Page 15 of A Billionaire Abroad

Mary nodded. “A fine idea.” She turned a friendly smile on Keighley. “All the food’s good here. And Jackie and the lads are playing tonight. That’ll liven up the place.”

They put in their orders, then talked, but not about Sterling or the event they were planning. She asked about Conall’s other job, the one he’d been working on that day. He asked about the events she’d planned in New York. She showed him some of the TikToks she’d posted and the pictures she’d taken of their day of touristing, earning one of his bubbling laughs.

“A fellow doesn’t often get to be a tourist in his own hometown. It was fun to pretend for a day.”

“It was fun.” She took a bite of the shepherd’s pie Conall had suggested she order. “Oh, this is good.”

He grinned. “Did you think I was lying?”

“You did tell me yesterday that you kissed the Blarney Stone.”

“That makes a person talkative, not dishonest.”

“And what does shepherd’s pie make a person?” she asked after another bite.

“Very, very happy.”

The rest of the night went like that. Bantering and laughing. Swapping stories of events gone awry, childhood mishaps. She laughed more than she had in a very long time. It was fun and relaxing, and she still managed to get some work done. The band was perfect, and, before the night was over, Conall arranged for them to play at Sterling’s mingle.

She was a good event planner and a hard worker, but Conall was teaching her something about making that work fun and making time for something other than planning other people’s memorable moments.

If she didn’t have her standing morning meeting with Sterling, she would have been happy to stay all night, chatting and listening to music, laughing with Conall and the friends he introduced her to. But she wanted her next meeting with Sterling to go better than her last.

“I probably need to go,” she said.

“Really?” He sounded genuinely disappointed. That did her a world of good.

“I have my daily meeting with Sterling in the morning. If he lectures me again and I’m exhausted, I’ll probably either tell him off or cry.”

Conall smiled. “I’d enjoy watching you tell him off.”

He lightened her heart. She appreciated that so much. “And cry? Would you enjoy watching that too?”

“No.” He set his hand on hers where it rested on the tabletop. “Not at all.”

“Then I should go.” She kept her hand in his. She liked the feel of it. “The event we’re planning is going to be great, and I don’t want to undermine that by making Sterling think I’m an idiot.”

Conall shook his head. “If he thinks that, he’s the idiot.”

She kind of loved the way he said “idiot.” His Irish accent turned it into something more like “idjet,” and it made her smile.

“Come on, then,” he said. “I’ll walk you back.”

“I won’t say no.”

They moved toward the door, still hand in hand. She couldn’t remember the last time she held hands with someone. It was sweet and tender, and she loved it.

He waved to a friend they’d chatted with. “We’re gonna head on.”

His friend nodded. “Ah, sure. Come ’round again, Keighley.”

They stepped out. Conall made a quick check of the street, then, tugging her along by the hand, crossed quickly.

“What time do you meet with Sterling tomorrow?” he asked.

“Eight o’clock.”

That brought his eyes to her again. “In the morning?”