Page 25 of A Sip of Sherry

Steve’s eyes lit up from behind the entry counter.“You brought reinforcements,” he boomed, then turned his attention to Ben.“I knew you’d cave, eventually.”

“I told you I’d come and I’m a man of my word.”Ben hoisted the box up.“Where do you want this?”

He pointed through a narrow path of carpet lined with case after case of Big Foot memorabilia.“All the way in the back.I have a table and chairs set up.You can put it on the table.”

“Is that okay with you?”Ben asked.

I blinked, my mind still in the parking lot.“Why are you asking me?”

“You’re the event planner.”

“Right.Yes.That’s exactly where I want it.”

“Great.”Ben followed the carpeted path through the museum, and I took a deep breath.

“Are you two…?”Steve waved his finger toward the back of the museum where Ben was and to me.

“No,” I stated matter-of-factly.“And since when are you trying to get in on the town gossip?I thought you were better than that Steve.”

He hung his head.“I’ve been hanging around Odette too much.”

I snorted.“That’ll definitely do it.You've got to be careful, or next thing you know, you’ll be assigning couples ridiculous nicknames—”

“She only does that to couples she thinks are powerhouses.Like Bennifer in the early 2000s or Brangelina.”

“Couldn’t have been that powerful.Both couples ended in divorce.Come to think of it, so did TomKat, Kimye, and though not married, Zanessa and Robsten also didn’t make it.The only couple that’s still going strong is Speidi.”

His brows shot to his thinning hairline.“I’m impressed with your pop culture knowledge.”

“What can I say?I was a sucker for tabloid gossips back in the day.But I always hated the couple names and with these new statistics, I double down on my stance.Maybe you should let Odette know she’s setting couples up for failure.”

Steve scratched his thinning hair.“I will.”

“This place is freaking awesome,” Ben said as he rejoined us in the front of the museum.I wish I could say I forgot he was here, but his spicy, oak, crushed grape scent lingered.His presence filled the space without trying, settling into my skin, the air, and my pulse.

He stood beside me, slipping his hands in his back pockets, completely unaware how his proximity made me question every reason I’d clung to for turning him down.

“Glad you approve,” Steve said, wearing his pride outwardly in his big smile.

I shifted away from Ben, focusing on the task at hand.“I have to get this event set up before the other attendees start to arrive.”

“I’ll stay with Steve, so my smirk and handsomeness doesn’t distract you.”Ben winked as an uncontrollable smile tugged at my lip.Damn him.

“See?Powerhouse couple in the making,” Steve said.

I shot daggers at him.“Don’t start.”

He shrugged.“Too late.I already have a name picked out.”

“A name?”Ben asked.“Like they use for celebrity couples?”

Steve nodded with far too much excitement.

“Let me guess.”Ben tapped his chin, then snapped and pointed at Steve.“Shenn?”

“Oh!That’s a good one.But I was thinking Berry.”

“Oh God no.”

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