Page 12 of Snow Much Trouble
"Different is my specialty." She takes a sip of her own drink and sighs contentedly. "So what happened? With your last real relationship?"
I carry our plates to the small dining table by the window, where snow is now falling steadily. "We dated for about eight months, four years ago. She got tired of me always being at the distillery or traveling for work. Said I was married to the business."
"Were you?"
"One hundred percent. I’m not even going to deny it." I hold out a chair for Lauren, who looks surprised by the gesture. "But truthfully, I don’t think I was ready for that level of commitment then anyway. I still thought there was always something better one swipe away.”
That makes Lauren snort. “And?”
“It’s a shit show out there,” I tell her bluntly. “I have deleted all my apps in exchange for nights home alone with the pleasure of my own company. At least I think I’m funny.”
Lauren nods. “You’d probably be the only one who does, so I can see that.” The smile shows she’s teasing me.
“Hey. Uncalled for. What about you? You mentioned an ex who was into bourbon."
"We dated for two years, broke up over a year ago.” She settles into her chair, and I notice she sits with one leg tuckedunder her. "Long distance thing. He was based in Atlanta, I was here. He kept wanting me to move there, I kept wanting him to move here."
"Who broke first?"
"Neither of us. We just... faded out. Like a song that slowly gets quieter until you can't hear it anymore." She cuts into her steak and takes a bite. Her eyes widen. "Okay, this is actually amazing. I take back everything I said about your bourbon obsession."
"High praise from the grilled cheese queen."
"I told you, grilled cheese is an art form."
Outside, the wind is picking up, rattling the windows. The snow is falling harder now, and I can see it starting to accumulate on the deck railing.
"So why music?" I ask. "What made you want to be a songwriter?"
Lauren's face lights up in a way that makes my chest tighten. She really is gorgeous.
"You know that feeling when you hear the perfect song? When the lyrics hit you right in the chest and the melody gets stuck in your head for days?"
"Yeah."
"I want to create that feeling for other people. I want to write the song that someone plays on repeat when they're falling in love, or the one that helps them through a breakup, or...I don’t know." She pauses, looking almost embarrassed. "I want to write something that matters."
"That's not a small ambition."
"No kidding. Some days I think I'm completely delusional." She takes another sip of hot chocolate.
I can’t imagine drinking peppermint hot chocolate with a steak, but Lauren clearly likes what she likes.
“You’re not delusional. You’re passionate. It’s good to have goals. I’m sure a lot of people thought my brothers and I were delusional to launch a bourbon from nothing.”
“I don’t think you’re delusional either. Though you promised me a Four Brothers taste testing and I’ve yet to receive that.”
“Only after you eat some more regular chocolate to cleanse your palate.”
“Oh, twist my arm. Eat more chocolate. I can definitely do that.”
“And then I can go upstairs if you want to try to write.”
“Get drunk and then write? I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Then we’ll have to find something else to do.”
I mean it to sound suggestive and it does. Lauren bites her lip, and she looks like she’s strongly considering flirting back.
