Page 59 of Beyond the Hate

The bartender frowns. “Beer? I don’t…” He scans the available drinks.

His colleague notices him floundering. “We have some beer in the kitchen. I’ll grab you two.”

Eli settles at the bar to wait. “I can’t believe you,” I mutter to him.

“What? You want a beer, you get a beer. I don’t understand what the big deal is.”

I motion to the room full of elegant people wearing cocktail dresses and tuxedos while drinking champagne out of fancy glasses. “We’ll stick out.”

He grins down at me. “Lace, you already stick out.”

I frown and he kisses my nose.

“Not because you don’t fit in but because you’re obviously special.”

Now I roll my eyes. “Did you watch YouTube videos on how to be charming before tonight?”

He puffs up his chest. “You think I’m charming.”

“I think you’re over the top.”

“I am who I am.”

The bartender arrives and sets two glasses of beer down in front of Eli. Eli hands me one before picking his up.

“To many more evenings spent together,” he says as he clinks his glass with mine.

I narrow my eyes on him. “Did you forget I don’t want to get involved with you?”

He smirks. “And yet where are you this evening?”

“Because my friends tricked me.”

He tweaks my nose. “As if anyone could trick Paisley Bardot.” He offers me his elbow. “Shall we have a peek at the items up for auction?”

I’m curious what type of items could interest the rich and thread my arm through his. He leads me toward the display of auction items.

The first item is a necklace. “This jade necklace would match your dress.”

I notice the starting bid is five thousand dollars. I drag Eli away. “You are not bidding on a five thousand dollar necklace for me.”

“But I want to spoil you.”

“Spoil me by buying me a new beer fermentation tank.”

“Send Dakota the specifics and she’ll order it.”

I screech to a halt. “Eli Raider, you will not buy me brewery equipment.”

“You just said I could spoil you by buying you a fermentation tank.”

I huff. “I was joking.”

He tugs on my arm. “We’ll find something else you want.”

I refuse to move. “Why don’t we mingle instead?”

He barks out a laugh. “Mingle? You, Paisley Bardot, are going to mingle?”

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