I leaned flat against the doorway to keep dry, and lit yet another cigarette. I stared blankly across the tiny street in front of my new home at the field beyond. A sycamore rustled it's leaves in the wind and the rain. It was quiet otherwise. I wondered when Ciaran or Brian would return. 5 hours? I had no cash on me, so a time-killing trip to somewhere else wasn't really possible. It would be tight until I saw the first few paychecks, anyways. I needed to conserve my money. So there I was, all the way from Texas, landed in Ireland, and locked out of my home the first day.
"Aren'tcha cold? This weather is a bit dear to be about without a coat on"
I had been so lost in thought, I hadn't realized the next neighbor over had exited her house for a smoke. "Uh, I sorta locked myself out." I said, squeamishly. I expected her to laugh. I hadn't seen this neighbor the day before. She was perhaps 5 years younger than me, with a very nice smile, blonde hair, and was a tiny little thing not even half my size.
"Well then, you'll have to join me in my house when you grow tired of catching the rain, I reckon". I agreed with her. She was smiling.
We chatted, enjoyed more smoke, and then she brought me in. She treated me as though she had been expecting me. She had beverages instantly available and was very quick to serve up some lunch when she found I hadn't so much as had breakfast. One of the beverages was gin and orange juice. I was drinking again already. We both enjoyed a light lunch of some very Irish food, which I do not even recall what it was other than being very Irish. We chatted as the lunch settled, and I answered a god-aweful amount of questions and felt somewhat guilty I didn't have many of my own. We had a wonderful afternoon. She then said,"You'll have to be outside in the front garden with me when your mates arrive, lest they all assume we've been having sex."
I was a bit surprised, and yet not. I just realized we had spent the last few hours or so flirting. I told her I understood and said something silly along the lines of "Far be it form me to besmirch the character of such a lovely lady". I thanked her profusely for being so kind to take me in and stood up to leave. She then began to yank earnestly at my jeans.
Thirty minutes later, we were both outside enjoying a smoke and yet more alcohol. I was hoping her face would stop glowing before my flatmates showed up. We were both trying our best dead pan looks as the afternoon dwindled away to the sounds of Irish folks returning to their home lives and their children.
As Ciran's van pulled in to the garden, I put out my cigarette and thanked the lovely young Irish gal for one of the best afternoons I had had in a long while.
