A Kiss by Ireland's Eye

By Valerie Trigeminal

He wasn’t sure why she wanted to go.  They were studying together smack in the middle of Oxford, draped in history and conceit.  Neither of them was ordinary.  But neither of them was privileged - in the monetary sense at least.  James met her at a party and soon they were both hanging out with the same circle of friends.  One night in the pub he started talking about how he wanted to see Ireland while he was there.  Cheap flights ran from Heathrow to Shannon everyday and he figured he would splurge if it meant pot pies and 99p pizzas for the next month.  A few days in Ireland would do him well and he was tired of class.  That’s when she asked him if he would mind company.  No, he answered.   It might be all right, who do you have in mind?  Me, she said.  He expected that one of their other American friends was talking about going, like Sean Harrigan or Patrick Meloy- someone with an ancestral interest in seeing the place.  James certainly had very little Irish ancestry.  His last name was Wisnewski and he grew up in a poor polish town in northern Wisconsin.  Her name was Teresa Delgado.  But she had just as much Spanish as she had Irish Ancestry.  Which is to say, she had very little.  She was mostly German.  Her name came from an old Spanish family that settled in California before the United States won the land from Mexico in the Mexican-American war.  She grew up in Chico.  And Chico is not Brentwood. 

He hoped his current girlfriend wouldn’t mind.  She wasn’t really his girlfriend but a girl from Southampton who was more interested in being involved with an American than actually being fond of James.  She was incredibly intelligent and according to modern tradition, wasn’t interested in a ‘long term relationship’ and only wanted to ‘have fun.’  They would go for days without speaking and then she would show up at his flat and they would have sex.  Then she would cry for no reason.  James hoped it wasn’t because of his performance.

Teresa had black curly hair that looked wet all the time but it wasn’t matted down.  It almost looked like billions of strands of rubber.  Like someone with rubber hair that just got out of the pool.  It was long and down to her back.  James’s girlfriend had short blond spiked hair.  She had a great body, but he liked long hair.  Teresa had very white skin for someone from California and James found it strangely attractive with her black hair.  He imagined that her nipples were light pink to the color that is almost indistinguishable from her pale skin.  Teresa lived up to the name Delgado.  She was petite and thin, but not anorexic thin.  She was very energetic, and thin due to metabolism, activity and youth.  They were both 20 years old.

-Sure, that would be cool.  You want to go next week sometime?

-Yeah, let’s leave on Wednesday and try to get back here on Sunday.  I can’t miss too many classes.

-Whatever, screw classes.

-James. 

She said this with a motherly glance and a thin smile.  She wasn’t really ostracizing him.  She found his irreverence for classes at a high institution like Oxford cute.

Teresa was certainly not looking for anything physical with James, she just saw an opportunity open up for her to go to Ireland.  She had always wanted to see the country and she decided to jump at the chance.  She thought that even if she was attracted to James, he was simply too tall for her.  At just over 5 feet, she was short compared to his 6 foot 3.  He was too big, she thought.  She only weighed 110 pounds and James weighed about 200 pounds of all muscle from dairy farming.  James was a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier.  Frankly, he would break me, she thought laughing to herself.  She was always interested in getting a thin little Englishman that liked to read books of philosophy- or at least that’s what she figured her destiny probably was.  Her abilities were in the languages.  She was already fluent in Spanish, German and French and by default, Italian.  She studied Russian and Japanese at Oxford and wanted to one day work for the UN.

Like any man, James was already thinking about sex with Teresa when she asked him if she could go with him.  What does she want, he thought.  Maybe I can get laid, he thought.  James began to worry about it before the trip.  In his arrogant male mind he became convinced that she was infatuated with him.  He thought he better calm down and see if it was actually reality when they arrived in Ireland.  He then began to worry whether if he tried something with her, she would deny him and they would have a terrible time in Ireland.  Whatever, he thought, I’m not one of these pussies that sits around moralistically in endless conversations with girls in an attempt to prove my altruism and fidelity when all I want to do is sleep with them.  If I want to sleep with them, I’ll try some moves and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.  Teresa is hot as hell.  I’m going to try something.

James wasn’t as big of a jerk as it may sound.  He had and exceptional ability in biology and was fascinated with different aspects of science.  The studies of scientific history engrossed him and he was running experiments at Oxford in genomics.  He had published two papers in his first two years of college and won a young scientist award in high school by deciphering a complex migratory pattern of a particular strain of whooping crane.  But like all men at the age of 20 that have only had passing relationships and are brilliant in other forms of life, he was insecure with his abilities to pick up women and tried to logically compute some formula in his head that would get him laid.  He had been successful, but he’d never met anyone who impacted him or interested him any more than the mental rigors of the laboratory.

