Beautiful Eternity

Ch. 3: County Cavan

Emeric's smile was the only thing in my head the day I got ready for work. Instead of going to the office, I was off on a research assignment to the midlands of Ireland. I was to write about a local pub in Kelleshandra, County Cavan. As I finished tucking the front of my beige sweater into my winter white skirt, I blushed as the image of Emeric combing his hand through his hair ran through my head. I picked up a brown belt and quickly secured it around my waist before grabbing my work bag.

When I opened the door to my apartment, I was surprised to see Aoife standing outside my door but was even less surprised at what she was wearing. Aoife donned a red pantsuit with a white tank top that was also plunging. Even in this cold Irish weather, her hand still caressed a hard caramel macchiato, and her lips stretched in a light smirk. She finished with dangly pearl earrings and shoes just as red as the rest of her outfit.

"For gosh sake!" I gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing today," she said, sipping her drink.

"Of course, I know. I'm writing an article on that pub in Killeshandra," I replied, slightly shoving her out of the way so I could lock my apartment door.

She nodded. "Good, but you probably know, darling, that's not why I'm here."

"Of course, I know."

"How did you get Emeric Pierce to talk to you?" she asked, following in step with me as I walked to the bus stop down the street from my apartment. "I've been flirting with him for years, and he's never taken me dancing."

"Maybe it's because I didn't spend the night flirting with him?" I questioned.

Aoife scoffed, taking another sip of her coffee. "You midwesterners and your morals."

I laughed at that, throwing my head back. "Yes, like the Irish are any better."

Aoife rolled her eyes, flipping her black hair over her shoulder and swinging it slightly. "Anyway, what did you two talk about? You seemed to be with him for a wee while."

I sighed and smiled, thinking about his smile. I reached up and fiddled with my pearl earring, remembering how it felt to be dancing in his arms. I couldn't tell Aoife any of that, of course. "Nothing much. We weren't together a whole lot. I mean, I did practically run into him."

Aoife sighed dreamily. "Ah, love at first collision. It's got a nice wee ring, doesn't it?"

"My word, Aoif, you're insufferable," I playfully shoved her.

"It's a good thing you're not coming to the office, or I'd tell Daddy about you," she threatened jokingly.

"Oh, I'm quaking in my flats," I remarked sarcastically, stopping at the bus stop. Aoife said a quick goodbye before clicking off down the cobblestone sidewalks of Dublin. I watched her walk down the streets, hair swishing with every step she took. Aoife knew her worth and wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of her goals. When her brother wanted to be the chief editor of The Irish Gra, Aoife worked her way up the ladder faster and more efficiently than her brother.

On the two-and-a-half-hour bus ride to Killeshandra, my mind drifted back to the enchanting night before. I dosed off thinking about Emeric and who he was. I wondered if I'd ever run into him again and what I would say if I did. Like most girls, I daydreamed about different scenarios. I dreamed of us walking down the street in the pouring rain or dancing in a parking lot. When the bus stopped, and I was jolted awake, my fantasies evaporated and dragged back into reality. It was then I realized that the dancing in the rain dream sequence didn't come out of romance but out of the fact that rain was pounding at the metal roof of the bus.