Just as he wiped his mouth on his napkin and pushed his plate forward, Brian appeared with another drink. “Are ya drivin’, son? If so, I’d have your keys and I’ll call you a cab.”
“Nope.” Nick shook his head. “I’m on foot tonight.”
Brian slid the drink closer. “Then, bottom’s up it is.”
Brian waited as Nick drained his glass. “I fancy myself a good judge of character. You strike me as a fine man, Nick. Want to talk about it?”
“There’s where you’d be wrong.” A bitter laughed escaped. “A fine man I’m not. I just screwed up the best thing I’d ever had. No one is talking to me because I’ve been an ass. Just like my father. That apple not falling far from the tree thing is real.”
Brian stood patiently and listened as Nick spilled his guts to this virtual stranger. Something he’d never done before.
After he finished, Brian said, “I’ve been married going on forty years now. Can’t say I understand women any better now than on me weddin’ day. But seems to me, your heart was in the right place, ya just went and mucked it up real good. So, what are ya gonna do to fix it?”
Nick shook his head and started on the fresh drink Brian slid in front of him. “I don’t have a flippin’ clue.”
“Oh, but ya do.” Brian laughed. “Clearly ’tis love you have for each of them. Show ’em how much you’re willin’ to make an arse outta yourself. They love that the best. Women are odd that way. Write some silly poetry, or do something equally emasculating. The more humiliating, the quicker you’ll win their hearts back, and they’ll reward you with their pretty smiles. Especially your Shelby, there. She sounds like a woman worth a good fistfight. Am I right?”
Nick nodded. Shelby was worth it. Not that he’d win a fight in his current drunken state, but he couldn’t let Greg have Shelby. Brian was right. Time to fight for what he wanted. He’d figure out the how-to-be-a-prince thing as he went along.
What would it take to make them smile?
He tossed all the cash in his wallet onto the bar and then stood to go home. “Thanks, Brian. I owe you one.”
Brian smiled as he counted out the money. “It looks like we’re more than even here.” He slid a few bills back. “You’re a truly fine man, Nick. Don’t listen to the daemons inside who tell ya otherwise. Hope to see ya soon. Love to hear how it all went.”
“You got it. ’Nite.” Nick smiled as he weaved his way to the door. Maybe there was magic in that Irish whiskey yet.
***
Shelby sat next to Jo on the couch in their living room. With both their hands reaching in unison into the almost-empty bowl of buttered popcorn between them, they sighed as the ending credits scrolled for While You Were Sleeping.
She’d been weepy all day. Watching romantic movies probably wasn’t such a great idea. But she liked seeing other people get the happily ever after she hoped for herself one day.
Jo asked, “One more movie?”
“Why not? Let’s make our wild Friday night even better by shedding more tears.”
Jo smiled and topped off Shelby’s wine glass. “So, Emily’s birthday party is tomorrow, right? You up for spending the day with Nick’s family?”
“No. But I can’t hurt Emily. I have to go. Besides, I’m almost over him.”
Jo pointed to the stack of crumpled tissues on the coffee table. “That movie was a romantic comedy, not a tear-jerker, Shelby. You’re not even close to over him.”
“Okay. You’re right. But it’s so annoying.” Shelby pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Laying her chin on her knees, she said, “Today I’ve shifted to being madder at myself than I am at Nick. I knew better, Jo. I’ve always steered clear of guys like Nick. I let his good looks cloud my judgment, like a silly teenager. I deserve all this pain. I’ll be sure to relive it if ever I’m tempted like that again.”
“Maybe you’re being a little too hard on yourself, Shelby. You’ve been really happy these last few weeks with Nick. It wasn’t just his looks. It ran deeper than that.”
“Maybe. But Nick is still the wrong guy for me in the long run. Emily is a good example. Nick missing her birthday party, putting work before her, will break her heart. She really loves him. And he knows it, yet he still made the choice he did. This way is better.”
Jo found Pride and Prejudice in the on-demand list and hit the play button. “I’m not on Nick’s side or anything, but he cared enough for you to find that fire report and help rid you of all that guilt about your family. That’s a Mr. Darcy move, for sure. I think there’s more to this story than you know. And may I point out, Elizabeth Bennet doesn’t like Darcy at first either. Then there was a bit of a misunderstanding about his behavior, but let’s watch and see what happens.”