"Mother Mary! I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Murphy grumbled making his way to the door, pulling his black tee shirt over his bare upper body.
Swinging the door open, "Whaddaya want?" before he even saw who it was.
It was an angel. Literally an angel.
"What crawled up your ass?" she asked, her silver wings jostling in the wind from the breezeway of the apartment building.
"Aye, lass, that hurts...shouldn't you be at the Halloween party?" Murphy asked, taking in her short white dress with matching white stockings and garters. The white material contrasting so deliciously with her olive skin.
"Katie took my purse on accident," she said, holding up Katie's blue Coach bag. "I can't very well get into Rumor without my ID."
"Maybe you two should quit tryin' to match all the time, love," Murphy smirked. It wasn't the first time they got mixed up.
"So sayeth the twin who dresses just like his brother," she rolled her eyes.
Murphy chuckled and shrugged. "Well, Katie and Con are out gettin' a bite, no tellin' when they'll be back," he turned to the side, motioning with his hand to invite her in.
Elysha was Katie's roomie since college. They were often mistaken for sisters, both being so smart and attractive. Connor picked up Katie one night at McGinty's. Murphy had tried with Elysha, but failed miserably. Murphy had never been more irate listening to Con get it on in the next room, while he laid in bed alone. The annoying part of of it, Elysha was a frequent visit to their hole-in-the-wall apartment since Katie and Connor became exclusive some months ago.
Elysha walked in, her nose turned up at the current messy state of the twins' dwelling. Murphy closed the door, following Elysha into the living room. Elysha carefully sat on the edge of the couch, her knees tight together and her hands folded over her lap.
"Ya look like you're havin' a job interview...relax, love," Murphy sat across from her in the thrift store arm chair.
"I'm wearing wings and white, I don't want it to get dirty before I can show it off," Elysha smirked, her eyes diverting to the mess around them.
"We're a bit untidy, but we're not pigs, ya know?" Murphy furrowed his brows.
Elysha, feeling bad, slid back a little on the couch and relaxed her posture, "Better?"
"Aye," Murphy said, reaching for his smokes on the end table. "Where's Al?" he said, sliding a cig from the pack between his lips.
"Alex and I are no longer seeing one another," Elysha clarified, smoothing the skirt of her dress, avoiding Murphy's eyes.
"Whatta shame, love. Do ya mind me askin' what happened?"
"A tall, skinny blonde is what happened," she frowned, propping her elbow on the arm of the couch and cupping her chin into her hand.
"Christ, Elysha. I'm sorry," he took a drag from his smoke, trying not to get too excited about her newfound freedom.
"Yeah," she leaned up, resting her elbows on her thighs, "You got anything to drink in this place?"
"We're Irish," Murphy grinned, putting his cig out in the ashtray. "What will the lovely lady be havin' tonight?"
"Stronger the better," Elysha smiled.
"Gettin' drunk before ye even get to the party, eh?" Murphy hopped up from the chair and made his way into the kitchen.
"I can take a cab to the club," Elysha said, raising up from the couch and following Murphy, her wings swaying behind her.
Murphy pulled a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet and a can of Coke from the refrigerator, pouring more whiskey than soda into the tall glass. Elysha settled herself onto a barstool at the island. He reached across the countertop handing the glass to her, "Jack and Coke, classic." He watched her sad brown eyes as she put the glass to those two, full lips and took a drink. God, she was beautiful. He wanted her from the moment her saw her walk into McGinty's that night. She was one of those hopeless girls, though. Always ending up with the assholes and never the nice guys. She was always high strung...sweet, but as a product of her raising by two educated, wealthy parents, she had her sights always aimed high. The kind of girl that should marry a lawyer or a doctor, not the type who hooks up with Irish meatpacking plant workers. She set the glass down on the bar, chewing her bottom lip.
"Penny for your thoughts, love?" Murphy said, leaned over and supporting himself on the counter.