They took the train to Heathrow on Wednesday morning and boarded for the short flight to Dublin.  On the plane James looked over Teresa and decided that she was indeed gorgeous.  She had thin reading glasses with crimson rims and she spent most of the flight slowly reading Nicholi Gogol’s Diary of a Madman in Russian.  James brought a Dean Koontz novel and the latest Nature but he had trouble concentrating.  He couldn’t read on planes in the first place and Teresa earnestly deciphering Russian in those glasses and a skirt was more than he could handle.  He tried to concentrate on something else.  He knew that these next few days were going to be torture unless something happened between them.  He had already fabricated a desire in his mind and like a derailed train on the side of a mountain it was picking up speed and knocking down trees.  James took out the Lonely Planet guide to Ireland in order to look for a place to stay and keep his mind off his rising lust for Teresa.  He looked over some of the hostels and wasn’t sure which one to pick.

-Are you looking for a place to stay tonight?  Asked Teresa.

-yeah, what do you think?  He pointed at the part of the book he was looking at and set it on her lap, accidentally brushing her knee.  He quickly pulled his hand away.  She noticed it, decided whether or not to put her guard up about James, but correctly assessed that it was accidental.

-I want to stay at a bed and breakfast.  Look, they’re almost as cheap as the hostel and we get a free breakfast.

-That’s cool.  James couldn’t believe that she wanted to stay in the same room as him.  In hostels men and women are usually separated.  But in a bed and breakfast they might have to share a bed. 

They landed in Ireland and as they were walking through the terminal Teresa was interested in the Gaelic on the signs.  She had an interest in the language and the revival of Gaelic teaching in the schools.  She wasn’t sure it was practical, but she always thought another language learned was beneficial, even if it was one that was rarely used. 

-It’s so cool.

-What is?  Asked James, looking at her.  They were just in the airport.

-The Gaelic on the signs.  It’s such an interesting language.  I think I’ll pick up a book when we get downtown and see if I can learn some of it.

James looked at her fascinated. 

-I knew you studied languages, but I didn’t know how much you liked it.

-Oh, I love it.  She laughed breathily and threw her hair around a little bit.  James sighed deeply and looked away, it was too much, he thought.  James had a profound respect for anyone who was passionate about something and this increased his attraction for Teresa.  Plus, she threw her hair around.

-I’m not very good at them, I only had a couple years of Spanish.  He said humbly.

-A guy built like you doesn’t need languages.  You could just fight your way across Europe. 

-Thanks.  Now he thought she thought he was just a brute.  Well, that’s fine, I guess she may just see how big a brute I am. 

Teresa didn’t think he was a brute.  It was meant as a compliment.  She became more impressed with his size as they were walking together through the airport.  They had always been in groups of people and never alone with each other. 

They came to the bed and breakfast.  It was owned by an old stout delightful woman named Mrs. Ryan.  She gave them a single room with a double bed.

-It’s the only room I got.  I hope ya like it.

-It’s fine, said Teresa.  She hoped there would be two beds, but if it was the only room she had, then it would have to do.  James wasn’t sure what signal she was giving, but with the assuredness that she said it, he now figured that she absolutely wanted to be something more than friends.

-Now, you two, I have breakfast in the morning at 9 o’clock.  Not a minute before, not a minute after.  Mrs. Ryan was loosely smoking a cigarette.  There was an inch of ash hanging on it.  I usually make eggs and sausage, fruit and toast.  I put out some cereal.  If it’s not enough for ya, I make some more.  I know you are growing and I don’t wancha ta starve here. 

-Is there anyone else staying here right now?

-You got me and the place ta yourselves.

-We’ll just put are bags up and head out around the town.

-Well, hold on, hold on.  Mrs. Ryan waddled into the house and brought out two keys.  Here’s some keys for ya.  Now, be quiet when ya come inside tonight.  My doctor says I need me sleep.  Well, he also says I need to quit smokin and drinkin but the doctors in this country don’t know shite.  I hope ya don’t mind me swearing.  I’m not as religious as I once was. 

-That’s fine.

-Are you catholic?

-I am, said James.

-Me too, said Teresa.

-I suppose you’re fine Irish-Americans too ain’t ya?

-I’m Polish.

-And I’m a bunch of stuff, but not really Irish.  I’m a mutt.

Mrs. Ryan looked at them skeptically out the corner of her eyes.

-Well, as long as you’re Catholic.  Then she laughed to herself and went back in her parlor.

James and Teresa went inside and put their things away- James taking the top of the dresser and Teresa taking the bottom.  They decided to head down to the Temple Bar area, get something to eat and hit the pubs.  What better thing to do in Ireland than hit the pubs.

-We’re out of school, let’s get drunk, said James.

Teresa’s eyes sparkled at the suggestion.  She could handle a few drinks, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to get too drunk. 

-Sounds good to me.  Are you ready?

-You can head down, I need to go to the bathroom.

Teresa went down and waited outside.  Mrs. Ryan came out and put a stack of six condoms in her hand.

