AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No can do.”
My sense of humor left me. “I’d like to go to Belfast please; my plane was diverted and I need to get there at all costs. It’s my best friend’s wedding tomorrow.
“Then your best friend should’ve picked a better time to get married. It’s St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, and it doesn’t fall at the weekend often. Everyone will be out celebrating from now until Sunday night.”
“Why do people keep telling me that? Listen, I don’t care how much it costs, can you please just get me there? I’ll make it worth your while.”
“No amount of money would make it worth my while if I had to face my angry wife afterward. She’s expecting to go out; even bought a new dress for the occasion. We’re all off to a Ceilidh in the local town hall. My life wouldn’t be worth living if I let her down and drove north of the border with you at this late hour of the day.I’d never get back in time.”
“Look, there are no cars for hire and I don’t know anyone here. I’m stranded.”
“To be sure you’re in a fix, but I can’t help you. Besides, all the wife’s relatives are coming for the dance so I’m hardly likely to embarrass her.Family first during holiday times.I’ve worked during the holidays when the kids were little and…”
I stared pointedly at him as he gave more reasons why he couldn’t do the job he was paid to do while I’d already begun to think of another plan. It had become apparent I probably wasn’t going to go far in my immediate future and I needed a little luck of the Irish to see me though. There was no way I was getting back out in line. I knew how fortunate I’d been not to be recognized.
“Okay, can you take me to a good quality hotel for now? I need to be somewhere private to work this all out.”
“Now that I can do. The Croke Hotel is a lovely comfortable place. It’s close to town and only about a fifteen-minute drive from here.
* * *
Finley, the taxi driver, crammed in his life story during the short drive until he stopped at a decent looking hotel down a quiet, narrow road. He dropped me off and wished me luck as he accepted my US Dollars in payment because I had no Euros in hand. I hadn’t even thought about currency.
Paddy’s brother was supposed to have met me at the airport to take me back to Paddy’s house. I hardly ever used money these days. Everything was card swiped, pinged, or wireless touched. It had never occurred to me I’d need any.
Glancing at the building, I sighed with relief once again and headed inside to the check-in desk.
* * *
“I need a room, please.”
The smartly dressed check-in clerk gave me a look of utter disbelief. “You haven’t booked one already?” she asked, her voice rising with the incredulous request I’d made. She looked at me like I was a crazy person.
“No.” I glanced around and noticed a couple of girls checking me out, “I’ll take anything you have.”
“Without a prior reservation I can’t help you, Sir. We have nothing to offer. We’re full until—”
“Monday,” I said, finishing off her sentence for her. “Look I’m stranded. I was supposed to fly into Belfast, but my plane was diverted to—”
“Dublin… it happens when it snows. And the other way around sometimes when the snow is here in the South.”
For a second I felt helpless and wondered if I was going to be a rough sleeper when she said, “Most places will be full and the beds that are left have been left for a reason… mainly that you wouldn’t leave your dog there.”
“Thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better,” I replied without an ounce of humor, then as if she had a flash of inspiration she grabbed her cell and held her finger up for me to wait. Swiping her phone, she scrolled down until she found what she was looking for then connected a call.
“Daisy, can you put a guy up for the night?” she listened then giggled, sweetly. “No, I don’t think so.” She looked up at me and bit her lip, “he doesn’t look like a mass murderer… he’s Canadian, I think.”
“Actually, I’m an American,” I offered, but she put her finger in her ear and turned away from me.
“Yeah, he is. He looks like your crush from that band that Paddy what-his-name’s in. That’s it, DistRoyed!” She said from her side of the conversation and turned, checking me out again. Once her eyes had raked over my face and torso she turned away cupping her hand over the phone as if she was telling a secret.
“Actually, I think he’s even better looking than Jamie Fontaine.”
I bit back a small smile that had threatened to spread on my lips as she listened for a few seconds more, before exclaiming, “I am! I wouldn’t bullshit you like this.”
The woman on the other end said something and the clerk listened intently. “I swear on St. Patrick’s life… you know a saint is dead, right?” she giggled again before glancing quickly to me and clearing her throat. “Right, I’m sending him over.”
After placing her phone back in her purse, she suddenly stared at me as if she had only just realized I had been privy to her conversation. Her face grew pink, and she busily tidied round her counter, unable to look me in the eye. I had to smile even though I wasn’t sure what the deal was because her shyness was cute considering the conversation she’d had on my behalf.
