Chapter 1 - Nick
“Come on Nick, just for one or two drinks.”
Her smile almost gets me to change my mind, but instead I shake my head and put on my jacket.
“It would be great, and I really appreciate you guys asking, but I need to catch up on my sleep. When you get to my age you can’t stay up partying all night.”
Sally looks me up and down, a grin breaking out on her face.
“Oh, you’re not so old. Not that I don’t like an older man. And I’m pretty sure you can stay up ALL night…”
Before she can say any more, Rick walks over and slaps me on the back.
“You’re not coming to the party? It’s St. Patrick’s Day, you GOT to come out for a drink.”
The party they’re talking about is a group of people from work going straight to an Irish pub after the end of the shift.
There are about 20 people going and one of them is Sally.
She’s a new hire who works in accounts and she seems to have taken a shine to me.
She’s pretty, has a great sense of humor, and has hinted that she is very much up for anything I would like to do to her.
If this had been six months ago I would have jumped at the chance.
“You guys go have fun. Tell me all about it tomorrow.”
Sally looks disappointed but as she turns to leave she runs her finger along my arms and flashes me that grin again.
“Yeah, there’s always tomorrow,” she says as she blows me a kiss.
We watch her go, then Rick turns round and slaps my shoulder again.
“MAN, she wants you, like sooo bad. She’s almost begging for it. Why are you not going after her?”
I have a very good reason but instead of telling him, I lie.
“Oh, she’s a friend of my ex. I don’t want to get drawn into a whole thing, you know?”
Rick thinks about it then shrugs, looking back round at Sally’s retreating ass.
“Yeah, I suppose. But a girl like that would be worth it.”
He grabs his coat and shouts for the others to wait for him as he runs after them, leaving me on my own.
Someone switches off the lights to the office, not realizing that I’m still here. I nearly call out but instead sit back down in my cubicle. The next bus is not due for half an hour so I can wait here in the warmth.
Lying is not something that comes easily for me, but if I had told Rick my real reason for not going, he would have thought I’d gone crazy. Maybe I am going loopy, it’s hard to tell.
At Christmas I had a dream, a sex dream. I meet this amazing American girl named Noelle in this winter wonderland and we had sex. The kind of sex that you only read about. All out, no-holds-barred fucking. It was nearly two hours of bliss and then, boom, I woke up in my hallway.
I would have chalked it up as my mind trying to cheer me up but when Valentine’s day came around, I had another dream.
This time a little cherub took me to this pink land that was all unicorns and fuzzy clouds. And once again, Noelle was there. It was so natural and perfect, and pretty much straight away we were in each other’s arms and then getting naked and this beautiful woman was letting me fuck her cute ass.
And then I was awake again, standing outside my door.
I would have put it all down as some type of fantasy or vivid daydream, but both times I found that afterward I had a pair of panties with me, just like the ones that Noelle had been wearing in my dream.
It sounds crazy, but they’re the only real physical evidence that she’s real.
I slip my hand into my pocket and feel them there, letting my fingers run over the lace.
I keep them in my pocket all the time so that I don’t start thinking it’s all make believe again.
Somehow, it’s real. I don’t know how or why it’s happening, but I believe that Noelle is out there and waiting for me. I just have to find my way back to her.
And today being St. Patrick’s Day, I have to believe that this is my best chance.
The last two times, it happened on a holiday.
Maybe it will happen again today. I just need to keep my eyes open and not miss my chance.
Sitting in a pub getting drunk and being distracted by Sally might make me miss my shot.
A light goes on over in the corner and I assume one of my coworkers has come back. But no-one seems to be there, just a yellow-orange glow lighting up one of the walls.
I hear a thud from one of the cubicles and stand up to look, but in the dark it appears empty.
Then another thud and this time someone’s cursing. Then with a crash and a chair rolling past me, a little guy dressed in green appears from behind the desk.
“Ah, there you are, laddie. Why couldn’t you leave a light on to help a fellow out?”
My heart is pounding in my chest and I know I must be grinning like an idiot.
“Are you a leprechaun?” I ask. I mean, he looks like one, green buckled shoes and a big green hat, but it is St. Patrick’s Day so it could just be someone dressed up, anything is possible today. But considering my last two encounters I have to be sure.
He puts his hands on his hips and gives me a hard stare.
“Do I look like a leprechaun to you?” he asks.
“Well, yes. Two feet tall and all in green. But it is Saint Patrick’s day, people dress in green. That’s why I asked, to make sure,” I tell him.
He considers this for a moment and nods his head.
“That I am. And it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
I grab him by the shoulders and lift him up, holding him in front of me.
“Please tell me you’re here to take me to Noelle. Is that light over there some type of portal or something? Is she going to be my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?”
He struggles a little in my grasp and with a sigh gives up.
“Why yes, yes I am. And yes, that is a portal. I was going to give you the whole spiel about it, but you’re just desperate to get to your girl, aren’t you?”
I put him down on the floor and brush his crumpled outfit.
“Yes. I’m sorry I picked you up, that was disrespectful. But I know we only have two hours and I don’t want to waste a minute.”
The leprechaun’s face breaks into a smile.
“Awww, that’s OK. Who am I to stand in love’s way? Follow me to the portal and.…”
I don’t wait, I don’t follow. I know Noelle is waiting for me and I sprint towards the light, determined to be with her as soon as I can.
There’s a big wooden door in the wall, that is where the light is coming from, leaking out round the edges. I grab the handle and throw the door open, suddenly blasted by the sound of music and laughter.
Without hesitating, I step in.