-Now, don’t listen ta the priests in this country.  You might have some trouble finding these here and I don’t want no out of wedlock child conceived under my roof. 

Teresa laughed.  The situation seemed ridiculous.

-Mrs. Ryan, I don’t need condoms.

-Now ya listen ta an old woman that’s made some mistakes and take these rubbers.  What’s you and your friend’s name?

-Teresa, his name is James.

-Ah, James, what a good name.  But I don’t care if he’s named Pope John Paul II, ya can’t trust men, as good as ya may think your boyfriend is-

-he’s not my-

-Listen ta an old woman.  Ya will need these.  I don’t want no Polish babies conceived in my house.

And then she shut the door and ran back in.  James came out.

-What was that all about? 

Teresa showed him the condoms. 

James looked at her with surprise at her brashness. 

-She gave me these.

Then he realized what was going on. 

-Oh.  What the hell did she give you those for?  He exclaimed, secretly pleased. 

-She thinks that we can’t control ourselves.  Teresa brushed his arm playfully.  Now James, you wouldn’t try to take advantage of me.

He laughed in a constrained manner.  No, of course not, he thought, not if you don’t want me to.  But if you do, well that’s another matter altogether.

 

They walked down to the temple bar and went to Davy Byne’s for dinner and some drinks.  Teresa was still amused by Mrs. Ryan’s stunt and talked about it with James animatedly.  James cut her off with a story from when he was in high school. 

-I had to go to this event in another town and I needed a bag to put my suit into.  It was a banquet for an all-conference team and they put us up for the night.  My dad took his only suit that he never wore out of its old bag and gave it to me.  When I arrived at the conference I took it out to put it on and a box of condoms fell out the bottom of it.  The guy I was sharing the room with cracked up about it.  He thought it was hilarious that I had found my parents condoms.  That night he passed some out to some other guys and told them to use safe sex.  It was pretty funny.  We were only 16 years old.  Anyway, there were a couple left and I left them in my coat.  A few days later I came home from school and my dad was in his bedroom.  He told me to come in there because he wanted to talk to me.  I knew I was in trouble but I wasn’t sure why.  He sat me down on the bed and was really nervous.  He was sweating a little and was clearly about to broach a very uncomfortable subject.  He said, ‘at least if you and Amy (she was my girlfriend) are having sex, you’re being safe about it.’  I was like, ‘what are you talking about.’  I hadn’t had sex with Amy yet.  Jesus, I was from a small town and we were only 16.  We were too scared to even try it.  Then dad presented the condoms.  ‘I found these in your coat.’  I started dying laughing.  I could barely get out the words, ‘dad, those are yours.’  You should have seen the look on his face.  I was like, ‘dad, they were in your bag that I took to that banquet.’  Then his face got beet red.  It was hilarious.  He was like, ‘what? how?  Me and your mother don’t use em anymore, they must have been in there since the 70s.’  Then he told me quickly to go down stairs.  I mean, the package was pretty old looking.  And had two people with 70s haircuts kissing on it.  I just thought they were some crazy retro condoms.  Anyway, my brother was downstairs watching TV.  I told him what happened and he started cracking up.  Then my mom came home a little later and I could hear dad yell ‘Jenny, come here, you gotta hear this.’  Then my brother and I heard them laughing really loud for about 10 minutes.  They thought it was the funniest thing in the world.  Then they got real quiet in the bedroom.  My brother and I went up a little later and the door to the bedroom was shut.  They must have been in there for four hours.  I sure as hell hope that none of the kids at the banquet tried to use those old condoms.

Teresa was laughing at the story.  She thought it was funny but thought James was a little rude from cutting her off when she was talking about Mrs. Ryan earlier.  James was pleased with the story and wanted Teresa to think he was funny. 

At Davy Byne’s James ordered a pint but Teresa got water.

-Aren’t you going to drink?  We’re in Ireland.  He really wanted her to get drunk.

-Well, I can’t start drinking just yet.  It doesn’t take much for me to get drunk.

-You drink at Cambridge. 

-Yeah, but look at me.  One of those Guinness and I’ll be hammered.

-Why don’t you order something else?  You like gin or vodka?

-Yeah, throw the hard liquor at me.  That’s better.  Actually, I don’t mind gin and tonic.  I’ll have one after we eat.

In the bar James told more stories about Wisconsin while Teresa listened.  He wanted to somehow interest her in him.  She was interested in the stories but thought it was a weakness that James possessed.  He was too self-indulged, she thought.  After dinner they had a couple drinks and then went over to another bar called Sheehan’s.  There was a group of six Americans in the bar and Teresa figured it would be interesting to ask them where they were from.  James was beginning to bore her a little and the more the merrier.  

James wasn’t happy about it.  He wanted Teresa all to himself.  He thought he was making progress.

The Americans came from all over the United States.  They were studying abroad in Paris and decided to take a couple weeks in Ireland. 

