She glanced back at him. He was staring at her, but not in a creepy way. Maybe he was just new in town and friendly. She didn’t get the vibe from him that he would ask her out. Sad. He was hot. Those eyes and that accent. A lethal combination.
“What do you do?” he said.
“I work for a wool processing company. I was in Ireland scouting sites for a new plant.”
“Oh? Did you find any?”
“I did, but it was rejected. Probably good because there was an old church by it and I would have been sad to see it knocked down,” she said.
“Och. Yes.”
“You have a lovely accent.”
“Go raibh maith agat.”
She smiled. “What does that mean?”
“Thank you.”
She nodded. “I don’t know another language. Was that Gaelic.”
“Sort of.”
This man was fascinating. “Do they teach it in schools?”
“No. I learned it from my parents.”
“Hmm. That’s cool. I took a few years of Spanish in high school, but have never used it.”
The bus stopped.
“I’m Meg.”
“Deas chun bualadh leat. Nice to meet you. I’m Donal.”
“Donald?”
He shook his head, his black hair rustling. “No. Donal. No ‘d’ at the end.”
“Ah. Donal. Nice to meet you too.”
Donal? What were the chances? That was what she’d named the one gargoyle in Ireland. She dismissed the coincidence. There were probably a thousand men named Donal in the Emerald Isles.
She shook his hand. It was larger than hers, but the same level of paleness. In fact, his hand engulfed hers, but she wasn’t intimidated by him. Instead, he had a warmth to him that she was drawn to. If nothing else, she’d have someone to talk to on her ride to work.
The bus started again.
“If you are from County Galway then this city must be culture shock.”
“Yes. It is taking some getting used to,” he said.
“Do you miss home?”
“A little, but I think I have important work here to do,” he said.
He stared off and that made her reluctant to ask him to tell her more. She may never see him again and it was none of her business. The bus finally came to the Navy Yard.
“My stop,” she said, pulling the string above her head.
He stood, letting her go ahead of him. He put a hand on her shoulder. “This is forward of me, but don’t quit your job.”
She laughed, her nerves on alert because he’d touched her and echoed her thoughts from earlier. “Uh. Okay.”
“Have a good day, Meg,” he said when they stepped down from the bus.
She nodded, her mind still whirling from what he said. “Goodbye.”
Taking a few steps towards her office, she made up her mind to ask him how he knew she was struggling with her job. When she looked back he was gone. She scanned the crowd, but the tall man was nowhere to be seen.
***
Donal watched from atop a building as Meg walked to her office. He’d hurried away to find a private place to let his wings out. Then he could keep an eye on her. He wasn’t sure how long he’d get away with that, but Meg was his first priority.
He’d opted to make contact with her just in case she needed him later on. If the goblins showed up, she would trust him already. He was about to fly off when something in the parking lot caught his eye. Goodness. She wasn’t in a normal goblin form, but there she was.
She strode along the cars as if she owned the very land she walked on. She didn’t have the teeth nor the ears. Her hair was back in a severe bun. Just like he’d done, she’d hidden her real form. She looked as human as anyone down there, but he knew.
Her scent reached him on the wind. Garbage and something powdery. She must have tried to cover up her scent. Donal’s nose wrinkled. She stopped in the middle of the parking lot, her nose in the air.
She looked around. Donal stepped away from the edge of the building. She might have caught his scent. He crouched down so she couldn’t see him. He hoped she couldn’t pinpoint his location just from his scent. What would she do anyway? He doubted she wanted to reveal herself to the humans nearby.
When he looked back, she was gone, but he waited for a few minutes. When he was sure she was gone, he flew to an alley between two buildings. He tucked away his wings as he walked to the car she’d climbed out of.
The sign said Harriet Witherspoon.
“Where have I heard that name before?” Donal wondered.
***
Meg looked up to find a woman in a red suit in her office door. The woman had her hair pulled back to tightly that she didn’t have any wrinkled or lines on her face.
“Hi.”
The woman walked in with even more confidence than Meg had. She stretched out her hand. “I’m Harriet Witherspoon.”
Meg rose and clasped the woman’s hand. “Meg Boyle.”
“Yes, I know. Sorry I wasn’t here when you came back yesterday.”
“No problem. I assume we have some things to discuss.”
“Yes, my office. Ten minutes.”
The woman spun on her impossibly high heels then left Meg standing with her mouth open. She’d never been ordered around like that. Was this really the person she wanted to work for?
“Okay.”
Meg gathered what she might need for the meeting then went to her boss’ office. The woman sat behind a new desk, much larger than her predecessor used.
“Sit,” Harriet said.
Meg perched on the chair, unsure of what this meeting would entail. “You read my report?”
“Of course. That’s how I decided that Ireland wouldn’t be the right place.”
“I know you’ve made the decision, but I was hoping to have a chance to show once again why I think it would be a great spot,” Meg said.
Harriet pressed her red tinged lips together. She let out a sigh. “Okay. If you must.”
Meg pulled out a picture she took of the spot near the church. She handed it to Harriet.
