Oh God, he was still looking at her. Waiting for an answer to his question.Be cool, Hannah.
‘No. I haven’t.’ She raised her chin, wondering what came next and ignoring the hopeful bump of her heart.
‘I’ve got a table booked at a new restaurant. Would you like to join me? It’s always better eating with company.’
Hannah laughed. That told her. ‘That’s a very practical approach.’ But she liked practical.
He smiled. ‘I’d also enjoy your company. Is that better?’
‘It will do.’ She gave him a prim nod which made him grin.
‘I like you, Hannah. You don’t take me too seriously.’
‘Should I?’
‘No. You shouldn’t.’ For a brief second his expression was unreadable. ‘I ought to go. I’ve got some calls to make. How about we meet in the lobby at six forty-five? The table’s booked for seven and, believe it or not, the rain is due to stop. It’s a nice walk and I can show you a little bit of the city.’
‘That would be great, thank you.’
He rose to his feet, tossed back the last of his whiskey and gave her a quick salute. ‘Until later.’
Hannah sat perfectly still, not quite believing what had happened in the last hour. It looked like she’d got herself a date, although it had come with a clear warning. Charming as he was, he was not a man to be taken seriously.
Chapter Two
Packing for a six-week stay which took you from late summer to autumn was a tall order at the best of times, especially when someone was going somewhere so far out of their comfort zone. Mina’s only recommendation had been trainers. ‘There’s a lot of standing in a kitchen. You’ll be on your feet all day,’ she’d said.
Hannah had tried to pack for every eventuality but going on asort ofdate had not been in her original inventory. Thankfully she’d included a dress or two and a couple of nice tops and her perennially perfect, smart black trousers which had seen her through many a meeting at work. They’d cost a small fortune but, in hindsight, were worth every last penny.
After the soaking in the rain, her curls were wilder than ever, but today she decided she rather liked them; they were a differentiating feature – her only differentiating feature, it was fair to say. She tousled them with her fingers and gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror. ‘You’ll do,’ she said out loud. ‘It’s just dinner.’ But she couldn’t help the sinuous little thought that slid into her brain.What happens in Dublin, stays in Dublin.
‘Hannah Campbell!’ She rolled her eyes at herself and shook her head before grabbing her coat and bag and crossing to the door of the hotel room.
Downstairs, she found Conor waiting for her and at the sight of him still wearing his suit, she was glad that she’d chosen the fancier chiffon and lace top and dressed it up with a fine silver chain and large hooped earrings.
‘Perfect timing.’ Outside, the sun had come out and had begun to dry the rain, leaving dappled patches of stone as the only clue of the day’s earlier torrential downpour. ‘Shall we?’ He offered his arm with a charming, slightly tongue-in-cheek smile.
‘How gallant,’ she teased, her heart doing another one of those funny bunny hops, as she slid a hand into the crook of his arm.
‘Always.’
They walked out into the warm, slightly humid evening, the air redolent of the earlier rain. Now Hannah looked around her with interest; earlier she’d had her head down, concentrating on not slipping on the wet cobbles.
‘So this is the famous Temple Bar. It’s lovely.’
‘It is. Popular tourist hot spot. Lots of restaurants, bars and boutiques.’ Despite the reference to tourists, there was a fondness in his voice. ‘I love this pub here, The Temple Bar,’ He pulled a comical face. ‘When I was a student we had some big nights here. Not sure I could keep up with myself any more. But it’s a great place for whiskey. Over 450 behind the bar. I’ve not worked my way through them all,’ he laughed, ‘although not for the want of trying.’
‘Really? 450! I’m not sure I’d know where to begin.’
‘You liked the Telling you had this afternoon. You should check out the distillery here. There are tours and tastings. It’s very popular, especially the tasting.’
Hannah gave a non-committal nod. She was heading out of Dublin first thing and didn’t want to spoil the evening by talking about real life. This all felt like a rather lovely fantasy and real life could butt out.
The narrow cobbled lanes were starting to liven up, boards outside pubs advertised live music, people spilled out onto the pavement, pints in hand, and there was a general air of jollity, almost as if a football match had been won.
Conor steered her down the lane and along another street until they came to a tall brick building with elegant arched windows situated high up in the walls through which glowed the currently fashionable bare lightbulbs hanging from black cables in the ceiling. Inside, there was a white marble staircase leading upwards.
‘It used to be a bank,’ explained Conor as he ushered her up the steps.
