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“Okay, now you’re just stalling,” Nicholas called me out with a wide grin. “Drink the beer! Drink the beer!”

His chant was singsong, and I groaned as I brought the bottle up to my lips.

“I’m doing this for you. I hope you know that.” I groaned again. “Fuck. I’m really going to regret this.”

I closed my eyes, taking a swig from the bottle as fast as humanly possible. As expected, the liquid on my tongue tasted like licking the floor of a chemical plant, my tastebuds soon exploding with different combinations of bad, bad, bad. I coughed as I handed the bottle back to Nicholas, the beer burning its way down my esophagus without any mercy.

“So? How was it?” Nicholas asked, expectantly.

“I think that was the worst one yet.”

“Really?” Nicholas had the nerve to look shocked. “That one’s pretty popular with the guys around here.”

“And that’s where you went wrong. I am nothing like the guys around here.”

“Oh, come on. You’re a lot like the guys around here, Parker,” Nicholas replied. “You’re just not used to drinking stuff that puts hair on your chest.”

“Yeah, no. I’ll pass on that.” I laughed. “And I’m pretty sure you don’t want me all hairy, anyway.”

I coughed again, this time into the sleeve of my shirt. “And it’s okay if I’m not like the other guys you’re used to hanging around. It doesn’t offend me or anything. I’m used to kind of carving out my own niche from place to place.”

“I just want to make sure you feel comfortable here.”

“I do feel comfortable here, Nicholas. At least, I do now. Especially with how welcoming you’ve been and the rest of the guys at work, too.” I let out a wistful sigh as I spoke. “I don’t know. There’s just something about this place. And the people. I think a part of me is starting to fall in love with it?—”

I stopped my sentence short, my mouth snapping shut on that last syllable.

Shit.

What the hell? Had I really just said that out loud?

It must’ve been all the booze. I knew I had a talent for handling my alcohol pretty well, but maybe there was something about these wild Virginia brands that had something special in them, something my bloodstream hadn’t been expecting to handle tonight.

“Yeah, this place has that effect on people.” Nicholas smiled and shrugged, like I hadn’t just dropped the L word into the conversation, even if it was a casual mention. He then proceeded to finish the bottle I’d just handed him, as promised, drinking it down like it wasn’t burning through his throat.

A few seconds later and he looked over at me, a mischievous grin crossing over his features.

“What? What is it?” I pressed. “You got something naughty on your mind, Nicholas Cooper?”

“I was just thinking about drinking games I used to play.” He shook his head, the grin still prominent on his face. “Back when I was a much younger guy.”

“What kind of drinking games?”

“Oh, I’m sure you know all the good ones already.” He chuckled. “But I’m thinking of one that’s pretty basic. Someone asks a question, you admit it and drink, or don’t admit it and keep your cup dry. It’s not a complicated game but it’s?—”

“A lot of fun?” I suggested. “I remember that one. I haven’t played it in years, either.”

“Would you want to?” Nicholas reached for yet another beer for me to sample, soon handing it over. “Play that kind of game with me?”

“That depends.” I smirked. “Is this your way of fishing for information?”

“Maybe.” Nicholas took a step closer to me before he went on. “Would that be a dealbreaker for you, if it was?”

“Not as long as I get to go first.”

“Never have I ever…” My question trailed off as I sat next to Nicholas on the kitchen island, our respective beers seated next to us. “Told someone I was going to call them after hooking up but never actually made the call.”

I waited with bated breath to see if Nicholas reached for his drink.

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