Poppy's Fall

Chapter 15

“You wouldn’t happen to be from Galway would you?” Shaun leaned on the bar waiting for his drink.  His long legs crossed at the ankles.

“Does that actually work?” Fiona asked him.

“Does what actually work?” Shaun gazed at her almost fluttering his lashes but felt it was probably too much.  In any case he had doubts that it would work as it seemed the lovely Fiona was immune to his flirtatious ways.

She knew he was teasing her and she could just about strangle him for it.  He was a flirt and nothing else.

“A damn good looking flirt.” She muttered under her breath after she had served him his drink and he was off again to the stage.

Ever since he had started there he did nothing but wink and one line every girl that walked into Dunne’s.  She had to admit he brought in a lot more people than even Brenna had but this was getting tiring, and it seemed as though he had taken to flirting more with her these days.  It was infuriating is what it was, she couldn’t concentrate on her task at hand while he hovered, watched her with those sapphire colored eyes and that silly smirk he almost always had on his perfect mouth.

Ugh, Fiona shook her head.  She did not have a crush on Shaun Duffy.  And that’s what she kept telling herself as she vigorously used the rag in her hand to shine the top of the mahogany bar.  Every single night was the same thing.  He came sauntering in, in his black leather jacket, made his way to the small platform up front, picked up his guitar and started singing.  He made the girls swoon, even the married ones.  In fact, Fiona was fairly certain Mrs. Byrne tried to slip him her number a few nights ago as her own husband was sitting at a table a stones throw away.

She had been made bar manager and was damn proud of it.  But even then she didn’t want to hire someone to bartend.  She liked it, the social aspect of it so she continued this duty as well.  Pushing back her long black hair she served Colm and Carrick their usual just as Shaun launched into Galway girl.  Fiona refused to look over but it was too strong for her and she lifted her eyes to him.  As usual when he sang this song his stare was focused on her. 

‘Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue he crooned, winking at her as he did.

“Fiona darling, what’s tonight’s special?” Colm was asking her.

She almost didn’t hear him over And I lost my heart to a Galway girl.  But she shook her head as she had earlier and plastered on a smile. 

“You’re in luck.” She strode over to the table right beside the bar. “We have your favorite!”

Fiona busied herself with the food order even though she didn’t have to; she needed the distraction.  She knew better than to believe anything a man like Shaun said.  He was a player and reveled in it.  If you hadn’t heard about Shaun Duffy you were living under a rock.  Women in Belfast and Dublin knew who he was, from the small town of Howth down to Dungarvan, he left broken hearts everywhere and she’d be damned if he was going to leave her the same way.  Nope, she would be known as the first woman to resist his charms.

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They fought like cats and dogs but he swore he got to her every time he sang Galway Girl. 

He was used to having women fall at his feet.  It had been that way since he was old enough to remember.  He had his first kiss at thirteen and was only fifteen when he became a man.  He knew what kind of reputation he had created for himself.  At first it bothered him that no one really took him seriously.  They expected him to be the player, the flirt, the bad boy in a sense and so he obliged.  And because they expected it of him he got away with it.  They all laughed it off and said, that’s Shaun for you. 

He had been compared to Brenna before and had taken offence.  Oh yes, he knew who Brenna was and while he could if he wanted to, he had never once been with a woman already taken, that was where he drew the line.  It was all fun and games but he would be damned if he broke up a marriage or relationship.

Then he came to Dunne’s and there was Fiona.  The one woman who didn’t blush and giggle when he approached and quite frankly it drove him mad.  Try as he might she would look up at him with a scowl and a frown, that one look he swore was reserved just for him.  He had made the mistake once to smooth out the frown between her brows and told her to smile.  When she tried to slap his hand away he had caught hers.  The warmth of her hand in his had surprised him to say the least.

Shaun didn’t know why it bothered him so much.  She was one woman, what did it matter to him that she could care less?  Looking out at the crowd as he strummed his guitar, he could have his pick of any of the women sitting there, hanging on every word he sang.  He made it as though he was singing directly to each and every one of them, sending a wink and a grin every now and again as they visibly swooned.  It was all too easy.  But as each night ended he would go up to his room, poor himself a drink and watch as Fiona left for the night.  She was the one woman he wanted and couldn’t have.  He wanted her in his bed, wanted to feel her soft skin, because he was certain it was like silk, against his.  The player in him looked at it as a game, sort of like cat and mouse.  She evaded him but even she couldn’t be immune to him for very long and he looked very much forward to when she would finally give in.

As another successful night came to a close, Shaun waded through the crowd to the bar.  He sat himself down on a stool and watched as Fiona chatted with Aidan.  Since he lived in the room above the pub he generally stuck around to help with the cleaning and such so the others could get out of there even just a few minutes earlier. 

“You were great tonight Shaun.” A tiny wisp of a girl with long curly blonde hair came up to him.

“Well thank you darlin’ “ He gave her his best crooked grin.  The one he knew made women weak in the knees.  

“I was thinking maybe we could go out for a stroll some time.” She asked him, a slight pinkish color forming on her cheeks.  

Shaun had seen her for several nights now, she seemed like a sweet kid and that's basically what she was.  She couldn't be any more than 18 or 19, barely any experience.  He wasn't the man to teach her the ways of the bedroom.  She needed someone gentle who would love her the way she deserved.

"Ah now, why would you want my company when the lad over there has been giving your eyes all night?" Shaun pointed her to a young man and gave her a gentle push.  "He's the one who would treat you like the princess you are."

When he turned he noticed Fiona giving him a curious look.  Her eyes, blue as the clearest lagoon, narrowing as though she couldn't believe what he had just done.

Hair is black and her eyes are blue indeed, he thought as the words of the song described the dark haired beauty perfectly.