“What exactly am I looking at?”
“This is the West coast of Ireland. The road is called the Wild Atlantic Way. What I want you to see is the number of sheep.”
“Okay. I know what sheep are.”
“If we put the plant there, we would be right by the sheep. We would have a close source of wool. That is what we want.”
Harriet frowned. “With a spot that remote we might have environmental issues.”
“None that I was able to discern. There is a lot of green land in Ireland. They are more worried about people having jobs than anything else,” Meg said.
She’d talked to enough locals to know that if they didn’t farm there wasn’t anything else to do. The pubs only employed a few people.
“Is there a town nearby?”
“Leenane. A small town, but it has several roads that feed it. Tour busses go through there so they aren’t too small.”
Meg’s heart sped up. Maybe Harriet would listen to her. Her heart fell when Harriet handed her the photo back.
“No. We are going in a different direction completely. We’re finding a domestic spot.”
“Why? This company built its reputation on Irish wool. Not American wool.”
“It’s cheaper this way,” Harriet said. “I didn’t make the decision. Someone higher up did.”
“Who?”
Harriet’s eyes flashed. “I don’t think that is any of your business. We just do what they ask.”
Meg had the sneaking suspicion that someone higher up hadn’t done the decision making. She had a feeling that this woman had done it. She was new to the company. How did she have so much power so quickly? Meg didn’t like that idea.
She’d been with this company from the start of her career. There was no way she was letting this woman run it into the ground. “Okay.” Meg smiled. “So what’s next for me? Do you need me to go to the actual site a
nd do some logistical analysis for resources?”
Harriet paused her lips twisted into a frown. “Well your role is still being decided.”
Decided. What did that mean?
“Is my job changing?”
“Something like that,” Harriet said.
Meg knew in that moment that she wasn’t going to let this woman win. “I see. Will I get some input in shaping my new job?”
“No.”
It wasn’t even open for discussion. Meg had the sense her future at the company had been decided. They couldn’t fire her without cause. They could say they are downsizing, but the company had always run lean.
“What should I do in the mean time?”
“Take the afternoon off.”
Meg blinked. “Take the afternoon off? I’ve been back two days. If nothing else I have paperwork to finish.”
Harriet waved a hand. “Just go, Meg. Think of it as a bonus while we are restructuring.”
Meg nodded, but she knew that this woman wasn’t going to force her out of a company she loved.
Meg wouldn’t allow it.
***
Donal took a walk around the Navy Yard. A black limousine pulled up next to him. The window rolled down and a well-dressed man poked out his head.
“Are you looking for Jenkins Security?” he said. “Hop in. I’ll take you there.”
“I, uh wasn’t looking for anything,” Donal said.
“No, come on. I need a backup guard today. You’ll do fine,” the man said. “You can talk to my security guy, Jeremy.”
Not sure what was happening, Donal climbed into the back of the limousine. The car parked at the building near Meg’s office. Donal followed the man in through the front door. The man who had stopped walked in front of him surrounded by large men.
“Jeremy?” the man said.
A man with the largest neck that Donal had ever seen stepped out of an office to the left. His shirt that read “Jenkins Security,” stretched tightly across his chest. “What?”
Jeremy stopped a few feet from Donal, looking up at him.
“I found you another guard. He was just walking down the street.” He turned to Donal. “What’s your name?”
“Donal.”
The man in the suit waved his hand then walked off further into the building with his entourage. Jeremy laughed. “You must have played football. Penn State?”
Donal didn’t know what football was or what a Penn State was. “Uh, no.”
Jeremy shrugged. “Come into my office.”
Donal followed him into a square space with a lot of computer monitors. “That was Harvey. I need an extra guard on him today. He’s had some threats. You have any training?”
He’d protected fairies his whole life, but Donal doubted that would be sufficient. It might be, but they’d probably show him the door if he said that out loud. “Not anything on paper.”
Jeremy studied him for a moment. “Okay. I’m going to hire you. Off the books. You’ll get paid cash at the end of the day.”
“What will I be doing?”
“Just stand around and look fierce.” Jeremy looked him up and down. “I don’t think that will be a problem. If you do well, then I may be able to hire you for odd jobs here and there. Nothing full time or permanent.” Jeremy stuck out his hand. “Welcome.”
Donal shook it.
Somehow he suddenly had a job.
Chapter Six
Donal was waiting at the bus stop when Meg left work. She’d stayed the whole day, cleaning off her desk. She disliked coming into a messy office. Even if she did take the proffered vacation day, she wasn’t going to sit idly. Or skimp on her standards.
It just wasn’t in her nature to leave things hanging. She’d returned all the necessary phone calls and emails. She’d filed all of her paperwork. If she did take a day off as instructed, she could do it knowing she would start it with a clean slate.
Donal smiled at her. The bus came before they could speak and he motioned her on ahead of him. She found a seat halfway back. Donal sat down next to her
“A good day?” he said.
“Maybe, but I’m taking your advice.”
“Which was what?” he said.
