“Proper craic, if I’m honest.”
“Are you going to help me now,” I said, “or just stand there smiling like that?”
“Is the smile doing anything for you?”
“Not nearly as much as a working projector would be doing for me.”
“In that case, time to see what I can do.”
I stood with my fists on my hips while I watched him work, annoyed and thankful in equal measure.
“How do you know how to do everything?” I asked as he clicked the right buttons in the right order until the projector turned on, bathing the room in blue fluorescent light.
“You flatter me.”
“Not on purpose.”
“I didn’t grow up with a lot of money,” he said by way of explanation. “I’ve been doing odd jobs since I was a wain, and I’ve been at the Wanderer for more years than I’m willing to count, so the skills just kind of add up.”
He didn’t say any of this like it was a confession, but it still made me wonder what Collin’s life was like outside the walls of the hostel. As the “face” of the Wanderer, it was easy to forget he had family outside of Galway who weren’t twentysomething expats clad in embroidered polos.
“Well, I’m grateful for those skills,” I said, watching as he adjusted the focus on the screen.
“You’re cute when you’re nice,” he said, clapping his hands together once the screen was clear. “Ready for the movie night, are we?”
“We?” I responded. “Your work is done here. For which I am grateful, by the way. But you don’t have to stick around. Hell, I don’t even know if I’m going to stick around.”
“Just gonna toss the film on and leg it, are ya? I like your style.”
“It’s not a style,” I said. “They hardly need a babysitter. I’ll come back down at the end to put the projector and the screen away, but I think that’s where my job begins and ends.”
“What are your plans for tonight then?” he asked.
“Applying for jobs,” I said. And I meant it. I had found a few more openings over the course of the week in reputable hotels, and I intended on spending the duration of the movie at my laptop curating cover letters.
“On a Thursday night?” he said. “You should be on the gargle.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, “I should be what?”
“Out drinkin’.” He grinned. “You gotta start learning some words around here, Chels.”
“It’s impossible to keep up.” I played along, nudging him with my shoulder. “Besides, I can’t understand your accent half the time anyway.”
“Spend more time with me and you’ll get used to it,” he said. “Come down the pub tonight. Lars and I will teach you enough slang to keep you from sounding like an eejit.”
“Lars isn’t even Irish,” I said.
“But he’s been here long enough. Rubs off on ya.”
“I have work to do.”
“The work can wait,” he said.
“If I never wanted to go back to Boston, maybe,” I said. “But I do, so. Don’t get any ideas.”
“How could I possibly?” He looked amused, but I didn’t get the sense he was really joking. “You remind us all the time.”
“Which is why I need to get the work done tonight,” I said. “If I can get a job, then you won’t have to hear me talk about it anymore.”