Page 16 of Hot Irish Halloween

“I’m Aoife. Welcome to my shop. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know. You’re Mr. Valentine, of course — who doesn’t know that.” Jack gave Penny a pointed stare at that, and she made a face at him. “And you are Miss Mayfield. Let me take your coats, and you can get relaxed.”

They removed their outer layers. Penny tried not to make it obvious that her jaw practically dropped to the floor to see what Jack had on underneath that peacoat. Black silk must have been melted, stirred, and poured over his torso, showing off therippling muscles of his shoulders, chest, and arms with every movement he made. His gray tweed trousers, which would have been boring on any other man, hugged his ass and his thighs.

How dare he? How was she supposed to function like a normal person around all that hotness?

At least it was some consolation that he seemed to be having trouble tearing his own attention from the V of her dress.

Aoife had to wave a hand in front of their faces with a light laugh. “Mr. Valentine says you need something fairytale-inspired, which happens to be my personal favorite. Do you have anything specific in mind?”

Her original idea, which had been fun to tease Jack about in the car, now seemed too on the nose. Penny thought for a moment. “Um…we were thinking Beauty and the Beast, but now maybe not. There’ll probably be at least a few other couples going as that.”

The modiste examined them both. It took Penny a moment to realize there were no other customers there. The only noise in the shop was classical music playing discreetly in the background.

“Hm….” Aoife walked a circle around Penny, looking at her skin and her shape. “You have a gorgeous deep complexion. I think you’re a natural for vibrant pastels. I’m thinking…a very rich rose pink. Give me a moment, please.”

Aoife rushed to the backroom and returned with a bolt of fabric. Bringing it over, she held it up to Penny’s face and throat.

“This is perfect. What do you think? Do you like this color?” Aoife asked.

“I’ve never been one for pink, but…I do like this. It’s really pretty,” Penny said after giving it some thought.

“Grand...” Aoife went to grab a tablet from behind the counter and typed something in. Then she held up the results for them to see. “Aurora, also known as Briar Rose, also known as SleepingBeauty. Her original dress was sky blue in the classic cartoon, but she’s known for the pink gown since Cinderella made the blue her own. Now we can work on Mr. Valentine’s Prince Philip outfit. I am thrilled. No one ever chooses Aurora. They think it’s kinda problematic now that Prince Philip kisses her while she’s sleeping.Without her consent.” Aoife whispered that last part. “If you want to go with a different character, we can find something else.”

“Let’s pretend Prince Philip shakes her awake before he tries anything,” Penny suggested.

Jack snorted while Aoife laughed. “Perfect. Alright, you two. Have a seat, and I’ll get my assistant out here so we can take your measurements. In the meantime, please enjoy some complimentary refreshments.”

“Why is it so empty in here?” Penny wondered aloud after the modiste left. “You’d think they’d be busy this close to Halloween.”

“They would have been, but I asked them to keep our appointment private.”

“Wow. Nice. I see that world championship belt opens a lot of doors.”

“When I’m recognized,” he said, giving her the side eye.

Penny snorted a laugh. Over the next two hours, they enjoyed their champagne and grapes, had their measurements taken, and were on their way. Outside, the early evening air was sweet and woodsy, as if Jack had somehow permeated everything around her with his own scent.

“Alright,” Jack said with an expression of relief. “Now that that’s settled, let’s go get something to eat.”

He was silent on the way to the restaurant. Yesterday, that would have made her nervous, thinking maybe he wasn’t enjoying their time together, but tonight felt different. This wasa relaxed, companionable silence. It was nice, actually, not to feel forced to come up with things to say to keep him interested.

At the restaurant downtown, Penny appreciated the beautifully lit interior after Jack gave the valet his keys and escorted her in. It was wood-paneled with large glass windows on all sides. As they moved through the dining room, Penny noticed again that people noticed Jack. At the height of her fame with Thorny Rose, she’d never received that much recognition in public, even in her small hometown, where being a “celebrity” was rare. She’d been happy when the occasional fan came by to say hello or ask for an autograph.

They were seated at a table with a riverside view. Hanging their jackets on nearby hooks, they sat facing each other. The table was covered in a thick cream cloth, and in the center, a tiny white votive candle gave off a soft, sensuous light. In the butterscotch glow of the candlelight, Jack’s skin was a rich gold, his eyes illuminated to amber. Penny risked being mesmerized by him, so she looked away, taking in the scenery and the restaurant décor.

The large wall across from them that separated the dining room from the kitchen was hung with a huge tapestry of a hunting scene featuring a sword-wielding giant and his band of hunters. They were chasing a deer, whom Penny knew was, in fact, a woman who’d been turned under a curse. In the stories, her name was Sadhbh. Once the hunter had captured Sadhbh and brought her to his homeland, she’d turned back into a woman. Unfortunately, their story hadn’t ended happily ever after.

“That’s Finn McCool,” Penny said. Jack looked over and nodded.

“You know Irish folklore,” he said.

“I’m not an expert, but I’ve learned a little.”

“From your husband?” Jack’s gaze was soft but serious. “He was Irish, wasn’t he?”

Penny tried to resist the stiffening in her shoulders. She knew at some point, Brendan would come up. That didn’t stop her from dreading it all the same.

“Brendan was Irish American. He didn’t know much until we toured the Giant’s Causeway here with the band. I’ve learned a bunch more since coming back for my research.”

---