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“You,” Colin flicks a finger her direction, “I like. And you,” he tosses a lick lip the direction of our waiter, “I really like.”
Bryan blushes under the words and my cousin’s stare alike, nearly spilling the pint he places in front of me.
Flirting and confidence are the keys to being an O’Clery.
Family oriented is a not so hidden important trait as well.
Harper orders another round of shots that she knows I like – Lucky Leprechauns – and I show off my library of booze knowledge once more. Jokes regarding who names the drinks leads to conversations about weird things tourists from all around the world think when they arrive in my birth country. They tell her numerous tales about traveling, explaining how it runs in the blood. How granddad took that love and turned it into a profitable business that no one else expected to succeed. We eat and drink and my girlfriend learns about my family lineage while I simply get pissed on the flowing alcohol as much as the kinship that I miss thanks to an ocean between us.
Drinking for my birthday is fun but drinking with those I love is what really makes it amazing.
“Yeah, I’ve never really traveled,” Harper replies to my uncle’s question. “I mean I went to college not too far from where I was raised. I moved here to the mitten for work, which also isn’t that far from where I grew up. And my job has me travel all over the state as well as on the occasion bordering states, but like for fun? Not really. I’ve never been anywhere I’d like. My ex would occasionally book us lavish beach or ski vacations, but it was just expensive resort shit with rich people pissing contests. I don’t actually think anyone there had fun.”
Unexpected envy over her ex being brought up has me swinging my arm back around her shoulder in a wordless, claiming fashion.
I’m not jealous of Daniel.
I look better.
Sound better.
Love better.
Fuck better.
Harper gushes about how I’m the best she’s ever had in the sack all the time.
Like I said I’m not jealous of Daniel.
I’m jealous of what Daniel could financially give to her that I can’t yet.
That the tiniest part of me fears I never will be able to.
He’s a bloody surgeon with a career going upward, and I’m a server at an expensive restaurant that isn’t even sure the one thing he may be interested in doing someday is the right thing for him.
“We’ll show you a good time when you come to Dublin,” Colin warmly promises, glazed over gaze indicating how pissed he already is.
“Free of charge,” Uncle Rory playfully adds after chugging back the last of his Guinness.
“We are not going before I have put a ring on this bloody finger,” I lovingly proclaim while lifting the appropriate one. “Promise ring. Or an engagement ring. Or marriage ring.” My rambling is slightly slurred, and I blame the three shots of Irish Flag. “They all scare the single O’Clerys the same.”
She giggles and the sweet sound has me placing a kiss where the jewelry will go.
Maybe tomorrow?
I wanted to save a little longer, but the way I swear Uncle Rory keeps looking at her is making me antsy.
“And just how many of you are there?” Harper curiously inquires as she reaches for an onion ring. “Draw me a family tree.”
“You draw us your family tree,” Uncle Rory playfully pokes back prior to motioning to Bryan for another round for the table.
“I guess Rosa will be picking our arses up after her girl’s night with Cora and a couple of women from work,” Dad murmurs in preparation of more beer.
“Strip club?” Uncle Rory juvenilely jabs.
“Drinks – though she probably won’t even have one knowing we were hitting a pub – and euchre.”
Uncle Rory makes a dramatic yawning motion.
