Page 14 of Love Is Ale You Need

She giggles and goes back to pouring the pineapple juice into a shaker. “What’s with you today?”

My gaze shifts left and then right before I lean in. “I made a mistake.”

She freezes mid-pour and stares at me. “You really killed him, didn’t you? I left my shovel at home, but after work, I got you. There’s an old gravel pit—”

“No. Not that.” Even though I’d rather deal with the aftermath of that versus what I’m about to tell her. I peer over my shoulder before I cup a hand over my mouth, shielding my words from anyone else. “I slept with Trey.”

“You had sex with Trey?!” The bottle in her hand nearly drops to the floor, but she recovers.

I slap a hand over her mouth. “Shhh. I don’t need everyone in the bar knowing.”

Her eyes widen and she mumbles incoherently under my palm.

“Ugh! I know. The last person I should ever want to have sex with. But something came over me and it happened, and it was earth shattering.” I sigh and lean my hip against the beer cooler.

“Did you tell him about Abby?”

“No. What was I supposed to say while his dick was jabbing my uterus? ‘Oh, by the way, I have a daughter.’”

“Is it really that big?” she whispers.

“Not the point.”

“Okay we’ll circle back to that.” She swirls her pointer finger in the air. “So, what does that mean? Are you two dating?” She presses the cap onto the shaker and turns it sideways, giving it a firm shake.

“No,” I spit out entirely too fast to be casual. “Definitely not.” I pause. “Friends?” I tilt my head as I test out the word to see if it fits. Since it doesn’t give me hives, I go with it. “We’re friends.” Mostly I need to shove him into the friend box for me. He’s everything I don’t need in my life. Been there. Done that. Built the brick wall, surrounded by concrete with barbed wire strung around the top and I don’t want to take it down now.

“Like naked friends?” She wiggles her eyebrows. “I bet he’d make a good naked friend.”

“Just friends. I don’t sleep with friends.”

She raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

“We’re friends,” I point between us, “and we haven’t slept together.”

She pours the chilled liquid into a low ball and pushes it my way. “I am missing a key male anatomy that you seem quite fond of, so that theory is out. Also, try this.”

I take a sip of her newly created concoction. “Yum. It’s sweet but not overly sweet. What’s it called?”

She taps her chin. “I think I’ll call it… Friends with Benefits.”

My lips flatten into a thin line. Lach walks past and I grip his bicep, spinning him around. I link my arms around his waist because I can’t reach around his shoulders. “Lach and I are friends, and we haven’t slept together.”

“Wait. Was sex an option between us?” He peers down at me, his sapphire colored eyes sparkle with intrigue.

“No. Because we’re friends and I don’t sleep with my friends.”

“Friends can have benefits.” Lach wraps his arms around my shoulder in a bear hug.

“No naked friends.” I glare at Dessa. “And no benefits.” I flash Lach the same look I just gave Dessa.

“What about Jake?” She nods in his direction as he strolls along the opposite side of the bar.

“Whatever you guys are talking about, leave me out of it,” Jake grumbles without sparing a glance our way.

“We’re just talking about how friends can have benefits,” Dessa says as she pours another drink and passes it to Lach. “Try this.”

Jake rounds the corner of the bar and stops at the computerized cash register. “Yeah. Definitely leave me out of it.”

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