Chapter 12 #2
‘Number nine, aren’t you? Superb views. My favourite bedroom in the castle. If you stand on the footstool under the dresser, you can see all the way to the ocean.’ He takes a few steps, by my side once again. Is there no escaping this man?
‘Um, yeah, it’s amazing, I must try that.’ Again I inhale him now that he’s shoulder to shoulder with me. His cologne is fresh, earthy, smoky and musky – it’s a scent I’ve never been exposed to before. It’s a scent I will never forget.
It’s intoxicating.
He’s intoxicating.
Crap, I think. This cannot be happening. I can’t really fancy this strange Irish man?
‘Séamus! Congratulations, what a son-in-law Aaron will be!’ Dan suddenly shouts out and moves to the older man approaching us waving his arms wildly in the air, his braces down off his shoulders, hanging by his sides.
‘There ya are, Kathleen! Let’s dance, my love,’ he says to me almost in my face now. I see his eyes are wild, his pupils pulsing.
‘Nice to see you, Séamus.’ Dan carefully shakes the man’s hand. He doesn’t let it go as he turns him gently away from me, gripping it tightly.
‘Is this not my wife?’ Séamus points to me. ‘Is this not our wedding?’
‘Ah now, Séamus, you remember where we are? Your Aisling just married Aaron earlier. That’s Aisling there in the white dress, isn’t she a beautiful bride?’ Dan points to Aisling and I see real confusion cross over the older man’s face.
‘That’s my wife, Kathleen, you know darn well that’s Kathleen.’ Séamus rubs his bald head, then scratches the back of his head as I notice food stains on his white shirt. I watch Dan intently, unsure how to react.
‘Isn’t Aaron going to be a great addition to your family? Great builder too.’
‘Kathleen, why aren’t you wearing your fur coat?
We’re going to the pictures.’ He wags a finger at me and before I can answer Dan puts his free hand on my shoulder.
A bolt goes through me again, from the top of my head down to my toes.
What the hell? This is like something from a movie I’d call far-fetched.
But it’s my real life and Dan is having this actual effect on me.
‘There now, take it easy. Well, ya know what we’re going to do, Séamus, we’ll go get a brandy and port, your favourite. Then we’ll sit down and have a chat about the Irish rugby team, how about that?’ Dan drapes his arm around Séamus’s shoulders and steers him towards the tables.
‘Bring back Brian O’Driscoll, that’s what I say!’ Séamus shouts, waving his fist.
‘That’s it, I have ya, everything is okay,’ Dan says oh so gently then looks back over his shoulder at me with a wry smile and without even planning to I smile back and mouth, ‘See you later.’ Dan smiles, nods as I finally move away from the wall and walk around the dancefloor.
Calm down, calm down. What is wrong with you? You are here for the biggest job opportunity of your career, not to get distracted by a man. Focus.
So, I do. I try my best to focus on my work.
The Heart Ballroom is simply too big, I decide.
The wedding, though magnificent, loses some of its intimacy.
A divider in the centre is what is needed.
It would still leave a huge dancefloor, even though halved, and will easily fit close to one hundred guests.
I’m not sure how to write about it, though I need to be true to my readers.
‘Care ta dance with me, pretty lady?’ A young guy no older than fifteen stands in front of me.
‘Not tonight, but thank you.’ I smile, highly amused but flattered. He shrugs, not caring, and moves on. My eyes follow him and that’s when I see a stressed looking Mary behind a long trestle table at the back of the room, laying out knives and forks. I head straight for her.
‘Let me help you?’ I pull my satchel from across my body.
‘I thought you’d never ask! Lay these out for me, lovey?’ Mary hands me a huge pile of disposable white napkins.
‘Mary, why do you not have linen napkins you can re-use over and over? They are a much cheaper option in the long run. You guys should think about saving on small but vital costs like that,’ I tell her as Mary arches her hand on her hip.
‘We need someone around here who thinks like you do! I keep saying it! Be back with the grub in a jiffy.’ Mary limps away as I stash my satchel and camera under the table and roll up the sleeves on my sweater.
Taking up a fork and knife, I wrap a napkin around them.
Speedily I work away, all those early mornings working in the bakery in New York coming in handy.
‘See you later?’ Why did I say that to him?
What on earth was I thinking?’ I replay the exchange in my head with a roll of my eyes.
As if on autopilot, I wrap napkin after napkin, all the time thinking what I just saw with Séamus.
That kindness, empathy and compassion from Dan Delaney will be etched in my memory for life.
In fact, I can think of more than a few examples: how he sat talking with Mrs Geraghty, did her Christmas shopping for her, helped her to the car, even just insisting Mary sit down and making her a cup of tea.
It’s those little things that make a man.
When I finish the job, I look up across the room, tapping my foot to the music.
Dan is sitting with his arm wrapped tightly around Séamus, who is now sobbing quietly, but his eyes are firmly focused on me.