Page 36 of Arse Over Irish Teacup
“I know. Anyways, I ran into him and he wasn’t very nice so I sort of yelled at him.”
“You what?” Beth stuck up for herself? This was a moment for the books! “What did you yell?”
“I don’t know what came over me but I told him not to be so mean.”
All the times Beth had witnessed Lauren yelling at people and the best she came up with was calling him mean? Oh well, she had to start somewhere.
“Then I ran into him again and spilled my drink on him.”
“Two for two! I’m proud of you!” Lauren teased.
A pair of headlights came into view in Beth’s rearview mirror. Her heart stopped beating until it passed and was far away ahead. “It turned out our seats were next to each other on the plane.”
Lauren’s blood pressure boiled. Why couldn’t the powers that be at least give her a pleasant plane ride? Was that too much to ask? “I’m sorry.”
“Why? He’s great! You won’t believe it! He’s really Kate Connolly.”
“The author? You mean Kate had a sex change?”
“No. He uses a female pen-name, bonehead.” See, Beth could throw out an insult when she wanted to.
“No way! What’s he like? What’s he look like?”
“He looks like he’s an Iron Man champion who scratches his back with a fork. And he’s, I don’t know, sad. Like he’s crying but the tears aren’t falling.” Talking about Aidan, her frazzled nerves all but disappeared even though the bowling balls still pelted the car and it was darker than dark. “We didn’t exchange phone numbers. He looked at me a lot like my dress was stuck in my pantyhose.” The only way Beth would know that was if she had actually had her dress stuck in her pantyhose. And she had. Twice. No, three times. Then there were the few times he'd looked at her with tenderness. And laughed with her, teased her … She hated to admit it but Beth could see why that stewardess wanted him. “Besides, he has a girlfriend.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw her at the airport and her chest is so big I bet she wears ankle weights under her socks to keep her from tipping over!”
“You sound jealous.”
“I am not!”
“Now you’re whining.”
“Am not!”
“Now you’re pouting.”
“What is your point?”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you have a thing for Aidan.”
“I do not!”
This couldn’t be a coincidence! An idea formed in Lauren’s head. An idea she would keep to herself for the time being but there were questions that needed answers. She wanted to hear everything, and encouraged Beth to drive.
Beth told her about Aidan, their flight, and the stewardess. How they talked and talked and played trivia and cards. Lauren made Beth repeat that bit.
Fun fact about Bethany Spinner: although she was the nicest woman, she had a competitive streak. An ugly one.
So, Beth dropped her suitcase and spilled her drink on him, and he still played trivia, watched out for her, and talked with her for the entire flight? That idea was gradually forming. But then it fell apart when Beth said she’d hit him like a wrecking ball.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“How about not sending me to Ireland all by myself? A bolt of lightning cracked the darkness, illuminating the passing landscape. Beth lost her concentration for a moment and began veering into the other lane. Luckily, no other cars were near her. “Oh my gosh! I just passed a castle!”
“Really?”
