Kiss Me Cate Pt. 10

"When was this?" Cate asked.

"Beginning of the year when the job came available. I found out it went to one of the others about a month ago."

"I'm sorry." Cate said and reached over and gave her arm a squeeze.

"It all worked out. It would have been hell the first year with Declan not in school yet."

We chatted for a little while longer and eventually made our way back to the hotel for the night.

* * *

"Now that I have you alone, what will I do with you?" I asked, as I gave Cate a deep kiss.

"With any luck you'll have mercy on this tired old body and put it straight away to bed." I did just that. I did remark on her physical decline coming much quicker than anticipated at her age. I ducked aside as she reached out to tweak my nose.

In the morning I played possum as she slipped from under my arm and crept into the bathroom. I cracked an eyelid and noticed there was barely a gray light and thought it couldn't be much past six. When she tried to climb back in bed without waking me I must have given myself away.

"Fraud." She said as her lips met mine. We made love with no urgency, happy to be together these precious few days of our vacation. I rolled onto my back Cate half followed, she gave me a peck on the cheek before laying her head on my shoulder.

"What shall we do today? Should we head into the city and see the sights? After all it is the eve of St. Patrick's Day."

"Mmm, that sounds fun."

We made our way into the city by bus and jumped off near the riverfront. We found a place for a late breakfast and coffee with Irish cream.

"It's a good thing the local coffee house doesn't make this back home, nobody would ever make it to class."

Cate smiled. "There was a bit of a heavy hand in making these but it is a holiday."

Successfully fueled for the day we took to the streets which were closed for the coming parade the next day. There were kids dancing and musicians playing. Thanks to the rain holding off there were hawkers outside selling their wares, practically everything with flags, harps or shamrocks could be purchased from shot glasses to sweatshirts. We found a poster listing events around the area and Cate found something she'd like to see so we trekked towards it hoping there would be room for us to get in. Luckily we were able to squeeze into the hall where a small stage faced a raft of people milling and chatting. We wove our way to a pair of folding chairs as a hush fell over the crowd. A trio of women ascended to the stage. I noticed in the darkness behind them musicians filed onto the stage and took seats behind them. The hush became an expectant silence, broken by a slow cadence beaten on a single drum. A tin whistle and violin joined in, the acoustics in the hall were amazing as the three singers got their cue and joined in harmony singing in Gaelic. Despite not understanding the words the music and song were powerfully done and received a large round of applause. I looked aside at Cate who was smiling broadly and clapping. They began another song, this one a little more upbeat and several people began clapping in time to the music. They played a short while longer finishing with another upbeat song to loud applause.

I mentioned to Cate as we found our way back into the street that it seemed like a short concert.

"Well there's probably a reason for that, it's probably not the only one they'll perform today. It takes practice and vocal chords of steel."

I slipped the CD we'd purchased of the group out of my pocket and looked it over. "Does everybody here sing?"

Cate laughed. "Practically everyone, we've a song in our hearts. Shannon's the one who told me, once it becomes an all night affair you're lucky to be able to speak your own name the next morning until you've become accustomed to it."

We found our way into a book shop where an older gentleman was sitting on a stool surrounded by children and parents alike who were listening to him spinning tales of leprechauns and fairies and warning the children not to fall to their charms, but if they needed their shoes mended there's no better cobbler to do the job than one of the reclusive bearded sprites. A particularly brave little boy said that if he caught one he'd make it give him his gold. A ripple of laughter went through the crowd and the teller of the tale warned him that would be harder than he might think and related that the only thing he's ever gotten was a pair of fairy spectacles at which point he pulled a small fabric pouch from his coat pocket and slipped out a small pair of silver framed glasses of very old make. "He got away though I'm not sure he could see which direction he was going." The faces went from gaping in amazement to grinning at his quip. The parents and older children laughed as the gentleman took a few questions and spun a few more yarns.