James introduced himself and a guy named Justin from Montana laughed when James told him his last name.  He wore a Colorado Rockies hat and smoked Lucky Strikes.

-Wisnewski?  That’s polish right?

-Yeah.

-Hey, what did the Polish guy say when he caught his wife in bed with another man?

-What?  Said James to humor him.   He’d heard a million Polish jokes.  Every one dumber than the next.

-So that’s where it goes!  Justin laughed and took a drink. 

-What did the Polish guy say to the guy telling Polish jokes?

-Um, what.

-Shut the fuck up or I’ll kick you in the face.  James glared at him and Justin’s eyes darted nervously around the table.  Then James chuckled and Justin gradually laughed with him.  Teresa breathed a sigh of relief.  She didn’t think James was violent, but you learn a lot about someone when you’re traveling with them.

-Shit man, I thought you were serious.  The last thing I need is a big Polish guy from Wisconsin kicking my ass in Europe.

-No worries, man.  At least there wouldn’t be any more Polish jokes tonight, thought James.

The group had been to Galway and Cork and were now finishing their trip in Dublin.  They were in good spirits and had numerous stories from their trip.  James grudgingly took a backseat to their stories as Teresa inquired about the rest of the Ireland.  She occasionally spoke to them in French.  They were impressed and thought her French was better than any of theirs. 

One of the girls in the group was infatuated with Bono from U2 and was in a hurry to get to Dublin during their trip.

-Jesus, you’d think the rest of Ireland was a dump, said Justin.  That’s all she could talk about the whole trip.  I can’t wait to go to Dublin and go to the Kitchen.  We got here yesterday, a day earlier than we planned.  Heading to the Kitchen tonight.

-What is it?

-It’s a club he owns.  Apparently it’s so cool, said Justin sarcastically.

-I’ll have enough Bono bashing tonight, said Erin, the Bono-lover.  Her hair was dark and combed straight down.  She wore black.  Tonight is a Bono Celebration.  We’re going to celebrate his genius.

-Oh great, here we go, said Jeremy from Boston.  He had a mop of blonde hair and wore bracelets of various colors.  He was clearly not happy.

-Listen, how many other rock stars have done as much charity and philanthropy work?  He’s a good guy.

-Good lord.

-Did you know his favorite book is Finnegan’s wake?

-I heard that guy who wrote it, Joyce, said it would take a lifetime to comprehend it.  First of all, it’s not worth spending your life on another dude’s incomprehensible work when you got your own life to lead, and second of all, how in god’s name is Bono the guy that’s going to do it.  I mean, his last song was about kicking a field goal.

-Well, actually, the meaning of the song…

-Well, I’ve had enough Bono talk, another round everyone?

-I’ll take one, said James as Jeremy went up to the bar.

James noticed the girl next to Erin.  There were two girls and four boys and Tina was the best looking girl.  She had been eyeing James since they sat down.  Her hair was an amber color, she wore makeup which made her eyes seem perky and her cheeks abnormally tan compared to everyone else and especially compared to the pasty white Irishmen in the bar.  James thought Teresa was much better looking but he figured that he would try and get to know Tina a little in case his attempt with Teresa failed. 

James drank quickly at Sheehan’s.  The bartender was a stout red-haired man with a receding hairline.  He was telling loud rambling jokes.  They stayed there longer than intended because of the bartender despite Erin’s protests.  They could talk amongst each other and drift in and out of his stories- always catching something to laugh at.  Then, after a 20 minute story, when he was finally finished and starting a new one, everyone had to ask, ‘What did he say?  How did it end?’ and whoever was listening would recant the ending and get another laugh.  Each word the man said was entertaining.  It was like every great old man story teller who ever died had plugged into his head and sent their opus electronically through his brain until they came out his mouth in one big jumbled masterpiece.  Either that, or a clown exploded and they were watching the aftermath.

Finally, they headed to the Kitchen to fulfill Erin’s life goal.  It was an interesting place.  The walls were mock stone with low ceilings – like being in a dungeon or a cavern.  Fake smoke was pumped through the various corridors.  Different anti-chambers housed various people.  Goths were in one chamber, people on ecstasy were in another, drunks in another, people on acid in another.  A dance floor was filled with people and various bars were in each room throughout the maze.  James started drinking heavily.  They found couches and chairs in a regular room with drunks and watched the parade of eccentric people walking in an out of the room and through the smoke.  The hallways and corridors were so smoky that it was difficult to see where you were walking. 

