“Everything good?” He asks, standing at the bathroom door. Shit, was I just staring at him all that time? Did he see me ogling him?
“Good. Just spaced out a bit.” I go back to washing the dishes, breaking eye contact as fast as possible.
Get it together. Let’s not make things awkward with the only friend you have in Dublin right now. Or, realistically, the only friend you seemingly have at all.
***
Niall pulls my bags out of the trunk, rolling each over with handles out.
“So, this is me.” He points at the storefront directly under the apartment.
“I must have been really out of it yesterday. I don’t remember seeing this at all.” Books and Brews, Niall’s shop, looks cute from the outside. The storefront is painted hunter green and white, the windows full of recent releases and there’s even a section featuring local authors. “The shop looks lovely Niall. Can’t wait to see the inside.”
“We can do that later, after you’ve settled in. But I gotta go start prepping the bakery case for the morning rush. Text me when you’re bored or done settling in or whatever.”
Niall leans in for a hug and lingers a bit, before running to unlock the door.
I grab my bags and start to roll them down the street, away from what I think is the main area of Temple Bar. Well, seeing how I’m walking further from the actual Temple Bar, I think it’s a safe assumption. That, and the distinct drop in foot traffic I can see ahead in the direction of the apartment.
I look at my phone and it says it’s only a four-minute walk. That seems delightfully convenient to be this close to everything, but also just far enough from the packs of pub traffic. I don’t remember anything after passing out last night, but I have to imagine it gets pretty loud in the vicinity of Niall’s apartment.
Not to say there aren’t more pubs heading in this direction. On my right is a place called Paddy Mac’s, or it might be called Fitzsimons. The sign has both names, but one of them promises a roof garden. I’ve always loved a good rooftop bar, which is what I’m assuming the roof garden is.
A wave of barbecue smell hits me, reminding me of Bear’s back home. I round a bend in the road and see SmokinBones on my left. I’m sure I’ll try it at some point, but it’s advertised as Texas barbecue so it could be a tourist trap.
I’ll have to ask Niall if he’s tried it.
The pubs are spread out a bit more this way, but there are so many little alleyways and side streets that I would normally feel compelled to explore if not for dragging my luggage.
I cross the next intersection after waiting a bit for traffic to clear, my phone telling me I’m about a minute away from the apartment. I take a left before the Italian Cooking School, which I must look up. Might be something fun to get Niall to do, unless he already knows how to make great Italian food. If breakfast was any indication, he might just be a good cook all around.
My phone tells me I’ve arrived.
After some lengthy search in my texts to find the door code, I find myself standing in the apartment. The apartment is super cute, but clearly there will be some things I will need to get used to. Like the washer dryer combo being in the kitchen. Also having a tiny fridge with the world’s smallest freezer as my main fresh food storage.
I will have to channel my inner college student, and also have to shop almost daily.
The living room is pretty spacious, that even includes a built-in fireplace. I probably should know more about the weather here in Dublin, but I have to imagine things get pretty cold in the winter.
The first bedroom, clearly the primary, has a decent sized bed. The linens are stacked at the foot of the bed, with a note on top of the pile.
There is an extra set under the bed, along with an extra blanket and set of pillows. Call if you need anything ~Aidan
Call? No. Text? Maybe, if I’m desperate.
The second bedroom is pretty tiny. There’s a small desk in the corner, along with a half-filled bookcase. I peruse the selection of novels, almost all of them not published within the past fifty years. I look around at the rest of the empty room, which I guess could double as an office/workout room. I’ll have to ask Niall where I can get some basics, maybe a yoga mat and a few weights.
The bathroom is a bit dated but will get the job done. At least it has an enclosed shower. Something about shower curtains has always grossed me out, especially at another person’s apartment.
I look out the window in the bathroom, which has a view looking over the communal roof patio. It’s actually quite nice. Garden beds filled with various flowering plants and many sets of patio furniture to lounge around in. There’s a woman sitting at the furthest table smoking a cigarette and reading a book, too far away to see the title.
I roll my suitcases into the bedroom and set about getting myself unpacked. Which, all in, takes about twenty minutes. When you travel with just clothes and basic essentials, you don’t need much. I figured I could buy any toiletries here, and any books I want to read I can buy from Niall.
I do, however, pull out a folder from the bottom of the suitcase. I carry it into the second bedroom and place it on the desk.
It had been an inner debate on whether to bring Michael’s book draft with me. Part of me didn’t want to bring something so personal to him here, something that could keep me in the trenches of sadness. The other part of me didn’t want it unguarded back home with an unknown tenant. Someone who could, but highly unlikely, steal it.
A very small part of me thinks I owe it to Michael to finish the story. And I hope, one day, I can do that for him.
