Page 8 of Break My Heart
‘Two Dirty Blondes and a High Tale Ale,’ a girl yells from behind me.
‘Got it,’ the bartender says.
I turn back and scan the crowded bar. It’s mostly guys with a few girls here and there. The waitstaff is all women, all wearing the tiny black shorts and white t-shirts with the logo on it. I recognize one of the waitresses. Brody dated her, but it was nothing serious. I can’t remember her name.
‘Let me know if you like it,’ I hear the bartender say.
I turn back and see my beer in front of me. The bartender took off to go to the register. I’m trying not to stare at her but it’s hard not to. She’s gorgeous, and not like the girls I usually go for. I tend to date women who have more of a sophisticated look, the kind that wear high heels and designer clothes. Nick calls that a city-girl look, saying it’s how girls he dated in New York dressed. I’m not sure how I ended up liking that, growing up in a small town. My brothers are the opposite. They like the laid back, country-girl look, which is basically jeans and t-shirts.
The bartender doesn’t fit either of those looks. She’s almost a mix of the two with a touch of bad girl thrown in. The shorts and t-shirt give her the country-girl look, but the black high-heeled boots she’s got on give her a touch of class. The bad girl vibe comes from the black tat on the inside of her wrist.
Forcing my eyes off her, I take a drink of the beer. It’s really good. I hate to say it, but I think it’s better than mine. I’ve struggled to make a good stout. I’m better with the lighter brews; the amber ales, the pilsners, the lagers. My stouts are getting better, but they’re not as good as this.
The bartender heads toward me and stops. ‘What do you think? You like it?’
‘It’s great. Good color. Complex flavor.’
‘Are you one of those guys that talks about beer like it’s wine?’ she asks, sounding annoyed.
‘No. I just like good beer.’
I actuallyamone of those guys, but it’s because it’s my business. I have to analyze beer in order to make it.
‘What can I get you?’ the bartender asks a guy as he takes the seat next to mine.
‘I’ll take the Smokestack Porter.’
‘Coming right up.’ She goes to get his beer.
My eyes follow her, noticing how fast she moves in those heels. The girl’s in good shape. Her legs are lean and I can see the muscles in her arms as she moves.
‘You been here before?’ the guy next to me asks.
‘No.’ I look over at him. ‘It’s my first time. How about you?’
‘Been here every night since they opened. The beer’s awesome and you can’t beat the price.’
‘The price is going up soon. The special is only for opening week.’
‘I’ll still be coming back, just not every day.’
‘You ever try Kanfield’s? It’s a new brewery downtown.’
He stares at me and smiles. ‘Kanfield. I knew I recognized you from somewhere. You were at the orchard when I went out there to look at the trees. Hank Handley. I’m an arborist, fancy word for tree specialist. Your dad had me out when some of the trees were dying.’
I nod. ‘Yeah, I remember. That was a few years ago.’
‘How’s your dad doing? I heard he was sick last summer.’
‘Yeah, he had a heart attack and bypass surgery. He has to take it easy, but he’s doing a lot better. Nick, my older brother, is running the orchard now.’
‘And you have the brewery. I knew it opened. I just haven’t been over there yet. I don’t go downtown much.’
‘You should stop by sometime. I’ll even match the price. Two-dollar beers if you come in.’
‘Great! I’ll come by this week.’
I can’t believe I’m so desperate to compete with this place that I’d offer this guy $2 beers. There’s no way I could do that for everyone and definitely not for a week. I’ve got too much debt to pay off. How is Gina doing this? Did her grandfather leave her with millions, or is she just taking a loss this week in order to get people in the door?