"It's nothing. Just... Katie is so happy with Connor, you know? When she brings him to our place, I just want to leave. They giggle and play and make love all night, and I'm just sitting in my room, alone, on my laptop..." she shrugged. "This is the first time I've gone out alone, you know, without Alex."
"Aye, lass. You read me mind. I hate it when Con brings her over here, for the same reasons."
"Yeah?" she cracked a little smile.
"Oh, yeah," Murphy poured a little more whiskey into her Coke and then made a shot for himself. "Here's to bein' alone," he said, raising his shot glass.
Elysha let out a weak chuckle, and raised her glass to his, clinking them together, "Alone."
"No, it's more like 'Aye, Katie! Aye! Oh, Mother of Christ! Kaayyyy-tieeeee!'" Elysha doubled over laughing, as she did her best Connor-having-an-orgasm impression. The barstool rocked as her laughs made her whole body jerk, making her fake wings look as if they were flapping.
Murphy, laughing so hard, nearly fell off the kitchen counter he was perched upon, "Ya know, lass, you are a lot more fun when ya have had some drinks in ya!"
"I know, right!" Elysha sat up straight, wiping a few laugh-induced tears from her face.
"It's gettin' late, love. I don't think you'll be makin' it to the club," Murphy pointed out, looking at the digital clock on the microwave.
"I knew it was a bad idea buying this costume, nothing ever goes right anyway," she shrugged, making her wings flutter and taking down the last drop of her 5th Jack and Coke.
"Well, I'd like to thank ya for buyin' that costume. You look incredible," Murphy winked.
"Oh, please," Elysha rolled her eyes, standing up, keeping one hand on the bar for balance. "I look ridiculous," she motioned to the short white dress with her free hand as she leaned down to pull off her 4 inch heels.
Murphy pushed himself off the counter approaching her, placing his hand over hers on the bar causing her to stand up with one shoe in hand, "I said ya look incredible." His voice was gentle and sincere. His breath was smokey and sweet with a hint of alcohol.
"Listen, Murph, I-I'm a little drunk and," she slid her hand from under his, "I don't make good decisions when I'm drunk, so, I think I'll call a cab."
"Aye," he sighed, his blue eyes looking hurt as she slipped her shoe back on. She turned and walked back into the living room, sitting on the arm of the couch and grabbing the twins' outdated corded phone from the end table.
Murphy was usually the hotheaded one compared to his brother. Impatient. A little immature at times, especially when his feelings were hurt.
"Ya know, your just a big tease! Go on and go!" he said, storming into the living room, retrieving his wallet from his back pocket and handing her a $20. "Cab fare, go on and take it!"
Elysha looked at him, open-mouthed with the phone still in her hand, she glanced at the money then back at him, unsure of how to react.
"I'm a lowly meatpacker, but I assure you, lass, I can afford to send you on your way!" he shoved the twenty towards her, angrily.
"What the hell, Murphy? You thought if you got me drunk I'd sleep with you?" she yelled, slamming the phone down on the hook and jumping up from the couch and into his face, "Is that what you thought?!"
"Nah, love. I thought we were havin' a good time. Ya know how I feel about ya, I know ya know! I wanted ya from the first time I saw ya with Katie down at Doc's. I just thought maybe...I dunno what the fuck I was thinkin'...maybe that you were startin' to like me back a lil' bit," Murphy stepped back, dropping the twenty onto the cluttered coffee table, his eyes downcast.
"I'm so sorry!" Elysha's voice was still angry and mockingly apologetic. "This isn't the time in my life to go around fooling around with childish Irishmen!" She gave Murphy a shove but before she could step back from him, he grabbed both of her arms, holding her close to him. She'd been lying to herself for a long time about her feelings for Murphy. She found him completely irresistible. His body was amazing. His face was handsome. His blue, bedroom eyes made her crazy. His accent. She stood there in his arms, unsure of what to say.
Ch. 2 coming soon!