The Hurricane (7 page)

“Duly noted. Any other guiding principles of friendship I should know about?”

I spoke quietly but with sincerity. At this point, any advice on how not to fuck up the friendships I’d been making would be welcome. He thought seriously, taking a long deep drink from his protein shake, while I tried not to drool at the bead of perspiration running sexily down his throat, and floored me.

“It would be nice if you could assume I’m not going to hit you every time I try to strike up a conversation.”

I was mortified. That he had seen my cowardice, or guessed what that could mean, horrified me. This was supposed to be my new start, and I was trying so hard not to be that person anymore, but O’Connell had made me feel that as long as I acted like a victim, I would always be one.

“Look, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be on your guard. Pretty girls like you are always gonna attract predators, but through the front door of this place there’s not one man who would lift a finger to a woman,” he rationalised.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t mean to flinch. I guess I was just feeling a little intimidated, with it being my first day. Everyone here seems really nice, especially Kieran.”

I thought it would make him happy that I was getting on with his best friend, but this made him frown, hard.

“He’s been making moves on you, then?” he asked, dangerously.

“Of course not,” I replied in confusion. “He just tried to make me feel welcome here.”

The scowl didn’t really lessen, but it seemed to relax him a little to know that Kieran hadn’t been hitting on me. It was a little heart warming to have someone act a little protective. It wasn’t like it was something I’d ever had before, but the completely irrational part of my brain wondered how it would feel if he were jealous rather than just protective of a new friend.

“So, we’re good? No more flinching or running off?”

“We’re good, O’Connell, but it’s pretty terrifying, you know, walking into the middle of a load of guys trying to hit anything that moves.”

He smiled. “So, you know my name, then. Most people call me Con.”

“You’re pretty infamous around here. Would you prefer me to call you Con?”

“Nah, I like the way you say my name.” I didn’t know how to respond to that.

“I’m Emily,” I introduced myself.

“Thanks, sunshine, but I already know your name.” I blushed that he would take the time to find out, and I fussed about with the ledger, embarrassed that I was floundering in my attempt to hold a real conversation with this man.

“Are you all Irish? Only your accents aren’t as strong as Danny’s?” I asked curiously, before I could stop myself.

“Danny was born and raised in Ireland. Me, Kieran, Tommy, and Mac were born there, too, but our parents moved over here when we were kids. Most of our mates are Irish. There’s a pretty big community here.”

The more he spoke, the hotter and more nervous I was getting. I squeezed my thighs together as the heat in my core intensified. His accent only made him more irresistible, and fuck if he didn’t know it. He looked like he was about to ask me something, and unwilling to talk about myself, I scrambled to change the subject.

“Um, the ledger says that you owe twenty pound for this week. Is that okay?”

I had no idea how much these boys earned, but we weren’t in the most affluent part of town. Despite Danny’s attitude toward subs, I hated asking the boys for their money. He handed over the cash as I wrote in the ledger.

“Why does everyone call me sunshine?” I blurted out.

It was the first time I’d seen him exude anything but confidence, and he seemed embarrassed about telling me. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, betraying his unease, and finally said, “Danny gave you the nickname, and I guess it kind of stuck with us. You’ll have to ask him why he gave it to you.”

He was lying. Sure, Danny had called me sunshine first, but there was more to it than that. O’Connell had decided not to share, and that disappointed me. There was a sharp knock on the door, and unlike Tommy, the person on the other side knew better than to just barge in. O’Connell seemed a little pissed at the intrusion but got up to answer the door.

“See you later, then?” he asked, and I nodded with a small smile. He smiled back as he opened the door but gave the death stare to the fighter who entered as he left.

By the end of the night, all but one of the boys had paid up, and Danny confirmed that the last fighter had cleared it with him that he could carry his subs over for the week. Danny chuckled throatily as he looked through the ledger. A burned down cigarette hung from his mouth, and I wondered how many he’d smoked since I’d started tonight.

“Looks like more of those eejits paid tonight than usual. Means I don’t have to go chasing any of ‘em. Seems like you’re going to be good for business, Em, even if I only have you collecting subs.”

