Almost as soon as the words were out of my mouth, a group of lads seemed to appear from the darkness. In an instant, the girl with the bow’s attention was fixed on them, flicking her hair and whispering with her mates. I could understand why.
I watched a real handsome fella, neck and arms covered in tattoos, throw himself down into a chair beside the fire. Just as I was about to nudge Darragh into action before his girl decided she had eyes for someone else, a familiar face sat himself down beside the handsome, tattooed stranger.
The tall fella from the pub. I was instantly shot with tension, my heart hammering in my chest. I had hoped we’d run into one another again but with so many folks in town I hadn’t expected to never mind so soon. They must have been hitched up in this very camp somewhere. I tipped my beer back, eyes fixed to him.
I watched him for a long while, enjoying being able to study him without his knowledge. Just like the last time we’d crossed paths, I felt that inexplicable pull. He was so fucking hot in a boy next door sort of way that had always been my downfall. Laughing with his mate, chatting, and messing about, I noticed how nice his smile was with clean, straight teeth which was a nice surprise given Ialready knew he was a smoker. I wondered what his name was and where he’d come from to find himself here.
I wasn’t sure if it was by chance or whether he sensed my gaze, but his eyes, an attractive pale grey, met mine. He did a slight double-take, clearly just as surprised to see me again as I had been to see him. With my confidence bolstered by a little too much to drink, I held his eye contact for a long moment before eventually looking away.
“So, what y’thinkin’? Should I go for it, like?”
Darragh’s voice pulled me from my thoughts and I blinked. “Go f’what, now?”
“Ya girl there. Y’think I’d be needin’ t’ make a move?”
I took a sip from my beer. “Aye, but I’d be quick ‘bout it, like. She’s got eyes f’the tattooed fella sittin’ opposite.” Without meaning to, my gaze caught with the stranger I’d been watching once again, and I cleared my throat.
Darragh subtly craned his neck to follow my line of sight, sagging a little and running a hand through his hair. “Ah, feckin’ hell, like. not sure I’d be wantin’ t’ tangle wi’ them.”
“Nah, probably best not ta, f’sure,” I replied. “‘specially if ya gonna be wantin’ me t’ be ya back up. I’d not be messin’ me face up f’ya t’ get ya hole, now.”
Darragh cast me a playfully withering glare and I laughed. Though I continued to chat with my cousin, me and the handsome fella continued to make eyes at one another over the fire. Excitement and nerves flurried around inside me, my mind running wild with curiosity. Where was tonight going to go? Would we be getting an opportunity to be introduced officially?
“Ah, there y’boys are! I wondered where ya’d disappeared ta,” my ma crooned in my ear, wrapping an arm around my neck and planting a kiss on my cheek before doing the same to Darragh, despite our protesting. I couldn’t seem to stop myself from glancing across the fire, scowling in an attempt to keep myself from blushing when I realised my ma’s affection hadn’t gone unnoticed by the handsome fella across the way.
“Say, Ma – don’t suppose y’recognise ya man there?” Darragh asked, gesturing across the fire. “Y’seem t’ know every fecker ‘round these parts.”
Ma’s gaze drifted to where Darragh had pointed, her face suddenly falling serious. “Nah, I’d not be knowin’ them lads, and they’d not be lookin’ like the sort I’d want y’boys ta be messin’ ‘round wi’ neither.”
Movement caught my eye, and I watched the tall fella get up from his chair. He said something to his mate who shook his head, leaning back into his chair to gaze up into the night sky. Our eyes met and he jerked his chin at me, a subtle and yet obvious invitation.
Follow me.
He disappeared into the dark, heading away from the camp and towards the on-site facilities. I itched to go after him and yet I stayed put, body thrumming with desire as I forced myself to finish my beer.
The girl Darragh had been after saw her opportunity and dove on the now unoccupied tattooed fella. She dropped herself down into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging him into a kiss. Darragh and I glanced at one another, my cousin shrugged.
“Can’t ride ‘em all, I guess,” he muttered and I grinned at him before clapping my hand on his shoulder. I couldn’t wait any longer. I dropped my bottle into a pile of other empties with a clink.
“Where’d ya think ya goin’?” Darragh called after me.
“Jacks,” I replied over my shoulder, shoving my hands into my pockets.
It was dark and cool away from the edge of the fire. My eyes were taking their time to adjust, and I stumbled through the night. There were so many people here and my vision was blurred from the drink. It seemed an impossibility that I’d find the tall stranger again and yet as my feet found the gravel path that led to the toilet block, I spotted him disappearing inside. With my heart in my throat and mouth dry, I followed behind.
The strong smell of bleach hit me as I pushed inside the grotty, dimly lit room. A halogen light flickered, humming loudly overhead.
My handsome friend and I locked eyes through the cracked mirror, but we weren’t alone. Not yet. I stepped aside as an older fella staggered past me, grunting his thanks. The male toilet block was only small, with two stalls and a row of foururinals. Around the corner, on the other side of the wall mounted sinks, were the showers. I had my sights set on a toilet stall.
My heart thundered making me feel a little dizzy though I convinced myself it was just the drink. I passed by the stranger without another glance in his direction. The door to the toilets thunked as it closed, muffling the booming music and loud voices. I’d barely opened the stall before I found myself shoved roughly inside and the door bolted behind me. It was a tight squeeze with the two of us in here, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. We didn’t have long before someone would inevitably interrupt us, and I was keen to make every second count.
I turned around, chest to chest with my new friend. He was taller than he’d looked and to my annoyance I found myself having to crane my neck to look up at him, standing as close together as we were. He wasn’t looking back at me though, instead I dropped my gaze to watch his hands as he dug around inside his jeans pocket, pulling out a baggie of cocaine.
For a brief moment, I wondered if I’d perhaps been reading his signals all wrong. Was this a drug deal or something else? With a flicker of disappointment I took a deep breath.
“I’m not lookin’ t’ buy,” I muttered, stomach flipping when the stranger laughed.
“Just as well I’d not be sellin’ then, eh?” He poured a small amount of the powder out onto his hand. “Y’want a bump? Free o’ charge, like.”
