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I arrived at Murphy’s Irish Pub just a few minutes after seven. I scanned the crowd for Allyson. The tavern was packed tonight. The jukebox blared “The Rocky Road to Dublin,” and I tapped my foot in time to the music. I spotted William Murphy, the owner of the pub, tending the bar. He saw me come in and waved me over. I smiled and headed to him.

Peanut shells crunched under my feet as I navigated through the crush of people. William had once told me he never cleaned up the shells, or he would risk revealing a sticky, beer-stained floor to his customers. Personally, I thought the tale was a big fat lie. He was so meticulous about his place, not a single detail was forgotten. From the antique wooden barrels of Jameson to the vintage Michael Collins posters, I was sure the floors were mopped to a sparkling gleam at the end of every night.

“A pint of Guinness for the lady?” William asked when I reached him.

“Sorry, Will. Wine only for this girl—you know that,” I chided.

“Aye, lassie!” he said with a feigned Irish brogue. “One day, I’ll get you to come over to the dark side.”

I grimaced and stuck my tongue out. I hated the taste of beer.

William let out a loud, boisterous laugh. “Okay, not today then. Since you won’t go for a nice stout, what else can I get for you, my dear?”

“Actually, nothing at the moment. I’m meeting Allyson tonight for dinner.”

“She’s already here,” he said as he pointed to the back of the pub. I looked over and saw her seated at a corner table.

“Thanks, Will. I’ll catch you later.”

I made my way over to where Allyson was sitting. She waved when she saw me approaching.

“I ordered you a glass of white already,” she said after I sat down.

“That’s my girl,” I said with a wink.

Allyson gave me a smile in return, showing off her pearly whites. She was a natural beauty—so pretty she turned the heads of men everywhere we went. She had sparkling emerald green eyes that lit up whenever she laughed. She wore her blond hair long, never trimming more than an inch off at a time. Her hair was effortlessly straight, and I was often envious of her shower-and-go abilities.

“So, did you find your phone charger?” I asked her.

“How did you know I lost my charger?” she questioned, narrowing her eyes and sounding slightly defensive.

“You left me a note. You only do that when your charger is missing, and your phone is dead,” I teased.

“I just forgot it was in my gym bag,” she mumbled with a scowl.

I busted out laughing. “You’ve already used that excuse, Ally,” I goaded, my eyes threatening to spill tears of laughter. The truth was, Allyson lost just about everything, and I loved to pick on her for it.

“It’s not funny, Krys! You try going almost twenty-four hours without a phone. It sucks!” she exclaimed, but she was fighting back a smile.

The waitress came over to take our food order, breaking up our playful banter. As appealing as the chicken finger basket sounded, I stuck with the grilled chicken salad. Allyson, not one to have to worry about counting calories, ordered a burger and fries. I didn’t know how she could eat that stuff and not add a single ounce to her petite frame. I’d be on the treadmill for a week if I ordered that.

“So, tell me—what’s your good news?” I asked after we placed our orders. I loved hearing about Allyson’s latest and greatest.

“Well,” she drawled,. “I landed the photography job with Ethan DeJames.”

“That’s great, Ally! I’m so happy for you!” I reached over and gave her a one-armed hug. Ethan DeJames was one of the fastest-growing fashion designers in New York with brand new offices in Paris and Milan. This was great news, as well as a big step in the right direction for my friend.

“It’s great to know I’ll have a good steady income coming in now. I loved freelancing, but it was too tough waiting for the next job to come in.” She held up her glass to me. “Drinks on me tonight, babe!” We clinked our glasses, and I took a sip of wine. There was an impish glint in her eyes that led me to believe there was more to her news than just a job.

“So what else do you have to tell me?”

She threw me a sly smile, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. Her look confirmed my suspicions—there was more.

“Guess.”

“You have a new guy?” I predicted. Her grin widened. “Ha! I knew it! So, who is he? Tall, dark, and handsome like the last one?”

Her grin instantly faded into a scowl.