I sincerely hoped that wasn’t all I’d be doing. I really enjoyed the bookkeeping. In truth, subs collection would have taken half the time tonight, but each of the boys who crossed the threshold seemed inclined to either chat me up or introduce themselves and give me the third degree. I was exhausted. Danny kicked me out, as usual, but to be honest, if he left me to my own devices with the books then I’d have been there all night. Maybe it was because the office had been so warm and cosy, or maybe it was because my jacket felt more threadbare than usual, but the evening chill was bitter. As I stepped out into the night and wondered whether to walk the few miles home or take the bus, I couldn’t help but stuff my hands into the pockets of my jacket whilst trying to wrap it around me. Figuring that the walk would soon warm me up and that I’d need to save my bus fares for winter, I put my head down and started out for home. Mentally calculating the days until payday, I contemplated whether to use the extra in my wages to buy some nice warm gloves or just put it away toward a winter coat. The pounding of feet on the sidewalk grew closer, and I looked around to see who was following me.

“Jesus, you have to be quick on your feet to keep up with you, woman!”

“Maybe I’m running away from you,” I replied with a smile, as O’Connell caught up to me.

“Nah,” he replied cockily, “I’m irresistible.”

“I’m sure,” I answered dryly.

He was irresistible, and he knew it. There was no need to inflate his ego any more. It was better to feign indifference.

“So, where are you headed?” I asked. If he was walking, I figured he lived fairly locally. “Same place as you are,” he replied.

“What do you mean? I’m going home.”

He might be hot, but he was starting to freak me out a little.

“I’m walking you home. Danny was the one who agreed to your hours, so he figured he’s responsible for you getting home safely.”

He said it so matter-of-factly. Like it was common for all female employees to have a personal escort home. I rolled my eyes at Danny’s over protectiveness.

“Look, that’s really nice of you, but honestly, I’m fine. I’ve been walking on my own for a very long time now. I’m a big girl, and I have a rape alarm.” I was probably more conscious of my surroundings than anyone else he’d ever met, and I also protected my own privacy.

“Darlin’, I bench press more than you weigh, and a rape alarm in this neighbourhood won’t do shit, trust me. You want to work for Danny then its his rules. That means that one of us walks you home every night you’re here.”

He seemed amused by the futility of the exchange, like walking me home was a foregone conclusion.

“Again, don’t take this personally, but I just met you a few days ago. I’m not telling you where I live.”

He had the good grace to look sheepish. “I already know, Danny told me.”

I stopped stock still in the middle of the pavement. O’Connell had gone on a few paces before he realised that I wasn’t with him and turned around in surprise. I didn’t say anything. Really, what was the point? My fight wasn’t with O’Connell; it was with Danny. I’d been a doormat for too long. If Danny wanted to walk all over me, I’d be fucked if I’d lie down and take it. Turning on my heel, I stalked back to the gym, threw open the door, and stomped up the stairs, feeling the indignation fuel my rage.

“Why did you tell O’Connell where I lived?”

Danny, who’d been leaning against the ring ropes watching two guys spar, looked over his shoulder at my question. In fact, pretty much the whole gym had stopped to stare at me. I hated being the centre of attention, but right now, I was too buzzed to worry about it.

“How’s he supposed to walk you home if he doesn’t know where you live?” He asked this like I was stupid.

“You had no right, Danny. I don’t need babysitting, and you had no right revealing personal information about me without my permission.”

It was obvious that I was unhappy, but I wasn’t exactly screaming at him. That kind of disrespect in front of his boys just wasn’t me.

“Office,” he barked, and I jumped. Duly summoned, I followed him into the office, and he closed the door gently.

“I know you’re mad, sunshine, but I trust these boys with my life, and as it happens, with yours, too. I was raised in the old way, meaning you don’t allow a lady to walk home alone.”

“You mean well, and I get that, Danny, but I don’t want anyone knowing where I live. If you wanted to know how I was planning to get home, you should have asked me. You had no right to give out my address without my permission.”

