his coat, he was staring at the ground, his jaw shifting in obvious vexation.
She couldn’t imagine what he thought of her then.
But when he lifted his gaze slowly to hers with the smallest fire of anger kindled in his eyes, she knew what he thought. “Why are you lying to me?” he asked her softly. “Where’s the sense in that?”
She was dumbfounded. She couldn’t answer. She stared uselessly at his boots while he went on sharply, “It’s best t’just let the truth come out. You’d a crush on me, yeah? It’s no reason to lie.”
“I’d never lie to you.”
“So you’re tellin’ me you really believe we were lovers in 1790? I’m just thirty-one myself, or maybe I’ve—”
“It was in another life,” she said, feeling the tears threatening to overwhelm her. “I know how stupid it sounds, I don’t blame you for not believing me, because I don’t even believe me, but…”
She lost the battle then. With her lower lip trembling, she let the tears come, knowing he couldn’t possibly accept it. The glower on his face would mean the end of their acquaintance. Paul took a deep breath as she stood there, crying, and tension moved in his eyes when he did what she’d been so afraid he would: He turned and walked away.
At that moment she was convinced nothing in her life would ever matter again. He was everything, every wish she’d ever made ‘round a driftwood fire, every dream lover she’d ever fantasized about. What use would it be, going on without him? What would be the point when she knew he was the one?
And then he called her, over his shoulder. “Come on, then,” he said with a nod.
* * *
In the commuter train station, he paid for their fare. He led her to the platform where the train had just stopped, and reticently, Ravenna followed him inside where he sat her down, took the seat across from hers. “I can see this is going t’be an interesting evening for me,” he said as the train began to move.
She wiped at the corners of her eyes. “Why is that?”
“Because what you’re tellin’ me goes against everything I believe in. It’s reincarnation, is it?” When she nodded, he leaned forward in his seat, elbows on his knees, hands clasped near his lips as he collected his words. “I don’t believe in reincarnation,” he said gently. “I really don’t. But if you’re conning me, I must admit it’s the best con I’ve ever seen. I suppose if you’re bein’ paid by somebody, it would be, yeah?”
“But…why would anyone pay me?” she asked. “Why would I try to con you with a story you won’t believe?”
“I’m sitting next to you, aren’t I? I’m a pushover for misery, she knows that.”
She? The word registered in Ravenna’s thoughts while his gaze drifted behind her. Surely he didn’t believe that, did he? That she’d been paid to seduce him? “You think your wife set this up, don’t you?”
But he wasn’t listening. His eyes, firmly fixed beyond her, flashed with warning so that she turned to see what had caught his attention.
Three boys with buzz cuts glared back. With their Doc Martens on the seats before them, their lanky bodies draped in black, they passed a bottle in a paper sack between them. They swore a lot and laughed more, and Ravenna knew they were talking about her.
“Those lads are lookin’ for a good scuffle t’get into, I can feel it,” Paul said. “Come sit by me, I’d feel better.”
When the train pulled up to the Dalkey platform, she didn’t think of David. She slid over beside Paul, glad for his nearness, and as she sat back behind the denim of his shoulder, she felt his arm come around her snugly. “Now, what were you saying about Devonshire?” he mused.
The boys were out of their seats now, ambling their way down the swaying aisle. From one handhold to another, they talked amongst themselves as if they were innocent of all malicious intentions. When the smallest of the three, the leader, reached the seat Ravenna had
She couldn’t imagine what he thought of her then.
But when he lifted his gaze slowly to hers with the smallest fire of anger kindled in his eyes, she knew what he thought. “Why are you lying to me?” he asked her softly. “Where’s the sense in that?”
She was dumbfounded. She couldn’t answer. She stared uselessly at his boots while he went on sharply, “It’s best t’just let the truth come out. You’d a crush on me, yeah? It’s no reason to lie.”
“I’d never lie to you.”
“So you’re tellin’ me you really believe we were lovers in 1790? I’m just thirty-one myself, or maybe I’ve—”
“It was in another life,” she said, feeling the tears threatening to overwhelm her. “I know how stupid it sounds, I don’t blame you for not believing me, because I don’t even believe me, but…”
She lost the battle then. With her lower lip trembling, she let the tears come, knowing he couldn’t possibly accept it. The glower on his face would mean the end of their acquaintance. Paul took a deep breath as she stood there, crying, and tension moved in his eyes when he did what she’d been so afraid he would: He turned and walked away.
At that moment she was convinced nothing in her life would ever matter again. He was everything, every wish she’d ever made ‘round a driftwood fire, every dream lover she’d ever fantasized about. What use would it be, going on without him? What would be the point when she knew he was the one?
And then he called her, over his shoulder. “Come on, then,” he said with a nod.
* * *
In the commuter train station, he paid for their fare. He led her to the platform where the train had just stopped, and reticently, Ravenna followed him inside where he sat her down, took the seat across from hers. “I can see this is going t’be an interesting evening for me,” he said as the train began to move.
She wiped at the corners of her eyes. “Why is that?”
“Because what you’re tellin’ me goes against everything I believe in. It’s reincarnation, is it?” When she nodded, he leaned forward in his seat, elbows on his knees, hands clasped near his lips as he collected his words. “I don’t believe in reincarnation,” he said gently. “I really don’t. But if you’re conning me, I must admit it’s the best con I’ve ever seen. I suppose if you’re bein’ paid by somebody, it would be, yeah?”
“But…why would anyone pay me?” she asked. “Why would I try to con you with a story you won’t believe?”
“I’m sitting next to you, aren’t I? I’m a pushover for misery, she knows that.”
She? The word registered in Ravenna’s thoughts while his gaze drifted behind her. Surely he didn’t believe that, did he? That she’d been paid to seduce him? “You think your wife set this up, don’t you?”
But he wasn’t listening. His eyes, firmly fixed beyond her, flashed with warning so that she turned to see what had caught his attention.
Three boys with buzz cuts glared back. With their Doc Martens on the seats before them, their lanky bodies draped in black, they passed a bottle in a paper sack between them. They swore a lot and laughed more, and Ravenna knew they were talking about her.
“Those lads are lookin’ for a good scuffle t’get into, I can feel it,” Paul said. “Come sit by me, I’d feel better.”
When the train pulled up to the Dalkey platform, she didn’t think of David. She slid over beside Paul, glad for his nearness, and as she sat back behind the denim of his shoulder, she felt his arm come around her snugly. “Now, what were you saying about Devonshire?” he mused.
The boys were out of their seats now, ambling their way down the swaying aisle. From one handhold to another, they talked amongst themselves as if they were innocent of all malicious intentions. When the smallest of the three, the leader, reached the seat Ravenna had
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