Page 9 of Played By the Fool

“I’m not an idiot, John. And I’m also at work and I don’t have time to talk to you right now. Please leave. Go back to your fiancée and leave me alone.”

“I’ll come back when you’re closed.”

I stand up and walk over to Emilia and this John person.

“Are we still meeting up after you’re done tonight?” I ask her, stepping in front of John.

Emilia looks up at me. “Uh. Tonight?”

I take her hand. “You said you’d show me around the town. I know things are closed, but I still think it’ll be a nice time.”

“Of course.” She smiles.

“Food’s up!” Frank calls from the counter.

“Who the fuck are you? That’s my girl you’re talking to,” John says.

“She doesn’t look like your girl. In fact, I’m pretty sure I just heard her say she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“You need to back off and walk away. She’s mine. Period.”

“I don’t think so. You will leave Emilia alone if you know what’s good for you.”

“Food’s on the table, Ciarán,” my daideó—grandpa—says, coming up behind me.

“You need to leave Emilia alone. If I hear of you bothering my grandson or Emilia again, we are going to have a conversation you won’t enjoy,” Daideó says to him.

The one thing I’ve learned while getting to know my daideó, you don’t argue with him. Back in Galway, he’s a legacy member with the Cimaruta MC. He and Fausto Bastianini are the founders of the MC. John frowns but walks out of the restaurant.

“If he gives you any more problems, let me know. Unless you want to talk to him. No man has the right to demand anything from a woman,” Daideó says to Emilia.

“Thank you.”

Emilia brings the rest of the food to our table. As we’re eating, we see a woman who looks like her walk in. I’m guessing that’s her sister. She sits down at a table and Emilia brings her adrink and some food. I watch my girl as she talks with her sister. I need to know who John is and why he’s saying she’s his.

When we’re done eating and getting ready to leave, I head over to Emilia.

“I’d still like to take that walk with you tonight.” I smile at her.

Emilia laughs. “You don’t have to, my sister is here and she hates John.”

“If you want to, I do too.” I say as I take her hand again.

“I would like that. I should be done closing up by twelve.”

“I’ll come back.”

Chapter Five

Emilia

“Who’s the sexy Irishman?” Courtney asks after Ciarán and his family leave.

“His name is Ciarán and he scared John off.”

“Wait, that fucking shithead was in here tonight? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“He came in maybe twenty minutes before you did. He said he wanted to talk, I told him to leave. Then Ciarán came over and acted like we had a date planned. John still wouldn’t leave. So his grandfather came over, said something to him that I couldn’t hear, and John left.”

---