A Saint's Savior

3

"So, what's so special about here?" Finley asks after they sit down at the small restaurant.

Murphy replies "probably nothin, maybe somethin" he gives her a sly smile "guess we'll see how the date goes."

"Guess we will" she agrees and the waitress comes by to take their drink order.

He gets a beer and she gets wine and Finley starts the conversation with why she moved to Boston. She rehearsed the story so many times it's like it actually happened "I was teaching in Ohio for a few years, small town. It was great for a bit but there was just something missing. I moved three times in one year until I wound up here."

"And what's so special about here?" He mimics her own question from before.

Her eyes twinkle, catching on to what he just did but she answers "my parents always told me stories about Ireland. The type of life they had there was simple but it's all they needed. I figured if I couldn't go to Ireland I could find the next best thing."

"And why can't ya go to Ireland?" He asks her back.

She replies with a lie "I'm a school teacher, not exactly a lucrative career."

"I, that it is not. But it's an admirable career, teachin'" he asks her a question finally "why you decide to be a teacher?"

She explains "it kind of just fell into my lap. I started out as a substitute but fell in love with it."

"Maybe if Conner and I had a teacher like you we would've liked goin to school." He compliments her.

She doesn't blush and replies "I don't know, if I had students like you I might've quit the job." He chuckles and then tells her about a time he and his brother put a teachers car on the roof of the school and filled it with beer bottles. Finley laughs as he tells it but asks at the end of his story  "but why'd you do it?"

He explains "I got real sick the last year of school and I missed a lot, rat bastard wasn't going to let me graduate."

"So you stole his car?" She laughs and shakes her head.

He shrugs one shoulder "he got it back and I got to graduate."

"You're kind of crazy, you know that?" She playfully returns.

He replies "is crazy something you like?"

She takes a sip of her wine "I think it might be."

They stay at the restaurant till closing, being asked to leave by the staff. Finley asks him if he wants to go back to her place but he manages to convince her to head over to McGintys. Once inside, Murphy goes directly to the bar and his brother embraces him in a big hug. Finley follows behind him and Rocco comes over towards them "watch out" one man utters as he gets closer to them.

Rocco holds his hands out wide, and Murphy then pushes him back with a laugh as he tries to get closer to Finley "you're a disaster magnet man, I don't want you near my date."

Rocco replies "I'm not shit faced, alright? I wanted to apologize to the lady."

"She doesn't want your apology!" Conner yells back to him "maybe you can pay her dry cleaning bill!"

"Alright, hey. I'm sorry for being a jackass." He says to Finley, Murphy still blocking him from getting face to face with her "I'm a grade A twat."

She accepts his apology "hey, no one got hurt. It's all good" she steps around Murphy and closer to Rocco "but if you ever spill your drinks on me again I'll chop off your balls and feed them to you in fuckin' pieces, understand?" She pushes him with one finger as hard as she can, a thick Irish accent coming out of her mouth.

Rocco is biting his lip trying not to smile but confirms he understands "got it."

Finley hears Conner mutter to his brother "hope you worked your magic brother, because I might have to take a shot at her myself."

"Fuck you!" Murphy chuckles and pushes his brother. They laugh then Murphy places an arm around Finley and pulls her closer to him.

They spend an hour or so at the bar all drinking and laughing before Murphy offers to walk her home. When they get up to her studio and outside her door, she says to him "thanks for tonight, probably the best first date I ever had."

Murphy agrees "I, same for me love. Can I take you out again?"

"Anytime" she assures him, waiting for him to make a move.

Murphy leans in towards her, wanting to end the night with a kiss. He pauses momentarily before their lips can meet and really considers what he's about to do. Finley can't wait any longer though and pushes her mouth onto his. She just lets them sit there, hoping Murphy takes the lead and sets a pace. Luckily it only takes him a second to adjust and start kissing her, really making it mean something. When she pulls apart to get a breath, Murphy breaths out "aye, I'm the one suppose to be makin' the moves."

Finley teases back "you took too long." Murphy growls a little under his breath and pushes his lips back to hers, loving the way they tasted. This goes on for another 10 or so minutes before she pulls away and asks "wanna come inside?"

He kisses her lips softly once but pulls away before it would turn into more making out. He says "oh darlin' I'd love to but I really shouldn't."

"Why not?" She bats her eyelashes, trying not to appear offended. She thought this date went so well they would for sure fuck tonight.

As if reading her mind, he says "cause I know what'd happen if I came inside tonight, and I don't wanna rush through this."

She squints at him, a hand on her hip. She finally exhales "okay, fine." She leans in for one more kiss before turning to open her door "night, Murphy!"

"Night Finley." He replies with a stupid grin.

He watches her as she shuts the door and then leaves once he hears it lock. Murphy heads back to the bar but Finley rests her head against the door, winded from kissing him with a an irregular pumping heartbeat beating almost out of her chest. She can't help but wonder how this could happen? Why this would happen, and happen now? She can't help the dark feeling in her stomach sink further and further down.