As they started drink more, the guys in the French group began to hit on Teresa.   Teresa didn’t mind and thought they were nice.  She certainly wasn’t going to go home with any of them.  James became jealous and it was a shot to his ego.  He hoped she would talk to him.  He couldn’t get a word in between Justin and Jeremy and Shane and Tom – the two other guys, both from Seattle.  Teresa wasn’t drinking a lot because she knew her limit and the boys circling around her was nothing she couldn’t handle.  They laughed exaggeratedly at anything she said and she found the situation slightly ridiculous.  James decided to explore the place so he didn’t have to watch them shamelessly flatter her.  He spent some time in the ecstasy room watching people touch themselves and kiss themselves.  He remembered a study that was done with rats.  They were given very large doses of ecstasy- a dose that would probably make a person catatonic.  And all the rats did was follow each other around in a line.  He thought it was a weird phenomenon for rats to exhibit that behavior.  He spent some time in a room with people smoking weed.  They had the hash stuff that is popular in Britain and Ireland.  It’s a hard little black brick that they light to soften.  Then they break part of it off and mix it with tobacco and roll it in a ‘spliff.’  James could never understand why they didn’t just get regular weed.  Occasionally, someone would bring some back from Amsterdam- they referred to it as ‘skunk.’  James could never get any effect off the hash.  So when they offered him some, he smoked it, knowing there were no repercussions.

After wandering around for a couple hours and drinking a lot of beer, he decided to go back to the room and see what Tina was doing.  In reality, he wanted to see if Teresa was hooking up with any of the guys.  When he walked back into the room, it was Justin who had secured Teresa to himself.  They were sitting on the couch talking alone.  They other guys had given up and were sitting with Tina and Erin further way from them.  James was disgusted.  He did not have a fond impression of Justin.  He decided that all he could do to take his mind off of it was to hit on Tina.  Teresa wasn’t impressed with Justin either, but James didn’t know that.  She was humoring him for lack of anything better to do and was thinking about asking James if he wanted to go back to Mrs. Ryan’s.  She was tired and not interested in drinking. 

James sat down next to Tina and asked her what she thought of the place. 

-It’s all right.

-Yeah, I was just back in this room smoking weed. 

-Really?  Cool.

-It was that hash shit though.

-Oh.  That stuff sucks.  I don’t understand why they don’t just get normal weed.

-Tell me about it.

Tina looked down at her drink, which was getting empty. 

-You want a drink.  I’ll get you one.

-Sure.  She smiled.  This is going to be easy, thought James.  When he went to get the drink, he thought he would ask her questions about herself.  Chicks like that.

-Where are you from?

-I’m from Detroit.  Well, it’s a suburb called Grosse Point.  But I just say Detroit.

-Cool.  You ever get to travel to the UP? 

-I love the Upper Peninsula.  We have a house up there near Marquette.  My family goes up there every summer.  But now it’s weird because my mom and dad are separated.  They might get a divorce.

-Um, that’s terrible.

-Oh, it’s fine, they hate each other.  I hope they just get it over with.  James could tell Tina thought this divorce made her interesting and that acting indifferent to it made her more interesting.  If it really bothered her, she wouldn’t bring it up with a total stranger.  James could sense he had a talker on his hands.  He wanted to talk about how they went on vacations to the UP and how it wasn’t far from where he grew up, but he figured he better just continue with the plan to ask her questions about herself- as much as he didn’t want to hear it.

-Well, I hope things work out for you.

-Well, it’s weird because I don’t know what we’re going to do for Christmas.  Because I’m going back and I’m not sure where I want to go.  Mom bought a cool place near the lake but Dad still lives in the place I grew up.  I suppose I’ll have to go to both of them in the same day and then…

James tuned out.

She continued to talk for about 15 more minutes without interruption, until he decided to ask her to dance to get her to shut up.  As Tina was rambling on about her family, James intermittently glanced at Teresa and Justin.  Justin was moving in on her, but she was moving slightly away.  She still looked at him in an interested manner.  James thought that although she backed away, she was still willing to succumb to Justin’s wiles.  Teresa wasn’t willing at all.  She had no intention of doing anything with Justin and wanted to go home, but figured that since James might get on Tina she should let him pursue it.  Even though she thought Tina was a complete idiot.  She didn’t want to be a wet blanket on his attempts by asking to go home.

Tina wanted to do a shot before they danced, and when James stood up, he was seeing double.  He knew he was getting drunk, but he didn’t realize how drunk he was.  They went to the bar and did a shot of Jameson and then went out and danced.  They danced for a half hour and he kissed Tina on the forehead a few times.  She was receptive and grabbed him around the waist and gyrated on him to the techno.   Here we go, he thought.  After they danced, she wanted another shot.  So they did some more Jameson and then she grabbed the back of his head and made out with him at the bar.  When they walked back into the room she wanted to show everyone else that they just kissed.  So she kissed him again in front of everyone for about five minutes.  As this was happening, Justin advanced on Teresa.  Teresa saw James kissing Tina and figured that it was time for her to get a cab and head back since it was a good bet that he was going home with her.  She rebuffed Justin.  Justin didn’t go down so easily.  He put his arm around Teresa.  She took it off.  He tried to kiss her on the cheek.  She backed away.  James, drunk, watching this while he was kissing Tina, broke away from her face.

