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"But what about work?" Ryan questioned.
I shrugged. "I've been working that uptight finance job for five years now. I have plenty in my savings account, and I’m sure I can pick up an odd job while in Ireland to keep me busy. Bartending or something." I waved my hands nonchalantly.
Now I was sure I sounded crazy. I wasn't exactly the spontaneous type to pack up my life and move to another country, but nothing about me lately looked and felt like who I really was. The real Ethan had been left behind years ago leaving only a shell of the man I once was.
Ryan hesitated for a few more seconds as he continued watching me, then sighed. "I'm coming with you."
"What? What about your job?"
He shrugged. "Hated it anyway. I'll tell them I need to take a sabbatical, and if they don't give it to me, I'll quit. But they'll give it to me; I'm too important there," he said, grinning.
I chuckled at my old friend as he left through the front door. I knew there was no point in arguing with Ryan when he'd made up his mind on something. If he said he was coming with me, he’d be on the flight I’d booked in a few hours, ready for whatever madness I was dragging him into.
"I'll be back in two hours. You better not leave without me. I'm going to call up Brian and Maverick, too, and see if they want to come," he called out.
This spontaneous adventure reminded me of the times we used to get in trouble back when we were in high school. Cutting class and skipping town. However, this time I hoped it wouldn't be trouble we were getting into but hopefully getting out of.
I finished packing and reached into my pocket, hesitating whether I should text my brother to let him know where I was going in the event he or my parents were looking for me. Deciding against it, I clicked off my phone. I doubt they’d even realized I’d left the country.
As promised, two hours later, Ryan was back at my apartment door with a small bag in his hand. "Wasn't sure how long we'd be gone for, so I packed light. How long are we going to be in Ireland for anyway?"
I shrugged. "As long as it takes for me to figure out where the hell everything went wrong."
Chapter 3: Sasha
Present Day
It was around 7 at night, and my first day in Dublin was coming to a close. I’d spent the day exploring Henry Street, sight-seeing downtown, shopping, and trying new food.
The night was now winding down by the Liffey River, where Ella, one of my new hostel buddies, and I sipped on Guinness, watching boats lazily drift by. It had been a typical first day for me in a new city, just how I liked it.
Ella, a 30-year-old blonde with stunning brown eyes and long legs from London, was on holiday with her friend Lark, who had opted to stay in for the night. They’d come in for St. Patrick’s day, a tradition they’d had since college and Ella was eager to hit the pubs.
As we relaxed, the thought of the hot American Uber driver crossed my mind briefly, but I was in the mood to soak in the scenery without complicating things with a boy tonight. Ella, on the other hand, had different plans.
“Where are all the hot men in Dublin?” she teased. “Why won’t you hit up your Uber driver again? He said he’s here with friends. Friends, hot guys, St. Patrick’s Day and a pub – sounds like a good night to me.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Because he’s American. I’m supposed to be having commitment-free international flings, not planning potential meetups for when I finally return to the States.”
“But what if he’s from, like, California or something?” Ella countered. “Then there’s no way your paths would cross when you go back.”
Ella had a point. I lived in Washington DC, on the other side of the country from California. Was it possible he lived that far away?
I dug into my phone to check his area code but became distracted when my phone lit up with an unwanted caller – Colton, my cheating, engaged ex-boyfriend.
Ignoring it, I tried to focus my attention back on the Dublin night, but Colton persisted, his name flashing across my screen again as my phone vibrated incessantly in my hand as if it was trying to wave a red flag. A red flag I should have seen when I was dating Colton.
I sighed. “Ella, this will just take a minute.” I spoke, standing as I walked to the river’s edge.
“Colton. What the hell do you want?”
“Sasha, you answered. Please don’t hang up. It’s not what you think,” he pleaded. “Yes, I’m engaged, but it isn’t serious. I want to be with you. I want you. Come back and we can work things out and I’ll end things with Olivia.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” I shouted into the phone. “Leave me alone and go plan your wedding with your fiancé. I don’t want to ever see your name show up on my phone again.” I hung up with an aggressive punch of the end call button, and in my anger, the phone slipped from my hand landing face down on the cement below.
“Shit!” I shouted quickly scooping it up to inspect the damage. The entire screen had been shattered with bits of light now coming through the cracks where rocks and gravel were stuck.
Returning to Ella, I sighed. “Looks like the potential meet-up at the pub isn’t happening. I accidentally dropped my phone, and it shattered. There’s no way for me to call or text Ethan now.”
