A beautiful tint creeps up her sun-kissed skin at the nickname. She lowers her gaze to her lap, biting her lip as if fighting a reaction. Her eyes close, and I study her intently.
There’s a worried expression on her face, one I’ve seen a few times tonight. Her lips begin to move. She’s mouthing words,but I can’t make out any of them. And then her eyes open, and she lifts her head ever so slowly.
“You too,” is all she says, and it’s the best thing I’ve heard in a long time.
“It’snice to meet you, Bookworm.”
The nickname sticks to me, carrying all the comfort of a weighted blanket I didn’t know I needed. I don’t know why it feels…special. No one’s ever given me a nickname before. Not in that way. Not for the purpose of affection and…to tease. But I want to hear it again.
I release my lip from between my teeth and lift my head to look at him again, the flare-up on my skin cooling. His ocean-blue eyes smile at me as he waits.
“You too.”
The look he shoots me should be illegal. It makes my belly swirl with giddiness, but for a different reason now.
Maybe it’s the unwavering way Chase looks at me, with no expectations he’s holding me to. He’s not pushing. Not trying to make me talk. Just…waiting. And suddenly, the idea of being here with him doesn’t seem dangerous. It feels…safe.
I pick up the menu with the hope that reading will distract me from what’s going on in my body.
What’s that saying—if you ignore it, it’ll go away?
Twenty minutes later, loaded buffalo fries are dropped in front of me. My nerves seem to disappear as I listen to the easy conversation between the four of us.
Listening to Brodie talk passionately about the club he wants to open and seeing the way Bella stares at him in awe, has me humming with happiness.
“You’ll come visit us in California once we’re settled, right?” Brodie asks after finishing off his drink. “Both of you,” he adds, looking over at Chase.
“Yeah, man, of course,” Chase says. “And as your best friend, I expect free entry and drinks for life when the club opens.”
Brodie chuckles. “Done.” And then he looks over to me. “I know clubs aren’t your scene, but there will always be free Shirley Temples for life for you as well, Little Silver.”
I scoff at the nickname. “Thanks. What made you want to open your own club?” I ask, putting my hand into the basket of fries only to find that it’s empty. My lips push into a pout, and Chase nudges his basket across the table and shoots me a wink.
“My dad’s always had the distillery. It was passed down to him by my maternal grandfather,” Brodie says. “I visited it all the time when I was younger. The whole thing fascinated me, and of course, it got a little more exciting when I was allowed to taste it.” Brodie grins. “I knew I wanted to be part of Emerson’s Barrel & Sons, but lately, I’ve been thinking about changing things up. Make things a little more intimate,” he says as he looks at us all. “I don’t want to just open a club. I want to have a place where we can showcase the whiskey, but also have it be an experience. A secret society where people can enjoy live music, quality drinks, and be part of an organization that’s…exclusive. I want our club to be an escape from reality.”
“It’s going to be world changing,” Bella says, clapping her hands.
“I’m proud of you, man,” Chase adds.
“Do you know what you want to call it?” I ask.
“So far, I’m stuck on Hidden Access. I’m still unsure. My nephew, Roman, said he’d help me brainstorm, but everything he’s come up with has the word ’palooza’ in it.” Brodie chuckles, and we laugh with him.
His hand stretches out in front of him, reaching for the black card wedged between the napkins and cutlery. He slides it free and showcases it to us. A photo of a man holding up a bottle of whiskey is stamped in the middle. At the top, a golden sticker catches the light.
NOW SERVING — EMERSON’S BARREL & SONS WHISKEY.
I notice the man’s eyes are the same shade as the liquor in his hand. They’re so different from Brodie’s but the resemblance is there.
“The old man’s tinkering in the kitchen again, trying to nail some new flavors. Sebastian’s nothing if not persistent.”
Bella glances in the direction of the bar. “I’ll be right back,” she says as she hops off her stool. “Bathroom break.”
Just as Bella heads across the bar, Brodie’s phone begins to ring. He excuses himself to answer it, leaving Chase and I alone together.
He’s just a guy.
I can do this.
