The weeks that followed were quite wonderful.  I had all of the business I could handle.  Otto was spending a good amount of time at the station.  He loved to go out to the older ladies when they pulled up to the pump.  I think there were a couple that he would like to have in the rack, not on it.

Lucia was stopping by almost every afternoon after work.  We would talk, and I guess if you can make love with your eyes, we did.  More and more, I wanted her.  I wanted her forever.  I knew her old man would pitch a bitch, but he’s the last thing on Earth I’m worried about.

When Lucia spent her Saturday mornings with me, it was never long enough.  I wanted to take her, hold her, and tell her what a warm and wonderful woman she is.  Then slowly take her into me arms and make gentle love to her.

One Saturday, we saw her old man drive slowly past the shop.  I’m sure he was trying to send a message to me.  Me message to him is ‘feck off’. 

After he left and I closed the shop, Lucia came into the office with me.  We looked at each other for a long time.  What we said to each other, words weren’t needed.  Slowly, she closed her eyes, and we kissed more passionately than ever before.

“I had better get home.  I know he’s going to be in a shitty mood after seeing us together.  I don’t care, Paddy.  I don’t care at all.  Patrick O’Flynn, I’m in love with you.”  Her voice was soft, her eyes enticing. 

“Miss Lucia Rossi, I love you more than life.  To me, you are my Aisling (Ash-ling).  It’s a poetic name. It means a ‘dream’ or a ‘vision’. It represents the beauty of hope and love. It’s an ideal name for someone who is cherished.

“That’s what ya are to me.  You are beautiful, and I do love ya, and I hope we can be together.  That is, if you’ll have me.”

“Paddy, did you just propose to me?”  Her face lit up, her eyes teared up, and her cheeks flushed.

“Aye, tis that I did, lass.  Me Aisling.  Me beauty.” 

We kissed deeply.  When our lips parted, we looked deep into each other’s eyes, then kissed again, but with passion.

Lucia got ready to leave.  I walked her to her car and held the door for her.  As she got in, she stopped and looked at me.  “Paddy, I don’t want to leave, but I must.  I’m going to catch hell, but I don’t care.  I love you.”

I bent over to kiss her one more time.  I looked at her and said, “I’d do anything to make you mine, Lucia.  I love ya.”

My heart was sinking as I watched her pull onto the road and drive off.  My day was done, finished.  There was nothing more I could do.  I went upstairs and showered and shaved. 

I had a couple of beers and tried to convince meself I was hungry.  Finally, me stomach was causing such a disturbance, I got a microwave dinner out of the freezer.  Around six, I put it in the microwave and heated it.  That and I beer sounded good enough.

I sat down to dinner.  Said my Thanks and began to eat. 

Around eight o’clock, the bell rang.  I went to see who wanted after-hours service.  It was Lucia. 

“Lucia!  What are you, I mean I’m very happy to see-,”

“Paddy.  He threw me out.  Said I was a whore to a Mick and not good enough to touch his boot.”  I went insane.

“Lucia, stay here.  This won’t take long.”

“PADDY, NO!  NO DON’T, PLEASE, YOU’LL MAKE IT WORSE.”

“Lassie, I don’t care.  The fat bastard needs a lesson, and I’m just the one to give it to him.”

“Patrick?” She said softly.  “Stay here and love me.  I want you to know, I am not running away from him, I’m running to my heart.” 

“Show me the love I desperately need from you.  You are a man, a good man, an honest man.  Will you take me for your wife, Patrick Michael O’Flynn?”  I froze.  I couldn’t move.  The woman I adored wants to be me wife.

“Take me, Patrick.  Make me your wife.  We can do the paperwork tomorrow or never.”

Lucia stood there, starting to unbutton her blouse.  She was looking at me with those deep, inviting eyes.  I walked over to her.  The hate left, when I felt her firm breasts against me chest. 

“Lucia, we can’t do this tonight.  I want you badly.  I want to feel your firm, bare breasts against me.  But it’s not right.  I have an idea, if ya will trust me.”

“Paddy.  I will do whatever you say.  I trust you with my life.”  The woman I love was near tears.  I’ll not allow that.

“Luv, let me put you up in the next room for tonight.  Tomorrow, we begin our life together.”

I got me phone and called Otto.  I asked if he could watch the shop all day.  He said he would be happy to, but wanted to know if everything was okay.  I told him my life was going to change and make me the happiest man on the planet.

“Lucia, my luv.  Tomorrow, Otto is going to watch the shop.  You and I are going to the jeweler for our wedding bands.  Then we are going to the city hall for our marriage license.  After that, we’ll see Justice and get married.  Then, my deepest heart, we can become one as man and wife.

Sunday, after service, let’s talk with Father Ryan about a real wedding.  A simple wedding in the eyes of the Almighty.”

“Oh, Paddy, yes.  I love your idea.  I have wanted you next to me for so long, I can wait one more day for it to be an honest wedding night.  At least as far as the state is concerned.

But, Paddy, you know my Dad isn’t going to let this go easily.  He’ll be madder than hell.  God knows what he’ll do.”

“Me Aisling, I don’t care what your old man tries.  The town may fear him, but I don’t.  I don’t care where he wants to take the battle.  I’ll be there, and after all is done, I’ll be drinking his beer.”

“Let’s get you kipped down for tonight.  Then tomorrow, we can begin OUR life, not his.”

