Page 15 of Love Is Ale You Need

“Oh, come on.” Dessa strolls past me and Lach.

My shoulders drop, thankful I’m no longer the center of her questioning.

She stops next to Jake and leans her butt against the edge of the counter. “You’re telling me you’ve never had a friend with benefits?”

Without taking his eyes off the register, he answers, “No. I’m saying whatever you three are discussing, I want no part of it.”

“You must have a friend with bennies because we certainly haven’t seen you with a girlfriend. So, who’s the lucky lady? Is it Katy? She seems to always be here while you’re working. I bet it’s Katy. She’s cute! Definitely worth the benefits.” She nudges Jake with her elbow.

“For one. No. Second. No.” He slams the register shut and stuffs the money into a bank bag.

Dessa rolls her eyes. “You’re no fun.”

“I never claimed to be.” Jake holds up the bag. “I’m going to the bank. Then I might throw myself into the lake just so I can avoid the rest of this conversation.”

“Don’t worry. Like I told Rylee, we’ll circle back to this.” She smirks, swirling her pointer finger in the air.

“Looking forward to it.” The slamming of the door echoes throughout the bar.

Dessa twists to face me, a knowing grin spreads across her lips. “Now, back to Trey—”

“There’s nothing to go back to. It was a mistake. A lapse in judgment. I shouldn’t have even said anything since it meant nothing.” I absentmindedly straighten straws and napkins that are already organized.

“This is really good.” Lach holds up the now empty low ball. “We should make it a special. What’s it called?”

“This one is a nod to Rylee. It’s called Friends with Benefits,” Dessa sing songs.

I hate my friends right now. All of them. Except Jake. He’s the only innocent one. “It was nothing.”

“If you ask me, if it meant nothing,” she flashes air quotes around the last two words, “we wouldn’t still be talking about it.”

“What are we talking about?” Lach asks.

Dessa leans toward him and whispers, “I’ll tell you later.”

“Exactly. You’re right. Conversation done.” I finish counting bottles and slam the cooler door. “I’m going to grab another box.” Before anyone can say anything, I stride down the length of the bar and around the corner to the walk-in cooler. As soon as I pull the handle, a blast of chilly air slams into me, instantly cooling my heated skin. This is the right decision. Anything more with Trey would only take me down a path I’ve already walked down. Plus, I’ve heard his comments, he doesn’t want kids and I have Abby.

I shove my hands into the handles of a box of beer bottles and carry them out. Behind the bar, Dessa is busy making drinks for a couple of customers and Lach’s off to the side, prepping the garnish trays. Good. Now we can move on.

I rest the box on the edge of the cooler, slide open the door, and fill it three bottles at a time. When the box is empty, I glance up and freeze. I’m met with a pair of familiar steely gray eyes. I suck in a sharp breath that doesn’t go unnoticed based on the lazy smile that creeps over Trey’s face. Heat floods up my neck and over my cheeks because I won’t lie, his smile alone can cause a girl’s thighs to clench. I’m going to need another trip to the cooler.

“Fancy seeing you here.” His hypnotic, dimpled smile makes an appearance.

I close the flaps of the box. “I do work here.”

“That you do. And I think I need a beverage.”

“I’m sure that’s not the only thing you need.”

“What are you offering?” He smiles again.

It’s the same smile he gave me right before I kissed him. And it’s beyond tempting to do it again.Look away, Rylee. Look away.

“Not that.” My gaze drops to the cardboard box as I fight the urge to become distracted by this man.

“But last week—”

I huff out a breath and rest my forearms on the closed box. “Are we doing this? The awkward ‘we had sex talk.’”

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