Page 91 of Love Is Brewing

This might be a mistake. She didn’t even know where to go park or to walk in.

There were cars everywhere. All the to-go parking spots were filled and employees were bringing beer out. There were two food trucks with people in line and more in line to get into the building.

This was much bigger and set up differently than Fierce, but it appeared a lot busier too.

She didn’t want to wait in line to go in as it would take longer than she had.

Then she saw a door to enter a store, so she went around to the side. There were more people everywhere and she realized she shouldn’t have come.

Her phone went off in her pocket and she pulled it out to see Elias’s text.

She replied she was in his store and wasn’t sure why and didn’t know what to do now.

If she thought she was out of place before, it was nothing like now.

Here she was dressed as if she was going to court and everyone around her was having a grand old time loading up on beer and merchandise.

Her phone went off again that he’d be there in five minutes, to stay put.

It’s not as if she had much of a choice so she browsed different merchandise available.

She had a pink hat in her hand and was turning it around to see if it was fitted or adjustable.

“That would look cute on you,” Elias said, his hand landing on her shoulder. “This is a pleasant surprise. Why are you here?”

“I’m not sure,” she said, looking around. She didn’t want to say much out in the open like this.

“Why don’t we go to my office,” he said. She went to put the hat back and he picked it up. “Nope, I want to see this on you.”

He waved the hat to the woman at the counter, then they left through a side door.

“Did you just steal that?” she asked, laughing.

“I don’t think it’s stealing when I own the place,” he said. “But I was responsible enough to let them know at the register to ring it up and mark it free to keep inventory straight.”

“Very responsible,” she said.

It took them almost five minutes to get to his office, the whole time her eyes taking in every sight and sense she could.

“Is the smell getting to you?” he asked.

“It’s not bad,” she said. “It’s a combination of a lot of things.”

“It is,” he said. “This is my office.”

“It’s nice,” she said. “What I expected.”

It was up above and open with sight lines onto the production floor below. Or whatever they called things here. Lots of vats and stainless barrels for the eyes to see.

“I’m not sure if that is good or bad,” he said.

“Just what I expected,” she said. “It’s what Mason’s office is like, somewhat. Ben has a closet.”

“Kyle is the same,” he said. “He’d rather be on the floor.”

“That is what Ben said too.”

“So can I ask why you’re here?”

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