go to Uncle Anthony’s office to meet them. Only they could turn a family visit into a formal meeting.” She picked up her fresh drink and took a hearty swig. “I am not looking forward to it.”
“Perhaps you should take it easy tonight then.” Joey voiced what Kasia had been thinking.
“Or perhaps the alcohol will numb the pain of anticipating how mean Desmond and Anto will be to me tomorrow.” She took another gulp.
Joey emptied their own glass and stood. “I’ll get you another on my way out.”
“Nooo. Don’t go, Joey.” Tierney looked genuinely worried.
“I have to, or I’ll drown tomorrow. You wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?”
Tierney stuck out her bottom lip. “No, I guess not.”
How old is she? Thirty-five or seven? Kasia kept her expression blank.
“Kasia will make sure you get home safe, won’t you, Kasia?” Joey raised their eyebrow.
Wonderful, I’m on babysitting duty on top of everything else. “Yes, of course. Goodnight, Joey.”
Joey stopped at the bar and talked with the bartender, then they gave a last wave before they swung the door closed behind them.
“Bye, Joey,” Tierney muttered, her speech now a little slurred. She drained her glass again.
Kasia hoped to escape soon. She couldn’t keep up with this pace of drinking. She enjoyed vodka, but she rarely drank. She just didn’t have time to go out anymore, and drinking alone in the hotel seemed a bad route to go down.
The bar server trotted over with another round. “Joey got these for you.”
“Thank you.” And thanks, Joey.
Tierney took hers like a kid given ice cream. Kasia watched her tongue as she licked the creamy head from her top lip. That was less irritating. Almost sexy, if it wasn’t Tierney doing the licking.
Tierney winked. Kasia looked away quickly. Think of a conversation topic.
“So, did you and Joey manage to have your chat? You seemed eager to get them alone.” That wasn’t really her business, but she’d reached for the first subject that came to mind.
“Yeah, we had a good talk.” Tierney leaned back on some cushions. “Joey’s one of the good ones. I’ve not been the most attentive friend in recent years.” She raised her glass. “Here’s to doing better.”
Kasia didn’t reciprocate the toast, but she took a sip and let the burn travel down to her belly. “Do you think you’ll come back often? Will your father expect you to oversee the hotel?”
“Didn’t take long for you to get back to business, did it?”
The burn of the alcohol was replaced by the heat of anger. “It might be tedious to you, Tierney, but it’s my home, my livelihood, and my whole life on this island that your family don’t appear to be able to make any decisions about.”
She emptied her glass. She’d kept her voice to more of a snarl than a shout, but Tierney looked over her shoulder toward her uncles.
“I’m sorry. It’s not my decision to make. I’ll see tomorrow if they can help with staffing. Let’s have one for the road.” Tierney squeezed past her unsteadily and lurched to the bar.
Kasia took a long breath. Maybe she should ease off a little. Tierney really wasn’t the one she should be shouting at, but her father was far away, and Tierney was the only person she could try to influence. She hadn’t liked the look of desperation Tierney shot at Joey before they left.
Liquid sloshed up the side of the glasses when Tierney dropped the drinks to the table. Her own pint was already missing a good third. She pointed to where the level of beer intersected the branding on the glass. “Look, I split the G. I get it every time!”
“Very impressive. I’m sure it’s a life skill that will get you far.”
Tierney didn’t try to get back to her original seat but instead pushed onto the end of the bench, half sitting on Kasia’s lap until she shuffled up quickly to put some space between them. Her body was reacting in an unexpected way to Tierney’s proximity. Perhaps it had been too long since her last mainland hook-up.
“Why d’you hate me so much, Kasia?”
She swung around, taken by surprise with the muttered question. That was the second time today she’d had to defend her attitude toward Tierney. Am I turning into a bitch? “I don’t hate you. We’re very different people, and our backgrounds are a million miles apart. Perhaps I don’t understand you.”
“Nobody understands me, except Megan, and maybe Joey.” Tierney slumped against her. “An’ I was shitty to Joey.” She sounded close to tears.
“Okay, we’ve both had too much to drink. Let’s get you home.” She made to move Tierney’s drink away, but she grabbed it and cradled it between her hands.
“I’m not finished.” She took a defiant drink, and then another.
Kasia hoped she wouldn’t have to carry her home. She finished her own drink before she hoisted Tierney up by her elbow. Tierney drained her glass and almost dropped it. Kasia retrieved it and put it aside safely. She reached for Tierney’s coat and helped her into it. She was relieved to see the Walsh family’s table was now empty. If they were going to take anything Tierney said about the hotel seriously, they didn’t need to see her stagger out of the bar.
When they emerged into the moonlit dark, Kasia sighed and breathed in the night air. She just had to hope things would work out.