Legend & Lace

1. Hangovers Last A Day...But The Memories Last A Lifetime

Chapter 1

Hangovers Last A Day...But The Memories Last A Lifetime

After working at Roddy's Pub for well over six months, I'd gotten used to the three men's drunken slurred words as they sat at the bar I tended. Tonight, though, they weren't as bad as they had been in the past, mostly because they were too busy keeping me occupied to drink much. That didn't stop them from downing a glass in one gulp when they were able to, slurring their words and making there accents that much stronger.

Colum, a burly, gray-haired man in his fifties, set his empty glass on the bar, sliding it toward me after downing its contents. "Laney lass, yer lookin' a little uneasy. Yah 'ave been all night."

"That's 'cause Warren is supposed to be back tonight with Angus," Tam, Colum's nephew, grinned. He was only a few years older than me. "Yah know how much they despise each other."

"I haven't liked him ever since he came to work with Angus," Murray muttered into his glass.

Tam's smile broadened as he slapped his younger brother on the back. "That's 'cause yah been sweet on the lass since she started workin' here. But we all know it's me she's been eyein' ever since that day."

I snorted as I pulled the whiskey bottle from the shelf to refill Colum's glass. "Of course, Tam. There's been no one else."

He stood and leaned over the bar, tapping his cheek not so discretely and fluttering his eyelashes. "Because yah love to kiss me right here on the cheek."

Laughing, I leaned over and kissed his scruffy cheek. "Definitely."

"Never have I heard an Englishwoman's voice so sweet," he sighed, sitting back on his stool. "I've had a fair few red-haired lassies in my short time, but it would be most welcome if yah were to grace my bed with yer sweet..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence once Colum smacked him on the back of the head. "Don't talk to her like that, boy. Yah know Angus is just as protective of her as he is the girls. What do yah think he'd do to yah if he heard yah talkin' like that?"

"It's not like I haven't heard it before," I smirked, rolling my eyes. "Besides, Angus already knows to knock him around a few times next time he comes by."

His smile turned guilty. "You know I was just jokin' that last time..."

"And tell that to Angus."

A little while later, after hearing a few more of Tam's suggestive comments, Colum's scolding, and seeing Murray's sullen looks into the bottom of his glass, Aileen took over so I could go out back to take a break, even though I only had a half hour left of my shift. Before I was even out from behind the bar, Tam had turned his affections to her. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed a bottle of water and pulled my phone from my back pocket.

Once the back door opened, the cool night air quietly brushed around me, blowing a strand of red hair across my face. It was quiet, even though it was a Friday night. Only working at the bar one night, I saw the same crowd come in after their week of work, but there were two faces I'd been missing.

As I chugged down my water, my phone vibrated once in my hand, notifying me of the text that had just come through. Quickly capping the bottle, I sat down on one of the steps and placed it beside me. I started smiling even before I opened the message.

I'll be there in 10.

Thank goodness. Not seeing him in over a week had been far too long, especially since I hadn't spent more than a night away from him in over ten months.