“She entered the room and everything fell away.” Brody’s eyes gleamed.

Delaney gestured round the dimly lit pub with his tankard. “The floor caved and everything fell through? Very dangerous that.”

“No, metaphorical like. The heavens gave way at her presence.” Brody’s eyes closed as he took a sip of ale.

“So, she entered, and the roof collapsed, letting the storm pour in?” Delaney squinted at the aged wooden beams. “Looks solid enough to me.”

“You’re daft. I said metaphorical like, meaning nothing mattered when she appeared.”

“Say, one of them rhinoceroses you hear about stampeded through this very room, coming straight for you with that pointy horn it wears. You’d just sit there unawares while it gored you in the throat?” Delaney took a hefty swig of ale. “No, thank you. You keep that dame of yours out of my pub, is all I say.”

Brody hammered his tankard against the table, sending a geyser of ale out the top. “You nitwit. What I’m getting at is…I…wha…”

Fearing his friend was having a stroke, Delaney lowered his chair and followed his best mate’s gaze. A lovely lass with strawberry-gold curls approached, smiling.

“Hello, Brody.” Her eyelashes fluttered like she had a mote in her eye. When Brody just gaped in response, she turned her smile on a neighboring table.

“I see what you’re saying. It’s your senses that fell clean outta your head.” Satisfied he’d gotten it right, Delaney saluted Brody with his tankard and took a healthy swig.

Composite photo - Figure by Tomaz Barcellos | Background by Eric Tompkins