Authors: Jess Parry
Looking out the window, Siobhan stared at the gray sky overheard
groaning
; hoping the entire trip it wouldn’t be this overcast out. They hit a small pocket of traffic on their way into the city, but
they
listened intently as the driver informed them of some of the sights they passed. Pulling up to the hotel, they climbed out of the back, thank
ing
the driver
before
head
ing
into the hotel as the bellman grabbed their luggage.
Checking in went smoothly,
getting
off the elevator
checking the signs posted to the posh walls
to locate their rooms they all agreed to meet at Siobhan’s room after a shower. Once inside her room Siobhan went straight to the window
throwing
open the curtains. Looking out at the bustling city below her,
getting
lost in her thoughts on what they were going to do first. She was unaware of the dark figure leaning against the street lamp across the street looking up at her, green eyes flashing with delight.
Twenty minutes later, Jason and Sarah knocked on her door
loudly bring her out of her thoughts,
she
quickly ran to the door
let
ting
them in. Standing
in
the little hallway leading into her room they all looked at each other grinning.
“Hell yes!! We are in Dublin, no parents, a credit card with no limit, the possibilities are endless” Sarah hooted
“What do you want to do first Siobhan?” Jason asked as he walked over
pulling
her into his arms
“Everything” She replied breathlessly
“Well come on, let’s get the hell out of the hotel room” Sarah
chuckled
r
unning
to the door,
she
threw it open jump
ing
into the hallway laughing.
They hadn’t walked very far when they hit the Liffey River
proceeding to
walk over one of the many bridges; Siobhan looked down into the
murky
water
as a
shiver
ran through her
. Jason pulled her a little closer thinking she was cold
whispering to
her they would stop at one of the pubs on the other side and get some food.
Walking i
nto a pub that looked like it had seen better days, but was crowded
they decided
the food must be good. Ordering a couple of
drinks
and the special on the menu,
they silently glanced
around at the patrons. Most were laughing and sharing stories. A few were shoveling in food
while
watching the game that was on the tv over the pub’s bar.
The waitress brought their food
and drinks a few minutes later; she winked at Jason swishing her hips as she walked away. Jason ignored the flirting as he
tore into
his
food with abandon.
Sarah lightly kicked Siobhan’s knee pulling her angry gaze from the retreating waitress. Shaking her head, she pointed to Jason who was eating silently next to Siobhan. Giggling at her actions, Siobhan nodded silently at Sarah letting the twinge of jealousy go.
“Oh god I can’t eat anymore” Sarah said as she stretched her legs out in front of her
.
Siobhan caught a few of the patrons turning to watch
her friend’s languid movements. Smiling at a young man who blushed brightly when he caught Siobhan watching him intently, Siobhan nodded at Sarah to follow her gaze. A devilish smile ghosting Sarah’s lips as she blew an air kiss to the now crimson faced boy.
“I don’t know what exactly that was that we ate, but god it was delicious!” Siobhan said as she stretched her arms into the air, hoping to get some of her full belly to go away.
“I think it was something we wouldn’t have eaten if we knew, so best to just enjoy it” Jason said laughing at both girls yawning sleepily at him
“Ok, we so need to get up or I’m going to go over to that
boy
staring at me and climb into
his
lap for a nap” Sarah said sneakily
The city was compact
with its buildings set together closely,
but unlike home the people walking around them were not bustling to get anywhere.
Siobhan watched as older gentleman stopped to help a couple staring at a map in confusion
.
She noticed more bicycles darting through the cars in the roadway. Most were in regular street clothes, but some were in tailored
suits
with
briefcases strapped to the back. As they made their way to the Guinness Storehouse, they saw several open –top buses drive people with cameras snapping pictures.
The Guinness building reminded Siobhan of some of the buildings at home with its steel beams and architecture. Walking inside they were met with a giant pint glass that ended on the top floor bar. They wandered the floors watching the exhibits that showed the process for making the famous stout. As they learned the water really didn’t come from the Liffey River as rumored, Siobhan felt a cool caress to her cheek.
S
hiver
ing as
desire
was quickly
r
unning
through her as she turned to see who had touched her,
gazing at the empty space near her
. Jason and Sarah had wandered ahead
while
she had stopped to read one of the displays detail. Most of the tourists that had been in the tour with them had also moved on
leaving
Siobhan alone
in an empty room
.
Picking
up her pace to catch up to her friends
, she darted
to the stairs leading to the next level
. Stopping abruptly when she
saw her breath appear before her in a
wispy
mist
, clutching the rail tightly as fear engulfed her
.
Eyes widening, she felt the cold surrounding her,
offering warmth
she didn’t expect.
H
er eyes grow
ing
heavy
as she felt body succumbing to the coldness,
s
he wanted to crawl into it, close her eyes and sleep.
