I’d be okay to never talk about Ashley again, but he has to be feeling some kind of way after not only learning who she’d been cheating with but also coming face to face with her.
“Aye,” he says, leaning back to look at me. “I can’t say I enjoyed seeing her, but it was only painful in the sense that it was awkward as fuck.”
Tilting my head to the side, I ask, “Awkward because we got caught fucking in the bathroom?”
A low chuckle sounds from his throat. “No, lass. I have no shame when it comes to you and the things I like to do to this body.”
He emphasizes the words by coasting his hands from my hips to just under my breasts. To anyone watching, it looks like he’s holding my sides, but in the pocket of space between us, he’s brushing his thumbs over my nipples. Inhaling deeply through my nose, I attempt to quell the fire burning in my core. God bless those large goalie hands.
“Honestly,” he continues, “I mostly felt embarrassed for her. She fancied herself in love with a new bloke, only to uproot her life and find he didn’t feel the same. How’s the saying go? ‘What goes around comes around?’”
“Or ‘Karma’s a bitch’,” I supply.
Teagan laughs and the smile that accompanies it lights up my entire world. Yeah, he’s the sexiest man I’ve ever met, but he has a genuinely beautiful soul. Never have I encountered anyone who radiates so much goodness. He’s kind, thoughtful, caring, and sincere. He’s funny but knows when to be serious. I love how he reads my every move and knows exactly what I need, whether it be words of encouragement, squeezing my hand to let me know he’s there, or a quick and dirty fuck in the bathroom of a club.
* **
It’s the last full day with my family before we fly back to North Carolina. Although the trip has been better than I could have ever imagined, I’m more than ready to be home in my normal routine, around my friends, and able to unwind with Teagan in the comfort of a quiet andemptyhouse.
I’ve just sat down to join my parents and sisters for breakfast at the table, a cup of coffee in hand when my phone rings. The screen lights up with Norah’s name.
“Hey, chica,” I answer quickly.
“Hey! How’s your trip going?”
I know Norah’s voice and right now she sounds distracted.
“It’s been a lot of fun. What’s up? Is everything okay? You seem frazzled.”
“Ugh. I’m really sorry. I wasn’t going to bother you, but I need a huge favor,” she says, the words rushing out of her.
“Okay, lay it on me.”
“We need help with the makeup for the drag show. The cast is huge and we don’t have enough artists to handle it all. Please, please, please will you join the team? I’ll make you dinner every night for a week!”
My first instinct is to decline because I’ve been doing it for years with my parent’s voices in my head telling me it’s not realistic, but there’s another voice—with a warm, Irish accent—reminding me to not let anyone hold me back from my dreams. For the first time in my life, I feel empowered to stand up for what I want. If it backfires, then at least I learned and can say that I tried.
“We could even just use this as a trial,” Norah says quickly, thinking my hesitation is because I’m turning her down. “If you hate doing the drag show, then no harm, no foul, but if you love it, I’m pretty certain Dr. Andrews has a paid position open that I guarantee he’d hire…”
“I’ll do it,” I cut in. I need my best friend to breathe, not talk a million words a minute.
“Wait, really?”
I laugh at the shock in her voice. “Yeah, send me the detailsso I can ask off at the store. And if it’s a good fit, I’ll happily take that job.”
“Oh my god, Layla! Thank you!” Norah squeals so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “I can’t wait to show you what I have in store for the guys. Teagan will hate me, but it will be worth it!”
This gets me laughing, remembering the bet he lost and how he’ll be modeling Norah’s designs for the cast and crew. I can’t wait to remind him when he gets back. Marcos and Rafael invited him to join some friends for a pickup game early this morning, so he was gone before I woke up.
“I literally cannot wait to do Teagan’s makeup,” I tell Norah. “Highlighting those cheekbones of his is a secret dream come true.”
“Right? What is it with these Irishmen and their perfectly chiseled faces?” The amount of conversations we’ve had about Eamon and Teagan’s physical appearance is borderline obsessive.
“And bodies,” I add, because, well, they’re works of art.
“Girl, that is no lie,” she sighs longingly. “Alright, I need to get back to the drawing board, but thank you a million times!”
“I still expect dinner for a week, Norie.”
