I came home from the interview bouncing with excitement. The whole situation is so surreal. I arrived before the rest of the team, so Melinda pulled me aside for a personal interview. It wasn’t anything too in-depth, just basics like: How long have you been designing and making costumes? What inspired you to pursue this particular avenue? What are you hoping to do with your skills after graduation?
I never thought that watching my Mom sew curtains and pillowcases would lead me to making my own Halloween costumes which led to where I’m at today. The first costume I ever made, all onmy own, was a parrot costume. I had been talking about being a parrot for Halloween for months. When my Mom couldn’t find a store-bought one, she made an offhand comment about making one myself or picking a new costume. I sat down that day and designed every part of it. When I showed the sketch to my Mom, she gaped at it for a long moment before loading me up in the car and heading to the fabric store. Other than a few suggestions and instructions here and there, she just sat back and watched me make it. I ended up winning first place in our third-grade costume contest.
“How did this happen?” Eamon asks me incredulously, sliding onto the bar stool at the kitchen island. “Because you’re bloody brilliant, that’s how! I’m not surprised in the slightest that the media is flocking to you right now. I know fuck all about designing and sewing, but even I can see how incredible your work is. Don’t sell yourself short, love.”
I beam at him over my coffee mug. “Thank you,schnookums.”
“No. Definitely not.”
“What?” I laugh. “Not feeling it?”
“You better just stick with costume design.” Eamon cringes.
Laughing harder, I level him with a playful glare. “So you’re saying I should leaveOfficial Boyfriend Pet Name Giveroff of my resume after graduation?”
“Absolutely.” He deadpans.
“So, I was thinking. Thanksgiving is next week. I know you don’t celebrate it in Ireland, but how would you feel about hosting with me for our friends?”
Eamon takes a sip from his coffee before placing it back on the table. “Grand. Let’s do it. Ro and Teag would love it. Teag especially, if Layla is there.”
“I’m confident she will be. Her family lives in Texas, so we’re usually together anyway. What about Alicia and Ro? I always invite her, but given her behavior towards Ro, I’m not sure if that spells a recipe for disaster or not.”
“Aye, I’m meeting with him in a bit,” Eamon tells me. “I’ll let you know. But don’t let Ro keep you from inviting Alicia. I’d suggest inviting Paddy,but he’s spending the day with his sons and their significant others. Time to meet the parents and all that.”
My breath catches in my throat, and my heart constricts painfully. Eamon notices and stretches his hand across the island to brush the back of mine with his knuckles.
“What’s wrong, love? What happened there?”
I give him a small smile. “Just thinking about how much my Mom would have liked you. I’d love nothing more than to have the opportunity to drag you back to my hometown to meet her.”
“Ach, Acushla, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” he starts.
“No, it’s okay. Really. I usually do okay during the holidays, but sometimes the smallest thing will trigger memories of her. I’m sure you understand that since losing your dad.”
“I do, yeah.” He nods.
Our eyes meet in silent understanding, and I lace my fingers with his.
“How much time do we have before you have to leave?” I ask with a sly grin.
His dark eyebrows shoot up. “Depends on what you had in mind.”
“I might like a repeat of last night, handsome.”
“We have time,” he says, standing abruptly, coffee forgotten as he stalks around the island. “And if you keep calling me that, I’m putty in your hands,” he tells me before scooping me up and tossing me over his shoulder before racing for my room.
Eamon
“You don’t think they…you know,” Teagan hedges with a grimace.
We’ve been sitting at the small round table in our flat discussing what Ro could have possibly done to piss off Alicia for the last hour while we wait for him to show up.
“Christ, he better not have pulled his normal shite,” I groan, scrubbing a hand over my beard. “Surely he wouldn’t shag and bail onAlicia.Not justbecause she’s pure gold, but she’d murder him.”
“I swear to god, if we have to find a new pub, I’ll rip his bollocks off and shove them so far up his arse they’ll hang out of his nose.”
I let out a sharp laugh. It’s not often Teagan is graphic or violent, but when he is, it’s usually regarding Ro.