I choked back the tears as my voice started to break. The more people who knew where I lived, the easier it would be for Frank to find me. Danny’s voice was gentle when he replied.

“You’d never have let me tell Con, and your safety is more important than me pissing you off. Now are you gonna give this old man a break or what? You know if anything happened to you on the way home from the gym, it’d just about break me.”

Danny Driscoll was tough as nails, and I doubted that anything could break him, but he was tugging on my heartstrings, and he knew it.

“I don’t like it, Danny,” I sighed, with exasperation.

“You don’t have to like it, but humour the old man, okay?”

I’d had my little temper tantrum, but a fat lot of good it had done me. Trust wasn’t an easy thing for me to give, but the decision to trust was sort of out my hands now. Danny was only trying to look out for me. I’d said my piece, so the best thing I could do would be to act graciously about all this.

“Fine,” I sighed again, leaving the office. Okay, so not too graciously, but Danny got what he wanted, and I was sure he wasn’t too bothered. The only question to ask now was how did I make conversation with a man like O’Connell for twenty minutes, twice a week, without hyperventilating? By the time I made it back downstairs, I found O’Connell leant against the doors with his hands shoved in the pocket of his hoodie, like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Sorted?” he asked. I answered with a nod, and we walked side by side, all the way home, in awkward silence. I caught him staring at me every now and then, though I pretended not to notice. You could see that he was keen to make conversation, but after today, I kind of needed the quiet.

“You don’t like me much, do you, sunshine?” he interjected, as we were almost home. I was horrified that he’d misinterpreted my fucked-up issues that way.

“Of course, I do. I warned you that I don’t really do friends. I’ve been on my own for a long time now, so it’s going to take me a while to get used to this,” I answered, as I gestured between us.

“Well, it makes a nice change,” he replied. “Usually it’s me who fucks things up. So what’re you doing this weekend?”

“Um...” I wasn’t sure how to answer. I had a couple of shifts at the diner, and then I planned on doing laundry and catching up on some assignments. This was not what most girls my age would be doing on a Saturday night, and too embarrassed to admit my real plans, I floundered for an itinerary packed full of exciting things to present him with. He jumped in before I had anything.

“Me, Kieran, and a few of the boys are going to a party that one of your rugby lot is throwing if you’re interested?” I looked up with a start.

“I didn’t know you were a student?” He laughed aloud, and my cheeks reddened automatically.

“Do we look like fucking students?” he replied, like the whole notion was ridiculous. I wisely said nothing, figuring that any answer I gave would only dig the hole I was in deeper. He stopped at the door to my apartment building and reached out to tug on one of my curls.

“Parties are the best place to pick up pretty little students, happy with a bit of rough for the night.”

“Don’t you need to be a student to go?” I asked, naively. After all, what did I know about college parties?

“Don’t sweat it, sunshine. Kieran and I know a few of the boys. They get us into parties, and we get them fight tickets. It’s all good. So, you coming or what?”

“Thank you for the invitation, but I don’t really do parties, either,” I replied softly.

“Can’t say I’m surprised, but you know where I’ll be if you change your mind,” he said, as he pulled on my curl again. I smiled but knew he was only being polite. Not for the first time I wished I were a different sort of girl, one who could let the man she was attracted to touch her without recoiling.

“Well, thank you for walking me home. Will you have far to get home yourself?” I asked.

“Fuck me. It’s Friday night. The only place I’m going is to get a few beers in me. You want me to walk you up?” he asked. Of course, he was going out. It was too much to hope that he’d be tucking himself up in bed, safe from the advances of bar sluts all too eager to wrap their legs around him for a night. Swallowing back the bitter taste of disappointment, I looked at the ground again.

“No, I’m fine here. Thanks again for walking me home.”

“You’re welcome. See you soon.”

He watched as I let myself into the door of the building, and once I was safely inside, I locked the handle and made it to the window just in time to see him walking off into the darkness. There was nothing about this man that made us right for each other, but I was deluding myself if I didn’t think I’d be counting down every minute of the next six days until I could see him again.