Once back out into the cold spring air I glanced over at Cate who was grinning ear to ear as we walked, dodging back and forth in the crowd. I knew then that her tie to home would never be in question, no matter where we went or lived, this was her home. "It's a magical place isn't it?"

"It really is. I never realized just how much until I'd been away and come back to it." She went quiet, her smile waned but never quite left her face though I noticed her eyes changed, they a sad almost resigned look.

"Are you hungry? It's well past lunch time."

"Yes, but we'll have a long wait for something to eat what with all these people. Best we'd wade into somewhere and find a spot." We did just that and found a pub with not too long of a wait. The noise was just as high inside as out.

"Do you want to live here Cate?" I asked after a long look around at the festive crowd, the odd mix of accents and languages blending into a pleasant babble, the occasional laugh rising above the din. She cocked an ear in my direction.

"We've discussed this Dylan. I'll be happy where ever we end up." She gripped my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"You miss it though, don't you?"

"I'm sure I miss it no more than anyone who has been away from their home feels when they go back." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You just want to absorb as much as you can before going again."

I nodded. "You can never go home again." Cate gave me a questioning look. "While you're away things change, and you were not there to change with them, or you changed in a different way, and things no longer seem quite the same."

"Something like that. It's wonderful to see your home through the eyes of someone not from there, and when they see the magic that you took for granted growing up. I'm no longer the person I was when I left though. It was one of your American poets that said it best. 'Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.'"

"Frost, he's one of my favorites." I nodded in agreement. We spent many hours of discussion in one of my old English classes about that poem, the teacher said I nailed it on the head when I pointed out that the poem wasn't about walking in the woods, but about choices you make in life. "You know, there's nothing stopping us from living here if that's what you want."

"Then you would be the one thousands of miles from your family." She pointed out.

"There's nothing keeping us from coming back whenever you feel like visiting, though we might want to take it easy on those first class tickets and the castle stays." I grinned.

She gave me an exasperated look and thoroughly agreed.

We moved away from the crowds, towards a museum, where we stumbled on a lecture of the Irish emigration being given by a historian in one of the galleries. Images displayed around him showed just that, people lined up on docks where ships awaited. Their poverty and sullenness obvious. The one thing those eyes had was hope. The daylight began to wane and we were both feeling a bit tired. We had scoped out a spot for the parade the next day before we worked our way towards the hotel.

"Ugh!" Cate exclaimed as she fell back onto the bed, arms out wide. "I haven't had that much exercise in ages."

We relaxed the rest of the evening and ordered a light dinner in our room with a nice bottle of wine. I told her how it was likely back at home with every bar full to capacity and people drinking green beer. An idea very alien to Cate. "I think they spend more time drinking and partying in the States than they do here. It's not the drunken bacchanalia that Americans think, well not here in Ireland anyway."

"It may be a toss up between the U.S. and Canada on that front." I said with a laugh and sipped my wine.

Cate looked at me for a long moment and announced that she was going to take a bath, and expected me to be present. She stood and began disrobing in front of me, the little smile on her face never fading. She let out a little moan of relief as she took off her bra and tossed it onto the bed. I returned the little smile as the jeans slide over her hips and down her legs, her eyes never leaving mine.

"I know what you're up to future Mrs. Butler, and it's working."

Cate's grin widened at that, she sat back on the bench at the end of the bed and kicked her jeans free. I took a long sip of my wine rolling it over my tongue, the way I soon planned to roll my tongue over her. I stood and went to the bath and began running the water. I walked back and leaned on the door way watching her pick up her jeans and shake them out, laying them beside her on the bed. She looked up at me and gave me a little come hither wiggle of her finger and I did just that as she stood once more.

"Until I met you," she began unbuttoning my shirt, "I never realized just how erotic it was to disrobe someone else. It's like slowly unwrapping a gift. A decadent gift, like candy before supper." She finished the buttons and took the lapels of the shirt and pulled me into a kiss. She left the shirt hanging from my arms and began on my belt, quickly getting my jeans open and pushed down. She dropped to her knees in front of me and pulled my briefs down slowly revealing what she had caused.

