Ireland is for Lovers

Chapter 2

We got to the pub where we were meeting his friends right at 6:30; his friends, Aiden, Thomas and Caleb, and Aiden's girlfriend Maggie, and Thomas's girlfriend Aileen, were already there. We walked over to the corner where they were sitting, and they all stood up to greet us, as Max made the introductions. They were all super thrilled to finally meet me (they all know of me,because evidently,Max talks about me quite frequently). Admittedly,it threw me off a little when they all started calling him Killian (his given name); Aileen saw the odd look on my face, and asked, "You okay, darlin'?"

"Oh.... I'm fine; it's just odd to hear someone outside of Max's family call him by his given name, is all," I said with a laugh.

"You've met Killian's family, then?"

"I have, a long time ago. He brought me here for Christmas a couple times when were dating."

By this time, we had all sat down at the table, and Max was gone to get drinks for him and me. Maggie jumped in on my and Aileen's conversation about then, and asked me how Killian and I met. Max had come back about then, sat down next to me, and says with a laugh, "Maggie, you're confusin' the poor girl, callin' me Killian....."

I looked at him fondly, and told her and Aileen that he and I had a couple of business classes together when he was going to school in Orlando, and he had asked to borrow my notes one day; "and the rest, as they say, is history," I said with a chuckle.

After a few minutes of listening to my Irish companions talk amongst themselves (which, as it turns out, as much as I love listening to Max talk, if you get him and his friends together, and talking--especially when there's alcohol involved-- I almost need subtitles), Caleb turns his attention to me, and asks, loud enough for the others to hear over the music, "So Miss Bethany, what is it you do back in Florida?"

"Well, I run a very successful diner in my hometown. We've been open for about two and half years now," and I turn to Max and add "I forgot to tell you, I'm already looking at new spaces, because we're almost on the verge of outgrowing our current space......"

His eyebrows shot up at this news, and says "That's great. Any place in particular that you're looking at?"

"You remember that abandoned barbecue place up the street from where I'm currently at?"

"Aye...."

"I'm kinda leaning toward there. It's definitely bigger, and needs a little work, but it'll totally be worth it"

"That's great, Love"

I turn back to Caleb, and add "I had always wanted to open a restaurant; and I do enjoy cooking, so it made sense......"

"And she's an excellent cook," Max interjects.

Caleb nods, and asks "So what kind of food do you make at your diner?"

"Mostly 'American diner classics'...... burgers, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, scratch-made macaroni and cheese; that sort of thing....."

Aiden jumps in then, and asks if I had any pictures of my place; I said I did, and reached in my purse to dig out my phone. I went on my Facebook, and opened up the album dedicated to the diner, and passed my phone across the table for everyone to look at.

This whole time, while we've been chatting with his friends, Max and I have stealthily been flirting with one another under the table, and it was beginning to drive me crazy......in the best kind of way.

I was handed my phone back by Maggie, and after a bit of discussion, it was decided we would all go up the street for dinner. I chuckled and said "Oh good; between the alcohol and the jet lag, I'm beginning to get a little loopy....." Everyone laughed, and Max leaned over to kiss me on the cheek, causing the color to rise even more in my face (the beer had already sent my hot Irish blood to simmering).

After dinner, we all walked back to the pub where we met up for drinks, and the five of them got in their cars and left toward their respective homes. Max's loft was only a few blocks away, so we had walked. As we were walking, he says to me, "My mates were really taken with you; especially Maggie and Aileen."

I said I really liked them, too; then, he asks me what I wanted to do when we got home; I said I kinda just wanted to go to bed, because the jet lag was beginning to catch up with me.

We got in the loft, and headed straight to the bedroom, and we both started getting ready to go to bed. As I was washing my makeup off, he calls from the bedroom, "So what'dya wanna do tomorrow, then?"

As I stepped out of the bathroom, I said, "Well, my cousin, Nicole, gave me a list of 'must-see' places to check out....."

"Has she been to Ireland before?"

"She and her husband came on vacation a few years ago"

He nodded, and asked "So, what's first on the list? The Guinness brewery, I take it?"

"Definitely, but that can be done another day. I was thinking we might keep it to one neighborhood tomorrow...." I had climbed in bed and cuddled up next to him at this point, "....and maybe go to Trinity College and see the library, and the Book of Kells.....and Dublin Castle, and perhaps St. Stephen's Green....?"

He kissed me and said "As you wish, Love." Then he added, "I almost forgot, my mum and dad have asked that I bring you up to visit this weekend, if that's alright with you.....?"

"Of course. I'd love to see your parents. How are they, by the way?"

"They're well. Mum was thrilled when I told her you were coming to visit; she always did like you, ya know," he said with a wink on that last part.

"Well, I've always liked her too. She raised her son right,"I said as I reached up to kiss him.

The next morning, I woke up from some of the best sleep I've gotten in a long time (although, I do tend to sleep really well when Max and I are in the same bed. Funny how that works, ain't it?). I briefly forgot where I was (I slept that well), until I felt a warm pair of lips press against my shoulder blade. I turned over to look at the owner of those lips, and was met with sleepy green eyes looking back at me, and those lips being pressed to mine.

When he pulls away, he whispers the other thing he always greets me with, when we haven't spent the night together in a long time: "Mornin', Love"

I reply with a whispered "hi", and kiss him again.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you. I very nearly forgot where I was,but your lips on my shoulder quickly reminded me," I said with a chuckle and a cheeky grin.

He laughed and asked me if I wanted coffee. I gave him a look that asked 'have we met?'

Before he could get out of bed though, I reached up and kissed him again. I worked my way from his mouth, up his jaw, and down his neck. As I was making my way across his collar bone, he says to me, "Not that I'm complainin', Love, but didn't you wanna go see the Book of Kells?"

I paused and said, "It's been there for what, 1200 years? It'll still be there tomorrow," and I resumed my path across his chest, essentially ending that conversation, and changing our plans for the day.