Beers, Hens, and Irishmen (Warbler's Point Series) (21 page)

             
Fiona set some empty glasses that were on her tray into the sink to be cleaned. “That’s not my problem that you came into my apartment without asking. Oh and Bradon, Tipper asked me to tell you to stop staring at her. She is starting to get creeped out.”

             
“Why the hell would I stare at her? I would rather wash my eyes out with acid.” Bradon looked around the room. “I don’t even know where she is.”

             
“Yes you do, you have been drooling over her all night.”

             
“I would never do that. I can’t stand Tipper. Where is she…so I can avoid her stupid ass.” Bradon scanned the room again.

             
Fiona pointed over to the group of girls Bradon was eyeing earlier. “Tipper is cat woman.”

             
Bradon started coughing and choking on what Finn could only imagine was saliva.

             
“There is no fucking way that’s Tipper. No my eyes would never betray me like that. Whoever that is, is way too damn hot to be Tipper.”

             
“That’s Tipper if you want to believe it or not.”

             
“Shit.” Bradon rubbed his face. “Well that’s done it for me. I have lost all the will to take home a girl now. My libido is shot.”

             
Finn laughed at his brother as he walked away to collect more empty glasses. Finn didn’t quite understand his hatred for Tipper but if he could get past whatever they hated each other for they might actually be quite good for each other. God, why was he so interested in his siblings love lives, he needed to get one of his own.

             
The pub door flew open and in walked the Sheila followed by his parents. Finn noticed Fiona stiffen drastically as she whispered under her breath, “What the hell is he doing here.” Hmm. Maybe his suspicions about Fiona and the Sheila were correct. Was she getting herself into another relationship with a tourist? Was that why she wasn’t starting anything back up with Murphy? Didn’t she learn from her last relationship with Steve that dating an out of towner can only lead to trouble?

             
He pulled her to the side. “Fiona, I know you don’t want me butting in, but I’m concerned. Is anything going on between you and the Sheila…I mean Booker.”

             
Fiona’s eyes widened. “That is none of your concern. Stay out of my personal life, Finn.”

             
That was not a no, damn it. “Fiona, don’t forget about what happened with Steve.”

             
She got real close to him and lowered her voice. “I will never forget about Steve so don’t you dare throw that in my face. I know what the hell I’m doing. Why don’t you worry about yourself and try to get a woman to cure those blue balls you have acquired over the last couple of months.”

             
Ouch, low blow…literally. Well if that was what she wanted, then that was what she was going to get. If she was seeing the Sheila and things took a turn for the worse he was not going to be the one that picked up the pieces to her broken heart. He warned her, what she did now was her own problem. Now he needed to find a girl to cure his blue balls that his baby sister so eloquently pointed out.

Chapter 10

             
Fiona watched Booker walk in with her parents and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He was dressed as a pirate but the sexiest pirate she had ever seen. He was wearing amazingly tight pants that were cut off right below his knees, a flowy white shirt that was open all the way down to the upper part of his stomach and he had a big belt around his waist. Her mouth was watering like crazy and her hands itched to rip his shirt off. She didn’t want him here tonight but a little part of her, her naughty part was happy that he was.

             
She strode over to her parents who were shocked by her attire and gave them a hug. She whispered into their ears, “Please don’t say anything about my costume, believe me I have received enough grief for it.”

             
Her parents both zipped their mouths shut but their faces widened with what seemed like delight. She felt a massive hand wrap around her waist. For a second she thought it was Booker but then sadly realized it was Murphy. Booker was off to the side, eyeing her with what looked like fire in his eyes. Fiona’s anxiety level instantly kicked up several notches.

             
Murphy placed a kiss on Fiona’s head and shook her parents’ hands. “Mr. and Mrs. O’Leary, it’s a pleasure to see ya tonight. Ya both look great.”

             
“Why thank you, lad.” Carlin said. “Where did ya shirt take off to?”

             
Murphy chuckled as he put his finger under Fiona’s chin and said, “Tis here lassie, laughed at my homemade costume so I had to take it off. Seems she likes this better anyway, don’t ya lass?”

