CARO'S IRISH NEW YEAR

WRITERS CRAMP DAILY CHALLENGE


PREMISE: At a New Year’s Eve party you spot someone you haven’t seen in over ten years.


I’m not really big on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Eve parties. Yes, I’m one of those stay at home and count down with Dick Clarks Rocking Eve watching the ball dropping in Time Square. Nice and comfy in my jammies, curled up on my sofa eating micro popcorn and sipping on hot chocolate. But this year my girlfriends have dragged me out to Duffy’s Pub.

“Hey Caro, you need to live a little.” My friend Josie was dancing along to the house band hired for the night. “Come on… come dance with me.” She begged, her arms stretched out wanting me to enter into her craziness.

“No, thanks.” I could tell by the glassy look of her eyes that she was past three sheets to the wind. I took a sip of my Madres and scoped out the room. For an Irish pub this place was really hopping and all eyes were on Josie and the way she was gyrating in the middle of the dance floor. “You don’t know what you’re missing.” She mouthed from the center of the floor and just as quickly started dancing with the group who had joined her.

“Buy you a drink?” A voice as deep and rich as the finest of Irish whiskey asked from over my shoulder. I slowly turned to see the most amazing emerald eyes smiling at me. He seemed so familiar but I just couldn’t place him, with his rich dark hair and chiseled features that would have any woman swooning. It really bugged me that I couldn’t place him.
He smiled at me and I had to catch my breath as his sexy dimples appeared deep in each of his cheeks. The man was a masterpiece of pure sensuality and sex appeal. I gave him my drink order and he gestured to the bartender and just a quickly he returned with a beer for dark and handsome and for me my Madres.

Watching me from under hooded eyes he asked, “You don’t remember me do you?”

I wanted to slink under the barstool I was sitting on but answered on an aggravated sigh. “No, I’m really sorry. But I do know we’ve met before…I know that much.” I giggled self conscious that he was staring at my lips.

“That’s okay; I was just a scrawny kid working in your parent’s bakery back then.” He took a healthy swig of his beer and I couldn’t help but watch his throat as he swallowed, it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. My head felt so fuzzy…it couldn’t be the drink, I’ve only had two. I fanned my heated face wondering when it all of a sudden got so hot.

“Wait, you worked at the bakery?” I asked, confused, because I knew everyone who worked or had worked there. Hidden Falls was a small community where everyone new everyone and their business. “When did you work there?”

“In 97, I worked the summer before I went off to college.”

“Oh that was the summer I spent in Ireland before I had to go to school.” I tried to recall that summer; it had been amazing scoping out all of Ireland’s hidden secrets. By the time I arrived home I had two weeks to get my stuff ready for NYU. “Wait a minute, you’re not the guy who helped my dad in the back in the morning with the bread order are you?”

His smile was dazzling. “Yep, that was me.”

“Get out of here.” I laughed recalling the tall and scrawny kid who wore his pants so baggy that I was sure he’d lose them at any minute. “No way, the kid I remember was tall and lanky that wore cloths three times to big. And glasses…I remember those thick as coke bottle…

I stopped short and felt like fire was rushing from my brain to my feet burning me up at my stupidity.

He stood next to me watching me deflate but didn’t say anything.

“I made that much of an impression.” He joked taking the seat next to me placing his empty bottle in front of him. Once again he gestured for a refill from the bartender and just as quickly they appeared.

“How do you do that?” I asked, astonished at this magical power he had.

He leaned into me and whispered in my ear. “I’ll tell ya a little secret.” His breath was warm against my neck and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to feel his lips on my rushing pulse. “I own the place.”

“What? When?” I really needed to get out more. When had he come back to town and bought Duffy’s. Wait hadn’t Jen told me that Casdin Michaels had come back to town to run his family’s business. God I was clueless, of course his parents owned Duffy’s Pub and the Duffy’s Inn down by the lake.

“Casdin I’m such,”

“Caro, it’s no big deal.” He said waving it aside as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Not many people know I’m back in town.”

I smiled and touched his hand. “Well, I’m glad your back.

“Me too.’ Smiling he squeezed my hand gently, just then the crowd roared and began counting down to New Year’s.

“Happy New Year, Casdin.”

He cheered me with his drink. “Happy New Year, Caro.”

And as the New Year rang in he kissed me, a heart stopping curl your toes kind of kiss. There definitely were perks to not spending the New Year’s Eve alone.

WORD COUNT: 927