-Hey, man, she doesn’t seem interested, he slurred.  Teresa was relieved.

-Dude, take it easy, said Justin.

-Guys, I think it’s time for me to go home, said Teresa.

-Hey, don’t go home, this place doesn’t close for another hour.

-Sorry Justin, I’m getting tired.

-Come on.

-Dude, she wants to go home, said James with Tina kissing his neck.

-What do you care, man?

-Fuck you.

Justin stood up ready to fight.

-I’m going home too, said James and he pushed Tina off him and grabbed Teresa’s hand as they walked towards the door- James stumbling and running against the fake stone walls.  Tina was confused and agitated.  Justin was pissed off.

They jumped in a cab outside.  In the back, James leaned his head against he front seat.

-James, I’m sorry I wanted to go- you looked like you were going somewhere with Tina.

-Tina sucks.

-Well, that’s what I thought you were looking for, said Teresa smiling at him.

-No…I’m….not.  James passed out.

At Mrs. Ryan’s, Teresa and the cab driver had to slap him awake.  And then Teresa guided him up to the bedroom.  He crashed in the bed in his clothes while Teresa changed.  She figured she might as well sleep in the bed with him and not on the floor.  There’s no reason to worry, he was too drunk to do anything- not that he would anyway.  As soon as she got in bed, James put his arm around her.

-You’re so hot, he said, not remembering it the next day, and then passed out for good.

Teresa shoved his big arm off her and laughed.  Probably thinks he’s talking to Tina, she thought and then went to sleep.

 

The next day, James slept late and woke up incredibly hungover.  Before he woke up, Teresa went down for breakfast. 

-Your man was a drunk last night.  Ah, every male visitor ta Dublin is drunk on the heavy Guiness the first night.  Too drunk ta see, or please his woman.  

-Mrs. Ryan, he’s not my man.

-Why not?  Me thinks I would like a man like him at 20.  Not ta worry.  You can go sight-see.  I’ll make him breakfast when he rolls his bloated head down the stairs.

Teresa decided to take him some coffee before she left.  When she came back upstairs he was lying on his back and looking at the ceiling. 

-Teresa, I’m really hungover.

-You look it.  Here I brought you some coffee.  James struggled up on his elbow and then swung his feet down to the floor and groaned. 

-God, thanks.  You didn’t have to do that.  How did we get home?

-We took a cab.  You don’t remember anything from that end of last night?

-I remember that jerk Justin was trying to get on you.

-Well, that was not going to happen.

-God, was I kissing that dumb girl Tina?

-Yeah.

-Jesus, that was stupid.  I didn’t like her at all.  He sipped his coffee and looked at Teresa.  She was smiling at him.  I really didn’t like her.

-I believe it.  You were drunk. 

He looked at her again, grateful for the coffee.

-I’m serious, Teresa, thanks for bringing this coffee up.

-You know what you should have, is some orange juice.  I’ll go get some.

-No, you don’t have to.  But she already left the room. 

He drank the orange juice in two seconds and stood up to take a shower- but the room spinned so he sat back down.

-You should probably lie down for a while.

-Yeah.  Thanks for the juice.  James looked at her face again while he lay down.  Her blue eyes dominated the room.  She was so nice for bring up the coffee and juice, he thought. 

-Listen, I’m going to go out and look at the city, I’ll meet you back here at 6. 

-Cool.  James regretted not being able to do anything with her, but he felt too bad to go.

The whole day he laid in bed, he realized what a fool he was for thinking that Teresa’s motive for coming on the trip was to have sex with him and see if they could have a relationship.  She was just a very nice girl who wanted to see Ireland.  He decided to put the stupid notion out of his head and enjoy his time with her.  He’d been on trips with other people and when he thought about it, Teresa was the best traveling partner of any of them.  Laid back, nice, funny and good-hearted.  To taint it sexually was ridiculous.  He liked her as a person and that was enough.  As he thought about it he drifted in and out of sleep and as bad as he felt physically, there was a sense of satisfaction in admitting that he could be a fool.  He was at peace and comfortable with the situation he was in and that’s all he could ask.

He finally dragged himself out of bed at three and took a long shower in the bathtub.  Mrs. Ryan had hooked up a hose and shower head that James had to move around his body with his hand and try to soap himself with his free hand.  When he made it downstairs at four, Mrs. Ryan had breakfast for him.

James was surprised she had made it.

-It’s a bed and breakfast, isn’t it?  I don’t care what time ya get outta bed.  Ya get breakfast here.  James, not caring that he was probably going to eat again in a couple hours, ate as much as he could.  He was replenished and went upstairs to read a little bit before Teresa came back. 

Teresa spent the day walking around downtown and going to cathedrals and Trinity college.  She spent some time at the bookstore and found a book on the Gaelic language that she wanted.  She showed it to James when she came back.

-That should keep you busy.  Is that what you wanted?

