At the club, Jim pulled Hannah's chair out for her. She sat and willed her body to stop shaking from the cold.

After a few overwhelming moments of looking over the menu, Jim offered to order for her. She gratefully accepted.

"What do you like?" He asked.

"Oh, anything." She felt her face go very hot. 'Never let a man know you've got an appetite'. She heard her mother's voice echo in her hear head. "I mean...I..."

"Mutton?" Jim read her discomfort and brought her back to the conversation at hand.

"Yes." Hannah smiled. "Thank you."

The mutton was delicious. Hannah tried to remember to take small bites and not to finish her plate. All the while, there was a pleasant conversation.

"My mother says that you're a teacher, when you aren't golfing."

"Yes. I teach Primary School."

"And how do you like it?"

"It's grand. I love the kids. But it doesn't leave much time for travel."

"Oh, do you like to travel?"

"I don't know. I've never been outside of County Wexford. But I like to read about far off places. I'd like to see the world."

"Me too."

"Really?"

"Yes. I haven't really been anywhere either. I took a trip to Spain recently. After...well, I just felt I needed to go. It was beautiful."

Hannah smiled politely. She knew the 'after' was supposed to be 'after Eilis Lacey broke my heart'. She decided to do her own diffusing.

"Where would you like to visit the most?"

"Oh, Egypt. To see the great pyramids. You?"

"Paris."

"Paris?"

"Yes. I want to see everything there. The Louvre, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower. I'd like to spend some time just taking everything in. I hear it's a...oh, I'm sorry! My thoughts have run away with me. No one ever asks me this sort of thing."

"Well, they should," Jim answered with a smile. "If only to see the way your eyes light up when you talk about it."

Hannah blushed and looked down at her plate for the rest of the meal.

After dinner, Jim asked if it was alright to skip the movie and go dancing instead. He wanted to talk to Hannah more. She agreed. They talked about their jobs and their families, about Hannah's golfing and Jim's recent move into his parents' house in town. And when they were done dancing, they walked.

"Are you cold?" Jim asked.

Hannah's mother's words were in the back of her mind. "No, I'm alright."

"You're shivering." Jim took off his coat and put it around her shoulders.

"Don't trouble yourself-" Hannah started. But she was quieted when the warm silk lining made contact with her skin.

After a few moments of walking in silence, with Jim's eyes on her, she spoke.

"My mother said I shouldn't wear a coat, so then you would offer me yours. It was her idea, I promise. I'm not a schemer or anything."

"I believe you. Why didn't she want you to-?"

"She wanted me to forget to give it to you, so I'd have an excuse to see you again. To give it back."

"Oh." Jim was quiet. Hannah felt tears threatening to spill, and she cursed herself for it. Jim took her hand.

"You don't need an excuse to see me. That is to say...I'd like to take you out again. If that's alright."

"You don't have to."

"I want to. I'll tell you what. When you're ready, you return that jacket to me. Alright? There's no pressure at all. Keep it forever, if you want."

Hannah beamed at him, and they continued walking. He drove her home, and as soon as she got into the front door, Hannah's mother was on her like a hawk.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"How did it go?"

"It was fine, Mother."

"Fine. What did you say? What did he say?"

"Nothing, really." Hannah wasn't ready to share. She wanted to keep Jim to herself for a night, at least.

"Oh. Nothing. I knew you would make a mess out of this. I set up a perfectly good match for you, and you can't even do your part."

"My part? Mother, he's not livestock you won at an auction. It's not a business deal for us to go out on a date."

"It most certainly is. Do you really think that man would have ever asked you out on his own? You? Don't make me laugh. He took you out because his mother asked him to. And if you think he did it out of anything but obedience and politeness, you really are stupid."

Hannah didn't answer. She went to her room and slammed the door, then threw herself on her bed. She inhaled the scent of Jim's jacket, which was indeed still around her shoulders.

Her mother was probably right. Hannah was kidding herself to think anything but a business deal could come out of Hannah's seeing Jim Farrell.