Chapter 7
When they’d ended the call, Mary went straight to Google and did a search for accommodation.
As she’d expected, most of the smaller B&Bs in the area were closed for Christmas and anywhere that was open was booked solid.
One of the larger hotels in Dingle had a few vacancies, but she really didn’t want to spend the holiday on her own in an anonymous hotel.
If she couldn’t be with her family, the next best thing was to be here in her own home, surrounded by her friends and neighbours.
She braced herself to go down and break the news to Evan.
She found him sitting in the big armchair by the windows, reading a book.
She had to admit she could see what all the fuss was about.
She wasn’t sold on his personality so far, but there was no denying he was good to look at.
He was wearing reading glasses now, which were cute.
She’d always had a weakness for men in glasses, and there was something very hot about a guy who read books.
He glanced up as she entered.
‘So listen,’ she said, ‘I can’t get a room anywhere around here. There’s nothing available. Anywhere that’s open within a five-mile radius is booked out.’
He placed his book on the arm of the chair, splayed open. ‘That’s kind of funny,’ he said with a smirk.
‘What’s funny about it?’
‘Your name’s Mary and there’s no room for you at the inn.’
‘I’m glad you find my predicament so amusing.’
‘Are you? You should tell that to your face, because you look kinda pissed about it.’
She flopped into the chair opposite him despondently.
‘I saw a place down by the beach yesterday that was advertising vacancies.’
‘By the beach?’ She frowned, trying to think where he could mean. ‘The glamping?’ she gasped, horrified. ‘I am not spending Christmas glamping.’
‘I thought it looked cool.’
‘Why don’t you go and stay there, then?’
‘Because I’ve already got somewhere to stay.’ He spread his arms wide, indicating the house. ‘Why don’t you try further afield?’
‘I don’t have a car, and in case you hadn’t noticed, this isn’t exactly downtown Manhattan. Public transport is thin on the ground around here.’
‘You didn’t hire a car?’ He had the nerve to sound put out, as if she’d done it specifically to inconvenience him.
‘I didn’t think I’d need one. I was expecting my whole family to be here, remember? So you know what that means?’
‘Sucks to be you?’
God, he really was determined to be obnoxious.
‘There are two cars outside. Your folks said I could use them while I’m here. Why don’t you take one of those?’
She sighed. ‘Okay, full disclosure, there is one big hotel in Dingle that has a few rooms available. But I don’t want to spend Christmas in some random hotel.’ Then a solution occurred to her. ‘You could stay there, though. It’s five-star, very nice.’
‘No. No way. If I’d wanted to stay in a hotel, I wouldn’t have done a house swap.’
What was that about, Mary wondered. But she decided not to ask. Prying into Evan’s private life would do nothing to help her get on his good side – if he had one. ‘This is a big house.’ She raised her eyebrows at him hopefully. ‘There’s plenty of room for both of us. You won’t even know I’m here.’
‘Somehow I doubt that.’
‘Okay, but we don’t have to get in each other’s way any more than absolutely necessary. Come on, it’s Christmas. I don’t want to stay in a hotel either.’
‘Don’t you have any friends or family around here you could stay with?’
‘I’ve tried that, but I’m out of options. No one has room.’
She knew that the O’Sullivans or some of the other neighbours would happily squeeze her in, but they’d already have full houses with all their chickens coming home to roost for Christmas and it wouldn’t be fair to ask them.
There was always her aunt and uncle in Ventry.
They had a big house and there’d be plenty of room for her.
But she’d keep that as a last resort, if Evan absolutely insisted on kicking her out.
‘Why are you even doing a house swap anyway?’ she asked, her annoyance getting the better of her. ‘Couldn’t you find some castle or mansion to hide away in? Why are you so keen to stay here?’
‘I’m not, believe me. We have my evil genius assistant Max to thank for this clusterfuck.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘As soon as it’s daylight in New York, I’m going to ring and tear him a new one.’
‘Why?’ Mary said indignantly. ‘What’s wrong with the house? It may not be as grand as you’re used to, but—’
‘There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s a great house.’
‘Then why are you so mad at Max for finding it for you?’
‘Because it wasn’t supposed to come with a sitting tenant.’ He waved a hand at her. ‘This wasn’t part of the deal.’
‘You can’t blame Max for that. Obviously, he couldn’t have known I’d be here.’
‘No, but if he’d just got me a straightforward rental in the first place, like I asked, instead of signing me up for a house swap, this wouldn’t be happening.’
