Charlie raises his eyebrows. ‘So that’s your twelve?’
‘That’s my twelve,’ I confirm. There were others, but no one I loved enough to give a piece of my heart to.
‘How many have you met up with?’ he asks.
‘Five: David, Olli, Jorge, Gabe and, of course, Elliot. Seven more to go, and another ticked off after tomorrow. Ooh.’ I clutch my belly again and then reach for my beer, downing another nice, big mouthful.
‘Could’ve brought mine over,’ Adam says suddenly, placing his hands on my shoulders and making me jump so violently that I spill my drink. He slides onto the bench seat next to me and reaches for his pint glass.
‘No luck?’ Charlie enquires derisively.
‘Nup. Night’s still young.’ He slides a little closer to me on the bench seat. I place my hands on his biceps and waist and push firmly until he starts to slither back in the opposite direction. The look on his face is priceless.
‘Did you ever ask Michelle about Beau?’ Charlie asks Adam when he’s stopped chuckling.
‘No, I haven’t see her. I know where she works, though, so I’ll pop in this week. What number guy are you on?’ He glances at me.
‘I’m finished,’ I say. ‘That’s my talking done for the rest of the evening.’
‘It better not be,’ Adam replies. ‘We’re going to another pub to do some karaoke after these drinks.’
‘Are we really?’ I ask with glee, ignoring Charlie’s objections. ‘Singing isnottalking...’
Chapter 19
I’d forgotten how breathtaking the Ring of Kerry is. It’s almost taking my mind off my hangover.
It’s Saturday afternoon and I’ve been driving for two hours. I flew from Bristol, arriving in Cork at just after two o’clock. Because I’m not meeting Dillon until this evening at a pub in Killarney, I decided to take the scenic route via Kenmare, Moll’s Gap and the Killarney National Park. It doubles my driving time – from one and a half to almost three hours – but it’s worth it. It’s actually a pleasure to be behind the wheel of a normal hire car after wrestling withHermie.
The first time I did this route was with Dillon when he was touring with his band. I remember being so blown away by the scenery that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard about it before. It felt like a big secret that the Irish had cunningly kept from the rest of us.
It’s a gorgeous sunny afternoon, and as I make my way along the gently winding roads with the window down, I breathe in the cool summer air and sigh with happiness. All around me are the most stunning rocky hills, cast with both light and shade from the sun and the cotton-wool clouds in the sky above. The grey of the rock blends with the green of the patchy grass, so that the colours come across as muted, like the palette of a painting by a centuries-old landscape artist. I look through the white trunks of birch trees to a lake that’s as still as glass and just as reflective. The ground is covered with a carpet of moss and fern and, on impulse, I pull over.
I get out of the car and climb carefully down the hill to the stony shore. Great slabs of smooth grey rock slope into the water’s edge and all around are big boulders of various shades of grey. I sit down on one and stare out at the water, taking a minute to appreciate the beauty around me.
Despite my pounding head, I smile every time I think about last night. I can’t believe we managed to get Charlie to do DJ Kool’s ‘Let Me Clear My Throat’. It was hilarious.
I giggle to myself, even as I sit there on my own. Ouch. I wish my head didn’t hurt so much.
Both Charlie and Adam ended up walking me home. We almost fell into the estuary with all the zigzagging that was going on. Adam kept teasing me about the three different men who’d tried to pick me up. I don’t know why I always pull guys on dance floors – I’m not even trying, and most of the time I’m not interested.
When we arrived at the hill at the bottom of the campsite, Adam let out the biggest groan and collapsed on the side of the road.
‘I can’t walk up there,’ he stated.
‘I’ll take it from here,’ I replied gallantly.
But, by God, that incline is steep. I swear I almost cartwheeled back down the hill. Charlie saw me struggling and came to my aid, pushing me up from behind. I’ve never laughed so much in my life.
Well, I probably have. But it was a very funny night.
I still can’t believe he rapped.
It’s five thirty by the time I make it into Killarney and check into my hotel. I have two and a half hours to kill, so I decide to go for a wander.
As soon as I’m outside on the street, I’m approached by a wily-looking chap offering a horse-and-cart ride down to the lake. He has a mouth full of crooked yellow teeth, gigantic ears and a brilliantly bushy moustache, and he’s wearing a sweater with ‘IRELAND’ embroidered on it underneath a green shamrock.
There are several other younger and less on-the-verge-of-death-looking horse-and-cart drivers standing in a group across the road, but none of them are touting for business. Quite frankly, I admire Paddy’s enthusiasm – and the fact that he’s fantastically called Paddy – so I find myself agreeing. I figure it’ll give me something else to write about.
