CHAPTERSIXTEEN
DECLAN
I sat in the pub, waiting for Bre to show up. It had been a long time since I was this nervous about a girl, and I didn’t know why. Just having seen her for a few moments at the café, she had grown to mythical proportions in my mind. I wondered if the real woman would measure up. Or if I’d built her up to such a degree that no one would ever compare.
I wasn’t waiting long. She breezed through the door, her hair up in a messy bun, her cheeks rosy. Outside, the wind whipped down the streets, moaning in that strange Irish way. The pub I’d picked was set a little bit lower than ground level, so that she had to descend two short stairs to reach the floor. It was an older place, and in Ireland, that meant at least five or six hundred years old.
I stood up, not sure if she would recognize me. She walked over, identifying me as her date, but looking around for someone else.
“Where’s Connor?” she asked without bothering to greet me.
“He had something else to do,” I replied.
The truth was that Connor had set us up on this date and then decided not to come. He claimed it was for my own good, but at the moment, I couldn’t agree with him. Bre had clearly been looking forward to a rendezvous with her lover, and I was still an unknown.
“I’m Declan,” I said, putting my hand out. “My friends call me Dex.”
“Hi, Dex,” she said warmly, recovering quickly from her disappointment. “I’m Breanna, but everyone calls me Bre.”
“Hi, Bre,” I replied. “I hope you don’t mind that Connor set us up like this.”
“I don’t mind,” she said, taking a seat.
I sat down beside her, trying not to fall all over myself. She was just a woman. A beautiful, intelligent, kind, and available woman, but still just a woman. I would push her away if I appeared too eager. I was well aware of the mating rituals and how a gentleman had to act if he wanted any action.
“Connor told me you’re a doctor,” Bre opened up when I didn’t have anything to say.
“That’s right. I’m a general practitioner.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t have any specialization. I see patients for a variety of reasons. I’m on rotation at the hospital, but I also have my own practice.” My voice sounded wooden in my ears. I was sure she wouldn’t be interested.
“Have you ever done something like this before?” she asked after a moment of silence.
“Something like what?”
“Like a threesome?”
I laughed. “No. No. I think probably Connor has. He no doubt told me all about it, but I tend to tune him out sometimes.”
“He certainly knows how to enjoy himself,” Bre agreed.
“Can I get you a menu?” I asked.
“That would be great,” she replied.
I stood up and grabbed two menus from the bar, bringing them back to the table. We spent a moment looking over the food offerings, but I couldn’t get my mind off Bre’s question. She had tossed it out as if we were already committed to having sex with Connor. She had considered the opportunity and agreed to it. She was wondering if I had the requisite experience. There was no hesitation in her voice, no indication that she would be unwilling to fuck me. It all seemed so matter of fact, and that made it hard to concentrate on the menu.
I wanted to take her back to my place and make love to her in front of the hearth. But this was officially a lunch date, and I didn’t think it would be proper to leave without having lunch. Bre must have been thinking along the same lines because when it came time to order, she chose something light. An appetizer salad and a beer was all she wanted. I decided to skip the meal altogether and just get a pint.
“How did you meet Connor?” Bre asked.
“We’ve been friends for ages,” I replied.
“Has he always been so carefree?”
“Pretty much.”