Page 34 of Arse Over Irish Teacup
There was no doubt when Beth’s case had finally arrived. A thunderclap echoed off the airport walls. Beth clenched one eye closed and winced.
“No, I couldn’t let you do that. I can handle it.” Beth positioned herself at the side of the carousel, planted her feet square with her shoulders, and waited for her case to round the corner. It approached and she got a hold of the handle but struggled to lift the case. If she could pause the moving carousel, she would have a fighting chance!
“Here, let me help you,” Aidan offered.
Beth was going to get this confounded case off this trolley on her own even if it killed her! She had only another second or two before it would drag her with it so she needed to act fast.
One, two, three, HEAVE!
She pulled with all of her might and swung it from the clutches of the carousel—right into Aidan’s knees.
Her case landed with a thump on the floor. Aidan’s case tipped over underneath him. And Aidan landed flat on his back with his feet in the air like a dead cow.
“Aidan!”
His head was spinning.Somewhere in the blurry distance Beth’s voicecalled to him.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream.
Aidan opened his eyes and blinked Beth’s face into focus. What in the hell had just happened? One minute he was going to help Beth, next thing he knew up was down and down was up and his feet were over his head! Now Beth was touching him everywhere!
“Aidan, lay still, you could have a concussion.”
“I think we can aim a little higher than that.” He groaned as he sat up feeling as if he’d cracked a rib. He’d gone down like a sack of hammers and was pretty sure his eyes were spinning in two different directions and who ordered the Tweety birds? Ugh, you always think it’s going to happen to somebody else.
“Let me help you.”
“No, no. That’s all right.” He pushed himself up on his elbows and waited for the flapping birds to disappear as he pressed his palm against his forehead to silence the rolling gong inside his head. “I would like to keep Ernie around.”
“Ernie?”
“That’s what I named my last brain cell.” Clearly, he had lost every other one back in Minneapolis.
Nurse Spinner finished her assessment of his injuries. There wasn’t any blood but there was a bump that was surely going to be sore. “You aren’t driving, are you? You really shouldn’t. I can drive you wherever you need to go.”
Drive? Did she say drive? How had he forgotten that Beth was going to drive?
Here!
In Ireland!
Oh, no. Aidan sprung up from the floor. “That won’t be necessary. I’m not driving and look,” he moved his head from side to side and followed his own finger with his eyes, “All good. No need to worry.”
Impressed by his swift recovery Beth stood up but before she could say anything he continued.
“Listen, my ride is waiting for me so I have to go.” Aidan grabbed hold of his suitcase in a hurry then paused. This wasn’t how he wanted to leave her but the more he thought about it the harder his head throbbed, the tighter his chest clenched, and if that didn’t piss him right off! How did this, this, this, pain in the neck, intrusive, klutzy … kind, and perfectly lovable woman manage to?—
Nope. We are not going there!
He reached out and took her hand to shake it. “Good luck, Spinner. Be careful out there. Just remember to hug the middle line when you’re driving, and don’t worry.” He made the mistake of looking into her eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say. Warnings, tips, sweet nothings …
Dammit! Stop it! Enough already!
He picked up her red suitcase from the floor, setting it up beside her with a nod. It wasn’t supposed to be hard to leave. He had resigned himself to engaging with her for the flight and then he was supposed to pick up his luggage and walk away. Then again, she did knock him flat on his backside. “You’ll be fine. I hope Ireland lives up to your expectations.” With that he turned and hurried away.
Beth stood and watched Aidan reach the doors where a woman rushed into his outstretched arms, throwing herself at him and plastering his face with kisses then linked her arm with his as they strode through the airport doors.
Jeez Louise! He could have mentioned having a girlfriend!
