Lucy: I’d say that’s a ratio of 1,000,000: 0, my friend.
Although we didn’t actually live in the same country, Annie and I had become extremely close over the last few months. I was her sounding board and advice giver on how to deal with Ronan, and she was my guru and advice giver on how to survive living in New York. Plus, we worked together to create humorous blog posts about ridiculous celebrities. Tell me two girls who wouldn’t bond over that? I swear most of our skype calls consisted of ninety-five percent giggling and five percent actual conversation.
Slipping my phone in my bag, I turned to go back to the VIP room and collided with a body in the process. That body was large and male, and appeared to be wearing a very nice suit. It only took a split second for me to recognize the suit. It belonged to Sean Cassidy, who was currently glaring down at me.
“Watch where you’re going, mini Fitzpatrick,” he said, hostility in his voice. Clearly the fact that I was Ronan’s sister meant I was enemy number one to him.
I lifted my hands in the air and replied humorously, “Sorry, bubs, I’ll try to be more careful next time.”
One sardonic eyebrow went up, “Bubs?”
I almost laughed when I realized what I’d called him. It was all to do with his glorious bubble butt, of course, but no way was I telling him that. The guy didn’t need anybody stroking his already ginormous ego.
“I’ve decided to name you after your favorite beverage: Bubbly,” I said, staring at him dead on.
I thought I saw his lips twitch in amusement, but then he grew immediately hostile again. “I thought girls such as yourself limited their repertoires to alco-pops and daiquiris with tacky umbrellas.”
His smile was as condescending as his tone and as he made a move to walk away, I couldn’t help but call after him, “You seem tense, maybe you should try meditation.”
He stopped and turned back around. “Pardon?”
“Yogi bhajan guided meditation is supposed to work wonders. For me, personally, yoga works a treat. I go in all tense and stressed and come out light and airy. Seriously, consider it. You’ll be amazed by the results.”
Now he seemed annoyed. “What are you rambling about?”
I took a few steps forward until I was standing directly in front of him. “You obviously have some unresolved issues and you’re using my brother as an outlet for your aggression. I’m trying to suggest some ways to deal with your anger. Oh, and you know what else is great for managing stress? Full immersion relaxation and detox, like going to a yoga retreat. In fact, I’m doing one when I return to the States next week. It’s in Squam Lake, gorgeous place. I’m really looking forward to it. You should think about going.”
Of course, I wasn’t at all serious, but I was tipsy and chatty and felt a bit sorry for him. Sean listened to me speak, but his eyes weren’t on my face. Instead they wandered from my bare arms and shoulders before landing on my chest. I had this small beauty mark close to my collar bone, and he was currently staring like he wanted to get up real close and personal with it.
Whoa, this was not what I’d expected at all, but having him look at me the way he was looking at me right then, well, it made my skin tingle.
He took a step forward and into my space, his size and closeness dizzying, and deadpanned, “Aren’t those retreats just an excuse for hippies to get together in the middle of nowhere, eat granola, and have group sex?”
The way he spoke made my tingles instantly vanish. He was an arsehole. Such an arsehole. And here I was actually trying to be kind to him, but he just pissed all over it.
“No actually, it’s an excuse to go somewhere beautiful, meet amazing people and clear your mind, but I wouldn’t expect you to understand that.” And with that I turned on my heel and attempted to walk a straight line back to the party.
It could have been my imagination, but I felt his eyes on me the entire time and I may have quickened my unsteady pace until I was safely beyond the privacy door. I hated that he got to me. I was supposed to be the calm one, the enlightened one, and yet with just a few carefully chosen words he’d made me want to throttle him. I now totally understood Ronan’s hatred for the guy.
I always tried to believe that everybody had the potential to be good, to be redeemed. But this guy might just be the one to prove me wrong.
Yes, as far as I was concerned, Sean Cassidy was completely, irrevocably and unequivocally irredeemable.
***
Sean
Somebody explain to me why mobile phone cameras now make that click sound whenever a photo is taken. Can you not see that a photo has been taken? That’s like adding sound effects to a salt shaker. Clearly, I can see that my food is being salted. I can taste the salt. I don’t require additional sensory information alerting me to the fact that my food has been salted.