* * *
I finally finish putting the shelves back up in Paddy’s office and notice that I’ve been here for two hours already. How the old man managed to get his boxes of papers to stay on those cockeyed shelves is beyond me. It’s a miracle this pub stays standing at all.
I put my tools back in the toolbox and walk out into the hall where Paddy is staring at a calendar on the wall, rubbing his forehead. “Alright there, Paddy?” I ask.
“Aye, lad. Just trying to fill in some gaps on the schedule. Not sure how I’m going to be in two places at once,” he mutters.
“Anything I can help with? I can run some errands for you if that’s what you need.”
“If only it were that easy, my boy. I’d happily let you have my doctor’s appointment if I could. Lord knows I’d much rather be at the pub,” Paddy says with a laugh.
I’m automatically worried. “Doctor’s appointment? Are you talking about a golfing appointment with your son or an actual appointment?”
“No.” He chuckles. “I’m overdue for a checkup, is all. Nothing wrong. Just been putting it off long enough.”
Relief fills me. I’m not sure I’d survive if anything happened to this old codger.
“Doesn’t Alicia run the place while you’re away?” I ask.
“Aye, but we’re short-handed in the back. She can’t tend the bar, do the cooking, and do the washing. Well, she probably could, but I’d never askthat of the lass. She’d have my hide!”
I think it over for a minute, an idea forming in my mind. It’s not exactly selfless though. “I owe you another day of kitchen duty, don’t I?”
Paddy turns to eye me skeptically. “Aye…”
“I suppose I could come in on that night and make the stew. Your customers do seem to prefer it, anyway,” I say with a smirk. “And we could always see if fire sprite could come back for dish duty,” I say nonchalantly like I’m not looking for an excuse to see Norah again.
Paddy grins and bursts out laughing. “Ach! Eamon, lad! You’ll never be able to play poker. You know that, don’t ya? But aye, it’s a solid idea. I’ll let you call Norah with the good news. Her number is in my office.” He walks off, still chuckling to himself.
I’m not as sly as I think I am, apparently.
Chapter Seven
Norah
I made it to the campus early. My theater class is from one to three o’clock, and it’s my favorite class, for obvious reasons. But I also love the hustle and bustle of everyone during rehearsal season, the whole team working so hard to put on an amazing production.
We typically do two bigger programs, one in the fall or winter and one in the spring. When the department head, Dr. Andrews, approached me with his idea for a modernized Beauty and The Beast, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull off designing the costumes he wanted. We spent countless hours pouring over Google searches, books, and catalogs until we finally found something that fit his vision. I went home that same night, locked myself in my house, turned on some music, and started sketching. I sketched until four in the morning. Naturally, I started with Belle. Beauty and the Beastwas my favorite Disney movie as a child, but I’ve always loved fantasy and anything magical. There’s just something about falling in love with a beast, someone filled with hatred and so much rage, and changing their heart. I sketched the opening scene—a cobbled French street with cafes lining the sidewalks, a car or two parked along the side, and bikes leaning up against bike racks. Belle is walking next to a flower vendor in a soft light blue sweater that hangs loosely off of one shoulder and light denim, artfully distressed jeans tucked into knee-high boots. Her long brown hair falls over her shoulder in a loose braid, and she’s reading a book, naturally.
I’m so lost in my thoughts while sitting in the courtyard, that I don’t even hear Layla come up beside me. “What are you daydreaming about, Norie?” she asks.
I start and let out a squeak. “Layla! Sorry, I was thinking about the production.”
“What else is new?” she teases and sits down on the bench next to me.
“Ha!” I laugh. “Well, if you must ask, I skipped history this morning and had coffee with Eamon Kennedy,”
I hadn’t planned on sharing that with anyone just yet, but I know that I can trust Layla to keep my secret for a little longer.
Her dark brows shoot up in shock. “What? Are you serious? Tell me more!”
I shrug and tell her about how Eamon scared the living daylights out of me, then offered to make it up to me with coffee. I even told her about how I made a complete fool of myself with the coffee and Guinness comment.
Layla laughed loudly at that. “You’re kidding me! Wow, this guy must really be something for you to lose all of your inhibitions like that!”
“I have no idea what came over me!” I exclaim, rubbing my hands down my face.
“I do!” Layla says. “It sounds like our Norie has finally found someone who piques her interest.”
