Chapter Four
Keighley met Sterling in the lobby early the next morning. He wanted to know how plans were coming along, but had meetings all day long. She didn’t mind. She liked mornings, even with the jet lag.
“We looked at two venues yesterday. Both were promising in their own way, but neither really jumped out at me as the perfect spot. Conall said he’d send me a list of other places to check out.”
Sterling nodded. “I knew you were the right one to plan this.”
She needed the compliment. He offered them often, something Conall seemed to be allergic to.
“How do you like Dublin?” Sterling asked over his coffee mug.
“I’m enjoying it. Reminds me a little of New York.” She sipped her tea. “But wetter.”
He smiled at her quip. He had a very charming smile. She doubted many people got to see it over a friendly breakfast chat. “And the business heads here are harder to schmooze.”
She kept both hands wrapped around her teacup. She appreciated the warmth. “Is that what we’re doing? Schmoozing?”
“Schmoozing. Smooching. Whatever it takes.” He chuckled a little as he took another sip of coffee.
She didn’t know whether to laugh, blush, or take him entirely seriously. That she had no idea which gave her pause. Maybe she didn’t really know him that well yet. Yet.
“I would like to get invitations out in the next couple of days,” he said. “So try to find a location soon and get that all worked out.”
“Not a problem.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be.” It was little wonder women melted when he smiled at them.
“I will plan on having a venue selected by tomorrow morning,” she assured him. “The rest of the details should fall quickly into place after that.”
He rose. “You’re the best, Keighley.”
“Thanks.” She stayed outwardly relaxed, but inside she was a little giddy. “We can touch base tomorrow.”
He raised his coffee mug as he stepped away. “I look forward to it.”
She watched him walk out. Which meant she also saw Conall walk in. She ought to have been annoyed, but he’d been kind of fun to go back and forth with the day before. She looked forward to doing it again.
He walked directly to her and, smile pulling at the scar on his chin, dropped two cards on the table in front of her. She looked at him from around her teacup. “Hop-on Hop-off bus,” she read aloud.
“No American can come to Dublin and not ride the green bus.”
The green double-decker. That had looked like fun. But she couldn’t. “I promised Sterling I’d have a venue for his event selected by morning. I can’t spend the day on a tourist bus.”
“Wouldn’t take all day,” he said. “And we might think of another venue option while we’re out.”
“We? You were born here. Why would you want to ride a tourist bus?”
He picked up the tickets once more and waved her toward the door. “Because it’s fun to see the city through the eyes of someone discovering her for the first time.”
Keighley rose, but hesitantly. “You’re going to make fun of me?”
For once, there was no laughter in his expression. “Not at all. You said yesterday you used to dream about coming to Ireland. You can’t spend the next week missing everything. Give yourself the morning to do something massively touristy. You’ll enjoy it.”
“And you’re coming too?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “It’ll be fun.”
“You mean it’ll be ‘good craic’?”
A quick laugh. “You’re learning.” Another motion toward the door. How she wanted to go.
“Sterling will be upset if I don’t have things worked out.”
Conall eyed her doubtfully. “The same Sterling you insisted was charming and wonderful and everything amazing, and not because he’s rich? That Sterling would begrudge you a morning of seeing this beautiful city?”
She didn’t have a ready answer.
“Well, I can see why you find him so appealing,” he said more than a bit dryly. “Sounds like a keeper.”
They walked along the usual narrow, winding streets. “Why does my opinion of Sterling matter to you?”
“Because the mark of a good man is that he doesn’t stand silent when another man takes advantage of the undeserved loyalty of a woman who could do a whole lot better.”
She didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended. Probably both.
The iconic green bus pulled to the stop just as they arrived. Conall hopped on. “Two for the loop,” he said to the driver as she stepped in behind him.
“You sound too Dublin for this,” the driver said.
“I’ve an American in tow.” He nodded toward Keighley. “First time in Ireland. Hasn’t seen a thing.”
“We’ll show her around.” The driver motioned them back.
Tourists in ball caps emblazoned with “Ireland” or shamrock-covered sweatshirts and sporting backpacks and fanny packs filled the benches, phones out and ready to take pictures.
“There’s not a lot of room,” Keighley said.
“There’ll be room up top.” He took the steps upward at a fast clip.
She followed, excitement bubbling. She had seen TikToks from the top of these busses, and they always looked amazing and fun and exactly the sort of cheesy touristy thing she’d enjoy doing.
Conall wasn’t wrong; there were plenty of empty benches on the upper deck.
“Why does no one sit up here?”
He shrugged. “Easier to get off if you’re inside. Warmer in there. They’re not as bright as we are.” He plopped down on the back bench and leaned back, obviously ready to relax and enjoy a ride around town.