“Paddy, I bought a nightgown for our first night, but all I have are my pj’s.  That’s not an outfit I want my husband-to-be to see me in.”  Lucia made a pouty face and looked at the floor.

“Ah, I have it.”  I went to me chest of drawers and pulled out a clean white T-shirt.  “Here ya are, lass.  Try this on.”  Lucia giggled and went into the other room.

“Paddy?  Are ya there?  Are ya ready?”

“Tis that I am, luv.  Let’s see yer.”  Lucia walked into the room wearing the T-shirt.  It barely covered her cute little arse.  Not to mention the strain her firm breasts were putting on the material.

“What do you think?”  Lucia put one hand on her hip and the other in the air.  She slowly turned around, swaying her hips as she did.

“Luv, the idea was to hold until tomorrow, but looking like that.  Me sainted Mother would be ashamed of me thoughts.”

Lucia’s grin was mischievous. “Isn’t it a woman’s place to keep her husband interested?”

“Aye, that it is, lass, but you’re going for the Olympics.”  I walked over to her and held her against me.

I held her in me arms and cradled her bare arse cheeks in me hands.  Lucia pushed her tender body against mine.  Her firm nipples pierced me chest.  I reached for them through the material.  The devil was behind me, but me love for her was stronger.

“The next time we hold each other like this will be me taking you for me wife.  Forever.”  We kissed softly, but passionately.

The next morning, I woke up to find me future searching the kitchen for the coffee.  I thought she wanted to surprise me, so I stayed in bed.  That worked until she bent over, looking for the coffee. 

I watched as she, unknowingly, gave me a preview of the beautiful part of her.  I thought to meself, Patrick, tis a lucky man ya are.  She turned to look at me lying in bed.  The coffee made, she tiptoed back into the other room.

I got up and dashed for the bathroom.  I freshened up and shaved.  I grabbed me robe and went back into the room.  Lucia was there, dressed in a pretty skirt and blouse.  She poured our coffee and brought mine to me.

We sat on the bed, and clinked the mugs together.  After our first sip, we kissed.

“Paddy, tomorrow, I can bring your coffee to you in our bed.  I am so excited."  Her smile would light the darkest night.

“Aye, me luv.  I can’t wait until we are wed.  The jeweler opens at eight-thirty.  Can we be there by then?”

“You bet we can.  We can have our coffee, then I’ll put the finishing touches on my face.”

“Oh, Lucia.  Yours is the most beautiful face in the world.”  She kissed me, then left for the bathroom. 

I grabbed me good slacks and a white shirt.  I pulled me tie around me neck and actually remembered how to tie a full Windsor.  Dad would be proud; he tied one every Sunday.

We were standing at the door of Compton’s Jewelry shop as he put the key in the door.  He opened the shop door and ushered us in.  He asked if we wanted coffee, and we accepted.   We sat on stools in front of a display case of many rings.  Lucia looked at the rings, then at me.

“Paddy, there are so many beautiful rings.  I’m not sure how to choose.” 

The gentleman returned with our coffee.  He sat on a stool behind the counter and waited.

“Do you see something that makes you smile the most?”  He sipped his coffee.

Lucia visually perused the case.  I sat sipping the warm brew, wondering which set she would decide on.  She looked at a set, then a couple of other sets.  Finally, she returned to the set she had looked at first.

“Can I see the one marked number four twelve, please?”  He smiled, laid out a black velvet pad, then placed the rings on it.

Lucia looked at it and sighed.  She wanted to pick it up, so the gentleman handed the ring to her.  Lucia motioned to put it on her finger.  He smiled and nodded. 

She slipped it on her finger, then looked at me.  “Oh, Paddy.  I love this set so much.  But I don’t want to go-,”

“Sir, if you please.  Finalize the sales of the set that the future Mrs. O’Flynn will wear for the rest of her life.”

He smiled, I handed him me card.  Lucia threw her arms around me, kissing me.

Lucia finally returned the ring to the gentleman so he could put it in a box for us.  He made the transaction, shook our hands, and wished us all the luck in the world.  When we left his shop, Lucia’s feet were not touching the ground.  Next stop- City Hall.

I got lucky and found a parking spot right by the front door.  I helped Lucia out of the car, and we headed for the hallowed halls of the Russel City Hall.  I stopped by the huge directory.  Lucia tapped me shoulder.

“Yes, luv?”

“Room three eleven.  I have a friend who works in the Records office.  We can get our license there.”  I followed the lady in the know.

“Hey, Rose Mary.  What’s up?”
“Not much, girl.  Who’s the looker?” Rose Mary teased.

“He will be my husband when we leave City Hall.  We need our marriage license.”  Lucia was beaming.

“Honey, not to be mean, but has he met your Dad?”  Rose Mary’s voice was filled with concern.

“Yes.  Father has threatened Patrick twice.  Twice Patrick has told him that he would leave Dad to clean up the blood.  There’s no love lost, and one day the top will blow off the kettle.”

“Okay, then!  Here are the forms.  Let’s get it on paper.”  Rose Mary put on her glasses and began asking the necessary questions.

“Okay, the form is completed.  Now, take them to the first floor, Judge Cunningham.  Tell him I sent you.  He’ll have you two lovebirds married before you can say ‘I love you’.  Congratulations, and good luck.”

“You mean with Father?”  Lucia smiled, and Rose Mary blushed.

“Yes.”  They both giggled.

To be continued