Page 2 of Bad & Bossy

I wasn’t going to tell my best friend how to parent his child, even if it didn’t sit completely right with me that he was bringing his flings around her. I would keep my mouth shut for now. Hell, I’d been keeping it shut for the last six months.

The two-story, red brick building came into view as the car slowed. He parallel-parked in the spot meant for me, letting out a long slow breath as he turned off the engine. “Are you sure you want to do this, man? You literally just got home.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You’re supposed to be taking it easy for a few days,” he sighed. “They emailed me a pamphlet and?—”

“Look, man, I… I know. But I also know what’s best for myself and being alone in my house for a few days is only going to drive me insane. It’s better for me to keep busy, to show my face around the brewery and squash any rumors that might have popped up about why I was gone.”

“Are they really rumors if they’re true?”

I shot Grayson a glare sharp enough to cut bone.

The smell of boiling wort hit me the moment I opened my door. Releasing a chocolate-like aroma, it poured out of the metal vents on the side of the massive complex. Soon the hops would go in, and it would transform into something different, something deeper. The scent of it all was what had drawn me to brewing in the first place.

Grayson followed me inside in silence, his hands fisted in the pockets of his hoodie. For a Thursday night, the on-site bar was packed, music pumping from the speakers, a college basketball game playing on the wall-mounted TVs throughout the space. The scent of spilled beer almost masked the boiling wort and made my spine stiffen.

“Mr. Pearson?”

Wide eyes met mine as I turned my head toward the waitress carrying a tray of our signature pale ale. Long blonde hair flowed over her right shoulder, frighteningly close to the tops of the glasses. Apparently no one had been enforcing the rule that servers with long hair needed to wear it up.

“Hey, Candace,” I said, forcing a small smile.

She blinked at me a few times before plastering her signature customer service smile back on her face and passing out the beers on her tray to a rowdy group. She hurried back over to me the second she’d finished, her smile faltering. “Are you… are you back? Or just stopping in?”

“Both,” I grinned. “Is Ben here?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah he is.” Her eyes darted to the bar where a couple of men leaned over the counter, clearly waiting for service. “I’ll grab him.”

She disappeared before I could direct her toward the bar instead, her blonde waves bouncing behind her back as she slinked through the swinging black door.

“She seems surprised to see you,” Gray said, his eyes wandering about the bar.

“Well, I did disappear without saying a word to anyone but Benjamin, the guy I left in charge.” I sighed.

My gaze caught on the stacked barrels along the far right wall. Definitely a new addition to the bar portion of our campus, and as I stepped closer, I couldn’t help but notice the faintest sheen of dust covering them. Pressing my finger against the wood, I dragged it down, watching the barely-there line form in its wake.

When was the last time the staff cleaned?

I made a mental note to bring down the hammer on cleanliness tomorrow morning. My inner perfectionist wouldn’t be able to handle these imperfections for very long.

The more I looked around, the worse it got. Stray bottle caps on the floor behind the bar and under tables, a handful of tears in the leather-bound seats, a small crust forming under the beer taps. All of these things meant little on their own but together, downgraded the entire establishment. If they weren’t addressed, small problems would build into big problems.

My feet itched to walk the length of the campus to the restaurant on the other side and inspect that as well. Doing so would allow me the chance to check out the brewery and ensure all of it was up to code. Despite my six-month absence, my focus would be entirely on this come tomorrow. I only hoped my concerns would dwindle and not grow as I continued on my walk-through.

“Cole!”

The black door swung both ways as Ben burst through it, walking toward me, his best black button-up tucked into his trousers. His long, wiry brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and as Candace stepped back through the door, I noticed she’d tied hers up as well.

Convenient.

“Hey, man,” I grinned, holding out my hand in offer toward Ben. Gray looked on from the sidelines, his gaze bouncing between us and the bar. I wondered if he was fighting the urge to grab a drink.

“Good to see you.” Ben grabbed my hand and gave it a firm shake, a bit stiff in the wrist. “I was wondering when you’d be back.”

“Now,” I chuckled. “Flight landed about thirty minutes ago.”

Ben’s mouth tightened briefly before a smile returned to his lips. He was technically my acting CEO while I was away, and although I didn’t intend to rip that title away from him entirely, he’d be losing control of the business with my return. I knew he wouldn’t be happy about that, but it was unavoidable. Besides, he knew he was only filling in and that his role as CEO was temporary.

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