Constant Reader Brewing had an entirely different vibe from what Sammie had grown used to at Everly. The atmosphere was cozy. Warm. Inviting in a way that sparked community. The job itself wasn’tsodifferent. Sammie was still brewing beer, though the batches she worked with now were significantly smaller. Constant Reader didn’t—couldn’t—distribute outside of the city, not with such a small operation. Sammie didn’t mind it. Zehra had stuck around the first few days, making sure Sammie quickly learned the lay of the land. But Sammie knew her shit, and by the end of week one, Zehra was letting her do her thing, opting to work the bar instead. Sammie figured it was probably Zehra’s attempt at showing trust. The brewery was kind of her baby, after all. And while Sammie did appreciate the trust, it fed heavily into her ever-present desire tonotfuck this job up.
Luz and Carson sat at the bar, heads bent close, all thoughts of the game they’d just watched gone as they lost themselves in one another. Sammie smacked a hand on the bar top betweenthem. They both jumped, but Luz smiled when Sammie slid a pint glass her way.
“Zehra brewed this one, not me,” she said. “It’s an IPA with rye.” Luz took a tentative sip, her eyes going wide as she tasted the beer.
“Good, right?”
“It’s got a kick!”
Carson snatched the glass from Luz’s hands. “My turn.” He took a long drink, pulling a face as he set the glass back down. “Yep, still don’t like IPAs. Sorry, Sammie.”
She shrugged. “You just weren’t meant for the beer snob life.”
“Tell my parents that,” he said with a laugh. Luz patted him on the back. They were cute. Soft with each other. Sammie felt a small measure of guilt over how she’d written him off from day one. Sure, brewing beer… really wasn’t his thing. But even Carson hadapparentlyknown that from the start. His degree in graphic design hadn’t been a waste, considering the fact that he’dapparentlybeen applying and interviewing over the entire course of his time at Everly. Carson had only taken the job that his uncle offered as a holdover until he found something better and to appease his mother.
“Look, look!” Luz was pointing at the screen, where a court-side reporter had a microphone held out toward a player.
Kieran McCullough, captain of the Chicago Wildcats.
Sammie grabbed the remote from behind the bar, turning up the volume.
“Your team showed up here in LA ready to fight for the trophy,” the reporter began. She was tall and lithe, very pretty, and she stood a little too close to Kieran for Sammie’s comfort. “Two wins in a row, and you took all three sets in today’s game. How do you feel about closing out the tournament next weekend?”
Kieran’s brow furrowed as he considered her question. Then he smiled, bright and a little feral. Sammie’s heart tripped over a beat. “My team wants the win, so we’re going to get the win.” The reporter laughed. Sammieknewshe was being an idiot, because the woman sported a big-ass diamond on her ring finger and was definitelynotflirting. But in that moment, Sammie wanted nothing more than to crawl through the television and steal Kieran’s attention away entirely.
“You’re going, right?”
Zehra appeared behind the bar, a wet cloth in hand. She cocked her head to the side, pinning Sammie with her stare.
“Um.” Sammie chewed her lip. “No.”
“What do youmean?” Luz slapped both palms down on the bar top. “You have to!”
A different sort of guilt welled in Sammie’s chest. It wasn’t that she didn’twantto go out to Los Angeles for the tournament. But she’d just quit her job. And while she had a new one lined up, the pay cut wasn’t insignificant. And with all the work she still needed to do before she could list her granny’s house, a plane ticket out to California wasn’t in the cards for her.
“Can’t your brother get you a ticket?” Carson asked. Sammie shrugged.
“The team reserved a seat for me.” Another well of emotion ballooned inside her. It hadn’t been her brother that had saved space for her, but the team. She was… part of their little family now. That knowledge hurt almost as much as it healed.
Kieran was still on the screen, fielding questions as his teammates left the court behind him. Taking the brunt of the media onslaught, so his guys could get a well-earned break after their win.
“I can’t afford it right now,” she said, shrugging. Three sets of eyes burned holes in her skin as she looked down at her hands and began to pick at a nail. “Maybe next year.”
Because maybe next year it would all look different. Better. Maybe the ache of what she’d come so close to having, only to walk away from it, maybe then it wouldn’t sting quite so terribly.
“I’ve got miles.” Sammie looked up at Carson, who gave her a wide grin. “Frequent flyer miles. Loads of them.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “Well, technically they’re for the whole family to use, but they didn’t tell mehowI had to use them.”
Zehra smacked her rag through the air, slapping it against Sammie’s ass.
“Ouch!”
“It’s decided then,” Zehra said, nodding sagely. “If you show up to work on Friday, I’ll fire you.”
Sammie narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
“Call your brother!” Luz interjected. “He’ll be so happy!”