She could listen to the lilt of his accent all day. It was musical. “You blurted out this morning that I shouldn’t leave the company. I don’t know why you did, but I’m not going to look for another job.”
“What changed your mind?”
She looked into his deep blue eyes. Even though she’d just met him, she had the sense they’d crossed paths before today. If she believed in multiple lives she would think they’d known each other in another time. The idea of reincarnation was too fanciful for her serious brain. She worked on facts, not feelings. If she couldn’t see it in front of her it didn’t exist.
“My boss told me that they are restructuring the company. She took the job I wanted, but there might be another one. Or I can find out how to finagle my way into her job.”
“You think you can do that? She just arrived, right?”
Meg glanced out the window, gathering her words. “I think she was given the job because she knows something that someone did. As far as I know, my old boss wasn’t retiring for a few months. Suddenly she’s gone. If this new boss plays dirty then I can find that out.”
“It all seems so complicated.”
“It is if I want to stay at the company that I love,” Meg said. “How did your first day go?”
Donal grimaced. “It’s crazy, learning a new job, but I think I’ll adapt.”
“Good. Figure out the politics.”
“You think so? I’m a simple man. I’m not into game playing.”
She nodded, liking more things about him as time went on. He was a handsome man with an enticing accent. Too bad she wasn’t in the market for a man. She’d bet Donal would be a lot of fun.
“It isn’t game playing. It’s survival. All companies have politics. It’s just part of the culture. You get good at it and you get ahead.”
“Can’t I just get ahead on my abilities?” Donal quirked an eyebrow.
Was he new to the work force? “No, you can’t. Competition is tough. You have to be tougher and have an edge.”
He nodded, but she didn’t think he was truly listening. His problem, not hers, but for some reason, she wanted to help him.
“How does one figure out the politics?”
“It takes time,” Meg said. “You have to keep your mouth shut and listen. You’ll know who the players are and who isn’t ever going to get far in the company.”
“So just listen.”
“Yes. Watch people and listen. You didn’t have to do any of this at your old company?”
“No. Things were more straightforward. I always knew who my enemies were.”
“Must be nice. Maybe it’s an Irish thing, but here in America, we might be tougher.”
He chuckled. “Sure. If you think so.”
Meg studied him as the streets of the city passed them by. She loved the noise and the energy. It was nicer than Manhattan, but just as bustling. The people were tough, but good-hearted. She didn’t know if he was teasing her or not.
Donal rubbed the back of his neck. “Could we get a drink later?”
Meg mulled that over. She could mentor Donal. He seemed to be in need of it. He didn’t have that corporate edge to him. Not that she thought he was a pushover, but she couldn’t see him doing battle. “Sure. That would be nice. I just need to grab some dinner.”
“Me, too.”
“Can we meet at Clancy’s on the corner at eight?” she said.
He nodded as she pulled the cord for their stop. When she climbed off the bus, she turned to Donal. “See you at eight.”
***
Donal walked up to the roof not daring to show his wings in the daylight. Tex sat on a lawn chair he must have just acquired. Donal crouched in front of him.
“I know it isn’t any of my business, but what did you
do before you were homeless?” Donal asked.
“I was in cybersecurity.”
“What’s that?”
“I helped companies keep their computer systems secure. I was good at it, but when my wife left me I kind of fell apart.”
Sad. Donal could only imagine what an upheaval of the man’s life that had been. Tex continued. “I gave her the house and the cars. I was so sad about the breakup that I just couldn’t go on.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tex shrugged. “Not your fault. I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t. At least we didn’t have any kids to worry about.”
“How long have you been homeless?”
“A year. It’s not too bad. I’ve learned some survival skills.”
“Would you go back into the industry if you had the chance?”
Tex rubbed his chin. “I’d have to find a suit for an interview. I might be a little rusty.”
“Think about it, because I just got a job today doing security and I could ask if they have an opening.”
Tex’s face lit up and Donal was glad he could help his friend.
***
Donal paced outside Clancy’s. Why had he asked Meg out for a drink? He wasn’t sure of exactly how he was supposed to engage with her. This modern world was different and friend and foe were no so easily discerned. Back in the day, he’d known that goblins were bad. Fairies were to be protected. That was as complicated as life had been.
As much as the rules of courtship had probably changed in the time he’d been made of stone, he figured there were still some similarities. If a man asked you somewhere then he was interested in you.
At least he had the cash from his job to pay for drinks.
“Hi,” Meg said.
Donal stopped. She looked very nice. He smiled while opening the door for her. “Hi.”
The dimly lit place wasn’t crowded and it made Donal think of the pubs he’d been to in Ireland. There hadn’t been many of them since the druids were just beginning to populate the island when he’d been cursed. Was this okay for a woman?
Meg didn’t hesitate. “Bar or table?”
“You pick.”
Donal put a hand on her back as she walked in front of him to a table. He glanced around, but he didn’t see any goblins. The humans here he could fight if he had to. He was bigger than all of them.
When Garogyles Love Trilogy Page 4
