Perfectly Broken by Emily Jane Trent

would take priority,
especially when it involved a flood of images of Susanna’s
delicious body. After one last whiff, he stuffed the silky item in
his coat pocket and left the room.
    The aroma of food hit his nostrils as he walked
to the dining room. Tomas realized just how hungry he was. The best
cure for a hangover was a full Irish breakfast, which included a
fried egg, sausages, bacon, potato cake, and mushrooms, plus black
and white pudding with baked beans to top everything off.
    Loading his plate from the buffet, Tomas scanned
the room for a table. He chose one by the window and set to work on
his feast. He flagged the waiter for some hot coffee, and once the
order was placed, took a big mouthful of food. The dry-cured
streaky bacon was as good as he remembered. The strips cut from the
pork belly were called streaky due to the prominence of the bands
of fat, which is what made it delicious.
    The black pudding was a version of blood sausage
made from pork blood, fat, bread, and a high proportion of oatmeal,
formed into the shape of a sausage. It was grilled, sliced, and
served as part of a traditional breakfast in Ireland. Tomas inhaled
the delicacy, and then tried his white pudding, which was very
similar but did not include the blood.
    He decided he was going to like the food in
Dublin in addition to everything else. Tomas enjoyed the menu
items, being familiar with them since his mother had frequently
served them at home. That was when such was available. Now he could
have it anytime he wanted. But eating like that, and drinking as he
had the night before, he needed to get to the gym.
    Fortunately, part of his employment package
included a membership to the company’s gym, which was downstairs
from the main offices. The owners intended to make it convenient
for their staff to stay in shape. Swigging his coffee and finishing
up his meal, Tomas pondered what to do next.
    Sometime in the afternoon he planned to stop by
and see the new company layout. They’d scheduled him to begin his
duties in about a week, giving him time to find an apartment and
get oriented. That was likely where he should start.
    He headed to an internet café, choosing Xtreme
Internet and Gaming. It seemed appropriate, as when he tired of the
apartment hunt he could play some games. As far as cafés went, it
was fairly good. There were plenty of computers, though most of
them were occupied by men playing online games.
    Tomas had to wait but was able to get a spot.
The leather swivel chairs were comfy, and each computer came with a
headset to ensure other customers weren’t bothered by noise. The
place seemed to cater to hardcore gamers. He logged on to start his
search for living arrangements. Rents weren’t cheap, but his
starting salary was decent. There shouldn’t be a problem finding
something.
    There were some things available that he could
check out later. As long as he had the computer for a while, he
might as well play. Shifting into game mode, Tomas got lost online
for a while to relax. When he had his fill, at least for then, he
left to go to Net Gamble, his new employer.
    Dublin was easy to get around in without a car.
There were taxis if he wanted, but there were also the tram, buses,
and intercity trains. Trams, the light rail system serving the
city, was called Luas, which meant speed , and had two main
lines. Tomas took the light rail to Dublin Docklands, which was
only minutes away.
    All the coolest high-tech companies had
established their international offices in the Docklands. And more
were coming. It was an exciting area for business. Net Gamble was
on one of the top floors, with windows overlooking the Liffey River
and the ferry terminal, where many large ships were docked. Tomas
took a minute to gaze at the Dublin Port busy with maritime
activities.
    In the distance were a number of other scenic
sites, which he would view at length another time. Right then he
just wanted to tend to business and be on his way. The lady in