"The bath." I panted.

She kissed the tip and told me not to go anywhere, before she trotted to turn off the water. She returned and sat down again and kissed her way up and down my shaft. She looked me up and down, the agony she saw etched on my face gave her a soft loving expression. She smiled and let out a little chuckle. "You look positively wretched. I think I can help with that." She leaned forward and did just that as she took me into her mouth.

In the tub Cate leaned back against my chest after I'd given her a thorough neck and shoulder rub. I wrapped my arms around her, letting water trail from my fingers down her chest. She let out a long sigh. After a moment I felt a slow rumble against my chest, it was Cate laughing softly. I looked at her, a large grin on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"I was just thinking that it feels like we're on the honeymoon already."

I hummed an agreement as I kissed her from ear to shoulder and back. "Where would you like to go my love?"

She turned her head and looked at me from the corner of her eye. "It doesn't matter, we'll be together." Our lips met quickly after her reply. We were standing up in the shower rinsing off when Cate turned around and wrapped her arms around my neck. "You know with Mum a teacher and Dad a copper I've always considered myself an analytical and logical person, then you come along and turn me into a mushy, incurable romantic."

The chuckle came from deep in my chest as I kissed her. "Good, I hope they never find a cure."

* * *

It was barely light when I patted the alarm off. I heard a soft groan next to me and smiled. "Wake up sleeping beauty." Cate begged five more minutes in a sleepy tone. She snuggled up under my chin pressing herself close to me. I reset the alarm since I knew the festivities would be going all day and there was no real need to be out in the cold awaiting the parade in the wee hours.

An hour later I was pulling the covers back and giving Cate a swat on the backside to get up. She was still acting like a cranky child not wanting to get out of bed and go to school.

"I thought you'd be excited since it's St. Patrick's Day and you're back home."

She opened one eye and trained in me as if I were particularly slow witted this morning.

"I'm not at home, I'm in Dublin, home is in New York." She corrected me.

I had my toothbrush in hand as I leaned on the door jamb looking at her rather fetching form in one of my t-shirts, rucked up showing panties with a small pattern on them. I figured now was as good a time as ever to bring it up.

"I was thinking maybe we could come back after we're out of school, spend the summer here before the wedding. It would make things easier than doing everything long distance and traveling last minute.

The other eye opened at that. She sat up and gripped the edge of the mattress as she thought about it.

"Can I get in there real quick?" She nodded towards me in the doorway. I nodded and stepped aside, she walked past me, her hand reached out and touched my chest and she left it there for a moment as she walked around me, she only broke the contact when she closed the door. I popped the toothbrush into the corner of my mouth and tilted my head in surprise at her lack of response. I heard the water run for a moment, and Cate emerged, her own toothbrush in her cheek. She stopped in the doorway and looked at me as she slowly stroked the brush back and forth. The far off look was my indication that she was examining the idea likely running a multi-column checklist in her head, ticking off answers to questions, neither of which she was sharing.

"Should I be worried that you haven't answered me yet?" I said with a nervous chuckle. She held up her finger and turned back towards the sink. She came back and leaned on the door jamb after rinsing her toothbrush. She held up her hand, finger raised tallying her points as she started.

"On one hand, it would make things easier, travel once, settle in, do the preparations right here." She held up her other hand pointing upward. "On the other you've said that the apartment lease is up in August, we would be coming home with no where to live, unless we work on that when we get home next week. There's the expense of renting a place here for a few months." She added another finger to the first hand, her eyes went wide. She saw me about to object and pointed sharply at me and held her finger up in a 'wait' gesture and I closed my mouth quickly. "It's one thing to pop over for a week, we'll need to check with immigration to see if you can stay that long on a tourist visa." She ticked off another point. She looked sharply at me. "If we do this, we live like normal, as if we were at home." She looked around at the hotel room and then back at me. "That little place we had last time or something like it would work. Public transport until we get close to the wedding. There's no need to waste the money on a car for that long." She ticked off another finger. "We'd best start looking for a place now."

