‘God, I hope not!’ I blurt the words without thinking but again he just smiles.
‘Ouch! You’re fierce hard on me, but let me tell ya this, I only parked the Rolls-Royce in the car park five minutes before you crashed into it. I never, ever, ever park it there and I’m not sure why I did.’
‘Again, my bad luck.’ I continue to use the camera as a crutch, twisting and turning the lens, ensuring the battery is fully charged, anything to avoid meeting his eyes.
‘Do you not believe in fate, Maggie Grace?’ Dan says, even quieter now, and I’ve shivers down my spine again. He’s clipped my Achilles heel! I can hear my mother in my head, year after year, pooh-poohing fate – my dad always said he almost went into the Polish bakery across the road, but something drew him into Soft Dough, where she was working.
‘No! Absolutely not. No, no chance. Never!’ I know I’m overreacting because he’s so close and I’m hyper-aware as I let my eyes drift back up to him. I see that strange look come across his face and his eyes dip once again.
‘Ah, that’s a shame, I do. I think life has a way of pointing ya in the right direction. I believe fate lends its hand.’ The sad tone that tugs at my heartstrings is back.
‘And I think you make your own luck in this life,’ I tell him more softly.
‘I disagree.’ He shakes his head.
‘Well, once again we will have to agree to disagree, Sir.’ I’m well aware I’m wasting precious time here; I can’t seem to get my feet to actually walk away.
A small distance of silence falls between us.
We say nothing more as the band launch into John Lennon’s ‘Woman’ and couples take to the dancefloor. Then, Dan leans in closer, his lips almost grazing my ear. Is he going to ask me to dance? The hairs on the back of my neck tingle.
‘As for Mary, she may be the village blabbermouth but a lot of folk around here believe in her sixth sense .?.?.’
‘I-I better do some work .?.?.’ I swallow hard and finally take another step away, feeling a little unsteady on my legs.
‘I hope your bedroom is to your satisfaction?’ It’s how he says bedroom – it’s bizarrely sexy. I clutch the camera strap around my neck even tighter.
‘M-my bedroom?’
‘Number nine, aren’t you? Superb views. My favouritebedroom 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’sintoxicating.
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 goingto 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.
