smiled at him. His heart skipped a beat. Typically, a hot woman would intrigue him, make him want to flirt, impress and ultimately seduce. Suzanne brought out a completely new feeling in him – one he didn't understand and that scared him.
"Here," she handed him a beer and walked away. He was mesmerized by the sway of her hips but still trying to force his usual A-game down under a layer of chivalry. One thing he'd never been around women was tongue-tied. Yet, there he was, smiling, and slamming down half the beer she slid across the bar at him while she talked with the bar manager and put all her stuff away. She glanced at him once, a puzzled look in her eyes. He shrugged, smiled and forced his eyes up to the television and away from her.
After about fifteen minutes of messing around behind the bar, chatting with other customers and other diversions, she was back in front of him, leaning in, way too close for his comfort. He sat back, sipped more and tried to ignore her.
"And so," she said, sipping her own beer, "a tour, huh?"
"Yeah, well, you mentioned it last time and I thought…." he heard his voice trail off, and started to stand and leave to escape the horror of his lame-ass behavior. But he couldn't. Not when she leveled that intense gaze at him. He had to clench his fists to stop himself from touching her hair, from pressing his lips to that sweet spot just near her ear. He blinked. "Um sorry? What did you say?"
She leaned her head back and laughed, making him tingle all over. "I said, you adorable thing you; if you want a tour, then follow me." She lifted the service arm and came out from behind the bar. He leaned back, unsure what to do now, but wanting more than anything to follow her wherever she went. Something about her was so compelling, so tempting and so right. He smiled, and grabbed his glass.
She stepped up into the brewery, holding up the superficial chain barrier between it and the Tap Room. He ducked under and listened as she launched into what was obviously a well-practiced spiel. He sipped, looked around, and pointed to a glass jar of small candies. "Hey, are those M&Ms?" He walked over to a tall, makeshift worktable.
She followed him putting her hand over his when he started to take the lid off the giant container. "No, Reese's Pieces, thanks." He looked at her, loving the feel of her palm on his hand. "They're mine. I'm an addict." She shrugged and stepped away.
"So give me the real story here Suzanne. I mean, you guys are successful, rolling in dough, expanding twice inside ten years. All is great?" He lifted the lid and scooped a handful of the peanut butter candies.
She sighed and held out her hand. He put one chocolate covered morsel in it. She glared at him, ate it, and leaned back on a long, low stainless steel table. She seemed to relax, for the first time since he'd arrived, and drop her façade of business woman in control. He leaned with her, held out his hand and gave her a few more candies. "It sucks sometimes, but I wouldn't do anything else. I love it."
"It sucks. And you love it." He mused, crunching down on the chocolate peanut butter confection. "Damn I haven't had these in years. I forgot how good they are."
"I know," she said, holding her hand. "So, Craig, why are you here, really? You obviously don't give a shit about my standard brewery tour."
He seized up a half a second, then pushed away from the table and grabbed more candy from the jar. "How do you work here anyway? With these damn things around all the time…Jesus." He popped a few more in his mouth.
She joined him, perched on a backless stool nearly right under his arm. He started to move away from her, but then didn't. She took a few more peanut butter morsels, then put the lid back on the jar. "I have to keep it stocked, that's the only rule. Because I eat the most of them, I guess. You gonna answer my question, or what?"
He draped his arm around her shoulder and they munched on candy like little kids.
"Here," she handed him a beer and walked away. He was mesmerized by the sway of her hips but still trying to force his usual A-game down under a layer of chivalry. One thing he'd never been around women was tongue-tied. Yet, there he was, smiling, and slamming down half the beer she slid across the bar at him while she talked with the bar manager and put all her stuff away. She glanced at him once, a puzzled look in her eyes. He shrugged, smiled and forced his eyes up to the television and away from her.
After about fifteen minutes of messing around behind the bar, chatting with other customers and other diversions, she was back in front of him, leaning in, way too close for his comfort. He sat back, sipped more and tried to ignore her.
"And so," she said, sipping her own beer, "a tour, huh?"
"Yeah, well, you mentioned it last time and I thought…." he heard his voice trail off, and started to stand and leave to escape the horror of his lame-ass behavior. But he couldn't. Not when she leveled that intense gaze at him. He had to clench his fists to stop himself from touching her hair, from pressing his lips to that sweet spot just near her ear. He blinked. "Um sorry? What did you say?"
She leaned her head back and laughed, making him tingle all over. "I said, you adorable thing you; if you want a tour, then follow me." She lifted the service arm and came out from behind the bar. He leaned back, unsure what to do now, but wanting more than anything to follow her wherever she went. Something about her was so compelling, so tempting and so right. He smiled, and grabbed his glass.
She stepped up into the brewery, holding up the superficial chain barrier between it and the Tap Room. He ducked under and listened as she launched into what was obviously a well-practiced spiel. He sipped, looked around, and pointed to a glass jar of small candies. "Hey, are those M&Ms?" He walked over to a tall, makeshift worktable.
She followed him putting her hand over his when he started to take the lid off the giant container. "No, Reese's Pieces, thanks." He looked at her, loving the feel of her palm on his hand. "They're mine. I'm an addict." She shrugged and stepped away.
"So give me the real story here Suzanne. I mean, you guys are successful, rolling in dough, expanding twice inside ten years. All is great?" He lifted the lid and scooped a handful of the peanut butter candies.
She sighed and held out her hand. He put one chocolate covered morsel in it. She glared at him, ate it, and leaned back on a long, low stainless steel table. She seemed to relax, for the first time since he'd arrived, and drop her façade of business woman in control. He leaned with her, held out his hand and gave her a few more candies. "It sucks sometimes, but I wouldn't do anything else. I love it."
"It sucks. And you love it." He mused, crunching down on the chocolate peanut butter confection. "Damn I haven't had these in years. I forgot how good they are."
"I know," she said, holding her hand. "So, Craig, why are you here, really? You obviously don't give a shit about my standard brewery tour."
He seized up a half a second, then pushed away from the table and grabbed more candy from the jar. "How do you work here anyway? With these damn things around all the time…Jesus." He popped a few more in his mouth.
She joined him, perched on a backless stool nearly right under his arm. He started to move away from her, but then didn't. She took a few more peanut butter morsels, then put the lid back on the jar. "I have to keep it stocked, that's the only rule. Because I eat the most of them, I guess. You gonna answer my question, or what?"
He draped his arm around her shoulder and they munched on candy like little kids.
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