Chapter 4
They arrived around the same time and met each other in the lobby. Stan lead the way, with Jill talking to Valery about the show. Everyone else just followed along. Kieran hung back and waited for Selena, who was walking slowly. He put out his arm to her. She looked up at him, shrugged, then put her arm through his.
Zing. That was what it felt like when she touched him. He had to stare at her head, because she wouldn't look at him. He began to wonder if she didn't find him as attractive as he found her. Well, he'd know as the night went on.
They shared a table and everyone had a lovely time talking. Valery and Jill found that they had a few friends in common, once they realized they were both from Memphis. Rick and Stan discussed their careers. Selena stared at the floor, while Kieran stared at Selena.
Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer. “Why won't you look at me, Selena? Am I that hard on the eyes?”
Selena looked at him. Now that they were sitting down, he didn't seem as intimidating.
“Of course you aren't hard on the eyes. Mine or any other girls, I imagine. Actually your the most beautiful man I've ever seen.”
“Damn, I did it again.” She thought. “I have a real knack for saying things I shouldn't.”
Kieran smiled. “I'm so glad to hear that. I was beginning to wonder if I was an ogre or something.”
“I'm sorry. I have a tendency to freeze around people who make me nervous. And, well, you make me very nervous.” Selena whispered and looked down at her feet.
Kieran put his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. “Come with me. I think I need some fresh air.” He stood and told the others they would be back shortly. Then taking her hand, he lead her out of the hotel for a walk. Although she desperately wanted to hold his hand, she tried to take hers out of his. He held it tighter.
“Not so fast. I really want to hold your hand. It seems to fit very nicely in mine.” He didn't turn to look at her face, but kept his eyes on the sidewalk in front of him. He could feel her incredulous look. He didn't have to see it. He smiled ruefully. “Yes, her hand feels just right in mine. She's not getting away that easily.” he thought.
They walked for a few minutes without speaking. Just holding hands. Selena finally had the nerve to look at Kieran's face.
“So where are you from, Kieran? she asked.
“Scotland, but it's been years since I left. I wanted to exlore the world, I suppose."
“Or maybe the world wanted me to explore it, since I really don't know how I ended up in this time period.” he thought.
“Oh, that explains your accent, which I really like a lot. I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, which probably explains my accent. I still live there. I'm a high school art teacher. It doesn't pay a lot, but I love my job. I heard your friends say that they are from Memphis too.”
“Yes, I met them about ten years ago when I first came to this country. I was in Memphis for a few months. I met Stan and Jill there. Stan owns a bar in the Cooper-Young district. He let me play for his customers. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met them. They helped me establish my music career. Stan knows a lot of people in the music business and helped me record my first cd. I'm glad they came to see me tonight. It's been some time since I was in Memphis.”
“I guess I didn't realize you played in Memphis. I'm not sure how I missed that, but maybe because I quit listening to the radio for almost a decade. I listened to Celtic music. I didn't care much for most of the bands on the radio back then. They all sounded the same to me. I noticed you seem to have a Celtic sound to your music.”
“I grew up listening to traditional Scottish music.” he said. Of course he didn't mention that he grew up in the 1400's where the traditional music wasn't actually Celtic. He'd learned Celtic music in the last ten years and added the sound to his own. As well as a madrigal or two.
“This might sound strange, but some times tonight while I listened to you, I thought some of your songs sounded like that “Romeo and Juliet” movie from the sixties. You know the one with that song, “A Time for Us.”
“Hmmmm.” was all he said. They walked a few more blocks and talked about their lives then decided they had been gone long enough and everyone would begin to worry about them. By the time they returned, the others noticed that they seemed much less nervous with each other.
Stan stood and said, “Jill it's getting late. Why don't you take this old man up to bed.”
“Okay, babe.” She turned to the others at the table and said goodnight.
Valery began to yawn too and looked at Rick. He asked Selena if she was ready to go back to their house. He told Kieran it would take about 30 minutes to get home.
Kieran looked at Selena. Should he ask her stay? He was planning to leave in the morning anyway. He'd never been shy to ask a girl to stay with him, but there was just something so pure about her. “Oh, hell. Go for it.” he thought. And he did.
Selena was reeling from his question. Did she want to stay the night? She'd had one night stands before and hated them completely, but she knew this might be her only chance to be with Kieran. She turned to her sister and Rick. “I think I will stay, if that's okay with you. I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll call you in the morning, okay?”
Valery opened her mouth to argue, but Rick shook his head. “Good night, then. We'll talk to you in the morning." Rick and Kieran shook hands, and Valery waved goodbye to Selena.
Kieran couldn't believe she'd agreed to stay with him. He felt like an un-tried young boy, not a grown man who had slept with women all over the world. But he was thankful she was willing to stay with him. Just one night. He had a feeling this night would be unlike any of the others. For some reason, tonight wasn't about “getting laid.” Tonight was about Selena.
