Page 1 of After the Vows

Chapter 1

Chloe – a woman who doesn’t believe the customer is always right

Chloe

Acustomer sidles up to the bar. I smile at him. “What can I get you?”

“I’ll have a Summer Ale and your phone number.”

I roll my eyes. If I had a dime for every time a customer hit on me, I could make a large ball of metal and throw it at every customer who thinks it’s okay to hit on a woman just because she’s serving you alcohol.

“One Summer Ale coming up.” I pour the beer and set it on the bar in front of the customer. “That’ll be five dollars.”

He waves a ten-dollar bill at me. “You can have this if you give me your phone number.”

Am I supposed to be impressed? “No thanks.”

“Come on, darling.” He motions to the bar and restaurant. “You must want more in life than this.”

Wrong. I’m living the dream. This bar and restaurant is part ofFive Fathoms Brewing, the brewery I co-founded with my four best friends – Maya, Paisley, Nova, and Sophia.

Maya came up with the idea of founding a brewery. Paisley experimented with brewing beer. Nova started selling it to other restaurants on the island of Smuggler’s Hideaway where we all grew up. And Sophia helped fund the project. The rest is history.

I snatch the bill from him. “I’m good. I’ll get your change.”

“I don’t want the change. I want your telephone number.”

“It’s good to want things.” I set his change on the bar and start to walk toward another customer. He leans over the bar and grasps my arm to stop me. I glare at his hand. “If you want to keep your hand, you’ll release my arm.”

“What’s a little thing like you going to do?”

Little thing? I’m five-foot-nine. The furthest thing from little.

I scrunch my nose and pretend to consider his question. “Probably break your fingers. Or maybe your wrist? What kind of work do you do? What would hinder you most? The inability to use your fingers or your wrist?”

He barks out a laugh. “You’re cute.”

“I warned you,” I sing as I reach for his hand.

A waitress slams her serving tray down on the bar. “Chloe!”

“Hey, Addy.”

“Do not break his fingers.”

“Why not?” I pout.

“It’s bad for business.”

I glance around the bar and restaurant. The place is packed as usual. “I think we’re doing okay.”

Addy narrows her eyes at me. “I’ll tell Nova, Maya, and Paisley.”

“Tattletale,” I mutter before releasing the man’s hand. “Fine. You can go.”

“I’m going to sue you!” he yells as he shakes out his hand.

“Don’t be a baby.”

---