Page 75 of Resisting Fate (Hope Falls: Brewed Awakenings 3)

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“You look smokin’hot!” Viv whistled as she walked into the community center and looked Audrey up and down.

They were supposed to drive together, but Viv said that she had a quick errand to run so they’d met each other there.

Audrey still couldn’t believe that she’d let her sister talk her into wearing this dress. Audrey never wore tight fitting garments, but Viv had talked her into wearing one of her dresses tonight.

Normally, Viv’s clothes wouldn’t fit Audrey since her sister was built like a real-life Jessica Rabbit, but this dress was a clingy material. It was a sexy take on a little black dress. It had a scoop neck, inch wide straps and was completely backless. The hem hit Audrey just above her knee which was the only reason she’d agreed to wear it, the one thing she’d never do is pull a dress down all night because it was riding up her thighs.

“You look amazing!” Audrey beamed at her sister. And she did.

Viv was wearing a halter neck forest green dress that highlighted her curves and made her red hair pop. She was a showstopper, truly.

The community center was packed, and the night had already begun with the instructors teaching the moves. Audrey had decided to skip that portion of the evening since she’d already learned them when she’d danced with Josh.

“It looks like a great turnout,” Audrey commented.

“We sold out of eighty percent of our events. Next year, I’m going to try for a hundred.”

“Next year?”

“Yeah, I loved doing this.” Viv beamed. “I think I found my calling as an event planner.”

Audrey had always known that her sister’s dream was not to own and operate a coffee shop. She was so grateful that her sister had dedicated eight years of her life to help fulfill Audrey’s dream, but now it was time for Viv to fly.

“Don’t worry, I’m not bailing on Brewed, I just…I think I might want to start doing this on the side.”

“I think that’s a great idea!”

Viv’s eyes widened. “Really? I thought you’d freak out.”

Audrey just stared at her; she’d never freaked out in her life. Actually, that wasn’t true. A couple months back she’d freaked out on her sister Grace but that was because she was going to make the biggest mistake of her life by letting a man who loved her and who she loved just walk away, but Viv didn’t know that.

“Okay, not freak out,” Viv corrected. “But be disappointed, which would be worse than freaking you out.”

“I’m not disappointed. I’m so proud of you! This week has been a huge success. You’re like the real-life Alexis.”

In the show that had inspired the singles week Schitt’s Creek, Alexis finds her calling in public relations.

“I am.” Viv smiled widely.

“And I love this journey for you,” Audrey referenced one of Alexis’s famous lines from the show.

Viv pulled her into a bear hug and when she stepped back she said, “And I am still going to be at Brewed. Just maybe not as much.”

“Brewed will be fine. I will be fine. I promise.” Audrey knew that she would be, right after she mended her currently broken heart.

The door to the community room opened and both Viv and Audrey glanced over. When Audrey saw Mayor Walker come in, she smiled hoping to disguise her disappointment. She knew that Josh wasn’t going to show up tonight. Just like she knew he wasn’t going to come into Brewed Awakenings. But that didn’t stop her from subconsciously hoping that every time a door opened, he’d walk through it. Or every time her phone rang or a text message came through, it would be from him.

This week had been one of the longest of her life. She used to think that pining after Josh was miserable, and it was. But this was worse. They say it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, but Audrey strongly disagreed.

In the back of her mind, she’d always thought that someday, somehow, just like Luke and Lorelai, they’d end up together.

Obviously, she’d romanticized the fictional relationship since even Luke and Lorelai’s road to happily-ever-after was paved with a whole lotta drama, breakups, and heartbreak. But this wasn’t a TV show. This was real life, and the reality was she and Josh had had their chance. For all intents and purposes, they’d spent the last month dating. They’d had sex, and spent two nights together, and he’d basically told her to go be with other men, which she knew wasn’t going to happen. She’d been tempted to do just that, but she knew it wouldn’t solve anything. Just like Lorelai sleeping with Christopher at the end of season six hadn’t solved anything.

Audrey wasn’t going to make that same mistake. If she dated someone else, she was going to be completely over Josh first. Which might never happen considering she’d been in love with him since she was four. So basically, for nearly thirty years.

“Okay, folks. Now that you’ve got the moves down, we want the ladies on one side of the dance floor and the fellas on the other.”

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