Wild Chance (Wild Irish Universe)(4)

Yup, those sites were the absolute wrong places to find love.

Sighing, Mona nodded. “Okay.”

“Woo!” Esme cheered, lifting her champagne above her head.

“But one drink.” Mona added. “I can’t be drunk since I’m pretty sure I’ll be driving home.”

Esme giggled and touched her flute to Mona’s. “Sure, baby. Whatever you say. Carlton! Wait up! I need to talk to you!”

Esme ran off after the school’s Spanish teacher. Mona watched Esme all into easy conversation with the man for a moment then shook her head. It was never that easy for her to strike up a conversation with anyone. Esme was blessed.

Sighing, Mona went back to where a group of teachers had gathered. She chatted with them for a while, danced with the bride then allowed herself to be escorted from the wedding by Esme. By then it was well after ten and she figured people should be sleeping or she should be painting. Yet, they sped back to Mona’s apartment, changed and were on their way once more. Mona followed Esme’s directions to the letter and soon she was pulling into a parking spot across the street from a pub called Pat’s.

“Um…” Mona said.

“Baby steps. First, we feed your eyes, then we feed your alcohol addiction.”

Mona gasped and smacked Esme playfully. “I do not have an addiction!”

But her friend merely giggled and scrambled from the car. Mona climbed out and slammed the door. After activating the alarm, she gave herself the once over. Esme looped her arm to Mona’s and the two jay-walked across the street and into the Irish pub.

“Oh wow.” Mona said, looking around. “It’s—um—quaint.”

“Are you kidding? This place is amazing…come on! We’re in luck.”

Before Mona could ask in luck for what she was being yanked through mingling bodies toward the far side of the joint. Esme fell into a seat by an empty table—the only one in the place from the looks of it.

It wasn’t too loud. It seemed like the perfect place to have a beer and chill with the boys or for a girls’ night out. Mona had to admit, she liked it and the men—well, they weren’t bad either. One drink turned into a second and soon she was left at the table playing a game on her phone while Esme was asked to dance by every Tom, Dick and Harry.

Mona sighed. “La historia de mi vida.” She muttered.

“What’s the story of your life?” Esme’s asked.

Mona looked up. She quickly put her phone away. “Nothing. Was just checking how many bids I have on the art piece on the site.”

“Not many?”

“Four.” Mona sighed. “But it’s only been a few hours, right? I mean, some people in the world were asleep when I posted it.”

“You see that guy over there at the end of the bar?” Esme asked, lifting her drink to her lips.

When Mona turned to look, Emse grabbed her arm. “Don’t look!”

“How am I supposed to see him if I don’t look?”

“Switch seats with me,” Esme said.

“Oh, yeah—that won’t look obvious at all.”

Esme smacked her. “Just, switch with me.”

With a soft sigh, Mona rose nonchalantly, stepped around one side of the table and fell into Esme’s seat. She allowed her eyes to travel around the room, bopping her head to the song playing even though all she could hear was the base. “Buzz cut, muscular, tall?”

“That’s the one.”

“He’d be perfect for you.”

Esme made an irritated sound in her throat, so Mona looked at her.

“Not for me,” Esme said. “For you!”

“Me?” Mona leaned in to whisper fiercely. “Um—which of us the guys are asking to dance tonight?”

“That doesn’t mean anything. He’s been staring at you ever since we walked in.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Would you trust me on this?” Esme asked. “Go buy him a drink.”

“Isn’t it his job to buy me a drink? Why stare like some stalker?”

“Maybe he’s shy.” Esme slurped from her beer. “And in the age sexual harassment accusations, most guys don’t hit on women anymore.”

I frowned.

“And what is this, the eighteen hundreds? You’re a strong, independent woman! You can buy a man a drink if you want to. Git!”

Mona looked up at the man again. This time their eyes met and even from across the space she knew his eyes would be her downfall. The corners of his lips quirked upward slightly. He turned to speak to the female that had been serving behind the bar. She laughed at something he said before walking off. His eyes found Mona’s once more. She bowed her head, pretending to be peering at her bottle.

“He caught you staring, didn’t he?”

“Do you know who he is?” Mona asked.

“Nope.” Esme shrugged. “He works here because he’s dressed like the guy at the door. Been coming here two years now? And I’ve never seen him. It’s a bit of a family affair in here so he could be another son in the Collins brood.”

“How many are there?”

“Who knows at this point? Big family though.”

“Okay.” Mona glanced over to see the man wasn’t looking at her but was perusing the interior. “How is my make up?”