"We could stay in the apartment over winter and look for a place in the spring. That would take a lot of pressure off."

Both eyes opened up wide for this early and a slow smile spread across her face.

"You? Showing such restraint in making a big decision, I must be rubbing off on you."

"I like when you rub off on me." I said with a chuckle. She shook her head at me, kissed me and swatted me on the ass.

"Get a move on, we need to get some coffee before I faint from the lack of caffeine."

We had little trouble getting a quick meal in the café off the hotel lobby. The hotel looked almost deserted compared to recent days and we thought about the crowds we were about to wade into in the city.

The sun was burning off the morning fog, though it was still cold. We made our way to the spot we had scoped out to watch the parade to find hundreds of people already there. A look down the street showed that there were thousands in attendance. We had a good view down the parade route so we could see some of the festivities, bands, dancers, the occasional actor decked out as St. Patrick himself. There were floats and balloons, banners and flags and singing, lots of singing. People decked out in green and gold felted top hats and kids with face paint in the colors of the flag were everywhere. I looked over at Cate, she was beaming, her smile broad, wisps of hair blowing around her temples. She looked happy.

As the marchers and bands passed we saw flags from around the world leading them, Canada, the United States, and Australia were well represented.

"What's that flag?" I asked Cate nodding towards a banner with stripes of light blue, white and a symbol I couldn't quite make out.

"Argentina I think." She said.

I was surprised not having thought that the Irish had emigrated to South America.

"We never did make it to some of the places I wanted to bring you last time we were here."

"Well we were busy. What with your stage debut and my jewelry shopping." I laughed and her hand found mine squeezing it tightly. "What did we miss?"

"The Emigration Museum, I thought you might like to see how your family ended up in Canada and the States. Well your fathers family at least." Her smile slipped a little and her eyes unfocused.

"What?" I gave her hand a squeeze in return.

She shook it off and smiled again. "I just realized, I'm one of them now, an emigrant."

"I believe the term you used in my case was 'filthy colonial.'" I said laughing.

"You can't blame them, some of the were forced to leave by the English, some left because of poverty, and famine." She answered smartly. "Give them credit for having the bravery to seek out a better life for themselves and their families."

I brought her hand up and brushed her knuckles across my lips. "If that weren't the case I would have met you much sooner."

An older woman that stood in front of Cate turned slightly. "Deary if he isn't taken you'd better fix that soon."

"He is! We're here to plan the wedding." She said as she laughed, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink. The older woman nodded at that.

The end of the parade came about and the crowd started to break up. There were several events going on around the city but the parade had been the biggest. We flowed with the crowd eventually ending up traveling some of the side streets where there were fewer people.

We came upon a couple charter buses with an American college marching band putting their instruments away in cases so they could go enjoy the day. I hollered to them. "You guys were great! USA represent!" Some of them turned and cheered. One of them yelled out questioning where we were from and I yelled back New York state. I yelled our school name and a few more cheered and waved.

We got to the end of the street and Cate stopped to get her bearings and turned us and we kept walking, the crowd thinned considerably but there was a lot of traffic building as people were moving back out of the city center. She eventually steered us to a pub that seemed a little out of place in the middle of what appeared to be a block of office buildings. When I asked her how she knew about this place, she pointed up.

"I interned there as a programmer when I was in school. I had many offers for a bite for lunch." She rolled her eyes and I imagined what it would have been like for her to be a beautiful woman in an office full of nerds. I chuckled at the thought because that's exactly what she was back home and if not for that I would never have met her again. "What?" She asked as we sat down. I told her what I was thinking and she laughed. "I wasn't fully aware what was going on at first. It got strange like it was turning into a competition. It wasn't long before I started bringing a sack lunch." She scrunched up her nose.