-Yep.  You know me, I’ll be fluent by the end of the weekend.

-I’m sure.

They went downtown to eat.  James wasn’t hungry but he ate again.  His body was happy to get the nourishment.  After they ate, Teresa went back to read and James walked around the temple bar to get a feel for the atmosphere.  He wasn’t interested in drinking, although that is the primary activity in Ireland.  He listened to the street performers playing old songs and thought that Ireland had the best buskers in the world.  Someone played on every corner.  He ended up spending about 10 pounds giving money to buskers before he went back.  They went to bed early.  James slept on the floor, despite Teresa saying that it was okay if he slept in the bed. 

The next day, they walked around the city, as Teresa showed him the sites she saw the day before and translated signs in Gaelic by looking through her book.  James was impressed that she could spend one night reading and then understand the roots and origins of the language- and especially a language as obscure as Gaelic.  She became more aware of James and his good nature.  She began to think of him as more than an acquaintance and a close friend.  He just didn’t seem bothered or stressed.  It didn’t hurt that he was truly fascinated by her interests.  He had seemed a little overbearing when they first arrived, but he wasn’t at all like that, she thought.  He’s just a gentle giant who really enjoys himself.  And was he referring to me when he said, ‘you’re so hot,’ when he was drunk, she asked herself.  Probably not, she thought, but she regarded him with more affection as they toured the city.  They decided to get a really good meal for dinner and plan tomorrow, their last day. 

-You know what I really want to see, said James as he ate his salmon with hollandaise sauce.  I want to walk along the Irish coast, out in the country.

Teresa grabbed the book from him.

-God, that’s an incredible idea, she said, someplace close with a quick train ride.

-Yeah, said James, taking another mouthful. 

-Here’s a place, it’s a Dublin suburb, but they have a walk along the sea.  It’s a place called Howth.  It’s only like a half an hour train ride out there.  We can leave at 9 and come back at 4. 

-Sounds excellent, said James in a New England blue blood accent.

-Why, James, what a splendid idea.  Said Teresa, mimicking him and holding up her wine to cheers.

-Yes, my lady, I do hope you enjoy the excursion.  He clinked his glass against hers as she was laughing.  When she stopped laughing she looked at James.  He was looking at her with complete playfulness.  He really did like her.  And not in a purely sexual way.  He really enjoyed her company.  James, at that moment, was attracted to Teresa as she laughed and her hair slung over her face in large full strands and then she flicked her head back and moved it away with her hand.  He moved the thought out of his head, laughing to himself, remembering himself and what he thought about the day before when he laid in bed hungover. 

They went to Mrs. Ryan’s at eight that night and stayed up talking and playing cards, chess on the chess set in the room and talking about all the people they knew at Oxford and what they each thought of them.  They talked about what they each thought of each other on first impressions. 

-I thought you were attractive and quiet, said James honestly.  I liked that about you, you struck me as being intelligent.  Teresa beamed.

-I’ll be honest, I thought you were cute, a bit of a meathead, but funny.  Then I realized that you weren’t a meathead and were intelligent, you were just from the sticks.  I liked that, I thought it made you humble.  And you never annoyed me like some of the other people there.  That’s why I thought it would be fun to go on the trip with you.

-The sticks?  Said James smiling.

-Yeah, you’re a redneck. 

-A redneck?  James picked her up and threw her on the bed.

-Hey, she said, her face red and her hair all over the bed.  She grabbed his arm and pulled him on the bed.  He fell down without resisting.  They lay on their backs and looked up at the ceiling. 

-It’s been a fun trip, and tomorrow will be great.  I love going on hikes. 

-Yeah, I really enjoyed it. 

Teresa touched his arm and stood up.  She realized again how solid his arms were.

-One more game of chess.  It’s tied 2-2. 

-All right. 

When they went to bed, James was preparing the floor and Teresa told him to sleep in the bed. 

-Come on, I can trust you, she said. 

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.  If you promise to keep all your extremities to yourself.  Teresa couldn’t believe hearing her voice say that.  She said it in a sultry way, as if inviting him to do something.  She realized that she was forgetting herself around him.  He was charming her and she was letting him.  Oh, I’m being too dramatic, she thought.

James lay down next to her and noticed that he had an erection.  He rolled over so she wouldn’t see it.  Teresa noticed that she too was excited.  Her mind was wrapped up in what he was thinking.  Did he like me?  Was he interested in something more than friends?  Am I interested in something more than friends?  At length she fell asleep.  James cursed himself for getting sexually excited and struggled with his imagination until he finally fell asleep.

They woke up at seven.  Teresa’s arm was draped over James’s chest and her breasts up against him.  James’s arm was underneath her and she was nestled in the crux of his shoulder.  He woke up, vaguely remembering her rolling over on him.  He had an erection in the morning.  She woke up a little before him and noticed the size of it.  She assumed that was what it was.  A few seconds later he woke up and groggily realized the position they were in.