They arrived around the same time and met each other in the lobby. Stan lead the way, with Jill talking to Valery about the show. Everyone else just followed along. Kieran hung back and waited for Selena, who was walking slowly. He put out his arm to her. She looked up at him, shrugged, then put her arm through his.
Zing. That was what it felt like when she touched him. He had to stare at her head, because she wouldn't look at him. He began to wonder if she didn't find him as attractive as he found her. Well, he'd know as the night went on.
They shared a table and everyone had a lovely time talking. Valery and Jill found that they had a few friends in common, once they realized they were both from Memphis. Rick and Stan discussed their careers. Selena stared at the floor, while Kieran stared at Selena.
Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer. “Why won't you look at me, Selena? Am I that hard on the eyes?”
Selena looked at him. Now that they were sitting down, he didn't seem as intimidating.
“Of course you aren't hard on the eyes. Mine or any other girls, I imagine. Actually your the most beautiful man I've ever seen.”
“Damn, I did it again.” She thought. “I have a real knack for saying things I shouldn't.”
Kieran smiled. “I'm so glad to hear that. I was beginning to wonder if I was an ogre or something.”
“I'm sorry. I have a tendency to freeze around people who make me nervous. And, well, you make me very nervous.” Selena whispered and looked down at her feet.
Kieran put his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. “Come with me. I think I need some fresh air.” He stood and told the others they would be back shortly. Then taking her hand, he lead her out of the hotel for a walk. Although she desperately wanted to hold his hand, she tried to take hers out of his. He held it tighter.
“Not so fast. I really want to hold your hand. It seems to fit very nicely in mine.” He didn't turn to look at her face, but kept his eyes on the sidewalk in front of him. He could feel her incredulous look. He didn't have to see it. He smiled ruefully. “Yes, her hand feels just right in mine. She's not getting away that easily.” he thought.
They walked for a few minutes without speaking. Just holding hands. Selena finally had the nerve to look at Kieran's face.
“So where are you from, Kieran? she asked.
“Scotland, but it's been years since I left. I wanted to exlore the world, I suppose."
“Or maybe the world wanted me to explore it, since I really don't know how I ended up in this time period.” he thought.
“Oh, that explains your accent, which I really like a lot. I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, which probably explains my accent. I still live there. I'm a high school art teacher. It doesn't pay a lot, but I love my job. I heard your friends say that they are from Memphis too.”
“Yes, I met them about ten years ago when I first came to this country. I was in Memphis for a few months. I met Stan and Jill there. Stan owns a bar in the Cooper-Young district. He let me play for his customers. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met them. They helped me establish my music career. Stan knows a lot of people in the music business and helped me record my first cd. I'm glad they came to see me tonight. It's been some time since I was in Memphis.”
“I guess I didn't realize you played in Memphis. I'm not sure how I missed that, but maybe because I quit listening to the radio for almost a decade. I listened to Celtic music. I didn't care much for most of the bands on the radio back then. They all sounded the same to me. I noticed you seem to have a Celtic sound to your music.”
“I grew up listening to traditional Scottish music.” he said. Of course he didn't mention that he grew up in the 1400's where the traditional music wasn't actually Celtic. He'd learned Celtic music in the last ten years and added the sound to his own. As well as a madrigal or two.
“This might sound strange, but some times tonight while I listened to you, I thought some of your songs sounded like that “Romeo and Juliet” movie from the sixties. You know the one with that song, “A Time for Us.”
“Hmmmm.” was all he said. They walked a few more blocks and talked about their lives then decided they had been gone long enough and everyone would begin to worry about them. By the time they returned, the others noticed that they seemed much less nervous with each other.
Stan stood and said, “Jill it's getting late. Why don't you take this old man up to bed.”
“Okay, babe.” She turned to the others at the table and said goodnight.
Valery began to yawn too and looked at Rick. He asked Selena if she was ready to go back to their house. He told Kieran it would take about 30 minutes to get home.
Kieran looked at Selena. Should he ask her stay? He was planning to leave in the morning anyway. He'd never been shy to ask a girl to stay with him, but there was just something so pure about her. “Oh, hell. Go for it.” he thought. And he did.
Selena was reeling from his question. Did she want to stay the night? She'd had one night stands before and hated them completely, but she knew this might be her only chance to be with Kieran. She turned to her sister and Rick. “I think I will stay, if that's okay with you. I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll call you in the morning, okay?”
Valery opened her mouth to argue, but Rick shook his head. “Good night, then. We'll talk to you in the morning." Rick and Kieran shook hands, and Valery waved goodbye to Selena.
Kieran couldn't believe she'd agreed to stay with him. He felt like an un-tried young boy, not a grown man who had slept with women all over the world. But he was thankful she was willing to stay with him. Just one night. He had a feeling this night would be unlike any of the others. For some reason, tonight wasn't about “getting laid.” Tonight was about Selena.
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