Page 19 of Merry with a Brewmaster
WELLS: Dammit
VIENNA: I want to buy decorations for the house. Is that okay? I love Halloween
WELLS: Stop by the bar and I’ll give you my credit card
VIENNA: You trust me with that?
WELLS: Yes
I stare at my screen,not sure what to make of that becauseof coursehe trusts me. I watch Haven and he’s given me his card before, but it’s usually for groceries or when I took her to get her hair cut.
This just seemsdifferent.
VIENNA: Okay, well thank you. I’ll be over in a little bit
WELLS: See you soon
WELLS: Shit—can I bother you to bring me something?
VIENNA: Sure
WELLS: One of the kegs had a hissy fit and now I’m soaked—can you bring me a shirt? There should be one in the dryer
VIENNA: You got it
WELLS: Thanks V
For the secondtime in as many minutes, I stare at my phone. I didn’t realize we’d added nicknames to our relationship repertoire, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
VIENNA: What are you doing?
JACE: Apparently not sleeping anymore
VIENNA: Great I’ll pick you up
JACE: Where are we going?
VIENNA: We have errands
JACE: Pretty sure I don’t
VIENNA: You do now
JACE: I’ll get dressed but I’m not showering for you
VIENNA: You’re never gonna land a girl with that attitude
JACE: Good thing I’m not trying to land you
VIENNA: Be ready in fifteen minutes brat
Parking outside Love Beach Brews,I grab the shirt from the passenger seat. I’m not sure why, but I felt compelled to fold the contents of the dryer before coming over. Wells has never asked me to do his laundry—only Haven’s if he’s forgotten something that she needs.
Like when he forgot about Haven’s back-to-back soccer games and asked me to make sure she had her uniform ready to go. It wasn’t a hardship to throw her little shorts and socks in with my clothes, so sometimes I just did it anyway.
Shaking all sorts of domestic thoughts from my mind, I push open the door to the bar and burst out laughing.
“Is there any beer left in the keg?” I ask, not bothering to hide my amusement or my shameless perusal of his body where his shirt is molded to him.