-Good morning, said Teresa smiling.  Going camping?

-What?  Said James stretching.

-Because you’re pitching a tent.

-Huh?  He looked down.  He started laughing.  She laughed with him.  Jesus, that’s always a hell of thing to look at in the morning.  Teresa rolled off him and then leaned over and spontaneously touched the top of his penis. 

-Boing, she said as she got out of bed.  Then she realized what she had done, not believing that she had done it.  She quickly went into the shower and hoped that he wouldn’t think that it meant anything more than her joking around.  What am I doing, she thought.  She took the free showerhead and cleaned herself well.  James watched her go into the bathroom, perplexed.  What was that all about, he thought.

At breakfast, they told Mrs. Ryan about the trip to Howth.

-Ah, it’s a fine place.  Beautiful.  Ya two love birds enjoy yourself.  She winked.  James and Teresa both rolled their eyes and looked at each other. 

They went down to the station and caught the train out.  There was a little drizzle that morning and they hoped it wouldn’t last all day.  On the way north, the train buffered the coast.  They Irish Sea stood off to the right- blue gray and lightly striking the coast of famous Irish green.  The grass in Ireland is uncombed in tufts.  Thick clumps as thick as Teresa’s hair.  They passed some school children in their plaid uniforms standing on a platform smoking.  Then a rainbow came out over the Irish Sea.  It was a long thick bright rainbow.  More stark than one formed after an American thunderstorm. 

-Want to go look for the pot of gold, Teresa.

-I could use a pot of gold.

James thought about the refraction of light though the raindrops and using crystals in the lab.  Teresa looked at him intently watching and wondered what he was thinking.

-It’s just so beautiful, she said.

-It really is.

They watched the rainbow until it faded and they arrived in Howth.  They walked around the quaint town and looked in the shops.  James wanted to put his arm around Teresa and Teresa wanted to hold his hand.  She was aware of his presence more than at any time during their trip.  James was just as aware of Teresa.  They decided to grab lunch in the Red Herring Pub before they walked out onto the path along the coast.  Inside the pub a man was playing songs and when he noticed the Americans come inside, he played McNamara’s band and other Irish-American tunes.  He had a wisp of damp gray hair over his forehead and he played vigorously.  There were only about 10 people in the place.  James bought a pint of beer and listened to Teresa tell stories about hiking around the mountains in Northern California. 

When they were finished they walked out onto the path next to the sea.  As they hiked along, they came upon an extraordinary island just off the coast no bigger than a green on a golf course-a serene mound of dark green in the sea with white stone jutting out of it. 

-What is that? asked Teresa.

-I don’t know.  She reached into James’s bag and took out the book to find out.  As she rifled through the pages the wind swept her hair around her face and over her shoulders onto her fleece.  James couldn’t believe how she looked at that moment in that place.  Her pale skin and red lips almost glowed in the dark green mist.  James had noticed this before since he’d been in Britain, it’s almost like people evolved that color of skin because of how it looked in the rainy green atmosphere.  She looked up at him and noticed his face.

-It’s called Ireland’s Eye, she said as her eyes moved over him.  She touched his elbow and arm.  He put both his hands on her shoulders and leaned over.  She pulled him closer and they kissed.  They kissed for a long time.  When they came apart, they kissed again. 

-Let’s get the train back to Dublin, she said breathing heavily.

On the train, they sat as far away from other people as possible and kissed and groped each other the entire ride back.  Neither of them could control themselves.  They took a cab to Mrs. Ryan’s from the station.

-You’re back already?  Did ya see Ireland’s Eye?

They both laughed and ran upstairs.  Mrs. Ryan smiled and went back to dusting her cabinets.

-It’s a good thing she gave us these, said Teresa, ripping open one of the condom packages.

They made love all the late afternoon, then had sex and then fucked.  They went for dinner near Mrs. Ryan’s and drank wine and laughed and told jokes.  They bought a bottle to bring back, but they didn’t drink it.  They made love all night and didn’t sleep until two.  When they woke up to get breakfast and go to the airport, they made love again.  Neither of them remembered how many times it was but there were no condoms left and the last few times, they resorted to gambling and making love with James pulling out before coming.  Both of them were incredibly sore in the morning and all they wanted to do was have sex again.  They finally restrained themselves and went down for breakfast.  

-Well, you have a nice little glow about yourself today, said Mrs. Ryan in the morning.

-Um, yeah, they looked at each other and smiled.

-Ha, and ya tried ta give the rubbers back.  Well, I warned ya, didn’t I.  And now, you’re thanking old Mrs. Ryan, for thinking of ya.

-We appreciate it, Mrs. Ryan, said James as Teresa laughed.

-Ah, she said smiling, well, you’re the first.  Ta be 20 and in love.  Eat some more bacon, if anybody needs their strength, it will be you two.