“How did your meeting with Lindsay go, Tony?” Lillian asked over the phone.

“It was difficult, Lillian,” I said. “In truth, I was just millimetres away from enveloping her in my soul.”

“I understand that, dear boy, are you feeling a little better about things now? Is your heart safe?”

“Somewhat,” I said. “We cleared the air and reached a consensus of sorts. I played my younger age card and it wasn’t just a ploy. My mother had already focused my mind on my life and I listened to her for once. She’s quite astute in that way.”

“She’s a good lady.”

“Yes she is,” I said, “but on the matter of some future assistance for Lindsay, having spoken with her for over several hours I don’t think it’s any harm to reach out to her with an offer of help. She seems determined to move away from escorting but has no idea, or is at least confused, about where the rest of her life is going to go. A gentle nudge in the right direction might be the exact thing she needs at this point.”

“I agree and I’ll contact her today, Tony. Will I let her know that you’re the prime mover behind it?”

“If you like, I told her I’d bring it up with you anyway,” I said. “It may do something to bolster her resolve.”

“I’ll call her the very moment I hang up,” she said. “We’ll talk soon.”

It was late and my brain was still active so I decided that a pint might help me to sleep and switch my head off. I still had the hotel room keys, so I went into the hotel lounge and sat on a stool at the bar. A friendly, smiling Pakistani chap brought me a nice pint of Guinness and then loitered in my view as he wiped down the bar in front of me every ten seconds. The place was only a quarter full so we chatted about his home and family and the differences between Ireland and his homeland as I sipped my pint. He asked me if I wanted a refill and I accepted, I also needed a smoke.

I went out to the smoke shed and tried to make my cigarette lighter work but it was dead. I tried the usual tricks of rolling it between my hands, shaking it and calling it a prick but nothing worked. Suddenly a kind and empathetic hand appeared before me with a pink lighter in full flame. I touched my cigarette to it and inhaled deeply.

“Thank you so much,” I said. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“My pleasure entirely,” she said in what was obviously an American accent, “I hate to see someone struggling with a cigarette. There’s nothing worse than not being able to light one when one is in dire need of some inhalation therapy.”

“I think I can think of a few things that are worse,” I said.

“Such as?” she asked.

“Well, getting a light from someone who is not quite as beautiful as you, for a start.”

She laughed.

“Thank you, but I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“I’m painfully shy, so I would never even dream of it,” I said. “So what brings you to Dublin? And don’t say a plane.”

She laughed again and blew smoke out of her mouth.

“We flew in from the U.S. this morning and decided to overnight here before driving over to Galway tomorrow. The idea was to get some sleep after our flight but you can see how that worked out.”

“And where’s your other half?” I asked.

“I’m with my sister, she’s in bed asleep. I think she took a couple of sleeping pills,” she said. “Now I’m afraid to go back to the room in case I wake her.”

“I know what you mean,” I said. “I can’t seem to be able to switch my head off tonight, so I came down for a pint and a smoke.”

“I was going to try that, but a lone woman in a bar in a strange country, might not be a great idea.”

“I’ve a new pint that’s just been poured, you can join me if you wish,” I said. “I don’t bite. Most of the time.”

“I don’t mind if I do,” she said.

“I’m Tony, by the way.”

“Becca, nice to meet you, Tony.”

I followed her into the lounge and she asked for a light beer. We took our drinks over to a quiet corner of the room and sat down. She was quite a beauty. She was about three inches shorter than me, slim with short, straight blonde hair and light blue eyes. Her pale skin had a few light brown freckles sprinkled across her nose and her lips were most kissable. She spoke quietly and her eyes betrayed her smile.

“Are you attached, Tony?” she asked.

“No, I’m free and easy, Becca.”

“The same here, free and easy.”