The
faint roll of thunder overhead
rang in her ears as she
inhaled the taste of salty air from the sea.
Slowly she felt the strong
arms circle her into a hug
as
she felt a cool sigh whisper along her neck as if someone was breathing her in
.
Fear disappearing
,
as desire overclouded her
sense
s
, this embrace was familiar to her. She felt another cold burst of air expell
ing
near her ear;
silently persuading
her
overwhelming need to let go
as the arms around her pulled her closer.
Closing her eyes, she turned her face towards the source of the cold breath
feeling
the softest pressure against her lips. The stinging cold brought a tingling sensation of
burning
heat to her lips.
T
entatively r
unning
her tongue over her lower lip; hear
ing
a soft growl of desire before the pressure of another kiss. Unyielding she leaned into the embrace, unable to pull away from the arms around her. A moan escap
ing her lips
as the kiss deepened
,
longing filling her
intoxicating her
.
“Becky, what the hell are you doing?”
Snapping her eyes open, she
stared wide eyes at
Sarah standing half way up the stairs looking down. Her lips were swollen red from the kiss
,
slightly numb. Eyes a little too bright with desire
she stood silently shaking
as the sounds of people around her began filling her ears. Taking in her surroundings, she saw others were making their way up and down the stairs.
Confusion spread across her face as she started up towards Sarah. What had just happened, she could have sworn someone had just held her
, had kissed
her
senseless
in an empty stairwell. Yet, as soon as she heard Sarah
call to her, the stairs were alive again, teeming with people while
the person kissing her
had vanished
.
Absently rubbing her chest just above her heart, the ache inside tickling a memory she couldn’t quite grasp. Shaking her head, she sprinted up the rest of the stairs to Sarah waiting patiently for her.
“You look like you just got the best kiss of your life” Sarah whispered hastily to Siobhan as she pulled her into the novelty store tucked into the corner of the bar.
“What?” Siobhan
responded
breathlessly
Grabbing
her by the shoulders
, Sarah
turned her to the mirror column in front of them. Siobhan let out a yelp as she took in her appearance. Sarah was right; she looked like she had just been kissed into oblivion.
“I don’t know what
just
happened…one minute I was reading about the water used to make the beer, and then you guys were
gone. I was running to catch up
, I don’t know why you say I look like I’ve been kissed…I’m just a little blushed from running” The lie slid easily off Siobhan’s tongue
Glancing in the direction Jason was at;
shaking her head, Sarah grabbed Siobhan’s hand tightly
. Gasping, she pulled her hand from Siobhan’s hiss
ing
as the pain shot up her arm.
“Your hand is like ice Siobhan”
Sarah yelped
“You know my hands are always cold Sarah” Siobhan shot back
“Not like iceberg
cold
Siobhan, what did you do, stick your hand in an ice bucket?”
Siobhan regarded her hand
feeling
the tingle of needles as her if hand was waking up.
Looking
up at Sarah,
she
grabbed one of the scarves hanging above her friends h
ead
wrapping
it around her hand.
“It’s nothing, Sarah; it’s probably from being in the ice bucket air in the room downstairs. Come on let’s get back to Jason and see if he likes th
is
scarf.”
Siobhan hastily hustling to the stores exit heading straight
over to where Jason was standing at one of the tall tables sampling a small glass of Guinness. He loved the scarf, so Siobhan went back into the store, paid for it wrapp
ing
it around his neck before they left.
They spent the rest of the day doing the touristy thing. They went into shops looking at clothes, wandered down little streets
peeking
into store
windows
that were closed or too busy to wait to get into.
As twilight blanketed the city, t
hey wound their way
leisurely
back to the hotel.
Feigning a headache, Siobhan retreated to the quiet of her room. The urge to be alone was overpowering; she had to think about what had happened today. Agreeing hurriedly to meet at Jason rooms in a bit, she quickly slide into her room shutting the door. The silence filled her as she exhaled slowly opening her eyes to the soft glow of the blinking light on her phone.
Dropping her bags on the floor, sitting down silently on the corner of the bed, she grabbed the receiver, pressing the message button on the phone.
Her mother’s
crisp
voice came on
;
Siobhan winced as she remembered she had yet to call home. Deleting the message without listening to it, she reached into her purse; grabb
ing
her cell phone
she
hit the speed dial for home.
“Hello” her mother’s voice came
out
slightly tinny
“Hi Mom” Siobhan replied then hastily started speaking again before her mother could respond “I’m so sorry, we got in this morning
,
we were all just so excited to be in Dublin, we dropped our things and went out to explore the city”
“Yes, I’m aware you made it, I called the hotel to confirm you had checked in. As neither Jason, nor Sarah bothered to call their parents either, we all assumed you three had immediately started sight-seeing.” Her mother replied coolly