May 4th (chapter 2)

‘You were giving out about Eoin and his absurd pranks!’ Conor reminded him. ‘Where did you go just there?’ asked Francis out of curiosity. David, although he couldn’t see the birthday girl anymore, told the guys, ‘I think I just saw an angel!’ He saw furrowed brows surround him, needing more information! ‘Did you not see the girl with the birthday sash come in?’ he asked them. ‘Eh, no!’ Francis answered, but Conor admitted he had a glimpse of her. ‘She’s beautiful!’ David continued as if he were in a trance. The guys all looked at each other with wonderment in their eyes. They had never seen David act in that manner. Sean, after taking a long pull from his cider said, ‘well we need more drinks, and I’m sure she, whoever she is, would appreciate a round!’

David was deep in thought, his main one being the beauty in the sash. He was acting as though he was disassociating, Brian having to click his fingers in front of his face from across the table. When he finally seemed to be present again, he looked at the guys, all four faces staring back at him expectantly. ‘I might buy her party a round of drinks!’ he said, Sean began to laugh. ‘I just said that you dope!’

As he got up from the high-back leather chair and stepped down from the booth, David had a kaleidoscope of butterflies dancing through his body. He knew he had to meet the beautiful birthday girl, but didn’t know if he had the courage. Only then could he see the reasoning behind Eoin always sending him home with random women…he had no game! He ordered five ciders, catching a glimpse of the birthday girl being welcomed by her group of partygoers through the hanging spirits. He swallowed hard and asked if the bartender would send over five bottles of champagne. When he managed to tear his eyes away from the stunning woman, he looked at the bartender who had to repeat, ‘we only have Moet!’ David nodded. ‘There €130 each!’ David nodded again and took out his wallet from his front trouser pocket. He fumbled with the tying clip, and, because he was trembling from the effect this goddess had on him, he took three goes to release his visa card from its holder. He gave it to the barman, who just nodded and graciously accepted his payment.

‘Do you want me to tell the party it’s from you?’ the barman asked. David gulped hard again, closed his eyes, and replayed her entrance in his mind. ‘Sir?’ he heard, ‘are you ok?’ David opened his eyes, but only when he felt an arm on his shoulder, Conor’s arm. ‘Please do!’ Conor smiled and took the card machine for David to input his pin. ‘I apologise for my friend!’ Conor began, the bartender waving his hand on the bar, signalling there was no need. ‘We’ve all been there dude!’ he smiled.

Conor knew David didn’t even want to hear the word tequila, so he handed the card back to the barman and asked ‘can I get a whiskey please, neat!’ The young man, well he was in his twenties which was young to Conor and David, served the whiskey. David resisted at first, but Conor almost ordered him to drink it for ‘Dutch courage!’ David looked at his friend and nodded, downing the contents of the tumbler in front of him. They returned to their booth, Conor entering it first.

‘Thanks man!’ David said when he felt the warmth of the shot hit his extremities. They heard the birthday party cheer, David presuming they had received the champagne. His presumption was confirmed when he heard ‘thank you!’ come from the opposite side of the bar from numerous female voices in unison. He wasn’t one for throwing his money about, but there was something about this girl that made him quiver in awe.

The guys chatted with each other for a few minutes before David felt something hard and boot like against his shin. ‘Ouch!’ he complained. ‘She’s going to the bathroom man!’ Francis announced. David knew that this was his chance to get the name of the beautiful goddess. As the toilets were unisex, he lept from his seat and entered the bathroom. He must have washed his hands twice before he heard the voice of an angel thank him for the champagne. He looked in the mirror and gazed at her face. ‘You are so welcome!’ he said and introduced himself. ‘I’m David by the way!’ he dried his hands with the rough tissue paper provided, not taking his eyes off the most perfect woman he had ever spoken to. ‘Jessica’ she smiled back, her sash askew. David felt weak in the knees. He didn’t want to freeze in front of her but with dimples like hers, they were clattering against each other. Once he placed the saturated paper towels in the bin provided, he turned towards her and asked, ‘may I?’ pointing towards the silk ribbon that went over her bare shoulder and under her opposite arm. She looked down at it, and, smiling, nodded.

As he was turning the embossed decoration so that the ’30 today’ was in the front again, he couldn’t help but be in her personal space. When he had finished, he could do nothing but look into her deep, knowledgeable brown eyes. He brushed a stray hair from her face and just as they were about to kiss, her friend entered. ‘I thought you’d fallen in!’ she said, her voice trailing off when she noticed who Jessica was talking to, and how close to each other they were.

David immediately took a step back and looked at Jessica’s friend. ‘Sorry, I didn’t realise tha…’ David cleared his throat and cut her off. He extended his hand and introduced himself. ‘Sharon,’ she smiled back at him, beaming in Jessica’s direction, and mouthed the word, ‘sorry!’

When he was fixing her sash, he had gotten a whiff of her perfume. He recognised it instantly as Dolce and Gabbana, Light Blue. He knew this because it was his sister's favourite. When Sharon left the large, clean, newly tiled bathroom, David asked her if that was her favourite scent and when she admitted to it, he made a mental note as to what to get her if they ever met again. Jessica looked surprised he had noticed it, and was able to distinguish it from other scents. David gave her the biggest smile he could muster, and they continued talking as if Sharon had never appeared.

