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Leonard’s voice calls over my shoulder, breaking the moment, and Alex steps back, digging his hands deeply into his pants pockets as he rocks back on his heels.
“Come on, Leo,” Darcy calls out from her place behind the bar, where she’s sat on a bar stool, clearly having been watching us the whole time. “Mammy always said if you were twice as smart, you’d still be stupid.”
CHAPTER6
REYNA
“There isnowaythe new Top Gun is better than the original. I call bullshit!”
Alex’s chest rumbles with laughter as he nods. “I’m telling you, you’re missing out.”
I shake my head, grinning at his insistence. “I’ll take your word.”
Music sounds through the speakers dotting the expansive pub just as the front door opens, and suddenly there’s an onslaught of customers flooding inside, scrambling over one another to get closer to the bar.
What begins as a dim hum of voices blares to life in a cacophony inside the space of two minutes, all while we watch in amazement. Shortly, the entire place is heaving full of business types, utterly at odds with the décor of the bar.
Darcy and two of her employees spur into action as my eyes find Alex’s. He tips his head toward a free booth in the back of the pub in silent question, and I nod my agreement enthusiastically.
He grabs my hand, interlinking our fingers as though it’s the most natural thing in the world. His eyes catch mine, and he brushes his thumb across the back of my hand in reassurance. My stomach dips when the simple touch sends a jolt of electricity up along my arm while he leads me through the mass of customers.
Once we reach the booth, he gestures for me to sit on one side.
I fully expect him to sit opposite; however, he surprises me by sliding in alongside me. As though in answer to my unspoken question, he grins lopsidedly. “If I sit opposite, I might not hear you properly.”
Makes sense.
“Is it always this hectic?”
Alex glances about, taking in the jam-packed space, before turning back to face me and slowly lifting a shoulder. “Upon occasion. Though I can’t say I’ve been here often enough to make me an expert on anything Molly Malones related. I’d have to ask my assistant to know for sure.”
His eyes sparkle playfully, and my face splits in a smile. He glances at his watch, looking back up at me with incredulous eyes. “Christ, Rey. I walked in here five hours ago!”
My own eyes blow wide at the thought, vaguely registering his abbreviation of my name.
“Wow, that was the quickest afternoon of my life!” I shake my head, laughing softly in disbelief.
Alex chuckles at my reaction, turning just in time to catch the eye of a passing barman. He holds up two fingers, and the barman nods before turning back toward the bar.
“Talking with you has made a really unpleasant day so much more bearable.” I glance down almost shyly, unable to meet his eyes, when he turns back to face me. “Thank you for lifting my spirits, Alex. Despite your own day being less than stellar—”
He cuts me off. “What gave me away?”
I press my lips together before raising my eyes to find his. “Well, you did lure me in with your phrase ‘misery loves company.’ It’s not your average chat-up line, and you’ve been utterly respectable to boot. You’ve spent the day cheering me up and avoiding mention of your own reason for wanting a time-turner, which leads me to deduce your day drinking is connected to a work-related mishap that occurred sometime before noon.”
He sniggers easily. “You’re quite the sleuth, Rey.”
“Just call me Reyna Holmes!” I waggle my eyebrows playfully.
Alex throws his head back, laughing long and loud, uncaring that his unfiltered bellow draws the attention of several bystanders who continue to stare, talking quickly among themselves.
I don’t give them much thought, as his mirth is infectious, and soon I’m laughing alongside him.
Darcy appears almost out of nowhere, depositing two steaming bowls before us. “Irish stew. My mother’s recipe, just so you know.” She puffs out her chest with pride at that, and I smile my appreciation in return, knowing just how special old family recipes are.
“I’ll add it to the ever-mounting tab, pretty boy.” Then she winks before disappearing through the throng.
I peer hesitantly into my bowl, the scent of the dish hitting me square in the nostrils.
