if necessary. He didn’t need to be told twice.
Adam picked Damien Rice’s O and handed it to her.
“Again?” she asked, hand on hip.
“What do you mean ‘again’?” Adam asked, with mock-horror.
“I swear to God you’re turning into Ivan,” she said.
“Ivan has eaten the same salad for fifteen years. I’ve requested this record three times.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a slippery slope.” She grinned.
Once the CD was playing, Adam settled on his bar stool while Mary wiped the counter. “Is she drinking?” he asked, out of nowhere.
“A few bottles of wine last week but she’s OK.”
“You sure?”
“No, but she’s favouring staying at home rather than going to the pub so that’s good,” she said. “Last week was the first time I’ve seen Penny drunk in an age and, let’s face it, she’d just been dumped.”
Adam nodded guiltily. “OK.”
“She will be as soon as you leave,” Mary couldn’t stop herself saying.
“You’re a cold-hearted bitch,” he said.
“And you’re a cheating bastard,” Mary said.
“I’m really going to miss you.” He smiled.
“I’m really going to miss you too.”
Interrupted conversation followed as they talked about this and that while she served drinks and swapped pleasantries with other locals. Adam told her about the restaurant at which he’d secured a management position, the legal wrangling involved in selling the hotel, and the place his wife had found for them to live. It wasn’t all that bad: the restaurant was an award-winner and there were some excellent schools. Mary had told him about her new neighbour and was pleased when Adam enjoyed her report of the tourist-bashing incident.
It was after ten when Tin Fitz and Roy Rice plonked themselves on the bar stools at either side of Adam.
“Adam,” Tin said.
“Tin,” Adam responded.
Tin sniffed. “Caught rotten.”
“I suppose so,” Adam agreed.
“You’ll have a drink,” Roy said, and Adam nodded.
Roy ordered three pints from Mary and within moments the three men were immersed in a conversation about Kerry’s chances of winning the All Ireland hurling final.
A few hours later, when last orders were finally served, Mary joined the three lads at the counter.
“Mary, have you decided to marry me yet?” Tin asked, grinning.
“I hadn’t heard you’d divorced,” she said.
“I haven’t but I’ve a big bed. I’m sure Nora would make room.”
“That’s some image,” Roy said, and laughed to himself.
“I’ve always believed two wives were better than one,” Tin said, and nudged Adam. “It’d sort out a lot of hassles.”
Adam refused to be drawn.
“What’s that called?” Tin said to Roy.
“Polygamy,” Roy said, and drained his glass.
“How you fixed for a bit of polygamy?” Tin winked at Mary.
“I’d rather gnaw through my own foot, thanks, Tin,” Mary said.
Adam and Roy laughed while Tin shook his head. “All right – if you feel that strongly I’ll get rid of Nora.”
Later, when the bar was cleared out, Adam and Mary sat drinking coffee and reminiscing.
“Remember the night on the boat?” he asked.
They had been on the boat hundreds of times but she knew which night he was referring to. Of course she remembered. “The water was like glass. I still can’t believe Uncle Pete didn’t catch us or that we didn’t crash,” she said, grinning.
“Crash? Ivan could drive that thing in his sleep even at sixteen!” Adam was laughing. “Penny and I were hot and heavy that night.”
“I threw a bottle of water on you to cool you down.”
“And night swimming!” he lamented.
She smiled widely at the memory of her first skinny-dip. Ivan had been embarrassed to take off his trunks in front of his cousin but he’d been with a girl called Bridget and she was definitely one to see in the nip so he’d agreed, based on a borderline system. Then, under cover of darkness, the six of them had spread out with only the moonlight to guide them to
Adam picked Damien Rice’s O and handed it to her.
“Again?” she asked, hand on hip.
“What do you mean ‘again’?” Adam asked, with mock-horror.
“I swear to God you’re turning into Ivan,” she said.
“Ivan has eaten the same salad for fifteen years. I’ve requested this record three times.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a slippery slope.” She grinned.
Once the CD was playing, Adam settled on his bar stool while Mary wiped the counter. “Is she drinking?” he asked, out of nowhere.
“A few bottles of wine last week but she’s OK.”
“You sure?”
“No, but she’s favouring staying at home rather than going to the pub so that’s good,” she said. “Last week was the first time I’ve seen Penny drunk in an age and, let’s face it, she’d just been dumped.”
Adam nodded guiltily. “OK.”
“She will be as soon as you leave,” Mary couldn’t stop herself saying.
“You’re a cold-hearted bitch,” he said.
“And you’re a cheating bastard,” Mary said.
“I’m really going to miss you.” He smiled.
“I’m really going to miss you too.”
Interrupted conversation followed as they talked about this and that while she served drinks and swapped pleasantries with other locals. Adam told her about the restaurant at which he’d secured a management position, the legal wrangling involved in selling the hotel, and the place his wife had found for them to live. It wasn’t all that bad: the restaurant was an award-winner and there were some excellent schools. Mary had told him about her new neighbour and was pleased when Adam enjoyed her report of the tourist-bashing incident.
It was after ten when Tin Fitz and Roy Rice plonked themselves on the bar stools at either side of Adam.
“Adam,” Tin said.
“Tin,” Adam responded.
Tin sniffed. “Caught rotten.”
“I suppose so,” Adam agreed.
“You’ll have a drink,” Roy said, and Adam nodded.
Roy ordered three pints from Mary and within moments the three men were immersed in a conversation about Kerry’s chances of winning the All Ireland hurling final.
A few hours later, when last orders were finally served, Mary joined the three lads at the counter.
“Mary, have you decided to marry me yet?” Tin asked, grinning.
“I hadn’t heard you’d divorced,” she said.
“I haven’t but I’ve a big bed. I’m sure Nora would make room.”
“That’s some image,” Roy said, and laughed to himself.
“I’ve always believed two wives were better than one,” Tin said, and nudged Adam. “It’d sort out a lot of hassles.”
Adam refused to be drawn.
“What’s that called?” Tin said to Roy.
“Polygamy,” Roy said, and drained his glass.
“How you fixed for a bit of polygamy?” Tin winked at Mary.
“I’d rather gnaw through my own foot, thanks, Tin,” Mary said.
Adam and Roy laughed while Tin shook his head. “All right – if you feel that strongly I’ll get rid of Nora.”
Later, when the bar was cleared out, Adam and Mary sat drinking coffee and reminiscing.
“Remember the night on the boat?” he asked.
They had been on the boat hundreds of times but she knew which night he was referring to. Of course she remembered. “The water was like glass. I still can’t believe Uncle Pete didn’t catch us or that we didn’t crash,” she said, grinning.
“Crash? Ivan could drive that thing in his sleep even at sixteen!” Adam was laughing. “Penny and I were hot and heavy that night.”
“I threw a bottle of water on you to cool you down.”
“And night swimming!” he lamented.
She smiled widely at the memory of her first skinny-dip. Ivan had been embarrassed to take off his trunks in front of his cousin but he’d been with a girl called Bridget and she was definitely one to see in the nip so he’d agreed, based on a borderline system. Then, under cover of darkness, the six of them had spread out with only the moonlight to guide them to
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