With the ice broken, david was clearly attracted to Jessica, and felt a mutual connection. They nattered to each other, giggling and laughing, until another one of her other friends came in to use the facilities. ‘Don’t mind me!’ she said before locking herself in a stall.

Jessica made her apologies and told David that she had to get back to the party. She pointed her finger towards the locked stall door. ‘That’s Rebecca!’ she smiled, David hearing ‘thanks for the champagne!’ being thrown in his direction. ‘You are most welcome!’ David blushed and pointed towards the door. Jessica nodded, ‘yea, I’d better show my face!’ and grimaced. David, being ever the gentleman, grabbed the door and let Jessica walk out first. Just as they were parting ways in the busy bar, David heard the sweetest voice ask if he wanted to join the party. ‘I would but I have my buddies here and…’ Jessica cut him off, ‘…the more the merrier!’ They smiled at each other and David graciously nodded his head, going back to the booth only to tell the lads to grab their drinks and coats. ‘Where are we going?’ Francis asked smiling. David, blushing, just said, ‘we have a party to attend!’ The lads didn’t have to be told twice!

Once they reached the cordoned off party section, David waved at Jessica with a wide grin. She signaled for him to go over and sit beside her. He looked at the other four, almost asking permission, but they shooed him off before he could get the words out. He knew they’d have no problem mingling, so he made a bee line for Jessica. It was quieter there than the booth had been, her friends seeming very reserved and well put together.

‘So,’ he semi shouted in her ear, ‘what do you do for a living?’ ‘I’m a teacher,’ Jessica replied. ‘What about you?’ David, although after selling his IT company, didn’t want to tell her he was a millionaire just yet, so she would like him for him. ‘I’m in IT,’ he replied, to which she nodded. ‘You’ll have to come and set up my printer one day!’ she said back to him, him taking that to mean that she’d like to see him again.

As the barman was collecting the empty glasses, David produced his card and asked for five more bottles of champagne. He was a bit tipsy at that stage, and although, to some, it might have been perceived as flashy, to David, it was just him out to impress Jessica. After he handed the card to the barman, Jessica looked deep into David’s eyes. ‘You don’t have to do that!’. He found himself lost until he heard a big cheer at the pop of the first bottle of Moet being opened!

The night was a success in David’s eyes. Jessica seemed to be enjoying her party, and even gave him her phone number on a tissue. He had pulled, and for what he had thought for the first time, had done it on his own with no help from Eoin.

As the party kicked up a notch, Jessica asked David if he smoked. He wasn’t sure whether to answer yes or no, depending on whether she did or not. He came up with a wonderful answer, however, ‘I’ll go out if you want one.’ She grabbed him by the hand, and, as they were leaving the area, he saw that the boys were having a whale of a time! Both Sean and Francis were playing tonsil tennis, Conor looked as if he was giggling the night away and Brian had his arm around, who David knew to be, Sharon.

They reached the smoking shelter, a waft of cold air hitting David’s face, making him automatically give his jumper to Jessica. Before she graciously accepted it, David took off her sash, replacing it after she looked snuggled up in it. It fitted her perfectly, making David happy because she wasn’t a stick insect. He knew he’d have something to hold if they ever got together and his, ‘could be,’ life flashed before his eyes: he saw four kids, all with Jessica’s smile and a ring on his finger. He only snapped out of it when she offered him a cigarette. He politely refused, Jessica explaining, ‘I only smoke every now and again, always when I have drink on me!’ David smiled at her and bummed a light off the guy sitting on the opposite bench. They were under the outside heater, and even though it was July, Jessica’s teeth started chattering against each other. David boldly moved closer and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in close. She rested her head on his shoulder, moving away every time she needed to exhale a lung full of nicotine. ‘I don’t want to pollute both of our lungs!’ she explained.

After she had finished her cigarette, they stayed out in the smoking shelter where it was quiet, David inhaling her beauty! They talked for what only seemed minutes, but when Sharon came out to tell Jessica that they were all leaving, David looked around and realised they were the only ones left out there.

Jessica lifted her head, locking eyes with David and kissed him gently. There was no tongue involved, it was simply the softest kiss to end a perfect night! They walked through the almost deserted bar hand in hand, and as Jessica got into a cab with a couple of her girlfriends, she asked, ‘will I ever see you again?’ David, blushing, answered ‘I’d really like that!’ Jessica, smiling, nodded, and after she closed the cab door, she put her hand on the window, David doing the same. Their bond was only broken when the taxi drove off.

David, not knowing where his friends were, re-entered the bar, only to find Conor and Brian left, the other two had pulled. They rang for a cab, having to wait fifteen minutes in the cold, outside the closed bar. Conor was the one with all the questions, Brian just listened, but there weren’t many answers given as David was smitten and unable to express the wonderous experience he just had. When the car came for them, David recognised the taxi as being the one that took Jessica home. It confirmed, in his mind, that they lived in the same town, making the opportunity to get together again much simpler.

‘Did you at least get her number man?’ Brian asked, Conor dancing around the subject. David reached into his pants pocket, retrieving the piece of tissue with Jessica’s number on it and smiled into space. ‘I did!’ he said finally, smiling like a Cheshire cat, and placed his hand in the exact spot Jessica had hers on mere minutes beforehand. He was in heaven!