Mary sighed. ‘Okay. Fair enough.’ She had to concede he had a point. ‘I’ll see if I can find some kindly innkeeper who’ll let me bed down in their stable for a few nights,’ she said, attempting to invoke the spirit of Christmas and tug at his heartstrings.
‘Great.’
Huh! Evan’s heartstrings were clearly in need of some tuning.
‘Well, I’m knackered.’ She yawned widely. ‘And starving. I’m going to make a toastie and then hit the hay. Want to join?’
He looked at her sharply and there was a flicker of something in his eyes. ‘Tempting,’ he said with a crooked smile.
Heat rose to her cheeks as she realised what she’d said and her breath caught in her throat as their eyes locked.
God, he was hot! But that would not be a good idea, even if she had the energy for it, which she absolutely didn’t.
‘I meant a toastie,’ she said, dragging her gaze away. ‘Do you want a toastie?’
His lips twitched with the vaguest hint of a smile. ‘I’m not sure what a toastie is, but—’
‘Grilled cheese,’ she said, slipping back into New York lingo.
‘No, thank you. But yes, you may help yourself to some of the food in the kitchen.’
She snorted a laugh. ‘Don’t try to tell me there isn’t enough food in the house to feed an army, let alone the two of us. I know my mother.’
‘You’re not wrong there.’
‘Okay, then.’ She stretched and pushed herself to standing. ‘I’m going to make that grilled cheese, then bed. Night, night.’
‘Goodnight.’ He picked his book up again as she headed for the kitchen.
‘See you in the morning.’
‘Not if I see you first,’ he murmured as she left the room.
She was aware of Evan out in the living room as she busied herself in the kitchen, cooking her sandwich. She gasped when she turned to find him standing in the doorway.
‘Actually, can I change my mind about the grilled cheese?’ he said. ‘That smells really good.’
She smiled. ‘Sure.’
She tried not to be unnerved as he leaned against the doorjamb watching while she turned the sandwich over in the pan and pressed it down with a spatula. Then she grated more cheese on top before flipping it over.
‘You can have this one,’ she said when it was done, sliding it onto a plate. She was too self-conscious with him standing there, and she didn’t want him watching her while she made another one.
‘Sure?’ He took the plate she handed him. ‘I can wait.’
‘No, take it. I’m waiting for my mother to call anyway. If I go up to my room now, I’ll just pass out. Do you want coffee?’
‘No thanks,’ he said opening the fridge. ‘I’ll just grab one of these.’ He took out a bottle of beer, then headed back to the living room.
When she’d made her own sandwich and a mug of tea, she brought them up to her room, calling goodnight to Evan as she passed through the living room. He was watching some noisy action movie on TV and gave her a little salute with his beer bottle without taking his eyes off the screen.
Evan didn’t look away from the TV until Mary was safely out of the room, determined not to make eye contact.
He knew he was acting like a jerk, but this was so unfair!
Screw Max and the horse he rode in on! He hadn’t wanted to do a house swap in the first place and now he was left feeling bad just because he wanted what he’d signed up for – a house to himself where he could lay low for a few days and no one would bother him.
Was that too much to ask? Now he was lumbered with having to be the bad guy and kick this Mary character out of her family home…
at Christmas no less. Still, he’d just have to harden his heart and tough it out until he was rid of her.
This was all bloody Max’s fault! He heaved an angry sigh and took a swig of beer.
Maybe he shouldn’t blame Max entirely. It probably served him right for being a spoiled brat with a PA to arrange everything for him.
If he’d booked his own trip like the grown-ass adult that he was, this wouldn’t be happening right now.
He could at least have been more mindful of Max’s annoying habit of deciding he knew what was best and overstepping his brief whenever he saw fit.
Then he might have been more precise about what he wanted when he’d asked Max to find him somewhere he could hole up for Christmas at the last minute after the whole debacle with Olivia.
Instead, all he’d said was ‘no hotels, just somewhere private where I can be anonymous and won’t have to interact with anyone, and where the paparazzi can’t find me. ’
Max had called over to Evan’s apartment, in full-on crisis mode as news broke of Evan’s break-up with Olivia.
‘Okay, it wasn’t easy this close to Christmas, but I’ve found the perfect place for you,’ Max said, pulling his laptop out of his backpack.
‘Great. Where am I going?’ Evan looked up at Max from his seat on the sofa.
‘Ireland!’ Max announced with the exaggerated glee of a kids’ TV presenter. But there was a nervous look in his eyes that set alarm bells ringing in Evan’s head.
‘Ireland?’ Evan frowned. ‘That seems a bit extreme.’