Page 85 of Better Luck Next Time

“Yeah, twisted my arm,” Finn said with a faint smile. River had poured him a flight, and it had felt like old times. But his friend had been pulled away quickly, leaving Finn in a room full of people he’d pissed off, who hadn’t hesitated to tell him so. He couldn’t even count the number of times theGazettearticle had been mentioned. Then he’d spilled his drink on Adalia, and…

“Let’s all have one of these,” River suggested, interrupting his circling thoughts, which had already found their way to Adalia. River handed Georgie a bottle of the Perplexity and then took one for himself.

“A brown ale,” Georgie said, scrunching her nose. “I think Beau Brown is the only brown ale I like.”

“Try it,” River said. “We can use the Georgie Scale to rate it.”

“You have your own scale?” Finn asked, wondering how he’d rate on it. Probably on theTake it back to the storeside.

“Yes,” River said proudly, “and a palate to go with it. She might not have been a beer drinker for long, but she’s a good one. The Georgie Scale has helped inspire all of our new beers.”

“You puff me up too much,” Georgie said, giving him a little shove, but it was obvious she was pleased. “Why don’t we all sit down? I just took the lasagna out, but it needs to rest for fifteen minutes.”

They headed over to the new seating arrangement—Finn opting for a chair while they both sat across from him on the sofa. If he had to be in the hot seat, at least it was comfortable.

Hops followed them into the room and, after a moment of what looked like nerve-wracking indecision, surprised Finn by settling at his feet rather than near the couch. He’d take it as a much-needed sign of encouragement.

Georgie sipped the beer and tilted her head as if considering the taste.

“So, what do you think?” he asked.

“I’m surprised by how much I like it,” she said. “Not too bitter like some.” Shooting a smile at River, she said, “I declare this a seven on the Georgie Scale.”

“A rare honor,” River said. “Nice pick, Finn.”

Silence hung in the room for a moment, but it wasn’t the comfortable kind of silence he used to share with River. Because they were both waiting for him to explain himself.

“So…” He took a breath, then said the words guaranteed to put a scowl on River’s face. “Bev Corp wants to foster a little more local goodwill. I’ve agreed to help them.” Realizing they might misunderstand and assume he’d gone to work for them, he clarified, “Purely as a consultant.”

“Is this business conversation about Bev Corp?” River asked, glowering at him. “Because if so, I can tell you right now I pass.”

Georgie just looked at Finn, that weighing look again—as if she was trying to see what River and Adalia saw in him. He suspected the fact that she kept looking at him that way meant she had yet to figure it out.

“Please hear me out,” he said.

River nodded, but he managed to look pissed about it.

“I don’t want the other employees at Big Catch to have to keep dealing with fallout from the sale. They don’t deserve it. They’re just doing their jobs. Plus, I came up with an idea that should benefit everyone…and Bev Corp wants to move forward with it. They’re going to hold a beer festival with heavily discounted tickets for locals, and all of the local breweries can have tents free of charge. There’ll even be best-in-category contests”—he held up a hand, anticipating their next objection—“juried by outside judges. I know there are a lot of beer festivals in town, but they’re going to put a big push behind this one. This will be incredible publicity for everyone, not just them. It’s a good opportunity.”

“I don’t want anything to do with them,” River said, overlapping with Georgie, who said, “You suggested this?”

“Yes, I did,” Finn said. “I get how you feel, River. Trust me, I do. But I wouldn’t have suggested this if I didn’t think it would help everyone. If I didn’t think it would undo a little of the damage I did.” He paused, considering his other motivation, the one he hadn’t shared with anyone yet. He glanced at Georgie, whose study of him had intensified, if anything. “I’ve suggested they do it in January. There aren’t a lot of beer festivals at that time of year, and everyone’s looking for something to do. I figured it could be a practice run for Brewfest.”

Neither of them said anything for a moment, and he wondered if they really would ask him to leave.

Finally, Georgie shook her head a little. “If we don’t get on board, this might not happen,” she said. “Am I right?”

“It’s possible,” Finn acknowledged. “It would send a message to the other brewers, and the community has been known to stick together.” He almost said “our” community, but he knew how that would be received. He’d relinquished his part in it months ago.

More silence, then Georgie said, “You have a knack for getting people to do what you want, don’t you?”

The words dug in deep. It wasn’t a compliment, and they all knew it.

Glancing at River, whose face was unreadable again, Finn said, “This isn’t about me. It’s about making things right. This might be a little thing, but it’s better than nothing.”

It was true, but it wasn’t the full truth. He also hoped it would help change the way people perceived him. He really had felt like he was part of the beer community in town, but many of the people he’d counted as acquaintances and friends had turned their backs on him. Sure, Bev Corp wasn’t likely to advertise his involvement, but there was no stopping word of mouth. People would know. It would help, although how much, he didn’t know.

“We’ll think about it,” River said.

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