             
Fiona was about to protest when he placed a kiss straight on her lips, she heard her mother sigh with content and her dead nod his approval. Damn Murphy and his Irish heritage, it was the only reason why her parents were so set in their ways of Fiona ending up with Murphy. They wanted a true Irishman for their daughter. She went to look at Booker again but couldn’t find him. Damn! She knew she shouldn’t care about how Booker felt about the show Murphy was putting on but she couldn’t help herself. She unfortunately cared about the man.

             
After what seemed like an hour of pleasantries with her parents, she was able to pull herself away to get ready for the apple pealing game. It was an Irish tradition they did every year with the ladies who came to the party while the guys took shots of lambswhool at the bar, specially made by Liam.

             
Liam got everyone’s attention by whistling, something he was very good at, especially when he wanted to get a lady’s attention. “Alright you pookas and banshees, it’s time to split up so if you’re with someone give them a mighty big kiss good bye and send them on their way. Pookas or lassies, you are with our dearest Fiona over there who I might add looks like a little slapper.” There was a slight giggle amongst the crowd for Liam calling her a slut. “Banshees you are over here with us O’Leary men, we will be downing some traditional sheepswhool while the ladies try to find their true love by peeling apples.” The men rolled their eyes and made their way to the bar.

             
Fiona gathered the woman and each gave them an apple and an apple peeler. “Now listen up you little vixens. This is an old Irish tradition on All Hollow’s Eve that we do every year. If you have done this before then you know the ritual, if you haven’t this is what we do. We all peel our own apple keeping the skin together in one long peel, don’t break it, and then we will say a little chant, spin three times and toss the peel over our shoulder. When it has landed we will look at the peel and whatever letter shape the apple peel is in, will be the first initial of your true love.”

             
Tipper found her way to Fiona and grabbed her hand. They always made sure to stand next to each other during the tradition.

             
“Hey girlie, are you ready for this?” Tipper asked. “You think you will actually make a different letter this time?”

             
Fiona laughed. “I hope so. I’m getting sick of tossing a lower case Q over my shoulder every year.”

             
“You and me both, maybe it will be an M this time.” Tipper said while elbowing Fiona and wagging her eyebrows.

             
“Let’s hope not.” Fiona said while eyeing Murphy who was practically licking her with his eyes. That man needed to find another woman because every second he had his shirt off Fiona was finding it harder and harder to resist him. “By the way, I wish you would have seen the look on Bradon’s face when he found out the girl in the sexy cat woman outfit was you.” They started peeling their apples.

             
“Oh God, was he checking me out?”

             
“Big time, when he found out it was you he acted like someone just chopped his dick off. I don’t get why you two hate each other so much.”

             
“Sorry to say this about your brother but he is the epitome of scum. He thinks he’s the greatest thing that’s happened to Warblers Point.”

             
“You’re right in that aspect but he’s not too bad. He’s a good guy you know, if you took time to get to know him.”

             
Tipper looked at her in shock. “Are you actually trying to hook me up with my nemesis?”

             
Fiona put her hands up in defense. “I apologize.” Fiona was done peeling her apple and so was everyone else. “Alright ladies, time to start spinning and repeat after me.”

             
All the girls stood in a line and did three spins as they repeated after Fiona. “Apple peel, apple peel, please reveal, the initial letter of my true love. Now toss them gently over your right shoulder ladies and turn around to see your letter.”

             
Fiona turned around and was not shocked when she saw once again that she threw a lower case Q. She looked over at Tipper who tossed hers into a pile…no secret reveal there. “Looks like I’m destined with a lower case Q.”

             
Mary Margaret joined them and stopped Fiona before she picked it up. “Me girl, you threw a B this year.”

             
“B? Mom it’s a lower case Q.” Her mom was losing it.

             
“Not from where I’m standing. That’s a B.”

             
Tipper walked over to where Mary Margaret was standing and looked down at Fiona’s apple peel. A giant grin spread across her face. “She’s right, it’s a B.”

