Page 114 of One Night Only
Declan leads me down the steps, following at their heels. My good mood falters.
“Are we sneaking in?”
“Just keep walking,” he says, hand on the small of my back as he pushes me through the door. We enter a significantly less fancy staff corridor filled with discarded service carts and empty fruit and vegetable crates.
Someone’s waiting for us inside, a sharply dressed barman who jumps up when he sees us.
“Shit man.” He laughs. “I didn’t think you were serious.”
“Language,” Declan cautions. “There are ladies present.”
“Sorry. I just don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so…” He struggles to come up with a word. “Clean.”
I’m not quick enough to hide my laugh. It comes out like a snort.
“Freddy used to work for me,” Declan says by way of explanation. “Back when Uncle Harry owned O’Shea’s.”
“Back when you were on garbage duty,” Freddy adds. “Which I guess you’re not on now.” He glances at me. “You marry rich?”
“What makes you think I didn’t earn my fortune myself?”
“Because I know Harry gave you the keys to the bar,” he says. “And I know there’s no money there.”
“You miss us, Freddy, admit it.”
“Don’t even try and get me back,” Freddy warns. “You can’t afford me. I earn a month’s rent some nights from the tips at this place. Speaking of,” he adds. “What’s so urgent? I’ve got socialites I need to flirt with.”
“I’ll give you ten bucks if you can get us onto the roof.”
“Fifty.”
“Twenty.”
“Deal.”
“What?” I say as Declan takes out his wallet. “No.”
“You don’t want to see the view?”
“I’ve got a roof garden in my apartment building.”
“Wow,” Declan says. “What’s that? Like a whole five floors?” He passes a crumpled bill to Freddy, who pockets it without a word and takes off down the corridor.
“Humor me,” Declan says at the look on my face. “I come from the land of small buildings and flat, boggy lands. We don’t even have mountains. They’re more like ambitious hills.”
“I’d do as he says,” Freddy calls, pressing the button for a service elevator. “He’s very insistent when he’s in this mood.”
“And what mood is that?” Declan asks as we step inside.
Freddy only smiles.
We travel up to the top floor, where Freddy keys in a code on a weathered-looking keypad and suddenly we’re back outside in the open air.
The roof isn’t entirely unused. Random chairs are scattered around along with small crates for tables. Someone’s roped unlit fairy lights around the various vents and added a few plant pots, trying to make it look nice.
“Enjoy the view,” Freddy says, already losing interest in us. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Does the door lock?” I call in a sudden panic as he disappears behind it.
