Galway Guiness

Okay, so I’m not Irish, but don’t let that stop you!

Like I need any more drama in my life, right? As much as I keep swearing I don’t go looking for it ... it finds me all the same! No matter where in the world I “hide” ...

I spent my Christmas holidays in the home of my heart – the Emerald Isle. It was supposed to be restful and relaxing, good times spent with my family and friends, in my beloved Ireland. As an added bonus, Aoirish was also home - and we had grand plans to run Galway ragged with a bit of spice all the way from Malaysia.

So there goes the restful and relaxing holiday and hello to drunken debauchery!

I wasn’t looking for anything. I had packed up my life in Holland. I had put the Philosopher behind me, but I certainly wasn’t ready for anything else. And was not really expecting anything else, with me being due back in Malaysia in less than a fortnight. Maybe a little flirtation – I wouldn’t say no to a little kiss under the Mistletoe (Especially if he were Irish!) but nothing else. Besides, my vow of celibacy kicks off in 2008 – and no time like starting a resolution like the present!

Delighted to have me in her hometown, Aoirish had planned a big night out (what else is new!). Most importantly, she wanted me to meet her new man ... O, who she met bizarrely, through her childhood friend and neighbour, Connor. She mentioned something about this guy (Connor) being “in the arts”, but I was barely listening – so excited was I just to be there, out on the tear in Galway town!

We got to the bar, the girls were a laugh and I was having a blast – in my element around the very Irish crowd. O was a bit on the quiet side ... he shook my hand and went back to talking to the lads. Connor, on the other hand, seemed a bit intrigued, but I wasn’t really thinking too much of it. In a mere 6 months, I’d become well used to the admiring glances, incredibly confident now that if I was somewhere in Europe, it would be me that men wanted to talk to.

I hope my friend Maria is right, and that I would be taking all this magnetism back with me. Two other guys soon came up to get my attention, and I turned away from the group to entertain them.

However, for some reason, I kept being drawn back, for a bit of a chat with Connor, now and again. He was so not my type – I like the tall, floppy haired lanky pretty boy myself (Peter Crouch comes to mind, but I usually go for the better looking of them). Being short (yes really! With both of us sans shoes, he is still only a couple of inches taller than me. At a stretch, I’d say 5’8”), well-built and tough guy type bald, it really was his dazzling personality that had me coming back for more.

(Bald! Really!)

I started to realise how long his eye-lashes were, beautifully sooty black to frame the dreamiest of blue eyes (Eyes always get me). He had the sexiest accent and the nicest laugh. He was sweet, and funny, and just so easy to talk to. Without realising it, instead of just fluttering around the men in the bar, I started to stay longer and longer right by his side.

Later he would confess, in that delightful Irish accent, how he was hoping - from the minute he saw me walk in with Aoirish, that I’d come and talk to him.

I can’t really recall how or why, but we did seem to be attracted to each other. (Aoirish later told me how he said to her pretty much as soon as he saw me that he was attracted to me. Okay, the actual words – in Irish – was that he was hot for me. I take the compliment, thank you, and would return it much later ...)

I thought he was with some other girl, but it became evident that she was only trying to chat him up. He seemed to only have eyes for me. Who was I to disappoint the poor lad? So when she left - I sat myself down on her seat. I tried to find out if they were together by saying something along the lines of how I’d better go or else she’d be gunning for me.

Grabbing my hand, he smiled into my eyes. “No, please stay.” It didn’t escape my notice that he didn’t let go, holding my hand under the table in a very high school way!

She did come back, but when it was evident Connor didn’t want me leaving his side, she just looked disgruntedly at me, and asked for him an autograph.

The look of shock on my face must have been priceless. Who was this guy?! He swatted away my questions, but Aoirish reminded me she told me he was an actor. Later ... my brother, who wouldn’t have a clue – also, recognised him.

First a Baron, now and an actor? Next one had better be Prince William!

Later, there was a girl celebrating her, as being the “celeb” in the crowd, Connor was pushed to go give her a birthday kiss. He reluctantly left my side with a wry “this is the price of fame” smile. When he came back, I read the look as “I’d rather be kissing you,” so I said, “Where’s my kiss?” (I have no idea how I am so confident these days, I swear.)

And he did. He may have looked like a tough man you don’t mess with, but he was this sweet, lovely, funny guy that seemed to adore me. And his kiss was exactly just like him – lovely, soft and romantic. I was being drawn in – his charm was very slowly, demolishing all my defences, all my resolutions ... everything. He was attentive, he was lovely, and I just thought what the hell –

It didn’t stay at just the one night. We saw each other the whole time I was in Galway ... and kept in touch even when I went back to Dublin. The test remains now that I’ve crossed the globe to get back home for the foreseeable future if this will get me somewhere.

He said he’d come out to see me in April. I’m back in Eire in June. The possibilities really are endless ... but meanwhile, I'm still on the lookout for Heat or Now to see if we made the Irish tabloid pages.