Chapter 33
thirty-three
MAGS
Mags was so happy, she practically skipped through the front door of Murphy’s Pub.
Slow might work for some couples, but it didn’t suit her or Jonathan.
He might not be as rash as her personality led her to be, but he was a risk-taker, and way more willing to gamble than his best friend and cousin, Daniel.
She couldn’t help the grin practically splitting her face when she saw her best friends at a high-top table near the bar.
Before she joined them, she stood on the bar’s foot rail to lean far enough to give the pub’s owners and brothers, Ciaran and Cormac, hugs and kisses.
Ciaran was Ciar’s father and a father figure to her and all of her friends.
She headed toward her friends, rum and Coke in hand. At her approach, the table quieted, and three sets of eyes zeroed in, clocking each step. Gray, Bébhinn, and Blair all watched her with identical knowing expressions.
“Jeez, guys, did I miss something?” She asked as she hopped up on the free chair at the table.
“I don’t know. Did you?” Gray replied dryly.
“Okay,” Mags began, “you bitches are being way too shady right now.” Blair simply pursed her lips while her brows winged high.
Bébhinn took a sip of her lemon water before leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her linked fingers. “If you insist on playing dumb, I can fill you in.”
Taking a sip of her own drink, she waved a hand in Bébhinn’s direction. “Be my guest. Please.”
“Gladly. Blair learned from her mother, who learned from your uncle Coll, and Gray learned from her mother, who learned from her husband, and I learned from my mother, who learned from Catriona, Josephine, and your mother, Mags, that a possible psychopath who’s been locked up for over fifteen years may or may not have it out for your sister, and may or may not be coming for you as well since she might have been sighted in Dublin. ”
“And you didn’t bother to text or call your best friends with that information,” Gray finished.
Mags had the good grace to wince in apology. “In my defense, it literally just happened last night. I knew we were meeting today and planned to tell you all about it. I momentarily forgot how our families share information at the speed of light,” she defended.
“We know,” Gray grinned. “We just wanted to give you shit but damn, that is one wackadoo lady. Blair’s dad and my dad were there the night that the police arrested her all those years ago. It’s pretty wild.”
“I know, right. Normally, I would blow it off because it just seems too weird to be a serious issue, but Mirren was upset, and it takes a lot to shake my sister. I promised to be careful, but decided not to put too much of my brainpower into it. With Uncle Coll and your dad, Gray, I know they’ll figure out where she’s hiding sooner than later. ”
“I looked up the newspaper article from the time of the lady’s arrest. Mirren was managing your brother-in-law and his sister’s exhibits. Crazy shit,” Bébhinn said, shivering.
Blair, silent up until then, signed, “Now that we’ve addressed the psycho on the loose, can we discuss why I was a witness to Jonathan’s tongue having explicit sex with your throat outside?”
Fire, hot and swift, enveloped Mags’ skin from head to toe. “I was going to tell you about that too!” she defended. “It’s…new.”
“Blair said it didn’t look like your first or even your hundredth kiss,” Bébhinn said, tapping the top of Mags’ icy glass.
“Give us the details, or we’re calling Jonathan,” Gray threatened.
“Jesus, fine, you weirdos. Last night wasn’t our first night messing around, but it was our first sleepover, and the first time we had sex.”
“Yes!” Gray laughed, her eyes sparkling in approval.
“Hallelujah!” Bébhinn clapped her hands in excitement.
“About fucking time,” Blair swore, grinning ear to ear. “More importantly, was he as good as his reputation makes him out to be?”
Where her best friends were concerned, Mags never held back the details of her sex life. They all knew about Rory and had even met him on occasion.
“Beyond,” Mags answered Blair’s question while grinning and patting her hot cheeks. “I was adamant that I wanted to go slow. I told him I would give us a try, but slowly. “And then he took his shirt off,” she said, and shrugged.
The table erupted in laughter. They decided on sharing appetizers instead of ordering full meals, and Gray slipped away to give her father-in-law the order. When she joined them again, she said, “Just so you know, it doesn’t get any better. Ciar takes his shirt off, and my panties hit the floor.
“That man’s body,” she closed her eyes and sighed, “is an addiction.”
Blair covered her face with both hands before signing, “Please tell me you two are using protection. None of us is ready for a third baby from you guys yet.”
Gray’s amusement fizzed from her as she shook her head dramatically. “Birth control pills. No exception. We decided to wait a few years to see if we were definitely done making babies, and if our minds don’t change, Ciar said he’d get snipped.”
“Two is a lovely number. A boy and a girl is pretty perfect. I can’t wait to find out what Dagr and I have cooking.” Bébhinn said, smiling softly while she rubbed the slight swell of her belly. “But yeah, I’m still completely distracted by Dagr. Christ, his ass,” she giggled. “Chef’s kiss.”
Another round of laughter erupted when Bébhinn started blowing kisses.
“You know,” Mags began, growing serious, “it isn’t just the sex or his body or his handsome face, despite the tension between Jon and me in the past, there was always a level of…
closeness, I guess. His girlfriends hurt me, but I could never let the idea of us go. ”
“Did he go all caveman on you and demand to know about past lovers? Ciar was relentless,” Gray shared.
Mags chuckled. “I think he truly thought he’d be taking my virginity. Don’t get me wrong, I wish it had been him, but with the hell he’s put me through with his revolving door of women, he can hardly blame me.”
“I would damn well hope not!” Bébhinn slapped the table for emphasis.
“You and Dagr kind of ripped the band aids off at the start. I still can’t believe you each had to deal with an ex on one of your first official dates. Still, it took all the dramatics out of it,” Blair offered.
“Agreed. It was a horror show when Ciar came face to face with Cannon. Humiliating doesn’t begin to describe the horror of that lunch, which I still blame you for, Mags.” Gray glared at her friend across the table.
