Escaping to Ireland

Vinessa

So far, the night had felt perfect. As if Liam was mine, and for the night, I was going to pretend, pretend that we could work that we could make it. It was all going so well. And I was pleasantly surprised that I had known someone outside of Liam and Ian at the party.

"Marge, Frank," I called out, giving them both a hug.

"Vinessa" Marge, Jennifer's mother, spoke first. "What are you doing here?"

"I came with my boss."

"Liam Brennan," Liam said, stepping up beside me. I still had the bouquet of flowers in my hands, and he took them from me. "I know Frank and Marge already," Liam said, looking at the three of us. "how do you know each other?"

"Vinessa is practically our second daughter," Marge said, her arm was still around my waist.

"Jennifer, from... well, my car connection was Frank," I said, not wanting to let Jennifer's parents find out about the night Liam took me home from a bar because their daughter abandon me to have a one-night stand with a stranger.

"I heard you bought a car dealership. How has that been going for you?" Liam asked.  Frank shrugged. "I let my son run it, kind of a hobby for him. If it closes, it closes."

Liam's father stepped up, hitting Frank on the arm. "Knowing you, Frank, you'll actually make a profit on a car dealership in Ireland. Have you met Vinessa, Liam's..." Gerard stopped, not knowing how to finish it.

"Liam's assistant," I said for him. "I know Frank and Marge very well. They were my home away from home growing up." I knew Jennifer's parents had money, but they never flaunted it, so I had no clue they would have connections to the Brennans. It was comforting to know people like Marge and Frank could get along with them. Maybe something could work after all. The guys started talking about work as Marge pulled on my arm, and we walked outside.

"Jennifer never told me you were working for Liam," Marge said as we strolled down a path overlooking a bluff. I could hear the Dublin Bay and wanted to keep walking so we could see it.

"Just his assistant; it hasn't been for too long." Jennifer never attended her parent's work events; she stayed far away from it as much as she could. 

"There had been rumors of a redhead coming and turning Liam's world upside down. I just didn't know that it would be you...." I let Marge talk as we strolled along. "Assistant to Liam Brennan," she said in almost awe. "Just don't get swept up in it all, sweetie."

"What do you mean?" I asked her, stopping right before we would start going downhill.

"I mean... Liam was engaged not too short a time ago. I just don't want your heart getting broken again." Of course, Jennifer had told her about Shawn, but she didn't know the end part of the story that Shawn hadn't cheated on me like I thought. And she didn't know that I knew what I was doing and that I wouldn't allow my heart to get broken, that I was entirely in control. But just in case...

"Thank you," I said to her as we stood and looked out toward the bay.

Liam came for us a few minutes later, Marge departed us, but she looked at me before she left.

"Remember what I said," and then just like that, she left me with the man she was warning me of.

"I was hoping I would be able to show you this view myself." I watched Marge's departing figure; Liam was watching the bay with an uncharacteristically relaxed smile on his face. "These things must not be that bad if your fill-in parents attend them."

"Yeah," I said, giving him his moment. He didn't know that I was already planning my escape; it was what I did best. He held my hand as we walked back to the house, well, the mansion that overlooked the bay. I stopped Liam before we walked back in. "I'm not feeling too well." It would have been easier if I drove myself. "I don't want to interrupt your night. I think I'm just going to ask Frank and Marge to give me a ride home. I doubt they will mind. They live a few miles from Wanda."

Liam's eyes knitted together; he looked me up and down. "You look well to me." He pulled me off to the side, beyond where anyone could see or hear us. "What happened to not sabotaging the night?" He ran his hand through his hair while he looked at me.

"I'm not doing that...." I said even though he was right, that was exactly what I was doing. "It just came on. I'm sorry, but I really should go."

"Liam, if she is not feeling well, I can find one of the staff running the party and drive her home. I know Chloe was hoping to see you tonight." Liam's mother had stepped around the corner. "Hold on, sweetie," she said, narrowing her eyes at me, and I wondered if she had been following us. We had yet to see her all night, and she just popped out of nowhere.

She had been gone a few seconds before reappearing with one of the waiters; he was dressed in the matching black pants and black vest.

"Vinessa?" the guy said, seeing me. "Seriously."

As soon as he talked, I knew who it was. "Benny?"

He stepped forward, and everything happened so fast, he picked me up and spun me around before setting me back down. "I didn't know you were back. I mean, I saw you inside, but then I thought you did your classic Irish Ditch. I thought you had left. I was searching for you."

I looked over at Liam and his mother, who was watching this reunion unfold. "Wow, you look the same as the day you left. How many years has it been?"

I didn't talk. I wish I would have just gone inside with Liam and not have told him I was feeling ill.

I looked down at my feet, wanting to be gone, not wanting the last five minutes to occur.

"I believe she is not feeling well." Liam's mother said, staring at us. "Do you think you could take her home?"

"Sure thing," Benny said with too much enthusiasm. "I mean, she can't escape from a moving car." My face was on fire when he said this. "Let me just get my keys. Are you staying with Wanda or... Vinessa.." he stopped as he was turning as if something occurred with him. Benny had always been a little scatterbrained. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I would have made it to the funeral, but I was out of town; it came on so fast."

"What came on so fast?" I asked him.

"The cancer came on so fast. One day she was healthy, and the next bang," he said, clapping his hands. "When she found out, my dad gave her three months, and then he said you came home... and lasted a whole year."

I was standing there, and then everything went black.