3. Lola

Chapter 3

Lola

Rain pelts the window as I roll over in bed and groan. I bury my head beneath the pillow and try to zone it out, but laughter enters through the floorboards. I pop my head up and glance at my cell, and it's eleven thirty in the morning.

I'm shocked that I slept so late. Usually, I'm an up-with-the-sun kind of girl, but the recent stress and jet lag exhausted me. It also didn't help that I struggled to fall asleep as I thought about the sexy, grumpy bartender downstairs.

He's a big curmudgeon, but those eyes and that body starred in my dreams last night, and I need a cold shower this morning. I throw my arm over my eyes and forehead as I groan. This is not helping, and men are the last thing on my mind. After all, I just left the jerkiest of jerks. And why in the world am I even thinking about a man as grumpy and high handed as him?

He's gentlemanly enough to bring my bag upstairs, but that's the extent. He doesn't speak much, but his body posture and growly sounds make it abundantly clear. He disapproves of me and doesn't want me here. But too bad. I'm staying. This is the Irish experience I've been looking for and never thought I'd get. So I deserve this after giving my boyfriend the last four years of my life, only for him to flush it down the drain.

I check to see if I have any messages and nothing from my sister. Dillon, on the other hand, has called, texted, and left messages. I delete them all, not interested in hearing his lies or excuses. I sit up and lean against the headboard, worried that I'm trying to figure out why she hasn't called me back.

Hitting speed dial, I wait for her phone to ring, and I curse how expensive it will be, but I know my sister won't care. She tells me constantly to stop worrying about funds as she pays for all my significant expenses, so I pay for food and things I need when they come up. I'm so fortunate to have her and have her help while I'm in school. I've kept a tally of everything she has paid for and plan to repay her. It's the only way I can accept her generous offer. She doesn't know about it, but she doesn't need to. I'm still going to pay her back.

She's a famous romance author, and from the moment she had the money, I have yet to want for anything, which I make sure not to take advantage of. However, when she opens a joint bank account with my name on it and carte blanche access, sometimes it's easier to use her card than my meager account, which is pennies from working paycheck to paycheck.

"Hi, sorry I missed your call. Please leave a message, and I'll call you back." Beep.

I frown, this isn't like Coco. We talk every day, and it's now been two days."Coke, please call me. I'm worried. I hope you're okay. I made it safely to Ireland. I'm staying at O'Neill's Pub in Dublin. Call me as soon as you get this. Love you."

When I hang up, I'm tempted to dial again, but what's the point? With cell phones, we can see clearly if a phone call is missed.

The pub is getting livelier as people laugh and music plays. The rain is falling harder, and I sigh. I crawl out of bed and head into the hall to the bathroom. The door bursts open, and the most magnificent chest is before me. Well-defined pecs with a soft pelt of chest hair and a solid slab of abs emphasizing a happy trail down into his filled-out boxers.

I let my gaze soak him all up, and I can't help but get wet in between my legs and try to swallow my spit because I'm about to drool all over the sex machine in front of me.

"Whoa, big boy."

Finn lifts his brow and glares as his eyes take in my tank top. I'm fighting the urge to wrap my arms over my chest as I'm showing a lot of cleavage. His eyes roam over my soft curves, and I'm tempted to pull down my night shorts. I've never been so blatantly eye fucked before, and I don't know how to receive it. Even though I'm a hypocrite because I was doing the exact same thing.

"Wait. Do you live here, too?"

He grunts and points at the door next to mine.

I praise the Lord for being too tired last night to give myself a cookie when we share a wall. It wouldn't be prudent to say his name as I'm giving myself a treat.

"Oh, right. Somebody needs to manage tenants and stuff. It makes sense." I start to prattle as I try to distract myself from touching him with my hands, tongue, or whatever's available. I lick my lips, and the idea of licking the water off his chest and stomach that is sliding down his skin is far too tempting.

What is wrong with me? Two days ago, I was in a happy relationship—or at least what I thought was happy. And now here I am, eye-seducing the grumpiest man in existence.

"Can you move? I have to get downstairs."

"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah. Of course." I move, but he moves simultaneously, and then I move the other way, and so does he. I giggle at our little dance, but he rolls his eyes, grabs me by the shoulders, picks me up, and moves us around.

I gasp and drop my jaw at how strong he is and how he moves me like I weigh nothing. I mean, on a good day, I'm a size eighteen. Okay, I'm a twenty, but some days, I can squeeze into the cute elastic jeans that say size eighteen, and with a cute extra-long shirt, I can pull it off nicely.

My skin sizzles when he touches me, and his hold stays longer than necessary. I flutter my lashes at him, give him a goofy grin, and think about what he could do with those hands.

Finn clears his throat. "Get dressed." He turns around and stomps to his room, and I watch his bubble ass and thick thighs, sucking on my bottom lip, imagining taking a nice big bite out of him.

That man is bound to be delicious. It's a shame he doesn't have a more pleasant personality.

I thump myself on the forehead and sigh.

Cool your jets, Lola. You're treating him like a boy toy. It's not cool at all.

I go into the bathroom and take a cold shower because if I take a hot one, I'll be in there for way too long, and I don't have b.o.b with me, which I'm relieved about. I don't want to imagine the look on Finn's face if he sees me carrying my vibrator into the bathroom with me.

It'd be nice if he offered to use it on me. A girl can dream.

As soon as I walked downstairs, Aoife set me up in a corner booth with great food. Finn doesn't pay me any attention as he hauls in beer kegs and restocks the shelves. I eat my breakfast-slash-lunch while I watch his muscles bulge and flex, and in no time, I'm panting.