             
Fiona refused to believe that it was a B, because that would mean that she was destined to be with Booker. She knew it was an old Irish tradition just to keep the woman busy but every woman in her family had always thrown the letter of their true love. Her mom was always convinced that the same would happen to Fiona.

             
Fiona picked up the peel and tossed it in the trash. “It’s just a stupid game anyway so who cares. Come on.” She said to Tipper. “Let’s get some lambswhool.”

             
They were almost to the bar when Murphy came over and intercepted them. He grabbed Fiona by the waist and pulled her in close. Tipper motioned to the bar saying she would grab Fiona a drink.

             
“Hey sweetheart, how did the peel throwing go…Did you make an M?”

             
She tried to squirm out of his grip but it was pretty much impossible and there was no way she was going to push against his naked chest to free herself, so she succumbed to his dominance.

             
“No, sorry, another Q.”

“Aye, well there’s always next year.” He nuzzled her neck and she squirmed in his arms.

Trying to change the subject and get Murphy’s mind on something else she asked, “How’s the lambswhool?”

             
He lifted his head and smirked at her. “Good as ever. Liam really has nailed the recipe.” Fiona knew talking to Murphy about booze was a sure fire way to get him to lose sight at what he was doing. Irishmen and their booze!

             
Tipper handed her a glass, thank God for her because Murphy let up on his grip a little so Fiona could actually take a sip of her drink. Tipper and Murphy engaged in a conversation about the proper liquor to put in lambswhool while Fiona scanned the room for Booker. She felt bad that he came and she hadn’t even really sad hi to him at all. She knew that she brushed him off and he probably wouldn’t approach her but she still wanted to at least acknowledge him.

             
She looked around the room and didn’t see him at all. Did he leave? Maybe this wasn’t his kind of scene. She watched everyone in the pub drinking, dancing and having a good time. She loved Halloween, it was one of her favorite holidays and ever since the pub started having Halloween parties it made it that much more fun. The pub was full of their family and friends all having a fantastic time and that was when she spotted Booker in the back by her apartment entrance. He was talking to the local general store owner and he looked pissed. He was the only one in the pub who didn’t seem to be having a good time.

             
She felt Murphy wrap his arms around her waist so his chest was pressed against her back. He started kissing her neck and she watched Booker’s gaze grow darker and darker. For some reason she felt guilty and embarrassed for parading around tonight with Murphy at her heels, touching her, stroking her and being as physical as possible with her.

             
“Come home with me tonight, lass.” Murphy whispered in her ear. “I want to be the one who takes this costume off of ya, that is after ya do a little naughty dance for me first.”

             
A wave of heat rippled through Fiona’s body form Murphy’s gruff voice whispering in her ear. She couldn’t take this. He was way too tempting. She stepped away from him and said, “Murphy, I told you already we can’t start whatever we had back up again.”

             
He gave her a devilish grin, nothing compared to the one that melted her panties off that Booker delivered but it was still good. “Who’s saying anything about a relationship? I’m just talking about one night with you.”

             
That’s all it ever seemed like he wanted. Fiona knew if she spent one night with Murphy she would be tempted for another night and that’s not what she wanted. She wanted a relationship with substance, someone who she could talk to and hash things out with, someone like Booker but she wanted someone also who lived in the general vicinity, not someone who lived across the country.

             
She gathered up all her will power and said, “I’m sorry Murph. I’m moving on.” As she said the words she saw a flash of black run through Murphy’s eyes and bitterness settled in. She had never seen him like this before. His whole body tensed and she was actually nervous in his presence. Even after she broke things off with him she never saw him like this.

             
He looked down at her and said, “This isn’t over lassie.” Then he walked away and saddled up next to Tipper to drink more lambswhool.

             
She eyed Booker who was now by himself so she decided to go talk to him, she should at least say hi. Going over there had nothing to do with the fact that she might have dropped a B with her apple peel or that deep down inside she wished he was a resident on the east coast so she could take him up on his offer to be with him. God, how she wished she could be with him. He looked too damn sexy tonight and all she wanted to do was run her hands up and down that perfect body of his. She grabbed some liquid encouragement and made her way across the bar.

