Chapter8
‘Now I don’t want you getting me drunk and taking advantage of me, you hear?’ Conor placed the large glass of white wine down in front of a nervous-looking Star and took a seat opposite her in the little wooden nook next to the open fire.
She shook her head in mock horror. ‘In your dreams, but thanks for the drink. I don’t usually have a large one.’
Conor smiled. ‘And don’t be opening me up for innuendo already, little one. I’m pulling out all my gentlemanly stops here.’
Star remained deadpan. ‘Well, as long as that’s all you pull out this evening.’
Conor put his hand to his forehead. ‘That one just slipped out, sorry.’
‘Ha ha! I bet you say that to all the girls.’ Star felt instantly comfortable as they laughed in unison.
They both took a drink. ‘You look nice,’ Conor added casually.
‘Thanks.’ Star blushed. It had taken her over an hour of taking clothes from the wardrobe, trying them on, throwing them off, only to end up in the outfit she had put on in the first place. She wanted to look good, but also as if she hadn’t made too much of an effort. It was, after all, just a chilly Sunday night in a quiet local pub. So skinny blue jeans, a cream cowl-neck jumper and her knee-high black suedeboots had made the cut. Her steel-blue eyes were smudged with a navy eyeliner and black mascara, while her midnight-blue velvet coat always made its own entrance, and a dash of light pink lip gloss finished her look off perfectly.
Conor caught sight of her silver drop earrings in the shape of dolphins.
‘Dolphins, eh? Frank was telling me you sometimes see them off the coast here.’
‘Yes. Penrigan Point is a good area to spot them. I saw some once. It was magical.’ Star felt sad. ‘I never seem to find the time to go up there now.’
‘Wow. That’s so cool. They come just in the summer when the water is warm, I guess?’
‘Sometimes in the winter too,’ Star replied knowledgeably. She cocked her head to the side. ‘You don’t strike me as a man who likes nature.’
‘That’s a very sweeping statement on a first meeting. So, what do I strike you as then?’ The handsome Irishman smiled his lopsided smile, causing his dimple to fire up, then took a drink from his pint of cloudy cider, with a grimace. ‘Jesus, this’ll put even more hairs on my chest.’
Glad of the diversion, Star agreed. ‘Yes, the locals call it Red Apple Ruin.’
‘They’ve all gone home for a lie-down by the look of it,’ Conor noted, making her laugh. ‘Is it always this lively in here?’ He looked around. The pub was empty save for two men quietly chatting at the bar and another couple deep in conversation in one of the window seats.
‘The Ferryboat does amazing roasts on a Sunday, so it’s rammed at lunchtime, and in the summer it’s a huge tourist spot, but it’s end of season now, and it is bloody cold.’
‘All the seafaring memorabilia around this place remindsme of where I used to live in Ireland. I’m a country boy at heart, really.’
‘Yes, I love the lobster-pot lights in here. The pub is so old and it’s kept its original look.’
‘Unlike London where it’s now all fancy wine bars and gastro pubs.’
There was a short silence. They then both went to speak at once. ‘You go first,’ Star said, taking a large mouthful of wine and looking right at him. There was no denying that Conor Brady was jaw-droppingly good to look at. His plain round-necked black jumper accentuated his wide muscly back and shoulders and went well with his dark blue jeans, which were snug and trendy. Star could see that his designer trainers were expensive but understated. She loved the way his hair tumbled all over the place above soulful eyes of a molten chestnut brown. Add in the accent and he would make even the most reticent of romantics swoon.
Conor cleared his throat. ‘Did you know that dolphins are able to see beside them, in front of them and even behind them because their eyes are placed laterally, one on each side of the head?’
Star smirked, the alcohol already loosening her tongue. ‘You’d better come back in your next life as a dolphin by the sound of it then.’
Conor laughed loudly and lifted his glass to tap hers. ‘Very good,’ he said, ‘but you still didn’t tell me what I struck you as.’
‘Hmm.’ Star thought for a second. ‘OK – first impressions. A lovable rogue. The kind of guy I’d warn my daughter about. Your reputation already precedes you, I’m afraid.’
A shot of electricity ran through her arm as Conor took her hand across the table. ‘It wasn’t a good start for us both,was it? Look, I’m so sorry if I scared you. Some random man in a black hoody appearing from nowhere must have been terrifying.’
‘Aw. That’s sweet of you but I’m the one who’s supposed to be apologising to you. I could have got you arrested.’
‘Yeah, and nobody likes a grass.’ Conor patted her hand, then noticing the look of horror on Star’s face, he reached up and put his finger gently on her button nose. ‘I’m joking, beautiful. Look, I haven’t actually done anything wrong. Kind of ironic really that I should get accused of a house break-in because that’s the very reason I’m here. A real-life break-in took place at a big house in Kilburn, that’s in north-west London where I was living, and it was pinned on me. The Bradys have a reputation of being able to look after themselves where I come from, so it was a surprise that some dodgy gang should have tried to set me up. Star, I’m no more a thief than you are.’
Star listened in silence as he added hastily, ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a saint and I don’t turn down knocked-off gear if I get offered something I want, but I don’t go looking for it. I’m certainly no hardened criminal and I wouldn’t go into someone’s home and rob them. To me, that’s despicable. However, they did a good job of putting me at the scene when in fact I was tucked up in bed in my shared flat watching a film.’