She sat next to him, not bothering to hold back her excitement. “This is kind of great.”
“Isn’t it, though?”
The bus pulled back into traffic and the driver’s voice sounded over the speakers.
He told them the things they were seeing, a little history, a joke or two.
Or seven. Before too many more stops to pick up or let off passengers, Keighley was laughing out loud, no matter that the jokes were usually really bad puns or completely ridiculous stories that couldn’t possibly be true.
And each time they passed a church, which happened a lot, Conall pointed at it and said, “Is that your castle church?”
And every time, she said, “No.”
After three or four churches that weren't the right one, he asked, “Are you certain you remember this church?”
She laughed. “I’ll know it when I see it.”
“Just how far did you walk that first morning?”
She didn’t know, exactly. “Far.”
He looked at her. “Were you escaping?”
“No, I wasn’t—” But then something stopped her. “Maybe a little. I was in an unfamiliar place and that room is—don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful and huge, but. . .” She sighed.
“But it’s not you.”
She shook her head. “I’m not fancy like that. I like it, but it’s hard to feel relaxed, and that makes it hard to work.”
“Well, then.” Conall motioned to the open air around them. “Take in this grand old town. It’ll ease your mind and let you relax. I do some of my best thinking out on the living streets.”
She filled her lungs with cool, humid air and let herself just enjoy the ride.
The driver announced Dublin Castle to the left.
“That’s not my church,” she said before Conall could ask the question she knew was on his mind.
He laughed and, for once, it didn’t bother her in the least.
Mere moments later, directly in front of them, she spotted it. “That’s my castle church.” She pointed at it. “That’s it.”
“Ah, Christ Church Cathedral,” he said. “You did walk far that morning. She’s a grand lady. I commend your taste.”
The closer they got, the more beautiful it became. “You don’t suppose they hire out for events, do you?” she asked with a grin.
“Blasphemy. Careful or they’ll toss you in the catacombs.”
That brought her full attention to him. “There are catacombs?”
“Oh, there are catacombs.”
When the bus stopped at the cathedral, they got off.
He showed her the cathedral, the catacombs, the Viking museum next door.
They walked up to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Marsh’s Library next to that enormous church.
The green bus took them all around the city.
They’d hop off any time something caught her fancy or whenever there was something he thought she’d enjoy.
The entire day passed that way. Fun and joyous. And, though he likely didn’t realize it, it was a dream come true. She’d always wanted to see Ireland, and Dublin in particular. And she had, though the experience had convinced her there was so much more to see than she would ever have time for.
But as they returned to the hotel in the early evening, a horrible realization struck her. She was supposed to have a venue for Sterling’s networking event booked and ready in time to tell him the details in the morning. She hadn’t done a lick of work.
“Breathe a bit, Keighley,” Conall said. “You can sort this.”
She’d faced tighter turnarounds than this. She could manage it. And, though she’d resented the help at first, having Conall’s knowledge of the city would help.
A bit of calm settled over her again. “We can grab dinner at the hotel restaurant and toss around ideas while we eat.”
It proved a bit of genius. They talked through a lot of possibilities, narrowing down their ideas until they knew better what they were aiming for: elegant and sleek, like the rooms Sterling had chosen that fit him so well, as well as the feel of the city itself, to make certain his possible business partners knew he wasn’t sweeping in to change things, but to add to the strength the companies already had.
But where to find such a place?
“The Leprechaun Museum?” Conall suggested.
She couldn’t hold back the laughter at that idea. That particular stop had been a favorite: goofy and fun, but nothing at all like they were looking for.
The server came with the bill for her to sign. Conall kept him there a minute, though.
“Do you have any venues for hire here in the hotel other than the meeting rooms and ballrooms?”
Keighley had thought of hosting the event here, but none of those spaces made sense.
“We’ve the rooftop terrace,” he said. “Can’t say it’s often hired out entirely, but now and then.”
She met Conall’s eye. “Promising.”
“It is.”
“Let’s have a look.”
She was hopeful but kept herself grounded as they took the lift to the roof. It’d be a godsend to find something workable right there at the hotel.
In the end, it proved perfect. The space was sleek, modern, impressive. But all around was the city itself. The hotel could provide catering. Conall would definitely know some two- or three-piece musical groups who could come in to provide background entertainment.
“This could work,” she said, relief mixing with excitement.
“You got your job done and saw a good bit of the city. I’d call that a successful day.”
It had gone well. Excellent, in fact.
But in the morning, the real work would begin. She liked her work, but she found herself wishing she could spend another day seeing the city.
With Conall.