                                                                                    ***

              The last thing Liam wanted to do tonight was celebrate Halloween, a holiday that him and Neala always went all out on. Instead of being at the pub dressed up with his wife, he was stuck wearing a stupid chipmunk costume, thanks to Bradon, handing out lambswhool, which happened to be the best part of the night. The recipe was handed down to him from his parents but he finally got all the proportions right of crushed apple, spiced-ale, cider, milk and sugar. He was getting compliments left and right from everyone, even his da, one of the hardest critics in the pub.

             
He was shocked when he saw Sophie walk into the pub earlier. He gave her a ticket a while back and thought she wouldn’t show up because of how everything went down with Neala but she was a brave girl, she came anyway. He was glad because he didn’t want his problems to ostracize her from the community.

             
She was dressed up as a sexier version of little Bo Peep. Her dress was short, showing off her little legs and the neckline was low giving everyone a good view of what she had to offer. Watching guys around her, eye her and check her out twisted Liam’s stomach. He knew he had no claim over her but he still didn’t like to think that some other guy could date her, pleasure her or make her happy. That was his job…well was his job.

The thought of Sophie being his brought back the image of the divorce papers Neala had delivered which burned a hole through his soul. She was awfully quick on getting those papers written up. It made him wonder how long she wanted a divorce, how long she had been planning to leave him. If he gave it his all, would he
have even been able to win her back? He still hadn’t talked to her since everything went down at the general store and now she moved out of their place and was living with her parents. It seemed like only yesterday they were in bed together sharing their love, how quickly things changed.

             
Finn was taking a break from the bar for a moment and that’s when Liam noticed him chatting up Tipper, Sophie and some of their friends. He was being a little too charming for Liam’s liking, especially since he noticed Sophie touching Finn on the arm and laughing. Liam never liked the two of them together, he always thought they were sneaking around behind his back but deep down inside Liam knew Finn would never do that to him. They got into their fair share of fights but they always knew that their brotherhood took precedence over any relationship they would ever have.              

             
Sophie dropped her napkin in a fit of laughter, thanks to Finn and bent over to get it. That was when Liam’s mouth went dry and his dick went hard. Her skirt lifted up as she bent over revealing little white ruffled panties. Jesus, he thought. He was never going to get that image out of his head. Damn, even though he wasn’t even divorced and he shouldn’t want anything to do with Sophie, it took all his energy not to go over there and whisk her away like he used to when they were dating.

             
He noticed her drink was low so he decided to bring her a glass and kick Finn back to the bar, Liam was sick of watching Finn win all the ladies over. He filled up another glass of lambswhool for her and walked over. As he approached her he noticed she had some kind of glittery substance all over her body making her look even better up close, almost like an angel. Liam was playing with fire by approaching her but he couldn’t help himself. Finn was the first one to make eye contact with him and nodded.

             
“Want me to watch the bar?” Finn asked.

             
“That would be great, thanks man.”

             
Finn gave the girls a little wave good bye and Sophie a kiss on the cheek making Liam turn red with rage. It was just a friendly kiss he had to keep telling himself, there was nothing going on between the two of them.

             
Sophie finally looked up at Liam for the first time in the night and all the laughter and fun she had in her face beforehand was instantly removed and replaced by nervous tension. That was the last thing he wanted. He didn’t want to be the man that wiped away that beautiful smile and bubbly energy she usually displayed.

             
Trying to forget her disappointment in Liam taking Finn’s place he said, “Here, I thought you might need a refill.” She took the cup he handed her and whispered a thank you. Liam noticed all the woman around him went silent and were just watching him and Sophie interact with each other. It wasn’t a good idea to visit Sophie in the middle of practically all the town’s people. He felt the atmosphere between him and the ladies turn from fun and pleasant to extremely awkward and uncomfortable. 

             
“Uh, so how has your night been?” Liam asked, trying to strike up some sort of conversation so it wasn’t completely awkward between him and Sophie.

             
“Good, thanks.”