This is better than porn. If only he'd take his shirt off. I wonder if he would mind doing that for me.

Several people approach me and introduce themselves. Everyone is curious about why I'm in Ireland, what my plans are, and how long I plan on staying. Aoife keeps shooing them away.

Or more like she shoos away the men. The more flirtatious, the faster she comes running. The women, she brings them a drink or the food they ordered, and makes sure to do some introductions.

I can't help but laugh at her hospitality and protective nature. I don't remember my mom, and none of my foster mothers have ever felt like a mom, so I wonder if this is what it's like.

Finn rolls his eyes at his mom's antics, and I wonder if he has a medical condition that constantly forces him to do it.

I'm glad she's acting the way she is with me. It's nice to be somewhere new and have somebody care. I thought I had it with my boyfriend, but I didn't.

The only person who ever cared about me is my sister.

Why is she not calling me?

"Aiofe, will the rain let up so I can do some sightseeing?" I don't know how long I'll be in Ireland. It's a one-way ticket, but I want to see as much as I can while I'm here.

"Oh, lass, that won't be happening today. We'll see about tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're lucky you came in July. It's our driest month."

I turn toward the lad who wanted to sit with me when he walked into the pub, but Aiofe ran him off before his butt met the seat. I turn to look out the window.

This is their driest month? What do their wet months look like?

Finn comes stomping in from out of the back room with a tray of food, and my panties are goners once again.

I know exactly what a wet month here looks like.

The rest of the afternoon is hectic as the pub fills up with people. "Don't worry, lass. When the weather is like this, the locals like to come and hang out here for a while. Get out of the house, you know," Aoife says before she goes into the back to tell the chef the latest order.

"You're a bonnie lass. What brings you to dreary old Ireland?" A young man around my age, twenty-one or twenty-two, saunters over with a chair and sits on it backwards.

The attention I'm getting is wondrous, and I should've come to Ireland ages ago. As a bigger woman, I'm not used to this kind of attention. Well, not back home in the States, at least. It makes me feel good.

Especially after the beating my ego received from walking in on Dillon, with the barista from down the street. The size four barista.

I smile at him and shake my head. "Now, now, now. Ireland is gorgeous. Nothing dreary about it here."

He lifts his brow and looks out the window. "Want to repeat that, lass?"

I giggle, and a big grin breaks out on his face. "So how about when the weather is nicer, I pick ye up and show ye the exciting parts of Ireland?"

"O'Halloran, ye better not be flirting with Lola."

The guy's eyes widen. "I wasn't flirting with ye, okay?" He jumps from his seat, swivels the chair around, puts it back at the correct table, and looks at Aoife. "No, of course not. I was just welcoming her to Dublin. Show her how friendly we are."

Aoife shakes her head and tells him to get out of there. The guy books it, and I stare after him with my brows furrowed.

What in the world is that about?

"I swear, lass, that boy is exactly that: a boy. Don't be paying him any attention. Even though everybody knows he's meant for Siobhan, he's a consummate flirt. Those two have been destined if only he'd get his head out of his arse and see what's right in front of him."

I peek over Aoife's shoulders, and Finn stands behind the bar, staring at me. We lock eyes, and my body overheats as I take in his gaze. Aoife looks over her shoulder, then at me, and smiles wickedly. Finn shuffles off, and I drop my head.

"Now, lass, let me know if any other fellas come around and won't leave ye alone. I have no problems setting them straight. No problem at all." She whistles as she walks off, and I watch as she heads toward the back room with Finn.

Since no exploring is happening today, I pick up a dishrag and start wiping down tables, picking up dirty dishes, and taking them to the bar.

"Oi, you don't need to do any of that." Finn's gruff voice makes my body shiver as I imagine him commanding me in the bedroom.

"It's okay. I don't mind helping out."

"Yeah, this lass is a worker. I knew it the moment she walked in through the doors." Aoife winks and hands me a clean rag. I laugh and head off to clean more tables.

The day flies by, and getting to know the locals around here is a lot of fun. They all have funny stories to tell, but even I know they're all tall tales. However, it doesn't stop me from enjoying them. It passes the time. Plus, it also doesn't hurt how the men keep flirting with me.

I love it. Back home, it never happens. Being a bigger girl, I don't get this kind of attention. I know it's because I'm new. I won't be here for long. I'm considered exotic, but I'm not deluding myself. The moment a gorgeous new foreigner walks in through that door, I'm yesterday's news, so I'll enjoy it while I can.

The sun fades into the sky, and the rain still pours like buckets. I want to tell the patron who said July is the driest month to rethink his statement.

The pub is crowded with locals. As people pile in, a band shows up and starts playing some classic Irish medleys. The place is a genuine hotspot. I smile and enjoy the atmosphere. I'm taking a tray of pints over to a table when a group of girls drag me into a dance, wanting to show me how it's done in Ireland.

I'm horrible, and the crowd has a good laugh, but I can't help but enjoy the moment. It's so much fun. I twirl and circle the room when I spot Finn leaning against a doorframe, and his eyes are heated as he eye fucks me across the room. My breath hitches as I imagine his hands doing to my body exactly what his eyes are doing---stripping me naked.

A man next to him says something as he points at me with a big smile. Finn drops his gaze, glares at the man, and says something. The man's smile vanishes, and he looks frightened and gulps as he turns around and heads to the back tables.

I lift my brow and cock my head at Finn, but he just glares and stomps off to the back room once again.

I sigh, fall into a happier mood, and enjoy my time with everybody. I'm not used to being this carefree. I cannot remember ever being like this. It's wonderful, and I don't want to waste a minute of it.