Page 35 of Arse Over Irish Teacup
Beth’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she waited, almost expecting he might turn around to wave a last goodbye. But he didn’t. The doors closed behind the happy couple and they disappeared.
So, that was that. It wasn’t like they would ever see each other again anyway. Why should he turn around? Aidan had made her flight easier and for that she was grateful.
Aidan may have been gruff at first but underneath all that was empathy and kindness. At least there had been before she swept his feet out from underneath him. Was it any wonder he’d run away?
With a sigh she lifted her suitcase from the floor. Right outside the sliding doors, the green hills and rocky shores of Ireland awaited.
ChapterFifteen
Beth satin the driver’s seat of her rented silver hatchback, petrified as a deer caught in headlights. This was the tiniest rental car they offered, roughly the size of a matchbox, but from the left side felt like a tractor trailer.
It didn’t help anything when the rain had begun when she stepped outside the airport. The man at the rental counter had been far from amiable, initially pushing a standard shift car on her and forcing her to plead for an automatic. Beth attributed his demeanor to the early hour and likely exhaustion. Working an airport rental counter couldn’t be easy, after all. Never mind that she had been the one and only customer.
She plotted her course to the town of Ennis in County Clare on her GPS.
Bowling-ball sized raindrops battered the car. With the sound beating on her eardrums she couldn’t think and panic gripped her throat. Then, she recalled Aidan’s voice reassuring her.
Holding her breath, Beth ever so carefully backed out of the parking space, then let it out in one big shaky sigh. So far, so good. Turn left, the GPS instructed.
She could do this. One turn at a time.
The windshield wipers ran back and forth, back and forth, making an awful screeching noise even though the glass couldn’t be more wet. The sound grated her nerves and with each stroke her tears burned more and more.
Save your tears for your pillow, Bethany Spinner!
She merged onto the highway, which she quickly saw they refer to as the motorway, turned right and headed towards … Waterford. She was going the wrong direction.
Welcome to Ireland.
The sunrise she had admired from the plane was now hidden by a massive rain cloud whose color she had never seen before. She was pretty sure she’d left a dent in the car when she heaved her suitcase into the trunk with all her might—and missed. At least she had gotten into the car on the correct side. But let’s face it, even that was an accident.
Well, what did she expect? Rolling hills with a castle right beside the airport?
Maybe. So, what?
Piece of cake …
Easy peasy …
Nope. She called Lauren and nearly jumped when the phone call went through the car speakers. Okay! Now we know the bluetooth works in the car. Check. Lauren answered the phone on the second ring.
“Beth, hi!” Lauren said in a raspy voice.
“You sound tired.”
“It’s two o’clock in the morning here.” In all the excitement Beth had forgotten about the time difference. “How was your flight? Lauren had been watching the clock, wringing her hands with worry. The more she thought of her best friend alone in a foreign country the more she wondered if she had made a huge mistake encouraging her to make the trip. DO YOU THINK SO?
“The flight would have been awful if it weren’t for Aidan.” That reminded her! “Speaking of which, you’ll never believe who I ran into.”
“Elvis? I heard sightings were up this month.”
“Hilarious.”
Suddenly Lauren didn’t sound so tired. “How long do I have to wait before you tell me who Aidan is?”
“Another passenger. I ran into him.” Lauren knew her friend well enough to know that when she said “ran into him” she meant it in the most literal sense. “I dropped my suitcase on his foot.”
“Oh, Klutzy.” Lauren shook her head. “We should have gone shopping for luggage.”
