Page 11 of Shamrocked
“I was dancing around like a fool after we left theCrown,” I whispered. “I slipped and fell. I didn’t even see it. My hand slid into a couple of inches of snow piled up at the edge, and there it was.”
She sat back sharply on her heels and stood up. “Wow.”
My stomach plummeted and the sweet chocolate I’d drank suddenly burned like acid. I didn’t want to lose her friendship. I’d be lost without her. Even if I gained Doran and whatever else was going on. But if this coin was magical, and Doran was real, and Warwick really was a leprechaun… then he’d warned me about demons too.
She offered her hand and pulled me up to my feet, but she didn’t let go of me right away. “Think about it, Ri. What are the chances that you’d fall in the right spot? That you’d feel that coin in the snow if you couldn’t see it? That you’d pick it up? That you’d need to use the bathroom, and you’d miss the traffic signal, and our other friends would go off and leave you? Let alone that your asshole ex would finally sign the papers after fighting to get you back for months. Why that night? It gives me chills to think about it.”
“Yeah.” I rubbed my arms briskly. “Me too.”
“You know what this means, right?”
She grabbed me suddenly and lifted me up off my feet, whirling me around in the bathroom like we were dancing a waltz. “My best friend has four Irish treasures to claim for herself! You’re going to be rich!”
Laughing with relief that she wasn’t too weirded out, I hugged her back but squirmed in her grip. “Put me down, you idiot. The treasures aren’t worth money. I’m as broke as ever.”
She gave me a leer that would do the gargoyle proud, but she did set me back down on my feet. “You won’t be poor in men, honey. And one of them will keep you satisfied, isn’t that what you said?”
I laughed, but a little uneasily. I’d only managed to gain my freedom from one jerk. I sure wasn’t going to saddle myself with another asshole, let alone four.
6
It was ridiculously hard to pick out something to wear to a Faerie pub. I didn't want to be disrespectful—if that was even a concern—but I didn't want to look like I was trying too hard, either. I finally settled on my second-best pair of dark-colored jeans (since I’d worn my nicest Monday and hadn’t done laundry because I’d been painting like a maniac) and a nice sweater. It was too fucking cold to even think about wearing a dress, and I'd gotten rid of all my business casual clothes when I left my corporate job.
So, jeans. At least I wore a nice pair of ankle boots that were a little dressier than my beat-up Converse. I slipped the coin into my pocket and then stared doubtfully at the gargoyle. He was too heavy to carry around. Should I bring him? Warwick only said to bring the token. If Viviana drove, I could leave the statue in the trunk, but she hated driving in the winter mess on the streets and usually kept her Mustang in storage. I couldn't risk the driver changing his mind and driving off with my gargoyle in the trunk.
It made me feel vaguely guilty to leave him on the nightstand, though. Especially going to see Warwick, a man I'd already hinted I thought was pretty cute.
Stupid. To be worried about a gargoyle's jealousy. He was a fucking statue and he was already haunting me in my dreams. It couldn't get much worse. Right?
I paused at the door and looked back at the gargoyle. “Nothing’s going to happen with the leprechaun, okay? So you can stop glaring at me.”
Stepping out of the car Vivi had called, I stared up at the old building and tried not to feel self-conscious. But standing next to a goddess with effortless beauty would make anybody feel like a plain wallflower. She wasn't even trying, not really. She'd gone with black jeans and a luxurious black sweater so soft it might as well have been made of mink instead of yarn, but with her glorious hair down around her shoulders and a little bit of makeup, she looked like she was headed to a premier movie event.
Her eyes glittered with excitement and she squeezed my hand. "Let's see that magic, Ri."
I waited a minute as the car drove off. The driver looked back at us in his rear view mirror, likely checking Vivi’s ass out, but maybe concerned about leaving two women alone in front of such a disreputable-looking establishment. The four-leaf clover sign glowed, but otherwise, there was no sign of the pub I'd visited last night. There wasn't even a single light on inside.
I slipped my right hand into my front pocket and wrapped my fingers around the coin.
The difference made us both gasp. It was like going to the eye doctor for a routine exam, and looking through the different test lenses to get to the right prescription. Touching the coin brought everything into focus, though nothing had seemed blurry to my human eyes. Warm light shone in the windows. The sidewalk was lined with crushed white stone and not a single crack marred the straight and even walk to the door. No windows were busted out. The perfectly straight roof was lined with cedar shakes, and the quaint white door welcoming us inside gave the building a cottage-in-the-woods feel. Even the traffic seemed distant and muted. I turned to look back over my shoulder, and then wished I hadn't. Headlights moved up and down the road, but it looked like they were underwater and creeping very so slowly they were barely moving at all.
Goosebumps raced down my arms as Vivi pushed the door open and we stepped inside.
As before, an Irish jig played softly in the background. Our heeled boots rang on the marble tiles. A fire crackled in the giant stone fireplace, and Warwick grinned behind the polished bar. Exactly as when I'd come here alone.
"Wow," she whispered. "I can't believe it's the same place."
"It's not." Smiling, he made a come-hither motion with his hand and started drawing two pints of Guinness. "You've crossed into Faerie."
"How do we get back?"
"The same as you came in."
I sat down in the same seat I'd used before and Vivi sat on my right. "How'd I get home that night?"
He quirked his lips and a dimple appeared in his cheek. "I whisked you home with a thought. I didn't want you roaming the streets, alone and vulnerable, let alone lugging our heavy friend through the snow. Crossing back to your world the first couple of times can take a toll on the unsuspecting human."
I narrowed my eyes, searching his face. I didn't remember taking my clothes off.
