Chapter 6
“Your pants would look great on my bedroom floor.”
“You can buy the same pair at Target for twenty dollars.”
Finn
I should have probably gone back to my flat after that exchange with the fiery little thing, but I’m too keyed up. Instead, I stop in at McBride’s for a pint and some food.
“You’re done then? I’m away, home to Lis.” Aidan claps a heavy hand down on my shoulder and plants a bar rag in the middle of my chest.
“Fuck’s sake, you said you’d work for me tonight. I’m just in for a—”
“Sorry, Finn. Lis is home. She got done early and needs me.”
“Christ, I can’t catch a break anywhere today.” I stow my ruck under the bar and grab a glass for my pint, mumbling, “Just wanted to get my setup done, check out some GIFs, and take care of myself.”
“What are you on about?” Aidan asks. “I thought you had your class today, yeah?”
I set the glass down to let the thick black beer settle and lean my ass against the bar. “I did. Didn’t go to plan though.”
Aidan huffs a laugh at me. “Turn out the instructor was a man?”
I hang my head and roll my shoulders. The last thing I want to do is let on that I’m hung up on—haunted by—his web designer. Aidan’s such a protective arse; he’d probably never have her meet him here again if he knew. What if they’re done meeting up? What if his work with her is finished?
“Finn, you all right? Need to talk something out?” He steps back up to the bar, concern written across his face.
“I’m fine,” I mutter. “Just gonna drop some chips in the fryer before you leave, yeah? Give me a minute.”
In the kitchen, I take a few moments to cool off in the walk-in freezer and try to collect myself. I should have just gone straight home. Addie has me off-balance and aching for her at the same time.
When I can’t avoid it any longer, I grab a fresh bag of chips and drop a healthy—or rather, an unhealthy—portion into the fryer.
I busy myself, cleaning the already-spotless kitchen while I wait for my food to cook.
Aidan will be fine for a few extra minutes.
And Lis won’t be that upset with me for keeping him.
“You about done back here?” Aidan pops his head through the door, eyebrows raised, pupils dancing. “Lis is waiting for me in—”
“Christ, man, don’t rub it in. I’ll be out in a second.” I need to find someone to take my mind off matters. Or take them into my own hands.
“Let’s go then. I don’t want to keep her waiting.” He smacks the doorjamb twice in quick succession and fixes me with a glare. The glare of a man about to go home to a beautiful woman. His beautiful woman.
Shaking my head, I drain and plate my chips with a liberal application of salt. I grab the vinegar and go back out front to the bar.
* * *
When I show up to the community center on Thursday afternoon, I’m prepared.
I have water in my water bottle instead of whiskey and my own little snack pack of cookies, and I’m not entirely late.
I’ve even hidden the shortcuts to Tumblr and Pornhub in a folder on my desktop titled Homework. Perfectly respectable.
My new friend, Virginia, nods and smiles to me as I take my seat across the aisle. Like a ripple effect, each row of ladies turns, smiles, and nods, murmuring their hellos until sweet Addie raises her head and fixes me with her gaze.
“You’re back.” Not a question, it’s more of an annoyed observation.
“I am,” I reply, smiling. “And I’ve brought my own snack.” I hold up my store-bought treat, feeling like I’ve got this thing handled.
Addie does the eye-roll thing again, and I have to admit, I’m a bit concerned for her. She seems to have a problem controlling that particular response. Like, I’m afraid she’s going to strain herself.
Virginia though stands, grabs the bag of cookies out of my hand, and throws them in the rubbish bin. “We don’t allow that shit in here, Finn. We have standards,” she scolds.
My protest is on the tip of my tongue when she hands me a still-warm, gooey cookie from the plastic container on the desk in front of her.
Addie grumbles something about me not knowing standards if they smacked me upside the head, which isn’t true at all. If I didn’t have standards, I’d have gotten into more trouble in Dublin with my Humanities professor.
“Thank you, ma’am.” I make an exaggerated show of manners that everyone seems to appreciate. Everyone, except Addie.
She turns back to her computer and prattles on about files and organizing them into folders.
I get a bit lost inside my head, listening to the gentle melody of her voice.
She’s lulling me into a trance with her soft, almost accentless tone.
Well, she has no accent compared to most of the girls I chat up in the pub.
They all seem to have that harsh edge that screams New York, whereas Addie is all rounded vowels and steady cadence.
Christ, she’s stunning when she’s focused on what she’s doing.
I’m so entranced, watching her, listening to her, that when I take a bite of the cookie Virginia so kindly bestowed upon me, I embarrass myself a little.
The chocolate and sugary flavors explode in my mouth, causing my eyes to close and a groan to escape from low in my throat.
The room goes absolutely silent, and when I open my eyes, everyone’s head is turned, and the cleavage-dabber is dabbing and fanning.
I drop my feet down from where I rested them on the desktop and swallow quickly. “This is spectacular.” I hold up the remainder of the cookie and smile.
While the prevalent response is a murmured, “Oh, dear,” the louder response, the one that makes its way to my waiting ears, is more of a, “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Are you done?” she asks more loudly, glaring at me across the room.
“I’d never finish before you,” rolls off my tongue before I can think better of it. So, I wink at her. I wink hard and play it off like it’s no big deal because, really, it’s true. Despite what she threw at me in the pub, I flirt and follow through.
And the ladies? They’re not nearly as hard of hearing as I hoped, as they are stifling their laughter while Addie’s face turns the color of her hair.