Page 43 of Stick to the Plan
Brianna seems oblivious to the attention she’s receiving as she looks around the pub. “Is this where you disappear to sometimes?”
I relax as I slide onto the stool next to her. Does she realize how beautiful she is? “Not as posh as Pop, t’a be sure, but the food is good, and it reminds me of home.”
The owner, the same burly bartender I’d met on my first visit, steps over with a couple of menus to plop down in front of us. “What’s it t’a be?”
“Evening. I’ll have a pint of Guiness. Brianna, dear, they have Magners Cider on tap. The fish-n-chips are fantastic here.” I turn to her as she scans the brief menu, lips pursed.
“That sounds good. Pint of Magners and the fish-n-chips, please —,” she looks up and squints briefly at his name tag, ”—Himself?”
I quirk a smile at her confusion. A surprised Brianna doesn’t happen often, as far as I can tell, but she is almost as adorable as Shy Brianna. “I’ll have the shepherd’s pie, Brendan.” I gather the menus up and hand them to the man, who only grunts and heads back to the computer.
Turning back to Brianna, I smile as her wide eyes continue to take in the pub. With her slim dress, high heels, and sleek ponytail sitting ramrod straight at the bar, she seems out of place. She is a sapphire surrounded by quartz - all valuable, but one just shines more.
“I like the aesthetic here. Sophisticated man cave crossed with a rustic cabin thing. How did you find this place?” Brianna turns towards me, the momentum sets her stool swinging. She tries to catch herself on the rail, but her heel slips. Moving quick, I snake my arm out to catch her and drop a quick kiss on her surprised lips. She smiles and blushes as she turns her seat back forward.
The entire table of men now glares back at me over Brianna’s shoulder, which only makes my smile widen. Call me a jealous son of a bitch, but I’m fecking proud to be the man with Brianna. “Johnson suggested it, actually.”
“Johnson? As in the PM I work with, Johnson?” Her eyebrow quirks up in disbelief.
Brendan returns with our pints, allowing me to extend my amusement at her expression.
“Aye, Johnson the PM. By the way, is that a first name or last name?”
Brianna’s drink pauses halfway to her mouth and her lips purse in a comical expression. “You know what? I have no idea. He’s always been justJohnson.”
“He’s a decent lad when you get to know him. Also, the only non kiss-arse in the place.” Her eyebrow hitches higher over the rim of her drink. I chuckle and hold my hands up in mock surrender. “Present company excluded, of course.”
Brianna gives a content sigh as she places her cider down in front of her. The tension leaves her shoulders bit by bit.
“So you’ve never told me. How did you end up in this career?” I take a sip of my Guinness and wait for her response.
“Oh, I’ve always been a bit of a control freak. Figured I should find a way to monetize it.” She gives me a self-deprecating smile, and I chuckle.
“No, seriously.”
She looks thoughtful as she takes another sip of her cider. “I got a business degree in college, but wasn’t sure what to do with it. When I was an intern, I worked in the finance department. I’m good with numbers, but found it kind of boring. There was this one project manager I worked with, though, who was amazing. I watched him get involved with every department on the project. It was magical.” Lost in a memory, her smile spreads across her face and her eyes take on a distant gaze. After another fortifying sip of cider, she continues her story.
“I cornered him in the cafeteria one day and just started asking him questions. He indulged me. I spent the rest of that summer following him like a puppy. When I graduated, he hired me as a project coordinator, working under him at C.A.E. Taught me everything I know.” Her smile turns bittersweet. “He…left C.A.E. last year, and I still miss him.”
Brendan arrives with our food and a second round of drinks. I watch Brianna as she takes her first bite of the flaky fish.
Her eyes close, and she moans slightly before raising her napkin to her lips and turning to me. “This is amazing. You were so right. The batter is crispy without being heavy, and the fish is so buttery.” She eagerly dives back into her meal.
We chat as dinner continues. Her walls are down and I’m able to ask questions about her childhood and family. This is the traditional first date we would have had if we’d met the conventional way.
As Brianna scrapes the ketchup off her plate with her last fry, her cell rings and she excuses herself to take it somewhere quieter. I follow her with my eyes as she weaves through tables to the back by the bathrooms.
Brendan puts the check down next to me, an assessing look on his face. “That be your dream lass, I assume. I t’ought it were impossible?”
I lift one hip as I fish my wallet out, a happy grin splitting my face. “I guess I made my own fate.”
“Fair play, you. Now don’t fuck it up.” He taps my card on the bar top once before running it.
“I don’t aim to.”
Brianna’s eyes cloud in thought as she returns, but they clear, and she smiles as she reaches me. “Ready to go home?”
Home.
