I smile like a hussy, sliding into the persona I adopted as soon as I walked into the salon. Perhaps if he wasn’t so chatty, I would have stayed the real me, but covering my tracks and blending in is also a learned skill I can’t immediately shake.
With another dozen air kisses, I finally make my getaway and jump into a cab. The driver is pissed when he realizes we’re just taking a trip around the block, but I tip him enough to make it worth his time.
Speaking of time, I go on a spending frenzy, swapping out my wardrobe completely and purchasing everything I’ll need for three weeks away.
Sitting at the small in-house café inside the department store, I pack everything I bought into my new luggage before leaving the clothes I was wearing and all the tags and boxes of my purchases in the bin.
I make my flight with minutes to spare and settle into my window seat, listening to the two women next to me talking about their girls' weekend away and the things they’re going to do. I tug my hoodie over my eyes, use the new AirPods to block their chatter, and am asleep before the seat belt sign turns on.
When we land, it’s late enough I don’t have to wait long for the cab driver to make it to my hotel, althoughhotelwould be anunderstatement. Hotel Le Nuvole Residenza d'Epoca reminds me of a palace.
The interior decorator clearly paid credence to the renaissance era, but they also brought the hotel into modern times with their selection of colors and the endless details. Contrasting colors on the walls and moldings are modernized by a pastel palette, while the plush rug is a clotted cream color with charcoal checkers over pale, white-washed floorboards. And the bed is made for an Omega and their pack—huge, decadent, and I’m going to struggle to get out from under the pile of pillows and blankets.
Despite the chill in the air, I open the window, and the fresh air is as cold as I expected. The light drizzle drags me instantly back to my next assignment.
I lean out the window and have to imagine how special the view is, given the late hour. Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts slow as I fill my lungs with the salty air. It’s going to do me good being here, I just know it. And I’ll need the break if I’m to go to Ireland, a place I swore I’d never return to.
So many memories from one summer eons ago. Another lifetime, really, one where our family was bigger and we all laughed a lot more. I get that life is like that, but it still feels like everything started changing then.
The house phone rings, which is odd, given my late arrival.
“Ciao?” I answer.
Thankfully, the reception has multilingual staff, since my Italian is nothing short of offensive.
“Pardon the late call. We forgot to mention, tomorrow parts of the city will be shut down because of a parade. You have heard of it? St. Paddy Day? Green beer free at Irish Pub.”
“That’s fine,” I offer back, laughing under my breath at the way the world works sometimes. Here I am, trying to escapeIreland and all thoughts of it, yet apparently Ireland is coming to me.
“Our bar and restaurant will shut from lunch. We can’t compete with free beer. Will you go? Everyone does.”
Perhaps free beer is the perfect start to my break. Getting completely shitfaced with a bunch of strangers sounds like exactly what I need.
“Probably.”
“Good, good. We’ll also have free hats and green face paint, sponsored by Jameson Irish Whisky. Okay, goodnight.”
And they’re gone before I get the chance to thank them.
Leaving the window open, and the lights low, I soak in the tub and eat a packet of crisps until my eyes get heavy. Crawling into bed, I start making plans about talking with reception about the brand of linen they use, but I fall asleep before I can figure out how to start the conversation.
The sounds of raucous laughter and one of those plastic horns bleating startles me out of sleep. Rolling over, I should be horrified to see that I slept past two, but clearly, I needed it.
Padding over to the window and belatedly grabbing the sheer curtain as a cover up, I lean through and try to get a glimpse of the action down below. It sounds like fun.
Another phone call pulls my focus from the parade, though I knew this one was coming. I jump back into bed, letting the weight of the blankets and the softness of the pillows provide a cocoon of comfort as I answer, ready for my debrief with one of the department counselors. It’s a confidential checkup, but it’s also a way to determine I’m of fit mind and ready for my next assignment.
I spend an hour and a half talking about feelings and emotions, working through a couple of exercises before the call is done. Instead of being exhausted, the whole thing leaves me wired.
Bounding out of bed, I lose some of the manic energy washing my hair, but I’ve still a lot of it cooped up inside. I should stay locked in my room and only order room service, because sometimes that slight frenzy to my emotions leads to poor choices, but no one is here to boo-boo the idea. Dressing in a short black dress, I take a couple of spins to make sure the skirt doesn’t flare up to flash my panties, because there’s sure to be lots of dancing tonight.
Stopping by reception, I let the staff offering face painting do their thing.
“Okay, you like?” I get a nervous question and a mirror from the lady who’s been painting my face.
I was thinking a big shamrock, considering the amount of green she was using. But she must be a makeup artist in real life because it’s not comical in the least. The combination of deep green eyeshadow and glitter highlights makes my eyes somehow greener, and the shimmery green lipstick doesn’t come across as gaudy. “I look hot!”
She laughs before grabbing my hair. Her hands move quickly as she primps and tugs strands free before using clips to hold my hair up in a sexy-as-hell knot.