             
Well, she wasn’t making the situation any better with her two worded answer. This was a bad idea. He should just apologize for everything again and leave.

             
“Listen, Soph…” He looked around as all the girls around them were hanging on his every word. This didn’t look good, especially with the gossiping that went on in this town. Word was going to get back to Neala that he was talking to Sophie tonight. He needed to leave…immediately. Looking around he continued, “I, uh just wanted to thank you for coming tonight, and I hope you have a good night with your friends.”

             
With that he tipped the stupid Simon glasses he was wearing with his costume and left the ladies to their chirping. That didn’t go as well as he planned. What was he even trying to accomplish? It’s not like he could do anything about the feelings he had toward Sophie. Even a year down the road, would he ever be able to do anything with Sophie? Would the town automatically judge him for going for her when speculation around Warblers Point was that he and Sophie were having an affair? He went to go clean some more glasses while Finn took care of the bar. He had to be alone so he could get lost in his thoughts.

                                                                                    ***

              Booker was not happy, not happy at all. He knew coming to this party wasn’t going to be satisfying, especially after having to watch Murphy hang all over Fiona the whole time. Booker and Murphy were about the same height but where Booker was lean muscle, Murphy was all brawn so Booker conceded in the fact that Murphy would be able to take him out if Booker tried to get in a fight. He wasn’t stupid, he knew how to size up a man and assess what kind of damages would happen if they ever rumbled and the damages weren’t looking in Booker’s favor.

             
When he first got to the pub and ran smack into Fiona he had never seen anyone look so sexy in his entire life. He had been around his fair share of Halloween skimpy-ness but good God did Fiona take the cake. Her hair was cascading down in curls around her shoulders, she did something with her make-up that made her eyes pop and the cleavage the woman was showing was beyond anything he could ever imagine. He remembered the night he shared with Fiona, naked, the image was etched in his brain but this get up was right up there with how enticing she looked.

             
He hadn’t talked to her all night which bothered him. He knew he blew up at her in the hallway the other day but he thought she might at least say hi. He did show up with her parents for crying out loud, the decent thing would to say a little hello, strike up a conversation, be a gracious host but he got nothing.

             
He chatted with a few of the locals that he came to know and eyed some of the females in the pub but no one really sparked his interest. Just like he thought, Fiona had ruined him. There was some sexy blonde in a cat woman outfit that Bradon kept eyeing and Booker didn’t blame him, she looked hot but she didn’t hold a candle to Fiona. No one did.

Irritated with himself and his feelings he put his drink down and started to head for the back door to let himself out when a small hand grabbed his shoulder. He turned around to find Fiona. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest just from being close to her.

She looked so small, even with those come-fuck-me heels on her feet. “Hey Booker, how are you?”

She was actually being cordial. He was shocked and didn’t quite know what to do. Noticing it had been a couple of seconds since she spoke, he quickly squeaked out, “Uh, fine. Thanks. What about yourself?”

She looked around the pub and gestured toward the door leading outside. He followed her outside and the cold air instantly hit him. The cold was not his friend and if he was cold in his pirate get up, there was no doubt in his mind that Fiona had to be cold in what little garments she was wearing.

“Shit, its cold.” Booker muttered.

Fiona waved a hand in front of her passing off his comment. “This is nothing, wait until December and January roll around, you will be begging for this kind of weather.” He noticed her facial expression change. “Oh but you probably will be in beautiful sunny California by then so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I’m going to be here for a while. I actually quite like it…besides the cold weather. That is something I’m still getting used to.”

She nodded in agreement. “You’ll get sick of it once the spirit of the season wears off and you are left with snow and parking lot snow slush that wet your pants no matter how hard you try to avoid it, everyone at one time or another gets demolished by the parking lot slush.” She was joking around with him but he couldn’t force himself to join her, instead he heard himself snap at her.

“I’m not like every other tourist that walks through this town
, believe me.” He was getting so sick of her comparing him to everyone else. He was not like everyone else. If he was, he wouldn’t be in some small town in Vermont searching for happiness. Almost everyone found happiness in a sunny fantastic place like Hollywood.