“I did you a favor, and you know it,” Mags laughed. “Jonathan did try to subtly ask about my sex life. Ridiculous! As if we all haven’t had front row seats to his one-night stands for years!”
“Let me guess,” Gray smirked, “when you told him, he forbade all contact like a medieval warlord?”
Mags felt her jaw drop. “Exactly. He did exactly that. I reminded him that we’d have trouble going to the damn toilet without running into one of his conquests. Give me a break. Tell me Ciar loosened up now that you’re married and have two children.”
At Gray’s silence, Mags swore. “Fuck me,” she groaned.
“So,” Bébhinn began slowly, “are you two exclusive? Like, has he agreed to that?”
“He said I was it for him, that he didn’t want anyone else, and well, you guys know how I feel about him.”
Blair clapped her hands and grinned. “It took a while, but you’re finally there. I’m so happy for you, Mags.”
Bébhinn held up her glass of water, and they all clinked glasses. Mags felt a surge of warmth for her friends and their support. She could only hope that she and Jonathan didn’t screw things up.
“Clearly, Jonathan knows you weren’t a virgin after last night, but does he know it was only one man and who that man is?” Blair asked.
Mags groaned. “He knows there was only one. He knows his name is Rory and that we’ve been seeing each other for a few years.” She held her hands up like “What more is there?”
Bébhinn raised her brows in a knowing look. “Does he know that Rory is thirty-seven and is a partner of a successful commercial architecture business? The very business that I’ve heard the men in my family discussing will give Jonathan the most competition once he opens up his firm next year?”
Mags deflated. “Yeah, that didn’t come up, but honestly,” she defended, “it was never serious.”
Blair touched Mags’ hand to get her attention. “The few times I was around him when we all went out, I have to say that the man had hearts in his eyes when he looked at you.”
Mags was taken aback. She didn’t outright deny that Rory might have felt a certain way about her because Blair notoriously saw things in people that most missed. She just didn’t want it to be true.
“I hope he didn’t. We were always open about where we stood with each other.” She popped a grilled shrimp in her mouth and used the time to think over the Rory thing while she chewed.
“I should probably reach out to him and let him know that I won’t be meeting him anymore.”
“But that’s a problem for another day,” Gray said, bumping Mags’ side while shoving a chip in her mouth. “Tell us when you and Jonathan are having sex again.”
Blair signed, “Yes, do. You know I live vicariously through you guys, which is really sad when I hear that in my head.”
Mags shook her head in exasperation but gladly spent the next thirty minutes telling the girls some of the romantic gestures Jonathan had made, his apologies for the past, and their tentative plans for the future.
“Speaking of,” Mags said, clenching her teeth and grimacing, “I asked Jon if he wanted to go home with me to see my folks this weekend even though we’re so new.”
“And he said?” Bébhinn asked, her hands clasped against her chest.
“He said yes and then immediately took charge of the travel arrangements.”
“Of course he did. He’s an O’Faolain, they don’t know any other way,” Bébhinn shrugged. “That he didn’t hesitate to go with you to see your family tells me he truly has changed.”
“Yeah,” Mags agreed. “I was nervous to ask, but I admit that when he instantly wanted to come, I was pretty pleased.”
“I wish I could go home too,” Blair frowned. “I want to see Aunt Aileen. My parents are super disappointed, but they understand.”
Mags clasped one of Blair’s hands. “Your interview with the head of Oklahoma State University’s plant pathology is too important to miss. The woman is flying to Dublin to meet with you. We’re all so proud of you.”
“My grumpy father-in-law is still mad he couldn’t convince you to join his cause in Wales, but he still has hopes of bringing you around after you Sew your wild oats in America.”
Blair rolled her eyes but grinned at Ulf’s antics. Talk turned to the Chamber of Commerce dinner hosted by Gray Eyes next week. She couldn’t wait. As a new business owner, the networking potential would be crazy.
Plus, it would be the first event she and Jonathan showed up as an official couple, which was equal parts amazing and terrifying.
“I created an embroidered fan for Eze’s mother for her birthday. I refused payment, of course, but he threw such a mantrum, I told him I would use his credit card to order a dress for the Chamber event. It came in a few days ago. I love it.”
“Does he know that you’re a bargain-shopping queen and spent next to nothing for the dress?” Bébhinn asked.
Mags laughed as her eye caught sight of Nasir standing stiffly by the pub’s front door. “I’m counting on that man over there,” she nodded her head toward the unsmiling Nigerian, “to keep Eze occupied.”
“Ahh,” Gray said, eyeing the bodyguard, “the ex. I presume.”
“He’s very handsome. Does he still not like you?” Blair asked.
“We had a nice talk. We’re good,” Mags assured.
Everyone threw some money on the table, preparing to go their separate ways. Bébhinn seemed to hesitate. Clearly, she had something to say but was holding back, which wasn’t like her.
Blair signed, “Are you feeling alright, Bébhinn?”
“You’ll think I’m being hormonal, and I probably am, but I just want to say that I like that we’re back to talking again.
Not just about nonsense but the tough stuff.
Like we used to. Secrets never used to be who we were, and I hope we all try to keep our relationships open to the type of support we can offer one another.
Cheers,” Bébhinn held her glass of water up.
“Cheers,” Gray seconded.
“Cheers,” Blair signed, holding up the last bit of whatever dark lager she’d ordered.
“Cheers and Amen,” Mags held her almost empty glass up in solidarity before she stood and grabbed her heavy tote hanging on the back of her chair and slung it over her shoulder. “I need to get to work, guys. If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you at Gray Eyes next week.”
“With more details,” Gray demanded.
“Of course,” Mags winked over her shoulder before turning toward Nasir.