Nodding, I grabbed a towel to wipe off my hands. “Have you eaten?”
Drew fell into step beside me as we headed toward the bar area of the brewery. “Yep, but I can sit with you if you need to eat still.”
“I already ordered a burger a bit ago. It’s likely almost up. Beer?”
He scanned the taps. “Evolution.”
I moved behind the bar to pour his drink, then slid it across the space to him while grabbing one for myself. “Bar or table?”I covered my mouth as a yawn escaped. I wondered if I could convince Addie we both needed rest time today.
Drew looked from me to the customers scattered throughout the space, including the bar. “How about over there?” he asked, nodding toward a high-top in the corner.
I noted the privacy of that space and wondered if he was ready to share why he was suddenly in town. I kicked myself for not making more time for him over this past week. He hadn’t crashed in my basement but in the Airbnb one of my neighbors had over their garage. While it was relatively cheap per night, my place was free, so we hadn’t had the time to down some Irish whiskey and get to the bottom of his time here. I had a feeling he was working through some shit and wouldn’t unload until he was ready.
Grabbing my drink, I followed Drew to the high-top. Our hostess, Lauren, appeared with my food as we slid onto our stools.
“Can I get you anything to eat?” she asked Drew.
He looked at my burger, then at a nearby table. “I didn’t think so, but how about some nachos?” he said, glancing at a plate piled high with them nearby. “I’m sure this guy would be glad to help me with some of them.”
“Absolutely,” Lauren said, tapping her tablet before heading to check on a few other tables.
“So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company for the past week?” I figured it was better to jump straight into it with Drew. He didn’t tend to beat around the bush.
Drew took a long swig of the beer. “Damn, you guys make some fine hops.” Pausing, he tilted the glass as he considered the beverage.
“Drew…”
He looked up, locking eyes with me. “Several reasons. One, I had time off I needed to take. My vacation days have been accruing for years. I just don’t use them.”
“You don’t say.” This had been a bone of contention between him and Steph and me for a while. While we’d been to see Drew for extended trips, he rarely came home for more than a weekend.
Drew smirked at me. “At any rate, I needed to take some time off. I also wanted to check on you.
“Me? Why?”
“Because I’ve been paying attention as you’ve talked for the past six months, big bro. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been talking about Bookstore Ivy for some time. I wanted to get back here and make sure you didn’t fuck this up.”
I glanced around, noting the quiet hum of the restaurant, of satisfied customers, then looked back at Drew. “Clearly I’m not screwing up this place. In regard to Ivy, she’s a friend. Sometimes. What is there to screw up?”
Drew looked serious as he pushed his beer aside and leaned in. His gray eyes were focused on me, and he looked more than a little pissed. “Are you going to make me say it, Jake? Steph and I have both been worried about you. You’ve not been in a relationship since Rachel and—”
My body got tense. “What does she have to do with this?”
Drew leaned back. “There it is. You need to let her go.”
The need to get up, to leave, was overwhelming. I sat through it. “What the hell, man. Rachel and I have been ancient history for years. What do I need to let go?”
“Ancient history? When you’re in a relationship for four years, think you’re going to marry her, and she breaks an engagement weeks before the wedding, that might impact someone. It sure as hell has impacted you.” Drew looked absolutely pissed. “And there is nothing wrong with feeling that way, man. Completely justified.”
It had been years, ten years to be exact. Rachel and I got together our senior year in high school. She went to college, I joined a construction company in the college town she was in, and we made it work. So much so that we were going to get married as soon as she graduated. Well, until she told me there was someone else a month before the wedding. But I was over it. Had been for some time.
“Of course it impacted me, Drew. But that was a decade ago. Why would you think that would still be affecting me now?”
Drew gave me a skeptical look. “Not sure, man. Maybe because you’ve never been in another relationship. Hell with long-term shit, you haven’t even had anything short-term.”
“What the hell? Sure I have.”
“Not sex, man, but a woman you date, go out with, spend time with, talk about. When has that happened last? And sex? That’s not too frequent either, from what I can tell.”
